《Revenge Against My Ex-husband》


 Chapter 1 The Mistresss Miscarriage

    Chapter 1 The Mistress''s Miscarriage


    The smell of disinfectant pervaded the air in the hospital.


    Irene Nelson dashed out of the doctor''s office excitedly with theb results in her hands. Just when she


    was about to make a phone call, her cellphone rang. When she picked it up, she heard her uncle say,


    "Irene, is everything alright between you and Edric?"


    "We''re fine. Why did you ask?"


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    "I heard that Edric brought a pregnantdy to the hospital for a prenatal checkup the day before


    yesterday..."


    Irene burst intoughter and replied, "You think Edric has a kept woman?"


    "Yes!"


    "Don''t worry. Of all men, Edric''s thest person in the world who would do such a thing."


    After Irene hung up the call with her uncle, she called Edric Myers. However, he only answered after


    the phone rang for a long time. "I''m very busy. Don''t call and disturb me if it''s nothing important! That''s


    it for now."


    He sounded cold and emotionless and hung up before Irene could say anything. Irene held onto the


    test results, feeling as if her burning passion was frozen instantly.


    Since they got married three years ago, Edric was always very gentle to her. But recently, there was an


    abrupt change in his attitude, not only cold, even when answering her call, he was also impatient,


    which made her wonder what caused such a drastic change in him.


    With her mind preupied by her thoughts, Irene turned and saw a figure pop up before her. "Sis!" a


    gentle voice called out.


    When Irene looked over, she saw Lily Cook who was apanied by a middle-aged woman.


    Irene frowned at the sight of Lily, who was the daughter of a mistress. With a look of contempt on her


    face, she retorted coldly, "Mind your words. I''m the only child that my mother has ever given birth to."


    Instead of getting angry by her reply, Lily merely beamed and asked gently, "Irene, are you here for


    your infertility check up again?"


    "It''s none of your business."


    "Aren''t you going to ask me why I''m here at the pregnancy check up area?" Lily asked and raised an


    eyebrow at Irene provocatively. She then chuckled and announced, "I''m pregnant with Edric''s child!"


    Irene only noticed her tiny baby bump right after she said this. All along, Lily had been very obvious


    about her feelings towards Edric and would always find ways to hook up with him before he married


    Irene. However, Irene merely sneered and replied, "Are you out of your mind?"


    "You don''t believe me? Well, take a look at this!"


    Lily then shed her check up report to Irene and Irene''s expression instantly changed when she saw


    the familiar handwriting on it. She couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw Edric''s signature.


    "I spent after dark with him four months ago. He was such a beast and was at it all night. I was


    pregnant since then," Lily dered and grinned proudly. "He likes this child very much and asked me to


    keep him. You could step down after my child''s born."


    "You b*tch!" Irene roared and, trembling with rage, struck Lily across the face. Lily instantly fell to the


    ground as if she had been anticipating this, "Ouch, my stomach!" she shrieked.


    Irene only pped Lily on the face, but crimson red blood began to ooze out of her trousers the


    moment she fell to the ground. Irene was taken aback and could hardly believe what just happened.


    The medical staff instantly rushed Lily off to the emergency room. Afraid to leave the


    scene, Irene too followed after her.


    After waiting outside the room for quite some time, Irene heard the sound of footsteps and when she


    nced up, saw her mother-inw, Margaret Moore. ring at Irene furiously, Margaret asked,


    "What''s going on? How did Lily end up in the emergency room?"


    "Miss Nelson... No, Mrs. Myers pushed her!" The middle-aged woman who had been apanying


    Lily answered.


    "You b*tch! You''re a fruitless tree and yet you simply couldn''t bear to watch others achieve what you''ve


    failed to, could you?" Margaret shrieked and pped her in the face. As Margaret had never liked


    Irene, she was merciless with her blow and Irene''s face quickly began to swell up.


    Earlier before, she had thought that Lily was lying but Margaret''s attitude exined everything.


    A burst of despair grew in Irene''s heart and it felt so suffocating that she nearly passed out. But right at


    that moment, the door to the operating theatre opened and a nurse walked out to inform them that Lily


    had lost her baby.


    Margaret went ballistic when she heard this and immediately charged over to yank Irene''s hair before


    she began to thrash and kick her.


    Irene quickly cked out from the violent beatings.


    When she finally regained consciousness, she opened her eyes to a sea of white. She tried to sit up


    but her body ached so terribly that she had to lean against the headboard of her bed to catch her


    breath. But right at that moment, the door to her ward opened and a man wearing a pair of gold-rimmed


    sses came in.


    "Hello, Miss Nelson. I''m Mr. Myers''wyer!"


    "Lawyer?" Irene repeated and stared at the man before her in shock.


    "Yes, I''m Mr. Myers'' privatewyer. He entrusted me to handle his divorce proceedings with you."


    "Divorce? Edric wants to divorce me?" Irene repeated and could hardly believe what she just heard.


    Thewyer walked over to her bed and handed her a document. "This is a divorce agreement. Please


    read through it."


    Irene''s hands began to quiver. She had never dreamed that Edric would actually divorce her one day.


    Without reading the divorce agreement, she stared at thewyer and ordered, "Get Edric toe to


    see me! I want him tell me in person!"


    "Mr. Myers is very busy. He doesn''t have the time."


    "He''s busy and has no time?" Irene chuckled and wondered when they had begun to be so indifferent


    to each other that he could not even afford to spare some time to meet her.


    Closing her eyes shut, she grabbed the phone on the bedside table and dialed for Eric''s number but


    could not seem to get through to him.


    "How did Edric and I end up like this? An affair, a divorce..." she mused.


    Thewyer, who was still waiting for her response, urged, "Miss Nelson, please take a look at the


    agreement. I''m very busy!"


    It was obvious from thewyer''s attitude that he would not take ''no'' for an answer. Everyone had been


    respectful towards Irene throughout her three years long of marriage with Edric. Now that thewyer


    was so cold and harsh, he was clearly acting under Edric''s instructions.


    Irene held up the divorce agreement and nced at the column on the dismemberment of property. As


    all the property belonged to Edric before his marriage, it was not part of the property that would be


    divided upon their divorcement. Irene instantly began to tear up.


    He once said that she meant the world to him and that everything he had belonged to her. However, he


    already fell out of love with her within just three years into their marriage. She wondered if he was


    finally revealing his true colors.


    The truth that Edric had kept a mistress behind her back and even impregnated the mistress with a


    child finally began to sink in.


    "I suppose it''s time for a fruitless tree like me to step down," Irene thought bitterly. Without reading the


    agreement any further, Irene nced up at thewyer, who had been staring at her all along, and


    requested, "Give me a pen!"


    Thewyer opened his briefcase, took out a pen and handed it to Irene before he added, "Mr. Myers


    said that you can''t take any of the jewellery that he bought for you."


    Irene stared nkly at the space before her and froze for a long time. Just when thewyer thought


    that she would challenge this, she slowly agreed, "Sure."


    She then picked up the pen and signed her name on the divorce agreement quickly.


    After thewyer took one quick nce at the signed agreement, turned and left.


    A luxurious Aston Martin pulled up in the parking lot of the hospital and the car window scrolled down to


    reveal the face of an iparably handsome man. Thewyer quickly strode over to the car and


    reported respectfully, "Mr. Myers, Madam has signed it!"


    "She signed it?" the man repeated slowly and nced at thewyer''s face with his unreadable eyes.


    Thewyer''s heart raced when he saw how moody the man seemed and though thewyer wanted to


    say something, he was at a loss for words. The man then turned to stare at the dark night sky. After


    some time, he spat out, "Let''s go!"

 Chapter 2 Her Sicko Boss

    Chapter 2 Her Sicko Boss


    Three yearster.


    The night was young and many luxury cars and reporters geared up with cameras and equipment


    gathered at the gates to the San Fetillo Hilton Hotel.


    The Golden Age Group was hosting a party here tonight and had invited the business tycoons of San


    Fetillo to the event. When the reporters caught wind of the news, they flocked over in hopes of


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    obtaining news that would make the headlines.


    At 8 p.m, a sleek Maybach pulled over before the hotel.


    "Mr. Reed! It''s Mr. Reed from the Golden Age Group!" the reporters yelled and rushed over with their


    cameras and gear.


    Jordan Reed was dressed in a white suit and wore a frivolous smile on his face as he got out of the car.


    Supermodel Lulu, who was dressed in a chic off shoulder evening dress, got out from the other side of


    the car. Jordan then reached out to hold Lulu''s hand before they decently posed for the camera.


    Irene was seated in the passenger''s seat with a briefcase in her hand and watched Jordan and Lulu


    through the window.


    "What the hell. I''m just a assistant. Why can''t Jordan leave me out of a party like this? Is he a sicko or


    what?" she grumbled silently.


    The driver beside her reminded, "Assistant Ye, please get off the car! Young Master would be


    displeased if you''rete."


    With a sigh, she opened the car door and lowered her head as she got out of the car with her briefcase.


    As Jordan had already arrived at the entrance to the hotel, arm in arm with Lulu, Irene hastened her


    footsteps to keep up with them. Just when she reached the entrance, the reporters behind her


    eximed, "Edric Myers! Edric Myers is here as well!"


    Irene turned reflexively when she heard Edric''s name. She then saw an Aston Martin pull


    over slowly before the gates to the hotel. A security guard stepped forward and opened the car door


    respectfully.


    Edric then got off the car. He looked handsome in his ck suit and his aura was still as powerful as


    what it was three years ago.


    Just when Irene was lost in her thoughts, the security guard opened the door on the other side of the


    car. Lily Cook, in a fiery red evening dress, smiled as she slowly got out.


    "Wow, they''re such a handsome couple!"


    "You don''t say. Thedy''s the daughter of a secretary while the guy is a business tycoon. They''re a


    match made in heaven!"


    The crowd began to chatter incessantly. As Irene stared at the couple, a cold sneer appeared on her


    face.


    "An unfaithful man and a mistress. A match made in heaven indeed," she thought.


    Without the slightest intention to stay on and watch the irksome couple, Irene quickly turned and


    hastened her steps to catch up with Jordan.


    Jordan and Lulu had already entered the elevator. When Irene noticed that the door was about to


    close, she dashed over as quickly as she would in a hundred-meter sprint.


    Reaching out her hand, she managed to stop the elevator door right when it was about to close. When


    she entered the elevator, Jordan sneered, "Assistant Ye, you seem to enjoy scaring others, don''t you?"


    "I''m sorry!" Irene lowered her head and apologized.


    Jordan snorted coldly and warned, "You''d better follow us closely the next time. If you step out of line


    again, I''ll fire you!"


    "Yes, I''ll keep that in mind!"


    As Irene was extremely polite and respectful, Jordan could not find a reason re up at her and simply


    let her off the hook after ring at her.


    When the elevator stopped at the 18th floor, Jordan wrapped his arms around Lulu''s waist and led her


    out. Irene quickly followed them with the briefcase in her arms. When they arrived at the entrance to


    the hall, Jordan turned and instructed, "Go and wait for me in the lounge. Bear in mind that you''ll have


    to be on standby. Your bonus for this month will be halved if I couldn''t reach you."


    "Yes, Mr. Reed. Got it!"


    After Jordan and Lulu entered the hall, Irene felt as if she was relieved of a great burden and turned to


    dash straight for the lounge.


    Meanwhile, the elevator on the other end, too, stopped with a "ding". When Edric and Lily stepped out


    of the elevator, Edric caught a glimpse of Irene, who was opening the door to the lounge at the end of


    the corridor. He froze for a moment. "Irene?" he thought.


    "No, she had disappeared for three years.Why would she appear now?" he mused.


    "I must be mistaken," he concluded.


    When Lily noticed Edric staring fixedly at the other end of the corridor, she nced towards where he


    was looking at but saw nothing there. Feeling baffled, she asked, "Edric, what are you looking at?"


    "It''s nothing. Let''s go."


    Irene waited in the lounge for more than an hour and was so hungry that her stomach began to growl.


    "Jordan''s such a sadist. There he is, having the time of his life with a beautiful woman and a delicious,


    luxurious buffet that he could eat to his heart''s content. Meanwhile, as his assistant, I could only starve


    and wait for him here. He''s really an evil capitalist!" she grumbled silently.


    Just when she was lost in her thoughts, Jordan called and instructed, "Go to the hall to get yourself


    some food. Remember what I said. Don''t wander around! Scram back to the lounge to wait for me after


    you''re done with your meal!"


    "Yes, Mr. Reed."


    Irene then pulled open the door to the hall and strode right in. Although everyone was rich and


    morously dressed, she merely took one swift nce at them before she went straight for the buffet


    area.


    Irene helped herself to a ss of juice and a te of food. But before she could find herself a ce to


    settle down and eat, she heard someone say, "Get me some food here!"

 Chapter 3 Mistook Her for a Waitress

    Chapter 3 Mistook Her for a Waitress


    Themanding tone of voice sounded familiar. When Irene looked up, she saw a woman who was


    pped with a thickyer of makeup. "Isn''t she Lily Cook''s best friend, Freya Howard?" Irene thought.


    Freya was momentarily stunned as well when she saw Irene. As Irene was dressed in work attire,


    Freya mistook her for a waitress and was startled when she found out it was Irene.


    "So it''s you?"


    However, Irene merely ignored her. But just when she was about to brush past Freya, Freya managed


    to recover from her shock and stopped her immediately, "Are you actually working as a waitress here?


    Haha, what a joke!"


    "Is it that funny?" Irene asked coldly.


    "Of course. You were so arrogant in the past, weren''t you? Tsk tsk. To think that you would end up as a


    mere waitress. Every dog has its day. That''s quite apt for your situation now, isn''t it? Hurry up and get


    me something to eat!"


    Freya appeared pleased with what she had just said. As Irene was beautiful, morally upright and


    blessed with a good life, she had always been an eyesore for Freya.


    Now that Irene was ditched by Edric and had ended up as a waitress, it was a perfect opportunity for


    Freya to humiliate her.


    Irene was disgusted by the look on Freya''s face but found it insulting to stoop down to Freya''s level to


    argue with her. Thus, she simply made her way around Freya and strutted off.


    Unwilling to let things slide, Freya yelled, "Irene, how dare you disobey me! I could get someone to fire


    you right away!"


    "Fire me? Miss Howard, who the hell do you think you are?"


    "How dare you insult me?" Freya yelled and jumped with rage. In the past, she could not do anything to


    Irene since she was Edric''s wife and he had protected her like a precious treasure. But now, things


    were different. Without Edric, she was just a lowly waitress and destroying her would be as easy as


    killing an ant.


    "I''ll tell the person in charge here to fire you right away!"


    "Freya, what happened?" a gentle voice interrupted.


    "Lily, you''re just in time. Look who we have here!" Freya pointed at Irene and mocked.


    Irene nced at Lily calmly. When their eyes met, Lily obviously seemed shocked. "Why is Irene


    here?" she wondered.


    Despite being taken aback, Lily smiled and greeted, "Sis!"


    However, Irene merely nced at her coldly and replied, "Miss, I''m afraid you got the wrong person."


    "Irene, I know you me me for what happened, but it has nothing to do with me. I can''t help it if Edric


    falls for me..."


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    Although three years had passed, Irene''s wounds were still sore and her heart still ached at the


    mention of her past. Unwilling to show her weakness to them, she turned to leave.


    However, Freya, who was obviously emboldened by Lily''s presence, instantly rushed up to Irene and


    grabbed hold of her before shoving her hard. The juice in the ss Irene was holding immediately spilt


    all over her body. As some got onto Freya''s clothes, she screamed, "Hey, what''s wrong with you?"


    Irene saw how visibly pleased Freya was when she said this. She could tell that Freya was convinced


    that she was a waitress and had intended to nder her so that she could get the hotel to fire Irene.


    Irene''s expression turned frigid. In the past, she would have pped Freya in the face. But now, she


    was no longer Edric''s wife and nobody would be there to protect her. Thus, she could only force herself


    to suppress her anger and leave.


    Freya and Lily exchanged a look when they noticed that Irene did nothing to fend for herself. In the next


    moment, they reached over, yanked Irene''s hair, and doused their red wine down her neck.


    The cold, red wine trickled down Irene''s neck and soaked up her clothes. Somewhat intentionally,


    Freya bumped Lily with her body and Lily, too, sshed her ss of wine on Irene''s face.


    Irene could feel her eyes burning with pain. She initially nned to let things slide and leave, but was


    now angered by Freya''s relentless pursuit.


    Freya and Lily were birds of the same feather. Judging from how they were treating her, Irene could tell


    that things would not end well today. Freya''s tricks were exactly the same as what Lily had used back


    then and they would certainly continue to nder her. Irene was also not to be trifled with and found no


    reason to let them off the hook anymore since they were bent on making her the bad guy.


    Boiling with rage, Irene raised the te in her hand and smashed it onto Freya''s head.


    Freya screamed, for she never expected Irene to retaliate when she was already in such a pathetic


    state. The gravy trickled down Freya''s hair into her eyes and stung them exceptionally badly, for Irene


    enjoyed spicy food and all the gravy was spicy.


    Freya let out a heartrending scream and instantly released Irene''s hair.


    Ignoring Freya''s shrieks, Irene went on to p Lily in the face. Lily waspletely dumbfounded, for


    she never expected Irene to be so tough. Just when her face was stinging from the blow, Irene grabbed


    a bowl of gravy and sshed it onto Lily''s expensive evening dress designed by a famous designer.


    Lily was terribly upset.


    In pain and rage, Lily ignored her public image and shrieked, "Somebody! Help!"

 Chapter 4 Cruel Man

    Chapter 4 Cruel Man


    Many people were startled by themotion and nced over. The security guards, too, rushed over.


    As this was a party for members of the upper ss, the security guards were unusually


    snobbish. Irene, who was dressed in ordinary clothes, was naturally taken for a waitress. Thus, without


    even getting their facts right, the guards immediately shoved her out of the hall.


    As Freya''s eyes were burning from the chili gravy, she was quickly sent to the hospital.


    After Edric heard of the news, he rushed over only to see Lily with a clear palm print on her face and


    her expensive evening gown stained with soup. Surprised by the awkward state that she was in, he


    asked, "What happened?"


    Lily was actually afraid that Edric woulde to know that Irene had appeared at the party. However,


    she knew that she couldn''t hide the truth from him now that things have reached this state. Thus


    she cried andined, "Edric, I saw Miss Nelson. She''s working as a waitress here. For some


    reason, she deliberately spilt juice on me and Freya when she saw us. Freya couldn''t put up with it and


    scolded her, so she suddenly went berserk and dumped food onto Freya. She even pped me..."


    Edric was stunned and quickly scanned the surroundings, but did not spot Irene anywhere. Lily then


    forced out some tears and continued, "My clothes were soiled and I got pped by her. But Freya''s


    eyes were stung by the chili gravy that Nelson dumped on her. Miss Nelson had nned to aim for me,


    but Freya took the blow for me."


    Edric''s expression was unreadable as he stared at her pitiful face. He then patted Lily, who was wiping


    her tears away, and asked coldly, "Where is she?"


    "She was taken away by the security guards!"


    "Let''s go and have a look!"


    After Edric said this, he supported Lily, who was in a mess, out of the hall. Irene was taken to the room


    next to the hall by the security guards. They were scolding her and calling the police.


    Irene lowered her head as she remained seated on the sofa. Her body was dripping wet from the


    wine, and she finally calmed down after she was brought here.


    She should have put up with them earlier on, but instead she lost control of herself and stirred up a fuss


    like this. Jordan certainly wouldn''t let her off the hook. He was a rich yboy with a foul temper and


    was especially fierce towards her.


    Nathan White had forced Jordan to ept Irene as his Personal Assistant.


    Thus, Jordan had always disliked her and made things difficult for her. Now that she created a scene,


    she felt certain that he would fire her.


    Just when she was fraught with anxiety, the door was pushed open and a gust of cold air blew over.


    Irene looked up and stared right into a pair of dark, unreadable eyes.


    Heartbroken, Irene had left the city ever since Edric asked hiswyer to force her to sign the divorce


    agreement three years ago.


    Throughout the past three years, she had never thought that she would bump into Edric again, for she


    had nned to avoid him for the rest of her life. Yet on her first day back in San Fetillo, they crossed


    paths again in such a way.


    She was in aplete state of mess while he was high above her and looking at her disdainfully as


    though he was a king while his arms remained wrapped around Lily''s waist. Irene wondered if he had


    Suppressing the rolling emotions in her heart, Irene looked away indifferently.


    As she had made up her mind to treat him like aplete stranger if they were to cross paths again,


    there was nothing to be upset about, was there?


    Edric''s pupils constricted when he saw Irene looking away with cold indifference. After he helped Lily


    into the room, he ordered icily, "Apologize!" One couldn''t help but tremble when they heard him.


    However, Irene merely pursed her lips and remained silent. "He wants me to apologize to his mistress?


    Besides, he''s demanding for my apology when I''ve done nothing wrong. There''s no way that I would do


    this."


    Edric''s expression turned darker and darker when he noticed that she had no intention of speaking up.


    "Irene Nelson, didn''t you hear me? Apologize," he ordered.


    "Apologize? Why should I? Mr. Myers, do you think you''re a King who could order me around?" Irene


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    smiled contemptuously.


    "It doesn''t matter whether I''m a king or not. What matters is the fact that you deliberately assaulted


    others. Freya has already been sent to the hospital. You should know the consequences!"


    He was obviously threatening her, and Irene knew that he wasn''t doing it for Freya, but for Lily. Without


    the slightest intention to apologize, Irene smiled and replied, "Mr. Myers, you''re so powerful that you


    could do anything that you want, so I''ll be waiting to see what you could do. As for the apology, you''ll


    get it in your next life!"


    Edric felt strangely stifled and ufortable when he saw how indifferent Irene was when she retorted


    him in an icy tone of voice.


    "Irene, since you''re so stubborn, then don''t me me for being merciless," Edric replied and nced at


    her coldly before he turned to instruct the security guards, "Have you called the police?"


    "Yes!" The security guard answered respectfully.


    "Then we''ll let the police settle this impartially! We''ll see how tough you could be once you''re in the


    police station!"

 Chapter 5 To Send Her to the Police Station

    Chapter 5 To Send Her to the Police Station


    Edric wore a look of indifference as he gave those cruel instructions to the guards and Irene lowered


    her gaze to conceal the look of sadness in her eyes.


    "Is Edric''s heart made of stone? I''ve never let him down in any way throughout our five years of


    rtionship and three years of marriage. Why is he so cruel to me?" she thought.


    "Three years ago, Edric had sent me packing with nothing to my name. Now that we''re meeting again


    for the first time in three years, he''s going to send me to the police station without even bothering to get


    his facts right."


    Men were the most cruel creatures in the world and Edric was one of the leaders of the pack.


    "I must have been blind to have fallen in love with such a cold-blooded and heartless man back then,"


    she thought.


    Irene was adamant not to apologize and was eventually brought to the police station.


    Just when the police asked her some basic questions, Irene''s phone rang ¡ª it was a call from Jordan.


    After Irene answered the call, Jordan yelled in exasperation, "Irene, where the hell are you? Didn''t I tell


    you to wait in the lounge?"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Reed!" Irene apologized repeatedly. "Something unexpected happened and I''m currently


    at the police station."


    "What? The police station? Why are you in the police station?"


    "Well... Well..." Irene was at a loss as to what to say. She knew that couldn''t possibly tell Jordan that


    she had bumped into the mistress who ruined her marriage and was sent to the police station by her


    ex-husband because she lost her temper and got into a conflict with the mistress.


    Jordan became impatient when he noticed how hesitant she was and yelled, "You could stay in the


    police station if that''s what you like. I don''t need an assistant like you anymore. I''ll call Nathan right


    away!"


    She then heard the sound of a beeping tone on the other end of the line. Jordan had hung up the


    phone. Irene''s heart sank when she realized that she had gotten herself into legal trouble and would


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    soon lose her job a well.


    The police felt sorry for her when they saw how pale she seemed and kindly reminded her, "Miss, of all


    the people in the world, why did you offend this couple? Mind you that thedy is Mr. Cook''s precious


    daughter while the man, Edric, is a business tycoon. Be sensible and apologize to them. You''ll be able


    to resolve the matter with an apology. I have Mr. Myers'' number if you need. Why don''t you call him


    and put in a good word for yourself?"


    Irene''s lips curled up into a smile and she replied, "Thank you, sir. Now that I''ve lost my job and have


    no where to go, being locked up here might help me to tide through things for the time being since I


    wouldn''t have to worry about food and shelter. Forget about the apology."


    Seeing how resistant she was towards the idea of apologising, the police sighed and left. Irene knew


    that Edric would not let her off the hook and she decided to make the best out of her situation and wait


    to see what tricks he had up his sleeves.


    She doesn''t think that Edric would able to abuse his power and dictate thew.


    As the thought crossed her mind, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps at the door. After the door


    was pushed open, she saw Jordan standing by the door with a furious look on his face.


    "Irene, how dare you!"


    "Mr. Reed!" Irene greeted in a low voice.


    "I''ve never had an assistant like you who not only fail to be of help, but even cause trouble for me!"


    Jordan lectured her fiercely. However, he quickly fell silent when he saw how pathetic state Irene


    seemed.


    "What happened? How the hell did you end up in such a state?"


    "Someone poured wine onto me but it''s no big deal."


    "Who did it?" Jordan spat out the question through his gritted teeth.


    "It''s someone whom I don''t know!"


    "I''m so ashamed of you! How could you be bullied like this?" Jordan asked and picked up his mobile


    phone before he called someone and instructed, "Send me two men. Someone bullied my assistant


    and we need to teach them a lesson."


    "Mr. Reed! That person is now in the hospital, there''s no need to teach her a lesson. She''s the one


    who''s going to teach me a lesson now."


    "Good job!" Jordan praised and he instantly brightened up. "It''s okay. Now that I''m here, nobody would


    dare to punish you. Get up, we''re leaving."


    "Leave?"


    "Do you want to stay here?" Jordan said. He then turned and walked out. After a moment of hesitation,


    Irene stood up and followed after him.


    No one stopped her as she followed Jordan out of the police station. When they reached the parking


    lot, Jordan suddenly burst intoughter at the sight of her.

 Chapter 6 What Man Would Dare Marry You?

    Chapter 6 What Man Would Dare Marry You?


    Jordan''sughter came out of the blue and Irene merely stood and stared at him. Afterughing for a


    long time, he stopped.


    "Irene, that was f*cking cool! You''re so ugly and couldn''t do anything well but who would have imagined


    that you could be so fierce? No man would dare to marry a woman like you."


    Jordan had always had a sharp tongue, so Irene merely lowered her eyes and remained silent as he


    spoke.


    Jordan couldn''t care less if she was angry about what he said and continued, "It''s all because of you.


    You wasted my time. I''d nned to spend a night with Lulu, and you ruined it... Take a cab back by


    yourself. Your bonus for this month will be halved!"


    After saying this, he got into the car and left. Irene stood rooted to the spot for a while before she made


    her way to the nearby bus station with a heavy heart.


    Less than five minutes after she left, a luxurious Aston Martin pulled over in the parking lot of the police


    station. Edric was seated in the back. His assistant, John Davis, got out to open the door for him. "Mr.


    Myers, do you want to go in and have a look?"


    "That''s not necessary. Go in and tell her that we''ll let her off the hook this time, but she won''t have it


    easy if it happens again."


    John nodded and headed for the police station. As Edric watched him go, he couldn''t help but feel


    frustrated at the thought of how pathetic Irene looked.


    "Irene, you''ve always been wild and unruly, haven''t you? Money never meant anything to you and you


    were the one who wanted to leave me without a penny to your name. Why can''t you f*cking live a


    better life? Why are you a waitress now and evennded yourself in such a pathetic state?"


    Edric lit up a cigarette. After he took a puff, he saw Johne out of the police station. "Mr. Myers,


    someone took Madam away," he reported.


    "Someone took her away? Who? Was it Nathan?" Edric fired out three questions in a row but John


    shook his head and replied, "No, it''s Jordan Reed!"


    "Jordan Reed? Haha!" Edric sneered. Jordan and Nathan were close friends and judging from how


    quickly he came to rescue Irene, it wasn''t hard for Edric to tell how much Irene meant to Nathan.


    He then crushed the cigarette butt in his palms fiercely and said, "Let''s go!"


    Irene waited at the bus stop for half an hour before a bus arrived. When she arrived home, her uncle,


    Thomas, was watching TV in the living room. Seeing the state of the mess she was in, he eximed in


    shock, "Irene, what happened to you?"


    "I met that b*tch!" Irene replied her uncle truthfully.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    "Irene, you shouldn''t havee returned! You should have stayed with Nathan..."


    "Uncle, I can''t possibly stay by Nathan''s side all the time. I can''t implicate him with my status. Besides,


    you''re in poor health and I''m worried about you."


    "It''s all my fault. I''m getting older day by day and being an inconvenience to you," Thomas sighed.


    "It''s okay, I wouldn''t remain in San Fetillo for long. The Golden Age Group expanded their operations


    and started a newpany in Oxton, so I may be transferred to work there in the future. When the


    timees, we''ll leave San Fetillo and will never have to meet those b*tches again."


    Meanwhile, Lily had arrived at the Cook family''s residence, hurriedly getting off the car and entering the


    living room. "Mom, I''m back!" she yelled.


    Deborah Jones, who was sitting in the living room, looked up. She was utterly stunned when she saw


    Lily''s tousled hair and soiled dress. "What happened?" she probed.


    "Let''s talk upstairs," Lily replied as she took one nce at the helper who was in the living room. She


    then held Deborah''s hand and led her upstairs. After closing the door, she immediately said, "Mom,


    Irene is back. What should we do?"


    "What? Irene is back? Really?" Deborah was taken aback.


    "It''s true. I ran into her at the party tonight. She''s pretty down trodden and is actually working as a


    waitress at the party..." Lily then told Deborah about everything that had happened tonight.


    "What''s wrong with you? Why did you provoke her now?" Deborah chided.


    "I have to. Mom, think about it. Why did this b*tch appear now when she was missing for the past three


    years?" Lily retorted with an angry look on her face. "She must have appeared deliberately because


    she knew that I was about to be engaged to Edric."


    "Is that so?" Deborah asked.


    "It must be the case. She must be indignant that I snatched Edric away from her. I''m worried that she''ll


    look for Edric, so it''s better for me to take action first."


    "That''s a good idea, but your dad...he misses that b*tch. If he knew that she''s back, he would definitely


    go to find her and that''ll be troublesome."


    "That''s why you need toe up with a solution quickly."


    "I''ll think about it. Your father should never announce his rtionship to her to the public," Deborah


    warned resentfully.

 Chapter 7 Nightmare

    Chapter 7 Nightmare


    As it was gettingte, Ireneid down in bed soon fell into a deep slumber.


    She then began to dream.


    In her dreams, she had returned to that day three years ago when Lily showed her huge belly to her


    and smiled gleefully as she announced.


    "Irene, I''m pregnant with his child."


    Irene merely pped her in the face, but that led to Lily''s subsequent miscarriage.


    She felt afraid and angry when she saw the blood that was sttered all over the ground.


    ''Smack!'' The crisp sound of a p could be heard, along with the vicious cursing by Margaret, "B*tch,


    you''re a fruitless tree and yet you simply can''t allow others to do what you''ve failed to achieve, could


    you?"


    "This is the divorce agreement. Please look through and sign your name on it," thewyer said


    indifferently.


    "Mr. Myers, don''t have the time to spare. Stop wasting time. Hurry and sign it. It''s better for all of us."


    Irene had loved and fully devoted herself to Edric for five years. She had thought that she could entrust


    herself to him for the rest of her life.


    A searing pain threatened to rip Irene''s heart apart, and her entire body was drenched with cold sweat.


    She then quivered and woke up with a start.


    She had been haunted by these terrible dreams for the past three years. Irene rubbed her head and sat


    up before she grabbed her cellphone from the bedside table and took one nce at the time. It was 4


    a.m in the morning.


    After Irene had roused from her nightmare, couldn''t seem to fall asleep anymore. As her body was wet


    with sweat, she slipped out of bed and took a shower before she changed into a fresh set of clothes


    and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.


    Although Jordan looked like a yboy who only knew how to fool around, he could be trusted to handle


    things well. When they first arrived in San Fetillo, he was exceptionally eager to get things done and


    doesn''t dare to ck off at all.


    Irene quickly finished her breakfast and hurried downstairs with her bag. She lived in an old style house


    that was tucked away in the alley. As the neighborhood was as old as time itself, several streetmps


    were already out of order. Irene exited from the alley based on her memory and at one nce, spotted


    Bus 28 heading in her direction. She immediately bolted towards the bus and overlooked a ck luxury


    car that was parked beside the alley.


    Edric watched as Irene rushed onto the bus before he rolled down his car window. He held onto a


    cigarette butt and stared at the direction where she had disappeared off to with a gloomy look in his


    eyes.


    It was hard for Edric to distinguish his emotions when he saw Irene, who had been missing for three


    years, and suddenly appeared.


    "Irene, it''s good that you''re back," he thought.


    Irene rushed into thepany and because she was early today, there was nobody. She then tidied up


    the office and made a cup of tea for Jordan before she sat down in her seat and turned on her


    While she was looking through Jordan''s schedule for the day, heard the sound of footfall at the


    entrance. Jordan and his Executive Assistant, David Brown, hade.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jordan was rather surprised to see Irene in the office at such an early hour, and his lips curled up into a


    mischievous grin as he said, "Irene, are you hoping that I''ll give you more bonus foring in early?


    Fat hope! I would rather give my money to a beautiful woman than to an ugly monster like you. It''d be a


    waste of my resources."


    When Irene joined thepany, she already knew that Jordan was a lustful man. Although Nathan


    introduced her, she was still afraid that she might be harassed by Jordan. Thus, to prevent this from


    happening, she had always dressed in conservative, old-fashioned attire whenever she was around


    Jordan and would not apply any makeup. She even got herself a pair of old-fashioned ck-rimmed


    sses once she learned that Jordon hated women who wore sses.


    Thus, Jordan had never looked at Irene in the eye throughout the three months that she had worked


    with him. He was also harsh with his words and never respected her.


    Jordan had already insulted her looks and intelligence so many times that Irene had be immune


    and had learnt to ignore his sarcasm. David, on the other hand, couldn''t bear to watch him insult Irene


    any further and quickly began to mediate the situation.


    "Mr. Reed, I heard that Edric will soon be engaged. What should we get him for his engagement gift?"


    Irene was momentarily stunned when she heard this and looked up at David.

 Chapter 8 A Great Gift

    Chapter 8 A Great Gift


    For the past three years, as Irene had never paid attention to news about Edric, was unaware that he


    had yet to marry his mistress Lily.


    Jordan sneered coldly and remarked, "Since Myers is getting engaged to a secretary''s daughter, I''ll


    have to prepare a great gift for them anyhow."


    "What would you like to give, Mr. Reed?"


    "What should I give? How would I know what I should give?" Jordan rebutted and nced towards


    Irene before he instructed, "I''ll leave this to you. Go pick a gift."


    "I... I know nothing about gifts. Mr. Reed, please task someone else with this," Irene immediately


    rejected, for she was obviously unwilling to pick a gift for the scumbag Edric and his wretched mistress.


    "Well, you could always learn," Jordan rebutted. His favorite past time was to torment Irene. Irene was


    already 27 years old now and yet she did not dress herself up or apply any makeup and neither does


    she have a boyfriend. Thus, Jordon felt a strange sense of repulsion towards Irene ever since he first


    met her.


    If it wasn''t for Nathan''s sake, he would never ept a woman like her as his assistant. On the first day


    of work, he already warned her that he disliked woman who wore sses and had instructed her to


    wear contact lenses when she was at work. However, she chose to defy him and continued to disgust


    him with her old-fashioned ck rimmed sses every single day.


    "Well, since you chose to ignore my instructions, then you can''t me me for this. I couldn''t ignore the


    favour that Nathan had asked of me but I could certainly torture you, couldn''t I?" he thought.


    When Jordan saw how awkward Irene was, he felt extremely pleased and continued, "I''ll leave


    everything to you then. If Edric is dissatisfied with the gift, I''ll fire you right away."


    "Yes," Irene agreed reluctantly and let out a silent sigh.


    Jordan was due to meet some clients at noon and took Irene along with him.


    As usual, Jordon would drink and fool around after he was done with business. As Jordon was an


    infamous yboy, he and the clients were served by the top girls in the club in a private room. After a


    few drinks, the men gradually began to grope and fondle the girls beside them.


    Deciding not to be an eyesore, Irene quickly got up and informed, "Mr. Reed, I''ll wait for you outside."


    "Run along then. Don''t stray too far, lest I can''t get hold of you," Jordan threatened.


    "I won''t. I''ll wait for you by the door," Irene promised and lowered her head as she made her way out.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that, someone asked Jordon, "Mr.Reed, why would you get such an uglydy to be your


    assistant? Don''t you find her an eyesore?"


    "Of course I do. The sight of her face never keeps me standing," Jordan agreed maliciously.


    All the men in the private room roared withughter and Irene hastened her pace and went out of the


    room quickly. As Jordon had forbidden her from straying too far, she stood on stand by at the corridor


    outside the private room.


    There happened to be a group of people crowded around a man walking over. When Irene saw the


    spirited middle-aged man surrounded by people, she instantly lowered her head and stared at her toes.


    Steven Cook was about to leave with his group but all of a sudden, as if he could sense that something


    was amiss, turned around.


    He looked at Irene who kept her head down. Irene was his daughter after all. Though she was dressed


    in old-style, he recognized her at once. A look of surprise shed in his eyes. He said something to his


    secretary and walked towards Irene in stride, "Irene, when did you return?"


    Irene raised her head and stared at Steven indifferently before she replied, "Do you have business with


    me, Mr. Cook?"


    Steven gazed at his daughter lovingly and was not the least affected by Irene''s attitude towards him.


    "Where have you been? Daddy has been searching for you during the past three years. Why haven''t


    you called me?"


    "Daddy? My father passed away a long time ago," Irene retorted icily.


    "Irene," Steven pleaded. Although he was a respectable secretary in the eyes of the public, he could


    never put on airs and be fierce to his daughter. "You haven''t eaten, have you? Let''s go and have a


    meal."


    "That''s not necessary. Mr. Cook, your sweet wife and loving daughter are waiting for you at home. Just


    apany them."


    "Irene," Steven called out and reached over to grab hold of his daughter''s hand. "Let''s have a meal


    together," he begged.


    "Let go of me!" Irene yelled and tried to shake off his hand. However,  Steven held her hand so tightly


    that she couldn''t get released at all. "Mr. Cook, I won''t go easy on you if you keep this up."


    "Irene!"


    "What are you guys ying at?" a voice interuppted.

 Chapter 9 Beggars Must Not Be Choosers

    Chapter 9 Beggars Must Not Be Choosers


    Steven immediately released Irene''s hand. When the two of them turned around, they realized that


    Jordan was already standing behind them.


    Jordan was momentarily stunned when he realized that it was Steven. "Mr. Cook?" he greeted.


    "Mr. Reed!" Steven greeted and smiled awkwardly.


    However, Jordan added quickly with a forced smile, "Why are you holding onto my assistant''s hand?


    Are you harassing her?"


    "Assistant?" Steven repeated and stared at Jordan in surprise before he looked at his daughter and


    asked, "Irene, are you working for Mr. Reed?"


    "Irene? Why are you addessing her so lovingly? Mr. Cook, I believe my assistant could already pass off


    as your daughter. Besides, she''s not good-looking! It''d be a great mistake to have eyes for her. It''ll be


    terrible to be embroiled in a nasty scandal," Jordon reminded sharply and pulled Irene over to his side


    as he spoke.


    "Have eyes for her? Embroiled in a nasty scandal?" Steven repeated and quickly realized that Jordan


    had misunderstood his rtionship with Irene.


    However, when he saw how protective Jordan was of his daughter, instead of being angry, he burst into


    couldn''t help but think how wonderful it would be if Irene could date Jordan.


    However, now was not the right time to exin his rtionship with Irene. Thus, Steven merely looked


    at Jordan with a profound smile before he replied, "Mr. Reed, I have something on today. I''ll have to


    excuse myself. See you next time."


    Jordan''s expression gradually darkened as he watched Steven leave. He then released Irene''s hand


    contemptuously and chided, "Are you a fool? Do you enjoy holding hands with an old man in public?"


    "No!"


    "No? Is that true? I mean, Irene, are you just so desperate for a man that you''d hook up with any old


    man?"


    Jordan indeed had a vile tongue. Irene could only deny with a bitter smile, "Mr. Reed, it''s not what you


    think."


    "I hope so. As my assistant, you should pay attention to your public image and moral


    integrity. Otherwise, I''ll fire you!"


    "Got it! It won''t happen again!"


    Jordan felt quite appeased seeing how submissive she was, and he ordered, "You don''t have to attend


    the gathering tonight. Go back and get some rest. I have something for you to do tomorrow. By the


    way, make an appointment with Lulu."


    "Ok," Irene replied. It was rare of Jordan to show mercy on Irene and allow her to go back home and


    rest. Delighted at the huge surprise, Irene headed back home after calling Lulu on Jordon''s behalf.


    As Irene''s uncle had always been in poor health, she made a trip to the market on her way home and


    bought some fish, prawns and chicken so that she could whip up something nourishing for her uncle.


    However, when Irene wasing out from the supermarket, a car suddenly rushed towards her from


    the side of the road. Unable to dodge in time, Irene was hit by the car and fell to the ground.


    Her palm and legs were badly grazed and ached terribly. When she tried to get back on her feet, she


    could not seem to summon the strength to do so. The driver quickly got out of the car and asked, "Are


    you all right?"


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I can..." When Irene saw who the driver was, she stopped short.


    The driver, too, stared at her in surprise. "Young... Young Madam!"


    "Young Madam? Edric already ditched her a long time ago. Mind your words," a loud, arrogant voice


    interrupted.


    Margaret Moore, who was in the back seat of the car, got out before she approached Irene with an


    imposing aura. There was not an ounce of sympathy on her face when she stared at Irene. Instead,


    she merely sneered and remarked, "Irene, did you do that on purpose? You failed to seduce Edric, so


    you did this to attract his attention, didn''t you? How lowly is that?"


    Irene was boiling with rage and retorted, "Madam Myers, you''re really good at making irresponsible


    remarks, aren''t you?"


    "Irresponsible remarks? Back then, you seduced Edric using this way, too. Why? Are you nervous now


    that Edric''s going to be engaged to Lily? Are you trying to create trouble for us again?"


    Margaret stared at Irene with contempt. This was the kind of gaze that Irene had been subjected to


    almost every day for the past three years that she was married to Edric. In the past, she couldn''t talk


    back to Margaret as she was her daughter-inw. But now that she had divorced Edric, she found no


    reason to put up with Margaret''s rude, unreasonable behavior.


    Irene sneered coldly and rebuked, "Don''t worry. I''ve had enough of an unfaithful jerk like Edric. I''d be


    crazy to want to have anything to do with him."


    In the past, Irene had always been obedient and submissive to Margaret and would never retaliate no


    matter how Margaret chastised her. But today, she actually insulted Margaret''s son in her presence.


    Unable to put up with this, Margaret struck her across the face.


    Irene, who was struggling to stand up, fell back on the ground from the impact of the blow.


    By then, a crowd had gathered around them. Unable to tolerate Margaret''s bullying, the crowd began to


    criticize her, "How could she do this? How could she be so arrogant after knocking thedy down? Let''s


    call the police!"

 Chapter 10 You Are Nothing Without Me

    Chapter 10 You Are Nothing Without Me


    Margaret was not the least afraid when she heard that someone wanted to call the police. Instead, she


    raised her voice and hollered, "Who do you think you''re defending? Tell you what, this wretch is well


    known for her viciousness. She murdered someone three years ago. In order to seduce my son, she


    pushed down my daughter-inw, who was four months into her pregnancy, and caused her


    miscarriage!"


    Margaret was a master in twisting the facts. When the crowd heard what she said, they immediately


    nced at Irene disdainfully and criticized. "Who''d expect that a young girl like you could be so


    vicious!"


    Irene was so angry that her entire body began to quiver. She initially wanted to let things slide and


    leave, but after Margaret provoked her, she grabbed her phone and called the police.


    The police quicky arrived, but Margaret threatened arrogantly, "Do you know who my son is? He''s Edric


    Myers, and Mr. Cook is my inw. Take a look at yourself before you mess with me!"


    As the police knew who Edric Myers and Mr. Cook were, they did not dare to settle the matter based on


    their protocol. Instead, they turned and began to persuade Irene, "It''s just a small matter. Why don''t you


    let things slide after epting some money from Madam Myers?"


    "I''ll never do that. Why should I?" Irene retorted.


    "You wouldn''t get anything out of this even if you were to sue her. You''re merely slightly injured, and the


    person behind the wheel was the driver. The worst that could happen to them would be topensate


    you, and the case will then be closed. Besides, she''s Mr. Myers'' mother and rted to Mr. Cook.


    There''s no way an ordinary person like you could win a fight against her."


    The police was telling the truth, which sounded unusually harsh in Irene''s ears. But she stood to her


    ground and was determined not to let Margaret off the hook.


    There was nothing the police could do. When they noticed that Irene''s hands and feet were injured,


    they had to send her off to the hospital first. Right after the doctor was done with bandaging her


    wounds, she heard the sound of rushed footfall. The door was quickly flung open and Edric appeared


    with his Executive Assistant, John.


    Irene was stunned to see Edric. As the doctor knew Edric, he greeted him respectfully. "Mr. Myers."


    "Could you give us a moment? I need to have a word with her."


    The doctor nodded and quickly left. Edric looked down at Irene condescendingly and asked icily, "Say


    it. How much do you want from us?"


    Irene never expected him to say that from the start. She began to quiver with rage as she said, "Myers,


    did you think that everyone is as shameless as you? Did you think that we''re all money-grubbers like


    you?"


    "Sure, you''re so noble and virtuous, but you stillnded yourself in such a pathetic, downtrodden state."


    Edric sneered before he resumed, "Irene, you''re nothing without me!"


    Edric was the one who wanted to divorce Irene and had forced her to leave him without a penny to her


    name. But now, he was behaving as if she was the one in his debt.


    "How could he be so shameless?" Irene wondered and her heart began to ache. After she pursed her


    lips and suppressed the pain in her heart, she smiled at Edric and retorted, "Without you, at least I


    could still be Irene Nelson. Edric, you know what, those three years with you were like a living hell for


    me. Now that I finally regained my old life, I could live as I please. I wouldn''t have to put up with your


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    mother''s beatings and scolding, and neither do I have to tolerate you anymore. So why shouldn''t I be


    satisfied?"


    Edric''s eyes darkened dangerously and he replied, "If that''s the case, then why did youe back?"


    "My home''s in San Fetillo. I certainly don''t need your permission to return home, do I, Mr. Myers?"


    "No, it''s not necessary. But Irene, be true to your heart. Are you sure that you didn''t return because you


    know that I''m about to get engaged to Lily?"


    "Haha, Mr. Myers, you think too highly of yourself. It''s miserable to meet a jerk like you and once is


    enough for me. No matter how blind I am, I wouldn''t subject myself to a revolting experience like that


    again. Don''t worry, I shall definitely avoid you when I see you."


    The polite way she addressed him and the cold way she looked at him made him strangely upset. He


    couldn''t help but wonder if the woman before him was still the Irene Nelson whom he had loved for five


    years.


    In the past, Irene would always smile at him sweetly and never sounded so harsh. She would often


    snuggle up in his arms. But the current Irene was like a hedgehog. There wasn''t an ounce of affection


    in her eyes when she looked at him¡ªonly resent and contempt.


    "This isn''t how things should be. She''s the one at fault. How could she be so self-righteous?" he


    thought.


    Containing the roiling emotions in his heart, Edric rebuked, "That''s great. Miss Nelson, I hope that you''ll


    keep your promise and never appear before me again. Don''t mess with Lily either!"


    Then, as if he was dismissing a beggar, Edric left before tossing a gold card at her viciously. As Irene


    stared at the gold card, she couldn''t stop her tears from flooding out of her eyes.


    Three years ago, he mercilessly demanded her to leave without taking a single cent from him. Three


    yearster, the first thing he did when he met her was to send her to the police station. Now, he was


    even humiliating her viciously like this. Irene hated herself for liking a revolting man like him and for


    putting up with the three years of living hell for his sake.

 Chapter 11 Settle the Score

    Chapter 11 Settle the Score


    Irene limped out of the hospital. Not far from the hospital, she saw a beggar squatting on the ground


    and asking for money. She casually threw Edric''s gold card to the beggar.


    The beggar held the gold card and looked at her incredulously. Irene took two steps and turned back to


    tell the beggar, "There is no password and no limit. You can take as much as you want!"


    Looking at the beggar picking up the gold card and going to the ATM nearby, Irene let out a sigh of


    relief. The anger that she had held in her heart had finally been relieved a little.


    "Aren''t you a rich and pretentious guy, Mr. Myers? I''ll let you pretend!"


    She stopped a car in a cheerful mood and went home. With her hands and legs injuries in the ident,


    Irene didn''t go to work the next day and called for leave. Jordan answered the phone in a sharp and


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    harsh tone, "Irene Nelson, are you pushing your luck with me because I let you go home early


    yesterday? Are you bing a goof-off?"


    "That''s not true, Mr. Reed. Seriously, my hands and legs are injured."


    "I don''t think your voice sounds like something''s wrong. As long as you can get up, you''lle to work


    immediately. Crawl to thepany if you have to!"


    Jordan hung up the phone after that. Irene red up. Jordan''s unpredictable mood made it impossible


    for her to work for him. But beggars couldn''t be choosers. She swallowed her anger and went to the


    Irene pushed open the door of the president''s office. Jordan was leaning against the chair and making


    a phone call. He was stunned when he saw her limping in with gauze wrapped around her hands. "Are


    you really injured or just faking it to fool me?"


    "I''m really injured!"


    "Come and let me check!" Jordan ordered rudely. Irene walked to him with downcast eyes. Before


    Irene could reach out her hand, Jordan grabbed her hand and unwrapped the gauze. He finally


    believed it when he saw the wound.


    "What''s wrong with you? Why do you act rashly as soon as you came back? You had a dispute with


    others at the party before, and now you hurt yourself?"


    "I didn''t want it to happen," Irene answered with her head lowered.


    She was so close to Jordan that he could smell the fragrance on her body. Jordan was suddenly


    aroused. He had never liked this assistant that Nathan White assigned to him, so he had never looked


    at her seriously. Today, he unexpectedly found something different about her when he was face to face


    with her.


    Her fingers were slender and white. And he could clearly see her slender, smooth, and fair neck when


    she was standing in front of him with her head lowered. He felt his heartbeat faster.


    Was he possessed? How could he be interested in such an old-fashioned and unexciting woman?


    Jordan instantly recalled that Irene had never looked him in the eye since the day she started to work


    for him. She always looked down deferentially. There was nothing he hated more than a dull person


    like this. However, he suddenly realized today that something was wrong.


    Jordan was very handsome. Countless women couldn''t wait to throw themselves on him. Why did this


    young woman not show that kind of affection for him?


    This idea irritated Jordan at once. He ordered Irene in an angry voice, "Raise your head!"


    Irene lowered her head and whispered slowly, "Mr. Reed, please tell me if you need anything!"


    Jordan was furious that she didn''t listen to hismand. He grabbed Irene''s chin and forced her to


    raise her head.


    Irene bore the pain and looked at Jordan as he forced her head up. What Jordan saw was a pair of


    extremely bright eyes.


    He bit back the vicious words he was going to say. Instead, he was surprised by this woman''s beautiful


    eyes!


    Jordan was used to being casual and did not care about anything. He pulled off the sses Irene was


    wearing and had a closer look at her eyes.


    Her facial features were exquisite, and her skin was very smooth. Her charming eyes were especially


    dazzling.


    Jordan cursed in a low voice, "Nathan White, I''m not done with you!"


    Irene didn''t understand what was wrong with Jordan and why he cursed Nathan White out of the blue.


    Her chin was in pain from his grip. She held back her anger and said, "Mr. Reed, can you let me go?"


    "Let you go? Okay, no problem. But you have to promise me one thing!"


    "What?"

 Chapter 12 Uncles Sick

    Chapter 12 Uncle''s Sick


    "A kiss!" Jordan said as he bowed his head and kissed her.


    Irene didn''t expect him to be so presumptuous as to kiss her so abruptly. She pped him in the face


    without thinking.


    Jordan never dreamed that the gentle and frail Irene would dare to hit him. He didn''t dodge and was hit


    hard.


    No one had ever dared to hit Jordan. He let go of Irene at once and said fiercely, "Do you want to be


    fired?"


    Of course Irene knew about Jordan. He was the Third Young Master and the most beloved son of the


    Reed Family. He''d probably never been pped in the face by a woman. She just brought herself some


    serious trouble.


    It was not a joke to provoke this rich boy. Jordan would not let it slide easily. She dropped the pretense


    since this couldn''t get worse anyway. "Reed, I''ve tolerated you for a long time! If you want to fire me,


    just do it. There are plenty of ces where I can find a job. I quit!"


    After that, she opened her handbag and took out the phone and the car keys Jordan gave to her. She


    threw them on the table and turned to leave. Seeing her limping out, Jordan touched his burning face


    with a yful smile. "Irene, since you got on the wrong side of me, I won''t let you go so easily. Just wait


    and see!"


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    Irene walked out of the Reed Building and was about to go to the bus station when her phone rang. It


    was her neighbor. "Irene, your uncle fainted and was sent to the hospital. Come quickly!"


    Irene was shocked. She stopped a taxi and rushed to the hospital. By the time she arrived, her uncle


    was being treated in the emergency room, while the neighbor was waiting outside of the door.


    Irene rushed forward and asked eagerly, "How''s he doing?"


    "I don''t know. The doctors are working on him. He seems to be in a bad condition."


    "What should we do?" Antsy and restless, Irene waited for a long time in the emergency room before


    the door opened and the doctor came out. "Who is the family member of the patient?"


    "I am." Irene hurried forward.


    "The patient''s condition is not very good. He has uremia and needs a new kidney..."


    Irene almost had a ckout. She only regained her footing after reaching out to support herself against


    the wall.


    The doctor gave her a sympathetic look. "At this moment, the most important thing is to find a new


    kidney. You should first pay the facility and examination fees."


    Irene went to the billing department with a heavy heart. When it rains, it pours. She just lost her job and


    now her uncle got sick...


    After paying the fees, Irene was ready to go home to get some things for her uncle. However, she


    bumped into a person as soon as she stepped out of the hospital. Everything the person was holding


    fell to the ground. "Don''t you have eyes?"


    The person cursed furiously. Irene hurried to apologize, "I''m sorry! I''m sorry!"


    While apologizing, she squatted down to help the person pick up things. The person was a little


    embarrassed and took a closer look at Irene. "Irene?"


    Irene looked up. "Kinsey?"


    "Where did you go? You heartless woman! You haven''t contacted me for three years. I''m so mad right


    now!" Kinsey Miller punched Irene and forgot about the things on the ground.


    Two old friends who hadn''t met for years naturally had a lot to share. Kinsey''s temper was still the


    same. Back then, Kinsey and Irene were best friends at school. After that, Kinsey chose to go abroad


    to continue her studies, and Irene chose to marry.


    Irene disappeared quietly after she divorced Edric. Kinsey had been asking about her whereabouts


    since she came back from abroad, yet no one seemed to know where Irene was. She didn''t expect that


    they would meet here by chance.


    Kinsey was now a well-known producer at the TV station. Her eyes lit up when she heard that Irene


    was looking for a job. "Irene, I am nning on making a blind date reality show. We need female


    participants for marketing in the early stage. Do you want toe and be a female participant?"


    "I can''t!" Irene shook her head.


    "Why not? With your beauty, you can attract quite some attention if you stand on the stage. We keep


    the goodies within the family. You won''t be a female participant for free. Let me tell you, I got some


    sponsorship for this show. The pay is very high and will be settled daily. Most importantly, it''s easy


    money. I will give you the materials to readter. You will see."


    Irene was tempted by that. "Can I?"


    "Yes!" Kinsey beamed with joy. She took out the phone and dialed. "I''ve found one female participant.


    You only need to find five more."


    Kinsey was always so straightforward. She immediately gave Irene arge pack of information about


    the reality show and asked her to study it carefully back home.

 Chapter 13 Girlfriend Is Angry

    Chapter 13 Girlfriend Is Angry


    Irene was still confused on her way back. The pay for the show that Kinsey told her was very tempting.


    She also told Irene that she might be paid more if the ratings were good. Wouldn''t she make a fortune if


    that was true?


    It was kind of silly to consider tens of thousands of dors as a fortune. But it was indeed a good thing


    for Irene.


    Now that her uncle was ill, she had to have arge sum of money prepared. She had just been fired


    and had no source of ie. If being a guest in this reality show could really make money, she had to


    take it.


    The car stopped and Irene got off the car in a rush with the file in her hand. Yet she was stopped when


    she walked to the entrance of the hall. Jordan smiled at her with a teasing look, his hands in his


    pockets.


    "Irene! I''ve been waiting for you for a long time!"


    "What are you waiting for me for?" Irene was not in a good mood.


    She did not wear her ck-framed eyesses and her eyes were bright. Her voice was not as quiet


    and timid as usual. Shepletely changed into another person. Jordan liked it very much and said


    unashamedly, "I have something to tell you. Come with me."


    As he spoke, he reached out his hand and pulled Irene. Irene was startled and shook off his hand by


    reflex. "What do you want to do, Jordan?"


    Jordan immediately grabbed her hand again and said, "I really have something to say to you!"


    "I don''t want to hear that, Jordan. Let me go!"


    "I''m not letting you go!" Jordan was a spoiled young master and soon lost his temper. He dragged Irene


    away despite her resistance.


    Irene was so angry that she raised her hand to p his face. Jordan was well-prepared since he had


    been pped once in the morning. In an instant, he grabbed Irene''s hand with his other hand.


    She could not break free and was dragged to the car by Jordan.


    Irene did not expect him to be so shameless. She cried out for help, "Help! Someone is assaulting me!"


    A passer-by stopped and looked over. Jordan was not afraid at all. He smiled at the passer-by and


    said, "My girlfriend! I''ve gotten her quite angry this morning! Just trying to coax her."


    People could tell by Jordan''s outfit that he was a polished and extraordinary young man rather than


    some random hooligan. Besides, he was handsome and dashing while Irene was as beautiful as an


    Angel. The two of them were so well-matched that they all believed him.


    Irene flipped out when she was dragged to the car by Jordan. She lowered her head and fiercely bit


    Jordan''s hand. Jordan did not expect her to be so brutal. The pain made him let go of her.


    Irene turned around and ran away. Jordan''s hand was covered in blood. A grimace distorted his mouth.


    "This woman is so ruthless!"


    He still wanted to catch her even when he was cursing. With a screeching sound of skidding brakes, he


    turned his head and found that Edric was sitting in a car and staring at him.


    Jordan was a bit embarrassed to be stared at by Edric since they were both well-known people. He


    smiled awkwardly and said, "Mr. Myers, what brought you here?"


    Edric said with a mirthless smile, "Mr.Reed, what''s happening here?"


    "I won''t hide it from you since you''ve seen it already. Women are so petty. She asked me to keep her


    here to apologize, but she won''t ept it. Women are such difficult creatures."


    Jordan''s answer sounded especially grating to Edric. He sneered and said, "Mr.Reed is quite ady''s


    man."


    "No, no, no. I was only ying with the other girls. But I''m falling in love for real with this one. I will


    introduce her to you some other day."


    "You''re falling in love?" Edric''s eyes sparkled menacingly and his fists clenched subconsciously.


    "Mr.Reed''s taste seems to be getting worse?"


    "Not good? I thought she''s a fine woman. She is so much more beautiful than the women I fooled


    around with before and even much prettier than your fiancee as well, isn''t she?" Jordan was smiling


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    while he ridiculed Edric subtly.


    "Hehe!" Edric sneered and said, "I''m only afraid that her beauty belies her cruel disposition."


    His words made Jordan''s face gloomy. He didn''t have any grudges against Edric. Why would he scoff


    at him like this? His hand was hurting so much that he didn''t bother to argue with Edric. "I''m leaving


    now. This little wild cat bit me so hard. I have to go to the hospital to bandage the wound to prevent


    infection!"


    Watching Jordan''s car driving away, Edric punched the steering wheel. That sl*t had hooked up with


    Jordan in such a short time. Shameless!

 Chapter 14 The Threat

    Chapter 14 The Threat


    Irene packed her things and went back to the hospital. She took out the files that Kinsey had given her


    and began to read carefully. This blind date reality show was simr to a very popr dating program in


    the country and the Bachelor from the United States.


    There were 25 women of different professions and ages standing on the stage with face masks. One


    by one, they exined their hobbies, characters, beliefs, and opinions on love and families. Then the


    male guest sitting below would select the female guests on the stage for the first round.


    If the female guests were interested in the male guest below, they would ask him three questions. If


    they were satisfied with the male guest''s answers, they could take off their masks for the next section.


    Otherwise, they did not need to take off their masks.


    Irene finally understood why Kinsey said it was easy money. She was only there to make up the


    number. Needless to say, she would not be interested in the male guests under the stage and did not


    need to take off her mask.


    It seemed that she had no choice but to earn the money. She picked up the phone and called Kinsey.


    "I''ve read the information."


    "What do you think? It''s easy money, isn''t it?"


    "It looks good!"


    "It doesn''t just look good. It really is good. The chance will just be wasted if you don''t join us. You can


    take home the pay for the first season for now. There will be much more to make if the show bes


    a hit." Kinsey was full of confidence. "Let me tell you, the sponsorship I got is from some of the best


    him for years. It''s impossible for him to invest in something that won''t make money."


    This was true. Edric had a good eye for investment opportunities. However, Irene was hesitant after


    hearing that Edric was one of the sponsors. She didn''t want to be involved in anything that Edric


    touched. Kinsey naturally guessed Irene''s mind. "Don''t worry. Myers won''t have time to pay attention to


    such a program."


    Kinsey was right. Irene was penniless now. Why shouldn''t she take this opportunity? Irene gritted her


    teeth and said, "Kinsey, I''ll join your show!"


    "That''s right." Kinsey did not expect Irene to agree so readily. "You cane over and sign the contract


    tomorrow."


    The matter was settled. The next morning, Irene rushed to the TV station to sign the contract. The first


    season of the blind date reality show would have 20 episodes. Based on her calction, she could


    make a small fortune if there was no ident. At that time, she would be able to pay her uncle''s


    medical fees. But they still needed to find a kidney.


    The doctor said that her uncle''s illness could not be dyed. She had to find the kidney as soon as


    possible. Where should she look for the kidney when she had no ways and means?


    Irene thought about it and went back to the hospital. To her surprise, she met Jordan outside of the


    hospital again. Jordan''s eyes brightened up as soon as he noticed her. He approached her again.


    "Irene, why are you here? Are you sick?"


    "How is it your business?"


    "How is it not my business? You are my assistant. It''s only right and proper for the boss to care about


    his assistant. Come,e. Where are you feeling the difort? I will apany you to see a


    doctor."


    As speaking, he reached out his hand to pull Irene. Irene shook him off. "Why are you touching me?"


    "I''m helping you out of the kindness of my heart. Listen to me!"


    Irene was angry at the sight of his shameless look. "I''m telling you, Jordan, I''ve quit. Don''t me me if


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    you continue to harass me like this!"


    "What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to air your dirtyundry with those women in front of everyone. Even though Mr. Reed


    doesn''t care, the Golden Age Group will definitely care. By that time..."


    Jordan''s face suddenly changes upon hearing her. Irene pushed him away and strode straight to the


    inpatient department.


    Jordan stood where he was and squinted. A hint of danger shed in his eyes. He pulled open the door


    of the car. As he was starting the car, he picked up the phone and called his assistant David. "Go and


    find out what Irene is doing in the hospital. The sooner, the better!"


    David moved very fast and found it out after a few hours. Hearing that Irene''s uncle Thomas was ill and


    needed a new kidney, Jordan frowned and picked up the phone to call Irene.


    The call was declined. He continued to dial for over ten times until she finally answered. Irene said


    coldly, "Jordan, what on earth do you want?"


    "I''ll give you half an hour to meet me at Hyatt Hotel, or..."


    "You''re crazy, aren''t you?" Irene interrupted him, irritably.


    "Being this difficult won''t get a new kidney for your uncle!"


    His words softened Irene''s voice in an instant. "Jordan, do you really have ways to find a new kidney?"


    "What do you think? I''ll give you half an hour, hurry up!" He hung up the phone.

 Chapter 15 The Dangers of Comparison

    Chapter 15 The Dangers of Comparison


    Irene didn''t know whether Jordan was telling the truth or not, but she wouldn''t give up any chance.


    Therefore, she immediately rushed to Hyatt Hotel.


    She opened the car door and rushed into the hotel as soon as she arrived there. She sprinted to the


    elevator and saw Edric and Lily inside when she stepped in.


    It was toote to get out. Besides, there was no need for her to pull back. She had always been upright


    and honest. Why should she be afraid of this pair of adulterers?


    Seeing Irene entering the elevator, Lily immediately leaned on Edric. Edric was a little stiff. He nced


    at Irene from the corner of his eyes. She didn''t look at him at all. Instead, she just stood aside with her


    hands folded and there wasn''t any emotion on her face.


    Simmering with anger, he wanted to push Lily away at first. Yet being ignored by Irene motivated him to


    hold Lily even tighter in his arms.


    Irene''s eyes were not on them at all. The phone in her pocket rang again. She took out her phone in a


    hurry and heard Jordan''s voice. "Thirty minutes are up!"


    "I''m already in the elevator!"


    "I only gave you 30 minutes. This thing is done since you didn''t follow the rules!"


    Hearing Jordan''s cold voice, Irene was wrought up. "Jordan, you can''t do this! I''m already here. There


    was a traffic jam on the road. You can''t me me!"


    Edric was furious when he saw the eager look on Irene''s face. This d*mn woman. He always waited for


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    her when they were together. She waste every time yet he had never seen her apologize. It was true


    that it was dangerous topare oneself to others!


    While Edric was left fuming, the elevator stopped. Irene rushed out and went straight to the room where


    Jordan was.


    Lily noticed Edric''s expression and knew that he was angry now. She seized the opportunity and said,


    "Miss Nelson seems to be with Mr.Reed now. A yboy like Mr.Reed..."


    "How do other people''s affairs have anything to do with you?" Edric was not in a good mood.


    Lily felt a little embarrassed for being cold-shouldered by Edric.


    Irene hurriedly pushed the door open. Jordan was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, with David standing


    beside him. She squeezed a smile and said, "Mr. Reed!"


    "Okay!" Jordan squeezed out a word and looked at his watch.


    "You''rete, Miss Nelson!"


    "Mr. Reed, I''m sorry!" Irene smiled apologetically.


    "I''m sorry? Do you know my rules?"


    "I know! I know! About the kidney, Mr. Reed..."


    Jordan raised his bandaged wrist and blew on it. He nced sideways at Irene and said, "The kidney is


    nothing difficult for me, but..."


    Irene tried to be patient. "I will do anything as long as you can help me!"


    "Anything?" Jordan said in a dragging voice.


    "That... except that..." Irene stammered.


    Jordan raised his eyebrows. This woman was quite interesting. Other women couldn''t wait to be with


    him, yet she seemed to be very reluctant to get involved with him.


    Novelty seeking was his favorite thing. Irene was gorgeous and exactly his type. Rushing would not


    help him to get her heart.


    Thinking of that, Jordan curled up his lips into a charming smile and said, "Do you still want to quit?"


    "No, I won''t quit!"


    "Since that''s the case, sign the contract!" Jordan pursed his lips at David. David opened the briefcase


    and took out a contract and handed it to Irene.


    Irene inexplicably took over the contract. "What''s this?"


    "This is the contract of employment. Didn''t you quit before? Let''s sign a new contract now. I will find


    your uncle a new kidney, on the condition that you go back to thepany to work for me."


    Irene picked up the contract and read it. She didn''t find anything odd. The doctor said that her uncle''s


    illness couldn''t wait any longer. She couldn''t let anything happen to her uncle and would do anything to


    protect him. Thinking of this, she picked up the pen and signed her name.


    Jordan fixed his eyes on Irene. Seeing that she signed the contract, he motioned for David to put the


    contract away and smiled at Irene. "The contract bes effective now. I will fulfill my part and I hope


    you will remember your duty as well. Remember to be at my back and call!"

 Chapter 16 Not Holding On To Her

    Chapter 16 Not Holding On To Her


    In the darkness of night, a beautifully-designed ck car was parked under the building Irene and


    Thomas lived in.


    The light was dim and the cigarette was flickering in the car, illuminating the man''s gloomy face.


    The watch on his wrist showed it was 3 am already. Yet the woman was still nowhere to be seen.


    Edric, who had been waiting in the car for five hours, cracked a sarcastic smile.


    He knew she would stay outside all night when he saw the woman and Jordan left the hotel together


    intimately. But he still couldn''t control himself and had toe and have a look.


    There was still a trace of hope remaining in his heart. Yet it turned out it was nothing but an unrealistic


    fantasy.


    He threw away the cigarette butt angrily, started the car, and soon disappeared into the darkness.


    His mother, Margaret, was still waiting for him in the living room when he arrived at home. She


    to have dinner with us. Why did you leave halfway?"


    "Mom, I have some business to attend to! Didn''t I exin it to you?" Edric looked tired.


    "Business? Isn''t it because of Irene? Edric, I know you can''t forget her. But that little b*tch is so hateful.


    She not only treated you so cruelly, but also killed Lily''s child. Why are you still holding on to such a


    vicious woman?"


    "Mom, I''m not holding on to her!" Edric denied.


    "It would best if you are not. You''re not a young man anymore. Lily likes you very much and is a perfect


    match for you in terms of appearance and status. You should hurry up to marry her and have a baby so


    that mom can finally rest assured."


    "Let''s talk about itter. I''m exhausted. I''m going up to rest first!"


    Looking at her son''s tired face, Margaret sighed. Her son had been as busy as a bee for the past three


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    years. Hispany was growing and he was making a lot more money. Yet he never had a smile on


    his face. This was all because of Irene Nelson the jinx!


    "That d*mn jinx! Why did shee back after walking out?"


    She must have heard that her son was going to be engaged to Lily and deliberately came back to


    disrupt it! Margaret''s face was stern. No, she had to have a chat with that woman!


    She wanted her to stay away from her son. It would be ideal if she could get out of San Fetillo like she


    did three years ago and never show up again!


    After saying goodbye to Jordan, Irene went to the hospital to keep her unclepany. At dawn, she


    got up quietly and went to the market, nning to buy a chicken to make some soup for her uncle.


    When Irene came back to her neighborhood carrying the chicken, she immediately noticed Margaret,


    who was waiting for her with a gloomy face.


    Margaret saw Irene and came over to stop her. "I have something to say to you."


    "I don''t have time!" Irene refused directly.


    "It will take just a moment." Margaret specifically came here to wait for Irene and certainly wouldn''t


    ept her refusal. "Irene, name your price!"


    "Name my price?"


    "Yes, I know that you are not happy about leaving my family without a penny, and you deliberately


    came back to disrupt Edric''s uing engagement. Let me tell you. I will never let Edric be with you.


    You better drop this idea altogether!"


    "Madam Myers, don''t worry. We''re totally in agreement on that," Irene replied.


    "Really? If that''s the case, you''ll leave San Fetillo immediately. I''ll give you money, and you''ll leave as


    soon as possible!"


    Looking at the domineering ex-mother-inw in front of her, Irene smiled instead of getting angry. "How


    much does Madam n to give me?"


    "100 thousand dors. Is that enough?" Irene''s remained silent with a mocking smile on her face.


    Margaret immediately added, "300 thousand dors. I can add an extra 100 thousand dors if you


    leave right now!"


    "400 thousand dors? Madam Myers, do you think I''m stupid?"


    "Then how much do you want?"


    Irene signaled the number with her figure. Margaret frowned. "1 million dors? Irene, do you think the


    Myers is a family of morons?"


    "You are wrong, Madam Myers, I want 10 million. I will leave right away if you give me 10 million!


    "10 million dors? Are you crazy?" Margaret''s face changed.


    "It was you to ask me to name the price. I''m telling you, give me 10 million dors, and I''ll leave


    immediately. Otherwise, don''t even think about it!"


    "What shameless b*tch you are!" Margaret was so angry that she cursed with profanities. Irene


    sneered. "What''s wrong? Are you turning angry from embarrassment? Why would you pretend to be


    rich since you can''t afford my price?"


    "Irene, don''t push my limits. I haven''t held you ountable for pushing Lily and caused her


    miscarriage. Don''t me me if you dare to defy me!"


    "Really? I''d like to see what Myers would do. You don''t want your future daughter-inw to be called a


    mistress, do you? It''s a bombshell that the secretary''s daughter is willing to be the other woman and


    destroyed other people''s family."


    "You!" Margaret was speechless for a moment. She didn''t expect Irene, who used to be quiet and timid,


    to be so intimidating. Irene had no time to talk nonsense with her and walked away in long


    strides.


    Watching Irene''s receding figure, Margaret sneered and said, "B*tch, you''re too young to fight against


    me. Just wait and see how you''ll die!"

 Chapter 17 I Dont Give A Dmn About Your Stinking Money

    Chapter 17 I Don''t Give A Dmn About Your Stinking Money


    Margaret saw Edricing downstairs as she stepped through the door. She sat down angrily and


    said, "Edric, that Irene is really shameless. We all underestimated her in the past."


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    "Mom, did you go to find her?" Edric frowned slightly.


    "I didn''t go to her. She was the one who came to me. She suddenly found me this morning and asked


    me to give her 10 million." Eager to smear Irene, Margaret certainly didn''t speak the truth.


    "She came to you? Why would she go to you for no reason?" Edric asked.


    "She''s not resigned! Since the divorce, she has been penniless and jealous about your uing


    engagement with Lily and yourpany''s sess. That''s why she came to me, asking for money. She


    said she would tell people how Lily got pregnant back then and defame both of you if we don''t give her


    money."


    "Did she really say that?"


    "Of course it''s true. I''m your mother. Why do I lie to you?" Margaret was well-prepared when she went


    to see Irene. She took out a voice recorder from her bag and turned it on to y it for Edric.


    Hearing Irene asked for 10 million dors rudely and even threatened his mother, Edric''s eyes


    darkened.


    Margaret could tell that her son was angry. "Edric, Irene is not a good person. It''s going to be bad if she


    really spills the beans. You have to find a way to drive her out of San Fetillo and nevere back


    again!"


    "I see. Mom, don''t go to look for her. I''ll handle it!" Edric picked up his coat and left home.


    His cell phone rang shortly after he drove off. Edric picked it up and saw that it was a text message.


    "Your credit card ending in is debited with 3,000 dors towards ATM cash withdrawal."


    Edric was stunned. This was the card he threw to Irene that day. It surprised him that she would


    actually take money out of it. It seemed that she really needed money.


    While pondering, another text message showed up, "Your credit card ending in is debited with


    8,000 dors towards ATM cash withdrawal." Edric thought for a moment and picked up his phone to


    call his Executive Assistant John. "Check Irene''s situation and see if she is in urgent need of money


    recently!"


    "Mr. Myers, I''m looking for you just now," John spoke, "Madam''s uncle has uremia and is being


    hospitalized. I heard that he needs a new kidney."


    "Is that so? Try to find a new kidney for them immediately!" Edric hung up the phone and immediately


    turned the car to go to the hospital.


    Edric asked for Thomas''s ward number and hurried to the inpatient department, where he saw Jordan


    standing in the lobby. Jordan, a young master who had never done anything himself, was carrying a


    fruit basket in one hand and holding his cell with the other. He was speaking on the phone, "Where are


    you? Did you go home? Which ward is it?"


    After hanging up, he turned around and saw Edric. With a smile, he said, "Ah, Mr. Myers? What a


    coincidence! Are you here to visit a patient as well?"


    Edric felt icky whenever he saw Jordan. "Mr. Reed, what brought you here?"


    "My woman''s uncle got uremia. He''s staying in the hospital? I came to see him to establish a good


    rapport."


    Edric''s expression became grim immediately. It was not difficult for him to figure out the woman Jordan


    was referring to.


    Simmering with anger, Edric did not enter the elevator. He turned around and left the inpatient


    department. After waiting for half an hour at the door, he saw Ireneing in a hurry with a thermos


    cup in her hand.


    Edric stepped forward and stopped her. "Did you ask my mom for money?"


    Irene took a step back, her face full of disgust. "Are you insane?"


    The disgust in her eyes enraged Edric. He was already trying to hold his temper, and his tone became


    even harsher. "Irene, why are you lying? If you need money, tell me then. Why did you y tricks


    behind our backs?"


    "What do you mean? Myers, make it clear!" Irene''s face turned red. She recalled how Edric kicked her


    out of the house whenever she saw him. "Myers, I would be a homeless beggar before asking you for


    money. Don''t make me puke, okay?"


    "Well, look at this!" Edric picked up his phone and showed Irene the text messages from the bank.


    Irene was stunned for a moment andughed out of the blue. "Did you think I transferred your money?"


    "Who could it be if not you?"


    "I don''t know who it is either. Don''t you have too much money? Didn''t you call me a beggar? You''re full


    of self-righteousness yet have no problem with cheating and adultery. I was worried that your bad


    deeds would affect the fortune of your next generation. So I gave your stinky card to a beggar. He is


    probably the one who took the money. Thank God!"


    Irene broke out inughter as she spoke. Stung by Irene''s derision and mockery, Edric was livid. He


    spoke viciously, "Since you''re so high and mighty, why did you ask my mother for money?"


    "Ask your mother for money? Hahaha, did she give it to me?" Irene sneered, "Myers, I''ve known what


    kind of a family you have for a long time. You are a bunch of stingy jacka*ses. You wouldn''t give out a


    million, let alone a hundred million. I only said that because I know what your family is like. To be


    honest, I don''t give a d*mn about you stinking money!"


    Her words were harsh and her face was full of disdain. Edric felt an excruciating pain in his heart. How


    could it be like this? Why did it end like this?


    She was the one who had done wrong. How could she be so self-righteous?

 Chapter 18 I Cant Take It

    Chapter 18 I Can''t Take It


    With Jordan''s help, Irene''s uncle soon got a new kidney, and the operation was very sessful.


    Irene felt relieved. She stayed with her uncle in the hospital for a few days. Seeing that her uncle was


    recovering well, she fulfilled her promise and went back to work at Jordan''spany.


    Jordan sized her up and down when he saw her showing up in a conventional outfit."Irene, dressing


    like this is a waste of your beauty! It''s a waste! Don''t make yourself look like an old maid in the future.


    You should dress up so I can enjoy the view when I''m in the office."


    Irene ignored him and took a cup to prepare Jordan''s tea as before. Then she began to look at


    Jordan''s schedule today.


    Jordan squinted and took a sip of tea. He exhaled a long sigh and said, "The tea you made tastes very


    good, Irene. I missed you very much and couldn''t even do my job well without seeing you these days."


    He used to talk to her in a rude manner, yet now he always spoke to her with a coy smile. Irene still


    disregarded him and bowed her head deferentially.


    Jordan was bored as well after talking to himself for a long time without her responding. He stopped


    grinning and began to work seriously.


    It was noon in the blink of an eye. Jordan looked at his watch and said, "Let''s go. Have lunch with me


    today!"


    "Lunch?"


    "Yes!"


    Jordan took Irene to Hans, the most famous restaurant in San Fetillo. Edric often brought her there


    when they were together.


    Seeing this familiar yet also strange ce, Irene felt resistant to it for inexplicable reasons. But since


    she couldn''t ask Jordan to go to another restaurant, she withheld the difort and went inside with


    Jordan.


    Jordan pulled out a chair for her very gentlemanly. When she sat down, he told her, "It''s said that the


    dishes here are the best in the entire San Fetillo for now. I ate here the other day and thought it is


    good. So I want to take you here to have a taste."


    Irene did not speak. The dishes cooked by Han''s chef were indeed top-notch. After they sat down,


    Jordan ordered Han''s specialties -- foie gras, escargot, steak, and red wine. His phone rang as soon as


    he finished ordering. He picked up the phone and answered it outside. Irene felt much more


    She looked around and was surprised to see Lily.


    Wearing a white dress, Lily was sitting gracefully not far away from her, seemingly waiting for someone.


    Seeing her noble and elegant demeanor, Irene recalled how she and Deborah looked like the first time


    they arrived at the Cook family. A sneer appeared on her lips. This was probably what they meant by


    going from rags to riches.


    While Irene was thinking of the past, Edric walked into the restaurant with a straight posture. How


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    romantic the man was. He used to bring her for dinner, and now he took Lily here. The same ce with


    different women. Was he not capable of feeling icky?


    Nevertheless, there was no need for Irene to be concerned for Edric. For a man like him, changing


    female partner was as easy as changing outfits. Why would he worry if it was distasteful or not?


    Irene didn''t want Edric to see her, so she changed her seat so that her back was to them. Jordan came


    back after the call. He was a little confused to see the seats were switched, but he sat down without


    saying anything.


    He noticed Edric and Lily when he was sitting down. "I didn''t expect to see Edric here."


    Irene replied, "Are you familiar with him, Mr. Reed?"


    "Only acquaintances," Jordan replied, "By the way, Edric is a famous entrepreneur in San Fetillo.


    Weren''t you born and raised in San Fetillo? You should know him, shouldn''t you?"


    Irene squeezed a smile and said, "Mr. Reed, you just said he is a famous entrepreneur. I am just an


    ordinary worker. How can I know such a prominent person?"


    "I don''t think so. Edric and Nathan are at the same level. How can you not know Edric when you know


    Nathan? They both graduated from University of San Fetillo. By the way, if I remember correctly, you


    also attended University of San Fetillo, right?"


    "Yes!"


    "Irene, you were the most beautiful girl in University of San Fetillo, weren''t you?"


    "That''s not true. How would I deserve to be the most beautiful girl with my modest look?" Irene denied.


    "Were you really not? Who could be more beautiful than you?"


    "I don''t know. I had to do part-time jobs during college. How would I find time to care about beautiful


    girls or handsome guys?"


    "Is that so? It''s too bad that you didn''t know me earlier. I would never let you suffer so much if I knew


    you before."


    Jordan''s words jogged Irene''s memory. She abruptly looked up and saw the tenderness in his


    charming eyes. She said, "Mr. Reed, I''m only your assistant. Please don''t say this kind of words to me.


    I can''t take it!"


    "Of course you can. Irene, you are the only woman I would say this kind of things to!" Jordan smiled at


    her.


    At this moment, Edric suddenly looked in their direction. With one nce, he recognized the woman


    facing him with her back. His heart skipped a beat and his expression became grim when he saw the


    smile on Jordan''s face.

 Chapter 19 All Vows Are Lies

    Chapter 19 All Vows Are Lies


    On the way back, Edric leaned back in the back seat with his eyes closed. It seemed that he was


    resting, yet only he knew that he wasn''t resting at all. His mind was aplete mess.


    It had been three years. The person who disappeared for three years suddenly came back. But instead


    of being surprised, he was deeply troubled by it, "Where did she go in the past three years?"


    How did she and Jordan get together? He had always thought that she was with Nathan for the past


    three years. It seemed that the situation was different from what he expected.


    In a trance, he couldn''t help but think of that day three years ago.


    Three years ago, he found the house eerily quiet when he opened the door of the vi in the morning.


    He stood in the living room for a moment and stomped upstairs. To his surprise, there was no one


    inside when he opened the bedroom door.


    He figured that she must have gone to shop for groceries, so he went in and sat on the bed, quietly


    waiting for her toe back.


    Two hours went by before he realized something was wrong. There was a supermarket nearby and it


    wouldn''t take so long for her to do grocery shopping. He took out the phone and dialed her number.


    The cell phone rang in the drawer of the nightstand. He was stunned for a moment, then stepped out of


    the bedroom and went straight to the study. There was no one in the study.  He went to check all the


    guest rooms yet didn''t find her either.


    Edric panicked. He ran up and down inside of the house, and finally returned to the bedroom. He


    opened the door of the wardrobe and saw that it was neatly packed with clothes.


    Edric took out all the clothes in the wardrobe and threw them on the ground. He found that a red


    ensemble was missing. Thomas bought that ensemble for Irene when they got married. At that time,


    Edric thought the style was outdated and didn''t let Irene wear it. It had been neatly kept in the wardrobe


    ever since.


    It was the only set of clothes missing in the wardrobe. What did it mean? He rushed to the nightstand


    and opened the drawer. Everything was there except for Irene''s ID.


    Sweat dripped down Edric''s head. He looked around nkly, hoping that he was not dreaming.


    Suddenly, he saw two pieces of paper sitting on the vanity. He rushed over and picked them up. It


    turned out the lists of jewelry items in delicate handwriting, and there was a line at the bottom of the


    page, "All the jewelry items are returned to the owner. Please check. In addition, please send the


    divorce certificate and the ring I bought for you back to Thomas Nelson at your convenience. Thank


    you!"


    The familiar handwriting seemed so ironic in Edric''s eyes. He pulled open the drawer of the vanity and


    saw all kinds of boxes neatly ced in it.


    He recognized those boxes well. They were filled with the jewelry he thoughtfully selected for her. He


    could remember all the styles and the specific dates when he gave them to her.


    In a daze, Edric opened the jewelry box at the top and found that it was the wedding ring he bought for


    her. They bought each other''s wedding rings. She once said that she would use the wedding ring she


    bought with her savings to tie him tight and never let him go for the rest of their lives.


    He remembered what she said at that time. "You can''t take it off once you put it on! You have to wear it


    for life!"


    The vows of the past seemed to be lingering in his ear still. They would be together forever!


    Ah! It turned out that all the vows were lies. Their love hade to an end in just three years. Edric


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    jumped up in a frenzy and threw all the jewelry boxes in the drawer on the ground.


    Nothing else in the vi was missing, not even underwear or jewelry. Irene wore the red dress Thomas


    bought for her and left without a sound. She indeed surrendered all assets to him and left with nothing.


    She was so ruthless!


    His heart cracked open, and blood gushed out from it.

 Chapter 20 Engagement Gift

    Chapter 20 Engagement Gift


    Jordan and Irene returned to the office after lunch. He suddenly asked Irene in a serious tone, "Have


    you picked the engagement gift I asked you to choose for Edric?"


    "No!"


    "Well, you don''t need to pick the gift now. I''ve already asked someone to buy it. You can deliver it on


    behalf of me!"


    "I''ll deliver it for you?" Irene was shocked.


    "Yes, you will do it!" Jordan said in an unquestionable manner. Irene realized that she was making a


    fuss. She was Jordan''s assistant. How could she not follow her boss''s orders?


    Edric had long been a stranger to her. It was not a big deal for her to send a gift to an ordinary


    customer.


    David handed over the gift he bought to Irene. She went to Edric''spany right away.


    The receptionist stopped her and said she had to have an appointment to meet with the president.


    Irene told her that she was Mr. Reed''s assistant and came here to send a gift on behalf of the Golden


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Age Group. The receptionist immediately called for instructions.


    A young and beautiful female secretary came down and led Irene to the president''s office. Edric was on


    the phone inside with the door open. He was obviously shocked when he saw Irene being taken in by


    the secretary.


    He hung up the phone and stared at Irene. His zing eyes almost melted Irene.


    She didn''t understand why Edric gazed at her like this. All she could feel was extreme difort and


    intense hatred. How could a five-year rtionship be forgotten so easily? She recollected herself and


    cleared her throat, and spoke respectfully, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Myers. I am the assistant of Mr. Reed


    of the Golden Age Group. Mr. Reed asked me to send you an engagement gift. Please take a look!"


    While speaking, she handed the gift David prepared over to Edric. Edric realized what was going on


    after a moment of surprise.


    She was Jordan''s assistant? It was extraordinary! Why did Jordan ask her to deliver the gift? Did he


    know about their past and deliberately ask her toe to humiliate him? Or did he have other


    reasons?


    Thinking of that, he put on a shallow smile. "I''m very grateful for Mr. Reed. Assistant Ye, please sit


    down and have some tea!"


    "There''s no need for tea. Mr. Myers, please take a look at the gift so that I can report back!"


    Even though Irene was all smiles, her eyes were ice cold.


    Edric felt a sense of sorrow when he looked at her nk eyes and remembered how she used to jump


    into his arms with a bright smile. He casually unwrapped the gift.


    A meaningful smile appeared on his face after he took a brief look at the gift. "Did you choose this gift?"


    While speaking, he picked up the gift with one finger. Irene took one nce before her face turning red.


    The gift in the box turned out to be sexy lingerie.


    "Jordan is such a b**stard. Why did he pick such a thing as an engagement gift? He even asked me to


    deliver it. He really pissed me off!"


    Seeing her blushing, Edric slowly stood up and walked to her. He looked down at her and said, "Irene,


    aren''t you thoughtful?"


    Hearing Edric''s sarcastic tone, Irene felt a little embarrassed. But she was already here and couldn''t


    run away now. She braced herself and said, "This is out of the kindness of Mr. Reed. We wish Mr.


    Myers a happy engagement and a blessed marriage!"


    "Hehe!" Edric sneered and felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He had never thought that she would give


    him blessings someday. It seemed that she really didn''t care about him anymore. That being so, he had


    no reason to hold on to her either. "Please thank Mr. Reed for me! Miss Nelson, go back and tell him


    that I like the gift he sent very much. I hope he can attend my engagement party!"


    "Okay, I''ll ry the message when I get back. The gift has been delivered. Mr. Myers, I''ll leave now!"


    Irene didn''t want to stay for one more minute.


    However, Edric did not want to let her go. He reached out his arm and stopped her. "Since you''re here


    already, please have a cup of tea before you leave!"


    "Thank you, Mr. Myers! I still have things to do!" said Irene, attempting to leave. Edric reached out his


    hand to stop her. Irene stepped back by instinct yet Edric followed her closely. He had such a powerful


    presence that Irene could hear her heart pounding in her chest.


    She stepped back instinctively yet he immediately took a step forward.


    Soon, she was backed into a corner by Edric. Leaning against the wall, her eyes and her voice were


    both full of anger. "Myers, what do you want to do?"


    "I don''t want to do anything. I just want to invite Assistant Ye for a cup of tea!"


    "I don''t want to drink your stinky tea!" Irene was exasperated. She hated him so much, yet she could


    feel herself be weaker as he was approaching her.


    "Really?" A smile appeared in Edric''s eyes when he saw Irene''s blushing face. He raised one hand and


    slowly reached out to her.


    The ice in his eyes melted and was reced by a rush of deep affection. It was the same affection that


    conquered her and made her lose herself. In the end, she lost to him in the most humiliating way.


    Thinking of the past, Irene was filled with resentment. She slowly clenched her hands into fists and was


    about to punch at Edric''s annoying face. However, the door was pushed open abruptly before she


    raised her hand. A soft voice rang out, "Edric?"

 Chapter 21 Chill In Her heart

    Chapter 21 Chill In Her heart


    Standing by the door with a bag in her hand, Lily was stunned by what she saw. Edric didn''t panic at all


    for being caught by Lily. He turned his head and asked calmly, "Why are you here?"


    His voice was gentle yet his eyes were frosty. Lily felt a chill down her spine when she saw his stone


    cold face. "I... I came to..."


    Her words were stuck in her throat when she saw that the woman who was pushed against the wall by


    Edric was Irene.


    She thought that Edric was flirting with some other women in the office. But she never expected it was


    Irene.


    Why would Irenee to Edric''s office? When did they hook up again?


    She was unsettled and agitated. Irene nced at Lily''s shocking face and sneered to herself. She


    pushed Edric away and walked out in long strides.


    Although she didn''t want to be forced by Edric, she still felt particrly relieved since Lily saw this


    scene.


    Back in the days, Lily shamelessly disrupted her marriage as if it was right and proper. Edric was not a


    saint. If he could cheat on Irene in the past, he would definitely betray Lily in the future. There was a


    long, miserable path ahead of Lily.


    Irene received a call from Jordan when she got back to the car. "Have you delivered the gift?"


    "Yes!"


    "How did Edric react?"


    "He... he must be very happy!" Irene answered casually.


    "Edric is actually supposed to be anxious now, isn''t he?" She thought to herself and snickered.


    Inside of the president''s office upstairs, Edric sat in his chair and looked at Lily calmly. He didn''t give


    any exnation, nor was he on pins and needles. Lily could feel the chill in her body spreading little by


    little, from her heart to her limbs.


    She always knew that she was nothing in Edric''s mind. In the past, she thought that Edric couldn''t see


    how good she was because she was overshadowed by Irene.


    Edric wasn''t intimate with any other women after she forced Irene away. She had always regarded


    herself as Edric''s girlfriend in the past three years and Edric had never objected. She thought that Edric


    kept a ce for her in his heart. But now, she finally realized that it was entirely one-sided as Edric


    didn''t even bother to give her an exnation.


    She witnessed how unforgiving Edric was toward Irene in the past three years. If he could be so


    heartless to Irene, a woman he loved so much, how could Lily expect him to be gentle to her?


    Trying to control her emotions, she forced a smile and said, "My dad said that he wants to meet Aunt


    Margaret tonight. I called you but you didn''t answer. So I came up to ask if you have time tonight..."


    "I don''t have time!" Edric refused directly.


    Edric treated Lily well before Irene came back. He wasn''t so obviously distant at the very least. But he


    seemed to have changed into another person now that Irene was back. Lily was seething with


    resentment yet still spoke in a soft voice, "When will you be free then?"


    "I''ve been busy recently. I have a lot of work to do on the construction bidding process. Let''s talk about


    it when things are settled!"


    After Lily left Edric''spany, the sweet and gentle look on her face was instantly reced by


    coldness.


    She quickly got on her car and called her mother Deborah. "Mom, I''m so pissed off!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I just went to Edric''spany and saw Irene there. That little b*tch. She was seducing Edric in his


    office!"


    "What?" Deborah raised her voice.


    "There is a set of sexy lingerie on the table, and Edric was quite intimate with her. If I hadn''t been there


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    in time, they would have..."


    "This little b*tch is so hateful!" Deborah fumed, "What happenedter?"


    "Irene ran away after seeing me. Edric treated me with an indifferent attitude. Mom, his heart has never


    been on me. He was fine to me after Irene was gone. But he has be more and more aloof


    recently. I am worried!"


    "Don''t worry, let me deal with it!" Deborah said with menace, "I won''t allow anyone to block my


    daughter''s way. She can''t me me since she brought this to herself!"


    "Mom, what are you going to do?"


    "Doesn''t she like to seduce men? Let''s find a man to satisfy her!"

 Chapter 22 Take Turns On Her

    Chapter 22 Take Turns On Her


    Back in Jordan''spany, Jordan was sitting in his office and having a fit of temper with a stern face.


    Documents were scattered all over the floor.


    David lowered his head and stood still without saying a word. Irene quickly picked up and organized the


    documents and put them in front of Jordan. Jordan wiped the anger off his face upon seeing Irene.


    "Call Keaton, the guy who is in charge of city construction!"


    "Okay!" Irene immediately picked up the phone and called Keaton.


    She reported to Jordan after the call, "Mr. Reed, Keaton agreed!"


    "Agreed? Haha, that old fox!"


    Jordan sneered with a weary look in his eyes. It was said that Keaton from the City Construction


    Bureau was a tough nut. As long as he was on board, everything would be easy to handle.


    However, Edric must have also thought of whatever Jordan could think of. Furthermore, Edric had one


    more card to y -- Steven Cook. Jordan''s chances of winning were slim if Secretary Cook weighed


    in.


    This made things quite tricky!


    Irene nced at Jordan and found that a rare, serious look reced his usually yful countenance. It


    seemed that this rich boy was in trouble.


    But she didn''t know what kind of trouble it was. Although she was an Executive Assistant, she was not


    that kind of Executive Assistant. She was only responsible for reminding Jordan of his daily schedule,


    serving him tea, preparing food, clothing, and amodation for business trips, just like a nanny.


    Jordan usually talked about work with another Executive Assistant, David.


    Even though Jordan never asked her to stay away, she always stepped out tactfully whenever she saw


    David opened the door. Nathan made it clear before she came that she was only responsible for his


    daily schedule. She shouldn''t inquire about anything else.


    David and Jordan talked for the whole afternoon behind the closed door. The door finally opened when


    it was time to get off work. Irene picked up her bag and notified Jordan that she was about to leave.


    To her surprise, Jordan called to stop her, "David has something to do. I need you to go the dinner with


    me tonight."


    Jordan was treating some officials to dinner at the best hotel in San Fetillo. He also invited some


    beautiful women to keep the guestspany. The guests were coaxed into drinking by the pretty girls,


    their faces ruddy and glowing.


    The party didn''t stop after dinner. They went to After Dark, thergest nightclub in San Fetillo, where


    Irene saw Lily in front of the door.


    Lily had changed her clothes. She got off the luxury car with a couple of rich youngdies with a


    charming smile on her face.


    Lily''s eyes glittered when she saw Irene. She immediately went to a quiet corner and called Deborah,


    "Mom, I just saw Irene. She was with a group of men in After Dark! Edric is here tonight, too. I think she


    knew Edric ising and deliberately came here to seduce him!"


    "Really? This little b*tch is so shameless. Since she chose the hard way, let''s ruin her reputation


    tonight!" Deborah sneered.


    "Mom, what are you going to do?"


    "Aren''t you partying with people tonight? I heard that Randy Smith is also here, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Randy is a lecherous man who can''t move whenever he sees a beautiful woman. With that b*tch''s


    pretty face, he will never let her slide by. You need to figure out a way to make Randy make a move on


    her."


    Lily''s eyes lit up upon hearing Deborah''s idea. Randy was a infamous womanizer and fooled around


    with girls everywhere. Even if something happened tonight, no one could trace it back to Lily and


    Deborah. Deborah was truly artful and experienced.


    Irene did not know that the vicious mother-and-daughter duo was going to attack her. She followed


    Jordan and the others into a luxury box in After Dark.


    Jordan wasvish with his hospitality. He paid for all the gorgeousdies in After Dark. The guests


    enjoyed the nice wine and beautiful women.


    The atmosphere in the box was lively and they opened countless bottles of wine. David also joined


    themter at night. Since Jordan was tipsy from dinner, David was now in charge of persuading the


    guests to drink more.


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    Nightclubs were quite different from restaurants. The guests maintained a sanctimonious attitude in the


    restaurant and finally dropped the pretense in the nightclub. Irene got up and went outside when she


    saw someone pinned a youngdy down on the couch.


    It was much quieter outside. Irene tried to stay far away from the box. She leaned against the wall, took


    off her sses, and rubbed her eyes.


    All of a sudden, a man appeared in front of her. "Beauty!"


    Irene was startled. She focused her eyes and saw a man with boozy breath was staring at her with his


    lecherous eyes. He was Keaton''s son and a local bully in San Fetillo.


    He was drinking and ying Truth or Dare with a group of rich boys and girls in a box just now. Lily, the


    Secretary''s daughter, asked him to go out of the box and turn right to find a woman wearing ck-


    framed sses to kiss.


    Randy went out of the box to wait. He initially thought Lily made it up randomly to make things difficult


    for him. He didn''t expect that he would actually meet a woman wearing ck-framed sses. Most


    importantly, this woman was surprisingly beautiful when she took off the ck-framed sses.


    Randy felt an itch in his heart in an instant. If only he could sleep with such a beautiful girl. Thinking of


    that, he saw Irene moved away and was about to leave. He immediately reached out his hand to stop


    her. "Beauty, don''t go. Let''s have a drink together!"


    While speaking, he came closer and was going to hug Irene. Irene bellowed, "Get out of my way!"


    "No! You''re such a good-looking girl. Come with me tonight and I''ll show you my love!"


    Randy put his hand on Irene''s chest as he spoke. Furious, Irene dodged and pped Randy in the


    face.


    "How dare you?" Randy''s eyes were zing with anger. "How dare you to hit me? Do you know who I


    am?"


    "How does that have anything to do with me? F*ck off!" The noise rmed Randy''s bodyguards who


    rushed over. "Mr. Smith! Are you all right?"


    Randy touched his burning face. How could he let her off the hook so easily? He pointed at Irene and


    ordered in a menacing voice, "Take this woman to the box!"


    "Mr. Smith, she is not that kind of woman!" The bodyguard nced at Irene and answered.


    "I don''t care if she is that kind of woman. I''m picking her today. Take her to the box over there quickly!"


    The two men didn''t dare to talk back more. They grabbed Irene and started walking. "Help!" Irene''s


    mouth was covered as soon as she shouted out one word. She struggled desperately, but she was not


    a match for two strong men. Soon, she was dragged into one of the empty boxes.


    The two men closed and blocked the door after putting her on the floor. Randy stared at Irene with a


    gloomy face.


    "What do you want to do?" Irene could hear her voice trembling.


    "No one has ever dared to hit me. You are the first." Randy took a step forward and Irene took a step


    back. Soon, her back hit the wall and there was no way for her to run.


    "I''m warning you. Don''t do anything stupid!"


    "What can you do about it?" Randy reached out and grabbed Irene''s cor. With a forceful pull, her


    clothes were torn up.


    Irene used her hands to protect the torn clothes, yet the man already came closer and pushed her


    down on the couch. He lunged at her before she could get up.


    With boozy breath, he tried to kiss her cheek. Irene tried her best to avoid his kiss. "Pervert!" She


    struggled desperately, but it aroused the man''s desire.


    He pressed Irene down with one leg to spare his hands to pull apart her clothes. With another ripping


    sound, another tear appeared on Irene''s clothes, revealing her snow-white skin.


    The man''s eyes shed with lust and his big hands continued tearing her clothes nonstop. Knowing


    she was in an impossible situation, Irene was ready to risk her life to fight back. She stretched out her


    hand to grab Randy''s face. Randy did not expect her to be so fierce. His face was covered with a


    bloody weal before he could react.


    Embarrassed and enraged, he pped Irene hard. Irene felt dizzy and tasted blood in her mouth.


    Randy suddenly let her go and got up. He ordered the two men standing by the door, "You two,e


    and take turns on her!"

 Chapter 23 The Fight

    Chapter 23 The Fight


    The door was suddenly pushed open after that. A cold voice rang out, "Mr. Smith, you are surely


    enjoying yourself!"


    Irene recognized the familiar voice and looked at the door in a daze. Wearing a ck suite, Edric stood


    at the door and watched everything with a cold expression.


    Irene''s blurred vision gradually became clear. She could see a cold smile on that familiar face. He


    looked at them without any emotion in his eyes.


    Irene closed her eyes in agony. She would rather be r*ped than letting this man see her in such a sorry


    plight.


    "Mr. Myers!" Randy didn''t expect that Edric would drop in out of the blue. He wore an ingratiating smile


    on his face. "What brought you here?"


    "This is my turf!" Edric said in a calm voice, "Randy, you''re causing troubles in my territory. Don''t you


    think you owe me an exnation?"


    Edric was aloof by nature and never liked to meddle in other people''s business. Randy had assaulted


    other women in front of him in the past and had never seen him intervening. Why did Edric get involved


    in this today? Could he know this woman? Randy instinctively nced at Irene and asked, "Do you


    know her, Mr. Myers?"


    "No, I don''t!" Edric answered coldly.


    Randy breathed a sigh of relief. "This woman didn''t appreciate my kindness and dared to attack me. I


    have to teach her a lesson!"


    "I don''t care about that. Just don''t make trouble on my turf!" Edric emphasized his point.


    Randy recognized the hostility in his tone. As domineering as he was, he knew that Edric was not


    someone he could mess with. He red at Irene and said unwillingly, "I''ll spare you today. If you run


    into me again, I''ll definitely teach you a lesson!"


    Cursing and mumbling, Randy left with his two men. Edric stared deadpan at Irene, who was


    disheveled and miserable, and said, "Randy has already let you go. What are you still doing here?"


    Without speaking, Irene tried to tidy up her clothes, but it was too torn-up to cover herself. She gave up


    and wiped the blood off her lips before heading out. While she was walking by Edric, she heard him


    speaking coldly, "It''s better to have some self-awareness. You need to know what kind of a man you''re


    seducing to avoid paying a price too high. I hope you take care!"


    Theck of sympathy in his voice suddenly made Irene feel a surge of anger rising from the bottom of


    her heart. She pped Edric in the face. Edric never even dreamed that Irene would hit him. He didn''t


    dodge at all...


    The p was so hard that even Irene felt her own hand hurt. She was going to leave before Edric


    grabbed her hand and asked, "You want to leave after this?"


    "Let go!"


    Edric''s face was burning with pain. He was so angry that his lips trembled. How could this ungrateful


    woman repay his kindness with this? Was she certain that he wouldn''t do anything to her?


    She thought too highly of herself. He pulled her into his arms and pinched her chin. Their eyes met.


    The hatred in Irene''s eyes provoked Edric.


    How dare she hate him! Had she no shame?


    Edric pinched her even harder. Irene''s chin was bruised, yet she endured the pain and wouldn''t utter a


    sound. Nevertheless, she kept kicking his legs hard. Edric felt the pain, but he had no intention to let


    her go.


    "Hey! What''s going on here?" Jordan showed up with a grin. He was a little dizzy after drinking too


    much. Seeing that Irene had note back for a long time, he was worried and hurried out to check on


    her. He didn''t find Irene. Instead, he saw Edric standing there with a woman in his arms looking


    intimate. So he came to poke fun at him.


    While speaking, Jordan walked up to them. The grin disappeared from his face when he realized that it


    was Irene who was in Edric''s arms. "Myers, how dare you touch my woman!"


    He punched Edric as he spoke. Jordan was a little tipsy, but he still knew how to strike. Edric grimaced


    in pain. However, what annoyed him the most was that Jordan referred to Irene as "his woman". It hurt


    him worse than the punch. He let go of Irene and turned back to stick one on Jordan.


    Jordan staggered and almost fell down. Seeing this, Irene quickly reached out to help him up. They had


    both hit each other once and made their point, which would be enough for someone of status like


    them.


    However, Jordan''s face became ferocious when he saw Irene''s torn clothes and the bruise on her lips.


    He assumed it was Edric''s doing. He immediately took off his clothes and put it on Irene, and turned


    back to punch Edric again.


    He cursed, "Myers, did you f*cking hit her? How dare you! Even I wouldn''ty a finger on her!"


    Edric punched back again. Jordan didn''t care about status anymore. He rushed over and rained blows


    on Edric. There was no way that Edric would admit defeat.  They tangled together.


    Themotion disturbed the other people in the boxes. They all came out to watch the scene. Edric''s


    Executive Assistant John and Jordan''s assistant David also arrived. They immediately went forward to


    separate them.


    It was a nasty fight. Both Jordan and Edric were beaten ck and blue, looking beyond wretched.


    David helped Jordan up and asked, "Mr. Reed, are you all right?"


    "I''m okay, of course." Jordan sneered and said, "Myers, let''s have another round next time. I will


    definitely take my revenge."


    "I''ll take you on and stick it out!" Edric didn''t exin either.


    Although Jordan said he was okay, Irene saw clearly that Jordan was at a disadvantage during his fight


    with Edric. After all, he had drunk too much.


    For some inexplicable reason, she detested Jordan in the past. However, she suddenly found that


    Jordan was not annoying at all when he took off his clothes and put it on her.


    Edric sat in the box looking gloomy and quite wretched. The corner of his mouth was broken from the


    fight, and there was clear finger prints on his cheek.


    John ordered someone to find him some ointment for his injury. "Mr. Myers, you have to endure the


    pain. It may hurt a little bit."


    "This little wound is nothing!" Edric gnashed his teeth. Comparing with the wound in his heart, the


    superficial bruise on his face was nothing at all.


    Thinking of how Irene helped Jordan walk out, he couldn''t help swearing. "Slut and adulterer through


    and through!"


    "Mr. Reed didn''t understand the situation. He thought you hurt Madam," John exined.


    "Madam? What Madam?" Edric yelled at John, "Don''t you know that I have divorced that woman a long


    time ago? Madam? My ass!"


    "It was a slip of the tongue," John quickly admitted his mistake and added, "Miss Nelson is bleeding


    from her mouth. Randy is so f*cking brutal!"


    "B*stard! Randy dared to make a mess on my turf! Wait and see how I deal with him!" Edric recalled


    the blood at the corner of Irene''s mouth.


    He showed up a little toote. Jordan said one thing right tonight. How dared Randy hit her when even


    Edric himself couldn''ty a finger on her! A cold look shed in Edric''s eyes. "When the time is right,


    get someone to break Randy''s d*mn leg! And his hand too!"


    John obeyed. He understood the situation perfectly. Edric''s decision to hit Randy had nothing to do with


    Randy causing trouble here. Randy had done it here before, yet Edric was never so angry.


    John secretly felt sorry for Randy. If Randy knew that he would lose an arm and a leg for one p, he


    would certainly keep his hands off Irene.


    Jordan finally learned about the truth on their way back. It turned out that he misunderstood Edric and


    someone else assaulted Irene.


    David grumbled, "Mr. Reed, you shouldn''t attack him without figuring out what was going on. Edric is


    not an ordinary man in San Fetillo. We will meet him a lot in the future. It''s not a good thing to offend


    him."


    Jordan didn''t take it so seriously. "I just can''t tolerate Myers. I''ll beat him up again if I can!"


    David was well aware of Jordan''s personality and knew how stubborn he was. He had no choice but to


    give up the reasoning.


    Jordan and David returned after driving Irene home. Jordan ordered David on the way, "Gather some


    people and teach that Randy a lesson."


    "Mr. Reed, Randy is Keaton''s son. Since we need something from Keaton at the moment, shouldn''t we


    put this aside for now?"


    "Are you afraid that Keaton would make things difficult for us?" Jordan sneered, "I''m telling you, based


    on my observation tonight, I can already tell that Keaton is as slippery as a catfish and will never be on


    board with us."


    "Even if he is not our ally, we can''t offend him. After all, he is a government official in San Fetillo and


    will have plenty of opportunities to cross paths with us."


    "Don''t you know what kind of a person I am?" asked Jordan. David stopped talking. How could he not


    know that? After working for him for three years, David knew this roguish and phndering young


    master better than anyone else.


    He was the most harmless person in the Reed Family, yet no one dared to provoke him.


    "You need to prepare a big gift for Keaton immediately. I like to stamp out the source of trouble. Since


    we''re going to make a move on his son, I won''t let him stay in his position and cause trouble for me!"


    David couldn''t help but shudder at the sight of Jordan''s stony expression. Randy and Keaton were


    dead men walking!


    Thomas was astounded to see the bruise on Irene''s face when she went to the hospital. "What''s


    wrong?"


    "It''s nothing. I bumped into something by ident!" Irene forced a smile. "Uncle, how do you feel


    today?"


    "Much better. Staying in the hospital costs a lot of money. The doctor said I''m recovering well. I want to


    check out tomorrow and recuperate at home."


    Knowing Thomas was worried about the expenses in the hospital, Irene felt a pang in her heart, "We''re


    not going to leave the hospital. You need to stay here for a few more days until you''re fully recovered."


    "I''m really alright now, Irene!"


    "Uncle, you don''t have to worry about money. I have money! Mr. Reed offered me a high sry."


    "Jordan treats you well indeed. But you''re not alone anymore, Irene. Besides a sick uncle, you have a


    child to take care of. Eden is growing up every day. You can''t leave him to Nathan forever, right? Your


    son needs his mother."


    The mention of Eden''s name made Irene''s face dim. Yes, she still had a son. She could not let Nathan


    take care of her son for the rest of her life, could she?


    With a faint sigh, she forced a smile and said, "Don''t worry. I will make more money and take him back


    when you are better. At that time, we will leave San Fetillo and go to live somewhere else."


    Speaking of Eden, Irene realized that she had not called her son for a few days. She picked up her


    phone and called him immediately.


    The call was connected quickly. Eden''s childish voice came, "Mom!"


    "Eden! What are you doing now?"


    "I''m having dinner with Uncle Nathan. Mom, I miss you!"


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    "I miss you too, baby!"


    "I''m very well-behaved. I didn''t disturb Uncle Nathan when he is working. I just miss you. Mom, have


    you found dad? And when will youe to pick me up?"


    "Not yet. I will pick you up after a few more days. Your great-uncle is sick now. I will pick you up when


    he is better, okay?"


    "Good! Mom, Uncle Nathan misses you too!" Eden''s childish voice faded away and Irene heard Nathan


    speaking on the other end, "Irene, your uncle is sick? When did it happen?"


    "It''s been a while. He already had the operation and is recovering quickly."


    "Why didn''t you tell me?" Nathanined.


    "I thought you are busy... My uncle is fine now. Don''t worry."


    "That''s good. Do you need money? I''ll transfer it to you."


    "No, I have money."


    "Is Jordan treating you well?" Nathan asked again.


    "I''m fine. Mr. Reed is very kind to me!"


    "Jordan is a little spoiled, but he is a good person. You will find outter."


    "Yes, I know!"


    "Don''t put too much pressure on yourself when ites to work," Nathanforted her, "Come back if


    you don''t want to do it anymore. My door is always open for you."


    "I know," Irene sighed deeply, "Nathan..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    She was going to tell Nathan about Edric, yet eventually bit back her words after pondering for a


    moment. "Nothing. Thank you so much!"


    "Not at all. You know I''m willing to do anything for you!"


    The man''s voice was deep and soothing. A bitter smile appeared on Irene''s face. She was bound to


    owe Nathan a great debt in her life.

 Chapter 24 I Will Kill You Later

    Chapter 24 I Will Kill You Later


    The next morning, both Irene and Jordan went to thepany with a bruise on their faces. They


    looked at each other and broke out inughter. The atmosphere in the office was much better than


    before.


    Jordan took Irene to the nearest restaurant for lunch. It was a ce that focused on Cantonese cuisine.


    Irene muttered to herself, "Jordan doesn''t like Cantonese cuisine, does he? What''s wrong with him


    today?"


    Before the two sat down, a voice rang out, "I was searching everywhere for you!"


    Irene took a look and saw Randy, along with his two men, were staring at her and Jordan. Although


    Jordan had just arrived in San Fetillo, he had already known San Fetillo very well and recognized


    Randy at a nce. He sneered and said, "You missed the second half of that saying. And yet here we


    are!"


    "Teach this kid a lesson first!" Randy ordered his two bodyguards.


    The two men rushed over. They thought it would be an easy fight, yet surprisingly, they were


    vanquished by Jordan in a few rounds.


    Jordan dropped the two bodyguards on the floor and lunged at Randy. Randy panicked and said, "Do


    you know who I am? My father is Keaton, head of City Construction. I will ruin you if you dare to touch


    me!"


    The only response he got was a rain of fists. Randy was beaten ck and blue. The waiter called the


    police, and they arrived soon.


    They were taken to the police station together. Jordan had been calm the whole time. But Randy was


    used to being a pompous a*s and remained the same attitude in the police station. "Basta*d, wait for


    me to get out of here. I will kill you!"


    John told Edric right away about the fight between Jordan and Randy and their visit to the police


    station. "Jordan''s Executive Assistant had visited the Smith family earlier in the morning. Why did they


    get into a fight at noon? Doesn''t he want to win the bid anymore?"


    Edric was stunned. "It can''t be that simple. Keep an eye on it!"


    Keaton rushed to the police station when he heard his son was beaten. He was astonished when he


    saw Jordan was the one who hit his son.


    Jordan changed his attitude immediately after Keaton came. He apologized in a low voice and


    suggestedpensation. Randy was over the moon when he saw Jordan acting like a coward.


    Keaton was furious when he saw the bruises on his son''s face. He determined that Jordan would never


    win the construction bid. But this thing was not over yet. He needed to get some money out of it. Not


    only would Jordan pay them arge sum of money, but he would also go back with nothing.


    He hatched a plot to take revenge. That night, Jordan''s Executive Assistant came to apologize


    sincerely and asked someone to move a few boxes in.


    After David left, Keaton and his wife opened the boxes. The boxes were filled with money that


    amounted to millions of dors.


    It seemed that Jordan had done good research. He even knew that Keaton liked cash.


    However, Jordan would certainly get nothing back. Keaton was determined that he wouldn''t help


    Jordan with the construction bid at all. He happily moved the money into the storage room. However,


    he didn''t realize that he would face a great disaster.


    Irene didn''t know that Randy was Keaton''s son until they were in the police station. She felt terrible


    when seeing Jordan apologizing humbly.


    Jordan had always been arrogant and domineering in front of her. When had he ever bowed his head


    to others like this? She knew very well that he was only doing this because of the construction bid.


    Irene felt guilty when thinking that she was the reason Jordan had to act so deferentially.


    David and Jordan gathered together and discussed business as usual after they returned to the


    It turned out that Jordan asked David to send five million to Randy aspensation for his injury. Irene


    was shocked. Five million was an astronomical number in her mind. She felt even worse, knowing that


    she cost Jordan such arge sum of money.


    She wasn''t eager to get off work and go home either. She was ready to put herself in front of Jordan in


    case he wanted to vent his anger on her.


    Strangely, however, Jordan didn''t seem to be upset at all and didn''t keep her in the office either. Seeing


    Irene slowly packing up her things, he asked her curiously, "Why haven''t you left yet?"


    Irene had no choice but to gather her things and go home. She saw an Audi parked downstairs when


    she got home. The car door suddenly opened as she approached.


    Steven got out of the car. "Irene."


    "What are you doing here?" Irene''s face turned cold.


    "What''s wrong with your mouth?" Steven''s face sank when he saw the bruise on the corner of Irene''s


    mouth. "Who hit you?"


    "Who hit me? Keaton''s son." Irene sneered.


    "He was the one who hit you? So Jordan was beating him up today because of you?"


    "Yes!"


    Steven initially came here to talk to Irene about the construction bid. He knew well about Edric''s n


    and his ability to handle the project. It was no doubt that Edric would win the bid.


    However, things were different when Jordan got involved. The Reed Family was also powerful. Mostly


    importantly, Irene was working for Jordan. If he could benefit them, why wouldn''t he help his daughter?


    Much to surprise, he saw the bruise on Irene''s lips. He knew that Jordan and Randy had a fight and


    were taken to the police station at noon.


    At that time, Steven was still wondering why Jordan would offend Keaton at this juncture. But


    now, when he saw Irene''s bruised lips, he was certain that Randy bullied Irene, and Jordan was taking


    revenge for her, which made Steven raving mad.


    "Irene, I will settle the score with Keaton."


    Irene darted a cold look at him. "Mr. Cook, my business has nothing to do with you. You''d better not


    waste time and go back to apany your wife and daughter!"


    "Irene, I''m here to tell you something about Jordan." In front of Irene, Steven didn''t seem like the


    exalted Secretary at all.


    Irene''s expression softened when she heard him mentioning Jordan. She and Steven went to a


    teahouse nearby.


    Steven didn''t need to speak like an official in front of his daughter. He told Irene straightforwardly that


    he could help Jordan''spany with the bidding process.


    Irene never wanted to have anything to do with Steven. But now she was pleased to see that Steven


    took the initiative to help Jordan. She warmed up a little bit. "We''re not counting on your help. We won''t


    Steven told Irene more details about the bidding process that they should pay attention to before they


    walked out of the teahouse together. He turned back and held Irene''s hand before getting into the car.


    "Irene, I hope you can move back and live with us."


    Irene''s face changed at the mention of "us". She shook off Steven''s hand. "Mr. Cook, see you around!"


    Edric was confident to win the bid, but Margaret was not so optimistic. It was arge project and she


    had to get it at any cost. To be safe, she had a meeting with Deborah.


    Naturally, Deborah promised eagerly when they talked about the bidding. "I heard about this from


    Steven. Edric is more than qualified to handle this. Even if he was not, Steven would do his best for the


    sake of Lily and Edric."


    Deborah was someone who could be trifled with. She and her daughter were kicking themselves since


    their plot against Irene at the nightclub that night was interrupted by Edric.


    Edric''s attachment to Irene was so obvious. Since Deborah couldn''t control Edric, she had to work on


    Margaret. Everything she said was a reminder that Margaret had to make sure Edric marry her


    daughter if she wanted them to help.


    Margaret was not a fool. She smiled and said, "Edric was going to work on the engagement party. But


    he has been upied by this construction bidding recently. We will hold the engagement ceremony as


    soon as this is over."


    "Really? Then which date do you have in mind?" Deborah reminded.


    "It''ll be the 25th of next month! By then, the construction bidding business should be over!"


    "Okay, then we''re all set for the 25th of next month," Deborah agreed. They discussed more about the


    details of the party before saying goodbye.


    Edric didn''t go home until 10 pm. Margaret immediately told him about the engagement when she saw


    himing back. "I have talked to Madam Cook today about the engagement. We scheduled the


    ceremony on the 25th of next month."


    Edric remained silent. Margaret said, "Edric, Lily is kind and docile. You should marry her at least for


    how she has suffered for you. What''s more, she is Steven''s daughter. Nothing bad cane from this


    marriage."


    Edric still didn''t say anything. Margaret had been used to her son''s silence. Edric had been talking to


    her less and less ever since she forced him to kick the jinx out of their family.


    Sometimes he didn''t say a word for a whole day. "Son, I''ve told Lily that you''ll apany her to


    choose an engagement dress and ring tomorrow. You should change your schedule at work."


    "Mom, do you take a fancy to Lily because of her kindness or because she is Steven''s daughter?"


    Edric suddenly asked.


    "It''s surely because of her kindness," Margaret answered.


    "That''s good. You picked her yourself this time. I hope you can treat her well and don''t let the same


    thing happen again." Edric turned around and went upstairs.


    Looking at her son''s receding figure, Margaret opened her mouth but didn''t utter a sound. Why did her


    son say such a thing? What did he mean that she picked Lily herself? Didn''t he fall in love with Lily?


    Otherwise, why did he impregnate her?


    Edric went upstairs and closed the door. Exhausted, hey in bed. For some inexplicable reasons, he


    drove to Irene''s apartment again tonight after work and just happened to see Steven and Irene walking


    out of the teahouse.


    Why would Irene and Steven go to a teahouse together?


    Steven knew about what happened between him and Irene. Now he was about to get engaged to


    Steven''s daughter. Why would Steven go to see his ex-wife? What the hell was going on?


    While thinking, he saw that Steven rubbed Irene''s head and held her hand. Irene was quite resistant to


    him. She shook off Steven''s hand and left without looking back.


    Steven stood in the same spot until Irene walked out of his sight. Then he got in the car and left.


    Edric was confused by what he saw today. Hey on the bed tossing and turning and couldn''t fall


    asleep until early in the morning.


    He overslept and didn''t wake up until he heard the knock on the door. Margaret shouted outside,


    "Edric, Lily is here."


    "What is Lily doing here?" Edric rubbed his eyes and sat up. Then he remembered what his mother


    saidst night. Lily came to take him to pick a dress and an engagement ring.


    Dragging his feet, he washed up and went downstairs. Lily didn''t look anxious at all. She kept chatting


    with Margaret with a smile on her face. Looking at the harmonious scene, Edric sighed to himself and


    strode downstairs.


    "Edric!" Lily turned to him with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"


    "Let''s go." Edric took the lead and walked to the door. Lily said goodbye to Margaret politely and trotted


    to catch up with Edric.


    Edric went to the dress store with Lily first. Lily went in to try on the dresses. A car came over when he


    stepped outside to smoke out of boredom. Kinsey and Irene got off the car and entered the dress store.


    The TV station was going to host a dinner party tomorrow. Kinsey had to wear a gown, so she dragged


    Irene here to be her sounding board. "Irene, is this dress good?"


    Kinsey pointed at a strapless dress and asked Irene. Irene shook her head. Kinsey''s petite figure would


    look better in a dress with a higher waistline. So she pointed to a shorter dress and asked her to try it


    on.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily put on a dress in the fitting room and walked out cheerfully, nning to ask Edric for his opinion. To


    her surprise, she bumped right into Kinsey and Irene.

 Chapter 25 Ask Her To Apologize

    Chapter 25 Ask Her To Apologize


    They were all stunned. Kinsey was the first to react. Sneering, she sad in a provocative tone, "Hey!


    Isn''t this Lily the Home Wrecker?"


    Hearing that, everyone in the shop fixed their eyes on Lily. Lily''s face turned red. As a famous socialite


    in San Fetillo, she was humiliated by what Kinsey called her.


    "It seems that the adulterer is going to turn you into a proper second wife now?" A hint of sarcasm


    shed across Kinsey''s face. "Even a mistress is shameless enough to wear a nice gown these days.


    Times have really changed."


    Lily was so embarrassed that she was dying to find a ce to hide. But Kinsey didn''t intend to let her


    off the hook easily. "Have you ever thought about karma when you destroy other people''s family? Tell


    you what. You''re gonna have a son without as*hole. That''s the price you''ll have to pay."


    "Kinsey!" Irene knew Kinsey well and was sure that she would keeping down on Lily. She pushed


    Kinsey into the fitting room. "Try this on first. I''m going to the restroom."


    Blushing in shame, Lily felt all the joy turned bitter. She looked around for Edric but couldn''t find him.


    So she grabbed another random dress, bowed her head, and went back to the fitting room.


    Irene asked a shop assistant for the location of the restroom. She met a pair of dark eyes when she


    walked out of the restroom. Edric was here too?


    He really doted on Lily and even came to pick a dress for her himself. Irene mocked herself bitterly.


    When had he ever been so considerate to herself in the past? She was ready to brush past him with a


    deadpan look, but Edric stopped her.


    He stared at her and said, "I want to hear your exnation."


    "What?" Irene was stunned.


    "Irene, why did you ask Kinsey to say that?"


    Irene only realized now that Edric probably heard what Kinsey said to Lily and came here to confront


    her. She remained silent and felt a chill in her heart. She was ready to leave but Edric grabbed her


    hand. "I won''t allow you to bully my woman!"


    "Sir, what do you want?" Irene didn''t even bother to say his name.


    "Apologize! I want you to apologize to Lily." Edric clutched Irene''s hand, his fingers turning a little pale.


    The apathy in Irene''s eyes struck his nerve. She treated him like a total stranger after three years. How


    heartless could this woman be?


    Irene suddenly was choked with emotion. She had tried to not pay attention to this man, but there was


    no way to stop him from marching into San Fetillo. San Fetillo was her home, yet now she couldn''t go


    back since this man had be the lord of San Fetillo.


    She had thought about making a fortune, buying a house, and taking her uncle away. But it was never


    easy to make enough money. She had been struggling for the past few years and had no choice but to


    follow Jordan here. She thought about meeting this man again, yet she never expected it to turn out


    like this.


    "He wanted me to apologize to his new lover?" Irene suddenly felt a little sad for herself. "Why should I


    hide from this man?"


    He was the one who hurt her, yet she had to pay the price. She left her hometown and wandered from


    ce to ce. She was a coward after all. She wasn''t the one who did the wrong thing. What was she


    afraid of?


    "Why?" Irene sneered and tried to break free from his hand. But Edric grabbed her tight. She red at


    him and said, "Myers, why are you afraid of people talking about it when you had the guts to do it?"


    Her temper did not change at all. She was still so headstrong and refused to give in. Edric''s body froze


    when he heard her calling him Myers. He couldn''t help but let go of her.


    Kinsey came out, wearing the dress. Irene had a good eye, and the dress looked very nice on Kinsey.


    She happily bought it right away.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kinsey noticed the downcast look on Irene''s face. She thought it was because of their encounter with


    Lily. "Irene, that b*tch isn''t worth your time."


    Irene forced a smile. Although she had been separated from Edric for three years and had moved on


    from everything, it was impossible to say that she didn''t care at all anymore. Edric''s aggressive look


    just now distressed her and she didn''t want to stay here any longer. "Kinsey, let''s go."


    Kinsey nodded and ordered the shop assistant to pack the clothes. At this moment, Edric suddenly


    appeared. Kinsey was startled when she saw him. She witnessed the rtionship between Irene and


    Edric and was partially responsible for fixing Irene up with Edric. Irene wasn''t sure if she should be with


    Edric, and it was Kinsey who convinced her to ept their love bravely.


    Kinsey was furious whenever she recalled how Edric vowed to treat Irene well, yet forgot it all and got


    himself a mistress only a few years into their marriage.


    "I was wondering why we''re so unlucky today. It turns out that we keep running into shameless people


    because we picked a bad day."


    Waiting in the fitting room, Lily heard her clearly. It was time for her to go out. Kinsey was so hot-


    tempered that she would vent her anger regardless of the asion.


    Edric was not a pushover and would definitely lose his temper if Kinsey said something offensive.


    Things would get interesting at that time. Thinking of this, she immediately opened the door and walked


    out. "Edric, do I look good?" Her voice was so soft and silvery.


    Edric certainly picked up the dissatisfaction in Kinsey''s voice. He was a little embarrassed. But he


    cracked a charming smile as soon as he caught a glimpse of Irene''s indifferent expression. He


    answered with a gentle voice, "It''s beautiful!"


    Kinsey was not as calm as Irene. Her eyes were zing with anger at the sight. "What a brazen


    couple. How dare you show off here? Do you even know how to spell shame?"


    Irene naturally knew Kinsey''s temper. The Edric nowadays was no longer the infatuated man who


    followed Irene around. He had be the overlord of San Fetillo. This wouldn''t end well if they


    offended him. Therefore, she quickly took the dress from the clerk and pulled Kinsey out. "Kinsey, let''s


    go!"


    Edric felt congestion in his chest when he saw that Irene had shown no emotion at all. He wanted to


    say something to assert his authority. However, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that she walked


    out without stopping.


    His eyes dimmed, and he suddenly found himself a little ridiculous. This woman was already heartless


    three years ago. Why would she react strongly to what he did now?


    Confused and bitter, he stared at the door in a daze. She had gone out of his sight a long time ago, yet


    he couldn''t take his eyes away from the door.


    Lily did not notice the change of his countenance. She was still immersed in the affection Edric had just


    shown her. In the past, Edric never let anything bad happen to Irene. He must have moved on from her


    since he could treat Lily the same way now. Lily spoke coyly, "There''s a red one I like. Let me try it on


    for you."


    Edric came to his senses and replied in the same gentle voice. "There''s no need. You look nice in


    anything. Buy them all if you like."


    His words were full of love. Lily happily asked the shop assistant to pack the clothes, without noticing


    Edric''s indifferent look. His voice might be soft, but his eyes never had any warmth in them.


    Back to thepany, Edric had a sullen look as if someone owed him a lot of money. Bowen from the


    nning Department came to him with a sponsorship contract and asked for his signature to


    appropriate the fund. Edric was annoyed when he saw Kinsey''s name on the contract. "Stop this


    sponsorship!"


    Bowen was stunned and thought that he had heard it wrong. Edric stared at him and said, "Go and tell


    the head of the station that I will sponsor them if they rece Kinsey Miller and make her do the


    chores!"


    Bowen was a little aggrieved and came out with the sponsorship contract. He met John in the corridor.


    "John, help me out here!" He took John''s hand and said, "It was Mr. Myers who agreed to sponsor the


    event. Now he suddenly changed his mind. How am I supposed to exin it to the TV station?"


    John shook his head and patted Bowen on his shoulder. "You can''t argue with Mr. Myers. Just do what


    he wants!"


    Bowen sighed. Indeed, they couldn''t reason with Edric. But it was an old ssmate of his that came to


    ask for the sponsorship for the show.


    He carefully reviewed the program n and thought it could bring thepany profits. That was why


    he took it to Edric, who also found it interesting. Who knew Edric would change his mind out of the


    blue? How should he exin it to his old ssmate?


    Bowen didn''t know what to say to his old ssmate. On the other hand, his old ssmate was also


    quite upset. He only went to Bowen to ask for their sponsorship because he wanted to win Kinsey''s


    heart.


    However, Kinsey only saw him as a coworker and had no interest in him at all. He started to regret it


    after Kinsey turned down his dinner invitation several times. He shouldn''t have helped her at all if he


    knew she was so uptight.


    He was delighted when he heard from Bowen that Edric wanted the station to demote Kinsey in


    exchange for his sponsorship. "I will tell the leaders of the TV station immediately."


    The next day, Kinsey was invited into the office of the head of the station. He first praised her ability,


    then changed the subject and told her that new personnel had to work at the grass-roots level for a


    while. The show she was nning would be taken over by another producer, and she could continue


    when she came back.


    Kinsey was not a fool. She asked directly, "Is there someone who''s trying to set me up?"


    The head of the station smoothed things over and asked her to keep it to herself.


    Kinsey spent painstaking efforts on this show for a long time and never anticipated such a thing. She


    was also a straightforward person. While feeling aggrieved, she refused to admit defeat. "Let''s set this


    aside for a while first. I will find more sponsorships. I can go to the grassroots if that doesn''t work!"


    The head of the station smiled bitterly and said, "Kinsey, who else in San Fetillo would dare to provide


    you sponsorship after this?"


    Irene didn''t know about Kinsey''s demotion until she came in for the first rehearsal. Knowing Edric was


    behind this, she was so angry that she dialed the phone without thinking.


    She realized that she dialed the number he had been using three years ago, which he might have


    changed already. Surprisingly, however, the call was connected. She heard Edric''s voice on the other


    end, "Hello?"


    Irene was even more furious upon hearing Edric''s voice. She scolded, "Are you still a human being,


    Myers?"


    Edric''s voice was calm. "Of course I''m human. What''s your problem, Miss Nelson?"


    "How can you be so shameless? Juste at me if you must. Why would you harm Kinsey?"


    "I''m busy. I don''t have time to talk nonsense with you!" Edric hung up the phone at once.


    He stared at the phone nkly after hanging up. Day and night, he had waited for her call for three


    years. She finally called him when he was about to lose hope. "Irene, it''s good that you still have a soft


    spot!"

 Chapter 26 Dont Rush, Slow It Down

    Chapter 26 Don''t Rush, Slow It Down


    Of course, Irene would not let Kinsey suffer because of her. She turned it over in her mind and decided


    that she had to rify it with Edric since this happened because of her. But Edric never answered her


    phone again.


    Out of options, she went to Edric''spany yet was stopped by the front desk. "Miss, what can I do for


    you? Did you have an appointment?"


    The woman who stopped Irene was not the receptionist she saw when she came herest time. Irene


    knew this woman. She was the receptionist of Edric''spany in Oxton three years ago. She was


    surprised to see that she came to San Fetillo with Edric as well.


    Three years ago, this woman would always gently push the elevator button for her whenever she


    wanted to see Edric. Now, she talked to her as if she didn''t know her at all.


    Things had changed indeed. Irene remainedposed and said, "I want to see your president."


    "May I ask if you have an appointment? You can''t see Mr. Myers if you don''t have an appointment!"


    Irene ignored her and pushed her away and went straight to the elevator. The woman winked at the


    security guard. Two guards came up and stopped Irene as though she was some formidable enemy.


    Irene turned around and walked to the sofa in the lobby. She would wait here in the lobby. Edric would


    Irene waited tillter afternoon yet still didn''t see Edric. The receptionist was packing up her things and


    was ready to get off work. Seeing that Irene was still sitting there, she felt bad for her. "The president


    has left through the underground parking garage a long time ago!"


    Irene was so angry that she almost cursed out. Maybe because the receptionist took pity on her, she


    added, "The president will go to meet some friends at After Dark tonight."


    She revealed Edric''s schedule to Irene. Irene didn''t care how a trivial receptionist got to know about


    Edric''s schedule. She thanked her and went out of the building.


    Seeing Irene leaving, the security guard came to the receptionist and asked her nicely, "Amelia, you''re


    a manager. What are you doing here today? Why did youe to the front desk and stop that


    woman?"


    "Don''t ask what you shouldn''t ask!" The woman answered in an annoyed voice. When she saw Irene,


    she finally understood why Mr. Myers wanted her at the front desk today. Except for her and John, no


    one else here in the Myers Group knew Irene.


    "But what does Mr. Myers mean? Why does he want me to stop her from meeting him and ask me to


    tell her his whereabouts in the meantime?"


    Irene left the Myers Group and went straight to After Dark by taxi. She asked around and rushed to the


    second floor where Edric''s private room was. She pushed the door open and saw the erotic scene


    inside.


    Several men were sitting in the room, each of them apanied by beautiful women. She saw Edric


    sitting in the innermost position with a pretty woman next to him on each side. One of them leaned


    against him and was whispering something to him. The gentle smile on Edric''s face made Irene''s eyes


    hurt.


    This was how men fooled around. She didn''t know anything about this three years ago and thought he


    was busy at work the whole time. That was why she was deceived by him so badly.


    Irene sneered and raised her voice, "Edric!"


    Startled by her voice, everyone in the room turned their eyes on her. Edric raised his eyebrows and


    showed an impatient look. He didn''t move at all.


    By his side, a man who was hugging a girl teased, "Mr. Myers, it''s not enough for you to have a pretty


    woman on each side. Another one even came to chase after you. You''re making us jealous!"


    Edric smiled faintly. "Why would I have such a bad taste?"


    "Go take a look since she came here already!" Another manughed.


    Edric got up and stepped forward. When he walked to Irene''s side, a man behind him simpered, "Give


    her to us if you really don''t like her!"


    "Good!" Edric''s indifferent answer made Irene tremble with anger. She raised her hand, trying to p


    him. But Edric grabbed her hand nimbly. The men in the room burst intoughter. "What a hot wild cat!"


    Edric casually closed the door and dragged Irene to the room next door.


    "What do you want from me?" He let go of Irene''s hand and spoke in an ice cold voice.


    "Did you do that to Kinsey?" Irene red at him.


    Edric turned a blind eye to Irene''s hostility. He casually sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and lit a


    cigarette.


    "Kinsey? Who is Kinsey?" His voice was still cold and aloof.


    Edric smoked? Irene was a little surprised. She used to say that she hated the smell of tobo on


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    men. Edric also said that he was not interested in smoking.


    Judging by his skillful posture and the smoke rings he blew, Irene found out that she barely knew


    anything about this man.


    "Edric, do you have amnesia? You don''t know who Kinsey is?" Exasperated, Irene shouted and only


    realized how loud she was a momentter.


    He did it on purpose. He was the one behind Kinsey''s demotion. "Despicable! You are such a


    despicable viin!"


    "Despicable?" The man''s captivating eyes darkened in an instant. She actually called him despicable.


    "This d*mn woman!" Edric could feel the anger rising in his chest. He mocked her, "Miss Nelson, a


    Instead, you should go back and teach your friend a lesson and let her know what she should say and


    she shouldn''t!"


    He basically admitted he was behind Kinsey''s demotion. Irene trembled in rage. She never dreamed


    that Edric would be this kind of person.


    She stabilized her hands that were shaking from anger. "Edric, what do you want?"


    "What do I want?" Edric blew a smoke ring. "Don''t you know what I want?"


    He wanted to stand up for Lily. Irene bit his lip and said, "If Kinsey said something wrong, I''d apologize


    for her. Mr. Myers, you''re a generous man. Please forgive Kinsey, can you?"


    She actually apologized! Edric''s eyes were frosty. She apologized to him for an ordinary friend, yet she


    wouldn''t have forbearance for his mother. If she was willing to bow her head to his equally strong-willed


    mother, things wouldn''t have been like this.


    "Miss Nelson, don''t you feel that you''re not sincere at all?"


    "What else do you want? I have apologized, Edric. What else do you want?"


    "You should apologize to Lily. After all, she was the one insulted by you."


    "Fine, Edric, I apologize to you. And I will apologize to your beloved woman. But you have to let Kinsey


    off!" Irene risked everything to save Kinsey.


    "It''s toote!" Edric opened his thin lips. His tone was cold as usual, "Miss Nelson, everything has a


    deadline. I gave you a chance before."


    "You..." Irene red at him. It had never urred to her that he would say that.


    "Do you want to ask why I''m so heartless?" Edric chuckled and spat out more hurtful words, "Irene, go


    back and take a look at yourself in the mirror. Why should I, Edric, listen to anything you say?"


    Irene took a step back. Looking at Edric''s indifferent face, she squeezed out a bitter smile. Yes, she


    was still too impulsive. She even forgot how heartless Edric was.


    Hadn''t she experienced his cruelty? He swore to love her yet turned around and betrayed her. He


    impregnated his mistress and let her provoke her. He didn''t offer any exnation after their affair was


    exposed and orderedwyers to kick her out of the house with nothing but a divorce agreement...


    Which man in this world could be crueler and more heartless than Edric?


    She didn''t learn her lesson and vainly hoped that she could persuade him. Irene stared at the man


    sitting on the couch.


    "Edric, you''re right. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t havee to you for who I am. Thank you for letting me


    see everything clearly. Don''t worry, from now on, I, Irene, will nevere to beg you for anything! I


    would rather die than asking you for anything again!"


    She shouted out thest sentence and didn''t care about Edric''s reaction. Irene opened the door and


    left. She almost ran out of After Dark all the way. The night wind was chilly outside, and she didn''t know


    why her eyes were moist.


    The door was mmed shut. Listening to the hurried footsteps outside, Edric stood up at once. He only


    took a step before sitting back on the sofa feebly.


    He put out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can. Then, he leaned back and rubbed his temple.


    He was more irritated than he had ever been.


    He didn''t want to treat her that way. But he couldn''t help himself when he faced her and her attitude.


    He didn''t know what had happened to him and why he couldn''t control himself. He knew what he said


    would only make her hate him more, but he just couldn''t hold his tongue.


    "I''m crazy!" Edric smiled bitterly, feeling unutterably upset and lonely.


    Irene tossed and turned in bed for a long time before falling asleep that night. Perhaps too tired, she


    overslept in the morning.  If it weren''t for Jordan''s phone call, she would not wake up.


    Jordan was a little surprised to hear her nasal voice. "Irene, don''t tell me you''re still in bed."


    "I''m sorry! I overslept!"


    "What a woman you are!" Jordan propped his forehead in his hand and said, "Get up quickly. I''lle


    to pick you up!"


    Irene got up in a hurry and spent more than ten minutes to brush her teeth, clean her face, and change


    her clothes. She ran out without putting on makeup.


    Jordan''s car sped over when Irene got downstairs. She was so hurried that she even forgot to wear her


    sses. When Jordan looked at her bare and unadorned face, all of his annoyance dissipated.


    He even opened the door for her. "Get in the car!"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Reed!" Irene apologized again.


    "Thanks to that you don''t wear sses today, I forgive you!" Jordan tilted his head and looked at her


    with a smile. A gorgeous woman didn''t need makeup to be attractive.


    "Thank you, Mr. Reed. Where are we going now?"


    "We''re going to City Hall!"


    Irene understood that Jordan was determined to win the bid. It must be the reason he was going to City


    Hall. She recalled what Steven said to her that night. The Golden Age Group would definitely win the


    bid if she went to ask Steven for help, right?


    However...


    While she was hesitating, Jordan took a bag from the front seat and handed it to her. "You didn''t have


    breakfast, did you? I bought you breakfast!"


    "You bought breakfast?" Irene was shocked. Jordan was a spoiled young master from a rich family.


    Why would he remember to take care of his subordinate?


    "Why are you surprised? Why can''t I get you some breakfast from where I ate?"


    "Thank you, Mr. Reed!" Irene didn''t decline out of politeness. She was starving and immediately


    opened the bag to eat the food.


    Jordan was full of smiles. He nced at Irene from the rearview mirror. She was even beautiful while


    gulping down food.


    If not for knowing that he had to be patient, he really wanted to...


    He calmed himself down. This thing took time and patience. He couldn''t rush it!

 Chapter 27 Humiliate Her

    Chapter 27 Humiliate Her


    The car stopped in front of City Hall. Jordan got out of the car and led Irene into the building.


    The two went to a meeting room and saw Edric right after they pushed the door open. Edric wore a


    well-pressed suit and brought his Executive Assistant John with him. There were also CEOs and


    assistants from otherpanies that participated in the bidding. Irene stood behind Jordan after he sat


    down since all the other assistants were standing. Surprisingly, Jordan pulled her to sit down next to


    him.


    Seeing how Jordan arranged for Irene to sit next to him, Edric''s eyes darkened. Jordan noticed the


    change of Edric''s expression and whispered, "Myers seems to be quite hostile to me?"


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    "Is that so?" Irene nced in Edric''s direction. Edric''s charming eyes stared at her without blinking.


    Irene looked away indifferently.


    "Yeah, I always feel that Myers looks at you in a strange way. Do you really not know each other?"


    "I don''t know him!"


    "That''s weird! Is it because of the fight between me and himst time? Myers doesn''t look like a petty


    person."


    "It''s hard to say. You have to be careful," Irene went along.


    "Of course I''ll be careful. Let''s prepare for the bidding first," Jordan cracked a mirthless smile and said,


    "The Secretary has Myers''s back. We might be in trouble this time."


    "That''s not for sure! Maybe we can turn the table if we did our part well." Irene was not very worried


    since Steven had promised her that he would be fair. The bidding entirely depended on the ability and


    capacity of eachpany.


    "I think so too. I will ruin the Secretary if he dares to y nepotism!" Jordan said with a smile, yet there


    was a hint of menace in his tone.


    Irene was used to his impish look and was surprised by his intimidating voice. At this time, David came


    in with a briefcase.


    Seeing Daviding in, Jordan patted Irene on the shoulder and said, "Wait for me in the car for now.


    I''ll go to see you after the meeting! Don''t wander too far away!"


    Everyone in the room heard him since he didn''t lower his voice. Someoneughed and said, "Mr. Reed,


    you never forget to bring your beautiful confidante wherever you go!"


    "That''s right. Isn''t it said that men and women together make the best team?"


    "Haha, will Mr. Reed go to ''exercise'' a little bit after the meeting?"


    "Of course!"


    His response made Irene shot him a re. Jordan cracked a mischievous smile at her. With a loud


    bang, the cup in Edric''s hand fell to the ground and the water sshed everywhere. Everyone was


    shocked and looked at Edric in unison. His face was gloomy as if he wanted to kill someone.


    No one made a sound at the sight of Edric''s menacing look.


    Irene went out of the conference room. She waited in the garden behind City Hall for a long time and


    did not see Jordaning out. She figured that the meeting today would probablyst a long time, so


    she decided to go to wait for Jordan in the car. However, just as she went out of the gate, she bumped


    into someone she did not want to see.


    Wearing a stylish outfit, Lily got out of the car. Her face was a little stiff when she looked up and saw


    Irene. She asked in an unfriendly tone, "Why are you here?"


    Irene sneered at her and had no intention to respond. Lily was irritated by her silence. "Are you here to


    see dad? Why are you looking for dad?"


    "Are you out of your mind?" Irene couldn''t help but ask.


    "Am I out of my mind? You''re the one who''s out of your mind. Didn''t you sever your rtionship with


    dad before? Why are you regretting it now?"


    "Regret?" Irene paused for a moment before she realized what Lily was talking about. "Yes, I regret it!"


    "What do you want to do? Don''t tell me you want to go back to the Cook family? Irene, have some


    dignity. You were the one who wanted to cut off your rtionship with dad. Do you think you can take it


    back now that you regretted it?"


    Irene well understood what Lily was thinking. Lily was afraid that her engagement with Edric would be


    destroyed if Irene rebuilt her rtionship with Steven.


    Seeing how scared Lily was, Irene couldn''t help but irritate her. She smiled yfully and said, "I am Mr.


    Cook''s legitimate daughter. You were born to a mistress. What do you think would happen if I went


    back to the Cook family and exposed your mom as a mistress and you as a b*stard?"


    "Are you... are you crazy? You would ruin dad''s reputation!" Lily looked frightened.


    "Irene, you can''t do that!"


    Looking at Lily''s shameless look, Irene sneered, "Since you know the consequences, why do you keep


    provoking me?"


    "I..." Lily''s face was a little pale. She was startled to see Irene at City Hall and didn''t think it through.


    Now she had offended her.


    "Let me tell you, Lily, I am not a pushover. I don''t care about the wealth and status that you and your


    mistress mom are obsessed about. I am still Irene even without Steven. You are different. You''re two


    parasites who would be nothing without Steven. Therefore, you better not provoke me. I''m warning


    you! Take a detour and stay away from me the next time you see me. I don''t mind sending you and


    your mom to the front page if you dare toe here and piss me off again!"


    Irene''s scolding made Lily hate her beyond words. She wanted to fight back but didn''t have the


    courage. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.


    With a pitiful expression on her face, she said in a fearful tone, "I''m sorry! I''m sorry, Miss Nelson. I''ll


    stay away from you the next time I see you. Don''t worry, I will never show my face in front of you again.


    Please don''t tell anyone that I was pregnant. I''m begging you!"


    Lily changed her attitude so fast that Irene didn''t have time to react. Irene caught a whiff of a familiar


    smell. She didn''t need to turn back to know who wasing.


    She put her hand on her forehead and heard the man''s cold voice, "Irene, what do you want to do?"


    "Edric!" Lily threw herself at Edric like a little bird. Irene smiled bitterly and was about to leave, but Edric


    didn''t want to let her go like this. He straightened up Lily, who let her whole body go limp, and said to


    her affectionately, "Wait for me over there. I have something to say to her!"


    Lily didn''t want to leave, but Edric''s tone was unquestionable. She had to step away unwillingly.


    Edric stared at Irene, who wasn''t even looking at him. "Irene, you''re really incorrigible, aren''t you?"


    Irene ignored him and strode toward the car. Edric was angered by her attitude and stepped forward to


    stop her. "Don''t forget that your friend Kinsey is doing chores. I will make sure she can''t even do that if


    you upset me more!"


    "Myers, what do you want?" Irene stopped. Kinsey was her soft spot.


    "Stay away from Lily the next time. By the way, didn''t you say that you want to apologize to Lily? Today


    is a good day! I might consider letting Kinsey off the hook as long as you''re sincere!"


    His words made Irene raise her head and look at Edric. Her eyes met Edric''s frighteningly cold eyes.


    Irene curled up her lips and asked. "How do you want me to apologize? Do you want me to kneel in


    front of her?"


    "That''s not necessary. Didn''t you just tell Lily to stay away from you? You can repeat what you just said


    to her, but remember to switch position. Tell her that you will be the one who stays away from her!"


    His voice and face were both frosty and merciless. Looking at the man she loved for five years, Irene


    forced back the tears that welled up in her eye.


    "Okay, Mr. Myers, I apologize! Are you going to let Kinsey off after my apology? I want you to promise


    me that personally!"


    "It depends on your sincerity. If you''re not sincere enough..."


    He was basically telling her that he might say she was not sincere even if she apologized. It was


    meaningless no matter what she did, as Edric had no intention of letting her off at all.


    When knowing that, Irene turned around and walked away again. She heard Edric''s cold voice behind


    her, "Irene, this is yourst chance! Bear the consequences yourself if you give it up!"


    She walked to Jordan''s car without stopping. Tears streamed down her face after she got in the car.


    Irene hated herself for that. She still felt heartbroken and shed tears because of him even when she


    knew how cruel this man was.


    Edric''s eyes followed Irene''s receding figure. He felt empty in his heart as Irene got in the car and


    mmed the door shut.


    He didn''t want to be so vicious. But he felt that his heart was torn into pieces when he remembered


    what Jordan said in the conference room. Maybe she had been making love with Jordan every single


    night. How could he let her be happy when he was in so much pain?


    "Irene, this is what you owe me. If I am in agony, you have to suffer too."


    He turned around without any hesitation. Lily stood not far away and looked at him pitifully. He


    suppressed his frustration and walked toward Lily.


    His voice was gentle, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"


    Lily stayed close on purpose and heard Edric''s vicious attitude toward Irene.  She was rejoicing deep


    down but didn''t express it. "I came to find my dad for something. Edric, Miss Nelson probably only said


    that because she was in a bad mood. Please don''t take her too seriously. Even though she is a vicious


    woman who killed our baby, so many years have passed, and I have already moved on. Let''s forgive


    her!"


    She believed Edric would be moved by her righteous performance and treat her to lunch for her


    kindness.


    But she was wrong. Edric''s eyes only became more unfathomable after her speech. He raised his wrist


    and looked at his watch. "The meeting is over. Go and see Mr. Cook. I have something to do!"


    Lily''s heart sank. She squeezed out a smile. "Edric, it''s lunchtime now. Why don''t you stay and have


    lunch with my dad?"


    "Maybe another day. I really have something to do today!" While speaking, John also came over. They


    got in the car and left together.


    Lily was aggrieved. She came here exactly to find an excuse to have lunch with Edric. This was not


    how she had in mind.


    She also drove back home after watching Edric''s car driving away.


    Deborah was sitting in the living room watching TV. She was surprised to see Lily back. "Why are you


    back? Didn''t you say that you were going to have lunch with Edric?"


    "He said he is busy with something and doesn''t have time." Lily sat down unhappily. "Mom, I saw Irene


    at City Hall today."


    "What is she doing there? Is she there to find your father?" Deborah was shocked.


    "I''m also worried about this. I forgot to stay calm when I saw her and ended up being threatened by that


    little b*tch. Fortunately, Edric came out..." Lily told Deborah what had happened.


    "Why did you provoke her? That little b*tch is like a hedgehog and will attack anything thates


    closer. She is penniless now. It won''t be good if she changes her mind and goes back to your father.


    After all, you and Edric are not married yet. We can''t make any mistakes at this crucial point."


    "Mom, what should we do now? Dad wouldn''t turn Irene down if she asked toe back. If that


    happened, Edric and Aunt Margaret would know we are sisters. Then all the hopes would be lost for


    Edric and me."


    "Don''t worry, let me think of something. I was nning to drive her out of San Fetillo behind your dad''s


    back. But we have to change our strategy since she has shown her face. Let''s have a good talk with


    your father tonight."

 Chapter 28 She Must Be Behind This

    Chapter 28 She Must Be Behind This


    When Steven returned home in the evening, Deborah and her daughter greeted him with a smile.


    "You''re back!"


    Steven nodded and went to sit down on the sofa. Deborah said to Lily, "Lily, make some tea for your


    father."


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    Then, she followed Steven and sat down next to him. "Steven, I heard that Irene is back?"


    Steven nodded. "Yes, Irene is back!"


    Deborah didn''t expect that Steven had already met with Irene. Irene showed up after disappearing for


    years. It couldn''t be that simple. Thinking of that, she asked tentatively, "Then why didn''t you bring her


    home? That child has suffered so much! We should care for her more." Deborah acted like a loving


    mother.


    "It''s not the right time. Irene still holds a deep grudge against me! She won''t forgive me!" Steven


    sighed. "It''s all my fault. I wasn''t considerate back then. That was why both Lily and Irene had to


    suffer!"


    Deborah also sighed when she saw Steven mentioned the past. "We were only doing it for Irene''s own


    good. How could we expect that such a thing would happen? Steven, why don''t we talk to Irene and


    exin it to her in person?"


    "Irene is very stubborn. I''m afraid it''s no use for you to exin it to her!"


    It seemed that Irene wasn''t nning on forgiving Steven. Deborah breathed a sigh of relief. "What


    should we do then? I can''t stop worrying since she is all alone now."


    "This can''t be rushed! We have to take it slow!" Steven sighed, "Deborah, you need to be kind to Irene


    if she is willing toe back. You have to be patient with her, even if she is rude to you."


    "I know. Don''t worry. I know what to do."


    "And Lily," Steven looked at Lily and said, "You also need to treat Irene better. Let her vent her anger,


    and don''t fight with her if she wants something."


    "Dad, I understand," Lily also answered obediently.


    Deborah nced at her daughter, then shifted her eyes to her husband. "What about Lily and Edric''s


    engagement ceremony?"


    "I''ll talk to Madam Myers!" Steven answered.


    Deborah obviously looked relieved. "I''m afraid that Irene will not take it well. Even though we did it at


    that time out of kindness, Lily and Edric are indeed together now..."


    "It''s not Lily''s fault. I''m the one to me," Steven sighed, "I''ll exin this to Irer, little by little.


    Now you just need to remember not to provoke her."


    "Don''t worry. Lily and I will never provoke Irene."


    Steven was very satisfied with Deborah''s promise. "In addition to that, there is one more thing I have to


    tell you. After Lily and Edric get married, I will leave all the property of our family to Irene as


    "I didn''t marry you for the property, and Lily will never fight with Irene for that." Deborah answered


    readily. The property of the Cook family was nothingparing with Edric''s. Only a fool like Irene


    would give up Edric.


    "Dad, I only want Edric and nothing else," Lily also made a statement. Steven was gratified by the


    understanding of his wife and daughter. "Sorry for putting you through this!"


    "I''m willing to do anything as long as dad and my sister are happy," Lily acted particrly


    magnanimous, and her gesture moved Steven more. "I will have more free time for a few days. You


    can tell Edric that the two families should sit down and discuss the details of engagement!"


    Deborah and her daughter exchanged a look, their eyes full ofcency.


    Irene had been in a bad mood because of what happened during the day. Jordan noticed her


    expression and thought she was sick. Thoughtfully, he asked her to go back to rest.


    Irene was not in the mood to rest. She went to the hospital again. Thomas was packing up his things


    and insisting on leaving the hospital.


    Irene couldn''t change her uncle''s mind and had no choice but to check him out. After returning home


    with her uncle, she went grocery shopping to cook him some nourishing meals.


    The phone rang just when the soup was ready. She heard Nathan''s voice clearly, "Irene, Eden is


    having a fever!"


    "Is it serious?" Nathan would not call her if it was a low fever.


    "A little bit. Come and see him if you have time!"


    "I see!" Because of Nathan''s call, the anger and sorrow in her heart were reced by worry and


    distress about Eden.


    Irene immediately booked the flight and called Jordan to ask for leave. Jordan was surprised. "What


    happened?"


    "Something is going on at home."


    Jordan didn''t push her as she didn''t want to tell him the details. He granted her leave without


    hesitation.


    Irene immediately packed up her luggage and rushed to the airport. She had been worrying throughout


    the over ten-hour flight. Nathan came to pick her up when she arrived, and they hurried to the hospital


    together.


    Eden was unconscious in the hospital bed, his whole body burning hot. "What''s going on?" Irene burst


    into tears.


    "He hasn''t been eating well recently. The fever started the day before yesterday, and the medication


    didn''t work. The doctors couldn''t figure out why. I called you here because I''m worried," Nathan


    exined.


    "Eden! My poor Eden. This is all mom''s fault!" Holding Eden''s little hand, Irene couldn''t stop crying.


    As if he had sensed something, Eden, who was sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes and grinned when


    he saw Irene. "Mom, I''m not dreaming, am I?"


    "No! It''s true. I''ming to see you!"


    Eden''s fever was miraculously gone because of Irene''s visit. Nathan was a little embarrassed. "I


    wouldn''t call you if I knew he could get well so quickly."


    Eden, however, nestled happily in his mother''s arms. "Mom, when will youe to pick me up?"


    "Very soon!" Irene replied.


    "Have you found dad yet?" Eden asked again.


    "Not yet, but I will find him soon."


    "Mom, take your time. Don''t worry. I can find dad with you in the future."


    Irene nodded heavily with her son in her arms. "I wille to pick you up as soon as I settle down."


    Nathan sighed aside. "Irene,e back if it''s too hard on you. I can support you and Eden."


    "Nathan, I don''t want to owe you too much. Do you understand?"


    "I''m more than willing to."


    "But I can''t. Nathan, you deserve the love of a better woman!" Nathan was silent for a while before he


    sighed and said, "Irene, I will wee you back anytime if you''re tired out there. I will always wait for


    you here."


    Irene spent ten days with Eden. She only found out that there had been a tremendous change when


    she returned to San Fetillo. First of all, something happened to Keaton''s son Randy.


    Someone called the TV station and reported Randy for using drugs. The reporters followed the police


    to arrest him. To everyone''s surprise, what they saw was a shocking scene.


    Randy, who had overdosed, mutted himself. When the police knocked open the door of his


    apartment, they found that he was unconscious with a knife in his hand and the floor was covered in


    blood.


    The police immediately sent him to the hospital and learned that the tendons in his arms and legs had


    been severed by himself. It was supposed to be a simple case of substance abuse. But the police


    found some counterfeit currency when they searched his ce.


    Then, someone online exposed Keaton for creating counterfeit money, corruption, nepotism and


    favoritism, and many other criminal acts. Secretary Cook ordered a serious investigation.


    The police searched Keaton''s house overnight and found a whole room of cash, including several


    cases of counterfeit money.


    It was quite a drama. Keaton was arrested and interrogated. All the illegal business he had done over


    the years was revealed after a thorough investigation. Keaton was doomed.


    The bidding process officially started when Keaton was arrested. With full confidence in winning the


    bid, Edric didn''t attend the meeting in person and only sent a manager. On the other hand, Jordan led a


    team himself to represent the Golden Age Group.


    The bidding process this time waspletely fair and transparent. After multiple rounds of selection,


    Myers Group and the Golden Age Group went all the way to thest round.


    After careful research and evaluation, several consulting experts began to examine the two bidding


    proposals. To everyone''s surprise, it was a tie.


    Edric was taken aback by the result. He might be more alert if the Reed Family sent anyone else here.


    But they sent Jordan, so Edric didn''t take him seriously at all.


    Jordan was a rich kid and a womanizer. How could he have any skills or abilities? That was why Edric


    underestimated him in the first ce.


    Besides, Edric had a well-establishedwork and abundant resources in San Fetillo. He had even


    less reason to take Jordan seriously.


    It seemed that Edric misjudged this yboy. Jordan must know what he was doing since he could lead


    his team to deliver such high-quality proposals.


    However, Edric still had a chance to win. Since the proposals were at the same level, it all depended on


    the person who made the final decision. He was sure to win as long as Steven favored him just a little


    bit.


    It would be a narrow win this time. He should never underestimate this yboy again in the future.


    In the meantime, the blind date reality show Irene took part in had officially started recording. It was


    unknown why Edric changed his mind and asked the TV station to reinstate Kinsey.


    Thus, Kinsey was there for the full recording. Kinsey originally nned to dress Irene up and show her


    beauty on the screen. Although the program was partially fake, some of the male guests were indeed


    excellent bachelors. Kinsey could hit two birds with one stone if she sessfully set Irene up with one


    of them.


    Irene also thought that Kinsey''s idea was good, but she did not dress up on purpose. She believed that


    she should present the real her. She was a divorced woman and a single mother. Her child Eden had


    asked her many times when he could have a father. Irene not only wanted to make money off this


    program, but she also wanted to find a father for her Eden.


    So she persuaded Kinsey to attend the show with her real background. Wearing a mask, Irene showed


    up in the studio as a inly dressed single mother.


    ording to the program''s rules, a male guest first chose a female guests by the first impression. He


    would give the rose in his hand to the chosen woman, who would ask him three questions when she


    epted the rose.


    If the female guest was satisfied with the male guest''s answers, she would ept the flower and take


    off her mask. Then they would go on to the second part.


    No one picked Irene in the first recording session since she was a single mother wearing ordinary


    clothes.


    It didn''t take Irene by surprise. Kinsey walked out of the station with Irene after the recording. She


    protested on Irene''s behalf and called the men idiots with bad taste.


    Nheless, Irene was very calm. "I knew this would happen. Don''t worry. Someone in this vast world


    will be the right man for me."


    The holiday ended, and it was time to announce the result of the bidding. The Myers Group thought


    they would win since they were satisfied with their proposal and had Steven back them up. Edric''s


    Public Rtions department even set up the press conference.


    However, the result shocked them. ording to the municipalmittee, thepany that won the


    bid was the Golden Age Group.


    Edric was leisurely sipping tea in his office when the results came. His eyes widened in disbelief when


    his Executive Assistant John told him the news.


    Then Margaret called. She was a little flustered. "Edric, what''s going on?"


    "Mom, I just got the news too," Edric exined patiently, "I''ll call you when I figure it out."


    Margaret hung up the phone and trembled in rage. What the hell was going on? She thought it was


    settled a long time ago that the Myers Group would win the bid. Her first guess was that Deborah


    double-crossed her since Lily and Edric''s engagement was already a done deal.


    Infuriated, Margaret picked up the phone again and called Deborah.

 Chapter 29 Identity Exposed

    Chapter 29 Identity Exposed


    Deborah was having treatment in the beauty salon. She was also shocked by the news. "I''ll go home


    right away and ask my husband!"


    Deborah called Steven and asked him about the bidding. Steven was a little impatient. "Why did you


    get involved? The decision was made by the municipalmittee."


    Steven was right. It was indeed the municipalmittee that picked the Golden Age Group as the


    winner. The Reed Family had always been investing and developing abroad. Of course the city opened


    the door for them when they returned to invest in San Fetillo.


    However, if Steven, the Secretary, were willing to fight for Edric, the Golden Age Group wouldn''t be the


    winner. But he would never tell Deborah this.


    Deborah noticed the irritation in Steven''s tone. She knew Steven''s temper very well, so she had to


    hang up the phone for now.


    Lily also rushed back after receiving the news. Panting, she asked as soon as she stepped inside,


    "Mom, what should we do?"


    "Let''s wait until your fatheres back and ask him about the situation," Deborah replied.


    "We can''t. You have to find someone to ask around now." Lily was really anxious. She had also made a


    promise to Margaret. Now that things had turned out this way, it would be difficult for her to exin if


    she couldn''t find an excuse.


    Deborah shook her head. "Others won''t know about this. I called your dad just now and was scolded by


    him. We''d better wait for him at home and talk about itter."


    "But mom, I''m afraid that Aunt Margaret can''t wait. You know her temper."


    "What are you afraid of? The two families have met and confirmed your rtionship with Edric. Do you


    think she will go back on her word because of this?"


    "No, I''m afraid that she will make things difficult for meter. It''s not like you don''t know how cruel she


    was to Irene."


    "People always act ording to the circumstances. Margaret was cruel to Irene because she thought


    Irene was a pushover who had no one to back her up. But you are different. With your father''s support,


    you don''t need to be afraid of her." Deborah was more levelheaded when she calmed down.


    The mother and daughter sat in the living room and waited for Steven toe back. At this time, Freya


    suddenly called. "Lily, have you watched TV?"


    "No." Lily was a little impatient. She was not in the mood to watch TV.


    "I just saw Irene on the digital screen in the square."


    "Irene is on TV?" Lily was stunned.


    "It''s a financial channel''s broadcasting. It seems to be a press conference for a bid..." Lily picked up the


    remote control, turned on the TV, and switched to the financial channel before Freya could finish her


    sentence.


    The financial channel was broadcasting the press conference held by the Golden Age Group. As


    expected, Lily and Deborah saw Irene. They exchanged a look and immediately understood what was


    going on.


    They finally found the culprit. It must be Irene''s trick.


    John gathered people to have a meeting. Edric kept rubbing his forehead. He really had a headache


    this time. He finally understood that Steven had no intention of fighting for him at all.


    He was about to get engaged to Steven''s daughter. Steven was supposed to help his own family. So


    why did he turn his back on his future son-inw? What happened?


    He suddenly remembered seeing Steven and Irene drinking tea in the teahouse. Was that rted to


    this?


    But why did Steven help Irene?


    While Edric was rubbing his head, Deborah and her daughter were also struggling to figure out how to


    deal with this matter. The rtionship between Irene and Steven had always been a secret.


    Irene was only 13 years old when Deborah entered the family with Lily. At a rebellious age, she


    shouted and protested the whole time, refusing to ept Deborah and Lily.


    Steven was also in an awkward situation. On one side, he felt bad for Deborah and her daughter. On


    the other side, Irene was his dearest daughter. He couldn''t handle it well no matter what.


    Later, Irene suddenly disappeared. At that time, Steven was not the Secretary of the Municipal Party


    Committee at San Fetillo. He was the Deputy Secretary at another city. He was frightened and looked


    for Irene everywhere before he learned that Irene had returned to San Fetillo.


    Steven followed her to San Fetillo right away, but Irene refused toe back with him. She even


    wanted to change her guardian to her uncle. Frustrated and angry, Steven had no choice but to agree


    in the end.


    After moving to San Fetillo to live with her uncle, Irene changed her surname. She didn''t have any


    contact with Steven in the next ten years or so.


    Although Steven was busy at work at that time, he found time to visit her but was rejected by her every


    time. Irene was stubborn as a mule. She even threatened to suicide if Steven disturbed her again.


    The father and daughter that were so close to each other had be enemies, which broke Steven''s


    heart. After that, he no longer attempted to reunite with Irene.


    Later, Steven and his family moved to A City after he was transferred to A City as the Secretary. Lily,


    who was attending the middle school affiliated with A University, came back and said she saw Irene.


    They only knew then that Irene was admitted to A University.


    Steven went to visit Irene after he heard the news. But he was cold-shouldered by her again.


    Thomas was the one who gave Irene away during her wedding with Edric.


    Throughout their marriage, Edric had never known that Irene''s real father was Steven. It was also why


    Margaret believed that Irene was not good enough for Edric and treated her so horribly.


    Deborah and Lily finally felt relieved as Irene disappeared without a word for years after the divorce.


    Much to their surprise, Irene came back and even asked Steven for help.


    Judging by the current situation, Irene was no longer the unworldly young woman anymore. She must


    Deborah started to feel uneasy. The key to Irene and Edric''s divorce at that time was Edric''s affair with


    Lily. Irene would never divorce Edric if not for that. Did Irenee back to revenge on them?


    Edric and Lily''s engagement was only a verbal agreement so far. It was not on the official agenda yet.


    Edric would never agree to marry Lily if he knew about Irene''s true identity. But this was not something


    Deborah could hide anymore.


    Since Irene was willing to ask Steven for help, she must be ready for the further step. The truth will out.


    This thing would definitely be exposed sooner orter. What should they do at that time?


    While Deborah and her daughter were trying to find a solution in a state of nerves, Steven went straight


    to Irene after work. Since Jordan''spany won the bid, Irene''s attitude toward him improved a little.


    She didn''t object to Steven''s proposal for dinner.


    After dinner, Steven sent Irene home. Looking at the shabby apartment where Irene lived, Steven


    thought of the luxurious big vi where he lived with his wife and daughter. He felt bad and asked Irene


    to move back to his house.


    Irene was not in a bad mood at first. But she immediately flipped out upon hearing his suggestion. "Mr.


    Cook, why can''t you just give up on this?"


    "Irene, I know that you have suffered a lot these years. What happened in the past is all my fault. I


    would never make those mistakes again if I could have a second chance. I have been feeling guilty for


    so many years. Irene, please forgive me!"


    "I won''t forgive you!" Irene sneered, "Mr. Cook, don''t waste your time. Leave now. Today is thest time


    we meet. Please never show up in my life again in the future."


    Steven didn''t expect that Irene would turn hostile so quickly. "Irene!" Seeing that Irene was about to


    leave, he anxiously reached out to hold her hand.


    "Let her go!" A voice suddenly rang out. Steven was pushed to the ground before he could react.


    Steven''s driver jumped out when he saw Steven was pushed down.


    "Secretary, are you alright?"


    "I''m alright!" Steven answered. The driver was tall and strong. He was relieved to hear that the


    Secretary was okay, but he didn''t intend to let go of Jordan. He reached out and was ready to grab the


    person who pushed Steven. Steven stopped him at once when he recognized the attacker.


    But Jordan didn''t appreciate it. He was in a good mood today. After winning the bid, he took all the


    subordinates to a restaurant to have a feast and only realized toward the end that Irene was not


    present. David told him that Irene was not feeling well and went home early.


    Jordan felt like something was missing in his heart. So he asked David to take everyone to the club and


    drove to Irene''s home himself.


    When he arrived, he happened to see Steven''s car driving into the hall. He was astounded when he


    saw Steven.


    What was he doing here? Jordan didn''t drive the car in. He walked into the hall and saw Steven talking


    with Irene. All he could hear were words like "apologies" and "forgiveness". Jordan was so angry that


    he felt like he was about to explode. This old pervert had his eyes on Irene. Thankfully he came here to


    protect her tonight.


    Jordan couldn''t bear it anymore when he saw Steven grabbed Irene''s hand. He rushed out and pushed


    Steven down.


    Irene was also shocked by the sudden appearance of Jordan. "Why are you here?"


    "If I hadn''te, I wouldn''t have known that there would be such a good show here," Jordan said in a


    cold voice, "What is Mr. Cook grabbing my girlfriend''s handte at night?"


    Before Steven could exin, Irene spoke first, "Who is your girlfriend?"


    "Irene, you don''t have to be afraid of him. Not to mention that Steven is just a secretary, I wouldn''t be


    afraid of him even if he was a governor. How dare he have an affair outside. Wait and see how I deal


    with him!"


    Irene was startled when he heard Jordan''s words. How did Jordan know about her rtionship with


    Steven?


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily and her mom came out of nowhere right after Irene''s mother passed away. At first, Irene thought


    her father married Deborah as a widower. She only found outter that Lily was Steven''s biological


    daughter. Since Lily was only two years younger than Irene, it was apparent that Steven cheated on


    Irene''s mom.


    Irene was so disappointed that she refused to admit that she had such a father. That was why she


    returned to San Fetillo to live with her uncle. Steven was working in A City when she left, so few people


    knew that Irene was Steven''s daughter.


    Steven''s career had been smooth sailing recently. It would not be good for him if his affair was


    exposed. After all, Deborah was his mistress. His political life would be over if their affair was found


    out.


    But why did Jordan do this? What did this have anything to do with him?


    Irene misunderstood Jordan, but Steven realized what Jordan was talking about. Jordan thought that


    Steven was having an affair with Irene. Judging by Jordan''s angry look, it was obvious that he had


    feelings for Irene.


    Jordan was good looking, and the Reed Family was wealthy and influential. It would be good if Irene


    and Jordan could be together. But how should Steven tell Jordan about his rtionship with Irene?


    At that time, Irene was determined to leave the family. Steven had been in a dilemma because of the


    bad rtionship between Deborah and Irene. Besides, he heard some rumor that someone wanted to


    take the opportunity to ruin his career. Therefore, he didn''t stop Irene when she wanted to change her


    official guardian to Thomas.


    However, what was done couldn''t be undone. He had been aplete stranger to Irene ever since he


    let his daughter move out. He knew that Irene had been bullied by Margaret in the Myers Family. Since


    she didn''t mention her rtionship with Steven in that situation, she would definitely not do it now.


    While Steven was pondering, Irene urged him to leave and said she would take care of everything.


    Steven hesitated for a moment and left.


    After Steven was gone, Jordan blurted out in a frenzy, "A woman like you pretends to be innocent but


    actually is not a good person. I don''t know how long you would lie to me if I didn''t bump into this


    tonight."


    "What do you mean?" Irene was confused.


    "Tell me the truth, what did Steven Cook offer you? How did you hook up with him? He is old enough to


    be your dad. How can you stand being intimate with him?"


    "What... what nonsense are you talking about?" Irene was so angry that she couldn''t even put together


    a full sentence.


    "Lies! You just keep lying! Everyone will know that I''m not talking nonsense when I hand this in."

 Chapter 30 Plenty Of Men Out There

    Chapter 30 Plenty Of Men Out There


    Jordan proudly waved the phone in his hand. "Steven is the future father-inw of Edric. I had been


    worrying that I don''t have leverage against Steven. Who would know that he would deliver himself to


    me? I recorded everything he said to you before. Now I''m waiting to see him yielding to me."


    "Jordan, how can you be so despicable?" Irene was so angry that she wanted to p him in the face.


    Anyone who thought Jordan was just a yboy certainly underestimated his ability to take advantage


    of people.


    "You''re protecting him?" Jordan was a little annoyed, "He is old enough to be your dad. And he is


    married. What''s so good about him?"


    "We''re not the kind of rtionship you''ve imagined us to have."


    "It''s not that kind of rtionship? Then what is it?" Jordan asked.


    "It''s a long story. I''ll tell you in the future."


    "No! I''ll report him tomorrow if you don''t tell me now." Jordan was not vague about his intention. His


    heart was burning with fury when he saw how Irene was defending Steven. "As the saying goes, the


    animosity for snatching a man''s wife is absolutely irreconcble. I will ruin Steven if he dares to covet


    my woman!"


    "Who stole your wife? Jordan, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    "Irene, I have to make it clear to you no matter what you think. I have my heart set on you. No one can


    hanker after a woman I already imed. No one!"


    Jordan was not a sensible person. It didn''t work to talk to him in a sensible way. Irene stamped her feet


    in anger. "He... he is my father."


    "What did you say?" Jordan thought there was something wrong with his ears. "But you have


    different surnames?"


    "I have my mom''s surname!"


    "How is it possible?" Astonished, Jordan stared at Irene for a while. "You... Are you an illegitimate


    daughter?"


    "I''m not!" Irene interrupted him.


    "If you''re not an illegitimate daughter, why does no one know your rtionship with Mr. Cook?" Jordan


    asked.


    "That has nothing to do with you. So don''t ask anymore." Irene had no patience to exin it to him.


    Jordan suddenly thought of something. "Irene, no wonder you know so many inside stories about the


    bidding. Did Steven tell you that?"


    "Yes," Irene nodded and said, "Jordan, I have already helped you win the bid. You have to keep the


    rtionship between Steven and me a secret for me. No one else can know."


    "No way!" Jordan answered firmly with a wicked smile on his face.


    "Why not?"


    "You have to promise me one thing if you want me to keep it a secret." Jordan was pushing for more.


    Irene was in a tricky situation. Jordan didn''t y by the rules. She fell into his trap and was in trouble


    now. Frustrated, she asked, "What''s the condition? Jordan, don''t be insatiable. I''m warning you."


    "Irene, it''s very simple to ask me to keep it a secret. I won''t say anything if you promise to be my


    girlfriend."


    "Is there something wrong with your brain?"


    "No, I''mpletely fine," Jordan grinned and said, "My mouth is very loose, and I can''t say when I will


    leak the news. But things will be different if you''re my girlfriend. I''m very protective of my own people


    and would never reveal my woman''s secret."


    "Do you want me to be your girlfriend because Steven is the Secretary?"


    "Of course not," Jordan denied, "I like your look. You know that I can''t resist beautiful women."


    His honest words made Irene''s headache even more. This yboy''s obsession with beautiful women


    was beyond the imagination ofmon people. However, he would definitely stay away if he knew


    Irene was a divorced single mother. Thus, Irene said, "Jordan, I am a divorced woman. Don''t you mind


    that?"


    "You had a divorce?" Jordan was shocked now. With a look of disbelief, he sized Irene up and down.


    "Why did you divorce?"


    "This is not a matter of discussion. I''m only telling you that I had a divorce. Can you ept it?"


    "No!" Jordan was dejected like a deted balloon.


    Irene breathed a sigh of relief. She knew this would happen. For the sake of Jordan''s pride and the


    status of the Reed Family, why would he want a divorced woman?


    However, Jordan surprisingly raised another question at once. "Irene, did you make it up to turn me


    down? I don''t believe that you had a divorce before unless you can prove to me that you have been


    married."


    "Not only am I divorced, but I also have a child. Do you remember Eden, the little boy by Nathan''s


    side? He is my child."


    Jordan widened his eyes. Of course, he had seen Eden before. At that time, he was confounded why


    Nathan had such a child with him. He asked Nathan, but he only told him the kid belonged to a friend.


    He never expected this friend to be Irene.


    "Irene, I want to know why you divorced your husband?"


    "He had an affair!" Irene replied.


    "That man is blind!" Jordan sighed. Why would her ex-husband have an affair when he had such a fine


    woman at home? He really didn''t know how lucky he was!


    "It''s all in the past. Jordan. I ask you to keep it a secret for me. Not just about Steven, but also about


    my divorce and my child. You can''t tell anyone about it."


    Jordan answered in a disgruntled voice. Today was supposed to be a day of victory. But why couldn''t


    he feel the joy?


    He would rather have Irene than the bid!


    What kind of man was willing to divorce her? Jordan took another look at Irene before he left. She


    looked so thin and feeble under the dim light of the streetmps. For some unknown reasons, he had


    an urge to hold her in his arms.


    Deborah and Lily waited until 9 pm when Steven came back. As usual, Deborah immediately prepared


    slippers and tea for him.


    Lily was not as patient as her mother. "Dad, what''s the matter with the bidding?"


    "What do you mean?" Steven was about to drink tea, but he put down the cup in his hand when he


    heard Lily talking.


    "Lily is worried, isn''t she? You know, Edric has been preparing for this for a long time, and Margaret has


    been calling Lily to ask for an exnation. Lily doesn''t know how to answer it," Deborah said.


    Steven sneered and said, "Why did Margaret ask you for an exnation? The decision was made by


    the Municipal Party Committee. What would you know the reason?"


    Steven somehow felt irritated when he heard Margaret''s name. His harsh words made Lily speechless.


    Deborah jumped in to exin, "She must think that you would know more with your position..."


    "The bidding is carried out in a fair and just manner. Officials will provide her answers if she brings her


    questions to the City Construction Bureau and the Municipal Party Committee. Why would she ask


    you?"


    Steven was not a fool. He knew exactly what Margaret was up to. She didn''t take a fancy to Lily


    because she liked her. It was because of Steven. Everyone knew that Mr. Cook''s daughter was Edric''s


    girlfriend. But Edric had never brought up his future with Lily in the past three years. The engagement


    would never happen if Steven didn''t talk about it with Margaret in person.


    Steven was annoyed whenever he thought of this. He would never agree to this marriage if Lily had not


    been pregnant with Edric''s child and wasn''t obsessed with him.


    The Myers Family had already ruined one of his daughters. Did he still want to push the other daughter


    into the fire pit? Most importantly, Edric was ungrateful and insatiable. He had won the majority of the


    public construction work in San Fetillo. Did he want to control the entire San Fetillo in his hands? Why


    couldn''t he let others have a slice too?


    "Steven, don''t be angry! I''m just clumsy with words." Deborah simpered and massaged Steven''s


    shoulders to calm him down. "Did something bad happen today?"


    "No!" Steven softened his tone and looked at Lily. "Margaret is not a good person. She was so vicious


    to Irene and may not be sincere to you now. As for Edric, he is not some good man either. I don''t think


    marriage is good for you if they are dissatisfied with you because of the bidding. It''s hard to find a frog


    with three legs, but there are plenty of men with two legs. Why do you have to be fixated on him?"


    "Edric didn''t say anything. Lily was worried, so she wanted to ask you about the situation."


    "Don''t try to fool me," Steven sneered, "I know that love is not something you can control. I just want to


    remind Lily that if Edric agrees to get engaged to you only because of the construction bidding, have


    you ever thought that would he still be good to you if I were gone? I won''t stay in my position forever.


    What if I retire someday? Can you guarantee that your marriage won''t end like Irene''s?"


    Lily lowered her head without saying a word. Deborah continued to smooth things over, "Don''t worry,


    Edric treats Lily very well. Back then, it was because Irene couldn''t give birth. But Lily is not barren like


    her. As long as she has a child..."


    Steven sighed and darted a look at Lily. The marriage between Irene and Edric indeed ended because


    of theck of a child. Things would be different if Irene could have children. He nced at Deborah. It


    was the same for him and Deborah. He wouldn''t have married Deborah and wronged Irene if not for


    Lily.


    "I hope that Edric will do the same thing!"


    Lily sat alone in the room and cried silently after being scolded by Steven. Deborah opened the door to


    send her a midnight snack. Aggrieved, Lily said, "Mom! Why is dad so biased? He only cares about


    Irene. Why won''t he think about me? How can I face Edric and Aunt Margaret?"


    "You''re so useless!" Deborah red at her, "You can''t stand such a little grievance? Do you remember


    anything I taught you?"


    "I just feel sad. How can dad do this?"


    "Lily, those who achieve great things don''t care about trifles. If you can''t even put up with such a little


    grievance, I don''t think you should marry into the Myers Family at all," Deborah used even stronger


    "Mom, even you are saying this to me now?"


    "Is the Myers Family an ordinary family? Is Margaret an ordinary woman? Did you see how she


    tortured Irene back in the days? Who is harsher? Margaret or your dad?"


    "I..." Lily was at a loss for words. Comparing with Margaret, Steven was not in the same league.


    "Lily, I''ve already thought this through. Let''s use your dad''s words as an excuse. Just say that the


    Municipal Party Committee gave the Reed Family the project this time because it is an investment from


    patriotic expatriates. The city wants to attract more funds from overseas."


    "Will they believe it?"


    "They have to. Let me tell you, you are the daughter of the Secretary. Margaret doesn''t dare to do


    anything to you, understand?"


    Lily nodded. In her heart, she knew that Margaret liked her not because of her beauty and personality


    but because of Steven. However, Lily was still stressed about Irene. "Mom, Irene is the one I''m worried


    about now. She obviously yed some tricks behind our back this time... "


    "Yes, who else can it be? I''ve really underestimated this little b*tch!" Deborah was also full of


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    resentment.


    "The thing that worries me the most is not the bidding, but her reconciliation with dad. Edric will


    definitely cancel the engagement if he knows about her identity."


    "Let''s take it one step at a time. I''ll deal with the bidding problem first when I meet Margaret tomorrow,"


    Deborah was also troubled by it. "I''m afraid that Margaret is not easy to deceive. But we have to try!"


    Deborah was right. Margaret didn''t believe in Deborah''s exnation. Nevertheless, she didn''t dare to


    say anything nasty. Since Steven was still in power, she had to weigh her options carefully.


    It was impossible to reverse the result of the bidding now. Margaret was still counting on Steven to


    provide them more opportunities in the future. With that in mind, she maintained friendly and didn''t


    make things difficult for Deborah.


    After meeting with Deborah, Margaret asked her son out to eat together. To her surprise, she saw Irene


    in the restaurant, dining not far away from her.

 Chapter 31 This is what happens when you go against me

    Chapter 31 This is what happens when you go against me


    Margaret never expected Irene to visit a luxurious restaurant like this, so she couldn''t help but give her


    an extra look. Irene had practically nothing to her name when she left Edric Myers back then. She even


    took back the wedding ring that she had given to Edric, and it wasn''t long before the ring turned up in a


    pawn shop. One could easily imagine how downtrodden she was to go after the mere few hundred


    dors that the ring could fetch.


    Margaret was previously involved in a car ident with Irene and had seen how shabby, and old-


    fashioned Irene''s clothes were. She could tell that Irene was obviously having a rough time and had


    looked upon her with great disdain.


    "Weren''t you so arrogant back then? Did you finally learn how tough the world could be after leaving


    the Myers Family?"


    In Margaret''s mind, Irene was now the embodiment of destitution, and thus, so she was rather taken


    aback by Irene''s current appearance.


    Irene seemedpletely different from before. Although what she was wearing was not a high-ss


    brand, her clothes were not cheap either. Most importantly, they were now in a fancy restaurant, which


    was not easily essible to anyone.


    "Irene Nelson couldn''t possibly be married to a rich man, could she? She''s certainly pretty enough to


    be appealing, but isn''t she barren?" Margaret wondered. As it was difficult for women with infertility


    problems to survive in rich families, the word ''mistress'' suddenly popped up in Margaret''s mind.


    It was the only reason Margaret could think of, and she suddenly felt quite pleased with the thought that


    Irene might be the lover to a potbellied man.


    "This is what you get for pitting against me. Serves you right, Irene!" Margaret thought.


    While Margaret was gloating, a tall, young man suddenly appeared and approached Irene. When the


    man sat down across from Irene, Margaret''s sense of joy instantly vanished.


    Margaret only managed to get a clearer look at the man''s face after he sat down and was taken aback


    when she realized that it was Jordan Reed¡ªEdric''spetitor for an urban construction project.


    Jordan''s looks wereparable to Edric''s and he, too, came from a good family. However, he was a


    yboy.


    Margaret felt certain that Irene was one of his many lovers and the thoughtforted her.


    Just when her mood was lifted, Edric arrived at the restaurant and walked straight up to Margaret.


    "Mom, I was caught up by some matters," he exined.


    "I''ve just arrived as well." Margaret assured and subconsciously nced towards Irene before she


    remarked, "Did you see that? Irene Nelson''s dining here as well. Her future must be so promising now


    that she''s actually Jordan''s mistress!"


    Edric swept one nce at Irene and Jordan and when he saw the mesmerizing smile on Irene''s face,


    felt a stifling sensation in his chest.


    He quickly retracted his gaze indifferently and, as if he did not notice Irene at all, asked, "Mom, what do


    you want to eat?"


    Edric had doted on Irene dearly in the past and Margaret was inevitably thrilled when she noticed that


    he had be so cold towards her now. "My son could finally let go of the past! I''d soon be free from


    this too," she thought. Her voice cracked up with excitement as she replied, "Up to you. We could eat


    whatever you want."


    Jordan Reed did not sleep well that night. He couldn''t stop himself from feeling depressed over the fact


    that Irene had been cheated on and was a divorcee. He had never been a gossipmonger, but was very


    curious about the identity of Irene''s unfaithful partner.


    For the whole morning, Jordan had held back from probing about the identity of Irene''s ex-husband out


    of consideration of how personal the question was. As the Reed Family was also very particr about


    upholding silence during meal times, Jordan also formed the habit of eating in silence. Eventually, he


    couldn''t contain his curiosity any longer and burst out, "Irene, I''m very curious about the identity of your


    ex-husband. Is he also from San Fetillo?"


    Irene had already noticed that something was bothering Jordan long ago, but she never expected this


    to be his source of woe. "No," she replied casually.


    "Did you marry out of love?" he probed.


    "I guess so?"


    Feeling slightly jealous, Jordan asked, "Why did he cheat on you?"


    "Does a man need a reason to have an affair?" Irene sneered.


    "Why are you reluctant to talk about him? Did he leave a gaping wound in your heart that still hurts?"


    "It only hurts only when you love someone, but I no longer love him so why would I feel hurt?" Irene


    asked.


    Edric never expected Jordan and Irene to discuss this. As he could hear everything that Irene had said


    clearly, his expression instantly changed. "She actually said that she does not love me. She''s so cold


    and heartless!" he thought.


    "I''m very curious about that man''s name. Could you tell me?" Jordan pleaded.


    "No, I can''t," Irene rejected and ced her utensils down before she resumed, "He''s just a nobody. So


    why bother?"


    "I want to bash him up!" Jordan replied honestly. "I''ll beat up that heartless man every time I see him!"


    "You sound as if you''re actually infatuated with me," Irene sniggered.


    "I am indeed a womanizer, but only before I get married. I will definitely be good for my wife if I get


    married." Jordan vouched.


    However, Irene shook her head and said, "That''s what all men say before they get married."


    "I''m not that kind of person. I''m serious!" Jordan exined anxiously when he saw how doubtful she


    was. "I''ll prove it to you," he dered.


    From Edric''s perspective, Jordan''s deration was as good as a marriage proposal. Suddenly, he


    stood up and walked over to Jordan before he greeted, "Mr. Reed!"


    Jordan looked up and replied, "Mr. Myers, are you also here for dinner?" Jordan then noticed Margaret


    whom he had met once as a child. Out of politeness, he got up and walked over to her before he


    greeted, "Hello, Aunt Margaret!"


    Margaret nodded and smiled, but her eyes were fixed on Irene, who simply picked up her paper napkin


    slowly to wipe her mouth and took no notice of them. When Margaret saw how proud and haughty she


    was, she felt extremely upset and frustrated. "Jordan, who is this?" she asked.


    Jordan then looked at Irene and called out, "Irene,e here. Let me introduce you to them."


    Irene stood up and casually picked up her bag, but instead of walking over to Margaret, she walked


    toward the exit while replying, "Jordan, take your time catching up. I''ll wait for you outside!"


    Seeing how rude Irene was, Margaret and Edric''s expression immediately darkened. Jordan, too,


    realized how inappropriate Irene''s reaction was. He knew that Irene had always been very tolerant of


    others, and he couldn''t help but wonder why she would treat Margaret like this. Failing to think of an


    exnation for Irene''s bizarre behavior, he smiled at Margaret and apologized, "She''s quite shy. Aunt


    Margaret, don''t take it to heart!"


    Margaret was instantly stunned, for Irene wouldn''t have dared to throw her temper like this if Jordan


    wasn''t dating her seriously, and neither would Jordan bother to exin anything on her behalf.


    Margaret was suddenly annoyed and thought, "Irene, you asked for it. Don''t me me. "We haven''t


    been in touch for a long time, but as an elder, I have to offer you a few words of advice. She''s a


    divorcee, and a man of your status shouldn''t be dating her."


    "Thank you for your reminder, Aunt Margaret. But Irene is different from others. She''s gentle and kind.


    She merely met the wrong person."


    Edric''s face further darkened when he heard Jordan''s reply. Margaret never expected such a


    response from Jordan and despite her initial intentions to nder Irene, was forced to swallow her


    words.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    After exchanging a few more words with Edric and Margaret, Jordan left to chase after Irene. Margaret


    watched as he slowly disappeared from sight before she snorted coldly, "Did you see that? This is how


    ill-bred your ex-wife is. Jordan must be blind to fall for her."


    After criticizing Jordan, Margaret realized that she was also indirectly condemning her son, so she


    quickly changed her words and added, "Thankfully, you''ve realized your mistake. Otherwise, god


    knows how much longer you''ll have to put up with her."


    However, Edric merely remained silent. He had always believed that Jordan was merely toying with


    Irene, but he never expected Jordan to hold such a high opinion of her.


    As Jordan was not only handsome and free-spirited but also good at coaxing women, Edric suddenly


    felt extremely upset inside.


    However, Margaret did not know what her son was thinking and suggested, "Edric, you should visit the


    Cook family more often when you''re free."


    "Why?" Edric asked.


    "Shouldn''t you forge a better rtionship with Lily and Steven Cook?" Margaret exined earnestly.


    "Edric, I think it''s likely that Steven deliberately made things difficult for your current urban construction


    project because he''s unhappy with you. After all, your engagement to Lily has been postponed for


    three years, so it''s inevitable for him to have second thoughts about you."


    "Haven''t we already decided on the engagement date? What else is there to be unhappy about?" Edric


    snapped impatiently.


    Margaret could only shut up when she saw how irritable her son was.


    Meanwhile, Jordan managed to catch up with Irene at the elevator. "What''s going on?" he asked.


    "What''s going on?" Irene repeated although she clearly knew what he was asking about.


    "You embarrassed me so bad back there." heined grudgingly. "Irene, why did you do that? Let''s


    not talk about how Edric actually saved you that night. His mother is an elder and you shouldn''t have


    left like that. It''s very rude of you."


    "What kind of an elder is she?" Irene replied sarcastically and instantly recalled what Margaret had


    done to her in the past. A look of hatred surfaced in her eyes, and she replied, "I feel annoyed


    whenever I see that woman''s face. As for Edric Myers, did you really think that he wants to save me?"


    Upon seeing Irene''s sneer, Jordan suddenly recalled the rtionship between Edric and Lily. "Did Edric


    save you because he knew you were Mr. Cook''s daughter?" he asked.


    "How would I know? You''re the only one who knows of my rtionship with Steven Cook!"


    "I see," Jordan said and frowned. His mind shed back to the scene of their fight at After Dark and


    he vaguely recalled Edric hugging Irene in his arms that day. He questioned, "Irene, is it true that you


    don''t know Edric before?"


    "I know him, but he doesn''t know me!" Irene replied quickly. Jordan''s brows scrunched up into a frown,


    and he felt as if he had missed out on something.


    The first episode of the blind date reality show was aired on TV and well received by the audience,


    achieving up to seven points in the audience''s ratings on just the first day of the broadcast.


    Social media tforms were flooded with discussions about the program the next day. Thanks to


    efforts by the TV station''s strong public rtions team and the reposting of the program by big-shot


    celebrities, the topic trended on Twitter several times and soon became the talk of the town.


    As Deborah Jones had nothing to do at home, she watched the rey of the blind date reality show


    and was soon hooked by the program. While she was engrossed in the show, Lily came downstairs


    and sat down beside her before she whined, "Mom, I''m so bored."


    "Find someone to go shopping with you," Deborah suggested, and her eyes remained glued to the TV.


    "That''s boring. There are only that many ces in San Fetillo, and I''ve already shopped in all of them."


    "Why don''t you go to Spa then?"


    "Mom!" Lily grumbled unhappily when she saw how uncooperative her mother was. "Can''t you have a


    proper conversation with me? What''s so interested in that stupid TV show?"


    "This TV program is quite entertaining," Deborah defended.


    Lily then took one nce at the TV. At that moment, the camera was panning over the female guests in


    the reality show, and her eyes suddenly widened as she eximed, "Mom, is that Irene?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Deborah replied in surprise.


    "Back to that show! Quick!" Lily yelled and snatched the remote control from Deborah''s hand to press


    the button and then paused at the frame which featured Irene and eximed, "Mom, thisdy''s name is


    Irene Nelson!"


    Deborah, who wasn''t paying much attention before, was now focused on the fifth female guest in the


    reality show after she heard what Lily said. As none of the male participants paid attention to Irene,


    Deborah naturally overlooked her presence and only realized that she was Irene after Lily had pointed


    it out.


    "Irene Nelson actually went for a blind date?" Lily and Deborah thought and exchanged a look.


    Deborah was the first the recover from her shock and asked, "Perhaps they share the same name?"


    "She''s wearing a mask, so I can''t see her face clearly, but her figure and face shape is very simr to


    Irene."


    "It''s not Irene. Look, she''s wearing braces. Irene''s already so beautiful, so there''s no way she''ll need to


    wear such a disgusting thing," Deborah refuted.


    "Let''s take a look at her personal information first." Lily continued to turn it back to the part where the


    female guests introduced themselves.


    It was written in Irene''s information that she was twenty-eight years old and was an ordinary employee.


    She was divorced once and had a three-year-old child. As she had been hurt in the previous marriage,


    a criterion that her future spouse must fulfil was to be honest. It would also be a bonus if she needn''t


    deal with the inw rtionship.


    Most of what Irene had stated in her information was true, for she genuinely wanted to find a father for


    Eden. However, as she was worried that men would choose her for her appearances, she deliberately


    wore braces to make herself look a little ugly.


    She believed that if someone did choose her despite her current appearance, he would be a person


    who did not judge a book by its cover. Eden''s age was also falsely reported. However, the criteria that


    her future husband had to meet came from the buttom of her heart. As long as her spouse does not


    have a mother and would remain faithful, Irene would be contented. She had had enough of Margaret


    during the time when she was with Edric and had already developed a phobia for mother-inws.


    "She couldn''t be Irene. How could Irene have a three-year-old child?" Deborah, who was first to finish


    reading the information, said. Irene and Edric had only been divorced for three years, so it was


    impossible for her to have a three-year-old child.


    "But why do they look so simr?" Lily muttered. "She still resembles Irene even though she''s wearing


    braces. Perhaps she adopted the child?"


    "Alright now. Let''s stop thinking about this. Whether she''s Irene or not, it has nothing to do with us. If


    you are bored, I''ll go shopping with you."


    "Mom, I don''t want to go out. Could you get Dad to call Edric over for dinner tonight?"


    Deborah was well aware of her daughter''s intentions and sighed, "Alright! I''ll call your Dad and speak


    to him about this."

 Chapter 32 Mysterious special Guest

    Chapter 32 Mysterious special Guest


    Jordan was supposed to be happy for winning the bid. Usually, he went to the nightclub to have fun


    every night when he was in a good mood.


    However, his cheerful mood suddenly disappeared after he learned about Irene''s identity. Instead, he


    locked himself at home every day. David felt very strange about Jordan''s change.


    Mr. Reed had changed a lot recently and stopped going to the nightclub. At first, David thought Jordan


    just wanted to have a rest.


    But after being like this for several days, David realized that something he didn''t know must have


    happened. As an Executive Assistant assigned to Jordan by the old master, he had to pay attention to


    Jordan''s every move. Thus, he tried different ways to figure out the reason for Jordan''s change.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t find out what happened. Jordan was energetic in the


    office yet became lethargic as soon as he got off work.


    Jordan couldn''t figure out why either. He felt like he was suffering from some strange disease that


    made him high-spirited at work and exhausted after work.


    Could he get some work-rted disease? But he had never heard of such a thing. David finally figured


    out the reason when Irene asked for a three-day leave and didn''te to the office.


    Mr. Reed was in low spirits all day long and kept calling for Irene. David had reminded him several


    times that Executive Assistant Nelson had asked for leave, but Jordan couldn''t remember it.


    Jordan got off work early and drove to Irene''s neighborhood in a hurry.


    Nevertheless, he waited till it was dark outside and still didn''t see Irene. He called her but her phone


    was turned off. Jordan couldn''t help knocking on the door. Thomas was shocked when he answered


    the door and saw Jordan outside.


    "Mr. Reed, why are you here?"


    "Where is Irene?" Jordan''s eyes had already scanned the room. His face became gloomy when he


    didn''t see Irene inside. "Why is her phone off?"


    "What do you need from her, Mr. Reed?" Thomas noticed Jordan''s sullen look and thought that he had


    something urgent.


    "It''s an urgent matter, of course. I can''t tell you," Jordan offered a rare exnation, "Where is she?"


    "This..." Thomas hesitated. Not many people knew that Irene was taking part in the blind date program.


    She didn''t want to tell anyone either. Jordan apparently didn''t know about it since he was here looking


    for her. Should Thomas tell him or not?


    "No more hemming and hawing. Tell me where she is!" Jordan pressed on Thomas when he saw that


    Thomas was reluctant. "I''m telling you, I really have something very important to do with her."


    "Irene went to the TV station to record a program." Thomas was worried that Jordan really had


    something urgent, so he told him the truth.


    "Record a program? What program?"


    "A blind date program."


    "This woman!" Jordan''s face darkened. She went to participate in a blind date program when he was


    left heartbroken. She was deliberately trying to torture him and crush his spirit!


    Jordan turned around with a grim face without saying a word and stomped off the shabby stairs of the


    tube-shaped apartment building. He ran downstairs, turned around, and went upstairs again. Then he


    knocked on the door one more time. "What blind date program is she participating in?"


    Thomas told him the name of the show. Jordan went downstairs again with a dark face.


    He cursed indignantly on his way back, "What a heartless woman! How dare you y these dirty tricks


    behind my back! Wait and see how I will punish you when youe back!"


    He still felt angry after that and called David, "Do you know the blind date reality show the TV station in


    San Fetillo is working on?"


    "Why are you asking?" David was busy as a bee every day. How could he have time to pay attention to


    TV shows?


    "What do I need you for? You don''t even know about a reality show!" Jordan swore and hung up the


    phone.


    David felt so aggrieved. Mr. Reed was being ridiculous and unreasonable. But he had to put up with


    him since he worked for him. He had to figure out what was wrong with this blind date show.


    Of course, David had heard a little about the show before as it was very popr. He was just curious


    why Mr. Reed took an interest in it.


    David turned on theputer and searched for the videos as soon as he got home. He thought


    something was wrong with his eyes when he saw Irene on the screen, wearing dental braces.


    He was not wrong. Her name was Irene Nelson, and her figure looked familiar as well. Her braces were


    the only thing that looked odd. Why did Executive Assistant Nelson make herself look like this on a


    blind date program?


    David was so confused by what he saw. It was extraordinary for a beautiful woman like Irene to dress


    like an old maid when she was around Mr. Reed. Other women who participated in the show all


    dressed up nicely. Yet, she wore braces on purpose and called herself a single mom.


    "Wait, Executive Assistant Nelson is a single mother?" David was dumbfounded. Was this true? She


    looked so young. How could she be a mom?


    Was it a publicity stunt? David couldn''t figure it out, so he picked up the phone and called Jordan, "Mr.


    Reed, I saw Executive Assistant Nelson in that blind date program."


    "I''m not blind!" Jordan roared fiercely. He also turned on theputer and searched for the video when


    he got home. Somehow, he felt a little better when he saw that Irene made herself ugly.


    However, Jordan was furious as no man chose Irene throughout the program.


    What were they doing? Was there something wrong with these men''s eyes? Such a beautiful woman


    was standing there, yet the men all picked the other bad-looking ones. They were blind for sure.


    When Jordan was cursing at the screen, he forgot that he was just like those men before.


    While Jordan was protesting on Irene''s behalf, he received a call from David and swore angrily, "Those


    men are a bunch of jacka*ses. Are they blind? Irene should also be ashamed that not a single person


    picked her. She embarrassed me so much! I''m so pissed off!"


    "What does it have to do with you that no one picked Irene? It''s her own business." But David didn''t


    dare to say it out loud. He echoed, "Yes, those men are blind. I can''t believe that they couldn''t tell how


    pretty she is!"


    Jordan suddenly realized that there was something wrong with what David said. He didn''t think of that


    when he was saying it himself. But he felt like it had some kind of insinuation when he heard it from


    David. "Are you talking about me, you punk?"


    "Mr. Reed, what do you mean?" David felt so wronged.


    "Are you implying that I didn''t realize how beautiful Irene is in the past?" Jordan insisted on being


    unreasonable.


    "Mr. Reed, I wouldn''t dare to say anything about you even if you let me!"


    "You would certainly not, since I would definitely smash your head if you did. But you must have said


    that to yourself!"


    "No! I really didn''t!" David protested. He was not a stupid man. He finally understood why Jordan had


    been behaving strangely. It seemed that it had something to do with Executive Assistant Nelson.


    Jordan was so angry that he couldn''t watch the show anymore. "How dare these stinky men ignore


    Irene and not choose her throughout the program?"


    He had to think of a way to help Irene. He had to let these stinky men regret their blindness. But how


    could he help?


    David didn''t dare to hang up the phone as Jordan was still there. He heard Jordan grumbling to himself


    on the other end, "These ignorant stinky men. I have to let you all know how stupid you are and regret


    your choice terribly!"


    David couldn''t help but interrupt, "Mr. Reed, they didn''t choose Executive Assistant Nelson because


    she is a single mother wearing ugly braces."


    "Do I need you to tell me that?" Jordan snorted, "I have to find a way to let Irene take off his mask and


    make everyone regret it!"


    "That''s easy. Just find someone to go on the show and pick her."


    Jordan''s eyes lit up upon hearing David''s suggestion. "I have an idea!"


    It took three days to record the second episode. Irene was cold-benched as usual for the first day. She


    didn''t care much about it, but Kinsey started to worry. She grumbled throughout lunch and cursed at the


    men for their bad taste as if she was the one who was ignored on stage.


    In contrast to her bad moor during lunch, Kinsey suddenly became cheerful in the evening. "Do you


    have some good news?" Irene was confused.


    "Good news. Great news!" Kinsey answered and sized Irene up and down for a while. "Irene, have you


    ever thought about bing a celebrity?"


    "Celebrity? Me?" Irene pointed at herself and reached out to touch Kinsey''s forehead. "Kinsey, you


    don''t have a fever, do you?"


    "No!" Kinsey turned on her phone and said, "Irene, you have to be prepared. I think you will be on the


    front page of major media outlets soon."


    "Why?"


    "It''s a secret. You''ll know it soon. You''d better prepare first. Don''t be scared when the timees."


    Kinsey refused to say it.


    Irene thought she was talking nonsense and ignored her. She went to the studio the next morning as


    usual. When she was standing in her position, she found that there was one empty seat in the male


    guests'' section.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Irene felt a little strange. She heard from Kinsey that the program was very popr. There were plenty


    of people who wanted to go to the show. Why would there be an empty seat?


    The show started when she was still wondering. As the prelude sounded, the host stepped onto the


    stage. It was the usual opening remarks.


    After that, however, the host changed the topic, "Today is the third recording of our show, which has


    be incredibly popr after the first episode. How popr is it? Our employees have been working


    The host paused for a moment and pointed to the empty male guest seat. "Isn''t it strange to see one


    person missing from the male guests? It''s not because we couldn''t find someone. Instead, we''re


    leaving the seat open to wee a heavyweight!"


    The men in the show were all elites, and the program team had always treated them equally. Everyone


    was curious now to see a VIP being introduced separately. How special could this person be?


    The host did not keep people guessing. He started to read the bio of the special male guest, "He


    graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the age of 22, acquired an MBA at 25 and a


    DBA at 28 from Harvard. Before he received his Doctorate degree, he has already served as an


    executive board member of threepanies, a permanent director of onepany, and been in


    charge of anotherpany''s business expansion division. Have you ever met such an excellent


    man?"


    The audience shook their heads. Of course, they hadn''t met anyone like this.


    "Today, we''ll get to meet this marvelous man. Let''s wee Mr. Jordan Reed!"

 Chapter 33 Golden Bachelor

    Chapter 33 Golden Bachelor


    Irene was also looking forward to this man at first. However, she was dumbfounded when she heard


    the host pronounced Jordan''s name.


    Why did this guye to the show as well? Most importantly, she had always considered him a good-


    for-nothing rich boy and didn''t know anything the host just said about him.


    While Irene was thinking, Jordan appeared on the stage in a casual outfit. His handsome look attracted


    everyone''s attention as soon as he came to the stage.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Irene heard the fellow female guests on both sides eximing, "He is tall and handsome and rich! He is


    a real golden bachelor!"


    "Golden bachelor? More like a womanizer." Irene secretly scoffed at the women. "I don''t think you


    would be so amazed if you knew all of his dirtyundries!"


    While she was thinking, Jordan sat down in the seat. Irene was more familiar with his impish look in the


    office and his lecherous eyes in nightclubs. She wasn''t used to it when he suddenly sat upright with all


    seriousness in front of her.


    All the other male guests were overshadowed by Jordan. Everyone focused their eyes on him. The


    better-looking female guests on stage were already getting ready to make a move. Even though they


    couldn''t show their faces to seduce Jordan, they could still show off their sexy curves, fair skin, and soft


    voice, right?


    All the female guests on stage, except for Irene, began to turn on their charm to the maximum. Jordan


    curled up his lips and slowly scanned the stage with his eyes, starting with the first female guest.


    As his eyes were shifting, the audience, the host, and the women on stage could all feel their hearts


    pounding in their chests. The first female guest was a somewhat famous model with an incredible


    figure.


    She was invited by the TV station to help boost the program''s publicity. Twenty out of twenty-five male


    guests in the first episode presented their flowers to her. She became famous overnight and had been


    a hot topic on the inte.


    No one in the modeling industry didn''t know about the young master from the Reed Family. The


    moment Jordan appeared, she wondered if Jordan came to the show specifically for her.


    It must be the case. She heard that Jordan favored tall, sexy women with good looks. And she had all


    of those. She was exhrated when Jordan''s eyesnded on her first.


    But her joy dissipated before long. Because Jordan had moved on to the second woman. Although the


    second woman was not as voluptuous as the first one, she had a pretty face and a seductive voice.


    She also felt the tion when Jordan was looking at her.


    However, her excitement didn''tst long either. Jordan''s eyes quickly swept over her and fell on the


    fourth woman. The third one was going to show off herself, yet he didn''t even give her a chance. She


    was disheartened like a deted balloon.


    Jordan surprisingly cracked a smile and winked at the fourth woman when he looked at her, which


    made her feel like she couldn''t breathe anymore. Irene saw everything and was very upset. It was


    supposed to be a blind date show, but Jordan made it look like he was picking his harem. Why did he


    Jordan suddenly picked up the roses in front of him and stood up. The whole audience gasped at his


    movement. Did he take a fancy to the fourth woman?


    The fourth woman might not be as sexy as the first two, but she had an innocent look and was well-


    educated. She worked as a public rtions manager in a foreign-funded corporation and had certainly


    heard about Jordan before. Her heart was beating in her mouth when she saw Jordan winked at her


    and stood up with the flower.


    Irene had seen the fourth woman in real life and knew her look was exactly Jordan''s type. But Irene


    didn''t like her.


    The fourth woman was often haughty because of her pretty face and good education. She was the


    most difficult one among all the female guests. Irene overheard her talking about her with other people,


    "Even a divorced woman with a kid came to this show. God knows what she''s thinking. Did she think


    this is somece with no standards? Not a single person picked her in the entire episode. Who knows


    how she handles the embarrassment."


    She had said a lot of simr things, but Irene didn''t bother to argue with her. Irene had been in much


    more difficult situations and didn''t have the time to care for some unpleasantments.


    Seeing Jordan keep looking at the fourth woman over and over, Irene figured that Jordan must know


    her from work. He always had unique ways to chase after women he liked and must havee here to


    cheer for her.


    While Irene was guessing, Jordan held the roses and stopped in front of the fourth woman. Everyone''s


    eyes were glued on her. Irene thought he would give her the roses. Instead, however, he asked her a


    question, "Miss, do you like me?"


    The fourth woman nodded with excitement. Jordan cracked a smile and said, "Do you think I will give


    the flowers to you?"


    He didn''t y by the rules at all. The fourth woman smiled coyly and replied, "Of course I hope you can


    give me the flowers."


    Seeing that Jordan stopped in front of the fourth woman, the host thought he forgot the rules and


    reminded him, "Mr. Reed, you can give the roses to her if you like her. Then she will ask you three


    questions and take off her mask for you if she likes your answers."


    Jordan turned back and said, "Who said that I like her? I just feel that she looks like a bar girl I know. I


    wanted to confirm it."


    His words caused an uproar in the audience. Jordan did not care what others thought and looked at


    Irene with a smile.


    Irene thought it would be a romantic show between Jordan and the fourth woman. She never expected


    him to focus his eyes on her.


    "The one I like is guest No. 5, Miss Irene Nelson!" Jordan raised his voice, and everyone heard him


    clearly. Then, he handed the roses to Irene.


    Irene stared at him nkly. She didn''t realize what happened until Jordan repeated himself. Instead of


    taking the roses Jordan handed to her, she started asking him three questions, "Mr. Reed, may I ask


    what you like about me?"


    "Do I need a reason to like someone?" Jordan answered with assurance.


    The host tried to ease the situation. "It''s true that one doesn''t need a reason to like someone. Mr. Reed


    likes Miss Nelson unconditionally."


    "Yes! I like Miss Nelson without a reason or condition!" Jordan echoed.


    Irene darted a re at Jordan from behind the mask. It was obvious that he was here to make trouble,


    but she had to finish the process. "What is your opinion on love?"


    "Loving and cherishing each other," Jordan stopped grinning.


    "What is your motto for love?"


    "I entertain no high hopes for being with my love for eternity. Even a short moment of love and passion


    will be held dear by me forever."


    "Thank you, Mr. Reed. You answered my questions very well, but it''s not what I want. So I''m sorry!"


    The audience sighed. Such an extraordinary man shouldn''t belong to such an ordinary woman indeed.


    Irene''s refusal gave other women hope.


    But Jordan wasn''t interested in anyone else. He picked up the microphone and faced the camera. "I


    only came here because of Miss Nelson. I won''t give up even though she doesn''t ept my heart. I will


    Irene walked out of the studio after the recording. Jordan leaned against the door, waiting for her with a


    smile. Irene was exasperated as soon as she saw him. "Jordan, what are you doing here?"


    "Bedylike. Then good men will like you!" Jordan was not angry at Irene''s harsh tone at all. "I''m here


    to help you this time."


    "Helping me how? You''re making me the target of public criticism!"


    "Don''t worry. You''ll see the benefits soon." Jordan pulled her with his hand and said, "I''m hungry. Go


    and have some midnight snack with me!"


    Because of Jordan, this episode was turned into a trendy topic before it was broadcasted.


    Many people wondered why a billionaire would be interested in a divorced single mother. In the


    meantime, someone uploaded Irene''s ID photo online.


    Irene wasn''t wearing any makeup in the photo yet still looked innocent and ravishing. People called it


    "the prettiest ID photo" and reposted it everywhere. Everyone now knew that Irene was a great beauty


    who deserved to be pursued by men like Jordan.


    Some people even began to gossip that Irene and Jordan were actually lovers and were separated


    because the Reed Family was too prominent. Irene went on the blind date reality show to gain public


    support and force the Reed Family to make concessions.


    There were all kinds of rumors spreading on the inte. Irene became a celebrity overnight. Since


    many media outlets wanted to interview her, the TV station immediately blocked all the news of her,


    iming that they would let Irene ept some interviews at the right time.


    Irene was stunned by the public reaction. She hated Jordan wholeheartedly. This dude created so


    much drama on the spur of the moment. Now, she had to wear sunsses when she went out so


    people wouldn''t recognize her.


    However, Kinsey was very excited. "Irene, aren''t you short of money? Now you have people sending


    money directly to you. You have to take advantage of that!"


    "I don''t want to be stared by people every day without any privacy. How could I live like this?" Irene


    didn''t think so.


    "Don''t worry. We took measures to keep your information private. There are over a dozen of people in


    this city who have the same name as you. They won''t figure out it''s you."


    Irene felt a little relieved. "But what happened with my ID photo?"


    "I don''t know what''s going on either," Kinsey replied, "Could it be Jordan?"


    Irene shook her head. "I don''t think he has my photo?"


    "Forget it. Let''s not dwell on these things now. You''d better think about how to deal with the interviews. I


    know that you don''t like to be interviewed, so this is an internal interview done by reporters of the TV


    station. You will receive a handsome pay when this episode is out."


    "Can I skip the interview?"


    "No, I''ve already epted it. You have to give me something here."


    "But I really don''t want to..."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of it for you."


    Like Kinsey said, the interview was indeed an internal one conducted by the TV station. Kinsey


    apanied her throughout the whole process. The questions were casual and easy as well, mostly


    about her requirements for choosing a partner and her recent situation.


    Irene wanted honest and reliable men who didn''t have their mothers around. The interviewer asked


    further, "That''s some interesting criteria. Most women nowadays want tall, handsome, rich men. But


    you only care about honesty and reliability. Why do you think in this way?"


    "The tall and handsome men will be old eventually. As for money, if all the wealth belongs to the men,


    they could kick you out anytime when they''re not in a good mood," Irene answered, "So it''s better to


    find an honest and reliable man to spend the rest of my life peacefully together."


    "That makes sense. Then why don''t you want a mother-inw? People might think that requirement to


    be quite unconscionable. After all, this is a country where people have a tight bond with their parents."


    "Maybe normal people will think my condition is unconscionable indeed. But I don''t care what others


    think. I only insist on what I want. I''d rather not marry for the rest of my life if I couldn''t find the right


    man!"


    "Could you tell us what you have been through? Were you abused in yourst marriage?" The


    interviewer asked again.


    "I don''t want to talk about this," Irene refused to answer.


    Kinsey interrupted by her side, "Abuse is an understatement. It''s simply miserable!"


    The interviewer showed a look of surprise. "Are there still evil mothers-inw in modern society? That''s


    hard to imagine."


    "That''s because you''re ill-informed..."


    "Let''s change the subject!" Irene stopped Kinsey, so she had to shut up unwillingly.


    At the end of the interview, the interviewer brought up the topic of Irene''s divorce. "Ms. Nelson, why did


    you divorce thest time?"


    "I''ll answer this question," Kinsey jumped to it. "The man had an affair."


    "Kinsey!" Irene red at her. The interviewer smiled to ease the awkwardness, "That''s all for today''s


    interview. Thank you so much!"

 Chapter 34 Gone Too Far

    Chapter 34 Gone Too Far


    Jordan''s grandfather soon heard about his son going on a blind date show to pursue a divorced single


    mother. He called Jordan from abroad, "Kid, haven''t you gone too far recently?"


    "You even care about this kind of thing now? Don''t you have too much free time?" Jordan retorted.


    "Don''t dip your pen in thepany ink. You need to remember that!" Jordan''s grandfather snorted.


    "That''s only because their ink is not good enough!" Jordan refuted.


    "So this is for real?" The old man detected the undertone of Jordan''s reply. "I''m warning you. My


    bottom line is that I might be able to ept a woman you love who doesn''t have a simr background.


    But I won''t even open a discussion with you if she is a divorced single mother!"


    "What if the child is mine?" Jordan said casually.


    "The child is yours?" Jordan''s grandfather was stunned. His grandson was an infamous womanizer


    who might actually be the child''s father. "If it was really your son, I may allow it!"


    Jordanughed and said, "Then I''ll thank you first, grandpa!"


    Jordan hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. How could he be so troubled if it were his


    child? His grandfather was a smart man. Even though he said so now, he might not ept Irene. After


    all, it was not easy to fool the old man and convince him the child was Jordan''s.


    Jordan rubbed his forehead. "This woman seemed to have rooted in my heart. What should I do?"


    The story about Jordan''s appearance on the blind date show was printed on a newspaper in front of


    Edric, who had been gloomy and silent the whole morning. He was never interested in entertainment


    news, but he nced at the paper subconsciously when he saw Jordan''s name on it.


    He felt chest congestion once he started reading. "This yboy really knows how to court a woman. He


    even went on that kind of a show without regard for his identity and status."


    Although Jordan''s attempt failed, it still made Edric feel heavy-hearted, as if a boulder was sitting on his


    chest.


    He wasn''t convinced that Irene would really go on the show to find a man. Nor did he believe that Irene


    was a single mother. Kinsey was the producer of the show. It was obvious that Kinsey only pulled Irene


    there to make up the numbers.


    And there was only one reason why Irene agreed to attend the show: she was short of money!


    It was hard to believe that a woman who didn''t hesitate to divorce a billionaire and left without a penny


    would be short of money. But Irene really was such a person.


    She would rather earn her own money with her own hands than lower her head and stoop to


    Edric kicked her out, left her penniless, and even made sure she couldn''t find a job. He thought that he


    could force her toe back to him eventually if he blocked her ways. But he never expected that


    Irene just went down the hard path and never looked back, no matter what he did.


    No! It was not that she had never turned back before. She would only do it for the person she chose,


    like Nathan.


    She could go to beg Nathan''s mother to approve her and Nathan. But she would never lower her head


    to Edric''s mother for him.


    She was willing to turn back for Nathan but would never do so for Edric.


    This was the difference. Edric felt heartbroken whenever he was reminded of the difference between


    him and Nathan. People''s feelings could get hurt. But Irene didn''t seem to acknowledge that.


    She was married to Edric for three years. It was said that the love between a wife and a husband


    shouldst forever. However, their five-year rtionship wasn''t a match for the few months she spent


    with Nathan!


    Edric smiled bitterly. Was he too stubborn and too stupid? Or was Irene too cruel? Edric grabbed the


    newspaper on the table and slowly crumpled it into a ball. "Irene, I don''t believe that your heart is made


    of stone. Even if it is made of stone, I will find a way to warm it up!


    This time, I won''t let you disappear in front of me again! I swear!


    The interview was released two dayster. Irene received a call from Kinsey when she was having


    dinner at home. "Your interview will be on tonight. Don''t forget to watch it."


    Irene was busy as a bee and had no time for TV. She didn''t take the interview seriously, but it didn''t


    mean that others didn''t either.


    The blind date show was extremely popr in San Fetillo because of Jordan''s participation. Everyone


    had been talking and gossiping about the show during their free time.


    The online press also followed the show closely and reported it on the front page all day long.


    It was impossible for Lily and Deborah not to pay attention to it. The fric excitement of online media


    worried them.


    It never urred to them that Irene would gain so much traction because of a blind date program.


    Irene''s poprity was not a good thing for Deborah and her daughter.


    Deborah and Lily always hoped that Irene could live a dreadful life and never achieve anything.


    But things apparently didn''t follow their n. Deborah and Lily realized that Irene had a great chance to


    marry into a rich and powerful family since Jordan, a man with extraordinary ability and background,


    got involved by going on the show.


    Deborah and Lily would face considerable pressure if Irene really married Jordan. Of course, what


    scared them the most was not Irene marrying into a wealthy family but the public opinion.


    The inte was well-developed these days. A vast number of people who were curious about Irene


    had been saying that they wanted to find out who she was. Things would be bad for Deborah and Lily if


    people figured out Irene''s real identity.


    If Irene''s identity were exposed, people would definitely find out that Deborah was a mistress. Deborah


    and Lily would have no way to live if people dug up everything that happened between Irene and Edric


    and how they divorced because of Lily''s pregnancy.


    Most importantly, Steven had an affair with Deborah before they got married. It was a fatal blow to a


    high-level government official.


    The good days of Deborah and Lily woulde to an end if Steven lost his position. As a result, the


    engagement between Edric and Lily would be broken off as well.


    Margaret was a tough person. She would never ept Lily if Steven were not in power. She would


    definitely order her son to stay away from Lily without mercy, just as she did with Irene in the past.


    Deborah and her daughter were worried sick. They had no choice but to stay at home and quietly keep


    an eye on the news about Irene since they couldn''t tell anyone about their concerns. They both got


    sweaty palms when they heard about the guests'' interview on the blind date show. Would Irene throw


    mud at them in the interview?


    Deborah and Lily were not in the mood for dinner. Instead, they waited for an interview in front of the


    TV. Irene was not the only one who was interviewed. All the popr guests in the recent episodes were


    included. The audience watched the edited version in which Irene didn''t disclose her identity or mention


    much about the past.


    However, the program team yed up Irene''s requirements for men for the sake of publicity and


    promotion.


    Irene''s slogan was to rufuse the inw rtionship! Deborah and Lily both sighed with relief after


    watching the interview.


    Lily turned off the TV with the remote control. Their mood improved as they felt more rxed, but they


    hated Irene more when they thought about how she recently put them in a state of nerves.


    They had to find a way to get back at Irene to vent their anger.


    They were both vicious by nature. Lily immediately thought of Irene''s criteria for men. Her eyes lit up.


    "Mom, don''t you agree that Irene is looking for trouble? She said that she wants a motherless man.


    Isn''t that immoral? Even though no one wants to live with husband''s mother, they can''t just say it out


    loud."


    "True. Irene is so reckless and stupid. She must be traumatized by Margaret''s abuse back in the days,"


    Deborah answered.


    "She shouldn''t have said that even if she was traumatized. She is just handing people a weapon to


    attack her, isn''t she?" Lily sneered when she mentioned the weapon. "Mom, I came up with an idea.


    Irene is quite famous right now. I can find someone to make up something and shift the direction of


    public opinion to make her infamous."


    "Can you do that?" Deborah was skeptical. She was less knowledgeable than her daughter when it


    came to the inte.


    "Of course. This is the age of the inte. I just need to find some trolls to attack her online. It''s hard


    not to defame her!" Lily was excited just by thinking about it. Irene would immediately be a


    disgraced inte celebrity if her n worked.


    Although Deborah didn''t know much about the inte, she was also tempted by her daughter and


    supported her idea.


    Lily took action immediately. She spent a lot of money and hired several trolls to make personal attacks


    on Irene. They gave a highly exaggerated ount of Irene''s selection criteria and said she only wanted


    men who didn''t care for their mothers.


    Therefore, she must be a vicious and heartless woman who had no credibility. People online shouldn''t


    be deceived by her pretty face. The more beautiful and innocent she appeared, the dirtier her heart


    would be¡­


    The public could be misled easily when they strove to be righteous. Many people started to question


    Irene after these posts appeared on major forums. Following the strong attack from the trolls, public


    opinion was overturned instantly.


    People who used to like and sympathize with Irene began to dislike her and attack her because of


    thesements. Public opinion was powerful enough to send a person to heaven and banish him to


    hell in the blink of an eye.


    Lily held theputer andughed happily when she saw the nastyments people made on Irene.


    Deborah also gave her daughter a thumbs-up. "My daughter is so skillful that she came up with such a


    good idea."


    Deborah and Lily were exhrated that they achieved such an effect without much effort. Irene was


    doomed now.


    Poor Irene was still kept in the dark and had no idea that she was being ndered online.

 Chapter 35 Play Dirty

    Chapter 35 y Dirty


    Jordan received the news right away that Irene was being attacked online. He immediately asked the


    public rtions team to delete the nasty posts and freeze the trolls'' ounts. However, the attack still


    made a huge impact.


    People demanded a direct answer from Irene. David suggested that Irene could offer an exnation.


    But Jordan shook his head and said even he couldn''t stand this kind of vicious smear, let alone a


    woman like Irene.


    "It''s better to keep Irene out of this and deal with it on our own for now."


    Jordan called Kinsey, who certainly knew about thesements as well. She was having a meeting


    with the public rtions team of the TV station, discussing how to deal with the aftermath.


    During her call with Jordan, she was so indignant that she told him how Irene was abused by a ruthless


    mother-inw, how her husband had an affair and impregnated his mistress, and how she was kicked


    out of the house with nothing.


    Jordan was astonished since he never dreamed that Irene would be bullied like this. Infuriated, he


    asked Kinsey for the names of the evil mother-inw and the worthless husband.


    Kinsey naturally refused. So Jordan had to give up. Nevertheless, he already had an idea of restoring


    Irene''s reputation. On the same day, a post that rified on Irene''s behalf appeared on the inte.


    The post was expressive and emotional, detailing how Irene was bullied by the evil mother-inw, hurt


    by her cheating husband, and kicked out of the family without a penny.


    Not only did Jordan help Irene tell the whole story, but he also ordered people to find Irene''s attackers


    and sued them.


    The websites that reposted the nasty posts about Irene received a summons from the court. The major


    websites and forums didn''t dare topete with Jordan. One after another, they deleted the previous


    attack posts and published apology statements, exining that the posts that had been issued before


    were hearsay without real evidence.


    The situation was reversed all of a sudden. The trolls who started the attack were scared of the police


    and went into hiding. Lily''s n officially failed.


    The table had turned. People were furious about how Irene was treated in the past. Women, in


    particr, railed against the evil mother-inw, the sh*tty husband, and the shameless homewrecker.


    The public bacsh surpassed what Irene went through before. Despite her thick skin, Lily became so


    angry upon reading thements that she couldn''t eat.


    Deborahforted her daughter, "You need to be able to move on. We will think of another way."


    Lily was also tough like a cockroach. After feeling dispirited for a day, she came up with another idea.


    Although she was not happy to see the tides changing, it was not necessarily bad for her. Since Irene''s


    past was revealed to restore her reputation, countless people were cursing and shouting at the evil


    mother-inw, the crappy husband, and the mistress. As the mistress in the story, Lily got over the


    insults from strangers.


    But the crappy husband and the evil mother-inw might not be able to handle it so well. Lily and the


    evil mother-inw were guilty of Irene''s past, but the husband was innocent.


    Edric would lose his mind if he found out that he was being hurled at online. So would Margaret. Lily


    had to tell Margaret about this. With Margaret''s temper, she would hate Irene immensely if she knew


    that she had been humiliated online.


    With Margaret as the roadblock, there was no way Irene could get back with Edric.


    Lily immediatelyined to Margaret about how she was wronged and insulted by people online.


    Margaret was so angry that she almost fainted.


    Margaret had always imed to be a nobledy, surrounded by ssy people who wouldn''t use


    profanities. But people on the inte were neither gentlemen nor gentlewomen. They didn''t mind


    swearing when they disapproved of something.


    Margaret could hardly breathe after reading the vulgar curses people threw at the evil mother-inw


    and sh*tty husband.


    She immediately called Edric, "Edric, take a look at how people are smearing us. Tell Irene to shut up


    now!"


    Edric had been busy with a project in another city and just returned to San Fetillo today. He certainly


    didn''t have time to pay attention to entertainment news and gossips.


    He only turned on theputer and searched online after receiving the angry phone call from his


    mother. His heart was filled with anger as soon as he read about it.


    "Why is this woman so wicked? How can she treat me like this?" In a frenzy, Edric grabbed his jacket


    and rushed out of the office.


    Jordan took Irene to meet with a client after work whichsted until 11 pm. Although Jordan was tipsy,


    he insisted on sending Irene home himself.


    He called a designated driver at the hotel and dropped Irene off in front of her apartment building. Irene


    also drank some wine and felt a little dizzy. She watched Jordan''s car driving away and turned around


    to go upstairs. The entrance of the building was unlighted since the streetlights were broken a long time


    ago. A hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and grabbed her as soon as she stepped on the


    shabby stairs.


    Irene was startled. She opened her mouth and wanted to call for help, but a hand covered her mouth in


    time.


    Although Irene was a little drunk, she instantly guessed the identity of the person for his familiar smell.


    "Edric, let me go!"


    Edric had been waiting for her in high dudgeon for a few hours. He was even more incensed when he


    saw Jordan dropping Irene off.


    While he was waiting in the car for hours, he already read online about everything that happened. It


    was all because Irene participated in the blind date program. Nothing would have happened if she


    didn''t go on that d*mn show.


    It was ridiculous that he had be a scumbag. He knew that his mother was a little tough on Irene


    when they were married, and he felt bad for her. She wouldn''t be bullied if not for him.


    Her mother was old-fashioned. She was not an evil person, albeit her sharp tongue.


    His father passed away a long time ago. His mother had a hard time managing thepany and


    raising him at the same time. It was considered unfilial to have no offspring, especially when the Myers


    Family had only one son for several generations. His mother was deeply disappointed when she


    learned that Irene couldn''t bear children. Edric knew that his mom mistreated Irene, and he felt sorry


    for her, but he couldn''t disown his mother.


    She was his mother who gave birth to him and raised him. He was put in a dilemma and couldn''t


    possibly make a choice between his mother and his wife.


    He couldn''t cast off his mother. It was easier said than done. How could he turn his back on his own


    mother?


    "Irene has every reason to hate my mother. But why did she call me a scumbag? I have never done


    anything wrong! Never! How could this woman be so self-righteous!"


    Irene was struggling when Edric dragged her outside without a word. It was dark in the alley, but Edric


    had been here too often and was already familiar with the path.


    Although Irene drank some wine, her mind was still clear. She didn''t want to have anything to do with


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    this man. So she fought desperately, grabbing and kicking.


    Her struggle caused Edric to bump into the walls several times. Seeing that she wouldn''t cooperate,


    Edric picked her up and carried her out of the alley.


    Edric opened the car door and pushed Irene into the car. Then he squeezed in as well.


    "Myers, what''s wrong with you?" Irene red at him fiercely.


    "Why did you let people smear me?"


    "Smear you?" Irene was confused. When had she ever speak ill of Edric? "Are you having a fever?"


    "Don''t deny it! Are you really saying that you''re not behind the attacks online? Edric stared at her.


    Irene was rushed off her feet all day and had no time at all to read thements online. Nheless,


    she did receive a call from Kinsey, who told her that someone was attacking her, but it had already


    been handled. It seemed that Kinsey was the one who posted thements Edric was referring to.


    If Kinsey did it, it might as well be Irene. Irene sneered and said, "Mr. Myers, can you make it clearer?


    What did I say?"


    "Are you still pretending that you don''t know?" Edric grabbed her shoulders forcefully. "Irene, admit it if


    you dared to do it. Do you need a reminder for what you have done?"


    "Edric, you don''t need to remind me what I have done. I have always been upright and honest. You can


    sue me for defamation if you think I said something wrong!"


    Irene seldom saw Edric lose his temper. Judging by Edric''s out-of-control look, she knew that Kinsey


    must have made a big move.


    She couldn''t let Edric know that it was Kinsey who did it. Edric was not a forgiving person and would


    never let Kinsey off if he knew. She had to bear all the responsibilities.


    "How can you be so justified?" Edric gritted his teeth and grabbed her even harder. "You''re hurting me!"


    Irene screamed in pain, "Myers, use your words. Take your dirty hands off me!"


    Edric let go of her when he saw her frown. Irene touched her aching shoulders. Edric stared at her with


    his dark eyes. "Irene, did you go on that blind date show just to attack me?"


    "Attack you?" Irene was amused, "Edric, you feel so good about yourself, don''t you? Do you think that


    I''m not capable of moving on? Let me tell you, I have a bottom line and will never be interested in a


    scumbag who cheated on me and hurt me! Please rest assured!"


    This was the first time she called Edric a cheater to his face. Back then, Lily had a miscarriage in the


    hospital, and Edric asked thewyers to send Irene the divorce agreement. She didn''t question the


    harsh terms and sighed it quickly. Edric thought that she never cared.


    Three yearster, he had a mixed feeling when he heard Irene calling him a cheater. He controlled


    himself and said, "Irene, I have never wronged you. I''m telling you, I didn''t cheat on you. I didn''t have


    any rtionship with Lily!"


    "What''s the point of saying these things now?" Irene sneered. How could he say he never had any


    rtionship with Lily when she was pregnant with his baby? Did he think she was a fool?

 Chapter 36 Defending The Mistress

    Chapter 36 Defending The Mistress


    "I''m telling the truth! Irene, if you had a little more trust in me, will it be like this? Let me tell you, you


    weren''t innocent in this entire thing, nor was I innocent. Lily was the most innocent one. She suffered


    everything that she didn''t deserve to suffer!"


    Upon hearing Edricmenting on Lily in such a manner, Irene was enraged. If Lily could be regarded


    as innocent, then everyone in the world should be innocent.


    She clearly knew that Edric was her man, but she still rushed forward and got pregnant. Like her


    mother, she was the most despicable woman in the world. Edric defending a b*tch also reflected how


    tormented he was. He probably loved Lily very dearly! She felt a little heartache. She had promised not


    to get angry or sad, but she really couldn''t bear it.


    "Myers, did youe to me just to defend that mistress? You seem to have found the wrong person,


    didn''t you? I was just telling the truth. If you have the ability, then try to shut the wide-reachingizens


    up. It''s useless toe to me instead."


    "How can you be so cold-blooded? Are you still the Irene I know?"


    "You just have to mind your own business. Whether I''m cold-blooded or not has nothing to do with you.


    I, Irene, am someone that only belongs in your past!"


    Edric saw the derisiveness on Irene''s face clearly. Her mentioning that she was someone that only


    belonged in his past provoked Edric. He reached out and held her chin. "You sharp-tongued woman,


    don''t regret it!"


    "What do you want to do?" Irene was shocked by this romantically ambiguous gesture. Myers had


    always treated her brutally, but he wasn''t treating her brutally now, was he?


    "You will find out what I want to do soon!" He came over aggressively. Their faces were in close


    proximity. Irene was shocked and reached out to stop Edric. "Stay away from me!"


    Edric looked at her blushing face and small lips. He was confused. He had actually forgotten his


    purpose foring to her. Her small mouth in front of him coincided with the small mouth in his


    memory.


    In the past, she used to call him ''Edric'' with her small mouth. In the past, she always wrapped her arms


    around his neck and tiptoed to give him a sweet kiss...


    A lot of memories from the past upied his mind, and fury boiled up inside of him. He clutched her


    chin and aggressively pressed his lips against hers.


    The kiss was soft and tender. That feeling was so wonderful! After suppressing the desire for three


    years, any normal man would have suffocated. His lips rolling around her delicate lips aggressively,


    Edric was like a ravenous wolf.


    Irene was shocked by his sudden action. She sobbed and stretched out her hand to push him away,


    but how could she bring herself actually to push him away? The desire that had been suppressed for a


    long time was finally unleashed. Edric lost control, and his big hands wandered around her without


    scruple. Irene was frightened by his madness. Not only was she scared, but she also felt disgusted.


    She didn''t know how many times Edric had sex with Lily. It wouldn''t be a big deal if she hadn''t known,


    but knowing that he had slept with another woman now, she definitely wouldn''t allow him to assault her.


    Therefore, struggling desperately, she used her hands and feet to grab and bite him. Then she pped


    him in the face.


    In the past, Irene had always acted fragile and meek in his arms, but now, she was extremely fierce.


    Edric''s face had been hit countless times, but he didn''t let her go and suppressed her.


    Irene had no strength to break free. She wanted to put up a desperate fight and bent her legs to jab at


    his private part. In pain, Edric let go of her. Irene seized the opportunity to open the door and escape.


    Edric was so angry that he lost his sense of reason. That woman was so cruel that she kicked his


    private part with her legs. She really hated him so much!


    He might have done something wrong at that time, but he had only aggrieved Lily. Regarding Irene, he


    had a clear conscience. He only wanted to bring peace to his family and prevent her from being


    tormented by his mother. Why couldn''t she understand his difficulties?


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Compared to his mistakes, her mistakes were more unforgivable. Why should she treat him like this?


    Edric became furious, and without thinking, he reached out to grab Irene. He then dragged her back.


    Since he dragged too hard, Irene''s foot suddenly got stuck in the car door, and she let out a scream.


    Her scream made Edric let go of Irene''s hand at once. Irene rolled on the ground and groaned with her


    hands around her feet. It was too painful. Her feet seemed to be broken.


    Tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks.


    Edric also jumped out of the car to hug her. Irene pped him in the face. "Jerk! What on earth do you


    want to do?"


    "Irene! Where did you get injured?" Edric ignored the p and looked anxious.


    "My foot... hurts... I''m in so much pain!"


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean it! I''ll send you to the hospital right away!"


    Irene didn''t want Edric to send her to the hospital at all, but it was too painful. She thought that her foot


    must have been broken. The pain made tears stream down her face. Edric felt his heart ache for her.


    He carried Irene into the car and drove his car to the hospital. On the way, Irene kept groaning. Every


    time she screamed, Edric''s heart would spasm in anguish.


    On the way, he called the hospital''s director. "My wife''s foot is injured. Hurry up and arrange a doctor to


    wait in the hospital!"


    The director of the hospital quickly agreed and immediately called the orthopedist to tell him to go to


    the hospital immediately to wait to provide treatment.


    After hanging up the phone, the director recalled Edric''s words just now, and suddenly felt puzzled.


    "Isn''t Mr. Myers single? When did he have a wife? Yes, now the young people like to call her husband


    when they were in a rtionship. Mr. Myers must be fashionable."


    The director suddenly felt gossipy inside. Who exactly was the person Mr. Myers referred to as his wife!


    When the car arrived at the hospital gate, Edric ran into the hospital with Irene in his arms. The highly


    esteemed doctor of the Department of Orthopedics had already been waiting for him. Edric sent Irene


    to the examination room. The doctor checked Irene''s ankle. Her feet were severely twisted from being


    squeezed by the car door. There were visible bruises on her snow-white feet, which looked jarring to


    the eye.


    Edric med himself. "It was all my fault! If it weren''t for me, she wouldn''t be like this!"


    Irene gritted her teeth with tears in her eyes. In front of so many people, Irene was too embarrassed to


    cry. She simply gritted her teeth to suppress her tears. Edric reached out his hand and said, "It would


    be better if you bit my hand."


    "Dirty!" Irene spat out the word resentfully.


    Edric immediately washed his hands and stretched them out. "They''re no longer dirty!"


    Irene red at him resentfully. She didn''t say he was dirt because his hands weren''t washed, but


    because who knew how many times his hands had been holding Lily''s hand.


    Irene hated her mentality at the moment. Now that they were divorced, he was already a stranger.


    What right did she have to care about who he held hands with and who he slept with?


    She suppressed the disgust in her heart and bit Edric''s hand fiercely. Edric was in so much pain that he


    grimaced, but he didn''t struggle.


    Upon seeing Edric''s reaction, the doctor gave him a thumbs-up. "Mr. Myers is a real man! You treat


    your girlfriend so well!"


    "I''m not his girlfriend!" Upon hearing this, Irene suddenly let go of Edric''s hand and rified the matter.


    "I''m sorry! I made a mistake!" The doctor apologized. It was Lily who was Edric''s girlfriend, and


    everyone knew that. How could he confuse them?


    "She is my wife!" Edric added. The doctor''s eyes widened, but Edric didn''t care. He continued to stretch


    out his hand. "Irene, you can continue to bite!"


    "Pervert! Disgusting!" Irene turned her face away and ignored him.


    There was the rush of footsteps outside the door, and an urgent voice sounded, "Dr. Johnson, Dr.


    Johnson, are you in there?"


    Next, the door was pushed open. Freya appeared at the door. When she saw Edric standing in the


    examination room, she suddenly stopped. Then, when she saw Irene, her eyes widened.


    Edric frowned, and the nurse beside him said, "There are patients here for examination. Please go


    out!"


    Freya retreated. Her boyfriend had his bones broken in a fight with someone at a bar that night. When


    she sent him to the hospital, she heard that Dr. Johnson, the orthopedics expert, was in the hospital.


    She rushed over and wanted to ask Dr. Johnson to take a look at her boyfriend, but she didn''t expect to


    see Edric and Irene there.


    How could Edric and Irene be here? This shocking discovery overshadowed Freya''s worries for her


    boyfriend''s injuries. Were Edric and Irene''s old feelings rekindled?


    That was impossible. Didn''t Lily say that she and Edric would be engaged soon? Did she mistake


    some other woman for Irene?


    No, she had to get to the bottom of things. If she was really Irene, she had to tell Lily her findings. Lily


    was her financial benefactor. If she told her such serious news, she would definitely give her benefits.


    Upon thinking of this, Freya didn''t wander far and stood outside to wait instead. After a while, the door


    of the examination room opened, and Edric came out with Irene in his arms.


    Irene''s foot was sprained. After the doctor examined it, he applied some specially-made medicine for


    the injury and suggested that she should rest at home for a few days. Edric breathed a sigh of relief


    and left the examination room with Irene in his arms.


    Irene didn''t stay in his embrace cooperatively. The doctor looked at them awkwardly and reminded


    them, "Don''t move. Your injury will worsen if you move around too much."


    Upon hearing the doctor''s words, Irene didn''t dare to struggle anymore. She obediently let Edric carry


    her out of the examination room.


    Upon seeing that Edric took Irene into the ward in his embrace, Freya took out her phone and dialed a


    call.


    Lily was dazedly awakened from her sleep by the phone call. When she saw the number on her phone,


    she picked it up impatiently. "What''s the matter?"


    "Lily! Bad news!" Freya lowered her voice. "I just saw Edric and Irene in the hospital!"


    Lily, who was already fuming due to being awakened from her sweet dreams, suddenly sat up after


    hearing Freya''s words. "Are you sure you didn''t see wrong?"


    "No, I saw them clearly. Edric took Irene out of the hospital in his embrace, then got in the car and left. I


    don''t know where they will go. Lily, do you want to go and have a look?"


    "Look at what? Do you think it''s suitable for me to go there now?" Lily asked her viciously in return.


    "It''s indeed unsuitable... But, do you want to  stand by and let them do that?"


    "Let me think about it!" Lily murmured to herself on the phone. Was everything she was worried about


    really unfolding?

 Chapter 37 Think Of A Plan

    Chapter 37 Think Of A n


    That night, Lily sat alone on the bed in her bedroom until dawn. When she heard her mother sending


    her father out at dawn, she opened the door and went upstairs.


    Upon seeing the dark circles under her daughter''s eyes, Deborah felt a little baffled. "Did you lose


    sleep?"


    "Mom, I have something to tell you." After ncing at Maisy, who was cleaning up the living room, Lily


    took her mother''s hand and went upstairs. She told Deborah about how Edric stayed with Irenest


    night.


    The expression on Deborah''s face suddenly became grave. She knew clearly how good the


    rtionship between Irene and Edric was, as well as why they separated. If they talked things through


    and rekindled their romance, things would be hopeless for Lily.


    This matter must be taken good care of, and they must be prevented from getting back together.


    Lily became anxious when she saw that her mother was deep in thought. "Mom, why don''t we tell Aunt


    Margaret about this? She hates Irene so much that she''ll definitely stop it."


    "No!" Deborah denied outright. "Edric isn''t a pushover who can be easily swayed. At that time,


    Margaret deceived him to make you pregnant and threatened suicide to force him to divorce Irene,


    which already crossed the line, so that trick is useless now."


    "Then what should we do?" Like an ant on a hot pan, Lily was anxious. "Why can''t that b*tch


    Deborah red at her. "If you can''t keep your calm whenever you encounter something, how can you


    capture the man''s heart in the future?"


    "Mom, I know what you''re saying, but at the moment, it''s not a matter of me capturing a man''s heart.


    It''s that Edric''s heart doesn''t belong to me at all."


    "So what?" Deborah sneered, "Your father''s heart had always belonged to Myra, hasn''t it? But now,


    instead of Myra, I am Madam Cook. Whoever gets thestugh is the winner."


    "Your situation is different from mine. Didn''t you give birth to me? Dad married you for my sake, but I


    have nothing now." Lily retorted.


    "That''s because you''re stupid! You couldn''t win over a man even after such a long time. What a waste


    of my hard efforts." Deborah was also angry.


    "How could I find a way to win over Edric if he wouldn''t even touch me?" Lily felt extremely wronged. "It


    wasn''t easy for me to convince dad to ask him to propose the engagement, and he agreed. But I didn''t


    expect that b*tch Irene would do this again. That b*tch is really cunning. She did that blind date TV


    program and made it popr. Now I realized that she used that blind date TV program to stimte


    Edric so they could rekindle their romance!"


    Her words reminded Deborah, and her eyes lit up with joy. "I have an idea!"


    "What idea?"


    "Doesn''t Irene want to go on blind dates? Let''s create controversy around her blind dates so her


    reputation would be ruined for good!" Deborah''s face was full of resentment. She whispered a few


    words into Lily''s ear. Lily''s anxious expression disappeared immediately. She gave her mother a


    thumbs-up and said, "Mom, how wise of you!"


    "Of course, the older, the wiser!" Deborah said smugly.


    After sending Irene to her neighborhood, Edric carried her upstairs. Once upon a time, he carried her


    around the house like this. During that time, her little hands would be tightly wrapped around his neck


    as she flirted with him coquettishly. What a wonderful time it was.


    But now, she was still the same person, but was in apletely different mood. She resisted and


    rejected his embrace. It was as if the person in his arms wasn''t a living person but rather an ice cube.


    The weight of this ice cube was much lighter than before. Edric couldn''t help but say, "Irene, you''ve lost


    a lot of weight."


    Irene didn''t say anything. Whether she lost weight had nothing to do with him. Seeing that she didn''t


    speak, Edric sighed deeply.


    Irene took out the key and opened the door. She supported herself against the door frame. "I suffered


    all this tonight because of you. So don''t expect me to say thank you. Mr. Myers, it is time to leave now!


    I won''t see you again!"


    After she said those cruel words, she heartlessly closed the door. Edric stared at the old door in front of


    him dazedly. The door was still the same, and she was still that same person, but everything was


    different.


    Irene propped herself up and went back to her room. She had just sat down on the bed when she


    heard the sound of the car leaving from outside. Although it was expected, she still tugged the corners


    of her mouth with self-mockery.


    Human beings were really strange creatures. Her heart still couldn''t let go even when the two of them


    had ended up like this. Did she still hope that he would stand at the door and wait for her like he used


    to do?


    She was really out of her mind! Ever since he impregnated another woman, they were destined to be


    estranged from each other. Edric wasn''t the same Edric as before, nor was she the former Irene.


    Everything was in the past, and they were destined to never have any contact again.


    Irene took a deep breath andid down on the bed. "Irene Nelson! Keep fighting on!"


    Although Edric drove out of the alley, he didn''t leave. Instead, he parked his car in the open space at


    the entrance of the alley. The street lights were dim at night. He sat quietly in the car and looked at the


    familiar ce.


    He recalled his previous oath in his mind. They would grow old together. Irene, I remember my oath. It


    had always been there and never left!


    After waking up in the morning, Irene felt that the injury on her feet had healed somewhat, but she


    certainly couldn''t go to work. Therefore, she called Jordan to ask for a leave of absence and nned to


    work after a day''s rest.


    Half an hourter, Jordan came banging on the door. Thomas pulled the door open, and Jordan rushed


    in. "What happened? How did your foot get hurt?"


    "I twisted it identally when I went upstairsst night," Irene answered.


    "I''ll take you to the hospital to have an examination."


    "I''ve already been examined. The doctor said there''s no problem. I''ll be fine after a few days of rest."


    Jordan didn''t believe it. Ignoring the fact that Thomas was still there watching, Jordan carried Irene in a


    bear hug and left.


    Edric stayed in the car until dawn. He got out of the car and went to a nearby cafe to buy breakfast.


    Then he carried them to the alley entrance. From a distance, he saw Jordan hurriedly rushing out of the


    alley with Irene in his arms.


    "Why are you so heavy? It would save me a lot of energy if you wrapped your arms around my neck,


    understood?" Jordan scolded Irene as he walked. His words reminded Irene ofst night when Edric


    said that she had lost weight, so she couldn''t help but refute, "I didn''t ask you to carry me. Besides, am


    I that heavy?"


    "Why don''t you try carrying me?"


    Irene was amused by him, so she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck. Jordan wasn''t


    reallyining about her being heavy at all. He just wanted to have some chemistry with her. Upon


    seeing Irene wrap her arms around his neck, he smiled smugly as he said, "It''s much better now!"


    When Edric saw Irene wrap her arms around Jordan''s neck with a dazzling smile on her face, he felt


    his heart ache and the breakfast in his hand suddenly fell to the ground.


    He watched Jordan carried Irene into the car and fastened Irene''s seat belt carefully. He didn''t know


    what Jordan had said, but Irene gave him a slight push.


    These were things only he could do before. Suddenly, he felt a huge loss. An old man passing by


    reminded him, "Young man, you dropped something!"


    Edric didn''t speak and strode away. After taking a few steps, he turned around and picked up the


    breakfast that had fallen on the ground. "Irene, no breakfast for you!"


    After making sure that Irene''s feet were fine and that she would recover after resting for a few days,


    Jordan felt relieved to send Irene home. Thomas went to the grocery market to buy some vegetables.


    Jordan was cheeky enough to take the initiative to ask if he could stay for lunch.


    Thomas naturally agreed. Jordan was so overjoyed that he called David to send him a bottle of wine


    from his treasured collection. Upon receiving the instruction, David immediately drove to Jordan''s


    apartment and brought him a bottle of Louis XIII.


    When David arrived, Thomas had already put all the dishes on the table. When he saw David put down


    a bottle of Louis XIII, which cost more than 20,000 dors, on the table, he reached out to take it and


    dexterously opened the bottle. "I never expected that I would get to drink Louis XIII in this lifetime!"


    Jordan froze and instinctively nced at Thomas. His Louis XIII was specially brought back from


    France, and the packaging was in French as well. How did Thomas know that the wine was Louis XIII?


    Did he know French?


    After pondering over it, he concluded that it was impossible. People who knew English might be all over


    the world, but very few knew French. How could Thomas, someone who lived in such an impoverished


    ce, know French?


    He was surprised. "How did you know it''s Louis XIII?"


    Thomas froze and chuckled good-naturedly. "Didn''t you call to tell me that?"


    Jordan didn''t recall mentioning the name of the wine. When he was on the phone, he simply asked


    David to bring his wine over. He hadn''t said what kind of wine it was at all. His apartment only had


    Louis XIII, so he didn''t need to say its name.


    David naturally didn''t understand his confusion. He pointed to the wine and said to Thomas, "This wine


    was specially brought back from France by Mr. Reed. It''s more than 50 years of age and very difficult to


    buy in this country."


    "Jordan, why are you sovish?" Irene shouted dramatically. "This wine is so expensive I could feel my


    heart ache."


    "You only have money on your mind. You have to enjoy life!" Jordan said.


    Irene looked full of pity. "Enjoying life is for rich people like you. For poor people like me, having a full


    stomach is already satisfying enough."


    "You speak as if I''ve mistreated you." Jordan snorted and said, "Are you thinking about getting a raise


    again?"


    "No! I''m really not!" Irene waved her hands dismissively. "It just physically pains me. This wine is worth


    more than a hundred thousand dors, which is more than enough for me to livefortably for an


    entire year."


    Jordan looked at Irene and asked, "You''re really a plebeian."


    Thomas chuckled. "Let''s drink and eat!"


    Jordan enjoyed the meal very much. He admired Thomas''s culinary skills greatly. Before he left, he


    shamelessly requested again, "Please cook more meals for me in the future. I''ll pay for the


    ingredients."


    "Get lost! Our shabby ce can''t afford your highness."


    "I''m serious."


    "You just fool me! Get lost!" Irene red at him.


    Jordan left sulkily. After he got into the car, he remembered to ask David, "Did I mention Louis XIII


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    when I called you?"


    "I don''t think so!" David replied.


    "Since I didn''t mention it, how did Irene''s uncle know that the wine was Louis XIII?"


    "Perhaps he''d seen it online before."


    "No! The names of wines on the Inte are all in English. There are very few wines in French like


    this!" Jordan pondered over it. "David, don''t you think Thomas is extraordinary?"


    "How so?"


    "Although he appears very ordinary, he has a kind of elegance, which doesn''t seem like something the


    dregs of society can have."


    "Perhaps love is making you blind. Since you like Irene, you grow to like her uncle as well." David


    replied.


    "Just because of that?" Jordan had some doubts. He didn''t think that he was such a person.


    "Mr. Reed, don''t worry about it. Thomas can''t know French. Otherwise, how would he be unable to find


    a job?"


    The idea seemed fair enough, so Jordan had to put this matter aside.

 Chapter 38 Special

    Chapter 38 Special


    After Jordan left, Thomas cleaned up the mess. Since Irene''s feet were injured that she couldn''t do a


    favor, sheid on the reclining chair as she surfed the Inte. Because of Edric''s aggressive


    questioningst night, she opened the TV station''s blind date program''s website to see what had


    happened. Irene was extremely shocked.


    Looking at those harshly condemning posts and people who threatened to reveal her ex-husband and


    evil mother-inw, Irene got a headache. Things seemed to be developing in an unknown direction.


    This wasn''t what she wanted to see. She called Kinsey and asked, "Kinsey, how do I make these public


    outcries disappear?"


    "I was just about to call you." Kinsey replied, "It''s true that we didn''t expect things to turn out like this.


    Now, it''s not just about people wanting to reveal your ex-husband and your mother-inw, but a series


    of posts doubting your authenticity also appeared this afternoon. People who sent the posts believe


    that you and the TV station conspired to do all this for fame and publicity. There was never any


    scumbag, evil mother-inw, or mistress. That post was immediately reposted many times. It was so


    quick that I suspect  Edric was involved."


    "Him? I don''t think he''s that bored."


    "It''s hard to say. Now, the Inte is full of public outcry against you. Although no one knows that the


    evil mother-inw and the scumbag are his mother and him, as a concerned party, he must feel as


    disgusting as swallow flies when he sees such a post. He will definitely find a way to get things out of


    the way."


    "He came to see mest night," Irene told her about how Edric came to see herst night.


    Kinsey sneered, "What reason does he have toe to you? Irene, you are too kind. If it were me, I


    would definitely reveal his name. It would not only make him bear the pressure of public outcry but


    would also ruin the mistress'' reputation."


    "Forget it. It''s all in the past now. Kinsey, I really don''t want to have anything to do with him, do you


    understand?"


    "I know. I''m just indignant. Irene, you don''t know how disgusting Edric is. To suppress those verbal


    attacks, he asked someone to call our chief operator and said that he didn''t sponsor the TV station''s


    program to create hype around a certain person. Our chief operator felt extremely pressured and


    specifically held a meeting to talk about this matter. He told everyone toe up with a feasible n to


    solve this."


    "Is there a n?"


    "Because the incident arose because of you, everyone suggested we create a special blind date for


    you so that you can find a man who is in love with you as soon as possible. As long as you find the


    person who is in love with you, and as long as you leave, this incident would definitely die down."


    Kinsey told Irene the content of the TV station''s meeting that day. "Now, we''re choosing a blind date


    candidate for you. There was a continuous stream of people who signed up. The news of the selection


    contest at noon today has reached thousands of people. I''m confident that you can find a man who


    would truly love you and have mutualmonality with you."


    "I hope so!" Irene sighed. Kinsey had tried her best. This matter would be settled like this. Among the


    sea of people, she hoped that she would find a person who would stay by her side for the rest of her


    life.


    The person who called to put pressure on the TV station wasn''t Edric, but the Executive Assistant John


    instead. John knew everything about Edric and Irene. When he saw his boss being condemned, he


    naturally became displeased, so he called a high-level executive of the TV station to pressure him.


    Because of that phone call, the TV station''s public rtions team had immediately changed its strategy.


    They began to report on Irene''s blind date profusely. Although, as a result, it lessened the


    condemnations against the wicked mother-inw and the scumbag ex-husband, it wasn''t a good thing


    for Edric.


    When he turned on hisputer and saw the TV station openly recruiting marriage candidates for


    Irene as a TV show, he became infuriated and scolded John. "Who asked you to call them? Did you


    have nothing better to do?"


    "I was just angered by thosements..." John felt wronged.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I would rather be scolded than see her choose a man! Jerk!" Edric was angry, but John said nothing.


    His boss had finally spoken the truth.


    Upon seeing his beloved woman chose between men like a queen, no man would feel good. He had


    indeed done wrong regarding this matter and deserved to be scolded.


    Jordan was also furious about Irene''s blind date on live TV. He sneered at Irene and said, "See how


    popr you are now. Your name has spread so far!"


    "Isn''t it all thanks to you?" Irene red at him. "If you hadn''t gone, I would have been able to stay here


    the entire time and receive my reward in silence. Now, my reputation stinks because of these rumors."


    "Those words definitely don''t reflect what you truly think!" Jordan looked Irene up and down. "You must


    feel very smug inside. After all, this is a special blind date program for you. To put it bluntly, you are


    picking men. Don''t you have the feeling of a queen choosing her consorts?"


    "Jordan! You sharp-tongue simply can''t say anything pleasant!" Irene red at him.


    "You see, I''ve acted as cannon fodder for you, so shouldn''t you at least thank me? Just thinking about it


    infuriates me. I''ve risked my reputation for you for a while, but how did you treat me? You didn''t even


    reciprocate. How can I bear to live with the shame in the future?"


    "Thank you, my foot!"


    "Irene, I''m serious. If you can''t find anyone you like this time, we might as well get together."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ve been caught in the crossfire anyway. I''m sure I won''t be able to find a woman in the future, so we


    might as well suck it up and spend the rest of our lives together."


    "I''m a divorced woman and a single mother. Would you really like to suck it up and get together with


    me, Mr. Reed?" Irene reminded him.


    "I''ll just suffer a loss." Jordan smiled cheekily. "To think about it, getting another son for nothing is


    actually quite good."


    "Thank you, Mr. Reed, for being willing to suffer a loss. I might be ordinary, but I''ve never been willing


    to suck it up with anyone. Please don''t make such a joke again, Mr. Reed. Thank you."


    "You woman, did you really think that I like you? I was just teasing you, okay?" Jordan''s face turned


    bright red.


    That woman was really extremely arrogant and actually looked down upon him. Jordan felt extremely


    embarrassed. Fortunately, he was just joking and testing her. If he had directly mentioned it, he would


    have suffered greater humiliation. After thinking about it, he still felt angry. "Why are you still standing


    there? I''m thirsty. Go make tea for me quickly!"


    Irene picked up the cup and ran out quickly. There was a "bang" sound behind her. Jordan smashed


    something on the ground.


    Irenemented inside. This guy was simply too bad. A minute ago, he was fine,but a minuteter, his


    mood suddenly changed. Thinking about the question-and-answer conversation just now, she


    wondered if she offended him?


    Because of that episode, Jordan''s attitude towards Irene suddenly began to worsen. He had been


    sulking for the past few days. There was even trouble when a man became narrow-minded. Jordan


    was the pettiest man of all. After this lesson, Irene secretly made the decision not to offend Jordan in


    the future.


    In the blink of an eye, her blind date TV program also began. When she went to ask for a leave of


    absence from Jordan, his face was tightly drawn, as if Irene owed him a lot of money. Although his


    expression was unpleasant, in the end, he still didn''t make things difficult for Irene.


    Because this blind date program was held for Irene alone, Irene didn''t wear a mask. Instead, she


    appeared on the scene in a set of very ordinary clothes.


    Although she was wearing very ordinary clothes and didn''t have any makeup, her appearance was still


    dazzling. Her natural unadorned beauty made the audience under the stage apud for her


    appearance for a long time.


    Irene sat on the seat prepared for her on the stage. She was very familiar with the stage, so she


    behaved naturally. After sitting down, she looked towards the male guest seat withposure.


    Suddenly, she felt a little cold. Irene instinctively looked back at the source of the coldness. She was


    shocked. Why did Edrice here?


    Upon seeing Edric, Irene felt nervous. What was he doing here?


    Edric had a smile on his face, but there wasn''t any trace of a smile in his eyes. He coldly looked at the


    woman on the stage. Watching her turn her eyes to the male guest seat after sitting down, he felt very


    ufortable, as if a cat was wing at his heart.


    Irene, are you really that eager to get married?


    The host began to host the program with a smile. "After a week''s selection, we have selected 50 male


    guests, who fit Miss Irene''s marriage requirements the most, for two blind dates. This blind date was


    sponsored by the Myers Group. We have invited Mr. Edric, the President of Myers Group, toe to


    the venue. Please say something, Mr. Edric."


    At his ex-wife''s blind date, they made him, her ex-husband, say a few words. This was undoubtedly the


    biggest irony for Edric. But no matter how ironic it felt, he had toe. He had toe to see what


    kind of man that woman would choose.


    Edric walked to the stage with his usual calmposure and a smile on his face. He took the


    microphone from the host''s hand and walked towards Irene''s side, and then he stood still.


    Upon seeing him walk to her side, Irene felt a burst of anxiety in her heart. She conspicuously felt an


    invisible source of pressure and instinctively sped her hands together.


    Edric''s eyes took in her subtle movements. When Irene was nervous, she would sp her two hands


    together. How could she still keep this habit? D*mn woman, there were also times when she felt


    nervous? He originally wanted to seize the opportunity to make a few jabs at Irene, but he couldn''t


    bring himself to do so anymore because of her subtle movements.


    The words that came to his mouth immediately changed. "Although the Myers Group sponsored this


    blind date program, it became extremely popr because of the appearance of a beautiful woman like


    Miss Nelson. Today, I came here to witness the marriage of lovers. I sincerely hope that the program


    will be carried out as soon as possible. I also hope that every single man and woman who participates


    in the program can find their own happiness."


    Irene didn''t expect him to stand by her side just to say a few words of formality. Her hanging heart was


    suddenly at ease. Edric gave her a meaningful look and walked back to his seat.


    The host picked up the microphone and began to talk about the rules of this evening. This time, it was


    themselves to Irene. Irene chose the male guests ording to the male guests'' information and her


    first impression of them. The eliminated male guests left while the rest stayed for the second round.


    In the first round of self-introductions, Irene eliminated eight people.


    Looking at the eight people who were eliminated, everyone down the stage was astonished, since


    among those twenty-five people, the eight people who were eliminated were the best in all aspects.


    Irene turned a blind eye to the astonishment beneath the stage. She had already learned a painful


    lesson from Edric, so from the bottom of her heart, she believed that handsome men from affluent


    families would inevitably cheat on her. Therefore, the eight people who were eliminated were actually


    unintentional coteral damage.


    In the second round, she eliminated a few more people, and now there were less than ten male guests


    left on the stage.


    The third round was an interactive game that Irene and the male guests interacted with each other to


    judge the tacit agreement. And there were only be two male guests left on the stage after the third


    round of the game.


    Thest round was the deration of love. The remaining two male guests on the stage made their


    love deration to Irene. In the face of their affectionate confession, Irene''s facial expression didn''t


    change at all.


    Without exception, all the 25 male guests were eliminated that night.

 Chapter 39 Special（2）

    Chapter 39 Special£¨2£©


    Watching Irene eliminated all the male guests, Edric finally had signs of a smile in his gloomy eyes. He


    whispered a few words to John. Then, John went forward and said something to the host.


    The host informed all the staff and guests of the program, "Mr. Myers will treat everyone to supper


    tonight."


    "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." Kinsey curled her lips. "But if we don''t ept it, it would be a waste.


    We at least have to let Edric fork out money."


    Irene was amused by her. "Edric has very deep pockets. I bet he wouldn''t mind spending some."


    "Despite having so much money, he''s still a miser." Kinsey snickered coldly. "I have never seen such


    stingy man. Even Grandet pales inparison to him."


    "Miss Miller, who are you talking about?" A low voice sounded. The two of them looked at Edric, who


    approached them some time ago.


    "Someone who knows." Kinsey retorted. Irene reached out and pulled her, "Kinsey!"


    She looked at Edric with a fake smile and said, "Thank you for treating us, Mr. Myers."


    "I simply did what I should''ve done!" Edric said back to her. Kinsey was going to scold him again, but


    Irene took her and left quickly.


    When they arrived at the private box of the hotel where Edric was going to treat them, the room was


    already full of people.


    A seat was left beside Edric, and another beside John. It was obvious that it was intentional. Kinsey


    smiled coldly. Edric was inviting them right into his trap. She wouldn''t let him get his way. She


    approached Edric nonchntly, but John quickly stood up and stopped Kinsey. "Miss Miller, this way


    please!"


    Kinsey was so angry that she wanted to curse at him. He invited Irene to Edric''s side enthusiastically.


    Although it was just midnight snack, it was the most extravagant feast in the hotel. The wine on the


    table was also the kind of high-end foreign wine that they couldn''t ordinarily drink. People toasted each


    other, and the atmosphere was very lively at that time.


    Edric personally served food for Irene. There was a forced smile on Irene''s face. "Thank you, Mr.


    Myers."


    Although she thanked him, she didn''t touch the food Edric picked for her. When Edric saw that, his


    eyes became a little gloomy, but he was very good at controlling his emotions. He immediately raised


    his ss with a smile, "I propose a toast to Miss Nelson!"


    "Sorry, I can''t drink!" Irene refused.


    "Today is a great day, and everyone here is happy. Shouldn''t Miss Nelson drink a ss of wine?" John


    echoed. Kinsey stood up with a sneer. "Irene can''t drink. I will drink it for her! Thank you, Mr. Myers!"


    With that, Kinsey raised her head and started to drink. Edric had to drink the wine in his cup. Kinsey


    filled her ss herself. "Thank you for your sponsorship, Mr. Myers. I will raise three sses of wine to


    you. Cheers!"


    Without waiting for Edric''s reply, she raised her head and drank three sses in a row. Upon seeing


    the bold way the woman drank, Edric didn''t want to appear weak as a man. He also followed suit and


    drank three sses of wine.


    John''s face became gloomy. It wasn''t like Kinsey didn''t know that Edric had a weak stomach. She


    obviously did this to stand up for Irene, but he was still displeased, so he raised his ss and said,


    "Miss Miller, I admire you very much. I propose three toasts to you!"


    Kinsey had a straightforward temper, and she immediately epted John''s challenge. Seeing the two


    of them drinking one ss after another, Irene became so anxious that she started stomping. Edric


    looked at them with a smile. He clearly knew how good of a drinker John was.


    But what astonished him was that Kinsey''s drinking capacity was about the same as John''s. Looking at


    the two of them drinking one ss after another, Irene grew anxious. "Kinsey, don''t drink too much."


    Kinsey was too excited to listen. Irene looked at Edric. "Mr. Myers, ask them to drink less."


    Edric was about to speak when the door of the private box was pushed open. The fragrant scent of


    Chanel perfume wafted in first. People nced towards the source of the fragrance and saw a beautiful


    young woman standing at the door.


    With a gentle smile on her face, Lily walked in withposure. She looked at Edric tenderly and said,


    "My friend and I were having a midnight meal here. I heard that you were also here, so I came to see


    you!"


    In fact, after she heard that Edric went to the recording site of the TV station, she couldn''t sit still. So


    she drove to the TV station. She had been waiting at the door of the TV station. After waiting for a few


    hours, she saw a group of people going to the hotel for a midnight meal, so she also came. Lily''s


    motive was very simple. She had to be on constant guard against Irene.


    When the people beside Edric saw Lily, they got up and stepped aside sensibly. Lily said politely,


    "Thank you!" Then she sat down.


    Irene looked at Lily derisively. The head-to-toe Chanel outfit on her was an eyesore. Edric had once


    said that Chanel was only for her, but now it was only for Lily Cook. Edric really had a preference for


    women in Chanel!


    John and Kinsey, who were in the midst of a drinking contest, stoppedpeting because of Lily''s


    arrival. Kinsey sneered and said, "How lovey-dovey, Miss Cook and Mr. Myers. She''s here for you at


    such ate hour."


    Lily pretended not to discern the sarcasm in Kinsey''s tone and asked Edric very gently, "Did you drink?"


    "I drank a little," Edric answered.


    "I brought you stomach medicine. You should take some, so that you won''t get a stomachache!"


    "No." Edric refused and nced at Irene from the corner of his eye. Irene was eating the crab in her


    hand and ignoring his conversation with Lily.


    "Miss Cook, I propose a toast to you. I wish you and Mr. Myers can love each other until you both grow


    old and be blessed with lots of children!" Upon seeing Lily show off her romance with Edric, Kinsey


    somehow became very angry, then she immediately poured a ss of wine and handed it to Lily.


    "Thank you!" Lily took the ss and took a sip. "I can''t drink, sorry."


    "Then let Mr. Myers drink on your behalf!" Kinsey didn''t back down. John had no reason to drink for Lily


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    at the moment, so he simply fretted on the side. Lily looked at Edric pitifully.


    Irene put down the crab in her hand and echoed with a half-hearted smile, "Yes, let Mr. Myers drink it


    on Miss Cook''s behalf!"


    Edric''s eyes darkened, which was a sign that he was going to lose his temper. Lily quickly picked up


    the ss and drank the rest of the wine.


    "Miss Cook is really personable!" Irene apuded. "Would you all like to see Mr. Myers propose a toast


    to Miss Cook?"


    "Yes!" All the people agreed.


    Kinsey immediately served two sses of wine in cooperation. Irene poured herself a full ss of wine


    and handed one to Lily and one to Edric. She smiled and said, "We''re in for a lot of fun tonight!"


    "This... isn''t good, is it?" Lily looked conflicted.


    "What''s wrong?" Edric''s eyes turned cold. Damned woman, he would settle the ount with her in the


    future!


    He took the wine ss from Irene''s hand. Lily raised her hand shyly, and their hands crossed. Lily was


    happily waiting to drink the ss of wine.


    Unexpectedly, under the table, Edric''s foot suddenly stretched out and hooked Irene''s foot precisely.


    Irene was waiting to watch the show, but she was caught off guard and fell forward. Edric quickly


    reached out his arm to catch Irene. He shook his other hand and poured all the wine on Lily''s body.


    "Miss Nelson, did you drink too much?" Edric looked at Irene in surprise.


    "I''m sorry!" Irene apologized. She couldn''t voice her grievances.


    Lily was covered in wine stains and looked extremely embarrassed. Edric let go of Irene and grabbed a


    paper towel to gently wipe Lily''s face. Then he told John, "Get someone to immediately send Lily back


    to change clothes!"


    Of course, Lily didn''t know that all of this was caused by Edric. She thought it was Irene''s deliberate


    doing, so she became extremely resentful. "D*mned b*tch, wait and see how I will deal with you!"


    She tried her best to maintain her manners, but the wine stains all over her made her look pathetic.


    Feeling resentful and angry, she had no choice but to leave.


    Because of this episode, the midnight feast also ended. Irene and Kinsey walked out of the hotel


    together. Kinsey thought of how Lily was drenched in wine and felt amused. "It''s so gratifying. Your


    behavior tonight really made me feel satisfied!"


    Irene knew that Kinsey misunderstood. She was about to exin when footsteps came from behind.


    Edric strode over. He sneered at Irene. "I really underestimated you!" While speaking, he kept walking.


    "D*mn it! That scumbag, what''s with his attitude?" Kinsey thought that Edric was feeling indignant for


    Lily, so she fought back. Irene covered her mouth. "That''s enough."


    After Edric disappeared from sight, Irene finally let go of Kinsey. While walking out, she told Kinsey


    what Edric had done to her with his foot. Kinsey stared at Irene with her eyes wide. "Why did he do


    that? Was he drunk?"


    "No matter what he wanted to do, we''d better not provoke him. Have you forgotten what happenedst


    time?" Irene reminded her.


    "What''s there to be afraid of? At the worst, I''ll quit this job."


    "Oh, dear!" Irene patted her on the shoulder. "It''s not worth it, don''t you know? It''s really not worth it for


    such a man!"


    Edric drove out of the parking lot. At a nce, he saw Jordan''s shy car parked at the door of the


    hotel. He rolled down the window and looked at Jordan with a forced smile. "Mr. Reed, why are you still


    here at such ate hour?"


    "I have no other choice. If my girlfriend''s not home, I''ll be worried." Jordan lied outright.


    Edric sneered. "I didn''t expect Mr. Reed to change his target so quickly."


    "Mr. Myers, why do you say that? I''m not the kind of person who phnders!" Jordan was a little angry.


    What did Myers mean? What did he mean by saying he changed his target? His target had always


    been Irene, alright?


    "But I clearly remember that Miss Nelson rejected you, Mr. Reed. Were all the words in the newspaper


    fake?" Edric asked.


    "You''re so childish, Mr. Myers. That''s just publicity for the program. I have never changed my mind


    about Irene, and Irene''s heart already belongs to me." Jordan lied with a straight face.


    Edric gritted his teeth and thought that Mr. Reed really was as clingy as sticky candy! He sneered and


    said, "Mr. Reed, keep on dreaming. I''ll be leaving first."


    By the time Irene and Kinsey walked out of the hotel, Jordan was already feeling impatient. "What took


    you so long?"


    "Why are you here?" Irene was surprised.


    "Is this hotel run by your family? Only you cane and I can''t?" Jordan said in mock anger.


    "Mr. Reed, what lit your fuse?" Kinsey asked directly.


    Jordan red at Kinsey and said, "I''m in a bad mood today!"


    "Did you specificallye to pick up Irene?" When Kinsey saw that his eyes had been staring at Irene,


    she immediately understood.


    "What are you talking about? Don''t be too smug. I was just passing by." Jordan''s tone was very


    unpleasant. "But since I bumped into you, I might as well give you a ride."


    Obviously, he came to pick her up, but he insisted on putting it in such an awkward way. Of course, it


    was because Edric''s words had bruised Jordan''s ego moments before.


    "Thank you, Mr. Reed!" Kinsey was a sensible person. She immediately pulled open the car door and


    got in the car with Irene. Although Edric drove the car over, he didn''t go far. Instead, he stopped on the


    opposite side of the road and looked around. Upon seeing Irene and Kinsey getting on Jordan''s car


    with smiles, Edric felt more angry when he thought of Jordan''s mannerism just now. He couldn''t help


    but forcefully step on the elerator under his feet, and the car roared away.


    Lily left the box in humiliation. In such a situation, if Edric was willing to send her home, she would be


    able to maintain some of her pride. But Edric handed her over to John. John was drunk, so he naturally


    couldn''t send her back. He found a designated driver in the hotel to send Lily back.


    It was so humiliating and embarrassing. The more Lily thought about it, the angrier she became. When


    she got home, she mmed the door loudly. Deborah naturally couldn''t fall asleep when Lily hadn''t


    returned home. She stayed in the living room to watch TV as she waited for Lily. She was surprised to


    see the wine stains on her clothes. "What happened?"


    "This was all because of that b*tch Irene!" Lily told Deborah what had happened. "I was wondering why


    she suddenly insisted on making a toast. Turns out she was waiting to set me up. I''m so mad."


    "Who told you to appear in that sort of ce?" Deborah poked her daughter''s forehead. "You were


    asking for trouble!"


    "Mom, I''m feeling depressed, so please don''t scold me anymore!" Lily felt wronged.


    "For the next few days, you better behave yourself and don''t cause any more trouble. I will help you get


    payback for what you''ve suffered."


    "Is it really possible to get payback?" Lily asked incredulously.


    Deborah sneered. "Just wait and see, I will permanently ruin that b*tch Irene''s reputation!"


    Lily knew very well how powerful Deborah was, so feeling self-assured, she went upstairs to change


    her clothes.

 Chapter 40 Chosen

    Chapter 40 Chosen


    The next day, Edric wasn''t absent from the recording scene either. After the 25 male guests finished


    their introductions, Irene''s eyes lingered on a male guest named Bert Kent for a few seconds.


    Edric had been staring at Irene. When he saw her gaze at Bert, he frowned slightly.


    During the second round, it was Irene''s turn to ask the male guests questions. When it was her turn to


    question Bert, Irene asked him an additional question, "I want to know your opinion on romance,


    marriage and responsibility."


    "Romance is a matter of two people being in love with each other. It can be a lifetime or a moment.


    Marriage is a lifetime of living together. Responsibility is what you have to bear when you do


    something."


    "Do you believe in love at first sight?"


    "I believe in it."


    "Do you think love at first sight is love?"


    "Strictly speaking, I don''t think falling in love at first sight is love, but rather passion. True love should be


    developed over time. It requires two people''s views on life and values to be basically the same. It


    needs two people to have chemistry and be mutually dependent upon each other."


    Irene nodded and moved on to the next male guest.


    The expression on Edric''s face became gloomy. ording to his understanding of Irene, if she wasn''t


    interested in him, she wouldn''t spend so much time to get to know him. He stared at Bert for a while.


    He wasn''t handsome, and at most could only be regarded as well proportioned. As for his job, he was


    just an ordinarypany employee. He really couldn''t find any aspect where he outshone the other


    male guests.


    It was precisely because of this that he felt rmed, and so did John. John gently asked, "Mr. Myers,


    something''s not right, is it?"


    Edric nodded. "It''s up to you!"


    The third round was an interaction game. Today''s interaction game was based upon the first


    experience of love ¡ª "Happiness is waiting for you on the other side of the Milky Way". The rule of the


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    game was that the male guest would walk blindfolded onto the stage full of obstacles while Irene would


    Bert was thest male guest who yed the game with Irene. As he had been watching the game


    previously, he got the hang of the game. Under Irene''smand, he passed through the obstacles


    very steadily and soon made his way near the destination.


    The audience burst into apuse due to their chemistry. But at this moment, Bert suddenly slipped and


    fell to the side. Upon seeing that, Edric suddenly stood up.


    The stage was full of obstacles. When people fell, their instinctive reaction would be to take care of


    themselves. If Bert did that, Irene, who was on his back, would definitely be thrown out because of


    inertia. With the stage full of obstacles, if Irene was thrown out, the result could be imagined.


    Just as Edric stood up, an unexpected scene happened. Bert didn''t attend to himself first as everyone


    had expected. Instead, his first reaction was to protect Irene on his back.


    Because of his movements, Irene didn''t get thrown out because of the inertia, but continued to be fixed


    on his back by his arms. Bert, on the other hand, wasn''t so lucky. He fell forward andnded heavily on


    the barrier.


    All the staff rushed forward. Bert''s forehead was scraped by the barrier. Irene was unharmed, except a


    little frightened.


    Seeing that Irene was unscathed, Edric sat down again and nced coldly at John, who was beside


    him. John quickly lowered his voice and rified, "I didn''t do it! I haven''t thought of a n!"


    The staff went up to rescue Bert and Irene. Someone asked Bert how his injury was and whether he


    needed to see the doctor. He answered, "It doesn''t matter. It''s just a minor injury. I''m not so fragile!"


    Looking at the wound on his forehead, Irene took out a handkerchief and handed it to him. Upon seeing


    this scene, Edric''s face darkened. John, who was next to him, snorted. "That Kent guy is quite


    interesting! He had already arrived at the finish line, but he suddenly caused such a scene. There


    wasn''t any oil on the stage, so how did he fall down?"


    Edric''s eyes darkened, but he didn''t say anything.


    This incident quickly died down. Bert insisted that he was fine and could go on. After confirming that he


    was really fine, the program''s staff began the fourth round.


    In the fourth round, the male guests made the final deration of love to Irene. Because of that scene


    just now, Irene''s eyes were fixed on Bert.


    When that man was in danger, he didn''t prioritize his own safety, which made her feel very touched


    inside. She had suffered too much and needed such a man. Because of that incident, she had a good


    impression of Bert and didn''t have much of an opinion on other male guests.


    Soon, other male guests announced that it was Bert''s turn, and Bert appeared very emotional.


    "I''m an ordinary man who doesn''t have money, power, or looks. I''m very excited to be able to stand


    here and make a love deration to you today." Bert''s voice was choked with a sob. "I don''t want to


    say fancy words, because if you choose me, our future life would be ordinary and devoid of luxury. So


    my love deration is to tell you my story."


    "Strictly speaking, my life is very miserable now. My father abandoned my mother and left with another


    woman when I was in high school. My mother couldn''t ept this blow and chose tomit suicide,


    so I became an orphan when I was a teenager. I was able to attend college with the financial support of


    my rtives. After I graduated from college, I fell in love with a girl in my ss. She was a high-


    maintenance girl from the city. We loved each other very much and got married. At first, we were very


    happy. Later, her parents expressed their dislike towards me due to myck of ambition. Besides, there


    were also personal factors that contributed to my wife abandoning me three yearster. I married her in


    an impoverished state, so I left in an impoverished state after the divorce."


    Bert''s story was surprisingly simr to what Irene had experienced that Irene was stunned for a


    moment. Edric was stunned as well.


    From the man''s self-introduction, she felt that this man had something she was familiar with, so she


    asked him one more question. Irene ended up feeling very satisfied with his answer.


    Love at first sight was just passion rather than love. Real love was the result of years of umtion.


    If it was in the past, she wouldn''t think so. But after all of this, she felt it deeply.


    Her marriage with Edric was so beautiful and surreal that she ignored human nature and humanistic


    desires. That was why she suffered so miserably.


    She controlled herself and asked, "Do you hate your ex-wife?"


    "I used to hate her!" Bert replied.


    "You don''t hate her now?"


    "Right! Now, I don''t hate her anymore. People always have to look forward and can''t be consumed with


    hatred from the past for their entire lives, so I moved on." Bert replied calmly, "In fact, I''m very grateful


    to her now. I''m grateful that she once loved me, and I thank her for making my life more eventful."


    People should look forward and couldn''t live in the past for their entire lifetime. Irene knew this saying,


    but she had hidden for three years and still couldn''t let herselfe out of it. She still hated Edric and


    couldn''t keep her calm when facing him.


    Since Bert was able to make himself not resent or love her, it proved that he wasn''t a narrow-minded


    person. Of course, the reason she had her sights set on him wasn''t only because his experience was


    very simr to hers.


    It was because he had instinctively protected her when she was in danger. People were usually selfish


    when they were in danger. Irene believed that under that kind of situation, Bert''s choice was from the


    bottom of his heart. Furthermore, they were all people who had experienced the same kinds of


    hardship. She believed that they had amon ground tomunicate so that they could avoid harm.


    So far, Bert was the most suitable person for her on the stage.


    "I have one more thing to tell you." Irene took a deep breath. "The main reason behind my divorce was


    my infertility. That''s why my ex-husband had an affair with a mistress. If you choose to be with me, it


    means that we will grow old together alone. Are you willing to do that?"


    Edric instantly grew very sullen. Irene actually asking this question here was a p in his face. He


    remembered that Irene had asked him the same question.


    "Edric, I can''t give birth. We won''t have any children for the rest of our lives. Even so, will you be with


    me for the rest of your life?"


    His answer at that time was very certain. Could it be that Irene asked this question deliberately


    because he was here? He instinctively looked at Irene, but found that she was staring at Bert and


    waiting for his answer.


    Bert pondered over it for a while before replying, "If I say yes, you''ll feel that my answer was too hasty. I


    just want you to give me some time to prove it. As long as you''re with me, we''ll live a happy life even if


    we don''t have a child!"


    "So, Irene, what''s your choice?" The host asked.


    "I choose to start a new rtionship with Mr. Bert Kent," Irene replied.


    Irene''s blind date program ended sessfully. She and Bert walked down the stage hand in hand


    amongst the audiences'' blessings. The audience dispersed in twos and threes. Kinsey rushed out and


    hugged Irene as she gave her blessing. She also invited her and Bert to have a midnight snack.


    Edric retreated from the passageway with a gloomy expression and returned to the car outside. John


    said, "Mr. Myers, where are we going?"


    Edric closed his eyes dejectedly. After a long time, he ordered John in a gloomy voice, "Go home!"


    John started the car. The car drove quickly the entire way. Edric had his eyes closed as he rested. He


    didn''t open his eyes until John stopped the car and opened the door. When he got out of the car, he


    suddenly said, "Go and investigate the background of that man named Kent."


    News of Irene''s sessful blind date was reported upon by the media in the entertainment headlines.


    Many people found Bert Kent holding Irene''s hand inconceivable. Among the dozens of male guests,


    Bert Kent was rather below average. Him sessfully getting to win Irene''s hand made him seem like


    a dark horse.


    Manyizensmented upon how she was out of his league.


    Lily and Deborah sat in front of the TV as they watched the live broadcast. When they saw that Irene


    chose Bert, Lily showed a disdainful expression. "Irene''s taste in men is getting worse and worse!"


    Deborah let out a sigh of relief. "What do you know? If there wasn''t a person such as Bert tonight, the


    show wouldn''t have been as entertaining."


    "Do you mean that Bert was the TV station''s pawn?" Lily was confused.


    "How can the TV station find such a suitable pawn?" Deborah sneered. "I have to talk to your father


    about this matter."


    "Mom, what on earth are you up to? Didn''t you say that you would deal with Irene? Up until now, I


    haven''t seen you deal with her yet. Now that she has found such a person, we should turn a blind eye.


    Why do we have to tell dad? He wouldn''t agree if he found out."


    "We must tell your father about this matter. When something happens, we can get rid of itpletely."


    "Something''s wrong? What''s wrong?" Lily was very curious.


    "You''ll find out in the future!" Deborah didn''t want to reveal more.


    Steven came back veryte. After he came back, Deborah told Steven about the sess of Irene''s


    blind date. Shembasted Bert as someone utterly worthless. Upon hearing her words, Steven became


    very angry. "Irene was too rash. I will talk to her tomorrow."


    The next day, Steven personally went to Irene to express his opinion on Bert. Steven thought that since


    Bert was ordinary-looking and had an average job, he couldn''t bring happiness to Irene, so Steven


    asked Irene to end her rtionship with Bert.


    "Irene, listen to Dad''s advice. People are shady nowadays. How much do you know about Bert? All you


    know about him is from seeing him several times during the blind date program, so you''re being too


    hasty by choosing him."


    "It''s not up to you to decide my affairs!" Irene ignored Steven''s advice. She chose Bert partly because


    she was moved by him, and partly because of the situation. She was already in the teeth of the storm.


    It was time for her to leave the blind date program.


    Steven''s opposition provoked Irene''s rebelliousness. "He might be an ordinary person, but he''s honest


    and reliable, unlike someone, who appears sanctimonious but has an extramarital affair behind his wife


    and children''s back."


    Steven''s face turned bright red. "Irene, you can''t risk your future because of resentment!"


    "Mr. Cook, I don''t resent anyone. I told you, I don''t need irrelevant people to intervene in my life. Please


    go back!"


    Steven saw that there was no way to persuade her, so he had no choice but to leave sulkily.

 Chapter 41 A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing

    Chapter 41 A Wolf In Sheep''s Clothing


    Steven was in a bad mood, and Jordan was also in a bad mood. Especially when he saw Irene smiling


    while answering Bert''s call, he was in an even worse mood. Because he was in a bad mood, he began


    to go crazy again and torture Irene desperately.


    Even David couldn''t stand it anymore. He secretly advised Irene, "You have to endure for a few days.


    Mr. Reed''s illness is ring up again."


    Mr. Reed''s re-ups didn''t subside even after a few days. After a week, he still kept ring at Irene and


    acting disdainfully towards her. As soon as Irene picked up Kent''s calls, his illness would always re-


    up for a while.


    Of course, Irene wouldn''t bicker over it with Jordan. Kinsey wasn''t very optimistic about Bert at first, but


    after getting along with him a few times, she discovered that Bert was mild-mannered, gentle, and


    considerate, so she also praised Irene''s choice.


    Thomas also had an excellent impression of Bert. The people around her all had a good impression of


    Bert. Irene was relieved and began to date Bert formally.


    Like men and women in normal rtionships, they would go out to eat and watch movies. Bert didn''t


    have any problems at all. Irene began to feel relieved.


    She nned to get along with him for a while before bringing Eden back. As long as Eden liked Bert,


    they could get their marriage start.


    Today, when Irene and Bert were having dinner together, he said that his friend''s birthday was the next


    day. He wanted to invite Irene to apany him. Irene knew that Bert intended to introduce her to his


    friends, so she agreed after thinking about it for a while.


    The next morning, it began to drizzle as soon as Irene got up. Itsted for the entire day. When Irene


    was about to get off work, Bert called her and said that he was waiting for her downstairs.


    Irene saw that it was about time, so she packed up her things and got ready to leave. However, Jordan


    began to go crazy and forced Irene to stay for more than an hour until there was nothing else to ask her


    to do. Then, he resentfully let her go.


    By the time Irene rushed out of thepany, Bert had been waiting downstairs for more than an hour.


    The expression on Irene''s face was extremely apologetic, but Bert didn''t seem displeased at all. He


    said that it was her job and should therefore be prioritized.


    Upon seeing that he was so considerate and generous, Irene was very touched. Bert started the car


    and told Irene that his friend''s home was an hour outside the city. He took out snacks and drinks for


    Irene to eat first. Irene also felt hungry, so she took the snacks and drinks and started to eat them.


    The two of them talked the entire way. Gradually, Irene began to feel sleepy. She rubbed her eyes to


    increase her alertness, but her eyelids felt heavy.


    Bert said considerately, "You''re too tired. Sleep for a while. I''ll call you when we arrive."


    Irene knew that this was very rude, but she was too sleepy. She couldn''t hear what Bert saidter.


    When she woke up, she heard the rustling sound of rain. Irene opened her eyes and found herself lying


    on a bed. It was very dark in the room. She struggled for a while and found that her limbs were weak.


    She began to regain her memory. Wasn''t she going to attend Bert''s friend''s birthday party with Bert?


    Why was she here?


    Was this Bert''s friend''s home? But where was Bert?


    "Bert!" She yelled.


    Irene didn''t hear any response. She called out a few more times, and the door was pushed open.


    Several strange men appeared in front of Irene. "Are you awake?"


    "Who are you? Where''s Bert?" Irene was startled when she saw the strangers who had suddenly


    appeared.


    "It doesn''t matter who we are. What matters is that you''re our guest tonight." One of the men said


    insidiously, "You''re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. It''s a pity you don''t film AV!"


    "What did you say?"


    "Turn on the lights!" The man ordered. As the lights were turned on, Irene saw the environment she


    was in clearly. It turned out to be a room full of cameras. The walls of the room had obscene photos


    hung on them.


    Upon seeing those bare obscene photos, Irene closed her eyes instinctively, then jumped up


    reflexively. Upon seeing her rush straight to the door, one of the men grabbed her hand and forcefully


    threw her on the ground.


    "Third brother, be gentle to the beautifuldy. It''s her first time, so she would inevitably feel shy. Let''s


    give her some drugs." A man ordered.


    "I don''t want to take drugs!" Irene reached out her hand and pushed the pill away that was about to be


    sent into her mouth.


    "Be obedient. You''ll feel veryfortable after taking the pill." The man reached out to hold her mouth


    and stuffed the pill into Irene''s mouth. Then, he poured a ss of water into it.


    Irene coughed desperately. She put her finger into her throat and spat out the pill.


    "Beautifuldy, if you take the drug, you''ll feel like you''re on cloud nine. But if you don''t, it would be a


    sort of torture for you. You have to serve more than one person tonight. Our theme for tonight is a


    birthday party. How many men will serve you together at that time? Are you sure you can handle them


    all?"


    "I beg you to let me go!" Irene pleaded.


    "Let you go? Impossible!" The man shook his head. "We''ve received the money. How can we not do


    anything?"


    "Who made you do this to me? Was it Bert?" Irene felt angry and resentful.


    "Who made us do this to you is not important now,dy. The current issue is whether or not you take


    the pill and cooperate with us." The man shook his head. "You can''t escape tonight. If you cooperate


    with us, you won''t be tortured too much. Otherwise, this happy birthday party will turn into a cruel SM.


    Do you understand?"


    "Let me think about it!" Irene calmed herself down. "Give me a cigarette!"


    "That''s right." The man pulled out a cigarette and lit it up for Irene. "Think about it. Should we have a


    happy feast or SM?"


    Irene took the cigarette but didn''t take a puff. She nced around inside the room. There were three


    men in the room. One was ying with the camera, and the other two were standing beside her while


    staring at her. She was ten meters away from the door. If she could rush out, she might have a chance.


    "I have a request," Irene said.


    "What request?"


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    "I need money. You have to give me a sum of money."


    The two men looked at each other. They didn''t expect that she would suddenly change her mind. One


    of them looked puzzled. "Have you decided?"


    "I''ve made up my mind. I can''t escape anyway, but you have to give me a sum of money. I can''t do it for


    nothing!"


    "As long as it''s not too much, we will give you money," one of the men answered. The man stretched


    out five fingers. "If your work sells well, we can cooperate together in the long term and raise the price."


    Irene felt extremely disgusted inside, but her face didn''t reveal it. "Who''s first?"


    The two men looked at each other. Irene looked impatient. "Haven''t you decided yet?"


    "Should we all go together?" The two men discussed.


    "Whatever!" Irene said as she reached out to unbutton her shirt. They didn''t expect her to agree so


    readily. One of the men began to take off his clothes. Irene walked up to the man who didn''t move and


    narrowed her eyes. "Do you want me to take it off for you?"


    While speaking, she reached out to take off the man''s clothes. When her fingers touched the man''s


    clothes, she suddenlyunched an attack. The cigarette in her hand urately poked into the man''s


    eyes. The man never dreamed that she would do this. Eyes always were the most sensitive part of the


    body. With pain, the man screamed and squatted down with his eyes covered. Irene rushed to the door,


    then opened the door and ran away.


    The sound of cursing came from behind. It was probably the other two men chasing behind her. Irene


    didn''t dare to look back, and she ran out desperately.


    A dark alley was outside, and it was raining heavily. Irene''s clothes were instantly soaked, and her eyes


    couldn''t open because of the heavy rain. She frantically ran as she shouted. When she was about to


    rush out of the alley, she heard the people behind her shouting, "Catch her, don''t let her get away!"


    A ck figure in a raincoat suddenly jumped out and punched Irene in the face. Irene''s mind buzzed,


    and stars appeared in front of her eyes. Her body fell limply.


    When Irene woke up, it was already bright outside. She had a throbbing headache and couldn''t open


    her eyes. She felt even more ufortable after she saw the blinding light.


    She closed her eyes slightly. At this moment, her mind was still a little dazed. She smelled the faint


    scent of musky cologne. Why was the smell so familiar?


    She searched in her memory, but she couldn''t remember where she had smelled this scent. Her head


    still felt very painful. She raised her hand to rub her forehead, but she identally touched something


    hard.


    The solid object with a body temperature made Irene''s body tighten. The memories ofst night shed


    through her mind. Irene screamed and suddenly opened her eyes.


    A magnified handsome face appeared in front of her. His three-dimensional facial features, firm nose,


    and his eyes were so passionate that they were about to melt her. Irene screamed after seeing it


    clearly.


    Ah!


    "What are you shouting for?" A familiar voice sounded, and there was a hint of teasing in Edric''s eyes.


    "You... Why are you here? Edric? What are you doing here?" Irene was so shocked that she couldn''t


    speak clearly.


    Edric put one of his hands on the back of her head and the other on her waist. His hot breath hit Irene''s


    face. "Why am I here? This is my home, understand?"


    "Your home?" Irene stared at him in disbelief. Edric''s eyes were full of mirth. He stared at the snow-


    white surface of her body unabashedly. "Irene, after so many years, you are still the same as before!"


    Irene''s face suddenly burned. She used to like sleeping in his arms, and now, she was closely pressed


    to him like in the past.


    She could feel the warmth emanating from his body, the sort of warmth from bodily flesh. They weren''t


    wearing any clothes at all!


    Irene felt ashamed and angry as she pped him in the face, but Edric quickly grabbed her hand that


    she couldn''t break free. She could only curse angrily, "Edric, what have you done to me? You bast*rd!


    How can you be so shameless?"


    Edric frowned slightly and held her hands tightly. "What do you think we can do if we''re in the same


    room, no, in the same quilt?"


    Irene''s heart sank. It was over! "Edric, you''re so inhumane! How can you treat me like this?"

 Chapter 42 Unappreciative

    Chapter 42 Unappreciative


    Thinking that she slept with this disgusting man and had sex with him, Irene felt ashamed. She


    desperately stretched out her hand to push him away and kept cursing while struggling.


    But how could she use her meager strength to break free from Edric''s imprisonment? He hugged her


    tighter and tighter. Irene could feel the change in his body, and his hardness actually closely pressed


    against her leg.


    Embarrassment and anger made Irene''s eyes flow with tears. When Edric saw the tears in her eyes,


    his hand couldn''t help but let go. The person he had been thinking about day and night was in his


    arms, but he could only covet her without making a move. It could be imagined how much pain that


    was for Edric.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want her, but he was afraid that she would hate him even more. He tried his best


    to suppress his desire and held her tightly for the entire night.


    His letting go gave Irene the opportunity to p him in the face. "p!" This p was so crisp that


    Edric''s face was immediately covered with five clear fingerprints. He stared at Irene in shock. "You


    pped me? You dared to p me?"


    "So what if I pped you?" Irene red at him fiercely. "You stinking hooligan! I''m not only going to


    p you, but I''m also going to call the police to arrest you!"


    "Are you out of your mind?" Edric''s handsome face showed some hints of anger.


    How could this woman be so ungrateful? If he hadn''t arrivedst night, the consequences would have


    been unimaginable.


    "You are the one out of mind!" Irene pushed him hard. Caught off guard, Edric was pushed off the bed


    by her. When Edric got off the bed, Irene found that he was naked.


    "Pervert! Get out!" Irene''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    Edric got up from the ground and looked at her while naked. "You seem to have made a mistake. This


    is my home. If someone has to get out of here, it has to be you."


    Irene red at Edric. "Myers, why am I here? Did you y dirty to get me here?"


    Edric''s beautiful eyes revealed hints of anger. "I got you here? Irene, are you actually delirious? I don''t


    believe that you don''t remember what happenedst night at all?"


    Irene suddenly stopped talking. The ugly faces of those men fromst night were still vivid in her mind.


    She couldn''t connect them with Edric.


    "Do you remember something?" Edric raised his eyebrows slightly, but no emotional fluctuation could


    be seen in his dark eyes.


    "I..." As Irene quickly thought about what had happenedst night, her eyes became filled with fear.


    She remembered that she ran out of that house and was knocked unconscious in the alley. How could


    she appear beside Edric?


    "If you can''t remember it I''ll tell you. Your so-called sweetheart was a middle-agent for the porn


    industry. You were sold by him, and I rescued you!"


    "How did you know?"


    "How did I know?" Edric''s face sank. He felt that something was wrong when he saw Bert and Irene fall


    in the game at the scene that day. At that time, any normal person would have been concerned about


    himself first, unless they were a couple who loved each other so much that they were willing to die for


    each other.


    Bert and Irene had never known each other. He also said that he didn''t believe in love at first sight, so


    why did he have such great affection for Irene?


    The only possibility was that he was pretending. The so-called fall was just to get Irene''s sympathy, and


    she would be more likely to choose him.


    So he asked John to investigate. Bert''s true identity was very well hidden. His real name was Li Bing,


    and Bert was just a fake identity. It took John a long time to find out his real identity. When John sent


    Bert''s real information to Edric, Edric immediately drove to find Irene. However, Irene had disappeared


    with Bert.


    Edric located Bert''s phone and immediately found his location. Bert actually took Irene out of the city.


    Edric informed the police and followed them the entire way. They found Bert''s car in an old residential


    area. The police searched one by one and finally heard Irene''s cries for help.


    In the end, he rescued Irene and caught four people on the spot. However, Bert, the criminal


    mastermind, had disappeared. The police were currently surveilling the entire city to arrest him. Edric


    brought Irene back to his quarters.


    "Why did he do this to me?" Irene didn''t understand why Bert had to deal with her like that. Why did he


    set up a trap on a blind date TV program just to let her take part in an AV? Why did she feel that the


    matter wasn''t that simple?


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    Edric sneered, "People dread fame the way a pig dreads getting fat. Don''t you know that your worth


    is already very high now?"


    Irene red at him angrily and even forgot that she was naked. She lifted the quilt and was about to


    get up. When she saw Edric''s astonished eyes, she suddenly pulled the quilt over to wrap her body.


    A smile appeared on Edric''s gloomy face because of her actions. "Do you have to be like this? Is there


    any part of your body I hadn''t seen before?"


    Irene''s face turned bright red. "Pervert!"


    With a serious expression on his face, he said, "Your clothes were wet, so I took them off for you. I


    don''t have any women''s clothes here. You wait for a moment. I have sent someone to send you the


    clothes." After saying this, he put on his pajamas and left the room.


    Watching his figure disappear, Irene leaned against the bed dejectedly. Her head ached, and her mind


    was in turmoil. Why was he always there to see her in her most pathetic state?


    In front of Edric just now, she forced herself to bite the bullet. In reality, she was extremely scared


    inside. If something really happenedst night, would she still have the will to live?


    If she died, what would Eden do?


    After an unknown period of time, she heard the doorbell ring. After a while, Edric appeared at the door


    with a bag in his hand. He threw the bag on the bed. "Your clothes!"


    After saying that, he turned around and left. Irene looked at the clothes on the bed. The eye-catching


    tag made her freeze.


    In the past, she only wore this brand of clothes because Edric liked it. Now that Lily also wore this


    clothing brand, she felt a little humiliated inside, but there was no other way. She couldn''t go out


    naked.


    Her hand had no strength at all. Her head felt not only painful but also dizzy. It took Irene a long time to


    change her clothes. She felt as hot as a stove. Her mouth was parched, and her throat was smoking.


    She must have gotten a fever from being soaked in the rainst night.


    She knew very clearly that she needed to see a doctor at this time. Her clothes and wallet weren''t with


    her, so she could only rely on Edric at the moment.


    Irene didn''t want to have anything to do with Edric anymore. Edric once said that she was no longer his


    friend. She also knew that she wasn''t his friend. She couldn''t trouble Edric anymore and had to rely on


    herself.


    She struggled to open the door of the bedroom. Edric was sitting on the sofa and heard the noise. He


    turned to look at her.


    He clearly bought the clothes ording to her size, but why did the clothes appear obviously oversized


    on her body? That woman had indeed lost much weight. He felt very sad, but his voice was cold. "I


    have ordered breakfast, and it will be delivered soon."


    "Thank you, Mr. Myers." Irene tried her best to speak as if nothing had happened. "Mr. Myers, could


    you lend me your phone?"


    Her diplomatic tone made Edric''s head ache, and he handed her the phone speechlessly.


    Irene shook her hands and dialed Kinsey''s number. "Kinsey,e pick me up."


    She didn''t know the name of the ce, so she looked at Edric and asked, "May I ask where this ce


    is?"


    Edric stared at her for a few seconds and calmly said a name. Irene repeated it and hung up the


    phone.


    She handed the phone to Edric and thanked him. Edric snorted, "What are you doing standing up for?


    Do you want me to invite you to sit down?"


    Irene didn''t want to stay in front of this man for a minute longer, especially after experiencing such a


    thing. She had already beenpletely humiliated, but she still wanted to maintain her dignity as much


    as possible.


    "Thank you for what you didst night. It''s time for me to go!" After saying that, she turned around.


    A trace of helplessness shed through Edric''s beautiful eyes. She was still so tough and unwilling to


    admit defeat. Would it kill her to show a little weakness? He said, "Are you going to leave like this?"


    Irene turned her head. "I will return the clothes to you."


    Upon seeing her aloof countenance, Edric was very angry. She was acting indifferent even after


    experiencing something so serious. How could she be so indifferent? Did she know what she would


    have experienced if he arrived there toote? There was fury inside his heart. "What''s the use of giving


    me back the clothes? Throw them away!"


    Irene was choked by his words and couldn''t breathe for a moment. Her head felt very dizzy and painful.


    Her vision went dark, and she didn''t have the strength to argue with Edric. Irene staggered to the door


    and opened the door to go out.


    Irene felt she was about to copse, but there was a belief in her heart that Kinsey woulde to pick


    her up as soon as receiving the phone call. She just needed to hold on until Kinsey came.


    Irene held on to the wall and slowly walked to the elevator. It was a very short distance. Usually, it


    would only take a few steps to get there, but she felt that it was so far away. Her footsteps felt heavy as


    if she weighed a thousand pounds. Every step took much effort. When she finally moved to the elevator


    door, she raised her hand to press the elevator button, but her body copsed.


    Looking at Irene''s cold back figure, Edric sighed dejectedly. He patted his head in exasperation. He


    knew she was stubborn, but he always provoked her.


    Whenever he remembered how she hadn''t given him any chance to exin, and whenever he thought


    about how she had disappeared for three years without a word, he felt that he couldn''t forgive her, and


    he couldn''t control his mouth.


    Listening to her retreating footsteps, he could no longer bear to stay in the room, so he got up and


    chased after her. From a distance, he saw a person lying in front of the elevator. Edric''s pupils dted.


    He rushed towards Irene in a few steps and ran away with her in his arms.


    Irene had been seriously frightened and got drenched in the rain, so she had a high fever. Edric looked


    at her blushing face and felt extremely distressed. He med himself for being so greedy for her


    gentleness. Otherwise, he could have sent her to the hospitalst night.


    Kinsey drove to the address Irene had mentioned, but she couldn''t find Irene anywhere, so she had to


    dial the number that Irene had just called her from. When she heard Edric''s voice, she froze and


    thought she had made a mistake. Edric told her that Irene had a fever and he was sending her to the


    hospital. After hanging up, Kinsey rushed to the hospital without stopping.

 Chapter 43 Vicious Heart

    Chapter 43 Vicious Heart


    When Kinsey rushed to the hospital, Irene was getting an infusion. Edric was anxiously guarded by her


    bedside. Upon seeing Edric holding Irene''s hand, Kinsey rushed forward and asked, "What have you


    done to Irene?"


    "Keep your voice down!" It was rare for Edric to have such a good temper. "Something happened to


    her."


    "What happened? Myers, Irene went on a date with her boyfriend yesterday, so why is she with you?


    What do you want to do? Isn''t it enough that your affair caused Irene to be so miserable? Do you want


    to destroy her happiness that she finally obtained as well?" Kinsey didn''t have a good impression of


    Edric at all, so she spoke without scruple.


    Edric didn''t refute her. Last night''s incident wasn''t a good thing for Irene. He had specially asked the


    police to block the news. He was afraid that the news would have a bad effect on Irene.


    Although Kinsey was Irene''s good friend, it would be less troublesome if one less person knew about it.


    So in the face of Kinsey''s interrogation, he had to choose to be silent.


    When Kinsey saw that Edric didn''t exin or argue, she became more and more convinced that Edric


    was the culprit. "Myers, you can get out of here. You''re not wee here!"


    How could Edric be willing to leave? Kinsey snapped, "Are you going to leave or not? If you don''t go, I


    will call mistress Cook to ask her toe and take you away!"


    While they were bickering, Irene slowly woke up. Seeing Irene wake up, Kinsey didn''t bother


    condemning Edric anymore. "Irene, how do you feel?"


    "Water!" Irene felt that her throat was on fire. Edric immediately poured a ss of water and handed it


    over. Irene drank the ss of water, and her throat felt a little better. Kinsey took the ss from her


    hand. "Did Myers harass you?"


    Irene shook her head and looked at Edric. "Thank you for sending me to the hospital, Mr. Myers. I have


    nothing else now, so you can go attend to your work now!"


    Edric still stood there, so Irene had to drive him away. "I have something to say to Kinsey. Please


    excuse yourself, Mr. Myers."


    Edric hesitated for a moment, but he still didn''t want to leave. Kinsey drove him away rudely. "Myers,


    are you deaf? Hurry up and leave!"


    "I will be outside. Call me if there''s anything." Edric turned around and left the ward, but he didn''t go far.


    "What on earth happened? How did you end up like this?" Kinsey couldn''t resist asking her as soon as


    Edric left.


    "Kinsey, I thought I would never see you again... That Bert... he... he''s not a good person!" Irene''s eyes


    reddened.


    "Bert hit you?" Domestic violence came to Kinsey''s mind first.


    "No!" Irene intermittently told Kinsey about what happenedst night.


    Kinsey was so angry that she was fuming. "Bastard! That bastard! If I see him, I will skin him alive!"


    After thinking about it, she was terrified. Fortunately, Edric passed by. Otherwise, things would have


    been unimaginable. But why did Edric happen to appear there?


    "Why was Edric there?"


    "I don''t know either. I didn''t ask." After Irene woke up, she felt surprised, afraid, and ashamed. She


    didn''t think of asking that.


    Kinsey thought about it for a while. "Why do I feel that this matter isn''t that simple? That man surnamed


    Kent has no grudge against you. Why would he think of setting up such a big trap to harm you? Is it


    possible that Mr. Myers deliberately pretended to be the good guy, but he did it all behind the scenes in


    reality? Otherwise, why would he appear there so coincidentally?"


    "Edric schemed against me?" Irene froze but immediately shook her head. "He''s not that despicable."


    "You don''t have to put in a good word for him. A man who had an extramarital affair and raised a


    mistress can''t be a kind one." Kinsey had no good impression of Edric.


    "What''s his motive?"


    "The motive is straightforward. You made him lose face, so wouldn''t he have to get payback?" Kinsey


    reminded.


    "Would he?" Irene still didn''t believe that Edric would do such a thing.


    "I just want to remind you that the human heart is sinister. Since Myers was capable of doing such a


    disgusting thing back then, you have to be wary of him. No matter what, you can''t feel grateful towards


    him because of this matter. You must firmly remember that it was he who caused you to be like


    this!"


    Irene nodded. "I know. Don''t worry, I won''t have anything to do with him!"


    Kinsey didn''t believe that Bert would deliberately set up a trap to harm Irene, and Edric didn''t believe it


    either. He also suspected that someone must be trying to cause trouble. In connection with the


    rtionship between Irene and Jordan, he naturally thought of the Reed Family.


    Although Jordan''s reputation wasn''t good, in the eyes of Old Mr. Reed, he was a treasure. Old Mr.


    Reed would never allow his precious grandson to have a rtionship with a divorced woman.


    However, it was just a suspicion, and he had no evidence, so it wasn''t appropriate to say anything in


    front of Irene. He simply became more rmed inside. To prevent things like what happenedst night


    from happening again, he had to be more attentive towards that woman.


    He called John to keep an eye on the movements of the Reed Family. He wanted to see if Kent had


    been acting under their orders. After finishing the call, he found that there were a few missed calls from


    Lily on his phone.


    Edric frowned slightly and called her back. "What''s the matter?"


    Lily''s soft and charming voice sounded. "Do you have time tonight? My mom bought some fresh


    seafood and wanted you and Auntie Lin toe over for dinner."


    "I don''t have the time!" Edric answered.


    He refused without hesitation, so Lily had no choice but to hang up the phone and turn to Maisy, who


    was in the kitchen, then say, "Maisy, you don''t need to buy seafood anymore tonight."


    Upon hearing that, Deborah came downstairs. "Why don''t we need to buy seafood anymore?"


    "He said that he doesn''t have the time." Lily leaned back against the sofa and answered listlessly.


    "Is he that busy?" Deborah didn''t believe it.


    "It''s just an excuse. Didn''t he always take the time to apany Irene for dinner even when he was


    busy?" Lily felt unfair. "Mom, didn''t you say that the matter woulde out soon? Why hasn''t there


    been any news yet?"


    Deborah red at her, then looked at Maisy, who was busy in the kitchen, and lowered her voice. "Is


    now the appropriate time to talk about this matter?"


    "I feel anxious inside!" Lily said with a bitter expression on her face, "As long as this matter isn''t settled,


    I won''t be at peace."


    "Don''t worry. There will be news in the next two days." Deborah seemed very assured.


    "Mom, what did you do? Can you reveal it to me?" Lily was very curious about what Deborah was


    going to do.


    "You don''t have to know, but as long as that matter is sessful, that b*tch''s reputation will be


    permanently ruined, and she will never be able topete with you for a man," Deborah said in a low


    voice. When she saw Maisying out of the kitchen, she stopped the topic and told Maisy, "Go and


    buy some seafood. Buy a lot and the best ones."


    Maisy agreed to go to the market. Lily waited for Maisy to go out and asked her quizzically, "Edric can''t


    make it, so why are you buying seafood?"


    "To get the answer," Deborah said with a sinister smile.


    In the evening, Steven came back a little earlier. When he entered the door, Deborah gently came over


    to take the bag in his hand and went to make tea. Steven sat down on the sofafortably, and


    Deborah came over with tea. "Have you gone to visit Irene recently?"


    "No!" Steven replied. After he went to find Irene and unsessfully told her to stay away from Bert, he


    didn''t look for her again. Upon thinking of Irene''s attitude towards him at that time, he felt a little


    dismayed. "Irene is too harsh! She doesn''t take me, her father, seriously at all!"


    "Irene is like that because she resents us. We aggrieved her at that time. It''s normal for her to have


    resentment. You have to be close to her. After a long time, she will naturally change her mind."


    Deborah persuaded.


    "No matter how resentful she is, she can''t joke about her own marriage. Look at the man she chooses


    now. How terrible he is!" Steven became angry as soon as he thought about it.


    "The more so, the more you need to persuade her!" Deborah looked like a kind stepmother. "I


    asked Maisy to buy fresh seafood today. You can give some to Irene and take this opportunity to talk to


    her. She is your child anyway. You can''t abandon her!"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Deborah spoke as if she truly cared about Irene. Steven was very satisfied with her and went out with


    the fresh seafood.


    Lily had been on the side the entire time. She couldn''t figure out why her mother would do that. Her


    mother''s hatred for Irene wasn''t any less than hers. Why did she think of sending seafood to Irene?


    However, her mother always had a method to her madness. She didn''t dare to ask when she saw that


    Maisy was busy in the living room.


    It didn''t take long for Steven toe back. Upon seeing that he was carrying the seafood in his hand,


    Deborah walked up to him and asked in a gentle voice, "Irene won''t ept it?"


    "No!" Steven sat down. "Irene is sick. She is in the hospital now!"


    "Why don''t we go visit?" Deborah looked worried.


    "Let Maisy make some soup, and I''ll go to the hospital to visit her."


    "Maisy will make chicken soup tonight. I''ll let her pack it for you to take." Deborah immediately went into


    the kitchen and packed the chicken soup with Maisy. Steven rushed out with the chicken soup.


    After Steven went out, Deborah and Lily had a meal and sat on the sofa as they waited for news. Lily


    couldn''t help but lower her voice. "Mom, is the matter dealt with?"


    Deborah nodded. "Yes, but why didn''t he call me to ask for the rest of the money?"


    As she spoke, Deborah''s phone rang. She picked up the phone and looked at it. Then she immediately


    got up and went into the bedroom, followed by Lily.


    A man''s hoarse voice came through the phone. "It''s done. Send me the bnce, and I''ll give it to you."


    Deborah was delighted. "I''ll give you the rest right away."


    Lily saw her mother smiling and knew that it must have been sessful. Deborah hung up the phone


    and told her daughter, "Lily, it''s done. Transfer the money to this ount immediately."


    She took out a slip with a bank ount number from the drawer and handed it to Lily. Lily was a little


    hesitant. "Mom, aren''t you afraid of being defrauded since you haven''t even seen the thing yet?"


    "No, Dunn rmended him, so he wouldn''t swindle me! Besides, didn''t your father say that little


    b*tch was hospitalized? It must have something to do with that matter." Lily had no choice but to turn


    on theputer and log onto the Inte. ording to Deborah''s instructions, she transferred 100


    thousand dors out.


    It didn''t take long before Steven came back. Deborah came up to him and asked, "How is Irene?"


    "I didn''t get to see her." Steven sighed and handed the thermos bottle to Deborah.


    "She doesn''t want to see you?"


    "No." Steven looked at Deborah and Lily with aplicated expression. He didn''t know what to say.


    When he arrived at the hospital with the thermos bottle, he saw Edric''s special assistant John carry the


    thermos bottle into Irene''s ward. He knew that Edric must be in the ward as well.


    Upon seeing that Steven was about to say something but stopped himself, Deborah was secretly


    ted. It seemed that Irene''s situation wasn''t very good. She controlled herself and asked, "Didn''t you


    ask the doctor?"


    "Yes." Steven sat down.


    "What did the doctor say?" Deborah and Lily were very anxious. The slow Q&A made them impatient,


    but they couldn''t go overboard with their questions.

 Chapter 44 No Way Out

    Chapter 44 No Way Out


    "The doctor said it was just a fever. An intravenous drip should do it." Steven sighed and looked at his


    clever and sensible daughter. "Lily, you should give up on the idea of you and Edric together."


    "Dad, what do you mean?" Lily''s face suddenly turned pale.


    "What happened?" Deborah was also shocked by Steven''s abrupt words.


    "I saw Edric in Irene''s ward." Steven hesitated for a moment,  but he had to tell the truth.


    "Did he find out about your rtionship with Irene?" Deborah''s heart sank. If Edric found out about the


    rtionship between Steven and Irene at this moment, Lily definitely wouldn''t be able to get engaged


    to him.


    "No. I was just thinking that since he stayed by Irene''s side while she was sick, it proves that he still


    has feelings for Irene. We all know clearly what happened between Lily and Edric. If it wasn''t for Irene''s


    inability to have children, such a thing wouldn''t have happened. Now that Irene has returned, Edric''s


    feelings for her have been rekindled. Lily, you''d better back out."


    "Dad!" Lily looked sad and pitiful, with her tears rolling down.


    "I know that you like Edric, but his heart doesn''t belong to you. He only feels guilty towards you, and


    you won''t be happy." Steven persuaded her, "It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have sacrificed you because I felt


    sorry for Irene."


    "Steven, have you forgotten why Irene got a divorce? Even if Lily can back out so Irene and Edric can


    rekindle their romance, Irene still won''t be able to have children. Wouldn''t Margaret still meddle in their


    affairs? The Myers Family spans several generations, so it''s impossible for them not to want children."


    Deborah calmed herself down. If she hadn''t told Steven that Irene was bullied by Margaret all the time,


    and if she hadn''t said that she was willing to sacrifice Lily so Irene could be happy and have a


    harmonious family, they wouldn''t have been able to convince Steven that easily.


    Steven was silent. It was indeed troublesome that Irene couldn''t give birth. He saw clearly what kind of


    person Margaret was.


    Since Irene couldn''t give birth, Margaret would still make things difficult. Upon seeing his hesitation, Lily


    regained herposure and burst into tears. "Dad, the entire San Fetillo city knows about what


    happened between me and Edric. Aren''t you forcing me to die by making me back out now? How can I


    live with the shame?"


    "Nonsense! What do you mean by saying you''d die?" Deborah shouted at Lily fiercely. Lily understood


    her mother''s insinuations and knelt down on the ground.


    "Dad, if no one knew what happened between me and Edric, I definitely would back out. But now,


    everyone knows. So if I back out, I have no other choice but to die!"


    Steven looked at his crying daughter and sighed. "I was just mentioning it, so why are you so


    emotional?"


    Deborah helped Lily up. "Lily, your father was just mentioning it. He simply feels anguished about your


    sister''s suffering. It''s just that we owe you sister, but you can''t threaten your father with suicide. You''re


    also his child. How can he bear to let you die?"


    Steven sighed heavily when he heard this. He was torn between his two daughters. If he hadn''t


    foolishly agreed to let Lily give birth to a child for Irene at that time, this matter wouldn''t have turned out


    like this.


    When he thought of Lily''s suffering and saw her crying, he felt very bad. So, he got up and went into


    the study. Then, Deborah helped Lily upstairs. Deborah closed the door and let go of Lily. She sat on


    the bed and gasped. "I''m so angry!"


    Lily also wiped the tears off her face and said fiercely, "Dad is so biased!"


    "Biased? Let him stay biased for a while. When the matteres out, I''ll see how biased he can be."


    Deborah looked ferocious.


    "Mom, what did you do?"


    "What could I have done? Of course I did something that would ruin that little b*tch''s reputation forever.


    When we get the thing, we will spread it out. At that time, everyone in San Fetillo will know that she''s a


    sl*t. Let''s see what a disgrace she will be!" Deborah looked full of hatred.


    Lily didn''t expect that her mother was nning that. Her mother wasn''t an ordinary person indeed, and


    never left a way out for others. Irene was dead meat.


    However, when she remembered that Steven said that Edric was guarding Irene''s bed, Lily felt


    extremely distressed. "Mom, Edric is in the hospital now."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll prevent him from guarding by her side right away!" Deborah sneered and picked up the


    phone to call Margaret.


    When Margaret heard that Edric was visiting Irene in the hospital, she fumed with rage. Her son was a


    typical fool who was blinded by love. That woman hadmbasted them so severely, yet he still rushed


    to the hospital. She immediately ordered the driver to drive to the hospital.


    Since her son insisted on being stubborn, she had to be a viin again. Margaret pushed open the door


    of the ward angrily, and startled Thomas and Kinsey in the ward. Margaret nced around the ward but


    didn''t see her son, so she asked, "Where''s Edric?"


    When Kinsey saw clearly that it was Margaret, she sneered and said, "Madam, aren''t you in the wrong


    ce?"


    Margaret ignored Kinsey and went straight to the bed to look at Irene. "Irene, people should have a


    sense of shame. Since you know so clearly that I''m an evil mother-inw and Edric is a scumbag, why


    are you still clinging to Edric?"


    Irene was about to speak when Kinsey spoke before her. "Madam Myers, perhaps you''re too


    narcissistic, but Irene isn''t the kind of person who forgets about the pain after the scar heals. She isn''t


    interested in an evil mother-inw or a scumbag."


    Margaret stared at Kinsey fiercely. "Who are you? Do you have the right to speak here?"


    "If I don''t have the right to speak, then you don''t have the ability to speak at all. You have no manners


    at all. You came to other people''s ward to cause a huge scene. Do you think this hospital is run by your


    family?" Kinsey was angry and spoke with no mercy at all.


    Irene continued Kinsey''s words, "Madam Myers, this is my ward. Please leave, or I will call the security


    guard!"


    Margaret felt embarrassed. She red at Irene and said, "Irene, are you talking nonsense? Our family


    didn''t disparage you even though you married into our family when you couldn''t have a baby. I had


    been looking for medicine for you the entire time. It was you who couldn''t stand the loneliness and had


    an extramarital affair with someone outside. Even though you had an extramarital affair, Edric tolerated


    it. But you were so vicious that you even pushed Lily and caused her miscarriage. Let me tell you, our


    Myers Family had never aggrieved you. If it had been someone else, we could''ve sent you to jail just


    because you pushed Lily and caused her miscarriage!"


    Irene was so angry that she trembled. What on earth was she going on about? It was Edric who had an


    extramarital affair with a mistress, but now, Margaret confounded right and wrong by blindly using


    her of having an extramarital affair. Margaret was really good at confounding right and wrong. Thomas,


    who was on the side, was very angry. "What are you talking about? Believe it or not, I''ll beat you!"


    "I dare you to touch me!" Margaret didn''t take Thomas seriously. "Believe it or not, I''ll get you sent to jail


    as soon as I make a phone call!"


    "You feel self-righteous about having an affair with a mistress? Do you really think that the police


    station is run by your family? Do you want me to shout outside and make a fuss about your family''s


    adulterous scandal?" Kinsey was very angry.


    Irene already knew what kind of person Margaret was. She couldn''t let Kinsey stand up for her, so she


    stopped Kinsey. "Madam Myers, I''ll tell you the truth. You and your son are the most oundish people


    I''ve ever seen. I was blind at that time, so I had a rtionship with your son. Now, I know I was wrong. I


    beg you to stay away from me, okay? As long as you and your son can stay away from me, I will thank


    heaven for that."


    "Did you hear that? Your son is the one clinging to Irene. We have already driven him away countless


    times. Please take your son away. Him staying here makes the air stuffy!" Kinsey was extremely sharp-


    tongued.


    "You..." Margaret''s face turned bright red.


    "Madam Myers, please leave!" Thomas''s face darkened.


    Looking at the three pairs of unfriendly eyes in the ward, Margaret left the ward with her face flushed.


    When she walked out of the door, she saw Edric looking at her with a poker face. "Edric!"


    Edric turned around and said in a cold voice, "Why are you here?"


    "How could I note? Look at yourself!" Margaret waspletely humiliated. In the past, although


    Irene was rude, she never said anything malicious. But Kinsey was different.


    Margaret now understood Kinsey''s strength. "What''s so good about that woman? She''s vicious, unfilial,


    and she can''t give birth to a baby. Why are you still clinging to her? You don''t know how she scolded


    me just now. I waspletely humiliated."


    While speaking, Margaret began to wipe her tears. Edric frowned and his eyes shed with impatience.


    "I''ll send you back!"


    On the way back, Margaret didn''t forget to say that Irene and Kinsey were vicious. Edric had been


    silent for a long time, but he finally couldn''t bear it anymore. "Mom, you don''t have to pretend anymore.


    I heard everything you said just now."


    Margaret''s face turned red. "What did you hear?"


    "Mom, I''m your son. Don''t you feel tired pretending in front of me?"


    "When did I pretend? I just wanted her to stay away from you. Is that wrong?" Margaret was being


    unreasonable.


    "You weren''t wrong. It was me who was wrong for shamelessly approaching Irene. Do you


    understand?"


    "Why did you approach her?"


    "Why?" Edric sneered, "Mom, do you really not know?"


    Margaret''s face burned. "Son, it''s all over. We have to look forward. Lily is such a good girl, and she


    has done so much for you. You can''t let her down."


    "Let her down? Aren''t you the one who designed all of this?" Edricughed in self-mockery. "Mom,


    you''re the one who let Lily down, not me. If it weren''t for you, would things be like this?"


    "Didn''t I do all of this for your sake? You were bewitched by that vixen and refused to divorce her. The


    Myers Family can''t end in your hands. If you don''t have a child, how will I be able to face your father?"


    Margaret said eloquently, "What''s more, it''s already bad enough since that vixen can''t have children,


    but she even had an extramarital affair behind your back. I get angry whenever I think of that."


    "Can you stop talking about that?" The word "affair" irritated Edric, and he suddenly raised his voice.


    "If I don''t remind you, you will forget the pain after your scar heals. I don''t understand what''s so good


    about that vixen. She''s totally useless whenpared with Lily."


    Margaret tried her best to belittle Irene. "She''s a poor little plebeian without any etiquette. Lily is


    different. She''s from an affluent family and she''s kind. If it weren''t for me, would she have gone for


    surrogacy? Let me tell you, we are mother and son, and sons must repay their mothers'' debts. You


    must treat her well!"


    "Sons must repay their mothers'' debts?" Edric suddenly sneered. "Since it''s to pay off your debts, why


    don''t you give the entire Myers Group to Lily to pay off your debts?"


    "What are you talking about?" Margaret was shocked by her son''s indifferent tone.


    "Mom, I want to ask you a question. Which is the most important thing in your heart, yourpany,


    your pride, grandchildren, or my happiness?"


    "Of course, your happiness is the most important."


    "Since it''s my happiness that matters the most, can you stop pressuring me? I''m a human, not a


    puppet. Can you let me live my life as I wish?"


    "As long as you don''t have anything to do with Irene, I won''t interfere with your life." Margaret made a


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    concession.


    "But except for her, I''m not interested in any woman." Edric''s voice was cold. "Unless someone is so


    stupid that she''s willing to live a lonely life!"

 Chapter 45 Got Played For A Fool

    Chapter 45 Got yed For A Fool


    Margaret knew that Edric wasn''t joking. In the past three years after Irene left, her son had been living


    with her. No other woman appeared beside him except Lily. The reason Lily was able to appear beside


    him was pressure from her. In the past three years, the rtionship between her son and Lily had


    never improved.


    This was the first time her son had officially told her what his true thoughts were. Margaret let out a


    dejected sigh. "What sort of sins have Imitted?"


    When Irene didn''te to work for a whole day, Jordan felt distressed, as if a cat was gnawing at his


    heart. That woman really went too far. She didn''t go to work without even asking for a leave of


    absence. What on earth did she want to do?


    She must be having fun with her lover. Upon thinking of this, Jordan was extremely angry. He originally


    wanted to call Irene directly, but upon thinking of this, he asked David to call Irene to tell her not to


    As a result, David called, but her phone was turned off. Jordan became even angrier. He thought she


    turned off her phone because she was afraid of being disturbed. "Good for you, Irene. You''ll see how I


    will deal with you!"


    Jordan spent the entire day cursing. In the evening, he finally could not help driving to the ce where


    Irene lived. He found that it was dark and Thomas was not at home.


    Jordan was extremely angry. Did that woman actually move away? He waited downstairs all the way


    until midnight but she still didn''t appear. Full of resentment inside, he returned home.


    Early the next morning, he arrived at the tube-shaped apartment building again. This time, he finally


    saw Thomas. Only then did he find out that Irene had been hospitalized because she was sick. Jordan


    rushed to the hospital without stopping.


    "What''s wrong? Why do you get sick like this in such a short time?" Looking at Irene''s pale


    countenance on the bed, Jordan inexplicably felt distressed. Irene felt ashamed when she saw Jordan.


    If Jordan found out that she was almost raped by someone, how would she deal with the shame?


    Kinsey, who was next to her, said, "She got drenched in the rain yesterday night."


    "You got drenched in the rain? Why did you get drenched in the rain?" Jordan looked Irene up and


    down. "Why is your forehead bruised?"


    "She identally bumped into the wall," Kinsey answered.


    "You were drunk?" That night, Irene left with Bert to attend his friend''s birthday party. Jordan assumed


    that Irene got drunk. "As a woman, why did you drink so much alcohol? Why didn''t your sweetheart


    drink for you?"


    When he mentioned her sweetheart, he realized that he didn''t see Bert around. Theoretically, Bert


    should havee to the hospital to visit Irene, shouldn''t he? "Where''s Kent?"


    "Don''t mention him!" Kinsey''s face turned cold.


    "What happened?"


    Irene looked at Kinsey pitifully. Kinsey was a straightforward person, so Irene worried that she would


    tell others about her. Kinsey naturally wasn''t that stupid. She said angrily, "Kent broke up with Irene!"


    "Really?!" Jordan''s face was full of joy. During this period of time, whenever he saw Irene and Kent


    going on dates, he felt anguished, as if a cat was wing at his heart. He had been thinking about how


    to separate them. Now, they had really separated. God was really on his side.


    Jordan was happy for a while, but then he felt a little angry. He guessed that Irene getting drunk and


    hitting the wall must have something to do with Kent. Wasn''t he just a man? They had only known each


    other for a few days, yet she was torturing herself like this!


    He looked towards Irene with a sulky expression on his face. "Look at yourself. Isn''t he just a man? A


    break up is just a break up, so did you have to torture yourself like this?"


    "Mr. Reed is right. Isn''t he just a man? A break up is nothing, so you don''t have to torture yourself like


    this." Kinsey winked at Irene. Irene lowered her head and kept silent.


    When Jordan saw that she lowered her head without speaking, he scolded her for a while and then


    stopped talking. He picked up the phone and called David happily. "I''m in the hospital. Irene is sick.


    She appears sallow and emaciated. It''s obvious that she''s malnourished. Bring some nutritional


    supplements right away!"


    David agreed and hung up the phone. He said to himself, "Yesterday, he was still calling her Executive


    Assistant Ye while scolding that woman and saying that he wanted to teach her a lesson. But why did


    the situation change overnight? He not only called her Irene, but also wanted to prepare nutritional


    supplements for her. It''s really hard to guess what the boss is thinking!"


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Deborah thought that she would be able to get what she wanted once she sent the money out. Then,


    she would be able to ruin Irene''s reputation forever.


    Two days passed by quickly, but there was still no sign of the package promised to send her. She was


    a little anxious, so she called Dunn, but found that the number was invalid.


    How could Dunn turn off his phone? Was something wrong? Deborah felt a little uncertain. After waiting


    at home for an entire day, she couldn''t help driving to Maoer Alley.


    Maoer Alley was the ce where she used to live when she was in poverty. It was the most chaotic


    ce in San Fetillo. Thergest gang in San Fetillo lived there. In the past, Deborah, an unmarried


    mother, dragged Lily around there and got to know a lot of mafia members with her cunning ways.


    Dunn was one of them. Taking drugs, doing drug trafficking, fighting, raping,mitting burries,


    Dunn had done them all. Therefore, Deborah thought of him first when she tried to set up Irene.


    Irene wasn''t an ordinary person. She had Steven''s protection, so she couldn''t allow gangsters to deal


    with her in their usual way. Deborah definitely wouldn''t be able to wipe herself clean of the matter if


    things got blown up. Therefore, she thought of a way to get someone to set up Irene through the blind


    date program.


    After the incident happened, Irene could only me herself for not seeing people''s true colors.


    Deborah knew that Dunn knew a lot of people in different trades, so she told Dunn her intentions.


    In less than two days, Dunn replied to her, and said that it could be done, but the price was a bit high.


    After all, it wasn''t an ordinary case of kidnapping or defrauding. It would take a little acting to get it


    done.


    Deborah readily agreed to Dunn''s offer and forked out 100,000 dors first. Deborah knew all about


    Irene''s personality, so she prepared all the information for Dunn. Dunn handed the information to Bert,


    then asked him to think of ways to deal with Irene ording to her personality. He mustn''t fail.


    Bert was a master liar. After thoroughly analyzing Irene''s information, he finally came up with a


    solution. First, he used his identity to draw Irene''s attention. Then, he deliberately put on a show during


    the interaction game, which moved Irene. Finally, he threw out the same background story as Irene''s to


    garner sympathy and create a good impression.


    Upon seeing that Bert and Irene sessfully held hands on TV, Deborah was overjoyed. She knew


    that Irene had an intensely rebellious attitude towards Steven. Therefore, she deliberately asked


    Steven to persuade Irene so that Irene could believe in Bert more firmly.


    By this time, more than half of the n had been sessfullypleted. Afraid that unexpected


    events would arise if things dragged on for too long, Deborah had Dunn urge Bert to take action


    immediately, so there was the so-called birthday party.


    Irene, a single woman, had been lured out like a sheep into a wolf''s den. The consequences could be


    imagined. Deborah was 90% sure that she was in danger. She was cautious enough to let Steven go


    find out the truth. After getting the news that Irene was in the hospital, Deborah thought that she had


    definitely seeded.


    So when Dunn called and asked about money, she gave it to him without hesitation. But now, she


    realized that she seemed to have been a little careless. She should have sent the money only after she


    got the stuff.


    But now, the money had been sent out, so she was only crying over spilled milk. The only option left


    was for her to ask Dunn to figure it out.


    Deborah parked the car in the open space at the entrance of Maoer Valley and walked into the alley.


    She arrived in front of a yard with familiarity. The door of the yard was unlocked. Deborah pushed the


    door open and in the yard, she saw a man with golden teeth and a pipe in his hand basking in the sun.


    "Dickie!" Deborah was the first to speak.


    Upon seeing Deborah, he took out the pipe in his mouth. The man was surprised. "What brings you


    here, Madam Secretary?"


    Deborah walked up to the man and asked, "Dickie, where is Dunn?"


    "What are you looking for Dunn for?" Dickie asked.


    "It''s a private matter." Deborah didn''t want to reveal more. "Why are you in Dunn''s house?"


    "This isn''t Dunn''s home, but my home now." Dickie replied, "Dunn sold the house to me."


    Deborah was stunned. Obviously, she didn''t expect that Dunn would sell the house. "Howe he


    sold the house?"


    "How would I know?" Dickie picked up the pipe again and stared at Deborah''s face with anger. "I must


    say, Sugar, you''re really not a goodrade. You only look for Dunn, but you never look for


    me, Dickie. I can do what Dunn can do, can''t I?"


    Sugar was Deborah''s nickname when she lived in Maoer Alley. Because she was beautiful, everyone


    called her that. In the past, when someone called her that, Deborah would feel very proud, but now,


    she felt extremely ufortable when she heard it.


    Dickie didn''t seem to see Deborah''s embarrassment. "People say that women get uglier as they get


    older. These words don''t apply to you. Why do I feel that the older you get, the more attractive you


    be?"


    Dickie had always had romantic intentions towards her ever since the past. He always harassed her


    verbally and physically. In the past, Deborah had to tolerate because she lived under his roof. But now,


    things were different. She was no longer the former Deborah who had no support. She was Madam


    Secretary. How could she be bullied by a gangster? Deborah''s face darkened. "Dickie, watch your


    mouth!"


    "Watch my mouth?" Dickie sneered, "You''re different after you married an official. I feel bewildered.


    Why didn''t you say anything when I touched you before?"


    "Do you believe I''ll beat you?" Deborah was trembling with anger.


    "Sugar, I don''t like to see you like this. Don''t pretend to be a wolf. Others might not know you, but how


    can I not know you? Don''t think you''re all high and might just because you''re married to the secretary. I


    remember all your scandals from the past very clearly." Dickie wasn''t afraid of her at all.


    Deborah''s facial expression changed. She thought about how she shouldn''t bother getting angry at a


    thug, so she turned around and left. Then, she heard Dickie Laosan''s voice behind her.


    "You both came out of Maoer Alley, but Myra was different. She was upright and admirable. Who do


    you think you are? You stole your friend''s man, so how dare youe here to cause a scene! If you


    provoke me, I''ll expose all your dirty scandals from the past!"


    Deborah quickened her pace, and when she walked to the entrance of the alley, she bumped into a


    person. "Deborah?"


    Deborah nced at him with a look of disgust, but he didn''t care about her attitude. "What are you


    doing here?"


    Deborah didn''t want to talk to him at first, but when she thought about her purpose ofing here


    today, she could only bite the bullet. "Where is Dunn?"


    "Dunn got into trouble and ran away!" The man answered.


    "He ran away?" Deborah froze and couldn''t believe what she had just heard.


    "Why are you looking for him?"


    Deborah was unwilling to reveal it. "Remember to inform me if you have any information about him. I


    have debt to settle with him."


    "He won''te back." The man shook his head." He had already finished his immigration papers as


    early as a month ago."


    "That bastard!" Realization dawned upon Deborah. She had been deceived by Dunn. Her angry


    countenance aroused the man''s curiosity. "What is the grudge between you and Dunn?"


    Of course, Deborah wouldn''t reveal that Dunn swindled her, so she randomly made up an excuse and


    left. But the man behind her called out to her. "Deborah, how... how are you?"


    "Fine!" Deborah answered curtly.


    "How does he treat you?" The man asked again.


    "What does it have to do with you?" Deborah was impatient. "I have something to do, so I have to go


    now."


    She got into the car in a hurry. After she started the car, from the rearview mirror, she saw the man


    standing in the alley and looking at her. When she saw the man''s appearance, she felt suffocated.


    "What the h*ll!" Deborah cursed angrily as she started the car to leave. On the way back, she thought


    of Dunn''s escape and condemned him, along with all his ancestors, again. She felt financially


    distressed as she thought about it. The money she paid wasn''t a small sum. It was all the money she


    had saved over the years. Because she believed in Dunn, because she wanted to get rid of the


    troublesome Irene too much, she was actually yed for a fool by Dunn.


    Deborah felt extremely hateful! She had always schemed against others, but no one had ever schemed


    against her. Now, she had been set up by Dunn. Not only was she humiliated, but she also lost her


    money. Hundreds of thousands dors had gone to waste. Upon thinking about it, she couldn''t bear it.


    How could she miscalcte?


    Back home, Lily had also just returned. "Mom, did you get it?"


    Deborah threw her bag on the sofa angrily. "Don''t mention it. Son of b*tch, how dare he lie to me. I lost


    hundreds of thousands of dors for nothing. I''m so angry!"


    "Who lied to you?" A cold voice sounded. The mother and daughter looked over and saw Steven


    standing at the door of the study with a cold expression on his face.

 Chapter 46 Changed Appearances

    Chapter 46 Changed Appearances


    "Steven? You... you... were at home?" The sudden appearance of Steven shocked Deborah. Wasn''t


    Steven supposed to be at the government during this time? Why was he at home?"


    Lily was also dumbfounded when she saw Steven. "Dad, why are you back?"


    "Who did you just say cheated you out of hundreds of thousands of dors?" Steven came over and


    stared at Deborah. He went to see Irene today, and then he found out that she was almost raped by


    people. Steven was so angry that his heart ached. To think about it, she was really lucky. If Edric hadn''t


    realized that something was wrong, he didn''t know what would have happened.


    Irene was a fiery-tempered person. If she were really raped by other people, she would certainly lose


    the will to live. Steven was distressed, angry, and sorrowful. It was all because of him. If he hadn''t


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    married Deborah, Irene wouldn''t have run away from home or be kicked out of the Myers Family.


    Steven felt extremely remorseful and guilty.


    He wasn''t in the mood to stay in the office, so he pretended to feel unwell and went home to rest. When


    he returned home, there was no one there. Steven felt ufortable and sat in the study as he was


    consumed with guilt. When he heard the sound of the car outside, he walked out of the study, but he


    didn''t expect to hear Deborah and Lily''s words inadvertently.


    Although Deborah was shocked, she reacted quickly. "Steven, I''m sorry!"


    "Sorry for what?" Steven''s voice was cold. It had never been his intention to be together with Deborah.


    Deborah and Myra were friends, so he also regarded Deborah as a friend. He had never dreamed that


    he would identally hook up with Deborah when drunk.


    After that, Deborah didn''t pursue the matter, and he also forgot about it. However, he didn''t expect that


    Deborah would appear again in his life after more than ten years, and she also brought a child with her.


    Myra believed that he had an affair and wouldn''t forgive him until she died.


    Steven didn''t want to have anything to do with Deborah at all. He originally intended to ce Deborah


    and her daughter in another ce, but he didn''t know who leaked the news and brought this matter to


    the surface. Fortunately, the insider was his old boss. He protected him and suppressed the matter, but


    he had no choice but to marry Deborah and became estranged from his beloved daughter.


    After living with Deborah for more than ten years, he found Deborah gentle and virtuous. Although she


    didn''te from a good family, she was a great cook, and her life revolved around him. The most


    important thing was that he often saw shadows of Myra on Deborah.


    Because of that, he gradually developed some affection for her, but he didn''t expect to see Deborah''s


    vulgar side by ident.


    This side of Deborah was unfamiliar, and it was also disgusting to Steven. Deborah naturally felt


    Steven''s disgust. She immediately exined, "Isn''t your birthdaying up soon? Since you like


    antiques, I nned on buying you a vase. I didn''t know that the shady go-between would actually take


    the money and run away."


    "What did you say?" Steven raised his voice.


    "I''m sorry, Steven! I didn''t mean it." Deborah lowered her head with a pitiful expression.


    "Dad, Mom didn''t mean it. She just wanted to give you a surprise." Lily came up in time to mediate the


    dispute.


    Steven stared at Deborah for a while, then dejectedly went to the sofa and sat down. "I''ve been so


    down on my luck! For the past few days!"


    "What happened?" Deborah asked considerately.


    "Irene almost got into trouble. Fortunately, Edric found out that something was wrong. Otherwise, the


    consequences would''ve been severe." Steven sighed and told them that Irene was almost hurt.


    Deborah felt extremely hateful inside. She never dreamed that the person who messed up her ns


    was Edric. Although she hated him in her heart, she still pretended to be surprised and distressed on


    the surface. "How is Irene?"


    "She was a little traumatized, but she''s fine now." Steven''s face was gloomy. "If I catch the man


    surnamed Kent, I''ll skin him alive!"


    "Yeah, that Kent guy is so vicious. If we catch him, we must teach him a good lesson." Deborah


    echoed, but her heart was beating fast. If that Kent guy was caught and Dunn was hunted down, would


    the police unravel her connection to the matter as well?


    "I don''t know what the police are doing. Three days have passed, but there''s still no news of Kent. I''m


    so angry." Steven rubbed his forehead.


    Deborah felt slightly relieved. Dunn said that those people were all cunning and had several ID cards.


    She hoped that Kent would run away and wouldn''t be caught for the rest of his life.


    Irene had recuperated in the hospital for three days and was discharged from the hospital. Although


    she wasn''t seriously injured, there was still trauma inside of her. She already didn''t believe in men


    because she had been hurt in the past. Now, she felt more and more convinced that men were


    unreliable.


    In the past, she really wanted to find a father for Eden, but she changed her mind now. She would work


    hard to earn money and raise the child by herself. Screw men.


    Jordan didn''t know the inside story. When he saw the absence of a smile on Irene''s face even after a


    few days, he thought that she was sad because of the breakup with that Kent guy. Jordan felt very


    upset.


    No matter what, he was better than that Kent guy. Why couldn''t that woman see him? Thinking of


    Kent''s gently smiling face, he began to reflect upon himself. Was it because he was too harsh?


    Therefore, she didn''t like him.


    Thinking of this, Jordan decided to change his attitude to be more gentle to please Irene. He stopped


    shouting to her and spoke gently. After he suddenly changed his attitude, Irene wasn''t in the mood to


    experience it. On the other hand, David began to guess blindly that Mr. Reed''s illness was ring up


    again, wasn''t it?


    Nathan also knew that Irene was hospitalized because she was ill. He called to ask about the situation.


    Irene felt very aggrieved, and she didn''t have her guard against Nathan, so she told Nathan what she


    had encountered. Shocked and angry, Nathan was prepared to fly back immediately. In the end, Irene


    stopped him.


    Eden didn''t know what his mother had gone through. When he heard that her mother was ill, he felt


    sorry for her. Heforted Irene on the phone in a childish voice, "Mom, are you sick? Is it because


    you were feeling anxious that you couldn''t find dad? I don''t want him anymore. Take care of yourself.


    When Uncle Nathan has the free time, I wille back with him to see you."


    With Nathan and her son''sfort, Irene felt much more at ease. The gloomy expression on her face


    also faded somewhat. Jordan thought it was caused by his change of attitude, so he secretly felt happy


    inside.


    After the Golden Age Group won the city''s security project, the Golden Age Group awarded a bonus to


    each staff member of the San Fetillo branch. The amount of the bonus wasn''t small. In addition to the


    remuneration paid by the TV station, the amount of the reward was quite substantial.


    Irene told Thomas about this matter. She said that she wanted to use this bonus as a down payment to


    buy a bigger house.


    Thomas was also delighted. With that money, the housing issue would be resolved. "Irene, you can


    bring Eden back after you buy a house."


    "I want to do so too. Uncle, let''s go and view houses tomorrow. As soon as we take care of the housing


    issue, I can bring Eden back!"


    The next day, she and Thomas went to see houses. After careful selection, they finally chose a three-


    bedroom second-hand house in a less-popr area. The house was already constructed, and Irene''s


    money was just enough to pay the down payment.


    Irene signed the contract and paid the down payment. Envisioning sweet family life in the future, she


    looked forward to it and was in a great mood all day long. After dinner, she surfed the web in her room.


    Thomas watched TV in his room. It was ten o''clock. She was ready to go to sleep when her phone


    rang. She picked up, and Jordan''s incoherent voice sounded, "Irene...Nelson..."


    "Mr. Reed?"


    "Don''t call me Mr. Reed. Why don''t you ever take my words to heart?" Jordan''s voice was full of anger,


    but this sentence was especially clear.


    "Jordan, what can I do for you at such ate hour?" She asked patiently.


    "Can''t I talk to you?"


    "Okay! Speak, and I''ll listen to you."


    "Why aren''t you the one speaking while I listen?"


    "I don''t know what to say," Irene replied.


    "Say stuff that will make me happy!" Jordan was rude and unreasonable.


    "What''s wrong with you? Did you drink?"


    "I''m in a nightclub, and I drank a lot!" Jordan burped. "Irene, I like you... Do you know I like you?"


    Irene didn''t say anything. She understood very well that this guy was on a drunken rampage. "I''m very


    sad... I''ve never been so sad. Irene, do you not like me at all?"


    Irene still didn''t say anything. Jordanughed at himself. "I know you really don''t like me at all... In


    reality, if you liked me in the slightest bit, I wouldn''t mind that you''re a divorced woman."


    "Jordan, you''ve drunk too much. Go home quickly!"


    "I won''t go back... I''ll wait for you here until you like me..." While speaking, Irene heard a cry from the


    other side, "Sir... sir, what''s wrong with you?"


    Then there was no sound on the other end of the phone. Irene was rmed. Did something happen to


    Jordan? She immediately called David, but his phone was turned off. Irene was worried about Jordan,


    so after thinking for a while, she decided to go over and have a look. She went out in a hurry.


    She hailed a taxi on the road and went straight to the nightclub.


    After getting in the car, she anxiously asked the driver to drive faster. She didn''t notice a luxurious car


    driving smoothly and elegantly behind her. Edric stared at the taxi in front of him.


    That woman ran out of the alley the entire way with an anxious expression on her face. She ran so


    hurriedly that even not mentioned him standing at the entrance of the alley.


    "As long as you are within three miles from me, I can feel it." That was what she used to say to him. But


    today, he stood there and stared at her with burning eyes, yet she ran past him without even ncing


    at him. It had to be said that women were better liars than men and more alluring when they lied.


    Irene entered the nightclub in a hurry and found Jordan''s private box. With several beautifuldies


    sitting next to him, he leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed.


    Upon seeing Irene open the box''s door, several youngdies showed vignt expressions on their


    faces. Irene couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to them and went straight to Jordan''s side. "Jordan,


    how are you?"


    Jordan opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Irene. "You''re here?"


    "Are you alright?" Irene''s face was full of worry.


    "I''m fine. I''m just a little dizzy. If you hadn''te, I would have been devoured by these women." Since


    he could still joke, Irene realized that she had been fooled. She turned around and was about to leave,


    but Jordan said behind her, "Irene,e help me up and take me home!"


    Irene helped Jordan to get into the car outside. Jordan was really drunk. After getting into the car, he


    leaned back against the seat and didn''t move. Irene helped him fasten the seat belt and started the car


    to leave the nightclub.


    After Jordan came back, he bought an apartment in a hot area. Irene had once seen the apartment file,


    so she had some impression of it. When Edric, who followed them, saw Irene driving with familiarity, his


    eyes grew cold.


    "Irene, I didn''t expect you toe." Jordan, whose eyes were closed, suddenly said this.


    "How could I note?" Irene said with displeasure. He was her boss and the hand that fed her. How


    could she dare to offend the hand that fed her?


    "Irene, you actually like me a little deep inside, don''t you?


    His words startled Irene, and she instinctively slowed down. With his eyes closed, Jordan murmured,


    "I''m so handsome, so wealthy, and so capable that few women can resist my temptation. Irene, when


    did you fall in love with me?"


    "Jordan, are you dreaming?" Irene was a little amused. This man was truly extremely arrogant.


    "Irene! I''m sure you like me, just not aware of it inside."


    "I don''t like you, not even in the slightest bit," she said in a louder voice.


    "You women are just pretentious! Is it that embarrassing to say that you like me?" Jordan seemed to be


    obsessed with the idea. Irene ignored him and sped up the car. Soon, the car stopped in front of


    Jordan''s apartment.

 Chapter 47 Which Stage

    Chapter 47 Which Stage


    Staring at the car in front of him, Edric also stopped the car behind her. Before the door was opened,


    he saw her helping Jordan unbuckle his seat belt. In the past, it was he who helped her unbuckle her


    seat belt, but now, she was doing it for another man.


    It seemed that she liked Jordan very much, and Jordan certainly liked her, too. Otherwise, knowing that


    she was divorced, he wouldn''t have flirted with her.


    Edric felt a little jealous when he thought about how there was no womanizing scandal about Jordan


    during this period of time. That woman''s charm really wasn''t ordinary. She had made him fall head over


    heels in love with her back then, and now, she made a yboy changed his ways.


    But why didn''t they get out of the car? What happened next was even more uneptable to Edric. He


    saw clearly that when Irene unbuckled Jordan''s seat belt, Jordan suddenly hugged Irene.


    The two of them began to kiss. They were so anxious that they started kissing in the car! Edric could


    only feel his brows suddenly twitch.


    It definitely wasn''t the first time they did this. However, at which stage were they in their rtionship?


    Had they slept with each other?


    The answer was obvious. When he thought of Irene moaning under Jordan''s body with her beautiful


    eyes half-closed, he fumed with rage.


    Unable to bear it any longer, he forcefully started the car and left.


    Irene didn''t expect that Jordan would suddenly make a move on her. By the time she reacted, he had


    already gained tight control of her. Jordan''s lips quickly sealed her lips.


    He was so fierce that he didn''t seem like a drunk man at all. Irene struggled feebly. Jordan''s kissing


    skills were excellent.


    She was quickly dominated by him. After an unknown period of time, she heard his repressed


    breathing, and Irene snapped back to reality. Jordan rxed his grip on her hand a little, and she


    seized the opportunity to push him away.


    "I... Irene, I..." Jordan didn''t get to spat out his words before Irene pped him in the face. After that,


    she opened the car door and escaped.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 48 Frivolous Man

    Chapter 48 Frivolous Man


    Jordan touched his burning face, but there wasn''t a trace of anger on his face. Getting a p in


    exchange for a kiss was worth it!


    Thinking about Irene and Jordan kissing in the car, Edric drove aimlessly. He felt burning rage in his


    chest. This couldn''t go on! He must stop Irene and Jordan from being together.


    Jordan was a notorious yboy. Womanizing was his only weakness. Edric thought about it for a while


    and finally came up with a solution. He called John and said, "Let Lili immediately fly to San Fetillo to


    shoot an advertisement!"


    Irene pped him so hard that the red mark on Jordan''s face didn''t fadepletely after a night. When


    he saw Ireneing in, he deliberately showed his face to Irene. Refusing to see him, Irene lowered


    her head and looked down.


    There was nothing Jordan could do if she didn''t look at him. David happened toe in and send the


    documents. When he saw Jordan, he asked with concern, "Mr. Reed, what''s the matter with your


    face?"


    "I just suffer hives!" Jordanughed.


    "Hives? Strange, why don''t you have hives on your left face but hives on your right face? Do hives


    actually pick spots to appear in?"


    Irene said, "I once had hives that only appeared on one of my wrists."


    Feeling somewhat incredulous, David went out. Jordan coughed awkwardly. "Irene, did you hit me with


    that hand with hives?"


    Irene ignored him and said with a serious expression, "Mr. Reed, I''ll report today''s schedule to you."


    Jordan saw that she was down to business, so he also returned to business. He could tease her


    outside of work, but he had to be serious when he was at work.


    "You will have a magazine interview at 10 a.m. and go to the urban construction site to sign a contract


    at 2 p.m.," Irene said in a diplomatic tone.


    These were the two things that Jordan had to do today. Even if Irene hadn''t mentioned them, he would


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    still remember clearly. "Is there anything else?"


    "There''s another crucial thing." Irene seemed to think of something suddenly. "Miss Lilith will arrive at


    the airport at four o''clock in the evening."


    The name "Lilith" made Jordan raise his eyebrows. He looked at Irene with a half-hearted smile on his


    face.


    Irene paused for a moment. "I''ve already arranged a hotel for Miss Lilith and ordered a meal for you


    two. After signing the contract, Mr. Reed can go directly to the airport to pick up Miss Lilith and


    wee her back."


    "Who asked you to make the decision for the matter regarding Lilith?" Jordan asked slowly.


    "I didn''t make the decision on my own. Everything was done ording to your instructions." Irene


    revealed a look of grievance.


    "My instructions?" Why didn''t he remember issuing such instructions before?


    "Yes, Miss Lilith was in a hurryst time and only stayed in San Fetillo for one day. At that time, you told


    me that we would follow that day''s procedures when Miss Lilith came back again. At that time, we also


    arranged a hotel, ordered dinner, and Mr. Reed, you personally went to pick her up."


    Jordan naturally didn''t expect that Irene was waiting to set him up here. He had already forgotten


    whether or not he had said that. Even if he hadn''t said so, Irene would definitely say that he said so.


    Now, he had no way of obtaining any evidence. He stared at Irene for a long time and smiled


    mischievously. "Alright, you''re progressing!"


    "It''s all because of Mr. Reed''s good guidance!" Irene answered obediently. Her answer made Jordan


    furious. Upon seeing Jordan''s angry expression, Irene was in a good mood.


    Jordan hadn''t said anything about Lilith at all. It was all made up by her. Last night, when Jordan kissed


    her crazily under the influence of alcohol, she was extremely angry.


    With Jordan''s shamelessness, he would definitely say that he didn''t remember forcibly kissing her at


    all. She had already pped him in the face, and there was no sign of his outburst repeating. But when


    she thought about it, she decided she couldn''t let him off the hook so easily. After returning home and


    lying down on her bed, she suddenly received a phone call from Lilith. "Executive Assistant Nelson,


    I''m Lilith. Why can''t my call to Mr. Reed get through?"


    "I don''t know either," Irene replied.


    "I''ll fly to San Fetillo at four o''clock in the afternoon tomorrow. Executive Assistant Nelson, please tell


    Mr. Reed." Lilith''s voice sounded condescending.


    In the past, Jordan had been very enthusiastic towards Lilith, so Lilith had always been haughty.


    Although Irene wasn''t interested in women whose livelihood depended on their looks, Lilith''s


    appearance was undoubtedly a good thing for her.


    If she remembered correctly, Jordan hadn''t talked about Lilith for a long time. Jordan was a womanizer,


    and if he were interested in a person, he would talk about her all the time. Otherwise, it meant he had


    already forgotten about her.


    Irene became excited. The sudden appearance of a woman he was no longer interested in was


    definitely enough for payback against Jordan. She made up her mind to book a room for Lilith and


    didn''t forget to remind Jordan to pick her up.


    Irene was secretly happy to see Jordan''s defeated expression, but it didn''tst long. A few minutes


    Irene didn''t expect Jordan to use that move. "Mr. Reed, isn''t that a bad idea?"


    "If I say it''s good, then it''s good. That''s it!" Jordan was aplete tyrant.


    She would be a third-wheel at Lilith and Jordan''s dinner? Why did it seem so frightening? Irene froze


    there for a moment. Upon seeing her dazed expression, Jordan was in a good mood. She was way too


    naive to be able to put up a fight against him.


    At four o''clock in the evening, Jordan personally drove Irene to the airport. At the airport, Lilith walked


    over from the VIP terminal while apanied by her assistant.


    Irene enthusiastically opened the door for her. Because it was Jordan who drove the car, she naturally


    opened the door of the co-driver''s seat. Upon seeing Jordan, Lilith was very happy. She smiled softly


    and asked, "Dear, did you miss me?"


    Irene, who was sitting behind them, felt goosebumps rise up all over her. The people in the


    entertainment industry were really unrestrained. Jordan smiled evilly and looked at Irene, who was


    sitting in the back seat. "How could I not think about you? You are the one I''m always thinking of!"


    The two of them flirted with each other the entire way. Irene turned a deaf ear, and she ignored their


    nauseating conversation. Jordan''s eyes had been looking at Irene, who was in the back row. Upon


    seeing her indifferent countenance, he felt a little dejected.


    When the car stopped at the door of the hotel, Irene got out of the car and opened the door


    for Lilith. Lilith thought that there should be no reason for Irene to follow them there. She took Jordan''s


    hand and walked up the steps of the hotel with a smile on her face. Jordan turned back and snorted at


    Irene, who was standing still beside the car. "Why are you standing there? Hurry up and follow me."


    What did that mean? She and Jordan had to bring that assistant to dinner? Lilith immediately felt a little


    unhappy, but there was no reason for her to get angry. However, the way she looked at Irene suddenly


    changed. She was warm and pleasant before, but now she acted icy and cold.


    Irene naturally discerned the change in Lilith''s mood. Lilith was ming her for being insensible, but


    she couldn''t exin her bitterness. Jordan was vicious enough to think of torturing her like this. If she


    had known that this would happen, she would have never made the decision on her own.


    The three of them went to the private box and sat down. Soon, the waiter sent in the food. It was


    unknown whether it was intentional or not, but when Jordan and Lilith talked about the old days, he


    didn''t forget to give Irene food. He said in a casual tone, "Special Assistant Nelson, this seems to be


    what you like to eat."


    Upon hearing Jordan''s casual words, Irene immediately felt cold. She forced a smile and said, "Mr.


    Reed, you must be mistaken. I wouldn''t say I like eating this. These are all other women''s favorite


    foods..."


    As soon as Lilith finished her words, she put her hands over her mouth and looked annoyed, as if she


    had said something wrong. Lilith''s facial expression turned even uglier.


    The meal wasn''t a joyous one, at least in Irene''s eyes.


    She didn''t dare to stay in the box anymore. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom and went out of


    the room. Jordan came out with her. He blocked Irene''s way in the hall. "How about it? Is itfortable


    being a third-wheel?"


    "Mr. Reed, I''m begging you. Can you let me go? If I stay here, I will die!" Jordan scoffed at Irene


    derisively. "If you want me to spare you, I can. However, you have to promise me one thing."


    "What is it?"


    "Give me a kiss and I''ll let you go!"


    "Get lost!" Irene pushed him away. Jordan shouted behind her, "You have to think it over. Don''t regret it


    Lilith''s voice rang out. "Honey, what are you doing outside?"


    Jordan winked at Irene and said, "I''ll wait for you!" Then, he entered the box again.


    Irene felt disgusted. She turned around and bumped into someone. Edric''s eyes were cold and his lips


    were curled into an icy sneer. "Irene, you don''t even have a sense of shame now?"


    It seemed that he had just overheard the conversation between her and Jordan. Irene also sneered.


    "Can Mr. Myers teach me how to write the word shame?"


    "You..." Irene was insinuating his extramarital affair with someone else. Edric''s face turned livid. "Irene,


    you don''t have the right to scold me. Ask yourself, how much better were you than I was back then? If it


    wasn''t for you..."


    Irene interrupted him. "Mr. Myers, I have never been a person who liked to reminiscence about the


    past. The so-called past is no longer present, so what''s the point of saying it now?"


    Her nonchnce made Edric feel as if his heart had been cut with a knife. That woman didn''t care


    about him at all. She had forgotten about what happened that year, and she was going to erase him


    from her life. How could she be so cruel?


    "Irene, don''t think that you can be at ease just because you have Jordan by your side. I''ll remind you


    that Jordan is just a yboy. Don''t be tempted by his sweet words. It''s just a show for him to be with


    you."


    Irene''s mouth curled slightly, and she looked at Edric indifferently. "At least, in my opinion, Jordan is


    much better than some brute feigning sophistication!" After saying that, she stepped on her high heels


    and left.


    Edric stared at her back and clenched his fists.

 Chapter 49 Not Someone You Can Touch

    Chapter 49 Not Someone You Can Touch


    Irene didn''t return to the restaurant but left directly. She called Jordan in the taxi and said that she had


    something to attend to at home.


    Jordan gritted his teeth and said, "Irene, your bonus for this month will be cut in half!"


    Lilith was pleased to hear that. That Executive Assistant was really sensible. Without a third-wheel


    around, she felt refreshed. She leaned closer to Jordan and asked, "Dear, where will we goter?"


    Jordan smiled gently and said, "I''ll send you back to the hotel first."


    That meant that he still had something to do. Lilith was a little disappointed. Did she really go too far


    ying hard to get?


    Thest time, she left after staying for a day. She thought Jordan would make countless phone calls


    and greetings every day like before, but the result disappointed her greatly.


    Jordan didn''t make any phone calls. She realized that things weren''t good, so she took the initiative to


    call him. It was at night, but he gently told her that he was very busy at the moment and didn''t have the


    time.


    Later, all the calls she made were no response. Lilith realized the severity of the issue, but her


    schedule was already full. She really had no way to go back to San Fetillo to see Jordan.


    The matter had been dragging on until the Myers Group invited her to shoot an advertisement in San


    Fetillo. She happily called Jordan, but she couldn''t get through.


    Therefore, she had to call Irene to find out more information. Unexpectedly, Irene booked a hotel for


    her without hesitation. At the airport, she was delighted to see Jordan pick her up. She secretly


    reminded herself that she couldn''t go too far ying hard to get this time. However, although she didn''t


    n to y hard to get at all, Jordan waspletely uninterested in her.


    After sending Lily back to the hotel, Jordan left without staying. Lilith was furious and sat on the sofa


    alone while sulking.


    Jordan went out of the hotel, drove straight to the tube-shaped apartment, parked the car at the


    entrance of the alley, and took out his phone to dial a number.


    Irene had just arrived home for a few minutes. When she received Jordan''s call, she was very unhappy.


    She controlled her emotions and asked, "President Reed, what may I do for you?"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''m at the entrance of your home''s alley. Come out!" Jordan ordered.


    Irene angrily ran to the entrance of the alley. "What is it?"


    "Nothing. I just came to tell you that I didn''t go to the hotel."


    Upon seeing Irene looking at him with bewilderment, he exined, "I just wanted you to know that I''m


    no longer a frivolous man."


    "Psycho!" After Irene said that, she turned to run away. Although it was at night, Jordan still saw the


    blush on her face, which totally amused him. Seeing Irene''s figure disappear, he whistled and started


    the car to leave.


    When Irene returned home, she felt that her face was still hot. Jordan is really a psycho. He came all


    the way there to tell her that. Did whether or not he was frivolous to have anything to do with her?


    No! He must have misunderstood that she was interested in him. She had to make it clear to him that


    she had no interest in him at all. Irene picked up the phone and was ready to call Jordan.


    The phone rang first, and Nathan answered in a low voice, "Irene, Eden and I will arrive tomorrow.


    Remember to pick us up!"


    "This fast?" Irene froze.


    "I have something else to deal with, so I came back early!" Nathan exined.


    Because of the phone call from Nathan, Irene became excited. She wasn''t in the mood to care about


    Jordan''s affairs. Her little darling wasing back. She had to prepare for it. She walked around the


    room but found nothing to prepare, so she sat down with disappointment. Her darling was ustomed


    to avish life at Nathan''s ce. Would he dislike her small and shabby home?


    Irene spent After Dark in anxiety and joy. At noon the next day, she and Thomas rushed to the airport


    together. Upon seeing his mother, Eden was delighted. He threw himself into Irene''s arms while he


    rubbed against her. Thomas was very happy. "This is Eden, right? I''m your granduncle. Let me have a


    look at you."


    Eden came out of Irene''s arms and called Thomas uncle. Thomas hugged him and kissed him hard.


    Eden burst out giggling after being pricked by his beard.


    "Salischester, thank you for your hard work!" Irene stepped forward and held Nathan''s hand gratefully.


    Dinner was served in the best private club in San Fetillo. It was Nathan''s treat. After Eden filled his


    stomach, he looked around with curiosity.


    He even opened the door of the private room to look outside. Thomas also finished eating and followed


    Eden outside. There were many beautiful lights on the wall of the club. Eden pointed at the lights and


    carefully counted them the entire way. Afraid that he would get lost, Thomas followed him closely.


    Several screens appeared in front of the long aisle. When Eden saw the image of courtdies on the


    screen, he reached out to touch it curiously. Later, he and Thomas scurried back and forth between the


    screens while ying hide and go seek.


    Apanied by John, Edric strode over. Eden came out from behind the screen and identally


    bumped into him. Eden fell to the ground and burst into tears.


    Edric reached out to help, but Thomas rushed out and ced Eden in his arms before he could. When


    he saw Thomas, Edric was shocked. "Why are you here?"


    Thomas ignored him and turned around to leave with Eden in his arms. When Edric saw Thomas, he


    knew that Irene must also be there. He was very curious who Irene would bring Thomas here to have


    dinner with.


    Thomas rushed into the box with Eden in his arms. Eden was still sobbing. Irene was confused. "What


    happened?"


    "We met someone we shouldn''t have met," Thomas replied.


    Irene naturally understood who that person he shouldn''t have met was. Her countenance changed.


    "Did he see Eden?"


    "He didn''t see him clearly."


    "Don''t worry. Everyone says that boys resemble their mothers. Eden resembles you more, so he


    wouldn''t notice." Nathanforted her.


    Irene nodded and breathed a sigh of relief inside. She had to be careful in the future.


    Although Edric was dining with his client, he was still thinking about Irene. Who on earth was she dining


    with here?


    This clubhouse was the most high-end clubhouse in San Fetillo and a status symbol. Howe Irene


    brought Thomas here? Who were they here with?


    Could it be Jordan? To think of it, Jordan was the only person by Irene''s side who could get in and out


    of this club. Jordan must have invited Irene and Thomas to dine here in order to win her over, but who


    was the child?


    Edric was absent-minded, and his client wasn''t slow-witted. He sensibly said goodbye to Edric. Edric


    sent his client out and saw a familiar figure outside the clubhouse.


    Wearing a floral dress, Irene stood at the door. Beside her stood a tall and straight figure. Edric


    recognized that the person standing beside Irene was Nathan.


    There was a gentle and charming smile on Irene''s face. With her big eyes, she stared at Nathan, who


    also looked gentle and doting.


    A handsome man and a beautiful woman as a couple appeared especially eye-catching. The club''s


    attendants gossiped on the side, "A match made in heaven, this is the first time I have seen such a


    golden couple!"


    The words "golden couple" made Edric feel anguished. He strode out without ncing sidewards. John


    trotted after him and opened the door for him. After he got into the car, Edric said with a poker face,


    "When did hee back?"


    "He returned today," John replied.


    "Do you know why he came back?"


    "I don''t know."


    "You eat the bread of idleness, don''t you?" Edric''s voice was full of anger.


    John didn''t say anything. He had been working for Edric for so many years, so he knew why he was


    angry. If it were him, he would definitely feel uneasy as well. After all, one was a woman he was deeply


    in love with, and the other was his love rival, who was an eyesore to him.


    When John started the car, Edric nced at the door of the club again. Upon seeing Irene waving


    goodbye to Nathan, he felt a little more at ease.


    After Irene left, Nathan returned to the hotel. Not long after, someone knocked on the door. He opened


    the door, and Jordan stood at the door with his hands on his hips. "Nathan, you''re not a good sport.


    Why didn''t you tell me you came back?"


    "I wanted to tell you, but you''ve always prioritized women over your friends. With a beautiful woman by


    your side, how could you think of me, your old friend?"


    "What beautiful woman by my side?" Jordan leaned against the sofa and said, "I''m abstinent now."


    "Stop fooling me. How about Lilith?" Nathan was straightforward. "I heard that she flew to San Fetillo


    yesterday, and you guy didn''t even go to thepany."


    "Who said that?"


    "It doesn''t matter who said it. Just tell me if you stayed with Lilith for the entire day today."


    "Yes!"


    "That''s right." Nathan snorted softly. "When you see a beautiful woman, your legs go ck. A leopard


    never changes its spots."


    "Nathan, when ites to this, I have something to settle with you." Jordan said angrily, "Let me ask


    you, why did you make a beautiful woman look like that and send her to me?"


    "It''s none of my business that you don''t have a good eyesight!" Nathan retorted Jordan with ease.


    "If it weren''t for you, would I be so distressed?" Jordan let out a long sigh.


    "What''s the matter?  Does Miss Lilith put on the air?"


    "She wants me to, but I''m not interested in her now. Women are really strange creatures. When I was


    interested in her, she yed hard to get. Now that I''m not interested in her, she uses all sorts of


    methods to stay by my side. Unfortunately, the ship has sailed!"


    "Who do you fancy now?"


    "Do you need to ask?"


    "Jordan, I have to make it clear that Irene is not someone you can touch!"

 Chapter 50 When Had You Ever Won

    Chapter 50 When Had You Ever Won


    "Why?" Jordan red at Nathan, "Don''t think that I don''t know about your ulterior motives. Let''s


    "Jordan, you''re not qualified topete fairly with me." Nathan didn''t take him seriously at all. "Would


    the Reed Family agree to let you, the young master, marry a divorced woman?"


    "Would the White Family agree to let you marry a divorced woman?" Jordan retorted derisively.


    Nathan''s facial expression changed. "This matter has nothing to do with you. I will handle it myself."


    "Nathan, I''m different from you. You are the young master who bears the hope of the Tang family. If you


    insist on having your way, those old guys in the Tang family would be infuriated by you. But I''m


    different. I''m just the most useless person in the Reed Family, and no one will keep an eye on me."


    "I can fight them till the end." Nathan''s eyes darkened.


    "But Irene won''t waste time with you." Jordan snickered frivolously. "You''re a gentleman, unlike me. I''ve


    always been a petty person, so I have petty methods. If the old guys in the Reed Family get an


    offspring, wouldn''t they be overjoyed?"


    "Why are you so petty?" Nathan red at him. "Jordan, don''t y games with me. If I find out that you


    bully Irene, you know the consequences!"


    "Nathan, you don''t have to huff and puff at me. If Irene liked you, she wouldn''t have waited until today.


    In my opinion, you have already been eliminated!" Jordan was very confident in himself.


    "Give it a rest. You''re a notorious womanizer, and you aren''t Irene''s type at all. What she hates the


    most is men with wandering eyes like you." Nathan didn''t hold back at all.


    Upon hearing this, Jordan didn''t get angry. Instead, he brought up another topic. "Nathan, who is


    Irene''s ex-husband?"


    "Go ask her yourself."


    "If she had told me, would I ask you?" Jordan red at him and said, "Tell me, I''m begging you."


    "Why do you want to know that?"


    "I''m going to teach that old guy a lesson and let him know how serious the consequences of cheating!"


    His words made Nathanugh. "I can''t reveal it. I promised Irene."


    "Tell me, is that guy in San Fetillo?"


    Nathan nodded, and Jordan''s face was full of excitement. "Is he a businessman?"


    Nathan nodded, and Jordan asked again, "How is the business scale?"


    "It''s huge!" Nathan answered.


    "As for as I know, there''s only one divorced man with arge scale business, and he''s Edric. Irene''s ex-


    husband is Edric?" Jordan thought about it and shook his head. "That can''t be. If he was Edric, how


    could Steven hand his second daughter to him as well?"


    Nathan was shocked by his spection and soon relieved when he saw that he shot down the idea.


    "Alright now, it''s about time. You can go back. I''m going to rest!"


    The next day, Nathan went to the Golden Age Group. At the entrance of the president''s office, he saw


    Irene standing outside the hall. When she saw him, she pointed at the office with a smirk.


    "What happened?" Nathan was confused.


    "Miss Lilith has arrived at thepany." Irene lowered her voice.


    Nathan burst intoughter. When Irene saw himing, she was not longer in the mood to watch the


    show. "Let''s go to my office!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, the door was opened. Jordan red at them fiercely and said,


    "What sort of assistant are you? How can you not report to me the arrival of such an important client?"


    Upon seeing Jordan''s wrinkled clothes and the red lipstick marks on his face and neck, Irene almost


    But the duration was too short, wasn''t it? It had only been a few minutes since Lilith entered the office,


    but he quickly came out. Could it be that Jordan did it early?


    Jordan didn''t care about what she was thinking. He reached out to grab Nathan''s hand and dragged


    him into the office next to him. While walking there, he told Irene, "Clean up my office."


    Irene stood outside for a long time before she opened the door. There was nothing to clean up in the


    room. It was still as neat as before. Lilith sat on the sofa with her clothes in disarray. Seeing hering


    in, she looked very terrible.


    Irene put on a show of taking Jordan''s cup and left. Lilith had no interest in staying, so she packed up


    and left the Golden Age Group.


    In the office on the other side, Nathan pointed at Jordan as heughed and said, "Jordan, look at what


    you''ve be."


    "What are youughing at? I''m perfectly clean. If it were you, would you have been able to sit still as I


    did?"


    "Perfectly clean? You look like you just had some." Nathan stoppedughing. "Your clothes are in


    disarray, and you have lipstick marks all over your face. How intense it must be!"


    "No, I didn''t."


    "Who would believe you?" While they spoke, Irene pushed the door open and walked in with two cups


    of tea in her hand. She walked straight to Jordan and Nathan and put down the tea.


    Jordan looked Irene up and down carefully. When he saw her lowering her head and looking down, he


    felt a little flustered. Just now, Lilith kissed him as soon as she entered the door. At that time, Irene was


    standing by the side. He didn''t know if she would be angry.


    No, he had to show his stance. "Call the front desk right away. Don''t let just anyonee into the


    Irene was very obedient and immediately grabbed the phone on the desk to dial. "Bryan, Mr. Reed said


    not to let just anyonee into thepany in the future!"


    Bryan had a good rtionship with Irene. "Sister Ye, I didn''t let just anyone in. Miss Lilith was specially


    ordered to be let in by Mr. Reed."


    Irene looked at Jordan, who was a little embarrassed. "Tell him not to let her in from now on."


    Irene repeated Jordan''s words, "Mr. Reed said don''t let her in from now on."


    "I see!" Bryan replied.


    Irene hung up the phone, and the phone Jordan gave her rang. She nced at Jordan and asked, "Mr.


    Reed, is it a call from Miss Lilith?"


    "You can pick it up by yourself!"


    When Irene turned on her hands-free, Lilith''s voice sounded, "Miss Nelson, I have a question to ask


    you."


    "What''s the question?"


    "Is there anything wrong with Mr. Reed''s body?"


    "No? Mr. Reed is in good health!"


    "What I mean is whether something happened during the car identst time? For example, his


    erectile functions?"


    Irene said seriously, "I''m just an assistant. I''m not aware of the president''s private affairs."


    Lilith hung up the phone with disappointment. After Irene hung up the phone, Nathanughed out loud


    while Jordan felt speechless.


    After Nathan came back, Edric was in a bad mood. ording to John''s investigation, there wasn''t any


    serious matter that made Nathan return, so it was clear that Irene was the reason behind his return to


    San Fetillo.


    Edric''s eyes darkened. He knew about the rtionship between Nathan and Irene very clearly. If Old


    Madam Tang hadn''t threatened Irene with Nathan''s inheritance, Irene wouldn''t have broken up with


    Nathan.


    That had always been his sore point. Irene chose him not because of how much she loved him but


    because she wanted to help Nathan. Although they are in a good rtionship after marriage, Edric


    knew very well that Nathan was a sore point in Irene''s heart that couldn''t be touched.


    He had been attentively safeguarding their hard-earned rtionship, but the result was that their


    rtionship wasn''t something that could be preserved just by being attentive. Irene''s heart had never


    belonged to him.


    Edric sighed, and his phone suddenly rang. It turned out to be Steven calling. He said that he bought


    fresh seafood at home and asked him to have a drink with him. Even if Edric could refuse Lily, but he


    couldn''t refuse Steven, so he agreed.


    Since he was going to dine with him, he couldn''t go empty-handed. Edric ordered John to buy a gift


    and went to the Cook family after work. He spent more than an hour on the road and finally arrived at


    the Cook family''s home at seven o''clock in the evening.


    Lily had been looking around at the door and saw Edric''s car appear. She ran over happily and said,


    "Dad thought something came up and you couldn''te anymore."


    "Since I promised uncle that I woulde over, how could I note?" As he spoke, Edric took out


    the gifts bought by John from the trunk. Lily''s face was full of joy. She thought that Edric had arrived so


    been finished yet."


    As she spoke, Deborah also came out. "It is enough for me that youe here. Why did you have to


    spend so much money?"


    Edric smiled politely. "That''s what I should do!"


    After entering the living room, he saw that the housekeeper had already set the dishes. Steven told her,


    "Bring out my treasured wine. I''ll have a good drink with Edric today!"


    "Dad, Edric has a weak stomach." Lily reminded him. At that time, Edric''s stomach was damaged


    because of Irene''s daily buying and drinking. Even now, his stomach still suffered re-ups.


    "Girl, do you think your father is a drunkard? We''re just drinking a little for entertainment." Steven


    chuckled. "As expected, a grown girl can''t be kept at home. You''re siding with an outsider when you


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    aren''t even married yet?"


    "Dad!" Lily gave Steven a coy look and nced at Edric. He smiled but said nothing. Even though she


    had been with him for such a long time, she had never seen any other expression on his face. He was


    always smiled so gently as if he never lost his temper.


    Although this made Edric seem gentle and approachable, it wasn''t genuine, as if he was wearing a


    mask that people couldn''t see through.


    Everyone said that Edric was kind and gentle to her, but Lily knew it wasn''t a good sign. If he had to


    hide his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness in front of her, she knew very well that he was resisting


    intimacy with her.


    She suddenly felt a little bitter inside. She was indeed nothing whenpared to Irene! Even though


    Irene had left the house without a penny, had she ever won against her?


    After dinner, Edric and Steven went to the study. For his daughter''s future happiness, Steven needed to


    give Edric an ount of the previous urban construction incident.


    It was the first time Edric entered Steven''s study. He sat down on the sofa of the study. Deborah sent


    tea in person, then closed the door and went out.


    After Steven exined what had happenedst time, he said that a sports event was about to be held


    in San Fetillo. After that sports event, he would try to obtain the urban construction project for Edric.


    Edric originally wasn''t that curious about the urban construction project that he didn''t obtain. But he


    didn''t expect Steven had given him such a bigpensation, which made him feel the things couldn''t


    be that simple.


    Jordan must have used some underhanded tactics to secure the urban construction project. He


    suddenly thought of how Steven had met with Irene. Did that matter have anything to do with Irene?


    Yet thinking about it further, he felt that it was impossible. How could Irene influence Steven?


    While they were talking, Steven''s phone rang, so he interrupted the conversation with Edric and began


    to answer it. It seemed to be something about work, and he spoke on the phone for a long time. Edric


    felt a little bored, so he picked up a book on Steven''s desk and flipped through it.


    But he didn''t expect that a photo would fall from the inside. Edric picked up the photo and was ready to


    put it back in the book, but he froze as if he had been electrified when he saw the person in the picture.

 Chapter 51 What Is Their Relationship

    Chapter 51 What Is Their Rtionship


    The person in the photo looked exactly the same as Irene. Edric suspected that there was something


    wrong with his eyes. He studied it carefully and realized that he was right. It was Irene. She dressed


    inly and looked 18 or 19 years old in the photo.


    How did Irene''s photo end up in Steven''s book? Edric also noticed two words -- "my love" -- written on


    the back of the photo when he was about to put it back in the book.


    My love? How was Irene Steven''s lover?


    How could it be? How could Irene be Steven''s lover? Steven was old enough to be Irene''s father.


    Suddenly, Edric remembered how Steven pulled Irene''s hand outside of the teahouse. Did Steven fall


    in love with Irene? Was that why Steven handed Irene the project?


    This could also exin why Steven wanted topensate him with the sports event. He was feeling


    guilty.


    While Edric was pondering, Steven had finished his call and turned around to continue to talk to Edric


    about the sports event.


    Edric was not in the mood to listen to it anymore. He collected himself and put the book back to its


    original ce. "I also heard about the sports event. But the Reed Family seems to be interested in


    sharing a piece of cake as well. I''m afraid that it won''t be so easy if they get involved."


    Steven was stunned. "Who told you that?"


    "Inside news. But it''s likely to be true. The Reed Family will definitely not let such a good opportunity


    slide by," Edric said while observing Steven''s face, "I''m afraid that there will be changes in this matter


    at that time."


    Steven''s expression changed obviously. Irene and Lily were both his daughters that he loved equally.


    But he would definitely try to satisfy Irene first if she made the request since he owed more to her.


    Edric noticed all the changes in Steven''s expression. He felt emotional for some inexplicable reason.


    He always thought that Steven was an upright official, rare in the government.


    And he never expected him to be the same as everyone else. He controlled his anger and left with an


    excuse.


    Edric''s heart was filled with mixed feelings. He couldn''t imagine that Steven and Irene would have that


    kind of rtionship? Had they slept together already? Or was it a one-sided crush?


    Irene was not that kind of person. She would never get involved with someone old enough to be her


    father! So it was Steven who was obsessed with Irene?


    It must be so! Steven must covet Irene''s beauty, and Jordan was so cunning that he lured Steven with


    Irene as the bait.


    It seemed that Jordan didn''t have any true affection for Irene. He was just using her. "I knew this


    yboy was not up to anything good," Edric thought to himself while driving to Irene''s neighborhood.


    After Irene went home, she had dinner with Thomas and Eden, took Eden out for a walk, and watched


    two episodes of a TV show. When it was time to sleep, she bathed Eden and helped him put on his


    pajamas. When Eden wanted a ss of milk before going to bed, Irene opened the fridge and realized


    that they ran out of milk. So she had to go out and buy more.


    She suddenly felt that someone was watching her when she walked out of the alley. An inconspicuous


    car was parked outside of the alley. Irene trembled when she saw the person sitting in the car.


    Irene could feel his piercing gaze even through the window. She didn''t dare to look at him longer but


    turned around and went straight to the convenience store.


    She only ran a few steps when she heard the car door closing behind. Soon, a familiar smell caught up


    to her.


    Edric stopped Irene without saying a word. Irene realized that she couldn''t go around him and said in a


    cold voice, "Sir, excuse me!"


    Edric looked at her frosty face and remembered how she used to smile at him in the past. He felt


    congested in his chest. "Irene, what''s your rtionship with Steven Cook?"


    Irene was stunned. What did Edric mean? Did he know her rtionship with Steven? Even if he knew,


    so what? It was all over! Everything was over! "Does it have anything to do with you?"


    Irene''s answer made Edric''s heart twist in pain. Was she admitting it indirectly? "How can you be so


    shameless? Steven is old enough to be your father!"


    Only then did Irene know what Edric meant. She sneered and enunciated, "I said, does it have


    anything to do with you? Sir?"


    "You..." Edric''s face was gloomy. Irene saw that Edric was gritting his teeth as if he was going to hit


    someone. She was a little scared, but she still held her head high and stared at him. Edric was


    speechless for a long time and finally said, "Is this the life you strived for?"


    "Why can''t it be?" Irene asked.


    "Irene, I really regret to know you!" Edric red at Irene in agony. He would rather Irene stay with


    Nathan or Jordan than an old man like Steven.From N?velDrama.Org.


    "We have long been strangers! Sir! Excuse me!" Irene didn''t back off. Edric didn''t stop her this time. He


    let her go.


    When Irene came back with milk, Edric was already gone. She rushed home with milk in her hands.


    Thomas was surprised to see her in a panic. "What''s wrong, Irene?"


    "Uncle, I just saw Edric outside of the alley."


    "Why did hee here sote?" Thomas was also surprised. "Did he see Eden? No, I left with Eden in


    my arms before he got a clear look at Eden''s face."


    "We can''t stay here any longer whether or not he saw Eden clearly. Let''s go to the new apartment


    tomorrow and clean it up. We will move right away,"


    "Okay! I''ll listen to you," Thomas agreed.


    When Edric returned home wearily, Margaret was waiting for him in the living room. "Edric, you''re


    back!"


    Edric mumbled in a low mood. He went through the living room and was about to go upstairs. Margaret


    stopped him and said, "Come and talk to me."


    Edric nced at Margaret and sat down on the couch on the opposite side. "What do you want to talk


    about?"


    Edric said in an impatient tone with a deadpan face. Margaret was stunned and wondered why her son


    was in a bad mood. "What did they say when you went to the Cook family''s house for dinner today?"


    "What do you want them to say?" Edric asked.


    "I thought you were going to talk about the engagement."


    "Engagement?" Edric sneered, "Didn''t you take over the engagement?"


    "Even though I''m in charge of it, as the groom, you need to talk to Steven and the others. It''s better to


    ask Lily what she wants to do."


    "You wanted this engagement. Do whatever you want!" Edric spoke in a harsh tone.


    "How can you talk to me like this?"


    "Did I say something wrong?" Edric sneered, "Mom, do you remember what you said to me?"


    "What?" Margaret was confused. She had said so much to Edric and had no idea what he was referring


    to.


    "You said that you would leave me alone as long as I promise you two things. You want me to divorce


    Irene, and I did it. You want me to be engaged to Lily, I agreed as well. I hope you will keep your


    promise and leave me alone after the engagement!"


    Margaret was astounded. She seemed to have said that in the past, how could a mother leave her son


    alone? Seeing that Edric was in a foul mood, she had tofort him, "I will leave you alone as long as


    you get engaged to Lily."


    Edric''s face eased a little. "Thank you, mom!"


    "I have exchanged some ideas with Mr. Cook and his wife about your engagement with Lily. Mr. Cook


    doesn''t have any request and believes that we should keep things simple. He needs to set an example


    in light of his position. But we''re businessmen without so many scruples. I think we''d better n it


    carefully and inform the media first!"


    "I''m not a celebrity. Why should I talk to the media?" Edric asked.


    "The press will be paying attention to the engagement. Instead of letting them poke around and print


    nonsense, it''s better for us to control the narrative."


    Edric was a little impatient. "It''s just an engagement ceremony. What''s the point?"


    "You''re right, but we can''t make it too basic. After all, we have to respect Steven."


    "Respect Steven? Does he deserve that?" Edric suddenly became enraged. It was the first time he


    flipped out Margaret. "Do you all have nothing else to do? Why are you making a fuss about an


    insignificant engagement ceremony?"


    Edric got up and went upstairs after that. Insignificant engagement ceremony? Margaret didn''t like how


    he described it. It sounded like something she said to Irene back then. But now it was Edric who was


    saying it.


    Margaret stared at her son''s receding figure and felt very strange. What happened to her son today?


    This seemed to be the first time he got angry at her after the divorce. What on earth happened?


    Edric shut the door and copsed in bed. He really didn''t want to believe that Irene and Steven had that


    kind of rtionship. There must be some misunderstanding.


    Irene was not that kind of woman. How could she be with a man old enough to be her father?


    There must be something he didn''t know about. Edric''s head started to ache again when he thought


    about how the Golden Age Group won the bid with ease and how Steven hesitated when Edric brought


    up the Golden Age Group during their conversation about the sports event.


    He was certain that there was a secret between Irene and Steven. He must figure out what the secret


    was!


    Edric tossed and turned in bed and couldn''t fall asleep until early in the morning. He had a dream about


    Irene. She whispered to him with a bright smile and deep affection, "Edric, Edric!"


    Her voice had an indescribable charm that trapped him. "Irene!" He reached out to grab her hand, but


    she dodged gently and walked in another direction.


    A tall and handsome man was waiting for her with a warm smile on his face. Edric stood in a daze and


    watched them hug each other and leave hand in hand. His heart ached like it was being torn apart.


    The pain made him open his eyes. "D*mn, it''s a dream again!"

 Chapter 52 Declare His Love

    Chapter 52 Dere His Love


    Eden was sleeping soundly beside her and even snored. But Irene couldn''t fall asleep. Although she


    tried hard to stop herself from thinking about it, her humiliating past still haunted her.


    She was under great pressure when she was with Edric. Handsome and rich, how could he fall in love


    with a Cindere like her? She resisted him at first by instinct, but then she was slowly moved by his


    love and affection and fell for him as well.


    She knew that Margaret didn''t like her. Margaret had a long face the first time she met Irene. She sized


    her up and down with a disdainful look and asked her in an arrogant voice, "How old are you? What do


    your parents do?"


    Irene could easily tell how dissatisfied Margaret was from her expression and tone. She nced at


    Edric, suppressed the grievance in her heart, and tried her best to talk to her politely.


    Margaret was even more displeased when she heard that Irene''s mother had passed away. "How could


    that be? Is it because you bring bad luck?"


    Irene''s face changed instantly as Margaret med her for her mother''s death. Edric held Irene''s hand


    and said, "Mom, that''s a superstition!"


    Margaret snorted, annoyed that her son was siding with Irene. "You look so thin. Are you capable of


    giving birth to a child?"


    Irene did not know how to answer her question and could only remain silent. Edric said, "Mom, you just


    met the first time. Why did you say that?"


    None of them enjoyed the first meeting. When Edric was sending Irene back, she asked him nervously,


    "Edric, your mom doesn''t like me at all."


    "Don''t think too much. My mother has a bad temper, but she doesn''t mean anything bad," Edric


    After a few days, she saw Edric''s mother at the cafe she was working in. Margaret and Lily were having


    coffee together, which was served by Irene. Margaret made spiteful remarks about her, "Lily, a person


    needs to have some self-awareness. A chicken has to know her ce and shouldn''t dream about


    bing a golden phoenix. That''s not realistic."


    Irene could feel her blood boiling at Margaret''s apparent derision. Thinking of Edric, she gritted her


    teeth and suppressed her anger. She turned around and left with the tray.


    A few dayster, Margaret came to see Irene and told her straightforwardly that she didn''t like Irene


    and wanted Lily to be her daughter-inw. She asked Irene to leave Edric on her own.


    Margaret''s aggressive look made Irene sick. Irene asked her if she would want Lily as her daughter-in-


    hundred thousand dors and forced her to break up with Edric.


    Irene wanted to p Margaret with her check so badly. But she eventually controlled herself and left.


    She broke up with Edric after she went back. Edric begged her not to leave, but she was determined.


    Heartbroken, Edric got drunk in bars every day and was sent to the hospital for gastrointestinal


    bleeding.


    Edric''s sickness softened Margaret''s heart. She reluctantly called Irene and asked her to go to the


    hospital. Edric grasped Irene''s hand and wouldn''t let her leave. Margaret finally acquiesced in the


    rtionship between Edric and Irene.


    However, she was not resigned. She never stopped provoking and criticizing Irene after they got


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    married. She met with Lily frequently and treated Irene even worse after knowing she couldn''t bear


    children.


    Margaret often forced Irene to drink bitter medicine that was alleged to be able to treat infertility. She


    also found some strange prescriptions that were said to be effective, including one that required Irene


    to drink liquor with ck ants soaked in.


    Margaret imed that Irene would be able to conceive once she drank it. Irene was so disgusted by the


    ants and didn''t want to drink. Margaret shouted at her and asked her to get out so she could have a


    daughter-inw that could actually give her grandchildren.


    Irene tried her best to put up with Margaret. But her patience was limited. She couldn''t bear the


    physical and psychological torture and started to quarrel with Margaret.


    Edric happened to see her fight with Margaret a few times. Margaret was a good actress. Even though


    she was yelling and cursing at Irene just moments ago, she managed to y the victim in tears as


    soon as she saw her son. She forced Edric to divorce Irene.


    Irene had had enough of this life and couldn''t stand it anymore. She had a long conversation with Edric


    and told him that she had taken enough medicine and done enough exams. She didn''t want to drink


    anything else or go to the hospital for those exams that gave her creeps.


    Since the Myers Family had to have a son, she''d better break up with Edric and wouldn''t me him.


    Guilt-ridden, Edric held her tightly in his arms. "Irene, don''t be silly. Having children is not important to


    me. I only care about you. You''re all I want!"


    Many women liked to listen to men''s sweet talks. She made concessions for Edric once again.


    Edric made up his mind and decided to talk to Margaret. Irene didn''t know what they talked about, but


    someone Margaret agreed to let them move out.


    Life was so much better without Margaret''s harassment. Irene no longer had to endure the physical


    pain and mental torture. She and Edric had a rtively peaceful time together.


    Much to her surprise, she was pregnant, probably thanks to her better mood. When the pregnancy was


    confirmed, she was ecstatic and couldn''t wait to call Edric.


    It didn''t go as she imagined. Irene never dreamed that Edric would cheat on her.


    How could she believe him when he said he only wanted her? He already found a mistress who was


    able to bear children. Of course he would say such things to deceive her. She med herself for


    believing him. Fortunately, Lily came to her in time.


    As much as she hated Lily, she felt gratitude for herter. If it weren''t for Lily, how could she know that


    Edric was such a disgusting man? How could she witness the lies and evilness under his mask?


    He vowed to love Irene forever and gave her everything he had before she found out about his affair


    with Lily. But his dark side was revealed as soon as his rtionship with Lily was exposed. He couldn''t


    wait to divorce her in the cruelest way. Irene almost wanted tough out loud when she read the


    divorce agreement.


    What a wonderful irony! Men treated women like treasures when they fell in love and like dirt when they


    fell out. She never believed that until she saw the divorce agreement. She was the most foolish person


    in the world indeed. She signed it without hesitation and left the house with nothing but the clothes


    Thomas bought for her.


    The next morning, Irene went to thepany with big dark circles under her eyes. Jordan teased her,


    "Are you a panda?"


    Irene was not in the mood to joke with him. She started to work in silence. Jordan studied her secretly


    and wondered why she was full of worries.


    Was it because of Nathan? He had always known that Nathan was hanging up on a woman, but he


    didn''t know it was Irene. Jordan had no idea what kind of rtionship Nathan had with Irene. He was


    certain that Nathan liked Irene. But what about her?


    Irene was not a small-minded woman. Jordan felt by instinct that she didn''t love Nathan romantically.


    Otherwise, she would be moved by Nathan''s affection a long time ago.


    Jordan had mixed feelings after knowing that Nathan liked Irene. It was said a man shouldn''t desire his


    friends'' lovers. Jordan knew he should bow out once he found out about Nathan''s feelings for Irene.


    But he didn''t. He realized that he couldn''t control his heart, for the first time in his life.


    He knew exactly what he wanted. He liked Irene and wanted to protect her and give her the warmth


    and love she deserved.


    However, she didn''t care about him. Jordan knew that Irene was different from other women around


    him and had long believed him to be a phnderer. He was at a serious disadvantagepared to


    Nathan.


    But he didn''t want to give up because of this. As a man, he had to work hard to fight for what he liked.


    Irene was his target now.


    Judging by the fact that Irene picked Bert, Jordan guessed that she liked gentle and considerate men,


    so he had been trying to be gentle himself these days. Irene''s attitude toward him seemed to have


    changed a little.


    It appeared that he made the right move. He wanted to take things slow before knowing about Nathan''s


    love for her. Now it seemed that he couldn''t wait any longer. He must take action quickly.


    He had already made it clear to Nathan that they wouldpete fairly. He must let Irene know about


    his feelings to do so. He decided to confess his love to Irene officially.


    Jordan was an experienced yboy who knew that women enjoyed romance. In order to please Irene,


    he booked a restaurant and decorated it with roses, balloons, and candles, nning to confess to her


    in the most romantic settings.


    Irene had no idea what Jordan was doing and only realized his intention after tricking her into the


    restaurant. The flowers, balloons, and candlelit dinner reminded her of Edric.


    That was how he trapped her. She now understood how stupid she was at the time. Her experience


    had proved to her that men couldn''t be trusted.


    Irene picked up a rose and sniffed it with a mocking smile. Jordan didn''t know what she was thinking.


    He thought he had a chance since Irene didn''t appear angry.


    Therefore, he dimmed the light as he nned before. The soothing music sounded, and the candlelight


    flickered. Jordan prepared himself and said, "Irene, be my girlfriend!"


    Irene looked at him. "Why me?"


    "I like you!"


    "You like me?" Irene cracked a wicked smile, "Didn''t you despise me as a divorced woman?"


    "I''ve never despised you," Jordan exined himself, "I was just feeling disgruntled that you didn''t meet


    me in the first ce, and you were hurt like that. But I''m here now. Irene, I like you! Be my girlfriend!


    You don''t have to work so hard when you are with me. I will respect you no matter what happens and


    will never force you..."


    A snicker interrupted him. Then, a voice rang out abruptly, "Mr. Reed, are you acting in a y?"

 Chapter 53 The Brawl

    Chapter 53 The Brawl


    Jordan and Irene turned around. Wearing a navy suit without a tie, Edric was standing at the entrance


    with his arms crossed. Edric had been holding grudges against Jordan.


    He was already gnashing his teeth when he thought about how Jordan used Irene to seduce Steven to


    win the construction bid. He asked John to keep an eye on the Reed Family. When he heard that


    Jordan book the restaurant, prepared flowers and balloons, and took Irene there, he knew what this


    womanizer was trying to do.


    Irene was his woman. How could he let others covet her? Edric drove here immediately.


    Jordan was more than annoyed. He booked the entire restaurant which should be closed for business.


    How did Edric suddenly appear?


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Reed!" Edric ignored Jordan''s expression, strode over, and sat down next to Irene. "I''m


    particrly fond of this restaurant and came here for dinner. I was surprised that it was not open, but I


    came in since I heard it''s you who reserved it. We are not strangers to each other. You don''t mind me


    eating here, do you?"


    Bullsh*t! Jordan was so mad that he wanted to smash Edric''s head. "Is he blind? Can''t he see what I''m


    doing here?"


    Edric looked around with a smile. "Roses, balloons, and candlelight dinner! Tsk tsk! So beautiful and


    romantic. Mr. Reed, I thought that you''re not supposed to shit where you eat. Did you take a fancy to


    some woman and bring Miss Nelson here to practice?"


    "Watch your tongue, Mr. Myers!" Jordan finally figured out that Myers was here to stir up trouble.


    "Don''t be shy. We are friends!" Edric was still smiling. "Miss Nelson hasn''t worked for you for a long


    time, right?"


    "How did you know, Mr. Myers?" Irene put on a fake smile. She wondered what Edric came here for.


    "Mr. Reed loves romance, especially pursuing women in a romantic way. I remember that Mr. Reed


    once did an earth-shattering thing a few years ago. Miss Nelson, do you know that?"


    "Edric Myers!" Jordan''s face changed. He bellowed Edric''s full name in a warning tone.


    "Mr. Reed, what are you nervous about?" Edric said with a faint smile and icy gaze.


    However, Irene was curious about the big thing Edric mentioned. "What did Mr. Reed do?"


    "Miss Nelson, do you want to hear about that?" Edric smiled and said, "Let''s talk while eating!"


    He pped his hands. The waiters came in and served the food. Edric didn''t care about Jordan''s


    gloomy face. He snatched Jordan''s silverware and started to wolf down the food. "It''s delicious. I''m


    starving. Why are you not eating, Mr. Reed?"


    Jordan couldn''t bear it anymore. He grabbed Edric''s cor and punched him in the face. Edric had long


    been prepared for Jordan''s attack and reached out to defend himself while ridiculing him at the same


    time, "Mr. Reed, what are you doing? Everyone knows how you confessed your love to Coco, the


    superstar in the vi in the Maldives. I only mentioned it casually. Why are you so angry?"


    "B*stard!" Jordan punched him again, and Edric dodged sideways. "Mr. Reed had a deep affection for


    Miss Coco, and his profession caused a sensation. Everyone thought they were a perfect couple until


    Mr. Reed dumped Miss Coco for a model. Poor Miss Coco imed suicide for that. This was a


    bombshell at that time!"


    "Edric, I''m gonna beat you to death today!" Jordan knew that nothing good woulde from tonight.


    He pounced on Edric and tangled with him. Watching them fight, Irene was anxious but couldn''t help.


    The fierce brawl didn''t stop until they were both injured and exhausted. Jordan''s face was beaten ck


    and blue, and Edric was bleeding from his mouth. Irene went forward to help Jordan up. "Mr. Reed, are


    you okay?"


    "I''m alright!" Jordan stared at Edric with menace. "Myers, I won''t let this slide. You just wait and see!"


    Irene helped him up. "Let''s go to the hospital and dress the wound." Edric was angry that Irene didn''t


    even dart him a nce. He warned her from behind, "Miss Nelson, you need to learn from Miss Coco''s


    lesson and not fall into the same rut."


    Irene ignored him and helped Jordan out of the restaurant. Jordan''s face was gloomy, but Irene didn''t


    pay attention to him and focused on driving. After a while, Jordan broke the silence, "Don''t you want to


    ask me something?"


    "Ask you? What should I ask you?" Irene asked.


    "You!" Jordan''s lips twitched. "I''m telling you, it was not like what he said. It was not. Do you


    understand?"


    "Oh!" Irene replied tly.


    "Irene, you really don''t like me at all?" Jordan was frustrated by her indifferent attitude.


    "I respect you as my superior, Mr. Reed," Irene replied.


    "Don''t call me Mr. Reed. Call my name!" Irene''s answer enraged Jordan.


    "Isn''t that inappropriate?"


    "How is that inappropriate? I told you to call me by my name in the future!" Jordan ordered her.


    Irene answered quickly responded. Jordan lowered his voice and said, "Irene, I''m not a bad person. I''m


    really not. Can''t you at least try to like me?"


    "No!" Irene answered with determination.


    "You... I''m telling you, don''t regret this!"


    "Don''t worry. I won''t regret it!"


    Jordan leaned back in disappointment and suddenly ordered Irene in a frenzy, "Stop the car!"


    Irene stopped the car. Jordan pushed her out. "Get out of here since you don''t like me! Don''t let me see


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    you again!"


    Irene was pushed off the car for no reason. Jordan moved to the driver''s seat and threw Irene''s bag


    out. He stepped on the elerator and sped away.


    Jordan watched her figure getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror and felt a void in his heart.


    "This is all Edric''s fault. Myers, wait for me! I won''t let you off so easily!"


    Irene picked up the bag and sighed. Jordan had always been impulsive and reckless. He just ditched


    her on the road. Fortunately, he also threw the bag. She could get home by taxi since her phone and


    wallet were all in her bag.


    Jordan drove away and became worried again. He turned around and drove back to where he pushed


    Irene off. Looking at the empty street, he was a little concerned if she was okay.


    In spite of his worry, he was still angry at how apathetic she was about him. "It''d be better if something


    happened to you, so you wouldn''t be so arrogant in the future!" Jordan mumbled out of spite but still


    called David and asked him to find out where Executive Assistant Nelson was.


    David muttered in his heart, "What''s wrong with Mr. Reed? Why can''t he call her himself?" He didn''t


    dare to say it out loud and called Irene. Then, he reported back to Jordan that Irene was on her way


    home. Finally, Jordan went to the hospital with ease.


    Irene and Thomas moved soon. It didn''t take long since they didn''t have many belongings. They were


    both happy as the new three-bedroom apartment was much airier and more spacious than their old


    home. Irene bought food from a nearby store and cooked a delicious meal to celebrate the move with


    Thomas and Eden.


    Thomas was tipsy. "Irene, you''re very capable. Your mother must be happy to see all this from


    heaven."


    "Yes, mom would be d." Irene put a chicken drumstick on Thomas''s te. "Uncle, have some


    chicken."


    "Your mom used to save money to buy us chicken as well." With a sorrowful look, Thomas didn''t touch


    the chicken.


    "Irene, do you know that your mom and I were very close? Your mom was my only family in this world. I


    hate myself for being powerless. I let your mom marry Steven that ungrateful scumbag and made you


    suffer this kind of humiliation."


    "Uncle, it''s all over!" Ireneforted him. Her uncle always got emotional at the mention of her mother.


    It was a taboo topic.


    "Irene, it was me who dragged your mother down. She wouldn''t be like this if it weren''t for me." Tears


    rolled down Thomas''s eyes. He was in deep sorrow. "It''s all my fault. It''s all my fault!"


    Irene quickly got up and handed Thomas a napkin. "Uncle, today is a happy day. Let''s not talk about


    the sad things."


    "You''re right. Let''s not talk about those. We should be happy." Thomas wipes his tears and looked at


    Irene with fatherly love.


    It took Nathan a lot of effort toe here this time. Irene wanted to be a good host and apany


    him to visit the San Fetillo before he went back.


    After dressing up, Irene took Eden to the hotel where Nathan was staying. Nathan was d to see


    them. "I thought you were just joking. I''m surprised that you really asked for leave to keep me


    "You made me sound so insensible!" Irene red at him. "Nathan, I will show you the best scenes in


    San Fetillo!"


    "It''s rare for you to be so generous with your time. I''m honored to obey," Nathan picked up Eden and


    said, "Let''s go!"


    Irene was determined to show Nathan the scenic spots and historical sites in San Fetillo, but Nathan


    was not very interested. He asked Irene, "Irene, just take me to see where you grew up."


    "Are you sure?" Irene asked. She grew up in the inner-city and didn''t understand why Nathan wanted


    to visit there.


    "Yes!" Nathan replied.


    "Well, I''ll take you to revisit my childhood life. But let me say this first, my family was poor when I was a


    child. It''s not a nice ce to see. Don''t me me if you are not satisfied!"


    "No, I won''t!"


    Irene was shocked by how familiar Nathan was with her old home since he had never been there


    before. He knew there was a convenience store to the left of the alley, a noodle shop to the right, and a


    tailor shop on the opposite side. Irene asked, "Nathan, how do you know?"


    "Didn''t you tell me? I''m going to eat the delicious oil-streaked noodles and stinky tofu you told me


    about. I suppose the ice sticks are no longer 20 cents each, right?"


    "You can only have stinky tofu and noodles. The ice stick is at least 50 cents now and doesn''t taste the


    same as before," Irene answered.


    While talking, the car stopped at the entrance of the alley. The three of them got off the car. Irene took


    Nathan and Eden to the noodle shop.


    The owner knew Irene well and immediately invited them to sit down. Irene ordered two serves of the


    oil-streaked noodles.


    Eden couldn''t eat spicy food, so she ordered a chicken soup noodle for Eden.


    While waiting for the noodles, she went to the stinky tofu shop next-door and bought three serves.


    The noodles were ready when she came back. Nathan picked up the chopsticks and smiled at her, "I''m


    going to have a bite of the delicious food now."


    His forehead and nose were sweaty after a few bites.


    Irene handed him a napkin and said, "All right, that''s enough. You obviously can''t take spicy food. Do


    you want to have some stinky tofu?"


    Nathan ignored her and ate up all the noodles in front of him.


    Irene looked at him, eyes widened. She remembered that Nathan couldn''t eat spicy food at all. What


    was going on?


    As if guessing what she was thinking, Nathan smiled and said, "Eden said it would be difficult for me to


    live with you in the future if I can''t eat spicy food. So I started to train myself slowly. I''m getting used to


    it now and will be better at it in the future."


    "Nathan!" Irene was deeply moved. Looking at Nathan, she knew how he felt about her. But she didn''t


    deserve him at all.


    "Don''t talk. Let''s eat." Nathan saw Irene''s guilty expression and knew what she thought, so he


    immediately picked up the stinky tofu and took a bite.


    The stinky tofu smelled bad but tasted good. Nathan ate several pieces in a row, "Not bad. It''s


    delicious!"


    Irene didn''t believe him. Nathan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. How could he be


    ustomed to this? She pulled Nathan up and said, "Stop eating. Let''s have a stroll along the river."

 Chapter 54 First Meeting

    Chapter 54 First Meeting


    Edric was upset when he learned that Nathan was back.


    He couldn''t focus on work all day. "She must be with Nathan at this moment, right?"


    "What are they doing now? Watching a movie, eating, or having sex like any ordinary couple?"


    He couldn''t stand those thoughts and grabbed his coat and rushed out of thepany. He drove


    aimlessly and somehow got to Irene''s old neighborhood.


    There was a car ident ahead, and the road was jammed. Edric sat in the car, waiting for the road to


    be cleared, irritated and impatient.


    "I wouldn''t take you here if I knew this. So many cars and people..."


    Edric heard a familiar voice. He looked over and saw Irene. She was not alone. Nathan, all dashing


    and handsome, was standing beside her.


    Nathan was holding a child in his arms. Edric couldn''t see the kid''s face since he was facing him with


    his back. Irene kissed the boy on his cheek.


    He knew very well how much she wanted a child. His heart suddenly tightened and he stared nkly in


    the direction of Irene and Nathan.


    He came out of the daze when the car behind him honked angrily. The police had dealt with the


    ident, and the blocked road started to clear. Irene and Nathan passed by his car while holding the


    kid. He could see the happy smile on her face, yet she didn''t notice him at all.


    They were strangers now! Edric was troubled by an indescribable feeling. His chest felt congested.


    Nathan and Irene had disappeared after Edric found a spot to park the car and turned around. He didn''t


    know why he was so distressed to see Irene and Nathan here together.


    This ce bears Irene''s happy memory. She said that she would only share her happiness with Edric.


    But now she took Nathan here as well. What did that mean?


    She wanted to share her happiness with Nathan. What a hateful woman! Edric would like to see how


    Irene could enjoy her time with another man when her ex-husband was around.


    Edric parked the car and looked for them around the alley Irene used to live in, but he didn''t find them.


    Edric clearly saw them walking with a child. How could they disappear so quickly?


    All of a sudden, Edric remembered that Irene liked to go to the brook behind the alley, so he hurried to


    the riverside.


    Irene took Nathan and Eden to the river bank. Although San Fetillo had been developing rapidly, the


    neighborhood Irene lived in remained the same as it was more than a decade ago. Poverty protected


    the neighborhood from pollution. The brook was clear, and the grass was green. They could see


    tadpoles and fish swimming in the water when standing on the river bank.


    "I used to catch fish here when I was a child." Irene gazed at the river, feeling emotional. "My family


    was very poor at that time and couldn''t afford good food. So I came here to catch fish to have a square


    meal. Once, I was caught in the rain and swept away by the water. Fortunately, I caught the big tree


    over there and didn''t get carried away. My uncle never allowed me to catch fish again ever since that."


    Nathan could feel the danger from her recount. He gazed at Irene with a sad look, said, "You must


    have a bitter childhood."


    "Yes, very bitter, but I was very happy!" Irene replied, "I often dreamed of catching fish since my uncle


    kept me from doing so. I still dream about it now."


    Eden, who was standing aside, was very excited. "Mom, I want to catch fish."


    Irene and Nathan looked at each other and smiled. "Alright!"


    She took off her shoes and rolled up her pants to jump into the river without a shred of embarrassment.


    The water was chill and the sand was soft. She finally experienced it again more than ten yearster.


    Irene sighed, "This may be thest time for me to catch fish here!"


    Eden did not know what Irene wasmenting about. He also took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and


    went into the water. Holding a stic bottle, he asked Irene to help him catch the fish. Although Irene


    hadn''t done this for years, she was still quite skillful. She caught a few small ones and put them in


    Eden''s stic bottle.


    Eden was over the moon. He raised the bottle and said to Nathan, "Uncle Nathan,e here too!"


    Nathan was tempted when he saw how much fun Irene and Eden were having and joined them in the


    water.  He grew up in a wealthy family and had no idea how to catch fish. All he could do was poking


    around along with Eden when he saw the fish swimming over.


    Not only didn''t they catch the slippery fish, they got themselves soaked.


    Irene burst outughing when she saw Nathan and Eden. The mud in the river reminded her of the


    time when she yed in the mud with her childhood ymates. Irene suddenly grabbed a piece of mud


    and smeared it on Nathan''s face. Nathan was staring at the fish and didn''t expect Irene to sneak up on


    him. Edenughed loudly when he saw the mud on Nathan''s face. Irene didn''t spare Eden either. She


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    smeared Eden''s face with mud as well.


    "Bad mom!" Eden grabbed some mud to wipe Irene''s face too. With Nathan''s help, Irene was attacked


    from both sides and was covered in mud as expected.


    The three muddy faces looked ridiculous. "Mom, are we having a face mask now?" Eden asked


    innocently.


    "Yes, we are having a facial mask, a natural y mask!" Irene and Nathan exchanged a look and


    Edric was flustered at the sight of such a happy scene when he rushed to the river. He strode over to


    them. Irene was shocked when she noticed Edric. "Why did hee?"


    Nathan also saw Edric. He reached out to hold Irene''s hand and told her not to panic. Edric''s eyes


    darkened when he saw Nathan holding Irene''s hand. "Does he think I''m a dead man?" Anger rose in


    Edric''s chest. He was eager to beat Nathan up until he was humiliated and begged for mercy in front of


    Irene.


    But he could only fantasize about it in his mind. He had no reason to beat Nathan right now. Edric


    walked over and stood by the river. Looking at them in the water, he said, "Mr. White, you''re in a good


    mood!" He stared at them maliciously even though he greeted them first.


    Nathan turned a blind eye to his hostility. "Are you here for inspection, Mr. Myers?"


    Why would hee to the riverside for inspection? Edric certainly understood Nathan''s sarcasm. "This


    river has beautiful scenery and is a good ce to live, especially for retirement. I''m going to build a


    house on the bank. So I''m here to check the surroundings."


    While speaking, he stared at Irene with his zing eyes. Irene used to snuggle up in his arms and tell


    him about her childhood. She mentioned this brook many times and said that they could build a house


    by the river after they retired. She would catch fish for him every day.


    Irene recovered from her momentary panic. Eden''s face was covered in mud, so Edric wouldn''t


    recognize him. Why should she be afraid? A hint of derision shed in her eyes. "I used to think of


    building a house by the river to live out my life as well. But now I realized that it''s such a foolish idea."


    "You!" Edric never thought that she could move on from their past so easily. He was tongue-tied with


    anger.


    Nathan followed Irene''s words, "You''ve always been silly, but I like it."


    Edric was beside himself upon watching their duet. "I wonder what your grandma would think if she


    knew you''re ying with mud here in San Fetillo."


    "Mr. Myers, you worry too much. My grandmother is old and she has been concentrating on enjoying


    her life without meddling in our affairs. However, Mr. Myers, I heard that Madam Myers is eager to have


    some grandchildren and handpicked a fiancee for you. She has been apanying her future


    daughter-inw to prepare for your engagement. You''re so lucky to have such a mother!"


    Edric didn''t expect that Nathan would bring this up. He didn''t want to get engaged to Lily, but it was not


    the time to exin right now. Nathan was obviously pping him in the face with this. Edric sneered,


    "Mr. White is really sharp-tongued!"


    "Mr. Myers, you''re quite good atplimenting others. However, my sharp tongue is nothingpared


    with your callousness and cruelty!" Nathan taunted him back.


    Edric certainly understood that Nathan insulted him to take revenge for Irene. He snickered and said,


    "It''s a pity that you used yourpassion in the wrong ce. How could a gentleman like you hanker


    after a married woman?"


    "A gentleman has his code of conduct. I have been an honest man and am not afraid of being judged.


    On the other hand, there are some people who pretend to be sanctimonious while having no trouble


    "You!" Edric was furious. Nathan was well-known for his eloquence and had never lost a debate.


    Edric was not a match for him. Eden had no idea what was going on. He saw a beautiful butterfly flying


    over the grass and went ashore to chase after it.


    Edric had been focusing on Nathan and Irene and didn''t pay attention to Eden at all. Irene was relieved


    to see Eden went ashore to chase the butterfly.


    She reminded Nathan, "You''re soaked. Let''s get up."


    Nathan nodded and pulled Irene up to the bank. While putting on his shoes, he looked at Edric


    provocatively and said, "Don''t forget to send the wedding invitation after you''re engaged. I will definitely


    Irene was delighted to see Edric speechless. "Didn''t think you would suffer like this, did you?" She put


    on her shoes and saw Eden had run away, so she reminded Nathan, "It''s almost noon. Let''s go for


    lunch."


    Nathan agreed and made more derisive remarks when he passed Edric, "Mr. Myers, take your time to


    study the terrain. We won''t disturb you anymore."


    Edric watched them swaggering past him and only came to his senses when he saw them catching up


    with Eden to help him put on his shoes. Edric didn''t notice the kid at all before. Seeing how close the


    child seemed to be with Nathan, Edric wondered if this was the child who suddenly appeared beside


    Nathan.


    He had been keeping an eye on Nathan because of Irene. He didn''t see anything about Irene on the


    news. Instead, he heard that Nathan suddenly had a child around him.


    Everyone felt strange since Nathan was not married. The press had been trying to dig out the


    background of the child but didn''t seed. The kid showed up out of nowhere.


    Later, some people spected that he might be Nathan''s illegitimate child. Nathan did not deny it, and


    no one from White Family came out to rify it.


    Edric scoffed when he saw the news at that time. Didn''t Irene always think that Nathan was a


    gentleman? He wondered what Irene would think if she knew Nathan had an illegitimate child.


    But now he realized that he was wrong. Irene seemed to be very fond of Nathan''s kid. It appeared that


    she had known this for a long time and had a good rtionship with the child.


    Sure enough, Edric was no match for Nathan in Irene''s heart. She could ept Nathan''s illegitimate


    child but not Edric''s. Edric suddenly became angry when he thought that she condemned him to death


    without giving him a chance to exin.

 Chapter 55 So Many Admirers

    Chapter 55 So Many Admirers


    Edric went back to his car in long strides. He leaned back in the seat and realized how ridiculous he


    had been. He gave her his heart, yet she never cared about him at all.


    He had a miserable time after she left, yet she lived a rxed andfortable life. She had both


    Nathan and Jordan. Edric felt bitter at the thought of the men following her around.


    Could he let her go like this? It was not worth wasting his time for a heartless woman. But he was not


    resigned. He kept hearing her sweet voice in his head, "To hold your hand and grow old together!" He


    thought to himself, "Irene, you promised me that. Don''t think you can go back on your words!"


    Edric pondered for a while and called John, "Ask someone to tell Madam White that her precious


    grandson is hanging out with my woman in San Fetillo. Ask her what she wants to do about this."


    "I''ll do it right away!" John answered immediately.


    "One more thing, tell Chuck White that his future son-inw has been pestering a divorced Executive


    Assistant all day long. It''s quite inappropriate and the gossip is spreading around San Fetillo." John


    answered again. He thought to himself, "Who said that only women can be jealous? Men can be


    worse. Mr. Myers is going to separate them once for all!"


    Edric rubbed his eyebrows after the call. He finally vented his anger a little bit. He didn''t believe that


    Madam White would be indifferent if she heard that his baby grandson was with Irene.


    Back then, Madam White wouldn''t let Nathan have anything to do with Irene even when she was


    single. She would only object more now that Irene was a divorced woman. Nathan would disappear


    from San Fetillo as soon as Madam White stepped in.


    As for Jordan, Edric believed that the Reed Family would take action once Chuck gave Jordan''s


    grandfather a call. Thinking of this, Edric cheered up again.


    Irene and Nathan left the river with Eden. People stared at their muddy faces with a strange look when


    they were trying to get a cab on the side of the road. They didn''t pay attention to the stare and went


    home by taxi.


    Thomas was very surprised to see them back. "I didn''t go grocery shopping because I thought you''re


    noting back for lunch. I can go to buy some prepared food now."


    "Don''t bother. We can just make some noodles," Nathan said.


    Irene nodded and said, "Uncle, just make some noodles for us. Nathan isn''t picky."


    Thomas moved fast. The steaming egg noodles were already on the table when they came out of the


    bathroom after washing their faces. Eden ate half a bowl and fell asleep.


    Irene carried Eden into the bedroom and ced him on the bed. Nathan finished his meal and Thomas


    was cleaning up the table.


    Irene poured Nathan a ss of water. They sat on the couch together and chatted. Nathan frowned


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    when he recalled Edric''s sudden appearance earlier in the day. "What happened with Edric today? It


    was quite a coincidence."


    "Who knows? I''ve seen him around rather often recently," Irene replied.


    "Is that so? Is he following you?" Nathan became vignt.


    "Follow me? I don''t think Myers is that bored. Maybe it''s just a coincidence," Irene answered.


    "From the way he behaved today, I think he hasn''t given up on you yet."


    "So what? I''ve given up on him already," Irene sneered and became a little angry when she thought


    about it, "I would have thrown mud at him if Eden hadn''t been there today!"


    Nathan frowned slightly. "Irene, you and Edric have a lot of chances to meet. He will find out about


    Eden sooner orter. You need to think of a way to deal with it as soon as possible. You can''t be as


    flustered as you were today."


    Irene nodded and said, "I know what I''m doing. Don''t worry. I was in a panic today because I''m not


    ready yet. It won''t be like this if we meet again in the future."


    "You already know how to handle him? How?" Nathan was confused.


    "Yes, I have a solution. Eden is my child. I''m going to admit it in the future. As powerful as Myers is, he


    can''t stop me from having a child with other people."


    "Edric wouldn''t buy it so easily. Eden looks like you. He will definitely investigate it. Things will be tricky


    when he finds out," Nathan was not so optimistic. "Why don''t you let Eden go with me?"


    "Nathan, you''ve done too much for me. I''m very grateful for your help. But I have to keep Eden with me


    this time," Irene was very determined. She entrusted Eden to Nathan because she didn''t have the


    ability to raise him. It was different now. She already had a stable job and could provide for Eden. She


    did not have to bear the pain of separation anymore.


    "I know you can''t live without Eden, but I''m really worried that Edric will fight for Eden after knowing the


    truth. You won''t be able to win the custody battle."


    "I won''t let him know that Eden is his child. Eden''s birthday is fake. ording to that date, I became


    pregnant three months after I left him."


    "Edric is not stupid. He would have thought that the date could be fake."


    "Don''t worry. I have something more convincing," Irene replied, "He will definitely believe it."


    Nathan stayed for a while longer before leaving. Soon after he returned to the hotel, Jordan came to


    visit him. Nathan was surprised to see Jordan''s ck eyes. "What happened?"


    "Didn''t Irene tell you?" Jordan asked.


    "No."


    Jordan was upset to hear that Irene didn''t tell Nathan what happened. "This woman is so f*cking


    heartless!"


    He told Nathan about his fight with Edric. "Don''t you think there is something wrong with Myers? Why


    does he mess with me again and again?"


    "How would I know? Maybe he doesn''t like you," Nathan answered. He certainly knew that Edric was


    jealous that Jordan liked Irene. However, if Edric cared about Irene so much, why did he cheat on her


    in the first ce?


    Could there be other reasons? But he shouldn''t betray his wife no matter what the reason might be.


    "Does he take a fancy to Irene as well?" Jordan mumbled to himself. The more he thought about it, the


    more he felt that it was true. "I will teach him a lesson if Myers dares to hanker for Irene."


    "How are you going to teach him a lesson?" Nathan asked.


    "I''m going to tell him about Irene''s true identity and piss him off," Jordan said smugly. "Isn''t Myers


    dating Steven''s youngest daughter? It''ll be a good show if he knows that Irene is Steven''s eldest


    daughter," Jordan thought to himself.


    "Nonsense!" Nathan''s face darkened, "You can''t tell anyone about Irene''s identity."


    Seeing Nathan''s expression, Jordan also remembered that Irene asked him to keep her secret.


    Knowing that he misspoke, Jordan smiled embarrassedly and said, "I don''t understand. She is not an


    illegitimate daughter. Why doesn''t she want others to know about her rtionship with Steven? Isn''t it a


    good thing to have the Secretary as her father?"


    "Everyone has their own thoughts and intention. Of course she has her reasons for not wanting people


    to know. Just remember that you can''t reveal anything."


    "I''m just joking. I still remember what she asked me," Jordan replied, "But I''m holding grudges against


    Myers now. I''ll take my revenge someday."


    "You''re so petty!" Nathan shook his head.


    Jordan red at him and said, "How am I petty? It''s only because Myers repeatedly screwed me over!"


    "Why would Myers find your soft spot and attack you if you didn''t act so impulsively?" Nathan asked.


    "You''re right, but I had to do it!" Jordan said bitterly, "Nathan, to tell you the truth, I really have no


    interest in Joanne."


    "Or maybe just a little?" Nathan teased him.


    "No, not at all! You know I can''t shit where I eat. I grew up with Joanne. How can I hanker after her?"


    "You don''t shit where you eat? Then what''s going on with Irene?"


    "Irene came out of nowhere. She was different from Joanne. I''m begging you, Nathan. I really don''t


    want to marry your sister. Please ask Joanne to turn her eyes to someone else. I can''t take it!"


    "Jordan, let''s be honest, do you think I want you to be my brother-inw?" Nathan snorted.


    "Since neither of us wants this, please help me. I''m so tired of being called a womanizer. If it weren''t for


    stopping Joanne from badgering me, why would I pursue Coco in such a grandiose manner?"


    "Jordan, you''re thinking this the wrong way. You should make it clear to Joanne if you don''t like her. Of


    course your ambiguity is going to make her think that you still have her in your heart."


    "I''m so wronged. I have made it very clear to her, but she just won''t believe it. You know the Reed


    Family has always hoped to form an alliance with the White Family through marriage. I''m the unlucky


    one here. You''re close to Joanne. Please try to talk to her and tell her that I don''t deserve her heart."


    While Nathan was speaking, his phone rang. A woman''s voice came through the phone in a hurry.


    "Brother, bad news!"


    Jordan frowned and stood up instinctively when he heard the woman''s voice. Nathan looked at him and


    couldn''t help butugh. Joanne was not a monster. How could Jordan be so afraid? "Joanne, what


    happened?"


    "Grandma fainted!"


    "She fainted?" Nathan was startled, "Why did she faint for no reason?"


    "I don''t know either. I just got a call from aunt and I''m on my way to the hospital right now. I called you


    right away since I''m worried."


    "Has everyone else been notified?"


    "Yes, don''t worry too much. I''m just telling you this. Maybe grandma is fine. I will call youter when I


    see her in the hospital."


    Nathan answered and hung up the phone. Seeing the worried look on his face, Jordanforted him,


    "It''s going to be okay. Don''t worry!"


    "Grandma is getting old and her health is worsening in recent years. I''m very worried," Nathan sighed.


    He was raised by his grandma and had a very close rtionship with her. How could he not worry


    when he heard about the news?


    "Let''s wait until Joanne gets to the hospital and see what''s going on."


    Nathan nodded with a concerned look. Seeing him like this, Jordan had to leave for now.

 Chapter 56 Old Ladys Idea

    Chapter 56 Old Lady''s Idea


    John''s report to Edric that Old Mrs. White had said that she would find a way to get Nathan back put


    Edric in a very good mood. He met with a couple of clients in the afternoon, had dinner outside, and


    sang karaoke before going back home.


    His cell phone rang on his way home. Edric picked up and heard a strange female voice, "Is this Mr.


    Myers?"


    "Who is it?" Edric asked.


    "I am Lily''s friend. We''re hanging out tonight, and Lily drank a little too much. Can youe to pick her


    up?" Freya said in a coquettish voice.


    Edric was surprised to hear that the gentle and well-behaved Lily would be drunk. He snorted and


    agreed.


    After hanging up the phone, Freya made an OK gesture to Lily who was sitting on the sofa and


    worrying that Edric would note. Lily was ted to know Edric wasing soon. She grabbed the


    liquor on the table and took a shot.


    Freya poured another ss for her. "One more shot. It can boost your courage. I''ll wait for your good


    news tonight."


    Lily took the ss and drank it again. Freya immediately helped her to dress like a drunk beauty.


    Edric pushed the door open and saw Lily lying on the couch, inebriated. Without thinking, he stepped


    forward to help Lily stand up and leave. But she couldn''t stand on her own and leaned her limp body


    against him.


    Edric instinctively wanted to push her away. He saw Freya standing aside and ordered her, "Come here


    and help me get her out!"


    Lily was extremely disappointed to hear that. She thought Edric would carry her out, yet it didn''t


    happen.


    Thinking how she used to see Edric carrying Irene into the car like a princess, Lily felt aggrieved and


    irritated.


    Edric and Freya helped Lily into the car. He threw her in the backseat and started the car. Lily thought


    he woulde to buckle the seat belt for her gently, so she could seduce him with all she had.


    But Edric didn''t take the bait. She had no choice but to roll off the backseat when he started driving.


    Edric saw her rolling down in the rearview mirror and immediately stopped the car. He helped Lily to sit


    up again and reached out to fasten the seat belt for her. Lily seized the chance to hug him and kiss


    him.


    Edric leaned his head aside. Lily''s lips didn''t fall on his lips as nned. Instead, she kissed him on his


    neck.


    Lily couldn''t care about the details anymore at this point. She hugged Edric tight and rubbed her soft


    chest on him while moaning, "It''s hot!"


    Edric was shocked by her sudden provocative behavior. He pushed her away and jumped out of the


    car.


    Lily watched Edric returning to the driver''s seat. The car sped to the hospital.


    Soon, Edric dropped her off at the hospital. He didn''t suspect that she was pretending to be drunk.


    What she did just now startled him since she had always been gentle and appropriate. He ordered the


    doctors to examine her. They gave Lily some medicine and even hung an IV bag for her.


    In the end, he also called Deborah and Steven to inform them.


    Things turned out to bepletely different from what she imagined. Freya said that Edric wouldn''t


    resist Lily as long as she dropped her pretense and took the initiative to seduce him. Everything would


    be settled once they had sex.


    However, it was not what happened. Edric didn''t have any interest in her. Instead, he pushed her away


    as if she was some monster. Her back identally hit the armrest, which made her gasp in pain.


    Lily was suffering but couldn''tin. "This is all Freya''s fault. She suggested that I could have sex


    with Edric if I pretended to be drunk. What a f*cking bad idea!"


    Just as the nurse prepared the IV bag for Lily, Steven and Deborah rushed over.  When smelling the


    booze on Lily, Steven took on a ghastly expression.


    "How did you educate our daughter?" He turned back and questioned Deborah angrily, "Why didn''t you


    stop her from going out with these dodgy friends?"


    Steven was furious. Edric was not very enthusiastic about Lily already. Now her ludicrous conduct had


    truly humiliated herself and Steven.


    Deborah did not dare to speak. She was also disappointed by Lily and thought,"What are you doing at


    this time? This is only going to make Edric look down on you."


    Edric didn''t know what they were thinking. He didn''t need to stay longer now that the mission was


    Steven became angrier after Edric left. He scolded Deborah and said she didn''t teach their daughter


    well. Irene had had a hard life these past years, but she never did anything out of the line.


    After that, he left in a huff.


    Deborah and Lily were the only ones in the ward. Lily opened her eyes after Edric and Steven left.


    Deborah red at her and said, "What are you trying to do?"


    "Mom, I didn''t know it''s going to be like this!" Lily didn''t hide anything from her mother and told her


    about her n to seduce Edric tonight.


    Deborah was so angry that she poked her daughter''s head with her finger. "You are so stupid! You are


    going to get engaged soon. What are you so impatient for?"


    "Mom, I''m worried. He has always been perfunctory to me, even more so after Irene came back. I saw


    that he went to Irene''s home to find her. What should I do if they start over again?"


    "So you want to seduce him in such a crude way?" Deborah snorted, "Did you know that you did the


    exact opposite?"


    "The exact opposite?" Lily was bewildered.


    "He doesn''t want to touch you when you''re perfectly fine. Why would he have sex with you when you''re


    drunk? It would be more likely if he were drunk."


    "He never drinks with me. How can I get him drunk?"


    "Can''t you find a way?" Deborah sneered, "Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. Don''t you


    understand that?"


    "Then I''ll find a way to get him drunk next time."


    "Save it, it''s not about getting him drunk now," Deborah nced at her daughter and said, "You need to


    act in a proper way now. You will be engaged to him in half a month. I will help you find a way when the


    timees."From N?velDrama.Org.


    Lily nodded, "I''ll listen to you."


    Nathan waited in the hotel for his cousin''s call for a long time, but she didn''t call him back. He had to


    call her himself yet only found out that her phone was turned off.


    Why did she turn off the phone at this time? He was so anxious that he had to call the aunt who took


    care of his grandmother. The aunt told him that his grandmother had woken up and was fine now. He


    should take care of his business and not to worry.


    Nathan felt relieved when he heard that his grandmother was fine. However, Joanne called him back a


    few hourster, "Brother,e back quickly. The doctor said that grandma is in terrible condition!"


    "But auntie said she''s okay now?" Nathan was stunned.


    "Grandma told her to lie to you. She didn''t want you to worry," Joanne''s voice was a little choked. "I


    wanted to call you, but she wouldn''t let me. I heard her talking to auntie and said she was sorry she


    asked you to sacrifice your love to take over the family business and made you depressed for so many


    years. She doesn''t want you to suffer anymore. Be with Irene if you like her. She doesn''t care


    anymore."


    Holding the phone, Nathan was in a daze. He didn''t expect grandma to say that. Joanne sobbed in a


    low voice, "Come back and see grandma. I''m afraid that you won''t be able to see her for thest time if


    you''rete!"


    Thinking of how his grandma had devoted herself to him, Nathan felt his heart aching. "I''ll book a flight


    right away!"


    After hanging up the phone, Joanne stuck her tongue out at the old madam sitting on the sofa.


    "Grandma, he said he wille back tomorrow."


    Old Mrs. White gave her granddaughter a thumbs-up. "Not bad, your acting skills are getting better and


    better!"


    Joanne walked up to her and sat down. "Grandma, what if he finds out and bes mad at me?"


    "Grandma won''t let him find out," Old Mrs. White answered.


    "I know you won''t, but just in case."


    "There''s no ''in case''," Old Mrs. White replied, "I have made careful arrangements since I''m going to


    trick him back."


    "Grandma, I helped you to get him back. You have to pay more attention to my thing now." Joanne was


    reassured by her grandma''s confidence and immediately thought of her own matter.


    The olddy sighed. Why were her grandchildren so stubborn? There were so many women in the


    world better than Irene, yet her grandson was obsessed with her. And her granddaughter obviously


    knew what a yboy Jordan was, but she was determined to marry him and just wouldn''t change her


    mind.


    Joanne thought her grandma sighed because she didn''t want to help her. Flustered, she sat,


    "Grandma, you can''t go back on your words!"


    "Girl, have you really thought it through? That boy from the Reed Family is fickle and cunning. You


    won''t have a good life with him," the olddy reminded her again.


    "I know how he is, but that''s exactly my type. I don''t want anyone else," Joanne replied.


    The olddy sighed heavily. "I will go talk to the Reed Family and settle your matter as soon as this is


    over."


    Joanne''s face lit up when she heard her grandma''s promise.


    Nathan booked a flight and called Irene, telling her that his grandmother was sick. Although Nathan''s


    grandmother separated her from Nathan, Irene didn''t hate her as she understood where the olddy


    wasing from. The olddy''s condition made Irene worry as well. She told Nathan to go back


    immediately.


    Nathan''s flight was in the next morning. Irene and Eden went to the airport to send him off. Crying,


    Eden was reluctant to leave Nathan. Irene had tofort the child, "Uncle Nathan wille back


    soon."


    Eden broke intoughter. "Uncle, I will wait for you toe back to see me."


    Irene took Eden home after they sent off Nathan. Eden asked Irene on their way back, "Mom, my real


    dad is dead, not lost, right?"


    Irene was stunned. "Who said that?"


    "Granduncle. He said my dad died a long time ago, and you are finding a stepdad for me, not my real


    one. Is that true, Mom?"


    Irene''s heart ached. She knew that her uncle told Eden this because he hated Edric. She had no idea


    how to answer. Eden would keep asking her if she said his dad was still alive.


    She sighed. "Yes... he''s dead."


    A sad look came over Eden''s face. "Mom, I don''t want a dad anymore. I just want you and granduncle,


    and Uncle Nathan."


    "Good boy!" Irene hugged his soft little body tightly.


    "Mom, what did dad look like? Was he handsome?" Eden asked again.


    "He was!" Irene replied.


    "As handsome as Uncle Nathan?"


    "As handsome as Uncle Nathan!"


    "I knew that my dad must be very handsome!" Eden slid into her arms with a smile on his face. "Mom,


    can I make a request?"


    "What request?"


    "I want Nathan to be my dad!"


    Irene was speechless for a moment. Eden was still waiting for her answer. "Mom!"


    "No!" Irene shook her head and said, "If you want a dad, I will find you a dad. Trust me, I will definitely


    find a dad for Eden!"


    "But I like Uncle Nathan to be my dad!"


    Irene did not speak. Children only knew who treated them well and never understood the grown-ups''


    trouble. Nathan was a star in the sky while she was a speck of dust on the ground. They were destined


    to be in different worlds.


    Eden was a sensible kid. He changed the subject right away when he saw the sad look on his mom''s


    face. "Mom, I want to eat pizza!"


    "I will get it for you!"


    Irene got off the car with Eden since there was a pizza restaurant nearby.


    Pleasant music was ying in the car. Edric sat in the back seat, resting with his eyes closed. He just


    got the news that Nathan went back to visit the "sick" Mrs. White. Edric was in a cheerful mood now


    that Nathan was gone. His fingers were tapping along to the music even though his eyes were closed.


    John, who was driving the car, identally saw Irene crossing the road with Eden in her arms. He was


    surprised. "Madam... Miss Nelson is holding a child?"

 Chapter 57 Mixed Feelings

    Chapter 57 Mixed Feelings


    Hearing John''s words, Edric opened his eyes and saw Irene and Eden. Why would Nathan leave the


    child behind? Was he not this kid''s father? Edric suddenly remembered that Irene imed to be a


    single mom on the dating show. His temples throbbed. He ordered John, "Drive over to take a look!"


    Irene put Eden on the seat and ordered a six-inch pizza for him. Then, she got two cups of juice and a


    te of snacks. Eden happily buried his head in the food.


    Irene smiled and watched him wolfing down the food. "Slow down, take a sip of the juice. Be careful not


    to choke!"


    "Mom, eat this!" Eden took a bite of the pizza. Seeing that Irene didn''t eat, he handed his slice to her.


    "I''m not eating. I just want to watch you eat!"


    "I want you to eat with me!" Eden insisted. Irene had no choice but to take a small bite.


    Eden took another bite, his little face full of smiles. "Is it delicious?"


    "Delicious!"


    Edric walked in and went straight to a seat next to Irene and Eden. He sat down and ordered a random


    ten-inch pizza and a te of snacks.


    He was not in the mood to eat. Instead, he had been paying full attention to Irene and Eden and heard


    their conversation clearly.


    He was shocked when he heard Eden calling Irene mom. He nced at John and realized that John


    was looking at him as well. They were both astounded.


    Irene''s voice was so gentle and motherly. With mixed feelings, Edric stared at her and Eden in a daze.


    Why did this child call her mom? Did she adopt him?


    After the meal, Irene took Eden and was about to leave. A man appeared in front of them out of


    nowhere. Irene was startled. Edric stared at Eden with his scrutinizing eyes and asked, "This is your


    child?"


    "Yes!" Irene spat out one word and strode away with Eden in her arms.


    Her figure disappeared, yet Edric was standing still on the spot. He saw clearly that the boy looked very


    simr to Irene. Their wide eyes, longshes, and pink cheeks were exactly the same.


    Waves of emotion were surging in his heart. It took him great courage to ask her, and he only hoped to


    hear her denial.


    But Irene didn''t deny it. She admitted it without any hesitation.


    Edric''s heart sank when he heard Irene''s answer. He felt a void inside as if he lost something.


    "She is already a mother? Isn''t she infertile? What''s going on? It''s said that boys look more like their


    mothers. That child definitely inherited her genes." Edric''s doubts were all cleared when he saw the


    boy''s face. He was her child indeed! She had a child with another man!


    Edric returned to the car in a daze. His ex-wife, who didn''t get pregnant for three years, had a beautiful


    son after their divorce. How ironic!


    Irene hurried out of the restaurant with Eden in her arms. She stopped a taxi and went home. Her heart


    was pounding the whole time.


    The child was in an ident. She had lost hope at that time after trying so many different ways and


    stopped taking any medicine.


    The day before Lily came to her, she realized that her period had been dyed for ten days. She didn''t


    dare to wish for a child but still went to the pharmacy and bought a test kit.


    It turned out to be positive. She couldn''t believe it and went to the nearest hospital for a blood test. The


    result confirmed that she was pregnant.


    She was ecstatic and called Edric right away. However, it took him a long time to pick up the phone. He


    said to her coldly that he was busy and asked her not to bother him.


    After hanging up the phone, she turned around and met Lily, who was unting her big belly, and


    handed her a pregnancy test report.


    She was filled with hatred and disbelief when she saw Edric''s signature on the report. She felt that her


    whole world just copsed.


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    She remembered exactly what happened that day, but she didn''t want to recall it at all. She didn''t want


    to relive that kind of pain and humiliation ever again!


    Irene hugged Eden tightly in her arms. Edric''s sudden appearance scared her to death! Why did he


    keep popping up out of nowhere like a ghost recently?


    She was sure that Edric had just seen Eden''s face. Would he doubt her? She looked at her son


    carefully. Eden looked very much like Irene, but not Edric, perhaps for his young age. Irene was a little


    relieved. Everyone knew they couldn''t have children back then. He shouldn''t be suspicious!


    Even so, she still needed to think of a solution to make sure that he never found out about the truth.


    Irene carried Eden home in a hurry and instantly noticed an eye-catching car parked under the new


    apartment building.


    Irene asked for a leave and hadn''t gone to work since the brawl between Jordan and Edric. Jordan was


    also embarrassed to see her. Irene was the first woman who turned him down and broke his heart.


    He loved her and hated her at the same time. In the end, his love for her trumped the hate.


    As a man, he should be able to move on and treat her the same as before. Jordan finally found


    sufficient excuse for himself toe to see her again.


    After waiting downstairs for several hours, Jordan started to get impatient. Just when he was about to


    leave, he saw a cab approaching. Irene got out of the car with Eden.


    Jordan opened the car door and asked impatiently, "Where have you been?"


    "We went to send Uncle Nathan off!" Eden answered in a childish voice.


    "Nathan was acting quite mysteriously. This dude didn''t even tell me when he left. I suppose he only


    wanted you guys to send him off?" Jordan knew that Nathan went back because of Old Mrs. White''s


    illness. He deliberately said so to start a conversation with Irene as he still felt embarrassed to see her.


    "Uncle Nathan is not a dude!" Eden looked upset. Uncle Jordan always called Uncle Nathan "dude".


    How rude!


    "He''s not a dude. You''re!" Jordan gently pinched Eden''s cheek and said, "So this kid is your son. I


    thought he was Nathan''s illegitimate son! I was quite jealous of him at that time!"


    "Uncle Jordan, what is an illegitimate son?" Eden asked in a childish voice.


    "An illegitimate son is..."


    "Jordan!" Irene interrupted him angrily. Looking at Irene''s long face, Jordan smiled embarrassedly.


    "Irene, is he your ex-husband''s child or your illegitimate son?"


    "You can''t say anything decent!" Irene ignored him and walked away with Eden. Jordan followed her


    and nimbly held the door open when she tried to shut it in his face. "I am your guest. Is this how you


    treat guests?"


    Eden stuck his tongue out at Jordan and said, "You made my mom upset! The consequences will be


    severe!"


    "Bullsh*t! I''m your mother''s boss. She is supposed to be afraid of me!"


    "You said a bad word!"


    "This is called personality. Do you understand? It would be best if you learned more from me in the


    future. Don''t be like a sissy like Nathan!"


    "Uncle Nathan is not a sissy!" Eden retorted.


    "He is if I said so!" Jordan actually started to quarrel with a child. Irene shook her head. She couldn''t be


    angry with someone like Jordan. "What are you doing here?" she asked.


    "What am I doing here? How can you even ask me that?" Jordan turned to look at Irene. "How long


    have you been skipping work? Don''t you know?"


    "Didn''t I ask for leave? And you agreed," Irene retorted.


    "I changed my mind now. Hurry up and go to work!"


    "Now?" Irene looked at him as if something was wrong with him.


    "I''m going to a party tonight for entrepreneurs in San Fetillo. I need a femalepanion. You have to


    go with me!" He ordered.


    Edric would definitely be there. Irene shook her head, "I''m not going."


    "This is your job! I will take away your bonus if you don''t go!" Jordan threatened.


    "Will you give me more bonus if I do?" Irene asked.


    "Why are you so obsessed with money?"


    "I''ll go only if you give me more bonus. I''m your assistant, not your femalepanion!"


    "Fine, I''ll add it to your bonus. Come with me now!"


    Irene didn''t expect Jordan to agree so easily. She didn''t want to go with him at all. "I don''t have any


    suitable clothes!" She continued to find excuses.


    But it didn''t work with Jordan. "I''ve bought it for you already!"


    Irene red at him, but Jordan acted as though he couldn''t detect her reluctance at all. "Don''t worry


    about the size. I have a 20/20 vision for sizing women. One nce, I will know their cup size!"


    "What is cup size?" Eden asked again.


    Irene was really worried that Eden might learn something bad from Jordan. "I''ll go with you. Hurry up


    and leave!"


    Jordan smirked. He didn''t know how to deal with her in the past. But now he had found her soft spot.


    He would have plenty of ways to handle her in the future!


    As Irene expected, Edric also attended the party. Irene wanted to run away as soon as she saw Edric


    and Lily.


    However, Jordan did not give her the chance to leave. He forcibly took her hand and walked over to


    Edric, who was surrounded by a group of people. Edric looked sideways when he heard people saying


    that Mr. Reed was here. His eyes lit up when he saw Irene.


    It was not that he didn''t know how beautiful Irene was in the past. But he was still amazed by her


    beauty since he hadn''t seen her in a gown for years.


    Her gorgeous face, smooth and slender neck, fair and clear skin, and slim waist. Watching hering


    over with Jordan, Edric forgot that someone else was still talking to him.


    Lily was filled with jealousy when she noticed that he had been staring at Irene. To demonstrate her


    ownership of Edric, she pressed her body against him with no scruples. Edric could only see Irene in


    his eyes and didn''t notice Lily''s actions at all.


    Irene sneered in her heart when she saw them clinging together. Although she was reluctant to go near


    them before, she didn''t want to retreat now.

 Chapter 58 Never Pull Back

    Chapter 58 Never Pull Back


    Jordan and Edric greeted each other friendly. They were both experienced businessmen. No one else


    could tell that they just had a fight not long ago.


    Irene was irritated by their fake smiles and polite chat.


    Lily had always ignored Irene in front of other people. She only called her "sister" when there was no


    one around. Therefore, she only nodded politely when she saw Jordan and Ireneing. Irene, on the


    other hand, remained a deadpan face and didn''t acknowledge Lily at all.


    The guests at the party were all prominent and wealthy. Irene was only an assistant with a pretty face.


    Naturally, she became the object of ridicule.


    "Isn''t she the divorced woman on TV?" A richdy remembered that Irene was on a blind date


    program.


    "Yes. Exactly! Mr. Reed even went on that show for her."


    "Yes, she turned him down at that time. I remember it clearly."


    "Then why is she with Mr. Reed now? I thought that she left with another average-looking man?"


    "Plenty of people would do anything to be famous. She must be using Mr. Reed to gain fame!"


    "How despicable! People are really doing all sorts of things to be famous now. Look at her. She


    apparently came from some low-ss family. She has no manner at all!"


    "Yeah! Isn''t it embarrassing to bring this kind of woman here?"


    Three women were enough to stage a y, not to mention the number of women here at the party


    tonight. They were jealous of Irene''s beauty and didn''t care about how vicious they sounded.


    Irene turned a deaf ear to these malicious attacks. Verbal abuse was nothingpared with the


    unbearable things she experienced in the past.


    Of course, Jordan also heard those unpleasant words. He stopped chatting with the head of another


    and Mrs. Bush?"


    The two women did not expect Jordan to take the initiative to greet them. They smiled politely, "Mr.


    Reed!"


    "I saw Mr. Wood taking a girl in her twenties to dinnerst week. That must be your daughter, right?"


    Jordan said with a smile. Mrs. Wood''s face changed immediately. What daughter? It must be a


    mistress. Tongue-tied, she somehow couldn''t find a way to vent her unjustified anger.


    Jordan ignored her embarrassment and added, "Your daughter is rather beautiful!"


    Jordan was well-known for protecting his people. The two women naturally understood that he was


    defending Irene. Mrs. Bush wanted to slip away, yet Jordan wouldn''t let her. "Mrs. Bush,


    congrattions on your new baby! When is the 100-day celebration? I will definitely go to make a


    toast!"


    Mrs. Bush''s face turned red instantly. What baby? It was a b*stard of her shameless husband. How she


    wished she could strangle him!


    Mr. Wood and Mr. Bush also sensed that something was wrong. Jordan had never attacked other


    people for no reason. Their wives must have offended him first and pushed him to air their dirtyundry.


    They red at their wives at the same time.


    Without saying anything else, Jordan walked away while holding Irene''s hand. He gave Mr. Wood and


    Mr. Bush a sinister smile before leaving.


    The two men were in a state of nerves upon seeing his smile. They originally thought they could build


    some rtionship with Jordan tonight. Now it seemed that it was a waste of effort. Not only that, they


    probably had affronted him already.


    Edric noticed all the drama. In the beginning, he didn''t believe that Jordan was sincere to Irene. But


    now he was a little confused.


    Reed would never defend a woman he didn''t like. But why would he use Irene to seduce Steven if he


    was sincere to her?


    "Did I guess all of this wrong?" Watching Jordan and Irene acting like a perfect couple, he felt his heart


    throbbing in his chest.


    Lily was upset as well. She was hoping to see Irene being ridiculed and didn''t expect Jordan to stand


    up for her right away.


    Why did Irene always have someone who cared for her wherever she went? It used to be Nathan, then


    Edric, now it was Jordan. How lucky she was!


    Irene walked around with Jordan for a while before finding an excuse to go outside. She went straight


    to the small garden outside of the hall. She hadn''t worn high heels for a long time and could barely


    stand the pain. Since there was no one around, she sat on the edge of the flower bed, took off her


    shoes, and put her feet on the ground to relieve the pain.


    Edric had been watching Irene secretly. He followed her out when he saw her leaving the hall.


    Right after Irene took off her shoes, a deep voice sounded behind her, "Jordan would be turned off if he


    saw you like this!"


    Irene sneered without turning around. "What does it have to do with you if he is turned off?"


    Edric was irritated by the apathy in her tone. He stepped closer and asked, "Who was that man?"


    "What man?" Irene was confused.


    "You don''t understand?" Edric''s eyes narrowed with menace. "I''m asking, who is the father of your


    child? Don''t tell me you don''t know who the father is!"


    Irene''s heart trembled. She stood up abruptly. Edric''s words startled her. She only regained her


    "Mr. Myers, don''t you have something else to do? Why do you care about other people''s private


    affairs?"


    Edric was not pleased with her answer at all. He reached out to hold her chin and forced her to look


    into his eyes. "Is it appropriate for you to leave your husband and child behind to go out with another


    man?"


    "I have a clear conscience. Who gave you the right to question me?" Irene sneered.


    Edric was almost driven mad by the derision in her eyes. He squeezed her chin even harder. Irene


    cried out in pain, but Edric didn''t let go. "Irene, why are you so cruel? What on earth is your heart made


    of?"


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    "It''s not your concern what my heart is made of. We are strangers already. It''s better for us to avoid


    each other in the future. What do you think, Mr. Myers?"


    Irene could clearly see Edric''s eyes darkening and knew he must be livid. Just as she started to feel


    gratified, Edric suddenly grabbed her shoulders and kissed her lips.


    He smelled familiar yet also strange. Irene was stunned for a moment but quickly came out of the


    daze.


    "Who does he think I am? Does he still think I was the fool he cheated on?"


    She tried hard to push him away, but wasn''t a match for Edric''s strength. Since he held her so tightly


    that she couldn''t get away, she came up with an idea and stamped on Edric''s foot with her high heel.


    Edric was enjoying the kiss and had no idea that she would fight back. The sharp pain made him let go


    of Irene. Irene wiped her lips with disgust. "Myers, you''re so f*cking disgusting. How dare you touch me


    with your dirty mouth that has kissed countless women!"


    Edric squinted and said, "Irene, you don''t need to act like some innocent virgin. Jordan yed with God


    knows how many women. I don''t see you having any problem with kissing him."


    "Mr. Myers, you think too highly of yourself, don''t you? To tell you the truth, you can''t even hold a


    candle to Jordan in my mind!" Irene strode away.


    Edric looked at her receding figure in a daze, disheartened and desperate. He had never despaired in


    the past no matter what happened. Yet today, he felt like it was better to die than to live.


    He lit up a cigarette and wanted to ease his mind. But he took a draw and felt even more annoyed.


    He was very frustrated, indeed. His heart for her had not changed a bit in the past three years. He had


    been dreaming of a day when he could get back together with Irene. But she had already drifted away.


    He knew this day mighte in the three years she disappeared, but he refused to believe it would


    actually happen.


    He always thought that he still had a chance to win her back. When he heard that adorable kid calling


    her mom and saw how she cared for the kid with motherly love, he felt that his heart was stabbed by


    something.


    Hah! How ridiculous! He was waiting for her toe back, but she was already a mother. Who was the


    father? He had been thinking about it the whole time.


    Could it be Nathan? He remembered that Nathan and Irene were holding the child together in her


    neighborhood. When Irene disappeared three years ago, Edric thought about the possibility of her


    running off with Nathan.


    However, he had never heard any news about her and Nathan. The White Family probably didn''t


    ept her because of her background. Edric was rejoicing that she could never be with Nathan if the


    White Family didn''t want her.


    But Edric was not so sure now he had seen the child. She left him back then to be with Nathan. It was


    possible that she had a child with the man she loved.


    "But wasn''t she infertile? She didn''t get pregnant in the three years they were married. How could she


    have a child with Nathan right after she left me?"


    "Or maybe she is able to give birth and she just doesn''t want to have my children?" Edric''s mind was


    filled with different thoughts. He felt that he was going crazy.


    He had been struggling for the whole afternoon. Heartbroken, he gnashed his teeth in hatred and had


    no mood to work at all.


    He didn''t want toe to the party at all but couldn''t turn it down. He only wanted to stay for a short


    while and didn''t expect to see her here again.


    She easily stole his heart with her dazzling beauty. He was consumed with jealousy when he saw


    Jordan defending her.


    He followed her to the garden because he had many questions to ask her. What he wanted to know the


    most was who the father was.


    But she refused to answer, which only aroused his suspicion. Could it really be Nathan?


    If it was Nathan, why was she involved with Jordan? He didn''t forget that night when he saw Irene


    kissing Jordan in the car.


    How could Jordan hook up with his good friend Nathan''s woman?


    Who would it be if it wasn''t Nathan? Who was the man she was willing to have a child with?


    He was burning with fury at the thought of her making love and having a baby with another man.


    "She already has a child. Is there anything else she wouldn''t do? Why am I feeling like this? It should


    not have happened, should it?"


    Instead of going back to the party, Irene went to the bathroom to fix her makeup. Edric''s kiss messed


    up her face. Her look might make Jordan suspicious.


    While Irene was fixing her makeup in front of the mirror, she heard a flurry of footsteps in high heels.


    The door was pushed open and she smelled the perfume.


    Irene didn''t need to look to know who was here. She cracked a mocking smile. Lily was really keeping


    a close eye on Edric.


    So what? Once a cheater, always a cheater. Since Edric could cheat on Irene when they were married,


    of course he could cheat on Lily with other women. No wonder Lily had to keep him on a short leash.


    Lily stopped to chat with some richdies and couldn''t find Edric anywhere when she finished the


    conversation.


    She immediately looked for Irene and found that Jordan was alone in the hall. She guessed that Edric


    must have gone to meet Irene secretly.


    Infuriated, Lily went out to look for him. She checked all the lounges and didn''t find anything. In the


    end, she came to the restroom.


    Lily''s eyes narrowed when she saw Irene reapplying her lipstick. They just kissed! She was instantly


    overwhelmed with hatred. Irene put away her lipstick, nced at Lily with a snicker, and was about to


    leave.


    "Wait a minute!" Lily stopped her.


    "What can I do for you, Miss Cook?" Irene smiled.


    "Sister, I''m sorry for what happened in the past. I apologize to you. Please forgive me!"


    "Forgive you? Do you think I''ll forgive a mistress who destroyed my family?"


    "I know you hate me... It was Aunt Margaret who came to me first. I felt sorry for her, so..." Lily bit her


    lips and spoke tentatively. Like mother, like daughter. She knew how to get under Irene''s skin.


    "I didn''t want it either. I only wanted to help you at that time. You''re barren, but Edric and Aunt Margaret


    want children very much. So I agreed to her. It''s my fault for not thinking it through. Please forgive me


    for the sake of my dead baby. We''re sisters after all."


    Even though Lily seemed to be apologizing, everything she just said implied that Edric cheated on


    Irene because she couldn''t have children. Irene would have been hopping mad in the past. But now,


    she only sneered in disgust.


    "It''s said that children are exactly like their parents. It''s true indeed. Even the home-wrecker gene can


    be passed on. How eye-opening."


    Irene ridiculed Deborah for being Steven''s mistress back in the days. Lily''s face turned red. "My mom


    and dad are in love for real."


    "In love for real?" Irene sneered, "So you and Edric are in love for real too? Lily, don''t kid yourself. You


    know perfectly well what kind of a woman you are. You''re as shameless as your mom. No! I should say


    that you inherited your mom''s specialty in seducing married men. Your mom and you are the most


    disgusting people in the world!"


    "You can insult me, but you can''t insult my mother. She is still your stepmother no matter what!" Lily


    argued, "Irene, you have to apologize!"


    "Apologize?" Irene seemed to have heard something funny, "You''re not worth it."


    Irene didn''t want to talk to Lily any longer. She opened the door and was going to leave. Much to her


    surprise, Lily, who was usually restrained and dedicated, reached out to pull her. Irene felt sick at Lily''s


    touch and turned around to p her.

 Chapter 59 Nice Plan

    Chapter 59 Nice n


    Lily took the p without dodging. A bright red weal sprang up on her fair cheek.


    A woman happened toe to the restroom and saw Irene pped Lily. Lily was the daughter of the


    Secretary and Edric''s girlfriend. Irene was just a nobody.


    How dare she pped the Secretary''s daughter? The woman shouted out immediately. Lily began to


    cover her face and cry when she saw the audience.


    Someone spread the news to the party right away. Edric heard themotion. He put out the cigarette


    and came back from the garden. A group of people were gathering in the hallway. He immediately saw


    Irene surrounded in the middle.


    He strove over, his heart tightened. Lily threw herself into Edric''s arms as if he was her savior. She


    cried even more pitifully.


    Edric helped her stand straight and asked, "What happened?"


    Lily only cried and didn''t answer. The woman who watched the scene replied, "I don''t know what


    happened either. I came to the bathroom and saw this woman cursed and pped Miss Cook."


    "That''s outrageous? How can she do this?" People who knew Lily started to protest on her behalf at


    once.


    "Exactly. How can she be so ill-mannered? How can she p people on such an asion?"


    A mocking smile crept on Irene''s face. It turned out that Lily had nned all of these. She deliberately


    provoked Irene so everyone would condemn Irene for attacking Lily. Irene had to admit that Lily came


    up with a good n.


    There were always troublemakers who were eager to fan the mes. Someone else stood up for Lily


    and said, "Miss, you must apologize to Miss Cook!"


    "Apologize?" Irene sneered, "Why don''t you ask her why I pped her?"


    "No matter what happened, it''s wrong to hit someone."


    "It''s not your turn to speak here," Irene snapped back. Her arrogance only made people angrier. "How


    can you act like this? Apologize! Apologize quickly!"


    Irene turned a blind eye to the condemnation from the crowd. She fixed her eyes on Edric and Lily and


    said, "Miss Cook, are you sure you want me to apologize?"


    Lily cried without speaking. She and Deborah were well aware of Irene''s high self-esteem. They knew


    that she would rather endure the humiliation and pain than show her weakness in front of other people.


    That was why Irene left the family without asking for any exnation after knowing that Lily was


    pregnant with Edric''s child. She suppressed the news of Edric''s betrayal as well as her own pain.


    Deborah said Irene was just like her mother.


    Such a person would never tell the truth about what happened in the past. That was why Lily dared to


    goad Irene on to attack her in the first ce.


    Lily had two objects. First, she threw herself into Edric''s arms to provoke Irene. Second, she wanted


    the crowd to denounce Irene, which would leave a bad impression in Jordan''s mind.


    At this point, both of her goals were achieved. She just needed to wait to see how Jordan reacted to it.


    While crying, Lily searched for Jordan in the crowd. Where did this guy go?


    Edric''s eyes darkened. Although he had always known about Irene''s strong personality, he didn''t


    believe that she would hit Lily for no reason. "I want to know why."


    If it had been in the past, Irene would have been cursing at Lily furiously at this point, which would only


    aggravate the situation. But she was no longer the fool she was before and saw through Lily''s plot.


    That being the case, how could she let Lily seed? She didn''t curse at Lily or stay silent. Instead, she


    looked at Edric with a smile, said, "Mr. Myers, are you sure you want to hear the reason?"


    Edric nodded. "Yes, I want to know why."


    "I also want to know why." Jordan suddenly appeared next to Irene. He reached out to hold Irene''s


    hand and said, "I''m here. Don''t worry!"


    Jordan put his arm around Irene''s shoulder to protect her.


    "Then I''m honored to obey. I''ll tell everyone the reason why I hit Miss Cook for everyone to judge it."


    Lily didn''t expect that Jordan would choose to stand up for Irene in public, nor did she expect that Irene


    would be willing to tell everyone about their argument. Her body froze when she was crying in Edric''s


    arms. "Will Irene tell everyone I was pregnant before?"


    Lily would be humiliated if everyone knew that Irene was once Edric''s wife and Lily was a surrogate.


    She would not be able to gain a foothold in the high-ss society even if she married Edric.


    Irene cleared her throat. "The argument started when Miss Cook and I were talking about the most


    popr topic in recent years -- home wreckers..."


    "Edric, I''m a little dizzy." Lily didn''t expect Irene to have changed so much. She immediately pretended


    to faint when she heard Irene say "home wreckers".


    Edric was also surprised that Irene would bring it up. Irene didn''t know what happened back then. He


    and Lily didn''t have an affair. How could Lily survive in the future if Irene told everyone that she was a


    surrogate?


    He immediately held Lily up. "I''ll take you to the hospital!"


    Edric left with Lily. Without the leading roles, the audience lost interests as well. The crowd dispersed.


    Jordan held Irene''s waist and left. Heughed when they got in the car outside, "Irene, do you tend to


    get physical?"


    "Mr. Reed, what do you mean?"


    "You have pped both your sister and me. By the way, your sister is a pretty good actress. At first,


    she was so domineering and immediately fainted when you were about to tell everyone her mother was


    a homewrecker. Edric also yed along perfectly. They are quite a match for each other." Jordan


    suddenly remembered something and sighed, "Does Edric know Lily was born to a mistress?"


    "I don''t know!"


    "I think Margaret would never let her son marry a woman born to a mistress if she found out."


    "Why did you say that?" Irene was curious. Margaret had always thought highly of Lily.


    "Because Margaret was a victim of extramarital affairs," Jordan answered.


    "Edric''s father had an affair?"


    "No, it was Margaret''s father. She suffered a lot. Fortunately, Edric''s father loved her very much. But he


    died young. Margaret devoted herself to her son. Her son is everything to her. You can imagine this


    kind of love. Anyway, Lily will have plenty of trouble after she married Edric."


    Irene didn''t say anything. She had already learned how cruel Margaret was. All of a sudden, she was


    excited to see how Margaret would react when she realized her precious daughter-inw was born to a


    mistress. It must be a wonderful drama.


    Edric helped Lily get in the car. Lily burst into tears. "Edric, I''m fine. I just pretended to faint. I don''t want


    to be humiliated in that kind of situation."


    Edric naturally knew that she was only pretending. It was the only way she could stop Irene from telling


    everything.


    "I just wanted to apologize to her and exin the truth of the past. But she wouldn''t listen and called


    me a home-wrecker. She was so emotional that she pped me. Edric, I''m sorry. I didn''t want to cause


    trouble for you," Lily sobbed in a low voice.


    "I know." Edric felt guilty, thinking of the misunderstanding Lily suffered for him. "Lily, I''m sorry!"


    Lily initially was worried that Edric wouldn''t believe her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard


    Edric''s apology. She must not provoke Irene again in the future.


    After sending Lily home, Edric took a U-turn and left. Lily watched him drive away and went into the


    house. Deborah was waiting for her in the living room and was shocked when she saw the weal on


    Lily''s face.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Steven just came out of the study and also saw the weals and tears on Lily''s face. He was surprised as


    well. "What happened?"


    "Irene, she pped me!" Lily burst into tears and recounted the incident with plenty of embellishments.


    Not only did she say that Irene called her a mistress, but she also didn''t forget to mention that Irene


    called Deborah a mistress as well. Anyway, it was all Irene''s fault.


    Deborah certainly understood what Lily was going for. She reached out to wipe Lily''s tears and started


    to cry herself. "It''s all my fault. My poor child! I am the reason you have to suffer!"


    Steven sighed. He knew Irene had a bad temper. Seeing Deborah and Lily crying their hearts out, he


    said with a sigh, "How can Irene do this? Lily is her sister no matter what. This is absurd!"


    Deborah had never heard Steven criticizing Irene before. Overjoyed, she knew she had to fan the


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    mes and make Steven even angrier at Irene. Therefore, she continued to speak while crying,


    "It was my fault back then. I shouldn''t havee to you. It wouldn''t be like this if I hadn''te to you.


    Irene wouldn''t have left you. My Lily... my Lily wouldn''t be humiliated like this!"


    Deborah took on everything and kept crying, "This is my karma. But why is God punishing my


    daughter? Steven, Lily was not a mistress. You knew what happened back then. We did everything for


    Irene''s sake!"


    Steven sighed, "I know. I''m sorry you have to suffer. I will talk to Irene and tell her Edric didn''t have an


    affair with Lily. I will ask her not to hate Lily anymore!"


    Steven''s words stopped the women from crying. How could they continue the deception if Steven told


    Irene the truth?


    Irene divorced Edric because she thought he had an affair. She would definitely forgive Edric if she


    knew Edric never cheated on her with Lily. If that happened, Deborah and Lily''s n would be ruined.


    "Steven, don''t talk to Irene.She won''t believe you even if you did," Deborah said in a hurry.


    "Why?"


    "I asked Lily to be the surrogate so Margaret could leave Irene and Edric alone. But it didn''t work out


    that way. Margaret threatened to kill herself to force Edric to divorce Irene. Irene must hate Lily badly.


    Now Edric is about to get engaged with Lily. Irene won''t believe you if you go to tell her the truth. She


    will think that you''re lying for us and will only hate you more. I don''t want your rtionship with Irene to


    be destroyed again."


    "Yes, dad. Mom is right. Irene''s hatred for us has been ingrained deep in her heart. She won''t believe


    you even if you go to exin to her," Lily immediately echoed.


    "But how can we let you be misunderstood forever?"


    "Lily has been taking the me for so long. She will be alright for now. We need to think about Irene.


    She finally changed her attitude toward you a little. You will only push her away if you defend us at this


    time," Deborah persuaded him.


    Steven was in a dilemma. Indeed, Deborah was right that Irene wouldn''t believe him even if he told her


    the truth now. She would think that he was helping Deborah and Lily out. She already resented him for


    bringing them back to the family and would never forgive him if this was mishandled.


    Deborah and Lily heaved a sigh of relief, seeing Steven dropped the idea. Deborah helped Lily back to


    her bedroom and closed the door. She said to Lily with menace, "Don''t provoke that b*tch again, at


    least not before you and Edric get married."


    Lily nodded. She felt aggrieved at the thought of the kiss between Edric and Irene tonight. "Mom, Edric


    keeps thinking about her. I''m worried that something might happen to our engagement."


    "You have to keep your cool at this time. I controlled myself for so many years for your father. Can''t you


    wait for a few days?" Deborah scolded her.


    "Remember, don''t provoke that b*tch now. Focus on Margaret. As long as you please her, she will put


    pressure on Edric and make sure he will marry you."


    Edric turned the car around and went to Irene''s ce. He arrived at the familiar alley before long. He


    looked up yet saw it was dark inside. Surprised, he wondered why Irene hadn''te back.


    What about Thomas?

 Chapter 60 How Ridiculous

    Chapter 60 How Ridiculous


    Edric had been here countless times in the past three years. Thomas had a very regr life and would


    definitely return home before 8 pm.


    Today was an exception. Edric looked at his watch. It was ten o''clock in the evening already. The


    window was still dark. Did something happen?


    Edric waited downstairs for a while longer yet still didn''t see Irene or Thomas. A middle-aged woman


    living in the same building happened to be back. She had seen Edric staring at the window many times.


    If it weren''t for his stately manner and expensive clothes, she might think he was a lunatic.


    It was just a shabby building. What was there to look at?


    Edric pointed at Irene''s window and asked the woman, "Auntie, do you know where this family went?"


    The woman gave Edric a strange look. "Are you a friend or a rtive?"


    "Rtive, a distant rtive," he answered.


    "A distant rtive?" The woman looked suspicious. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "They have


    moved away."


    "Moved away? When?"


    "A few days ago."


    "Do you know where they moved to?"


    "Probably to live with their son-inw," the woman replied.


    "Son-inw?" Edric was stunned. He just learned about the kid, now there was a son-inw. How many


    secrets did Irene have?


    "Aren''t you a rtive? How did you not know their daughter got married?" The woman stared at Edric


    with an odd look.


    "I..." Edric didn''t know how to answer.


    The woman ignored him and went upstairs. Edric stood on the spot in a daze. The situation was


    beyond his imagination. Irene moved away without saying a word.


    It was the same when he was targeting Kinsey before. He thought she would badger him, yet she just


    disappeared all of a sudden. He spent ten long days by himself and had to give Kinsey her job back. As


    soon as he gave the order, Irene showed up again.


    Edric remembered how hostile she was to his mother in the restaurant that day. It was said that people


    who loved each other would tolerate anything for each other. Irene had never tolerated his mother. She


    fought with his mom ever since they got married. No wonder his mother didn''t like her. It also told him


    that Irene had never loved him.


    She readily epted the divorce and never tried to mend their rtionship because she didn''t care


    about him at all. She didn''t have any hesitation even in the face of such harsh terms.


    He was still dwelling in the past, yet she had being preparing for tomorrow. Eric suddenly found himself


    ridiculous. What was he doing?


    Edric didn''t get home until dawn. Margaret already got up when he was back. She knew Edric didn''t


    whereabouts.


    But Edric went to the party with Lilyst night. He must be with Lily if he didn''te home. Margaret


    could hardly wait for Edric to spend the night with Lily. She certainly wouldn''t call to disturb them.


    Margaret realized that she was wrong when she saw her sone back so early. It was apparent that


    he wasn''t with Lily. Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, she felt worried for him. "Did you stay up


    Edric groaned as a response.


    Margaret asked the maid to prepare breakfast while Edric freshened up. The breakfast was ready when


    he came out of the bathroom. Edric sat down by the dining table and ate the food. Margaret carefully


    observed him and found out that he had slimmed down.


    "Edric, don''t work too hard. Take care of yourself."


    Edric groaned again. Margaret sighed and said, "Even though we lost the construction bid, Steven will


    "Did Steven tell you that?" Edric asked.


    "Deborah said that. It must be what Steven told her." Margaret was in a good mood. "The sports event


    is a lucrative gig. I think it''s not worse than the construction bid..."


    Edric darted his mother a scornful look. "Don''t you think it''s too early to celebrate?"


    Margaret certainly knew what he meant. She was silent for a moment. "Edric, I''ve thought about it.


    We''d better announce the engagement to the public. The ceremony can be carried out in Steven''s


    house per his idea."


    "Do whatever you want. Don''t ask me!" Edric stood up, wiping his mouth. "I''m going to work!"


    "Aren''t you going to rest at home for a while?" Margaret was surprised.


    "No, I still have work to do in thepany!" Watching her son striding away, Margaret stamped her


    feet. How could this be good for his health!


    Edric ordered John as soon as he arrived at the office, "Go find out where Irene moved to. Be quick."


    John found Irene''s new address in no time. Edric looked at it silently for a while before he grabbed his


    coat and went out. He drove to Irene''s new home. Knowing that she wouldn''t be there at this time, he


    still couldn''t help but want to see it.


    Irene''s new home was in the southern part of the city. The neighborhood had nice facilities and a


    kindergarten nearby, which was also why Irene chose to buy an apartment here. It was convenient for


    Eden to go to school.


    Edric parked the car outside and walked into the residential quarter. He went straight to the third


    building where Irene lived in.


    Before he got near the building, he saw Thomas sitting downstairs, basking in the sun. A little boy was


    y with the ball not far away from Thomas.


    Edric stopped instinctively. It was Irene''s child. He was such an adorable kid that Edric fell in love with


    him at the first sight. How wonderful it would be if he were his own child!


    Eden was bored after ying the ball for a while. He ran to Thomas and said, "Granduncle, I want


    mom."


    "Mom is at work and won''te back until evening. Eden, be a good boy."


    "It''s so boring," Eden sighed like an adult, "Granduncle, when can I go to kindergarten?"


    "Mom is already looking for someone to get you in. It should be soon," Thomas answered.


    While speaking, Thomas noticed Edric. His face suddenly became gloomy and he left with Eden in his


    arms. Edric just stood there without moving.


    He clearly heard the conversation between Thomas and Eden. Eden was going to kindergarten, which


    meant that he was about three years ago. Irene and Edric only divorced a little over three years old.


    How could she have a boy that was three years ago? Could Eden be his kid?


    Edric was electrified by the idea. He must find Irene immediately and get an answer! He must know!


    Edric blocked Irene downstairs when she came back from work. He asked bluntly, "Irene, tell me the


    truth, who is the child''s father?"


    He finally came. Irene already knew that Edric wouldn''t give up easily when he asked her that at the


    partyst night. Fortunately, she already had an answer prepared. She looked at Edric and said calmly,


    "Mr. Myers, you are very funny. Of course I had my child with my husband."


    "Husband? So the child is mine?"


    "Myers, are you too stupid to tell the difference between husband and ex-husband?"


    "It''s impossible! How is it possible?" Edric did not believe her at all. "How could you get married?"


    "Are you so narcissistic that you think I will stay single for you forever?" Irene said with a mocking


    smile.


    "Irene, don''t lie to me. You can''t get married."


    "Can''t get married? Why would you say that?"


    "I will be informed at once if you get married." He asked people to keep tabs on the public records and


    tell him right away if Irene remarried. But he never received such news. "You and I only divorced a little


    more than three years ago. How can you have a three years old boy? Is he my kid?"


    "Your kid? Do you think you deserve it?" Irene sneered. "Don''t you know that we have been divorced


    for three years and nine months?"


    "I told you, don''t change the subject. With the current medical science, I can easily find out if he is my


    child." Everyday felt like a year after Irene was gone. How could Edric not remember how long they had


    been divorced?


    Edric lost his patience. "Irene, you don''t have to tell me. But I''ll soon find out ande after you."


    "Myers, why do you have to push me?" Irene said fiercely, "There''s no need to investigate. I''ll tell you


    the truth."


    Edric stared at Irene nervously. "What''s the truth?"


    "I didn''t get married because my child''s father died when we were about to get married." Irene knew


    that Edric would find out about Eden sooner orter the day she took Eden back. But she was not


    afraid. She had a way to make Edric believe her.


    Irene couldn''t find a job anywhere and was driven into a corner after she left Edric. She cried in front of


    her mother''s grave which was on the mountain in the suburbs of San Fetillo. She was caught in an


    unexpected heavy rain and slipped and fell on her way down the mountain. She tried her best to


    protect the baby in her belly, but her leg hit a boulder and was broken.


    Coincidentally, she was rescued by a kind-hearted man passing by. The man was called Jeremy Field.


    He was a manager of a foreign tradepany and Irene''s high school ssmate.


    Jeremy had a crush on Irene in high school, but he was humbled by her beauty and didn''t dare to


    express his feelings. He went to college in another city, married his college ssmate, and had a cute


    son. Unfortunately, his wife died in a car ident two years ago.


    Irene stayed in the local hospital for three months, no wonder Edric couldn''t find her. Jeremy pursued


    Irene during Irene''s stay at the hospital.


    Heartbroken and despondent, Irene couldn''t ept him. She told Jeremy about her experience and


    admitted that she was pregnant, trying to dissuade him.


    But Jeremy didn''t care and promised that he would be good to Irene and treat her child like his own.


    Irene couldn''t believe his vows and was ready to leave after she recovered. But she had always been a


    proud person who didn''t like to owe anyone anything. How should she repay him her medical


    expenses?


    Jeremy''s parents had a grocery store in the countryside. He proposed to let Irene work there. Irene


    agreed as she was worried that she couldn''t find a job elsewhere.


    Jeremy had been running back and forth between hispany and the countryside ever since Irene


    started to work there. Irene''s baby bump grew bigger and bigger. Jeremy''s parents were very kind and


    took good care of her. Seeing how difficult her life had been as a single mother, they also tried to


    persuade her to marry Jeremy.


    Irene was swayed by the kindness of Jeremy''s family and agreed to consider it for the sake of the baby.


    No one ever thought that something bad would happen to Jeremy.


    He died in order to save some children who fell into the water. Jeremy''s death devastated his parents.


    The old couple couldn''t bear the blow and both fell ill. Irene stayed in the Fields Family to take care


    them and didn''t leave until they recovered and she gave birth to Eden.


    Although Irene and Jeremy were not married, everyone thought her child was Jeremy''s since she had


    been staying with them. Because she gave birth in the Fields Family, Jeremy''s parents were kind


    enough to let her report Eden as a child of the Fields Family to keep him from being an illegitimate


    child.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Edric stared at Irene for a while. "Irene, you''d better not lie to me!"


    "Why should I lie to you?" Irene sneered, "If you don''t believe me, Mr. Myers, you can check it out."


    "I will!" Edric shot Irene an indecipherable nce, then turned around and left.

 Chapter 61 Bitter Memories

    Chapter 61 Bitter Memories


    Irene turned around noticing that he was no longer beside him. Although she had been trying to hide


    the fact that she was nervous, her clothes drenched in sweat had already betrayed her.


    It was really unfair to Jeremy. However, Irene had no choice other than to make him the scapegoat.


    Edric had alreadye crashing and demanding an exnation. The thing with Jeremy was the only


    leverage she had.


    Back then, there was already a marriage in the works between Jeremy and her. All of the neighbors


    had already assumed that she was Jeremy''s fiancee and the child belonged to him too. Even if Edric


    began investigating the matter, he wouldn''t find anything otherwise.


    Edric immediately instructed John to verify everything Irene said. And the result he got was indeed in


    line with Irene''s statement. She was going to get married to Jeremy, and the only thing that stopped


    them was Jeremy''s heroic death.


    He also heard that Eden''s birth certificate was also derived from the Field family''s ounts. Edric was


    really frustrated. He didn''t expect that everything he did to make Irenee back to him would backfire


    and instead force her into another marriage.


    He wanted to shower her with love and grow old with her; how did it turn out like that?


    He loved her. He had fallen madly in love with her ever since he firstid eyes on her. He spent all his


    days thinking about her. He knew that Irene didn''t have a very great upbringing but he didn''t care.


    He only appeared in her life after she broke up with Nathan. He had tried everything to get together


    with her. In the end, he managed to make Irene acknowledge his presence; he even convinced


    Margaret to ept Irene.


    Life after the marriage was lovely initially, but everything gradually changed. The Myers family needed


    an heir and Margaret insisted that Edric give her a grandchild as soon as possible.


    At first, Edric bore all the responsibility and me. Margaret eventually forced both of them to go and


    take some tests at a hospital.


    The test results shocked him and Irene. Edric was perfectly fertile but Irene couldn''t ovte. That


    meant she couldn''t birth them an offspring.


    Margaret was upset, as was Irene. That night, Margaret beganshing out at Irene unreasonably. Irene


    could only tolerate and endure all of it alone.


    Later, Irene began consuming various supplements in order to get pregnant. Edric could still remember


    the bitter stench of medication and supplements every day he went home. Margaret was initially quite


    helpful; she went out of her way to find a cure for Irene''s infertility.


    She found various weird prescriptions for Irene. Irene, on the other hand, was quite cooperative as


    well. But two years went by and Irene''s condition didn''t seem to improve. Margaret''s patience grew thin


    and she began to say hurtful things.


    The first fight between Irene and Margaret urred when Irene talked back to Margaret for the first


    time. Margaret was so irate that she started thrashing the house and flinging things everywhere.


    The pressure on Irene was overwhelming. On top of that, Margaret was being stubborn and


    unreasonable. Edric knew that Irene wasn''t having it easy. There was a time when Irene kept asking


    him, "Edric, what if I can never give birth to a child for you? Will you still love me?"


    Edric held her in his arms and asserted, "I only want you; you are the only person I need!" He meant


    his every word. He didn''t care if she could bear him a child; Irene was all he needed.


    Later on, the conflict between Margaret and Irene grew fiercer. They argued almost every day.


    Margaret would cry and wail to Edric after each argument. Edric was caught in between, for he had two


    sides to console.


    And one time, both of them refused Edric''s constion. Margaret demanded Edric divorce Irene. Irene


    on the other hand also told him that she was exhausted from this marriage. She didn''t want to take all


    those supplements anymore; she didn''t want to run those tests and be med by Margaret anymore.


    She wanted a divorce!


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Edric''s heart went cold. The fact that these words came out of both of them almost crushed him, for


    they were the two women he loved the most in his life. He hugged Irene and pleaded, "Please give me


    some time, I will convince her! Irene, I beg you!"


    Irene didn''t waver. "I''ve had enough! Edric, you need a child. Your mother needs you to have a child.


    We have no future together!"


    That night, Edric used whatever means he knew to beseech her to stay. After a long, gruesome effort,


    Irene gave up the idea of divorce.


    After that, Edric made up his mind to speak to Margaret. He wanted to move away with Irene. Margaret


    was devastated but Edric was firm. Hence, Margaret gave way and allowed them to move away.


    Three months after they left the house, Margaret suddenly showed up at their door and threw a bunch


    of photos and a recorder in front of Edric. "Look at what your precious wife did behind your back!"


    Edric was shocked to see Irene hugging Nathan in the photos. No! It was impossible! Irene would


    never betray him! Something else must have happened! Margaret then switched on the recorded. Edric


    could clearly hear the conversation between Irene and Nathan.


    She wasining to Nathan about how Margaret was abusing her and that she was sick of it. She


    wanted to divorce Edric and Nathan was at the sideforting her. Edric couldn''t bear to listen to it


    anymore. Her betrayal pierced his heart.


    No man on earth would be able to listen to such a conversation. Edric went mad and smashed the


    recorder on the ground.


    At that moment, his heart was shattered! It had beenpletely disintegrated into dust! He was trying


    his best to provide Irene with a family but she had already decided to leave him. Irene even met with


    Nathan behind his back.


    Margaret was cursing Irene viciously. Shemanded Edric to divorce Irene immediately!


    However, he just couldn''t do it. He couldn''t live without her. He was such a loser. He couldn''t believe


    that the authoritative Edric would sumb to epting and tolerating her treachery.


    However, Margaret wasn''t on the same page. "Edric, what do you see in Irene? She is


    infertile and unreasonable. On top of that, she even cheated on you. She doesn''t deserve to be a


    member of the Myers family! Listen to me and divorce her right now!" Margaret mmed the table and


    yelled.


    "Mom, it''s all because of you! You made her do this! It wasn''t her fault that she was infertile! You are


    the one who provokes and challenges her time and time again!" Edric roared at Margaret for the first


    time ever.


    "Did I do anything wrong? Do I need to give way just because she is infertile? We need an heir to pass


    down our names and you know that! You are not nning to make our family name to be severed at


    your generation, aren''t you? If she can''t give birth to a child, she should just scram!" Margaret was


    furious. "Besides, she is such a sl*t! Why do you still side with her? Divorce her right now! I''ll go tell


    her!"


    "Mom!" Edric hurriedly stopped Margaret. "I''ll handle this myself!"


    "I tell you. I won''t rest until I get this matter sorted out! I will keep harassing her until you divorce her!"


    Mom, you don''t force me!" replied Edric.


    After a few days, Margaret came looking for Edric again. "I can let you and that b*tch be together on


    one condition."


    "What condition?" asked Edric.


    "I want a grandson!" Margaret answered resolutely.


    "No way! I will never betray her!" Edric refused.


    "Fool! She has cheated on you with another man! Why are you still so stubborn?"


    "Mom, I will never betray her! Never!" Edric bellowed.


    "Fool, you don''t need to have sex to give me a grandchild. There are so many young surrogate


    mothers out there..." Margaret stared at him and added, "Edric, if you give me a grandson, I promise I


    will leave you alone!"


    Edric looked at Margaret in silence. He finally said, "Fine!"


    But he never expected things to take a turn for the worse. The surrogate mother turned out to be Lily.


    Margaret kept the whole thing secret from him and he only found that out when Lily was pregnant.


    Edric was shocked. He didn''t know why Lily would agree to this. She was also Steven''s daughter; it


    was just unbelievable for her to ept such a request.


    Lily told him that she was in love with him. She had always loved him, and hence, when the chance


    came to be the surrogate mother of his child, she jumped at the opportunity.


    Lily also assured Edric that she would never disturb the life that Irene and he had.


    Everything was going out of hand. Edric was in shock and guilt, especially after finding out that Lily was


    pregnant. Margaret and Lily now assumed that child belonged to him.


    However, he knew that it wasn''t. That sperm he got for them was just a random sample he found from


    the sperm bank. It was just a hoax to stop Margaret from harassing him.


    He felt that he had caused Lily the most harm. Edric had known Lily long before he came to know


    Irene. He also knew that Lily had feelings for him.


    Lily was kind and gentle. Most importantly, she was the beloved daughter of Steven. Hence, Margaret


    had always wanted him to marry Lily instead.


    But he didn''t love Lily. He only thought of her as a friend. He didn''t understand how Margaret convinced


    Lily to be a surrogate mother for him.


    An unmarried woman needed exceptional courage to be a surrogate mother. Lily probably agreed to it


    solely because of the feelings she had for Edric. How devastated would she be if she found out that the


    child didn''t belong to him?


    Edric was in a dilemma. After Lily''s pregnancy, Margaret began to execute another scheme of hers.


    She started to nag and ask him to divorce Irene. Yet without fail, Edric firmly refused her every time.


    As Lily had to go run some tests after the pregnancy, Margaret tricked Edric to go to the hospital by


    saying that it wasn''t appropriate for Lily to go alone. Margaret wanted Edric to sign the papers in the


    hospital. Being put in such a tight spot, Edric had no choice but to do it.


    The anxiety in his heart began to consume him whole. What would happen if Irene found out that Lily


    was pregnant on her behalf? He wanted toe clean and tell Irene but he was afraid that she would


    get the wrong idea.


    He began to fret about going home and confrontation with Irene. He didn''t expect that the whole matter


    would blow up so soon.


    Irene found out about Lily''s pregnancy and they had a huge fight. After that, Lily had a miscarriage.


    Margaret''s hopes were shattered. She began pressuring Edric to divorce Irene. Edric was once again


    caught in a tough spot. One was his own mother and the other was the woman he swore to love.


    Margaret even threatened tomit suicide if Edric didn''t divorce Irene.


    His heart sank. He had onest glimmer of hope left. He could alter the conditions of their divorce


    agreement and make them extremely unreasonable. Irene couldn''t possibly agree and sign it then.


    That night, he sat in the car anxiously waiting for the results.


    It was hisst prayer. Maybe Irene would give in.


    But she signed the agreement without hesitation and disappeared.


    It was then that Edric realized that Irene had never really cared about him.


    The thing that happened with Lily wasn''t his own wishes but Irene didn''t even seem to care. She didn''t


    even want to find out the truth before making her decision.


    She signed the agreement without a little bit of hesitation and left him.


    A few dayster, Thomas came looking for Edric and said, "Mr. Myers, Irene asked me to bring you the


    divorce papers and her ring."


    Thomas was exceptionally calm. He didn''t have a hint of resentment in his eyes. It was as if he was


    speaking to aplete stranger. Thomas had also addressed him as Mr. Myers ever since the day of


    their wedding. It was as though he had been anticipating this day woulde anyway.


    "Where is she?" Edric gnashed his teeth and hissed, "Both of us need to be here toplete the


    divorce."


    Thomas replied faintly, "I know! Let''s put the divorce on hold first, Irene had given everything back to


    you, Mr. Myers. So I hope that you can return the ring to me. That ring cost Irene five thousand dors


    and you may not care for that small amount of money, but it means a lot to Irene."


    That almost choked Edric. He reluctantly handed the ring over to Thomas before he took it and left.


    After some time, Edric ran into that ring in a pawn shop. That ring cost five thousand dors but she


    pawned it for eight hundred dors.


    "That was Irene for you!" a voice in his headughed at him. What a decisive woman! Ever since she


    pawned the ring, Edric had been living a life filled with hatred for her!


    He wanted to break her and make here back to him. Hence, that was the reason why Irene was


    unemployed for so long.


    Edric thought that he could make her return to him but she ended up disappearing from the city. Edric


    assumed that she went to Nathan because they were lovers, weren''t they? Edric then went to Britney


    and told her everything that happened. Britney then firmly imed that Irene would have to walk over


    her dead body if she wanted to be together with Nathan.


    Despite her answer, Edric still couldn''t help feeling worried. He sent people to stalk Nathan but Irene


    never once appeared beside Nathan.

 Chapter 62 Do You Really Love Me?

    Chapter 62 Do You Really Love Me?


    Edric never even expected that she would stay in San Fetillo and bore a child for a peasant. If he


    hadn''t forced her back then, maybe she would not resort to that too?


    She couldn''t get pregnant after three years with him but she got a baby so quickly after leaving him. It


    was a huge p to Edric''s face. Edric knew that one of the reasons for infertility was stress and it was


    probably because of Margaret.


    Edric really regretted not moving out with Irene earlier. If he had just been more resolute and strong-


    minded, everything would surely turn out better. They might even have a child together.


    As long as they had a child, Margaret would stop pestering Irene. But it was toote now. It was his


    indecisiveness that made all this mess.


    Edric didn''t want to go home. He went to the bar alone and started drinking. His phone kept ringing but


    he didn''t bother to look at it.


    He downed a lot of wine and finally went home after calling a driver over to the bar.


    It was midnight but the lights were still on in the living room. Margaret was waiting for him because he


    didn''t pick up his phone; she was worried.


    Edric stood at the door and Margaret approached him with a disdainful tone, "Edric, where have you


    been? Lily had been waiting for you for a couple of hours now."


    "No one told her to wait!" Edric answered impatiently.


    "What''s the matter with you? What happened?" Margaret stared at Edric.


    Edric staggered towards the couch and sat down. "Mom, do you really love me?"


    "My child, what are you saying? Of course, I do!" Margaret retorted. She smelt the stench of alcohol


    and frowned. "Why did you drink so much knowing you have gastritis?"


    Edric leaned back and mumbled, "If you really loved me, why didn''t you see that I was in pain? Why?"


    He didn''t believe that Margaret didn''t know how his life was these past three years without Irene. He


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    had already given his all into fulfilling his duty as a son but why Margaret couldn''t ept Irene for his


    sake? He had to know.


    "Edric, you''re drunk!" Margaret ignored his questions. She was worried that he might have another


    rpse of gastritis and quickly instructed the maids to make him some broth.


    Edric knew that Margaret was an expert in avoiding undesirable conversations. He watched on as


    Margaret gave out orders left and right.


    That night, Irene was also tossing and turning in her bed. She hated Edric; she hated that she loved


    him so much. The thought of him cheating on her when he said that he loved her was unforgivable.


    Her heart bled when she tried to imagine the scene of Edric and Lily in bed together. What a pair of


    shameless couples! Anger swallowed her; how much she wanted to murder them!


    She was trying her best to cure her infertility in order to appease Margaret but there he was already


    outside trying to have a child on his own!


    Irene recalled how Edric hugged her and said, "I only want you! Not the child!" Irene felt a shiver down


    her spine.


    What a disgusting man. How despicable he could be to be able to lie to her in the face like that? Even


    after being found out, Edric was so heartless and cruel.


    She could never forgive Edric. She would never let Edric know that he had a son! That was his


    retribution for cheating on her!


    It was probably because of the climate, Eden had been sick more frequentlytely. He was alsoing


    down with a fever. Irene brought him to the hospital and he was admitted for two days before the fever


    came under control.


    In the elevator, she ran into Lily and Freya. LIly came to the hospital because she woke up with a sore


    throat this morning. Hence, she asked Freya to apany her to the hospital.


    They didn''t expect to meet Irene there. Both of them were extremely surprised. They looked on in


    disbelief at the child Irene was carrying in her arms.


    Irene was infertile. Why was there a child in her arms? Who did that kid belong to? It couldn''t be hers!


    Both of them looked at each other. Freya curled her lips, losing in her own thoughts; Lily wouldn''t do


    such a despicable thing but Freya was still feeling very ufortable.


    Irene''s delicate and fair skin really made her very envious. Irene was a well-known beauty and most of


    the boys in college revered her as a goddess for her beauty.


    Lily was never being paid attention to because of Irene. Needless to say, she despised Irene.


    Now after so many years, Lily finally stood up for herself, and Irene on the other hand was on a


    downward spiral. Lily thought that Irene would live a shabby life but her beauty remained untarnished.


    Jealous, Lily mocked Irene in her mind. So what if she was beautiful? She was infertile. At the thought


    of that, Lily felt better after that.


    Freya on the other hand was also envious of Irene''s beauty. She was still furious at the fact that Irene


    poured the drinks in her face. She still couldn''t forgive Irene.


    Irene ignored Freya. Freya was just someone who always strung around Lily and she didn''t deserve


    her attention.


    The elevator came and Irene immediately entered the elevator. Freya and Lily''s faces changed before


    they followed suit.


    Some people were just ignorant and dumb. The more one ignored them, the more they craved your


    attention. Freya needed to get revenge for what happenedst time.


    Irene was infertile and that was the reason she was cast out from the Myers family. Maybe Freya could


    say things that hurt Irene the most? Sneering, Freya remarked, "Lily, how painful do you think it is for a


    woman that can''t give birth? They must be so envious of other people''s kids!"


    Lily was also secretly delighted. Freya was indeed her best friend and she read her mind. She didn''t


    answer Freya but she chuckled in response.


    Lily''s smile was motivation to Freya as she grew even bolder. "Who cares how beautiful a woman was.


    They are nothing but trash as long as they are infertile!"


    As soon as they finished speaking, Eden who was in Irene''s arms suddenly yelled out, "Mommy! I''m


    hungry!"


    Freya thought that she was hearing things. Lily obviously thought the same as they looked at each


    other with their jaws dropped.


    Although they clearly heard Eden call Irene ''Mommy'', both of them refused to believe that Eden


    belonged to Irene.


    It must be her godchild. At that moment, Eden suddenly turned around and looked at Freya and Lily.


    Freya was speechless. Lily''s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Eden. She then looked at Irene.


    His nose, eyes, and mouth... he was an exact carbon copy of Irene!


    Was he really Irene''s child? How was that possible?


    The look of surprise on Lily''s face made Irene titter. She withdrew her gaze and looked at Eden gently


    and lovingly. "Good boy, let''s have something goodter!"


    Lily heard Irene clearly and stared at Freya in disbelief.


    The entire atmosphere went silent. The initial vicious and hurtfulments hurled towards Irene


    suddenly went blunt. Freya was positively stunned. Lily was also deep in thought.


    Finally, the elevator door opened and Irene left with Eden. Lily and Freya came out a little whileter.


    They stared on as Irene marched away. Freya whispered, "Lily, I thought that... What''s up with the kid?"


    "How do I know?" Lily''s face was darker than the coal.


    Lily was even more anxious than Freya now that she found out about that.


    "I don''t know what Edric would do if he found out that she had a kid..." Freya mumbled.


    "Shut up!" Vexed, Lily roared at Freya. Freya was startled as she never saw Lily raise her voice before.


    "Go home by yourself! I have something I need to take care of!"


    Freya watched as Lily drove away. She didn''t know why Lily was so indignant but it definitely had


    something to do with that kid. Something bad was about to happen.


    Lily parked the car at the entrance and rushed into the house. Deborah was on the couch watching


    television when she saw Lily panting. "What''s the matter? Where are your manners?" Deborah frowned


    and asked.


    "Mom! We have a huge problem!" Lily rushed to Deborah and added, "Irene has a son!"


    "WHAT?" Deborah sat up straight immediately. "How could that be? You must have seen it wrongly!"


    "No, I didn''t! That kid looks exactly like her!" answered Lily.


    Deborah couldn''t believe it. "How could it be?"


    "Mom, what should we do?" Anxious, Lily continued, "I thought you said that she couldn''t give birth?


    Where did that kide from? What if Edric found out that she was fertile?"


    "Shut up your trap!" Deborah reprimanded Lily. "Stop making a huge fuss about this!"


    "Mom, I''m scared!" Lily bit her lips and muttered. She was truly worried. The only reason Irene and


    Edric broke apart was because of Irene''s fertility. If Edric found out that Irene could bear a child, all of


    her ns would fall apart. That meant that time when Irene mentioned that she had a kid on the


    program, she was telling the truth!


    "Let me think about it!" Deborah knew how serious the matter was. She paced around in the house and


    asked, "How old was the kid?"


    "About two or three years old!" Lily didn''t know the answer to that too.


    "Two or three? Could it be that the child belonged to Edric?" Deborah''s face changed. "That kid is really


    a trouble for us. If he really is Edric''s son, all our efforts would go in vain!"


    "It can''t be!" Lily wasn''t sure. "If that kid belonged to Edric, why would she insist on the divorce?"


    "That''s not necessarily true. Irene and Myra are both suckers for love. They can''t tolerate anything


    tainting their precious rtionships. That kid might just belong to Edric." Deborah scratched her head.


    "Then what should we do?" Lily panicked. She hadn''t recovered from the shock of finding out that Irene


    could bear children. If that kid really belonged to Edric, Lily could never win over him.


    Deborah remained silent. She was still trying to process this information. Her face was clearly stered


    with fury. She trod back and forth in the living room before she picked up her phone and called. A


    gentle voice rang out from the other end of the phone, "Deborah, what''s the matter?"


    "A big matter. Did you know that Irene had a child?"


    The other party was obviously stunned too. "How could it be?"


    "Lily saw it with her own eyes today." Deborah lowered her voice and hissed fiercely, "Didn''t you say


    that it was foolproof at the beginning? How could it be like this now?"


    The woman was silent for a moment before she answered, "Deborah, nothing is absolutely foolproof..."


    "Excuses!" Deborah was quivering with rage. "You told me that she had a sterilization surgery and


    could never have children again! How do you exin that?"


    "Well, all those couldn''t guarantee that either. There are special cases about women still having a child


    after the surgery. Irene could be one of those cases," replied the woman on the phone.


    "A special case? That''s marvelous!" Deborah mocked, "We can''t keep this matter hidden forever. What


    if the Myers family found out about this? How would you exin that?"


    "Don''t worry! I made preparations years ago!" the woman responded.

 Chapter 63 Hes Charming

    Chapter 63 He''s Charming


    These words made Deborah feel a little relieved. It had been so many years since they set up Irene to


    undergo the sterilization procedure secretly. Besides, the doctor who operated on Irene had already


    passed away in a car ident. Even if they were to investigate this matter, it would be a medical


    malpractice at most. She and Lily would never be exposed.


    However, what they were going to face now was not this problem. If Edric knew that Irene could


    conceive, things would be in chaos!


    Seeing that Deborah''s expression turned dark, Lily could not help feeling agitated as she muttered to


    herself, "How could this happen? Mom, what should we do now? What should I do if the child is


    Edric''s?"


    Deborah had no time tofort Lily. She knew that things had already gotten out of hand, but it was


    not the time for them to panic. She had to think of a way.


    Deborah was different from Lily. After all, she had experienced a lot in life. She quickly rposed


    themselves. At present, what she worried the most was not that Irene was fertile, but who the child''s


    father was instead.


    As long as the child was not Edric''s, everything would be fine. If not, all that they had nned would go


    down the drain.


    Jordan had been infuriated for many days after Edric had ruined his love confessionst time.


    However, he had always been a person who could recollect himself very well. He adjusted his mentality


    immediately and was ready to pursue Irene again.


    Eden''s appearance made Jordan know that to make Irene happy did not only require him to tend to


    Irene, but also to Eden.


    As long as he got Eden''s good side, Irene would definitely pay some attention to him too. As a result,


    Jordan began to visit Irene''s new home frequently.


    Every time he went there, he would bring some fun toys and snacks that Eden liked. Children were the


    easiest to coax. Eden had started to take a liking to him.


    Jordan took the opportunity to ask Eden if he could be his father. Eden hesitated and asked, "What


    about Nathan if you''ll be my father? I prefer Nathan to be my father."


    When Jordan heard this, he felt that he was greatly hurt. He wondered how Eden could still be thinking


    about Nathan when he had put in so much effort in winning over Eden''s heart. Nevertheless, he did not


    dare to say this out loud. He spoke carefully, "Your mom doesn''t like Nathan; she likes me. Do you


    understand?"


    "Does Mom really like you?" Eden asked with a look of disbelief.


    "Of course! Look at me! I''m way more handsome than Nathan. Most importantly, I''m smart. Your mom


    will like me for sure!" Jordan said confidently.


    "You aren''t more handsome than Nathan." Eden shook his head. In his opinion, Nathan was the most


    handsome. "But if Mom likes you, I''ll take you as my father."


    When Jordan heard Eden say that he was not as handsome as Nathan, he was about to put on a long


    face. However, the words Eden said next delighted him at once. "Eden, you''re such a good boy. I will


    take you to the amusement park on Sunday."


    "Really?" Eden became excited instantly when he heard Jordan mention the amusement park. "Will


    Mom go with us?" he asked.


    "She''ll go with us too. All of us will go! We''re a family." Jordan was on cloud nine.


    On Sunday, Jordan came early in the morning again. Ignoring Irene''s opposition, he took Eden to the


    amusement park. Eden was jumping in excitement for the trip, but stopped smiling when he saw Irene''s


    sullen face. He asked cautiously, "Mom, I want to go to the amusement park. Shall we go together?"


    Looking at his sparkling, pleading eyes, Irene let out a long sigh and agreed to it.


    At the amusement park, Eden requested to go on a roller-coaster ride in high spirits. "Mom, Mom, I


    want to go for the roller-coaster ride. Can you go with me?"


    Irene was afraid of heights. She shook her head and refused, "You go with Jordan. I won''t go!"


    Looking at Eden''s disappointed face, Jordan carried him up in his arms. "Your mom''s afraid of height.


    Nevermind, the two of us can go together!"


    Irene looked at Jordan''s charming face, and was a little lost in mind.


    If he did not have such a prominent family background, he was actually alright.


    They had a lot of fun in the amusement park until noon. Before they left, Eden requested to dine at the


    buffet. Irene and Jordan wouldply with him for sure. Jordan was so good to Eden that he brought


    them to the finest buffet in the city.


    While Jordan brought Eden to get something to eat, they met Margaret by coincidence. When Margaret


    saw them, she was positively surprised. She thought that Eden was such a good-looking child, but why


    did he look so familiar? Unconsciously, she reached out and touched Eden''s head. "What a cute child!"


    Jordan responded triumphantly, "He''s my son!"


    "Your son?" Margaret was dumbfounded. She had never heard of Jordan getting married. How could


    he have a son out of nowhere? Thinking of Jordan''s messy private life, she thought Eden must be an


    illegitimate child. She did not say anything more after that. She took the food and returned to her seat.


    After sitting down, she took a nce at Jordan and Eden again only to notice Irene. She paused and


    eventually understood why Eden looked so familiar in her eyes. It was because he resembled Irene.


    Was he Irene''s child? But it was impossible. If Irene could have children, she would not have forced her


    and Edric to divorce.


    Thinking about it, Jordan and Irene took Eden to a table not far away from her. The three began to tuck


    in. Eden was obviously enjoying himself. Seeing him wolfing down the meal, Irene reminded him softly,


    "Slow down, don''t choke yourself!"


    A strange feeling rose in Margaret when she saw Irene caring for Eden. Eden looked so alike to her.


    Was he really her child?


    It could not be! The doctor had dered that Irene could not get pregnant! As Margaret was still in her


    thoughts, she heard Eden talking, "Mom! I want the sweet pepper squid on your te!"


    "Okay!" Irene fed him the squid dotingly. He ate it and licked his lips. "I want more!"


    She fed him another piece. "That''s enough. Eat the others!"


    Eden began to shove the other food into his mouth obediently. Looking at Irene''s loving gaze, Margaret


    was shocked. He was really her child! She actually gave birth to a child!


    She tried everything to make Irene and Edric divorce because she was sure that Irene was infertile. In


    order to make Edric agree to divorce, she had racked her every brain cell. In the end, she even


    resorted to that kind of dirty scheme.


    Of course, she had done it because of Lily, who implied and reminded her that there was a thing


    between Irene and Nathan. Besides, Irene''s attending doctor, Marie Walker, had been hinting the same


    thing at her too. Only then did she think of framing Irene and Nathan having an affair. Marie had given


    her several ideas, all of which were aimed to nder Irene having an affair. No man could stand a


    woman who betrayed them. As long as she gave the evidence to Edric, he would definitely divorce


    Irene.


    Those photos and recordings were all edited and modified. Margaret thought that Edric would divorce


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Irene because of this, but things did not unfold as per her expectation. Despite being betrayed and


    cheated on, Edric refused to part with Irene.


    She had no choice but to ept Marie''s second suggestion, which was to take another shortcut and


    find someone to be a surrogate mother.


    Although Lily was to her liking, she had never thought about letting Lily be the surrogate mother. After


    all, Lily was born in such an affluent family. How could she be willing to do such a thing?


    Marie advised Margaret that it was a good deal. Didn''t she favor Lily as her daughter-inw? As long


    as she persuaded Edric to agree to let another woman give birth to his child, then they would arrange


    Lily to spend a night with him. Irene would definitely divorce him once she learned that he and Lily had


    slept together.


    Upon that, she went to tell Eric about the surrogate mother ording to Marie''s words. However, Edric


    was so stubborn that he would rather die than betray his marriage. In the end, Marie suggested another


    way, which was that they would opt for artificial impregnation. That being said, Edric did not have to


    have an intercourse with the surrogate mother.


    She thought that Edric would be estranged from Irene once after Lily was pregnant with his child.


    However, he did not change at all after Lily was pregnant.


    One of the most important reasons for Lily to agree to be the surrogate mother was that Margaret was


    sure that Edric would divorce Irene. Never did she expect that Edric was determined to live on with


    Irene after she had pulled all those strings.


    As she was flooded with trouble, something happened. Irene actually ran into Lily in the hospital. She


    even pushed Lily, causing thetter to have a miscarriage.


    Losing her grandchild, Margaret was so incensed that she could not help but beat Irene up. She forced


    Edric to divorce Irene with her life.


    Thinking of the past, Margaret lost her appetite at once. Taking advantage of the opportunity when


    Jordan took Eden to the bathroom, she walked up to Irene and asked, "Was the child just now yours?"


    Irene looked up at her and answered indifferently, "Yes!"


    "Were you the one who gave birth to him?" she asked again.


    "Yes!" Irene was very concise.


    "How was it possible?" Margaret could not believe it. She braced herself up to ask Irene because she


    thought that Eden was adopted. Didn''t they say that the adopted children would look like their foster


    parents as they grew up with them?


    "Why not?" Irene sneered. "Could it be that you don''t want me to have a child for the rest of my life,


    Mrs. Myers? Or is it because I, an infertile woman, made you very uneasy that I finally manage to give


    birth to a child?"


    Her sarcasm made Margaret''s face flushed in anger. She used to be the mean one who insulted Irene.


    She did not expect that Irene would return her own words back to her one day. Incandescent, she left


    the restaurant with a red face.


    In the elevator, bitterness consumed her entire being. She wondered how Irene, who couldn''t and


    wasn''t supposed to concieve, could give birth to a child? Irene''s mocking was not that important. What


    she worried the most now was Edric. If he knew that Irene could give birth, it would be troublesome.


    She had to ask Marie what was going on. She drove to the hospital Marie worked at.


    Entering the hospital, she headed straight for the Gynecology Department. There were a lot of people


    waiting in line for consultation at Marie''s office. She pushed the door open and barged in.

 Chapter 64 Excuses

    Chapter 64 Excuses


    Seeing Margaret''s sudden appearance at the hospital, Marie stood up with a smile. "How did such a


    busy person like you find the time toe over today?"


    "I have something I need to discuss with you!" Margaret''s expression was clearly written with


    displeasure.


    Marie immediately asked the patient to be excused. After the patient left the room, she closed the door.


    Margaret flounced herself onto the chair. "I''m here to ask you one thing. Is Irene really not able to have


    children?"


    Fortunately, Deborah had already informed Marie about the situation beforehand. Otherwise, she would


    have been caught off guard by Margaret''s sudden visit. She grabbed Margaret''s wrist and asked,


    "What happened?"


    "Irene has a child now. But didn''t you tell me previously that she couldn''t get pregnant?" Margaret


    questioned.


    "Irene has a child? Are you sure?" Since Marie had heard all this from Deborah, she had already


    thought of a way to deal with it. With a surprised look on her face, she squealed, "That''s impossible.


    How could she get pregnant when her ovaries can''t ovte?"


    "How would I know? You were the one who told me that it was impossible for her to be pregnant."


    Margaret stared at Marie. "I forced her and Edric to divorce because I believed in your diagnosis."


    "What shocking news! This is so unexpected! I''ve seen so many infertile patients, and I''ve treated


    many as well. But this is the first time I''ve seen someone with a condition like hers. I''m just speaking


    facts, you know as well as I that a woman who can''t ovte can''t possibly get pregnant. I tried so many


    treatments on her but nothing worked, and you wanted a child so badly, so¡ª"


    Margaret interjected, "But why is it that she is able to give birth now?"


    "I''m not too sure about that either. There are many reasons as to why a woman may not be able to get


    pregnant. It''s not just her problem; sometimes external factors will y a part as well. For example,


    stress can make one harder to get pregnant. I had treated a patient before who was under a lot of work


    stress. She had trouble getting pregnant for ten years. But after she resigned, she got pregnant a year


    pressure from her mother-inw. After she moved out with her husband, she got pregnant almost


    instantly," Marie remarked.


    "So you''re saying that it''s my fault that Irene couldn''t get pregnant?" Margaret was shaking with fury


    after hearing this.


    "I didn''t mean that. Wasn''t Irene on a lot of medication back then? Maybe the medicine worked. She


    didn''te back for check-ups, so I didn''t know how her condition was after that," Marie answered.


    Ever since Irene and Edric had moved out, Irene had nevere back to the hospital for a check-up. It


    was true that Marie had no idea about her condition. Perhaps luck was on Irene''s side. If she had


    returned to the hospital, Marie would have made sure that she remained unable to ovte. Of course,


    these were all her silent thoughts.


    "That wasn''t what you told me in the beginning. You said that her condition could never be cured. We


    have been friends for so many years, and I have so much faith in your medical skills. It was because


    you said that she couldn''t be cured that I decided to think of another way." Margaret red at Marie. If


    Marie had not been so decisive with her diagnosis, she would not have been desperate, and she


    definitely would not have treated Irene the way she did.


    "Oh my, Mrs. Myers, why are you so angry? Irene isn''t good enough for Edric anyway. Plus, she often


    angered you. Isn''t it a good thing that they divorced? Look at your future daughter-inw now. She''s


    beautiful and elegant; she has a good background. Most importantly, she treats you well. Such a


    daughter-inw is certainly a gem. Why bother getting angry over some other woman who isn''t worth


    it?" Marie asked with a smile.


    "That''s true, but you have no idea how fiercely I have argued with Edric over that woman. I only have


    one son. How can I bear to make him heartbroken?"


    "We''ve been friends for so many years. I came up with those ideas because I was trying to do what


    was best for you. If it weren''t for our friendship, would I be saying all this to you?" Marie purposely


    pouted her lips to make herself look more meless.


    Margaret pondered about it and felt like Marie did have a point. Marie had known her for so many years


    and had a good rtionship with her. It was herself who brought up all this to Marie back then. If she


    had not shared her worries with Marie, Marie would not have tried to lend her a helping hand in the first


    ce. Thinking of this, Margaret sighed faintly and said, "I''m mostly worried if Edric finds out Irene is


    fertile. He''ll definitely be furious with me."


    "Just make sure that he doesn''t," said Marie.


    "They are in the same city. There''s no way he won''t find out." Margaret exhaled.


    "Then you should let him get engaged to Lily as soon as possible. Edric''s a responsible man. As long


    as he''s engaged, he won''t think about Irene anymore," suggested Marie.


    "This is the only way for now I guess."


    The moment Margaret left, Marie immediately made a phone call to Deborah. "Margaret knows about


    it. You better think of a solution quickly."


    "Already?" Deborah was shocked. "Gossip really does spread like wildfire! What did she say?"


    "She questioned me about what happened in the beginning, and I''ve taken care of that. She''s just


    worried about the consequences of Edric finding out. You have to find a way to get Lily and Edric


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    engaged before he knows about this."


    "I know, I''m thinking of it." Deborah hung up the phone and told Lily, "Go and buy Margaret''s favorite


    fruits, and pay her a visit. Test the waters while you''re at it."


    When Margaret got home, she was surprised to find Lily chatting with Loraine. When Lily saw


    Margaret, she rose from her seat immediately. "I''ve been so busy the past few days that I haven''t had


    the time toe visit. I happened to have the leisure today, so I didn''t call you and came here directly.


    Aunt Margaret, you won''t think I''m being rude, will you?"


    "Lily bought a lot of your favorite fruits," Loraine chimed in as she showed Margaret the fruits that Lily


    had bought.


    Margaret''s mood lifted with Lily''s visit. She took a seat and replied, "Of course, I won''t. It''s lovely to see


    you here. Nex time, don''t trouble yourself with buying fruits." Then she told Loraine, "Go out and buy


    Lily''s favorite food."


    Loraine nodded and left. Lily stood up and said thoughtfully, "I''ll go wash up and prepare the fruits for


    you."


    "No, it''s fine." Margaret stopped her and had a small sigh. Lily took the opportunity to ask, "You don''t


    look too good. Did something happen?"


    Margaret nodded. "Yes, I met Irene in the restaurant today."


    "Did she say something rude to you?" Lily asked with concern.


    "No. Lily, Irene has a child," Margaret confessed.


    "Ah!" Lily let out a squeal of surprise. "Irene has given birth to a child? Are you sure you aren''t


    mistaken?"


    "I asked her. It''s her own child. The child looks like her too." Margaret was a little embarrassed when


    she thought of Irene''s mockery towards her. Irene had been infertile, but now she had a gorgeous son.


    Meanwhile, Edric was now a childless divorcee. She, on the other hand, did not have a grandson too.


    The more she thought about it, the more unresigned she felt.


    "Does Edric know about this?" Lily prompted.


    "Probably not. You know his temper, he treats Irene like his life. If he knows that she''s fertile, he''ll raise


    hell!" As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the fact Lily was going to marry Edric soon. "Don''t


    worry. Even if Edric learns about it, it won''t change anything. Since Irene already has a child, she must


    have married someone else. It won''t affect you and Edric."


    Even Margaret herself felt like she had no confidence in saying thest sentence.


    Lily was silent. She was not worried about the fact that Irene was now fertile. Rather, she was more


    worried about whether the child was Edric''s. Seeing Margaret''s reaction, it seemed like she had not


    considered this possibility. However, it did not mean that she would not think that wayter on. Sooner


    orter, she might have her suspicions on the matter.


    Margaret loved children so much, and Irene had a son. If the child really was Edric''s son, Margaret


    would be ecstatic. If that happened, she would only think of that child, and certainly would not help Lily


    anymore.


    Without Margaret''s support, her dream to be with Edric would just be a mere fantasy.


    Margaret noticed Lily''s silence and knew that she must be worried. "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on


    Edric. Nothing will change between the two of you."


    Margaret''sforting words had no effect on Lily. But for now, she could only try her best to get on


    Margaret''s good side by appealing to her guilt towards herself. She had no time to think about who the


    father of Irene''s child was. She sighed deeply. "If I knew that she was fertile, I would not have been a


    surrogate. If I hadn''t done so, she would not have divorced with Edric. This is all my fault."


    Margaret was touched by Lily''s kindness. Her obedience and sensibility were exactly what she was


    looking for in a daughter-inw. "This has nothing to do with you. I''m telling you this because we''re


    about to be family soon, and you should know this. Even if Edric knows about Irene''s child, so what? I''ll


    never let such an arrogant woman join our family again!"


    Lily looked grateful. "Aunt Margaret, you are so good to me. I promise to treat you well in the future!"


    As they chatted, Loraine came back from outside. Margaret ended the topic and took her phone. "I''ll


    call Edric toe back for dinner tonight."


    The call went through and Edric''s faint voice rang out from the other side of the phone. "Mom, what''s


    wrong?"


    "Am I only allowed to call you if something is wrong?" Margaret asked in a reproachful tone.


    "I''m busy!" he answered.


    "No matter how busy you are, you have to eat. I asked Loraine to buy your favorite food. Come back


    for dinner. By the way, Lily is also here." Edric would definitely return home if Margaret had not


    mentioned Lily. Hearing her name, Edric frowned. "Mom, I really don''t have time today. I still have a lot


    of things to deal with!"


    Margaret''s face fell at once. "You haven''t been home for so long. Make an exception today. You can


    finish the remainder of your work tomorrow."


    "No, I have to finish what I have today. Besides, it is a very important matter. I can''t dy it!" He did not


    give Margaret any leeway at all. "Alright, I''m hanging up!"


    He ended the call. Margaret''s expression darkened from embarrassment. Lilyforted her, "Edric


    must be very busy with work. No worries, I''ll apany you for dinner!"


    Lily''s gentleness made Margaret even angrier at Edric. "I don''t believe that he''s so busy until he doesn''t


    even have time to eat. Lily, you wait at home. I''ll go to thepany personally and bring him back!"


    Margaret headed out furiously. When she arrived at thepany, she found out that Edric was not


    even there. She phoned him instantly, only to have him hang up on her. She tried calling a second time,


    and as a result, he turned off his phone.


    Margaret was so incensed that she went breathless with anger. Unable to locate Edric, she could only


    ask the driver to send her home, albeit rather reluctantly.


    When they got home, Loraine had finished preparing dinner. Lily heard the sound of the car pulling up


    and opened the door with a smile. When she saw Margarete in alone with a gloomy face, she was


    consumed with disappointment instantly.


    Margaret and Lily did not have a pleasant meal. Margaret was fuming at the fact that Edric was so


    disobedient, while Lily was worried about her own situation.


    Edric had used to follow everything Margaret wanted. But now, despite Maragaret going all the way to


    thepany, she was unable to bring him back. It was obvious something that they did not know about


    had happened.


    What would it be? Did he already know about the fact that Irene was fertile?


    He had always been very concerned about Irene. He would probably pay attention to her every move.


    There was no way the child could be hidden from his knowledge. However, if that was the case, why


    did nothing happen?


    There was only one exnation, and that was that the child was not his. Her thoughts were in a


    convoluted mess, and she had no mood to stay in the Myers family any longer.


    After dinner, Lily sat and talked with Margaret for a while, and eventually took her leave. Margaret did


    not feel like asking her to stay either, so she let Loraine send her off.


    Loraine sent Lily to the door and told her, "Don''t worry. I''ll keep an eye out and let you know if anything


    happens."


    Lily nodded. "Thank you!"

 Chapter 65 Deceive the Bad Guys

    Chapter 65 Deceive the Bad Guys


    Margaret and Lily were upset, but it was the same for Edric too. Ever since he learned that Irene had


    remarried and had a child, he was never in peace.


    He always thought that Irene''s appearance on the dating show was just to make up the numbers. It


    turned out that she really wanted to find a father for Eden. That was why she chose someone like Bert.


    When he thought of the fact that Irene almost ruined her life by marrying Bert, he was filled with guilt,


    remorse, and hatred. All that happened to Irene was because of him, and he had to think of a way to


    make up to her.


    Therefore, he could not focus on work for the past few days at all. After work, he did not go home, but


    drove around Soutke Residence where Irene lived. That time, he found that Jordan had be a


    frequent visitor of Irene''s.


    Looking at Jordan swaggering in and out of her house and ying with Eden, Edric was frustrated.


    Jordan looked at her with such passionate intent in his eyes. Even a blind man could tell it. It was


    impossible for her to not know about it.


    However, she did not refuse Jordan. She allowed him toe and go freely at her house. She must


    have feelings for Jordan. When Edric thought of this, pain, anxiety, and anger roiled in him.


    How could Irene just lean on anyone who came to her aids? The most important thing was that he had


    already instructed John to reveal Jordan and Irene''s rtionship to Vincent. Why had the White family


    not taken any action?


    He was sullen, but he couldn''t do much. Every day, he would go to Soutke Residence and wait


    there.


    He watched helplessly as Jordan sent Irene home. After they finished their meal, Jordan would always


    hold Eden in his arms and go for a stroll with Irene and Thomas.


    Their happiness seemed to be unparalleled, meanwhile, Edric felt as if thousands of arrows had


    pierced through his heart. He was in so much pain that he wanted to end his life.


    However, no matter how painful it was, he could not just leave Irene, for he was worried about her. He


    would only rest assured after Jordan left.


    He knew that he was being pathetic. He was her ex-husband and it was his mistake that they divorced.


    He had no reason to interfere with her life. He knew clearly that staying there and watching them was


    just torturing himself, but he could not stop.


    It was already past ten in the evening when he reached home. He went in and saw Margaret in the


    living room with a gloomy face. He said tiredly to Loraine, "Prepare some food for me. I''ll have it after a


    shower."


    Seeing that he was going upstairs, Margaret stopped him. "Why didn''t you answer my call?"


    "Didn''t I tell you? I was busy and had no time to apany you to dinner," he replied.


    "I asked your secretary. They said that you didn''t have anything important today, but you tell me that


    you were so busy you didn''t even have time to eat? Why did you lie to me?" She pulled a long face.


    "Don''t you think you''re meddling too much into my business?"


    "You''re my son. I''m supposed to look after you," she justified.


    "Oh, I''m your son? I thought I was your pet," spoke Edric sharply. He was in a bad mood.


    "Since you want to control me so much, why don''t you lock me up at home with a chain? You won''t


    need to spend so much energy as I''ll be at your watch every day."


    Margaret was silenced in exasperation. Edric ignored her and went upstairs.


    Edric''s everyday repeated itself. He drove to Soutke Residence again in a trance the next day.


    Unexpectedly, he saw Eden ying with a ball alone on the field in the neighborhood.


    Seeing Eden, his heart missed a beat. He was not particrly fond of children, but he felt warm and


    probably because of his love for Irene. That must be the reason he also liked her son.


    Eden did not notice that Edric was standing quietly on the side and looking at him. He was focused on


    ying the ball as he counted, "One, two, three..."


    All of a sudden, the ball in his hand rolled to the side. Just then, a bald man, Brock, came over with his


    son, Tim. Tim looked like he was older than Eden. When he saw the ball, he immediately picked it up


    and held it in his hand.


    Eden saw them and said, "Give it back to me."


    "No!" Tim was being hefty because he had an adult by his side. When Brock noticed that Tim was


    going to be bested by Eden, he took his seat and paid no heed to both the children. He did not even


    bother to stop Tim; his eyes were already on his phone.


    "This is my ball. Give it back to me!" Eden roared anxiously.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I won''t give it to you." Seeing Eden reaching out to grab the ball, Tim pushed Eden, making thetter


    fall onto the ground. Edric hurried over as he saw that.


    Eden did not cry like a normal child would. Instead, he got up and pounced on Tim. Tim then reached


    out to push him again, and without surprise, Eden ended up on the ground again. Furious, Eden got up


    and bit Tim''s hand.


    Tim let go of the ball and broke into a wail. Brock immediately stopped looking at his phone. He saw


    Tim''s hand with two rows of bite marks and turned mad. "Brat, I''ll beat you to death!"


    He reached out his hand to grab Eden. Unexpectedly, another man came and caught Brock''s wrist.


    Twisting it, Edric looked at Brock coldly. "Do you think you can hurt a child just because you''re a grown-


    up?"


    Brock was in so much pain that he shouted, "Let go of me. It hurts so much!" Edric exerted a lot of


    strength in his grasp.


    Edric loosened his grip. Brock stumbled backward. It took him a few steps to regain his footing. "This is


    your son? Look! He bit my child''s hand!" Brock yelled intimidatingly.


    "I didn''t see you so fired up when your son was bullying him?" Edric scoffed.


    "That was... All my son did was push him, but your son bit Tim! What if he gets an infection?" Brock


    argued. "My son was bitten, and I have to take him to the hospital to get a tetanus shot. You need to


    pay for it."


    Looking at how shameless Brock was, Edric was angered. "Get out of here with your son before Ish


    out. Otherwise, you''ll have to bear the consequences!"


    Brock could not help but flinch under Edric''s chilling gaze. Edric did not look like someone he could


    afford to mess with. After much consideration, he left with Tim resentfully.


    After they left, Edric picked up the ball and handed it to Eden. Eden looked at him with admiration. "Sir,


    are you a policeman?"


    "No, I''m not."


    "Why is that bad guy so scared of you if you aren''t a policeman?" asked Eden.


    "Because he''d done something wrong. He felt guilty," answered Edric.


    "Oh." Eden nodded although he didn''t really understand Edric''s reply. "Sir, you must be very good at


    fighting, right? Can you teach me how to fight?"


    "Why do you want to learn that?" Edric asked.


    "If I''m good at fighting, I can protect Mom and great Uncle Thomas from being harmed by those bad


    people!" Edric''s heart ached when he heard that. He was about to speak when he heard Thomas''


    voice. "Eden! Eden!"


    "Great Uncle Thomas is calling for me, I have to go now! Sir, please remember toe and teach me


    in the future!" Eden did not forget to leave this reminder to Edric before he left.


    In the evening, Irene came back and Eden told her the incident during the day. She was a little shaken


    after she heard that. "Eden, in the future, you must be with great Uncle Thomas when you go out to


    y. Also, do not bite people. It''s wrong to do that."


    "He took my ball and hit me. Mom, I did nothing wrong," Eden exined.


    "I know you''re not wrong. But you''re all kids. If he likes your ball, you can lend it to him for a while."


    "But if he took the ball away, I won''t get to y with it anymore. Then you''ll have to spend money to


    buy a new one. You''re working very hard every day; I don''t want you to spend more money."


    Irene sighed. It was all because she was an ipetent mother. Eden was so young, and yet he could


    tell that they were financially restrained. She vowed in her heart that she would never mention financial


    problems in front of Eden in the future. "I have plenty of money. I can buy whatever you want."


    On Sunday morning, Jordan went on a business trip with his assistant, Finn rk. At noon, he called


    Irene and said that there was a document in thepany''s safe. He asked her to get that document at


    thepany and send it to him through fax.


    Thomas was outside because he had something to do, and Irene was with Eden at home. After


    receiving the call, she took Eden to thepany in a hurry.


    After entering the office, Irene asked Eden to sit on the sofa in the lounge while she opened the safe to


    look for the document and fax it. It was the first time Eden went to thepany, so everything was new


    to him. He looked around excitedly.


    Eden walked out of the door and slowly into the elevator. There was a panoramic elevator in the


    building where Jordan''spany was located. Curious, he pressed the button and entered the


    elevator.


    Standing in the elevator, he looked out, intrigued. He thought it was really fun, for he could see the view


    outside clearly. It was as interesting as taking a sightseeing car.


    He took the elevator from upstairs to downstairs with great enthusiasm. When the door opened, the


    security guard in the lobby on the first floor was shocked to see that Eden was alone in the elevator.


    He immediately brought Eden out and asked, "Where are your parents? How can they let you take the


    elevator alone?"


    "My mom is working upstairs," Eden answered, his voice adorably childish.


    "Kid, you can''t take the elevator alone at such a young age, do you understand?" the security guard


    reminded him.


    Eden shook his head. Why couldn''t he take the elevator? It was easy and fun! Why was it not allowed


    for him?


    "I want to look for my mom. She would be scared if she can''t find me," Eden said.


    "Tell me your mom''s name and phone number. I''ll call her to pick you up." The security guard was not


    assured to let Eden take the elevator alone.


    "My mom is Irene Nelson. I don''t know her phone number," Eden answered.


    "Then wait here. Your mom wille to pick you up if she can''t find you."


    "No, I want to look for my mom!" Eden shook his head.


    "Listen to me, okay? We''ll stay here and wait for your mom to find you." The security guard tried to


    they did, they might run into bad people.


    Those bad guys would kidnap the children and sell them off to somewhere faraway, and they would


    never meet their mothers anymore.


    Thinking of that, he became scared. Could the man in front of him be a bad guy?


    He remembered what Irene often told him. She said that when there was a bad guy, he must shout for


    help so someone woulde to save him when they heard it.


    However, there was no one around. Even if he called for help, no one would hear him. Eden began to


    think of other countermeasures nervously.


    Irene said that he must stay calm and deceive the bad guys.


    He sat at the sofa in the lobby obediently. The security guard was pleased seeing that Eden listened to


    his advice. After chatting with Eden for a while, the guard stopped paying attention to Eden.


    When the security guard was on the phone, Eden stood up sneakily and dashed out.

 Chapter 66 Stay Away From Him

    Chapter 66 Stay Away From Him


    When the security guard finished the call, Eden, who was on the sofa, had already disappeared.


    Eden ran to the elevator and pressed the button a few times. However, the elevator wasn''t opening. He


    didn''t dare to stay put as he was afraid that the security guard would catch up to him. Without


    hesitation, he ran towards the exit.


    Edric was driving. He inadvertently nced at the side and was shocked when he saw a familiar figure.


    "Isn''t that Irene''s child? Why is he alone on the road?" he thought.


    Edric immediately stopped the car and went straight to Eden.


    Eden was out of breath. All of a sudden, Edric was seen standing in front of him, asking, "Where are


    you going? Where is your mother?"


    "Sir!" Eden eximed as if he had seen his savior. "There are bad guys chasing after me. I''m scared."


    "Fret not. I will protect you," Edric replied.


    Only after Irene was done with her fax did she realize that Eden was gone. She thought that Eden was


    ying in another office, hence she went to look for him there. "Eden! Eden!"


    Irene panicked when she couldn''t find Eden after searching high and low. Where could such a young


    boy go? Did someone kidnap him?


    She took the elevator in a hurry in hope that she could find some clues from the security guards


    downstairs. But, soon as she entered the elevator, her phone rang. It was Edric.


    She was not in the mood to answer the phone and rejected it without hesitation. Soon, Edric called


    again, and without surprise, she continued to decline his calls. After a few times, she couldn''t hold her


    anger in anymore. Picking it up, she shouted fiercely, "Edric, what do you want?"


    Nheless, it was not Edric''s voice that came from the other end, but Eden''s sweet voice, "Mom!"


    "Eden?" Irene was surprised.


    "Mom, I''m with Mr. Myers," Eden said. Apparently, Edric had already introduced himself to Eden while


    they were in the car.


    Irene rushed out of the elevator and went straight to Edric''s car. Frankly, his car was rather


    conspicuous on the roadside. Seeing Ireneing out, Eden poked his head out of the car and


    shrieked, "Mom, I''m here!"


    Irene ran to the side of the vehicle. There was a fit of anger on her face. "Eden, why did you wander


    off? Did you know how worried I was just now?"


    "Why are you being so fierce to a child? He''s just a boy. You are the one who didn''t take care of him


    properly. How can you me him?" Edric looked at Irene with displeasure. "Fortunately, I saw him just


    now. If someone were to kidnap him, what are you going to do?"


    "You don''t have to y the good cop here!" Irene glowered back at Edric. The one with the least rights


    to tell her off was Edric.


    "Mom, I am sorry. Please don''t be angry!" Seeing that Irene was irate, Eden immediately apologized.


    "It''s okay. I am not. Come down, and let''s go home!" Irene was reluctant to let Eden and Edric be


    together.


    Eden was not keen to leave Edric. He continued, "Mom, Mr. Myers said he would send us home..."


    "Have you forgotten what I said before? Don''t talk to strangers! There are a lot of bad guys in this


    world!" Irene reminded him.


    "Mr. Myers is no stranger, and he is not a bad person either!" Eden argued.


    Irene''s head started to ache. Why would Eden have such strong feelings towards Edric who was just a


    mere stranger to him? Could it be that blood truly was thicker than water?


    She couldn''t afford to let Eden and Edric get close to each other! She couldn''t take such a risk! Irene


    hissed with a cold face, "Are you disobeying my words?"


    "Irene, why are you so afraid of me?" Edric looked at Irene and suddenly chimed in.


    "Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you?" Irene asked back.


    "Since you are not, why are you afraid of taking my car?" Edric retorted.


    "Who said I was?" Irene squealed, her voice raising in a crescendo.


    "If you''re not, then why don''t you get in?" Edric answered.


    Under Edric''s provocation, Irene opened the car door. After getting in the car, she found that she was


    done in by Edric.


    She pursed her lips and hugged Eden tightly in her arms. Inwardly, she was cursing Edric. What a


    shameless man! He always had his way to get the better of her in the past. She did not expect that


    she''d be goaded by him once again that day.


    When Edric was driving, he looked at Irene from time to time from the rearview mirror. He didn''t want


    just to send Irene home immediately as it was a hard-earned chance for him to get along with her.


    After thinking for a long time, he asked Eden, "Eden, are you hungry?"


    "I am!" Eden replied.


    "Do you want me to bring you to eat some delicious food?"


    Eden nced at Irene''s face. He wanted to say yes, but he rejected Edric in the end. Nheless,


    Edric did not give up. "You can have delicious fruit ice cream and seafood pizza..." To be honest, he did


    not know what Eden liked to eat, but he remembered that when he saw Eden for the first time, he was


    eating pizza with Irene.


    Eden swallowed his saliva and looked at Irene, his eyes sparkling with expectations. Irene tactfully


    avoided Eden''s gaze before she remarked, "Good boy, let''s eat when we get home."


    Eden nodded. "I''ll listen to you, Mom, since earning money to feed me isn''t an easy task. We don''t


    have much money too, so let''s eat out as little as possible."


    Edric originally wanted to continue tempting Eden, but he didn''t expect Eden to say such words. He


    frowned slightly. "Irene, why are you being so stingy? He''s just a child."


    "Mr. Myers, you''re not qualified to lecture me!" Irene replied coldly. He was the one who had the least


    right to say that she was stingy.


    Irene had saved up some money over the years, but she used it all up to buy them a decent house.


    Although Jordan paid her very well, she still couldn''t afford to spend it all; she had to save some


    money.


    Eden was growing up, and Thomas wasn''t in perfect health either. She would need a lot of money in


    the future. She would need to have some savings now for when they needed it.


    "I will treat you to lunch today. Your mom won''t need to pay for it!" Edric drove the car to a high-end


    restaurant without exining anything more.


    "Mom, Mr. Myers said that you don''t need to pay for it." Eden looked at Irene. Distressed to hear


    Eden''s stomach growling, Irene decided to ept Edric''s invitation. She got out of the car with Eden in


    his arms and went into the restaurant.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mom, this restaurant is so beautiful!" Eden nced around curiously. "The food must be delicious,


    right?"


    "Of course," Irene answered. That was the most expensive restaurant in San Fetillo, so it would be


    strange if the food was not of its finest in the city.


    Irene sat down with Eden in her arms. However, when she saw that Edric sat down opposite them, she


    shrieked coldly, "Thank you for sending us here, Mr. Myers. I will give you the fare for the trip here. So


    please don''t follow us, okay?"


    "I told you that I''d treat you guys to a meal," Edric responded.


    "You don''t need to!" Irene refused.


    Edric ignored her shamelessly. "What do you fancy?" He picked up the menu and asked Eden.


    "I..." Eden nced at Irene and lowered his head. "I''ll eat whatever Mommy eats."


    Edric looked at Irene''s unfriendly face and ordered the dishes of his own ord. The dishes were soon


    served. Eden tucked in hurriedly as he was hungry. Looking at how peckish he was, Irene''s heart


    ached.


    Seeing that Irene wasn''t digging in and was just staring at Eden, Edric helped Irene to slice up the


    steak and said, "Don''t just stare at him. You should eat something too."


    "Mom, have some. It''s amazing." Eden picked up a slice of steak for Irene. Irene ate the food that Eden


    picked for her, but not the ones on her own te.


    Upon seeing that, Edric''s eyes turned a little gloomy. But, he quickly hid the emotions in his eyes and


    put some of his food into Eden''s te. Eden smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Myers."


    "Edric? Why are you here?" A voice suddenly rang out. Irene looked towards the voice''s direction and


    saw Margaret standing next to them with a fallen face.


    Margaret and her friends were having a meal at that restaurant. However, just when they were in the


    middle of a conversation, her friend reminded her, "Isn''t that Edric? Why is a child with him?"


    Margaret''s heart sank when she saw the scene. For Edric to bring Irene and her child to a meal, it


    seemed that he had learned that Irene was not infertile after all.


    No wonder he was in a lousy mood those days. It turned out that he had already known it. Margaret


    panicked for a little. Even though Edric had known the matter, he was quiet about it. What was he


    nning to do?


    "ording to his personality, he would havee home and quarrel with me the instant he learned


    about it, right?" Margaret was paying attention to Edric''s situation while having her meal.


    Looking at Edric''s attempt to get on Irene''s good side, Margaret was so vexed that her stomach started


    to churn. Irene, on the other hand, was only giving him a cold shoulder. When her good friends left,


    Margaret nned to go with her friends too. As she was at the entrance, Margaret thought that she


    couldn''t leave just like that. Thus, she turned on her heel and went back into the restaurant.


    "Why are you here?" Edric''s voice was icy.


    "Why do you think I''m here?" Margaret retorted. "Didn''t you say that there''s a lot of work to do? Why


    are you eating here then?"


    "What? I can''t even have a meal?" Edric asked.


    "Of course, you can. But you should prioritize your time properly, don''t you agree? You can''t leave your


    fiancee alone, right?" Margaret replied with a forced smile. She then looked at Irene and continued,


    "Edric and Lily are about to be engaged. Miss Nelson, please do attend the ceremony if you are free."


    Irene stated calmly, "Mrs. Myers, you''re just in time. Your son has been following us all the time. I''m


    already very annoyed. Since you''re here, please take him away! As for the wedding, I don''t think we''re


    acquainted with each other. You might''ve invited the wrong person."


    "You!" Margaret was smoldering with red fury. She thundered at Irene, "Irene, look at yourself in the


    mirror. How can you be so shameless that you continue to pester Edric?"


    "Mom, you''re barking at the wrong tree. She wasn''t the one who pestered or bugged me. I was the one


    who went after her," Edric interrupted them.


    "Aren''t you ashamed of saying that? Why are you pestering an immodest woman while leaving your


    fiancee alone? Don''t you feel ashamed?" Margaret rebuked.


    "Mom, what does immodest mean?" Eden asked.


    "That''s an adjective to describe your mother! Someone who''s shameless!" Margaret roared. Edric''s


    face changed at once. "Mom!"


    For Eden''s sake, Irene had been holding it in, but after hearing Margaret''s words, she finally couldn''t


    bear it anymore. She grabbed a cup of water on the table and sshed it at Margaret.


    Margaret never expected that Irene would fly into a rage and ssh her with water. She always posed


    as a noble and elegant woman; she had never embarrassed herself like this before. Margaret''s rage


    was growing inside her like a tumor. Her voice was trembling as she bellowed, "How dare you!"


    "How dare you talk nonsense in front of my son! Speak another word and I will beat you up!" Irene


    turned to look at Edric and stated, "Mr. Myers, if you don''t want me to get violent, then leave here


    immediately!"


    Realizing that he couldn''t stay any longer, Edric got up and left. At the same time, Irene''s voice came


    from behind, "Remember to pay the bill!"


    Watching Edric leave, Margaret red at Irene before chasing after him.


    Irene carried Eden out of the restaurant in an awful mood. Eden snuggled up in her arms and said,


    "Mom, that bad granny is so fierce!"


    Irene nodded. "Eden, stay away from Mr. Myers if you see him in the future. Otherwise, that bad granny


    will appear and catch you."


    Eden nodded. "I''ll listen to your words. When I see Mr. Myers in the future, I''ll stay away from him."

 Chapter 67 Distracted

    Chapter 67 Distracted


    Edric parked his car at the entrance. At the same time, Margaret had also reached their house in her


    own car.


    The duo went into the vi, both irate. The maid, Loraine Bush, was shocked when she saw Margaret''s


    sorry state. She asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Margaret didn''t answer Loraine. She threw her purse on the sofa and hissed, "Let''s talk!"


    "Okay!" Edric spat out a word and flounced himself onto the sofa. He looked at Margaret coldly and


    asked, "What do you want to talk about?"


    Margaret was smittering with fury when she saw how indifferent Edric was. "Edric, how can you be so


    cold-blooded? I am your mother, but you didn''t do anything when that woman sshed the water on


    me. Look at how arrogant that woman has be!"


    "You asked for it!" Edric sneered, "As a well-educated individual, how dare you interfere with other


    people in public? You even attacked her in front of her child! You should already consider yourself lucky


    that you got off with just that!"


    "How could you talk to me in such a tone!" Margaret squealed, incensed. "Your father passed away at a


    young age. I had to manage both thepany and take care of you at the same time for so many


    years. Do you think it was easy for me?"


    "Ever since I start remembering things, you''ve been mentioning it non-stop. Mom, aren''t you tired of it?"


    Edric asked. "Which single mother in this world has it easy? Compared with others, at least Dad left the


    have to worry about your survival. You''re one lucky single mother if I can be frank, as it''s not that case


    for others."


    Edric got emotional. When he thought of how Irene had been forced to such an extent over the years,


    he felt extremely exasperated. If it weren''t for Margaret, who had been controlling him with all these


    excuses, and her involvement, he and Irene wouldn''t have be such strangers.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have med himself like that, and he wouldn''t need to live in such pain. They


    would have their own children, and they would live a happy life.


    Thinking of those things, Edric''s anger erupted like a volcano. "It''s said that maternal love is meant to


    be selfless and not to ask for returns. Why have I never felt this before? Ever since I could remember,


    you have been chaining me by your side. If I didn''t behave as you wanted me to in the slightest, you


    would always tell me off. Other mothers want their children to be happy, but in your eyes, there''s only


    thepany and wealth, not me. I always wanted to ask you, am I really your son?"


    "Edric? What is the meaning of this? What happened?" Margaret stared at Edric. It was as if she was


    looking at a stranger.


    "Why do you have to torture me like this?" Edric''s eyes turned red. "I would rather you abandoned me


    back then and found yourself another man than to tie me up for a lifetime with all these excuses. I


    would rather you throw me in the orphanage than live this life that is worse than death!"


    Hearing Edric''s words, Margaret''s eyes widened in shock. Was that how his attitude should be when he


    was talking to her? She was his mother! "You disobedient b*stard..."


    Before Margaret could finish her sentence, Edric interjected her immediately, "Disobedient? If I''m a


    disobedient son, why would I let you torture the girl I love and obey your orders as well as force her out


    of the house? Furthermore, I have been turning a blind eye to her while she wanders out there,


    penniless! You''ve been guilt-tripping me for decades, aren''t you tired of it?"


    "How... How dare you say that to me?" Margaret quivered with rage. Edric had always been obedient to


    her, so she never had the chance to reflect on her actions. Thus, she always thought that what she had


    done was for Edric''s good.


    This was the first time Edric told her his actual thoughts. How could she take it?


    Margaret felt that Edric was purposely going against her for Irene''s sake. "How could you raise your


    voice at me for that woman? That d*mned woman must have poisoned your mind! You are going to


    ditch me, aren''t you?!" Margaret screamed, "If she hadn''t gone against me, would I have done that to


    her?"


    "Gone against you? You''re still living in that stupid dream of yours, aren''t you? Do you think I''m blind?"


    Edric was extremely disappointed with Margaret. "Ever since Irene married into our family, you''ve


    always disliked her and nitpicked on her. However, she tolerated everything for me, but you went even


    further to humiliate and torture her. Mom, you''re also a woman and a mother. Why couldn''t stand in her


    shoes?"


    "Why should I stand in her shoes? She''s infertile! I even took her around to seek medical advice. You


    two have been married for three years, and I have never given up on her. She was the one who


    betrayed you! Worse still, she viciously pushed Lily and caused Lily to have a miscarriage! Otherwise,


    why would I treat her in this way?"


    Anger thrummed through Edric''s veins when he saw how stubborn Margaret was. "How could she give


    birth to a child when she had such an evil mother-inw! Didn''t you always say that Irene was infertile?


    What do you think after seeing that beautiful child next to her just now?"


    Margaret was speechless.


    "Mom, don''t you have anything to say?" Edric looked at Margaret sarcastically.


    "I..." Margaret had nothing else to say.


    "Don''t you want to know what kind of life Irene had been through after being driven out by me? Let me


    tell you! She was forced to marry another guy after being driven out by a ruthless billionaire like me.


    She didn''t love that man at all, but in order to survive, she had no choice but to marry a man who she


    didn''t love."


    "I wasn''t the one who forced her to do that. I just wanted you guys to divorce. I didn''t say I wouldn''t give


    her money," Margaret retorted.


    "Yes, it was me who didn''t want to give her money, but do you know why I was being so cruel to her


    back then?" Edric bellowed fiercely.


    "You forced me to! You used death to threaten Irene and me so we would get a divorce. But I didn''t


    want to! I never wanted to divorce her! But I couldn''t watch you die, so I asked thewyer to draft that


    agreement. I made the conditions sound as harsh as possible thinking that she wouldn''t sign the


    contract. However, my n ended up pushing her to fall into despair instead! She signed the


    agreement without hesitation! In order to force her toe back, I used every means I could think of. I


    made sure that she couldn''t find a job so she woulde back to me, but I never thought that she


    would persist till now!"


    Edric didn''t feel better even though he spat out all these secrets that he''d been hiding. In fact, he felt


    even more suffocated.


    "In order to survive, she chose to marry that man. But, when she was about to get married, her


    husband had an ident and passed away. Her child was born without his father. She had been living


    with this child alone. Only God knew how much she had suffered all these years. She shouldn''t have


    needed to endure these things, but because she married a coward, a cold-blooded man like me, she


    fell to such a state. Do you understand?"Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Margaret, of course, would never show any sympathy towards Irene. "There''s nothing we can do about


    the past. Won''t the problem be solved if you just gave her some money?"


    Listening to Margaret''s nonchnt suggestion, Edric smashed the tea table in front of her with his fist.


    "Do you think this is a problem that can be solved by money? Huh!"


    "So what do you want? She has already married and has a child. This is a fact that can''t be undone.


    What else can we do except for giving her money?" Margaret rebuked.


    "Ah, I''vee up with the best solution. Marry Irene again and treat her child as my own!" replied


    Edric.


    "Are you crazy?" Margaret jumped up.


    "I''m not. This is the result of my careful consideration during this period of time," Edric answered.


    "No! I won''t allow you to do so!" Anxiousness quickened her vein. "Edric, there are many ways we can


    make it up to her. There is no need to marry her again, right? You and Lily have already decided on the


    date of engagement. We''ve even gotten everything prepared. We just have to wait for the date of


    engagement. What do you make of Lily if you are going to turn her down at this point in time?"


    "You canpensate her with money!" Edric responded coldly.


    Wasn''t that what she said to Edric just then? Edric immediately used it against her. Margaret was


    dumbstruck by Edric''s words. "Edric, Lily is an untouched virgin. It''s really not easy for her to take that


    step for you given the fact you are a divorcee. Why don''t you think in her shoes?"


    "Then who will think in Irene''s shoes?" Edric retaliated. "You''re the one who prefers Lily over Irene. You


    deal with it yourself. I''m going to take Irene back now. No one can stop me!"


    "If you really are going to do that, then I will end my life here and now!" Margaret threatened.


    "Mom, aren''t you sick of using that same excuse every day?" Edric looked at Margaret in disgust. "The


    same method should only be used once. It will only be annoying if you use it again and again."


    "You..." Margaret didn''t expect that Edric would say such cruel words. Margaret had no cards to pull at


    the moment.


    "I remember that you used to say that if I don''t have a child, you can''t face Dad after you pass away,


    right? I don''t have a child now, do I? Mom, I know you won''t kill yourself right now!" Edric sneered.


    Margaret''s face turned red, but she couldn''t rebuke him. Edric turned on his heel and went upstairs.


    After a few steps, he turned back and yelled, "I won''t be at anyone''s mercy this time. I''ll decide my own


    life!"


    That day, Deborah apanied Steven to an event, and Lily was alone at home. She felt a little lonely


    as no one was at home. She went back to her room alone after she was bored with watching TV in the


    living room for a while.


    She didn''t know why she had a feeling of uneasiness. Did something happen?


    Just as she was thinking about it, the phone rang. She picked it up and heard a soft female voice.


    "Miss Cook, it''s me."


    "Loraine?" Hearing the voice of Edric''s maid, Lily had a bad hunch.


    "Mrs. Myers and Mr. Edric just had a huge fight," Loraine ryed.


    "Why did they fight?" Lily asked.


    "They fought because of Irene. Mr. Myers knows that Irene had given birth to a child..." Loraine detailed


    everything about that fight to Lily. The more Lily listened, the more frightened she became.


    After Loraine finished her report, Lily hung up the phone in a hurry. Lily was in a state of confusion.


    What should she do? What should she do now?!


    Why was Deborah not back yet? She picked up the phone and called Deborah. The phone rang twice


    before it was rejected. Lily couldn''t sit still anymore. She hurriedly opened the door and went


    downstairs, only to hear the sound of the car. Deborah and Steven were back.


    Deborah came in with Steven with a smile on her face. Lily knew that they must have a whale of a time


    attending that day''s event.


    Lily tamped down her emotions and came forward. "Mom, I have bought a new set of clothes. Would


    you like to have a look for me?"


    Deborah nodded and said, "You head upstairs first. I''ll make you a cup of tea for your dad first."


    "Go ahead. I''ll ask Maisy to make the tea for me." Steven was in a good mood.


    "I''ll make it. I''m afraid that you won''t be used to it if Maisy makes it," Deborah replied and immediately


    went to make tea for Steven. Lily was very anxious, but she didn''t dare to show it out. Having no


    choice, she went upstairs alone.


    A few minutester, Deborah entered Lily''s room. "Did you call me here because you got some bad


    news?"


    Lily nodded and told Deborah what Loraine had heralded to her. "It was smart of you to leave a spy by


    Margaret''s side. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have known anything," remarked Lily.


    "That''s why, you must always leave a trump card when you do things. Didn''t you disagree with me


    when I asked Loraine to stay there previously?" Deborah said.


    "I was afraid that it might lead to unnecessary trouble. Lorraine was also someone who knew what we


    had done in the past. It would be bad if she exposed it by ident," Lily answered.


    Back then, Lily couldn''t have made Irene infertile if it wasn''t for Loraine''s help. When Edric was on a


    business trip, she asked Loraine to give Irene sleeping pills and secretly took her to a clinic for


    sterilization.

 Chapter 68 I Am Not That Cheap

    Chapter 68 I Am Not That Cheap


    Even though Loraine was the maid to the Myers family, she was so vicious to her own employer. Lily


    felt a chill down her spine. After the matter was over, she had hoped Loraine would just leave with the


    money, but Deborah disagreed. She said Loraine could still be useful, and now it seemed like Deborah


    was right.


    "You can''t drive a useful person away when the job is only half done. Is this how you n on doing


    things in the future? Before you officially be a member of the Myers family, Loraine can''t leave.


    Besides, we have Loraine''s son as a leverage. Since we have something to hold against her, she won''t


    just betray us." Deborah snorted.


    "Mom, you''d better think of a way to deal with Edric and Irene. What if they remarry each other?


    Goodness, I feel so anxious!"


    "As long as you can make sure that the child is not Edric''s, nothing will happen." Deborah was not too


    worried.


    "The child is definitely not Edric''s. If it were, Margaret would not have quarreled with him. She wants a


    child so badly. Why would she turn away Irene if that boy is indeed Edric''s child?" Lily was worried


    about Margaret. What if she failed to hold Edric in check? "Loraine said that Margaret threatened Edric


    with death, but he didn''t care."


    "I''ve told you before that Edric isn''t a pushover. He isn''t going to let Margaret control him this time.


    However, we can solve this matter easily as long as the child isn''t his." Deborah sneered.


    "Have youe up with a solution?"


    "Do you think Margaret will let Edric take care of someone else''s child? She will definitely find a way to


    stop it," muttered Deborah.


    "What can she do? Now Edric doesn''t even care about whether she is alive or dead. Why would he


    listen to her?"


    "That''s because he knows that Margaret won''t really take her own life. A threat like that can only be


    used once. Only a fool would believe the same threat over and over again." Deborahughed evilly. "If


    Margaret can''t convince Edric, Margaret will most likely switch her tactics and target Irene instead.


    When that happens, all we have to do is add fuel to the mes."


    After having quarreled with Margaret, Edric was feeling equally guilty. He wandered around aimlessly


    and unconsciously drove his car to Irene''s new home.


    A familiar figure appeared not far ahead. Edric nced over, and immediately knew who it was. He


    sped up and stopped in front of Irene.


    Irene strode away in a hurry. Suddenly she heard someone mming a car door. Before she knew it,


    someone held onto her arm.


    "Irene!" A familiar voice rang in her ears.


    Irene wanted to break free from his grip, but her strength was no match for Edric''s.


    Irate, she shouted, "Edric, let me go!"


    "I have something to tell you." Edric grabbed her hand and dragged her into the car regardless of her


    resistance. He then locked the car doors.


    "I''m not interested in anything you have to say." Irene struggled. She reached out to pull on the door,


    but naturally, it would not open. Edric held her hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Irene, please stay with


    me for a while. I''m begging you!"Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Edric''s voice was tinged with unspeakable sadness. Irene''s body stiffened, and she subconsciously


    stopped resisting and turned to look at him. Edric''s eyes were twinkling with despair. When she saw the


    sorrow in his eyes, she suddenly felt her heart break into a thousand pieces.


    She thought that her heart, which had been numb for so long, would never feel any pain again. But it


    was hurting right now. Irene looked away and pulled her hand out of Edric''s. She tried to calm herself


    down and asked, "What do you want to say?"


    Edric stared at her mutely, his gaze scorching. Irene asked again but what she received was his long


    sigh. "Irene, you''ve been living a hard life these years, haven''t you?"


    "I''ve gotten used to it!" she replied, her voice as t as a stove lid.


    Edric looked at her wless side profile, feeling heartbroken. "Irene, I''m a b*stard. I''m a big b*stard. I''m


    sorry..." he said incoherently.


    Because of him, she was forced to marry someone else. Since he found that out, he realized his


    mistake to divorce her was a huge one.


    Edric thought over and over again about the past. Every time his memories haunted him, he would


    break down. He was a b*stard and a piece of scum. How could he have done such a thing to a woman


    that he swore he would protect forever?


    Edric''s apology made Irene turn her head. Unfortunately, there were some mistakes that an apology


    could not make up for. She asked lightly, "Did youe here just to tell me this?"


    "Irene, I didn''t mean to hide the fact that Lily was pregnant from you. I wanted to tell you, but I didn''t


    have the courage. I was afraid that you wouldn''t be able to ept it¡ª"


    "It''s meaningless to say these things now. It''s all over!" Irene interjected him.


    Which woman would ept her husband having a child with another woman? Edric was really funny.


    After so many years, he suddenly wanted to exin himself to her. Was this the kind of thing that could


    be forgiven with a mere exnation? Did he not know that he couldn''t change what had already


    happened?


    "Mr. Myers, in fact, you don''t have to say any of this to me. We have divorced, and the past doesn''t


    matter anymore. There is no need to exin." Irene crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    "Irene, I know you hate me very much, and I hate myself too." Edric''s eyes were gleaming with


    remorse. "If I knew it would have ended like this, I would not have let you go..."


    "If your goal is to apologize and to get my forgiveness, then I think it''s absolutely unnecessary. I won''t


    ept your apology. You''d better let me out of the car! NOW!" Irene interrupted Edric again.


    "Irene, I''m not just apologizing. I also want to make up for it. Please give me a chance to atone for my


    sins!"


    "How can you make up for it?" Irene sneered.


    "Let me take care of you and your son. I swear that I will never let you get hurt again!" Edric responded


    sincerely.


    "You swear?" Irene almost burst outughing. Edric had made so many promises to her before. But just


    look what he had done to her!


    Edric told her that he would provide her a warm and loving home. Yet, she had to face Margaret''s


    torture and abuse every day. He vowed that he would only love her for the rest of his life, but he ended


    up having a child with the woman she hated the most. In Irene''s eyes, there was nothing but hatred


    right now.


    "You can keep your promises for you and your girlfriend. I don''t need them, and I won''t believe them


    anymore!" Irene hissed.


    "Irene!"


    "It''ste. I have to work tomorrow. Please let me go, Mr. Myers."


    Edric looked at her eyes and finally opened the door. He could tell that she wouldn''t listen to him at this


    moment. "Irene, I remember every word I said to you. I have never forgotten our love! I will never let go


    of your hand!"


    Irene did not expect him to say such a thing. Well, frankly she was quite shocked. She paused for a


    moment while she was opening the door, but eventually, she got down anyway.


    After getting out of the car, she looked back at Edric. "Edric, from the moment you cheated on me with


    Lily, and the moment you divorced me and left me with nothing, all my feelings that I had for you had


    vanished. Don''t expect me toe back to your side and ept your love after youpletely broke


    me. I''m not that cheap!"


    Her voice was as soft as the silver bells of the church, but it sounded like thunder in Edric''s ears. His


    face instantly became pale, and his eyes lost their light. His lips were trembling as if he struggled to let


    words tumble out of his mouth. Yet, all of them were choked up in his throat.


    Irene''s eyes shed with joy when she saw the grief and disbelief on his face. She turned around and


    strode away.


    After the quarrel with Edric, Margaret was consumed in an unspeakable sorrow. Edric wanted to raise


    someone else''s child and bring that wretched woman back. How could he?


    She would never allow Edric to do that, but Edric wouldn''t listen to her at all. Recently, he had been


    leaving early anding homete. He was hardly ever in the house. Most of the time, he came back


    home just to sleep.


    Margaret had asked his secretary, so she knew that nothing serious was going on at work. She


    understood very well that Edric had gone to find that vixen again.


    In the past, she had always used her death to threaten Edric. But since Edric said such ruthless words


    that day, Margaret knew that her threat didn''t work anymore. As she couldn''t convince Edric, she could


    only shift her strategy. She was going to find Irene and humiliate her to put her back in her ce.


    Wasn''t she living a hard life? Margaret reckoned that she would just give her some money. If money


    couldn''t solve it, then she would resort to more extreme measures. A woman like Irene had no money


    and no power. How could she have any chance in a fight against Margaret?


    Early in the morning, Irene felt thunderstruck when Margaret appeared in front of her. Pigs must be


    flying out there. Margaret faked a smile when she spoke, "Miss Nelson, let''s talk."


    Irene didn''t want to talk to Margaret at all, but she also knew how impatient this seemingly noblewoman


    was. She didn''t want to stir up any trouble, hence she agreed to go to a cafe nearby with her.


    Margaret gracefully picked up her cup and took a sip of tea, as if she wasn''t the person who was being


    sshed at with water the other day. "Edric had told me about your recent life when we were home the


    other day. As a woman, I sympathize with you. It''s not easy for you to raise a child alone, so I thought


    about it and decided to give you some money."


    Although she had been trying her best to speak to Irene in a gentle tone, Irene could only hear irony in


    her words. She couldn''t help butugh. "When did you be such a phnthropist?"


    Margaret''s face was getting a little flushed. She controlled herself and continued, "I heard that you had


    tough times after the divorce with Edric..."


    "Plenty of people are going through tough times. Do you n on giving money to all of them?" Irene


    snorted.


    "Of course not. I want to give you money because after all, you used to be my daughter-inw. I


    understand how it feels about raising a child as a single mother." Margaret put down her cup.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Myers, but I don''t need your money. I can support my son on my


    own."


    "Irene, you have to think about your child. With this money, you won''t have to work so hard to provide


    him a bright future. As a mother, is there anything more important than that?" Margaret spread out her


    arms.


    "You are right. As a mother, there is nothing more important than my child''s future." Irene nodded.


    "So you''ve agreed to ept my money?" Margaret was surprised.


    "From what I know of you, you''re not the type to be generous. We know each other well enough. Let''s


    not beat around the bush. What do you want?" Irene''s voice creaked like the hinges of a rusty iron


    gate.


    A blush crept onto Margaret''s face at once. "I hope you can leave San Fetillo as soon as you get the


    money. Don''t show up in front of Edric ever again for the rest of your life."


    "Why?" Irene sneered. "San Fetillo is my home. Why should I leave?"


    "Irene, your appearance has impacted Edric greatly. I don''t want my son to live in guilt all his life."


    Margaret''s tone was as soft and cool as a prison yard, tinged with selfishness.


    "If he never did anything wrong, why should he feel guilty?" Irene grunted.


    Irene''s expression made Margaret realize that the chances of Irene epting her offer were pretty


    much zero. She started to lose her patience. "What do you want in exchange for letting go of Edric?"


    "Mrs. Myers, if your brain is still functioning, you should remember that I divorced your son a long time


    ago. I let him go three years ago."


    "Irene, don''t y dumb with me. If you hadn''t clung onto Edric, why would he have said that he wanted


    to return to you? Let me tell you, I will never agree to you and him remarrying. You''d better give up that


    idea," Margaret squawked.


    "When have you ever seen me clinging on to him?" Irene was furious. "If we''re talking about clinging,


    he is the one who has been clinging on to me! I''m not interested in him! Since you have so much time


    toe and look for me, why don''t you spend that time looking after him instead? Aren''t you good at


    maniption? Using your death to threaten him, hasn''t that always been effective?"


    Margaret frowned slightly. "Since you aren''t going to admit that, then I will make it clear myself. If I ever


    find out that you are in contact with Edric again, I swear that I will not let you go!"

 Chapter 69 New and Old Lovers Together

    Chapter 69 New and Old Lovers Together


    After leaving Irene, Margaret went to meet Marie angrily. "I''m so angry. That woman will really be the


    death of me. She and I have always been on opposing ends. Even now when she''s divorced with my


    son, she still haunts me."


    "Have some water and calm down." Marie poured a ss of water for Margaret.


    Margaret took a sip of water but she was still fuming when she thought about it. "She didn''t want my


    money, that means she''s still thinking of remarrying Edric. Edric, on the other hand, is also blinded by


    his emotions. She''s a married woman with a child, yet he still pines after her. How infuriating."


    "She''s going against you on purpose. When she couldn''t have children, she''s too ashamed toe


    back. Now that she has a child, she came back just to get under your skin. What an evil woman. She


    knows that Edric has feelings for her, and she''s using him to turn you two against each other!" Marie


    "Yes, she really is evil. I can''t let her have it her way. I have to find a way to make her leave," Margaret


    decided.


    "Have youe up with anything yet?" Marie asked.


    "Not yet." Margaret had a headache. Although she had been saying harsh words about Irene, she had


    no clue what to do to drive her away. That was why she hade looking for Marie. "Help me think of


    some ideas on how to deal with her."


    "Well, it''s quite simple. She''s poor now, it should be a piece of cake for you to deal with her! Also, she


    has a child. We should find a way to use the child against her somehow," Marie suggested.


    "Use her child against her? Is this okay?" Margaret parroted in hesitation.


    "Why not? We''re not really going to hurt her child, we''re just going to threaten her with him. It wasn''t


    easy for her to have a child after all. I''m sure she''ll give up anything for him. I bet she''ll give in to you


    eventually," Marie reasoned.


    "Okay, I''ll think about it." Since Margaret was out of ideas, she decided to take her leave and gave


    Marie''s suggestion some thoughts.


    At the same time, John reported to Edric, "Mrs. Myers went to see Miss Nelson today. It seems that


    she''s really upset."


    "I got it." Edric grasped the pen in his hand. He had expected that this would happen. With Margaret''s


    temper, she would definitely have said some nasty words to Irene. If he wanted to be with Irene,


    Margaret would be the biggest obstacle. However, he was not afraid.


    To him, the biggest issue for now was not Margaret, but Irene. He had to figure out a way for Irene to


    open up and dissolve her hatred for him. Furthermore, he still had Lily to deal with.


    He never thought about getting engaged to Lily. That was all Margaret''s doing.


    Lily was gentle and kind, but he did not love her. The only feeling he had for Lily was guilt because of


    the surrogacy. He had told her that he could never forget Irene, and that he would never fall for her. But


    Lily said that she did not care and was willing to wait until he would ept her.


    At that time, Irene had disappeared without a trace. When Maragret realized that he did not want to be


    with Lily, she went around trying to find a new partner for him. He grew so annoyed that he reluctantly


    implied to agree to have Lily by his side.


    Now that he nned on getting Irene back, he had to end his rtionship with Lily properly.


    Unfortunately, he had already agreed on the engagement date with the Cook family. Otherwise, Lily


    and he would be nothing but friends. Since the date had been set, he could not just call it off. Steven


    was influential as he held a very important position in the government, and would not ept any half-


    hearted excuse.


    There was no way he could convince Lily to cancel the engagement, hence he had to think of another


    way. Lily was the only daughter of Steven and Deborah; they would not allow her to end up in such a


    pathetic state. At the thought of this, an idea suddenly popped up in Edric''s mind.


    A couple dayster, all the media outlets in San Fetillo reported a scandal between Edric and Rowane


    Wood, the most popr and beautiful student in the University of San Fetillo. With the outbreak of the


    scandal, everything between Edric and Rowane was dug up by the media.


    Edric had been in a rtionship with Rowane for a long time. The media managed to find out that two


    years ago after a ball held by Rowane''s university, they had spent the night together in a hotel.


    Later on, Edric even prepared a home for Rowane in an elite residential area known as Lc Garden.


    He would then go over once a week to stay at their house. Lc Garden had a tight security system,


    therefore their two-year rtionship had stayed hidden from everyone.


    Until one day during Rowane''s birthday, the paparazzi managed to get a picture of her celebrating at


    the hotel. If it were not for them following her all the way to the hotel, they would not find out that she


    was Edric''s secret lover.


    When the scandal was published, it caused a great stir. All the insiders began toment about it.


    Edric and Lily had made no progress in the past three years. It turned out that it was because Edric had


    another girlfriend.


    Rowane was beautiful and pure, and most importantly, she was talented. No wonder Edric could not


    give her up. If Lily was not Steven''s daughter, she probably would have no ce next to him.


    Irene sneered at the news. Of course Edric would return to his old ways of ying around with women,


    she thought. He must really be addicted to having all those secret adventures. She fully looked forward


    to Lily''s reaction.


    Lily was green with envy when she saw the news. She knew Rowane. Previously, when she saw her


    having dinner with Edric, she was a little jealous of how caring he was to her.


    However, she never found anything unusual between them; eventually, she forgot about Rowane. She


    did not expect Rowane to really be Edric''s lover. When she thought about the fact that Edric would


    rather cheat on her with some other woman than touch her, her rage gushed out of her veins like


    moltenva at once..


    However, she could not confront him; all she could do was hide in her room and cry. Deborah did not


    believe that Edric would have a mistress. She entered Lily''s room and gave her a scolding.


    "It''s so obvious that this news was Edric''s idea. The timing of the scandal is impable. He''s forcing


    you to make a choice. He sure ising up with everything so we''ll break off the engagement."


    After listening to Deborah, Lily snapped out of her sorrow. It was true that the timing was really


    coincidental. It seemed like it was indeed Edric''s doing.


    After careful consideration, Deborah and Lily decided to give no response to the scandal and maintain


    the engagement. They wanted to see what Edric would do next.


    When Margaret saw the news, she was dizzy with anger. The fact that this scandal broke out now


    showed that Edric was deliberately going against her. She didn''t care if he had a lover outside. In fact,


    it would be better if he could give her a few more grandchildren, no matter who the mother was. But it


    was so obvious that this scandal was fake.


    She had raised Edric herself. Having lived together for so many years, she was very clear about his


    personality. There was no way he was actually having an affair. It seemed like he was trying to find a


    way out of his engagement to get back together with Irene. Margaret could not let things go on like this;


    she had to do something about this immediately.


    Irene saw Rowane in person for the first time a weekter. The University of San Fetillo was having a


    celebration, and Jordan was invited as a guest. Jordan had made Irene to tag along with him.


    He was a special guest, thus the headmaster came to wee him personally. When they entered the


    reception room, Irene realized that Edric was there too.


    Irene noticed the sarcastic smirk he had the moment he saw them. She thought he would ignore them,


    but to her surprise, he stood up and greeted them.


    She looked at the ground when she saw Edric and Jordan exchange friendly and enthusiastic


    greetings. She could never understand what went on in the minds of these businessmen. They


    obviously disliked each other, yet they could greet each other with smiles.


    There were many performances lined up for the celebration. Jordan and Edric were esteemed guests,


    thus they sat in the front row. Irene sat with them thanks to their privilege.


    The University of San Fetillo had nevercked talents. Irene watched all the talent performances with


    great interest.


    After some time, the host announced, "Now, let''s wee Rowane Wood, a senior of University of San


    Fetillo, to perform the violin!"


    Apuse rang out and Rowane appeared on the stage in an elegant gown.


    Undeniably, she was gorgeous. Her charm and charisma was above that of Lily''s.


    Jordan leaned over to Irene''s ear and chuckled. "Rowane is really a stunner. Edric is so lucky!"


    Irene red at him and said in a low voice, "If you like her, why don''t you go after her? With your flirting


    skills and wealth, perhaps you''ll win her heart."


    "Although she''s beautiful, she''s not my type. I prefer girls like you." He grinned at her.


    She rolled her eyes. He added in a whisper, "Edric seems to like Rowane a lot right now. He''s already


    brought her to many events as his partner. Do you think this means that he ns to break up with


    Lily?"


    "How would I know?" Irene huffed.


    "Isn''t he scared that he''ll anger Steven? If Steven decides to make things hard for him because of this,


    won''t Edric lose more than he has to gain?" Jordan contemted.


    She snorted. "He didn''t need Steven to back him up when he expanded hispany until where it is


    today. What''s there to be afraid of?"


    "Perhaps he didn''t rely on Steven to get to where he is now. But still, why make more enemies,


    especially political ones? It''s not a good thing for him to get on Steven''s bad side," Jordan remarked.


    "That''s his business. Why are you so worried about him?" Irene grew impatient.


    To tell the truth, when she saw the news reports iming Edric and Rowane to be a fitting match, she


    thought that it was an exaggeration. However, seeing Rowane in real life at this moment, she must


    admit that the news was not making bold statements after all.


    For some reason, she felt really ufortable. She remembered that Edric hade to her with an


    exnation a few days ago, and he sounded so affectionate. Fortunately, she did not believe him since


    he had hurt her so much in the past. Otherwise...


    Looking at Irene and Jordan whispering to each other, Edric felt exceptionally bitter. He held back his


    jealousy and stared at the stage.


    To Irene, he appeared to adore Rowane as it seemed like he was focusing intently on her performance.


    She started feeling upset too.


    At the end of Rowane''s performance, someone went onto the stage to offer her flowers. She took the


    flowers and went down the stage with a smile. She headed in Edric''s direction.


    She walked over to his side before she handed him the flowers and sat down next to him.


    Irene had been wondering why there was an empty seat next to Edric. Now she understood that it was


    for Rowane.


    She scoffed silently. How would Lily feel if she saw this?


    As she was deep in thought, Jordan chimed in, "There are reporters taking pictures? Poor Lily will be


    very sad when she sees the news tomorrow!"


    "Really? Good for her!" She tittered nonchntly. Lily used to be so keen on ruining Edric and her


    rtionship. Now that Rowane hade into the picture, wasn''t this karma for Lily?


    Sheughed gloatingly in secret before she sensed a pair of eyes on her. She looked over and found


    that it was Rowane.


    Rowane grinned at her when she saw Irene noticing. Irene turned her eyes away and ignored Rowane.


    Although she was amazed by Rowane''s beauty, she did not agree with Rowane''s decision to date an


    engaged man.


    She would not be friendly to women who were so shameless.


    As expected on the next day, news of Edric and Rowane dominated the headlines. Lily gritted her teeth


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    in rage.


    Deborah remained calm. "Don''t panic. There''s still Margaret. I doubt she would let her own son run


    around wild like this for much longer."


    Deborah was right. Indeed, Margaret would not allow Edric to continue to have his own way. That


    afternoon, Margaret directed her men to break into the apartment Edric had bought for Rowane. She


    instructed them to break everything in that house, and Rowane was terribly beaten up.


    If Edric had not arrived just in time, she would have been severely injured, to say the least. When


    Jordan told Irene the incident, she chuckled indifferently again.


    She had personally experienced what Margaret was capable of. Back when Edric and she were dating,


    she had endured so much of Margaret''s humiliation and abuse. She could only imagine how badly


    Margaret had treated Rowane since she was now Edric''s new lover.


    When Irene thought about the fact that Rowane''s delicate face had been hit, she couldn''t help feeling a


    little sorry for her. She wondered if Rowane''s face would be covered with bruises.


    She was wrong. The next day, someone had invited Jordan out for dinner, and there in the restaurant


    Irene saw Rowane and Edric again.


    Rowane was looking as lovely and gorgeous as usual. Her glossy skin sparkled under the light without


    a single scar in sight.


    Irene was reminded of how she was worried for Rowane the previous night, and found the whole thing


    incredibly ironic.

 Chapter 70 She Cant Drink

    Chapter 70 She Can''t Drink


    The people present at the dinner were all famous in San Fetillo, but Irene only knew a few of them.


    Edric and Rowane sat by the window. When Edric saw Jordan and Irene enter, he swept his eyes past


    them indifferently and continued talking to Rowane.


    Seeing Jordan with Irene, someone immediately teased him, "Mr. Reed, is this your new girl?"


    Jordan red at him and hissed, "Hey, watch it. This isn''t my new girl; she''s my fiancee, Irene!"


    "Fiancee?" Jordan''s words attracted everyone''s attention. Edric was holding a cup and drinking tea


    with a smile on his face, but his eyes darkened when he heard Jordan. Was Jordan serious?


    "Well, she really is beautiful. Mr. Reed, you''re so lucky!" someone praised.


    "Of course. I only like a pretty and talented woman." Jordan was very proud.


    Irene scowled at him. Jordan pulled out the chair and said, "Take a seat, my dear!"


    His affectionate nickname for her made Irene grow goosebumps all over her body. There was a burst of


    Jordan stretched out his hand and took a light p on the person who spoke. "Hey, are you trying to


    make me look bad? Let me make things clear, from now on, I will only be considerate and gentle to one


    woman. And that''s Irene."


    While talking, he looked at Irene, but she ignored his scorching gaze. The people around them


    guffawed aloud. "Even Irene doesn''t believe what you said, let alone the rest of us."


    "I''ll prove my words with actions. Soon, you''ll all believe me!" Jordan dered.


    "All I know is a leopard can''t change his spots," a man interrupted. Jordan gave him a glower and


    added, "You just wait and see."


    "I''m so scared. Irene, I was just joking. Mr. Reed is the most gentle and faithful man I''ve met. He''s only


    good to you. You mustn''t let him sleep in the doghouse just because of the joke I''ve made."


    As soon as the man said this, the whole audience burst intoughter. Jordan gave him a yful punch


    and said, "You know, silence is a virtue."


    "Spare me! I''m just telling the truth!" the man cried out in exaggeration.


    Watching their banter, Irene could not helpughing, too.


    Edric looked at her smile and felt really upset. How far had she and Jordan gone?


    Had they slept together? Jordan was a well-known yboy. If they had not slept together, he would not


    be so caring to her, would he?


    As he thought about the intimate rtionship between Irene and Jordan, he felt like his heart was being


    pricked by thorns.


    He picked up his cutlery and scooped a serving of shrimp for Rowane. Watching his action, Irene


    sneered inwardly. It seemed like Edric was quite considerate of Rowane.


    In return, she also helped Jordan ce some food on his te. Jordan felt ted at her actions.


    He immediately wolfed down the food she gave him as he said, "It''s delicious!"


    Edric''s eyes shed with gloom. Jordan''spanion saw that he was in glee and suggested, "Irene,


    since it''s your first time here today, why don''t you do a drinking game with Mr. Reed? You two wrap


    your arms around each other while you stand closely and drink the wine. No breaking of eye contact!"


    "Yes, yes." Someone immediately echoed, "Drinking game! Come on, let''s have it!"


    The person who proposed the idea poured sses of wine and ced them in front of Irene and


    Jordan. Jordan picked up the ss and said, "Dear, since they''re all so excited, we should fulfill their


    wishes."


    Edric stopped eating and glimpsed at them coldly.


    Irene did not want to cooperate at first, but when she saw Edric''s gaze, her edge of irritation suddenly


    returned. It was just a drinking game. What was she afraid of? She picked up her ss, held Jordan


    close, and downed the wine.


    Everyone cheered as they watched the couples. Immediately, someone raised his ss to Irene,


    "Irene, this is to our first meeting!"


    Jordan stopped him and said, "Since you''re proposing toasts, you should toast to all the women at the


    table. Guys, what do you say? Doesn''t that sound good?"


    Everyone echoed in agreement. Randy Smith, who proposed the toast, had not expected that Jordan


    would turn the game around on him. He had no choice but to propose a toast to everydy around the


    table. When he reached Rowane, Edric blocked his hand and said, "Rowane can''t drink!"


    "She can''t drink?" Randy paused and revealed a smug grin. "Maybe¡­ she''s pregnant?"


    As he said this, the entire table turned to look towards Rowane and Edric. "Congrattions, Mr.


    Myers!"


    Edric did not exin himself and only poured a ss of fruit juice for Rowane. Then, she held the juice


    and clinked sses with Randy.


    Looking at this scene, Irene rolled her eyes. It was so simr to how Edric and she had used to be.


    If Lily found out that Rowane was pregnant, she would probably pass out from crying.


    Jordan, who was sitting beside her, had no idea what she was thinking about. He picked up his wine


    ss and muttered, "Irene, let''s go and congratte Mr. Myers too!"


    "Sure!" Irene returned his smile before she showed a bright beam at Edric and Rowane. She raised her


    ss and said, "Mr. Myers, congrattions to the baby!"


    Looking at her smiling eyes, Edric felt a striking pain in his heart. She had no care. Despite knowing


    that he had a child with another woman, she did not show any care at all.


    She did not have even a trace of him in her heart. He bitterly picked up his wine ss and drank it all in


    one gulp.


    Rowane gave Edric a worried look. "Don''t you have gastritis? You should drink less."


    "I know what I''m doing," Edric replied with a smile.


    Seeing the affectionate two, Irene felt extremely upset, but she could not put a finger to her own


    feelings. Edric and she had ended a long time ago, so why would she bother?


    Jordan noticed that she was not exactly in a high spirit. He gently touched her hand and asked, "What''s


    wrong?"


    "Nothing." She squeezed out a smile.


    "If you don''t feel well, I can take you back." Jordan noticed the reluctance in Irene''s eyes. She had


    never been a people person; oftentimes she wouldn''t feelfortable in social settings. It was normal


    for her to feel out of ce on this asion.


    Randy was not the type of person to give things a rest. When he saw Jordan''s concern for Irene, he


    immediately chimed in, "Mr. Reed, could it be that Irene is also pregnant?"


    This made Edric''s whole body shudder. He turned around and looked at Irene instantly.


    Irene avoided Edric''s eye contact. All she did was let out a chuckle and gave an ambiguous answer.


    "How did you know?"


    "Really?" Randy chortled and said, "Wow, looks like there are two celebrations tonight. Mr. Reed, this


    toast is to you and Irene!"


    Jordan nced at Irene. He thought she would be upset, but surprisingly, she was full of smiles. And


    frankly, he could even see a hint of shyness on her expression.


    He cackled and said, "Okay! Cheers!"


    Seeing Jordanugh and drink, Edric''s expression grew even darker, his rage festering in him.


    He did not believe that Irene could be pregnant initially. But then, he recalled how quickly she had a


    son after their divorce. Right at that instant, he bought their im instantly.


    Since she could bear the child of another man, she could also bear Jordan''s child.


    His heart ached again. Why was it that she had not gotten pregnant even once in the three years they


    were together?


    Why? Why would God y such a joke on him?


    Edric''s heart was burning in pain. He silently picked up the wine and poured himself another ss.


    Rowane, who was next to him, immediately grabbed his hand. "You should drink less!"


    She looked in the direction of Irene as she spoke. Irene was looking back with a faint smile on her face.


    She looked at Edric and Rowane silently, as if they were a joke.


    Rowane was the only one not caught up in their emotions. She knew that Edric was in such a sullen


    mood because Irene had subtly admitted she was pregnant.


    Rowane was a woman, and she was more observant than a man. If Irene was really pregnant, why did


    she drink alcohol earlier?


    Obviously, she was not pregnant at all. But Edric hadpletely fallen for it.


    Looking at Edric, Rowane decided to shed some light on Edric but through an indirect way. "Miss


    Nelson, you don''t look like you''re pregnant though?"


    "Really? Miss Wood, how would you know that?" Irene simpered.


    "If you were pregnant, why did you drink wine? Pregnant women can''t drink."


    "It''s true that doctors tell me that I shouldn''t drink during pregnancy. That doesn''t mean I can''t have a


    sip. Don''t worry about me, Miss Wood." Irene smiled faintly.


    Hearing this, Edric gulped down another ss of wine. Rowane was anxious seeing Edric in this state.


    "Miss Nelson, pregnancy is no joke!"


    "Dear, she doesn''t believe that I''m pregnant." Irene looked at Jordan and purred, "You tell her the


    truth."


    Jordan did not understand why Irene was iming that she was pregnant. All he knew was he had


    better y along. He raised his eyebrows and cut in, "Miss Wood, are you suspecting my abilities?


    Look at me. Although I can''t make sure I hit the ''egg'' every single time, I can still make Irene pregnant


    easily."


    Edric''s expression grew livid as he reached out to grab the wine bottle. Rowane gripped his hand


    tightly to prevent him from pouring more wine.


    The people around were convulsed withughter. "Miss Wood, you are so caring towards Mr. Myers!


    With such a beautiful and consideratedy as his partner, Mr. Myers must be the luckiest man in this


    universe."


    Irene''s heart was thumping in frustration when she heard them teasing the duo. She stood up and left


    the room without saying a word.


    She headed outside and looked up at the sky. It was pitch ck and not a single star could be seen.


    She herself at this moment was as gloomy as the sky, unable to shake off her heavy loads weighing on


    her chest.


    Suddenly, she heard the sound of footstepsing from behind her. As the familiar smell hit her nose,


    Irene clenched her fists subconsciously. She hated herself.


    She hated herself for knowing who was standing behind her even though she did not look back.


    He asked, "Are you really pregnant?" His voice was as deep as a chirruping nightingale.


    "Does it have anything to do with you?" she retorted.


    "Jordan is not the right person you can rely on!"


    Edric had said this to Irene more than once before, but it was the first time he sounded so harsh. "Mr.


    Myers, you''re a well-known person yourself. Don''t you feel ashamed ndering others behind their


    back?"


    "I''m not ndering him. I''m just telling the truth. The Reed family won''t allow you to be with him!" Edric


    said.


    "You''re right. With my status, the Reed family won''t allow me to be with him. But there''s always an


    exception." Irene''s hand gently stroked her stomach.


    Her action was undoubtedly telling Edric that she was indeed pregnant. She was going to rely on the


    child in her belly to make the Reed family ept her.


    Fury was vibrating through Edric''s entire being. The wine that he had just drunk was surging up,


    stimting his nerves.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He grabbed Irene''s hand forcefully. "Are... are you really pregnant?"


    "Let me go!" She shook off his hand with a look of disgust.


    He held on tightly. "Tell me if it''s true or not!"


    "Why should I tell you? Who are you to me?" she barked, her tone provocative.


    The teasing smile in her eyes made Edric''s rage simmer. He pulled her into his arms, held her tight,


    and smashed her lips fiercely with his.


    How could Irene allow Edric to kiss her? She felt nauseated at the thought of what went on between


    Edric and Rowane.


    She struggled desperately to not let him seed. But Edric had lost his mind. Eventually, he pressed


    her against the wall.


    How dirty! So disgusting! Irene kicked his leg viciously. While he lost his focus for a split second due to


    the pain, she bit his hand without hesitation.


    He let go and she immediately turned around and ran. Behind her, a waiter was walking over with a


    dining cart.


    He was in shock as he saw the boiling hot soup on the dining cart. If Irene ran into that, it would be a


    catastrophe.


    Regardless of the pain, he reached out to catch Irene. She shook off his grip and was oblivious to the


    fact that she was about to run into the dining cart. She thought he was still trying to force himself onto


    her. With that thought in mind, she turned around and punched him in the face.

 Chapter 71 Scalded (1)

    Chapter 71 Scalded (1)


    That punch hit Edric in the eye. He was in so much pain that he let go of Irene at once. Instantly, Irene


    pushed him away as she was scared that he might go near her again. Edric adjusted his body position


    to protect Irene a while ago. Hence, when Irene pushed him with such great force, he fell and hit the


    food trolley.


    The loud sound shocked Irene. She looked over, only to see Edric lying on the ground with soup all


    over his body.


    The waitress who was pushing the trolley was so scared that her face went pale. She kept apologizing


    as she helped Edric up.


    Irene''s face at this moment was still stered with stupefaction. Edric''s eyes were beaten ck and


    blue by her. The expression on his face showed that he was clearly in pain then. She subconsciously


    reached out to help Edric. Suddenly, a scream came from behind, stopping her actions. Irene looked


    back and saw Rowane''s face full of horror.


    Seeing Rowane, Irene immediately withdrew her hand and turned to go straight to the private room.


    Until the end of the banquet, she didn''t see Edrice back. Irene was a little worried as she didn''t


    know what Edric''s condition was.


    After the banquet, Jordan was a little drunk. Irene sent him back before heading home. On the way,


    she received a phone call from Kinsey. "Irene, I got sick, and I''m currently hospitalized. I''m so bored.


    Can youe and apany me?"


    "I''ll be right there." Irene told the taxi driver to turn around and go to the hospital.


    Kinsey had a severe cold associated with bronchitis. That was why she was having an IV drip at the


    hospital. When Irene arrived at the hospital, Kinsey was ying with her phone with the IV by her side.


    Irene said, "Kinsey, can''t you stay put while having an IV drip?"


    "I''m too bored. It''s great that you''re here." Kinsey put down her phone and began to chat with Irene.


    Soon, the topic came to Edric.


    "That Edric really can''t change his sh*tty habit, huh? He is actually having another affair again this time.


    I would really like to know Lily''s reaction after seeing the news," Kinsey said.


    Irene smiled. "There''s better news. Edric''s lover seems to be pregnant." She then told Kinsey what had


    happened that night.


    Kinsey guffawed aloud. "Wow! You did well. You should''ve treated him like this from the beginning. If he


    dares to hurt you again next time, break his neck!"


    Later, Kinsey said that she was hungry, thus Irene went to buy her a midnight snack. However, never


    did she expect to bump into Rowane in the hospital''s hall. Rowane was stunned for a moment upon


    seeing Irene. Aftering back to her senses, she marched toward Irene with a beam. "Miss Nelson,


    are you here to visit a patient?"


    Irene didn''t wish to have a conversation with Rowane; she just nodded and left. Before she could exit


    the hospital, Rowane added, "Edric is here, too. He is in the VIP ward on the eighth floor."


    Irene ignored Rowane and strode away. Rowane''sst statement was still ringing in her mind once she


    was outside of the hospital. What was Rowane thinking? Why would she care about Edric''s


    hospitalization? She even told her where his ward was. Did Rowane believe that she came to see


    Edric?


    Wait, why did Rowane think that she came to see Edric in the first ce? Did Rowane perhaps know


    the rtionship between her and Edric?


    There were very few people in San Fetillo who knew about her past with Edric. Since Edric was willing


    to tell their rtionship to his new lover, Irene reckoned that Rowane had a very high ce in his heart.


    Irene felt a little displeased, but she tried her best to hold back her emotions. She went to a nearby


    store to buy some snacks for Kinsey. After Kinsey finished her supper, she chatted with Kinsey for a


    while before they heard Eden calling Irene on the phone, "Mom, why haven''t youe back yet?"


    Kinsey chuckled and remarked, "I almost forgot that you still have your most important treasure in your


    house. Alright, I''m fine now. Go back and apany your son. Remember to send breakfast to me


    tomorrow morning."


    Irene chortled and agreed.


    The next morning, Irene went to the hospital with some light breakfast she personally cooked for


    Kinsey. Looking at the food, Kinsey frowned and said, "I thought you would prepare a big meal for me."


    "I''ll treat you to a big meal after you recover. All these will help with your bronchitis," Irenemented.


    "Alright, I''ll take it as it is as of now, but it''s a promise, okay? After I recover, you must treat me to a big


    meal. I would drool whenever I think of the chicken steak that you cook."


    "You''re ttering me!" Irene red at Kinsey. "After you recover, I''ll cook it for you every day if you want


    me to."


    "You can''t go back on your words, alright?"


    After talking to Kinsey for a while, Irene got up and left the ward. She trod to the hospital lobby. At that


    moment, a figure appeared from the side and stopped her.


    "Miss Nelson, let''s talk!" It was Rowane.


    Irene''s brows became knitted at once. She replied, "I don''t seem to have anything to talk to you about,


    do I?"


    "I want to talk to you about Edric!" Rowane answered.


    "Miss Wood, what''s wrong with you? Edric and I have nothing to do with each other. Don''t you think it''s


    ridiculous to talk to me about him?" Irene rebuked.


    "Who says that you two have nothing to do with each other? You were husband and wife for three


    years. I didn''t expect you to be such a cruel person!" Rowane imed.


    Irene''s face turned cold in an instant. "I don''t understand what you are talking about!"


    "Irene, Edric was at the wrong at that time. Sure, he shouldn''t have had children with others, but he


    didn''t want to do that either. He did all of it for you; he wanted you two to live a happy life. He has


    regretted all of it now, so why are you still tormenting him?"


    "Me? Tormenting him? Miss Wood, when did I torment him?" Irene hissed.


    "Last night. You''d been tormenting Edricst night. You deliberately went to Mr. Reed and said that you


    were pregnant. Why did you say that you were pregnant when you were not?" Rowane questioned.


    "Miss Wood, are you sick? I don''t know you. It''s none of your business whether I''m pregnant or not,"


    Irene retorted.


    "Sure, we don''t know each other, but you shouldn''t provoke Edric in that way. You clearly know that you


    still have a ce in his heart, yet you are still spurting these ruthless words. What are your intentions


    by doing so?" Rowane growled.


    Looking at Rowane''s angry eyes, Irene sneered and said, "Since you, an outsider, can tell that I''m not


    pregnant, then how would my provocation work? Don''t you think that you''re overstepping the line


    here?"


    Those words had definitely surprised Rowane. "You''re really not pregnant?"


    Irene didn''t care about the surprise on her face. She just replied with a stern look, "Miss Wood, I don''t


    even exactly know who you are. Please stay away from me in the future, and never appear out of


    nowhere to stop me impolitely like what you did just now, or else..."


    With that, Irene marched out. Rowane stood there and looked at Irene while she sighed lightly. She


    only turned on her heel and went upstairs after Irene vanished from her line of vision.


    Edric was lying lifelessly on the bed in the VIP ward on the eighth floor while having an IV drip. Rowane


    pushed the door open and walked to his bedside. "I went to look for her just now."


    "Why did you look for her?" Edric raised his eyelids.


    "To ask her about her pregnancy. It turns out that she''s not pregnant after all. It''s all a lie," Rowane


    answered.


    "Really?" Edric was pleasantly surprised.


    "It''s true. So, don''t be depressed anymore. I would say that Irene doesn''t have the kind of rtionship


    you think she has with Mr. Reed." Rowane looked at Edric with aplicated expression. "Since you


    still have feelings for her, why don''t you make it clear to her?"


    "I can''t. Why would she believe me when I hurt her so much in the past?" Edric exhaled deeply.


    "But if you continue acting this way, she would only misread our rtionship. Women are very jealous


    beings. If she continues to misunderstand you, she will only hate you more. After that, you can never


    turn things around anymore. I think it''s better we make it clear to her. With that, she will be relieved,


    and you won''t have to live in such an agony, right?"


    "No!" Edric shook his head. "I have to deal with Lily first. I can only go to Irene after I tie up all the loose


    ends I have with Lily."


    At the door of the ward, the expression of Margaret, who was about to push the door open became


    grave when she overheard the conversation inside. She let go of her hand on the door handle and


    turned around to go to the doctor''s office.


    The night before, Edric didn''t go home, and Margaret got very anxious. She didn''t find out Edric''s


    whereabouts until that day. Immediately, she came to the hospital.


    However, she didn''t expect to hear the conversation between Edric and Rowane at the door. It turned


    out that the rtionship between Edric and Rowane was just a y; everything they did was for that


    vicious woman, Irene.


    Margaret clenched her fists. Since Edric enjoyed putting on a show, then she would help him out.


    Margaret went to the doctor''s office to inquire about Edric''s situation. When she learned that Edric was


    scalded, she connected the event with the conversation overheard a while ago. She hated Irene even


    more.


    It was time to teach her a lesson!


    After leaving the cafe, Irene was lost in her thoughts on her way back. She was thinking of the


    conversation she had with Rowane and how Edric looked when he protected Rowane.


    Although Irene said she was not sad, she still felt distressed when she saw Edric protecting Rowane.


    Seeing that Irene came back with a sour face, Kinsey put down the phone in her hand and squealed,


    "What happened?"


    Irene repeated how Rowane questioned her to Kinsey. Gnashing her teeth in anger, Kinsey barked, "If I


    were there, I would have killed his woman!"


    "Forget it. Let''s not talk about this anymore. It''s not worth it. To be angry with someone is equivalent to


    punishing yourself. What do you want to eat for lunch? I''ll cook it for you," Irene asked.


    "You shouldn''t trouble yourself, just buy them outside," Kinsey replied.


    "No, you''re a patient now. You should eat a home-cooked meal," Irene said. Kinsey knew how stubborn


    Irene could be. Having no choice, Kinsey simply named twomon dishes.


    Irene called Thomas and told him what Kinsey wanted to eat. She then asked him to go to the market


    to buy the necessary ingredients first, as she would cook them as soon as she reached home.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After receiving the call, Thomas brought Eden along and went to the market on the bike. On the way


    back from their grocery shopping, a car was seen rushing over from the roadside. Thomas hurriedly


    avoided it. Unexpectedly, he still bumped into another vehicle on the road even though he sessfully


    dodged the iing car.


    Both Thomas and Eden fell to the ground, and the car that was crashed into also started to y a


    warning siren. Eden cried out in pain. Ignoring the pain on his body, Thomas rushed to help Eden.


    "Eden, where does it hurt?"


    "My butt hurts, and my head hurts too," Eden wailed.


    A man, James, strode over. Although Eden was crying loudly at this moment, he questioned, "Did you


    bump into my car?"


    Thomas'' heart sank when he saw the logo of the car. The price of that car was at least ten million


    dors. What should he do? He replied with caution, "I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean it. I bumped into


    your car because I was avoiding another car..."


    James answered with a gloomy face, "Did anyone see you avoiding a car? People like you really make


    my blood boil. You even lied after you hit into my car. No matter what the truth was, it was you who


    bumped my car. You have to take responsibility."


    "But... Sir..." Thomas knew very well how expensive the cost of that car was. How could he afford it?


    Eden was still bawling, and Thomas was busy coaxing him anxiously. What should he do?


    ¡­...


    When Irene returned, she saw Thomas standing on the side of the road with Eden in his arms. Eden


    was howling loudly. She immediately came over when she saw that. "Eden, don''t cry. Let me hug you."


    Seeing that Irene was back, Eden''s crying slowly became much softer. He threw himself into Irene''s


    arms and touched his little butt with his hand. "Mommy, I fell over with great Uncle Thomas just now.


    My butt hurts."


    "Don''t cry, baby. I will help you rub it!" Irene whispered softly. After he stopped crying, Irene then looked


    at Thomas. "Uncle Thomas, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Thomas replied.


    James, who was at the side, grew impatient. He said fiercely, "What do you guys n to do with my


    car?"


    Irene turned to look at James. "What happened?"


    "Who are you to him?" James sized Irene up.


    "He''s my uncle," Irene answered truthfully.


    "He bumped into my car just now. Look what happened to my car. How do you n to solve it?" James


    continued.


    "Irene..." Thomas looked ashamed. He knew the price of the car very well. That car had no dedicated


    maintenance shop in the country. Even if they had it, both Irene and he didn''t have enough money to


    pay for a repair.


    "Don''t worry, Uncle. Let me think about it." Although Irene was once Edric''s wife and had lived a


    wealthy life in the past, she still didn''t know much about cars. She pointed at the car and asked, "How


    much does it cost to repair it?"


    "Repair?" James scoffed as if he heard something funny. "Miss, there is no maintenance shop for my


    car in Havend. It can only be repaired by sending it to their headquarters overseas."


    "Then what should we do?" That made Irene realize how serious the matter was. One could imagine


    how exorbitant the car''s price was if it had no maintenance shop in the country.


    "What should you do? Pay for it then!" James sneered.


    "But we don''t have the money to pay." Irene bit her lip.


    "You want to settle things with that as an excuse?" James slurred. "Let me tell you that you can''t solve


    this matter with such an excuse. There''s stillw governing us. The cost of a motor vehicle ident is


    very high, and you can be judged as a criminal if you can''t pay for it. Let me offer you a few pieces of


    advice. First, you can mortgage things like your house. If you still don''t have enough money, you can


    pay it by going into prison."


    Irene''s face changed, and Thomas fell silent too. He would often drive such a car into high-end ces


    in the past, but he didn''t expect that he would end up in such a state one day.


    "Irene, it''s all my fault. Anyway, we don''t have money to pay for it. If we need to be jailed, then let me


    be the one," Thomas stated.


    "Let me think about it!" Irene rubbed her forehead. What should she do? Even if she sold the house,


    she could only earn hundreds of thousands of dors; but they would be homeless if she did. And even


    if she sold the house, it might not be enough for the repair. She was thinking about a solution anxiously,


    but James began to press on, "If you can''t think of a way, then I''ll call the police and let them deal with


    it!"


    James took out his phone and began to dial 911. Hearing that he was going to call the police, Irene and


    Thomas immediately exchanged nces. Eden was so scared when he heard the word ''police'' that he


    started wailing again, "Mom, I don''t want to go to the police station."


    "Calm down, baby!" Truth be told, Irene was actually terrified inwardly, too. She had lived for so long,


    but she had never dealt with the police before. What should she do?


    At that moment, a car stopped beside them. Jordan opened the door and came out. "What''s going on?"


    "Uncle Jordan, this person is going to call the police to arrest us. I''m so scared," Eden chirruped as if


    he had seen his savior.


    "Oh goodness, don''t be afraid, Eden! I''m here!" Jordan took Eden from Irene''s hand and patted him on


    the shoulderfortingly. At the same time, he looked at Irene and asked, "What happened?"


    Irene told him about the car ident. Jordan looked at the luxurious car in front of him and frowned.


    Then he stared at James coldly. "What''s your rtionship with William Lewis?"


    "Who is William Lewis? I don''t know him," James answered impatiently.


    Jordan glimpsed at James for a while and asked, "Is this your car?"


    James couldn''t be bothered by Jordan at all, for he knew that Irene and Thomas were all but poor


    people. Hence, he answered with much arrogance, "Of course, it is mine!"


    "What a haughty guy! I''ll make you payter!" Jordan took out his phone to make a call. He was talking


    in French, and Irene couldn''t understand him at all. However, Thomas, who was standing on the side,


    was listening to the conversation carefully. After Jordan hung up the phone, he showed a look of relief.


    Jordan immediately made another call. "Mark,e to me immediately. I have something to deal with


    here." After he told Mark Malone their whereabouts, he hung up the phone and inspected James. "You


    sure are bold!"


    James was being hostile and assertive at first, but after being red at by Jordan, his pomposity and


    sense of superiority began to shatter bit by bit. Why did Jordan feel so strange? James'' heart was


    beating a little quicker. However, he immediately gathered up his courage again when he recalled the


    people who hired him had informed him that Irene had no connections whatsoever. "What do you


    intend to do with this matter?"


    "Wait and see. Someone will be bringing the money over right away," Jordan answered.


    After a while, a police car came over. Several police officers got out of the vehicle. One of them rushed


    over when he saw Jordan. "Mr. Reed."


    "I suspect that this guy is a car thief. Take him back for interrogation," Jordan simply ordered.


    James was being high and mighty at first, but his face suddenly turned pallid when he heard Jordan''s


    words. The policeman came forward and said, "Pleasee with us."


    They were taken to the nearest police station. After that, the police started to interrogate James.


    "I didn''t steal the car. Someone lent it to me," James exined.


    "Lent? Who lent it to you?" Jordan snickered.


    James fell silent for a moment. Jordan continued in a mocking tone, "This car belongs to a friend of


    mine, and he is now in Fransburg. I just called him and asked him to rify the matter, and he


    confirmed that he didn''t lend the car to anyone. So where did you borrow it from?"


    "I..." James was dumbfounded. He never expected that things would take such a sharp turn.

 Chapter 72 Scalded (2)

    Chapter 72 Scalded (2)


    "Take him back and interrogate him properly. How dare he stole a luxury car worth tens of millions of


    dors and smashed it. Throw him into prison," Jordan hissed.


    "I didn''t steal the car. This car was lent to me by a rtive. If you don''t believe me, you can ask him."


    James'' voice now was as soft as a whisper.


    The police relied on the clues provided by James and notified the rtive James was referring to.


    James'' rtive rushed to the police station, and when he saw Jordan, he greeted, "Mr. Reed, why are


    you here?"


    When Jordan saw that he was actually William''s butler, he sneered and asked, "Did you lend him this


    car, or did he steal it?"


    The butler said with a sullen expression, "He is my nephew. He came to visit San Fetillo these few


    days, and when he saw the car, he wanted to take it for a ride. I had turned him down. But, I didn''t


    expect that he would still drive it out while I was asleep. Mr. Reed, please forgive me this time."


    "So, he was driving the car without permission. Isn''t it stealing then? Did you all hear it clearly?" Jordan


    asked the police with a simper.


    The police nodded and said, "Yes, I heard it loud and clear!"


    "I won''t be the one to decide. William has the final say. As for this car thief, the police can judge it


    themselves," Jordan continued coldly. Ignoring the butler''s begging, he took Irene and others out of the


    police station.


    Irene breathed a sigh of relief on the way out. "Fortunately, you''re here. Otherwise, we wouldn''t know


    what we should''ve done today."


    "Remember to call me when you encounter something you can''t solve in the future!" Jordan red at


    Irene. "If you can''t deal with it, then what''s the point of my presence?"


    Irene smiled in embarrassment. "I''m just afraid that you don''t have the time."


    "I prioritize anything that concerns you. Even if I were busy, I would always take some time out to deal


    with it." Jordan looked at Irene meaningfully.


    Irene''s face became hot, and she quickly changed the topic, "Are they going to fire the butler? He was


    clueless about what had happened. It''s such a pity that he will get fired because of this matter!"


    "Foolish girl!" Jordan glowered at her. "How do I know such a foolish woman like you? Have you


    forgotten that you were driven into a corner by that guy just now?"


    "But it has nothing to do with the butler. I just think that he''s innocent," Irene chirped.


    "Innocent? Only a fool like you will think he is innocent." Jordan smiled mirthlessly.


    "I''ll let you know that butler is not innocent at all. My friend, William is from Fransburg, so he''s usually


    not in the country. That butler has always managed his house and cars in San Fetillo. However, the


    butler has been renting William''s cars to outsiders to earn some quick cash. Moreover, he got even


    bolder recently and used William''s luxury cars to make a deal with others."


    "What kind of a deal?" Irene was confused.


    "A staged crash!" Jordan answered, "They specifically pick rich people as their victims. They have


    already done such things several times in the past few months."


    "How did you know?" Irene was puzzled.


    "This luxury car''s essory factory has shares in the Golden Age Group, and I heard about this matter


    from there. However, they''ve only been targeting rich people. Why would theye for you guys this


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    time?" Jordan wondered.


    "It''s probably a coincidence!" Thomas replied. "I guess they''re looking for rich people to make their


    move on, but I somehow bumped into their car."


    That was the best exnation. Jordan nodded and looked at Irene with a warm smile. "Since I''ve done


    you a favor today, you should treat me to a big meal as gratitude!"


    As Jordan mentioned ''a big meal'', Irene finally remembered that Kinsey was still waiting for her to send


    her food. "Oh no, I still have to send food to Kinsey!"


    Margaret had thought about ways to deal with Irene for the longest time, but she didn''t consider Marie''s


    suggestion as she was also a mother. She couldn''t threaten a mother with her child, so Marie gave her


    another idea.


    Edric said that Irene got remarried because of financial difficulties after their divorce, which showed that


    her financial condition must be awful.


    Marie and Margaret got onto the topic of making a staged crash with a luxury car. A luxury car that was


    usually worth tens of millions of dors would cost more than a hundred thousand dors just to repaint


    a bumped area. If it were slightly worse, it would usually cost millions of dors. Since Irene was poor,


    she certainly couldn''t afford the bill.


    By the time, she would be stuck in a hopeless situation, and Margaret woulde forward to help her


    solve that problem by asking her to leave the city in return for the favor. With that, Margaret could


    quickly achieve her goal.


    Marie was Margaret''s ssmate, hence she had a good rtionship with Margaret. When Margaret''s


    father had an affair with another woman and was being exposed, it was Marie who stayed by


    Margaret''s side.


    Due to that, Margaret trusted Marie a lot.


    After Marie came up with the idea of staging a crash, Margaret agreed to it and asked her to look for


    someone that could do so.


    Although Marie was only a doctor, she had many connections, therefore Margaret let Marie deal with


    that matter.


    She quickly found someone and told Margaret that the other party demanded quite a pricey rate.


    Margaret didn''t care about the money, yet she couldn''t help hesitating. Was it really eptable to do


    so?


    Due to her uncertainty, she never carried out the n. However, when she saw how Irene had caused


    Edric''s pitiful condition the other day at the hospital, her flicker of irritation and anger immediately got


    the better of her. She directly called Marie and asked her to arrange that matter immediately.


    Marie immediately agreed and said that she would arrange for someone to be on standby, and


    Margaret would see the result on the same day. She also requested for Margaret to pay the deposit


    first. As Margaret was furious, she paid the deposit without a second thought.


    After settling the deposit, Margaret waited for the good news to arrive, but she never expected that


    Jordan''s appearance would interrupt her ns. Their scheme failed because of Jordan, and the people


    who staged the crash were also sent to prison. Fortunately, those people were very professional and


    did not disclose their identities to the police.


    Margaret finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she still felt dejected. Marie persuaded her not to be soft-


    hearted anymore. If she continued to bepassionate towards Irene, the consequences would be


    unimaginable. Therefore, Marie suggested using Irene''s child as a hostage again.


    Margaret was on the fence for a while, but she couldn''t think of any other way, hence she agreed.

 Chapter 73 She Was The One Who Did It

    Chapter 73 She Was The One Who Did It


    A few dayster, when Irene was working in thepany, she received a call from Thomas. "Irene,


    Eden is missing!"


    "When did he go missing?" Irene was shocked.


    "Just now! I took him to y in the park, and he said that he wanted to eat ice cream. So I went to buy


    it for him, but when I came back, he disappeared!" Thomas exined.


    "How could this be?" Irene''s heart went into an arrhythmia. She took the phone and rushed straight to


    Jordan''s office. Ignoring anyone else, she directly called his name, "Jordan, something came up, and I


    need to excuse myself first. I''ll do the rest of the work tomorrow."


    Seeing Irene''s ashen face, Jordan knew at once that something serious had happened. "Irene, what


    happened?"


    "My son went missing in the park! I need to find him!" Irene exined.


    "I''ll go with you!" Jordan immediately got up and followed Irene out of thepany. The two got in the


    car and went straight to the park where Eden went missing.


    Along the way, Irene''s face was colored with panic. She repeatedly muttered, "Dear Lord, please don''t


    let anything happen to him. If something bad happens to him, how can I continue to live this pathetic


    life of mine?"


    "Don''t worry. Nothing will happen to Eden!" Jordanforted her.


    Soon, they reached the park where Eden went missing. Irene got out of the car and rushed toward the


    park directly. Then, she met Thomas, who was sweating profusely.


    "Uncle Thomas, have you found Eden?" Irene asked.


    "No, I haven''t, Irene. So far, the people I have asked haven''t seen him before," Thomas answered, his


    lips quivering.


    "What should we do? Eden, why did you wander around? Do you know that I am worried about you?"


    Irene eximed helplessly, exasperated.


    Jordan was worried too. He picked up his phone and called a police officer he knew, "Ronald, my son


    went missing in Soutke Park. Please arrange a few people to help me locate him."


    As he hung up the call, Jordan apanied Irene to look for Eden in the park, but he couldn''t find any


    trace of Eden. Jordan had a hunch that Eden didn''t just lose his way.


    Irene was so anxious that she was about to burst into tears. Jordan didn''t dare to tell her his


    spection. He took Irene''s hand and went straight to the monitor room of the park''s management


    team.


    As soon as he entered the door, he ordered the staff member inside, "I lost a child. Help me set up the


    surveince cameras immediately!"


    The people in the monitoring room looked at Jordan and Irene who suddenly broke in. They wanted to


    refuse them, but under Jordan''s scorching gaze, they couldn''t bring them to reject Jordan''s order.


    Soon, they found the surveince camera where Eden went missing. Thomas was queuing for ice


    cream at the ice cream stall, and Eden was waiting aside.


    Out of nowhere, a man with sunsses and a mask came from the side. The man held an electric toy


    in his hand to tempt Eden. Eden then walked over curiously. After that, the man suddenly carried Eden


    and covered his mouth before they left in a hurry.


    It happened so fast that almost no one noticed it.


    After watching the footage, Irene''s tears immediately cascaded down her cheeks like a burst pipe.


    "What should I do? What should I do?"


    Jordan felt distressed watching Irene wail. It was the first time he felt that way throughout his life.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll find him! I''m here! Don''t worry!" he consoled Irene. In the meantime, he immediately


    called a police chief, Ronald Brown, "Have you arranged for your people toe over? My son was


    kidnapped in the park. It might be human trafficking. I hope you can arrange someone to start


    investigating the surveince on the streets RIGHT NOW."


    Ronald on the other end of the line quickly agreed. Jordan hung up the phone and made another call.


    "Bring someone here immediately. Eden is missing."


    The one on the other end of the phone was David.


    The park''s management officers didn''t take the case seriously at first. However, when they heard that


    Jordan called Ronald and had the ability to mobilize the police forces to help find the child, they


    became nervous and immediately arranged for the park staff to look for Eden.


    Jordan asked the officer to continue to adjust the angle of the surveince. The monitor showed that


    the man had entered a blind spot of the camera with Eden in his arms. After that, he never appeared


    again.


    Jordan frowned and ordered the officer to adjust the surveince camera at the entrance. He stared at


    the screen very carefully. After a while, he suddenly squealed, "Stop!"


    The officer paused the video immediately. Jordan pointed to a man who came out of a van on the


    monitor and asked, "Do you think this man looks like the man who kidnapped the child?"


    "No, he doesn''t," replied the officer. The person who kidnapped Eden was wearing a coat, a hat, and


    sunsses, while the man on the screen was wearing a T-shirt.


    "Look at his shoes!" Jordan pointed at the man''s shoes. The jacket, hat, and sunsses could be


    changed in an instant, but he couldn''t change his shoes.


    The officer carefully looked at the man''s shoes and nodded. "They have the same shoes!"


    "Erge his car''s license te!" Jordan ordered.


    The officer immediately erged the video. Jordan made a call on his phone. "Ronald, please order


    someone to pay attention to this license te number. I suspect that he was the one who kidnapped


    my child."


    He marched out of the room while talking on the phone. Then, Irene grabbed his hand and asked,


    "Jordan, where are you going?"


    "Wait for me here. I''ll go out and have a look!" Jordan replied.


    "I don''t want to wait here. I''m going to find Eden!" Irene''s legs were shaking. The fear in her heart was


    growing like a tumor. What if she couldn''t find Eden? What should she do?


    Oh goodness, Eden! What would she do if her lovely, obedient son disappeared?


    Seeing her reaction, Jordan sighed. "Alright. Let''s look for him together!"


    Jordan helped Irene, who was stumbling, out of the entrance. They went straight to the parking lot


    outside the park. He opened the door, helped Irene onto the car before they got onto the driver''s seat


    and started the car engine.


    As the car drove out of the park entrance, Jordan''s phone rang. It was a call from Ronald. "Mr. Reed,


    we have found the license te you are looking for. It appeared on West Stream Road, and I am


    sending someone to block the road as we speak."


    "Thank you, Ronald!" After hanging up the phone, Jordan immediately sped up and went straight to


    West Stream Road.


    He was driving a limited-edition luxurious car that had excellent performance. In an instant, it sped up


    and rushed out with a loud screeching noise.


    In less than half an hour, Jordan reached West Stream Road. As the suspect appeared in West Stream


    Road, the police nearby had alreadye and blocked the road.


    Suddenly, the whole West River Road was filled with rm sounds. Soon, Jordan''s phone rang, and it


    was Ronald again.


    He said that he found the van in a small alley at the junction of West Stream Road and Yellow Ocean


    Road. The driver had disappeared, and the police were searching nearby. The child was found in deep


    slumber in the car, and there was no apparent wound on his body.


    Hearing the news, Irene was relieved. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the alley.


    Before the car even stopped properly, Irene had already rushed down. "Eden! Eden!"


    She took Eden from the police and held him tightly in her arms. Her tears streamed down her cheeks.


    The fear that had been engulfing her had now condensed into tears of joy.


    Jordan stretched out his hand and held Irene and Eden in his arms. Heforted them gently,


    "Everything''s okay now! Everything''s okay now!"


    That shock almost sucked Irene''s soul dry. She kept holding onto Eden tightly and was reluctant to let


    go of him.


    Jordan looked at Irene, who was still trembling lightly and sighed. "I''ll take him to the hospital."


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    Irene nodded. She carried Eden and followed Jordan into the car. Inside the car, Irene was still shaking


    like a leaf.


    Irene couldn''t imagine what she would do if she couldn''t find her Eden just then. She couldn''t possibly


    live without Eden!


    Jordan drove Eden to the hospital. The doctor examined Eden and said it was nothing big, but Jordan


    insisted on letting Eden stay in the hospital for further observation before letting him go home.


    Eden was asleep the whole time. After a long wait, he was still not awake. Seeing that, Jordan


    anxiously went to find a doctor again.


    Irene sat quietly at the side and looked at Eden; he was her child, her joy, her love, whom she carried


    in her womb for nine months. She could not help but lower her head and kiss Eden.


    At that time, two policemen came in. After introducing themselves to Irene, they sat down and said,


    "We have caught the suspect."


    "Why did he kidnap my child?" Irene asked.


    "He said it was not a kidnapping. Someone gave him a sum of money and asked him to hide the child


    and send him back in a few days," the police exined.


    "Who asked him to do this?" Irene shrieked in disbelief.


    "He doesn''t know either. The other party met him at night. At that time, he disguised himself very well.


    He wore a hat, a mask, and a pair of sunsses, so he couldn''t see what he looked like. They met at


    the outskirts of town, so there wasn''t any surveince camera either. So we want to ask you if you have


    offended or had fallen out with anyone?"


    Irene shook her head. She had never offended anyone in San Fetillo. If she must point out who she


    had fallen out with before, there were few people such as Lily, Deborah, and Margaret.


    However, would it be one of them? Irene didn''t dare to say their names without evidence, hence she


    just shook his head.


    The police noticed that they couldn''t get any more information from Irene, thus they left the ward after


    another few questions.


    Irene sent the police away. At the elevator, she met Edric, who came in a hurry. "Irene, I heard that


    something happened to Eden?"


    "Yes," Irene answered emotionlessly.


    "How''s his situation now?" Edric asked, panting.


    "He''s fine," Irenemented, this time even more expressionlessly.


    "Can I see him?"


    "There''s no need for that," Irene refused. "Mr. Myers, I think it''s better if you spend more time with your


    fiancee."


    The word ''fiancee'' changed Edric''s expression in an instant. It seemed that Irene didn''t notice the


    change on his face. She added, "As a man, you have to be more responsible. If you hook up with your


    ex-wife behind your fiancee''s back, it is going to look bad on you. Of course, Mr. Myers, you may not


    care about your reputation, but I do. In order to not damage my reputation, please don''te to me in


    the future!"


    Edric stood at the same ce and watched as she turned around indifferently. He couldn''t describe


    what he was feeling right then.


    At this moment, Margaret had already realized that her ns had failed. Her purpose was not to kidnap


    Eden but to frighten Irene. Therefore, when she heard that things didn''t work out, she did not take it to


    heart.


    In the afternoon, Marie came to see her. Margaret and Marie had nothing to hide from each other,


    hence they talked about the kidnapping matter.


    Marie sighed and said, "I''m afraid that this time I made a fool of myself."


    "Why would you say that?" Margaret was confused.


    "I''ll let you know that I just saw Edric at the hospital visiting Irene and the child. They stood outside and


    quarreled. Irene even pped Edric in the face." Marie knew that Margaret was a protective mother.


    She would feel more pain if someone else hit Edric than her.


    Sure enough, Margaret was furious when she heard that. "What? Why did this little b*tch hit Edric?"


    "I''m afraid that Irene has already guessed the truth of the matter. After all, you are the only one who


    has such a motive," Marie exined.


    "Then what should we do now?" After all, she was in the wrong; Margaret felt guilty too.


    "So what if she knows the truth? She doesn''t have any evidence anyway. What can she do to you?"


    Marie replied.


    "I know that. But, doesn''t it mean that Edric still has something to do with her? I''m worried about this."


    "I have a n..." Marie whispered. Margaret exhaled and said, "What''s it? Let''s try it then!"


    Since such a big incident had taken ce, Jordan gave Irene a few days off and asked her to spend


    some quality time with Eden at home.


    Irene was also worried that such an ident would traumatize Eden, hence she attended Eden at


    home for the past two days. At noon that day, Kinsey came to see them.


    She brought food and toys for Eden. On the other hand, Eden and Thomas were ying together in the


    living room. Kinsey then pulled Irene into the bedroom and closed the door before she muttered, "Irene,


    I met Lily and Freya in a cafe today. Do you know what the two b*tches are talking about? Margaret


    was the one who kidnapped Eden."


    "What?" Irene was positively shocked.


    "She wanted to force you out of San Fetillo. That old b*tch deliberately asked someone to kidnap Eden


    to threaten you. What a vicious woman!" Kinsey snarled.


    "How could she do this?" Irene was trembling with anger.


    "I heard that b*tch, Lily, say that Margaret was afraid that you would entangle yourself with Edric again,


    so she did this. Irene, you have to stay away from Edric in the future," Kinsey continued.


    "Do you think I don''t want to? When I came back, I didn''t think of having any contact with him. But


    recently, he would always appear in front of me." Irene sighed.


    "What is the disgusting jerk thinking?" Kinsey hissed.


    "God knows," Irene replied.


    "If hees to you again, you should make it clear to him and not leave him any hope of reconciling


    with you. Edric is so well-known, and I refuse to believe that he will still shamelessly show up after


    that," Kinsey reminded Irene.


    After sending Kinsey off, Irene''s thoughts were in a knot as she went to get some groceries at the


    market. When she came back, she saw Edric.

 Chapter 74 Couldnt Wait Any Longer

    Chapter 74 Couldn''t Wait Any Longer


    Irene was irked to see Edric. Without waiting for him to speak, she shouted, "Mr. Myers, what exactly


    do you want?"


    "Irene!"


    "Do you know that it''s very annoying for you to show up here every day? Do you know that I almost lost


    Eden because of you pestering me so brazenly?" Irene questioned.


    "Irene, Eden''s matter is an ident..." Edric trailed off.


    "An ident? Who told you that it was an ident? Edric, I''m telling you that it''s all Margaret''s


    nning. It was Margaret who hired a hitman to take Eden away as she wanted to threaten me!" Irene


    yelled.


    "Margaret did it? How could it be possible?" Edric asked.


    "Why is it impossible? She has threatened me several times. Is there anything that a vicious person


    like her can''t do?" Irene''s voice was increasing in a crescendo.


    "If it''s really Margaret who did it, I will definitely straighten things out for you," Edric promised.


    "I don''t need you to straighten things out for me. Edric, please, please let go of Eden and me. I can''t


    afford to mess with you. I really can''t afford to mess with you and your family. Please give me a chance


    to live peacefully!" Irene begged.


    Edric was so dejected when he saw Irene''s agitated expression. He did not believe that his mother,


    Margaret, would do such a thing. But, it also dawned on him that Irene had no enmity with the others.


    Who else would treat her and Eden like this?


    Edric drove home instantly. He wanted to confront Margaret face-to-face if it was her who did it.


    But why would Margaret admit to it? She said that Irene was talking nonsense and they both ended up


    having a big fight.


    In the end, Edric strode away from the house furiously.


    Margaret sat in the living room, rubbing her chest in anger. It was all Irene''s fault. It was Irene who


    drove a wedge between her and Edric over and over again. Margaret couldn''t take it any longer and


    ordered the driver to fetch her to Irene''s residence.


    At her residence downstairs, she made a phone call to Irene. "Come down now. I want to ask you


    something!"


    A few minutester, Irene appeared in front of Margaret''s car. Margaret didn''t beat around the bush and


    cursed at Irene straight away, "Irene, what a great job you''ve done. You actually provoked Edric to pick


    a quarrel with me!"


    "I provoke Edric to pick a quarrel with you? Ask yourself, have you done anything illegal?" Irene


    sneered. "As a mother, how could you be so vicious and brazen? Are you still a human?"


    "You are the one who forced me to use such a tactic. If you hadn''t pestered Edric, would I have done


    so?" Margaret retorted.


    Margaret actually admitted it. Irene was so pissed that her entire being started to quiver. She


    questioned, "How can you be so heartless? What''s the difference between you and a beast if you do


    this? You are such a despicable person!"


    Margaret stood there fuming as Irene lectured her. "Irene, you brought all this upon yourself. This is just


    the beginning. If you''re still incorrigibly stubborn, don''t me me for not warning you," she hissed.


    "What do you want to do? What exactly do you want?" Irene asked.


    "My request is simple. Stay away from Edric and don''t ruin his engagement with Lily," Margaret


    answered.


    "Never did I evere close to Edric!" bellowed Irene.


    "If you are not interested in Edric, then you should ept my terms and leave San Fetillo. You have left


    San Fetillo before, so why did you return?"


    "I won''t ept your terms. You''d better give up!" Margaret crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    "Is that so? Then I''ll make it clear. Eden''s kidnapping was just a warning, but I can''t assure you what''s


    going to happen in the future," said Margaret, her voice cruel as a new knife.


    "I''m going to sue you!" Irene squealed, her tone simr with the sound of a dentist''s drill.


    "Do you have any evidence?" Margaret mocked. "Irene, you''re not capable enough to go against me."


    "I refuse to believe that you can get away from thew!" Irene''s shrill voice embodied a discordant


    violin.


    "I indeed can''t pull such a huge stunt, but all I need to do is just to manipte your world," Margaret


    smugly said. "Of course, you can have a try if you don''t care about your son''s safety!"


    "Margaret, you''ll reap what you sow. You are so evil that karma will get back at you!" Irene cursed.


    "I''m not afraid of retribution. It''s worthwhile to do anything for Edric''s happiness!" Margaret didn''t care


    about it at all and continued, "Remember my words and don''t get closer to Edric! Otherwise, don''t


    me me for being cruel! I can do anything for Edric!"


    Margaret turned on her heel arrogantly. Irene stood rooted downstairs in a daze.


    Margaret wasn''t just threatening her. Things were just as Margaret said; Margaret would never have to


    lift a finger to deal with her. After all, Irene had a leverage; Eden was her soft spot. Hence, she couldn''t


    take the chance to fight with people like Margaret because of Edric.


    Irene didn''t know how long she had been glued to the ground. Suddenly, a hand reached out to her


    shoulder and asked, "Why are you standing here alone at such ate hour?"


    Irene turned around and saw Jordan standing next to her with a smile.


    "Why are you here?" Irene asked.


    "I miss you, so I drop by here to check on you!" He was as straightforward as usual.


    "Jordan, I''m not in the mood to joke with you," Irene replied.


    "I''m not joking. I''m telling the truth. Irene, I can''t help driving here. I really miss you," Jordan confessed.


    Jordan lowered his head and looked at Irene. His eyes were sparkling with sincerity. Irene did not dare


    to look into his eyes and averted her gaze at once.


    He reached out and took her hand. "Irene, let me care for you and Eden."


    Jordan''s words made Irene raise her head immediately. She could not believe that Jordan would say


    something like that to her.


    "I like you, and I can''t resist your attraction. Irene, I''m not doing this on the spur of the moment. I''ve


    thought about it for a long time before I said these to you. Trust me. I won''t let you down!" Jordan


    blurted out his love to Irene again.


    Irene looked at Jordan in a daze. When she was at her most helpless state, it was him who had given


    herfort and strength. Irene, who found herself vulnerable for so many years, could really feel a


    sense of security in his arms.


    But could he really be her source offort? Jordan was not only handsome and wealthy, but he was


    also talented. On top of that, he came from an affluent family. Irene was afraid that she was not a


    match for him.


    Such a man was way out of her league, and Irene was terrified that the past would repeat itself.


    "I want to give you and Eden a home. Irene, will you try to ept me and love me?" Jordan asked.


    Jordan''s voice was dangerously maic. Irene looked up at him in confusion. During the most


    desperate moment when she almost lost Eden, it was him who held her in his arms. It was his embrace


    thatforted her.


    "Jordan, are you serious about me? Will you always treat me well?" Irene purred.


    He nodded. "Everything I say for you is sincere, and I''ll always treat you well! I swear!"


    Tears welled up in Irene''s eyes. She reached out and covered Jordan''s mouth. "I don''t need you to


    swear or give me any vow!"


    "Okay! I won''t swear on it. I''ll show it to you!" Jordan grabbed Irene''s hand and pulled her delicate body


    into his arms.


    "Irene, I used to be a yboy and often hang out with different kinds of women. That''s because I


    haven''t found a woman worthy of my love. Now that I have found you, I won''t let you go. No matter


    what kind of hardships I will go through in the future, I will never let you go!"


    Irene, who was lying in his warm and broad arms, was stuck in her own mixed feelings. Although


    Jordan was a yboy, she knew that he had a heart of gold.


    "Jordan, if you really like me, I will try to ept you and love you. Let''s give each other a chance!"


    At this moment, Edric was sitting in the car and staring at the dashing vehicle in front of him. Irene in


    the car was beaming happily and seemed to be in an ted mood while talking to Jordan.


    Her smile got him on nerves. Edric often saw men sending Irene home in the past, but he had never


    seen her with such a high-spirited smile.


    What on earth happened? Why was she so happy?


    "Irene, you look gorgeous when you smile. Remember to smile more often in the future!" Jordan stared


    at Irene''s beautiful face and praised. This was Irene''s true color. What he wanted was such a woman;


    beautiful, not just purely gullible. Thinking that he could face such a stunning smile every day in the


    future, Jordan was on cloud nine.


    "That depends on your performance. If I''m not happy, how can I smile?" Irene chuckled.


    "I will make you happy," Jordan promised.


    Jordan stopped the car downstairs, and Thomas came forward with Eden. "Mommy!" Eden threw


    herself into Irene''s arms for a while and then rushed to Jordan.


    "Jordan!" Eden greeted.


    "Call me ''Daddy''!" Jordan red at him. Eden nced at Irene and saw the grin on her face. He called


    out sweetly, "Daddy!"


    "Good boy!" Jordan lifted Eden over his head. Eden giggled and eximed, "Higher! Higher!"


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Thomas was delighted too. "The dinner is ready. Let''s eat first!"


    During the meal, Thomas mentioned the matter regarding Eden''s kindergarten. "The kindergarten


    teachers havee by today and said that he''s a few months too young to be enrolled in the


    kindergarten this year, and we should enroll him next year."


    "Mommy, I want to go to the kindergarten and y with my friends," Eden looked at Irene pitifully and


    whined.


    Hearing this, Jordan looked at Irene and asked, "Is there an age limit to enroll in kindergarten?"


    "There are age restrictions for kindergarten in this residence. Eden can''t join until he''s three years old,"


    Irene answered.


    "Why does he have to enroll the one in this residence? You can enroll him in a bilingual kindergarten.


    Their facilities are great, and the education quality is better too," Jordan suggested. Noticing Irene


    avoided his gaze, he understood her concern at once. "I''ll pay for it!"


    "With your money? My¡­ my conscience is going to smite me," Irene refused.


    "You are so silly and cute!" Jordanughed as he cupped Irene''s face. "Do we have to split the bills


    even after we get married? Let me tell you, from now on, everything I have belongs to you!"


    Irene''s face blushed all of a sudden. She couldn''t help looking into Jordan''s eyes. They said that the


    eyes were the windows to one''s soul. Jordan''s eyes looked iparably sincere. She lowered her


    head subconsciously, but her heart could no longer stop ttering.


    Even after Eden fell asleep, Jordan had not left yet. Irene put Eden on the bed and covered him with a


    quilt. Suddenly, Jordan wrapped around her waist from behind before he perked a gentle kiss on her


    neck.


    Irene''s body stiffened. Even though he had kissed her before, he was drunk at that time. They had


    never kissed in such a situation where both of them were sober.


    She wanted to push him away, but she didn''t put it into action. Jordan before her eyes had the best


    family background and the most handsome appearance. Besides, he treated her and Eden so well.


    Thus, she had no reason to turn him down.


    Jordan turned her around slowly and brushed her lips with his since she wasn''t resisting him. Resting


    herself against his chest, Irene allowed him to take her in passively...


    After a while, he let go of her and hugged her tightly, whispering, "Irene, I don''t want to leave today!"


    Irene''s face turned scarlet all of a sudden. She knocked on his head and warned, "Hey, don''t treat me


    like any other women of yours!"


    "Listen to me!" Jordan grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. "I don''t want to leave you anymore,


    do you understand? Irene, let''s get married!"


    "Get married?" Irene parroted.


    "Yes, get married! Let''s get married right away so you can move into my ce. That way, I can sleep


    with you in the right and proper way!" He tittered softly.


    "You''re so naughty!" Irene red at him. Marriage was no child''s y. Jordan''s marriage would not be


    decided by him alone either. "Let me think about it," she replied.


    Well, she was also hinting at him that he would ponder upon it too.


    Jordan reached out and pressed his hand on her red lips. "Oh, you!" Irene was obviously still in doubt.


    His heart ached a little, and he wondered what he could do to make her have more trust in him?

 Chapter 75 Every Family Had Its Own Problems

    Chapter 75 Every Family Had Its Own Problems


    It was not until eleven o''clock in the night that Jordan left Irene''s house reluctantly. Seeing that he


    started the car and left, Edric who had been hiding under the shade left too.


    "Things can''t go on like this! It''s too torturous to wait here every day, and it can''t change anything,"


    Edric thought. He had been thinking about it while driving his car. He had even told the Reed family the


    news. Why didn''t they take any measures until now?


    Did they really n to let Jordan marry a divorced woman who had a child? Thinking about it, Edric


    shook his head. Although Jordan''s reputation was terrible, Pedro Reed, Jordan''s grandfather had


    always favored him. Pedro was particr about finding an appropriate match for Jordan. Hence, it was


    impossible for him to agree to Jordan''s choice. So why hadn''t they stepped in and stopped Jordan from


    approaching Irene?


    Edric felt that it was a strange turn of the event. At this moment at a manor in Mencodia, Pedro held


    two iron balls in his hands and was lying on a chair in the garden basking under the sunlight with his


    eyes closed. The butler, Ivan, came in a hurry and reported, "Master Pedro, Mr. Ma is here!"


    "What is he doing here?" Pedro snorted.


    "He said it''s for the matter about Mr. Jordan," Ivan answered.


    Upon hearing this, Pedro opened his eyes and simpered coldly. "Get him out of here!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, a figure strode over and greeted, "Father!"


    "Didn''t I tell you to get out of here?" Pedro was not in a good mood.


    "Father, don''t be angry. I have something to tell you. It''s about Jordan," Ma said. He had simr


    facial features to Jordan''s, but he looked way more refined.


    "Spill it!" Pedro wanted to get rid of Ma as soon as possible.


    "Jordan has gone too far recently. He even hooked up with his assistant. Father, you should teach him


    a good lesson!" Ma said.


    "What''s there to be surprised about?" Pedro snorted.


    "The most important point is that this woman is a divorcee, and she has a child," Ma added.


    "What''s wrong with a divorcee? It''s much better than the woman who is hooked up with a married


    man!" Pedro retorted.


    A blush crept onto Ma''s face instantly. "Father!"


    "I''ve said that I''m not your father. Ever since you abandoned your wife and son and had a rtionship


    with that b*tch, I have disowned you. Jordan doesn''t have a father as shameless as you too!" Pedro


    cursed.


    "Father, it''s understandable that you''re angry with me, but you really should do something with Jordan!"


    Ma continued to persuade Pedro with his face flushed.


    "I should do something with Jordan? For the past years, were you even concerned about him? You


    only care about that b*tch. What do you need Jordan for?" Pedro sneered.


    "It''s your fault if Jordan did something wrong. You''re his father! Since you have made up your mind,


    leave here at once. You should stop caring about Jordan''s affairs. It''s his freedom to be with anyone as


    long as she''s not a married woman!" Pedro continued.


    "Father!" bellowed Ma.


    "Alright, you can leave now!" Pedro drove him away with a frosty face. Seeing that Ma didn''t want


    to leave, Pedro became furious and shouted at Ivan, who was standing beside him, "What are you


    doing? Get someone to throw him out!"


    Ivan came up to Ma and whispered, "Mr. Ma, please leave now. Don''t make things difficult for


    us!"


    Seeing this, Ma left unwillingly.


    After Ma left, Pedro''s face was still colored with rage. "This ingrate! he has the nerve to bad-


    mouthed Jordan. If he hadn''t done such a shameless thing, could Jordan have be like this? He is


    the one who ruins my grandson!" rebuked Pedro.


    "Master Pedro, please calm down!" Ivan attempted to calm Pedro down. "It''s been so many years. Mr.


    Ma knows he''s wrong too. Please forgive him!"


    "Forgive him?" Pedro growled. "I wanted to forgive him, but have you seen what he did? He''s in San


    Fetillo, but he never thought of stepping in until things developed into such a situation. If he really


    considers Jordan as his son, why didn''t he talk about this matter earlier?"


    "Mr. Jordan hates Mr. Ma so much; he won''t listen to Mr. Ma," Ivan exined.


    "Even if Jordan doesn''t listen to him, as a father, he still has to do his part, doesn''t he? Was he


    supposed to let Jordan live alone?" Pedro was frustrated. "It has been years, and everyone in this


    family has hidden the news from me on purpose. They just hope that they can get rid of Jordan by


    letting him marry a woman who could not help him in any ways. They have really disappointed me!"


    "Don''t overthink, Master Pedro. They didn''t tell you because they were afraid that you would worry


    about him," Ivan continued on.


    "They''re afraid that I''ll worry about him? Huh!" Pedro scorned, "What makes me worry is that they are


    all being so indifferent."


    "Master Pedro, you''d better think about how to deal with Mr. Jordan''s matter first!" Ivan reminded him.


    "Deal with it? Just let him be!" Pedro rubbed his temple and said, "Jordan is a stubborn person, and the


    more you stop him from doing what he wanted, the bigger his desire to go against you. Let''s put this


    matter aside first. She''s just a divorced woman. She just happens to be a little more beautiful than


    others. I don''t believe that she''s more attractive than those popr celebrities. Besides, she even has a


    child. We''ll observe her for a while before we draw up a n."


    The next day, when Jordan and Irene came back from lunch, they found an uninvited guest who came


    to thepany. Theer came forward in a hurry. When Jordan saw the person, his smiling face fell


    instantly. "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m here to check on you."


    "Check on me? Are you out of your mind?" Jordan sneered.


    Sensing the tension in the air, Irene made a cup of tea and left the two of them in the room. The other


    party had a rather simr facial feature as Jordan. She guessed that he must be an elder of Jordan. As


    for whether it was his father or his uncle, she was not sure.


    There were only Jordan and Ma left in the room. Ma looked at Jordan''s hostile gaze and said


    helplessly, "Jordan, it''s your birthday today. I never got a chance to celebrate your birthday with you in


    the past. But, today, I want to celebrate it with you."


    "Hey, you must be sick, aren''t you?" Jordan didn''t appreciate Ma''s gesture at all. "If you have


    something to say, just spit it out. I don''t have the time to beat around the bush with you!"


    Ma smiled awkwardly and continued, "I just came back from Mencodia. Your grandpa asked me to


    bring you a message."


    "You''re not dreaming, are you?" Jordan sneered. "Will Grandpa let you, an ungrateful son who has


    been driven out of the house, bring me a message? It''s really hrious!"


    Ma ignored his sarcasm and added, "He asked me to ry this to you. He doesn''t mind you


    having fun out there, but he will never allow you to go so far. Divorcees who have a child are absolutely


    not allowed to enter the Reed family."


    Jordan raised his eyebrows and replied in a taunting manner, "Compared with someone who hooked


    up with a married woman, I guess it''s not that big of a deal for me to ask a divorcee to be my girlfriend."


    Ma''s face turned red all of a sudden. After a long time, he drawled, "Jordan, you don''t understand


    what happened among us. Your mother and I have no feelings..."


    "So you have feelings with that woman who has a husband?" Jordan interrupted him, "Ma, let me


    tell you, do you know why I look down on you? If you really dislike Mom, you can choose to divorce her,


    but you didn''t. Instead, you hooked up with a married woman and Mom at the same time. You are the


    most disgusting and irresponsible man in the world."


    "Jordan, I''m sorry!" Ma looked guilty.


    "You don''t have to apologize to me. We''ve nothing to do with each other since you abandoned us and


    got together with your lover." Jordan glimpsed at Ma mockingly.


    "Please don''t show up in front of me again in the future. Whether I am dating a divorced woman or


    marrying her, I don''t need you to care about me," Jordan added menacingly.


    Ma was shocked. "Jordan, are you serious about being with her?"


    "Do you think I''m the kind of person who jokes around?" Jordan rebuked.


    "Jordan, listen to me. Don''t ruin yourself just because you''re holding grudges against me. I''m your


    father, after all. I won''t hurt you no matter what," Ma added.


    "Father?!" Jordan raised his voice. "Is a man who only cares about his lover but ignored his wife and


    son qualified to call himself a father?"


    "I know you hate me, but no matter how much you hate me, you shouldn''t treat your marriage as a


    joke!" Ma advised.


    "You really think so highly of yourself, don''t you? Do you even deserve my hatred?" Jordan smirked.


    "Leave my office right away, don''t disgust me with your presence!"


    "Jordan!" roared Ma.


    "Are you leaving or not? If you don''t, I''ll ask the security guard to drive you out!" Jordan warned.


    Ma looked at Jordan''s ferocious gaze and felt a little timid. He had never cared much about


    Jordan. Hence, Malcolm had never been close to him. Ever since he had a lover outside, their


    rtionship got even worse. It seemed that Jordan would really drag him out if he chose to stay on.


    After thinking for a while, Ma could only leave sulkily.


    After Ma left, Irene pushed the door of Jordan''s office open. Jordan was sitting on the chair with a


    gloomy face and gasping. "Inform the receptionist at once that the man just now is not allowed to enter


    the office in the future!"


    "What happened?" Irene looked at him worriedly.


    "Nothing." Jordan rposed himself and stared at Irene for a long time before he answered, "That


    person is my father, but I don''t regard him as one."


    Irene was stunned. Just as she was about to speak, Jordan got up and went to the front of the window


    to light a cigarette. Gloom covered his wless face.


    Every family had its own problems. Irene had been with Jordan for such a long time, but she had never


    heard him mentioned his family.


    However, Ma''s appearance in front of Jordan apparently did not go as well. Words had it that the


    rich and powerful families often had extremelyplicated rtionships. For some reason, Irene felt a


    little pity for Jordan.


    Because of Ma, Jordan was in a bad mood all day long. Irene did not dare to disturb him; she


    decided to return to her office. When she was getting off work, David carried an exquisite shopping bag


    into her office.


    "This is the clothes that Mr. Reed bought for you. Try it on and have a look," David said.


    "Why did he spend so much money to buy clothes for me all of a sudden?" Irene asked.


    "Mr. Reed will take you to a cruise party today," David answered.


    "But I promised Eden to go home for dinner tonight..."


    "Mr. Reed said that it''s for work!" David emphasized. Thinking that how significant she was to Jordan,


    David eased his voice immediately and continued, "Irene, Mr. Reed is in a bad mood today. Just keep


    himpany and let him have some fun. You''re the only person who can make him happy now!"


    Irene had no reason to refuse David. Jordan was in a sour mood, and it was indeed the time he needed


    Irene opened the exquisite package and found an evening dress inside. There was a resting room in


    Irene''s office. She locked the door and went into the resting room to change into the dress.


    After changing her clothes, she entered Jordan''s office. Jordan''s countenance was no longer as


    gloomy as it was at noon. Instead, he was talking to David with a smile. When they heard that someone


    pushed the door open, they looked at Irene simultaneously, both their eyes sparkling with amazement.


    With much tenderness, he praised, "Not bad, but you still need a piece of jewelry."


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    As Jordan spoke, he pulled the drawer open, took out a box from the drawer, and opened it. It was an


    exquisite diamond ne inside. He got up and walked to Irene, saying, "Put this on, and you will


    look perfect."


    "Come on, put it on!" Before Irene could refuse, he continued with a hint of pleading in his tone, "Don''t


    make me unhappy."


    Irene let out a soft sigh. She allowed Jordan to help her put on the ne personally. After that,


    Jordan took a step back and nodded with satisfaction, praising, "Beautiful! You''re so beautiful!"


    David was driving the car while Jordan and Irene sat in the rear seats. They went all the way to the


    seaside. It took them only a short time to arrive there.


    David opened the door, and Jordan held Irene''s hand as they got down the car.


    On the sea not far away, there was a huge cruise ship.


    Jordan pointed in the direction of the cruise ship and said, "We will spend a beautiful night on this


    luxury cruise ship tonight."


    Seeing Jordaning over holding Irene''s hand, a waiter came over at once and took them to the


    luxury cruise ship.


    It was Irene''s first time seeing such a magnificent cruise ship. Hence, she couldn''t help looking around.


    Seeing her surprised look, Jordan couldn''t helpughing. He teased, "You look like a bumpkin entering


    the city."


    "You''re right. I''ve never been to such a luxurious cruise ship since I was born. I''ve only seen it on TV,"


    Irene answered.


    Jordan was just teasing her at first. But, he didn''t expect her to be so honest. He sighed and held her


    waist tightly, saying, "If you like it, I will give you one and name it ''Irene''!"


    "I don''t want one. It''s too extravagant!" Irene refused.


    "What matters to me is your happiness. There''s no such thing as extravagant."


    "That''s right. You seem to have given an actress a luxury yacht before," Irene poked fun at Jordan.


    "That''s not the same. She''s just for fun. You''re not the same for me!" He stared at Irene meaningfully.


    "Irene, my feelings for you are genuine!"


    Irene did not dare to look at him; his eyes were enticing. She turned her head shyly but saw the person


    she did not want to see the most.

 Chapter 76 Yacht Party

    Chapter 76 Yacht Party


    Rowane wore a pink dress thatplimented her fair skin, making her look all the more beautiful.


    Edric, on the other hand, was dashingly handsome, given his height. They looked like a perfect couple


    made in heaven.


    Seeing Jordan and Irene walking over hand in hand, Edric narrowed his eyes slightly. Jordan was


    wearing a ck suit without a tie. The top button of his ck shirt was undone, revealing the silver


    chain on his neck. With his hand in his pocket, he looked equally dazzling.


    At this moment, Edric caught sight of a woman beside Jordan; she was holding his arm intimately.


    Edric''s gaze couldn''t help but be locked on her. She was Irene; she was wearing a long purple dress,


    its train dragged along the ground.


    The delicate diamond on the hem of her dress was twinkling under the light. Her long ck hair


    tumbled over her shoulders like waterfalls.


    Hernguid eyshes of velvet-ck fluttered as she walked her way into the hall; her ink-ck eyes


    were so clear that they looked like a pair ofkes. Her rosy skin and her thin lips were as delicate as


    rose petals. All in all, she looked like a fairy descended from heaven.


    Edric was astounded. Rowane, who was beside him, eximed, "She''s so beautiful!"


    Irene lowered her eyes when she saw Edric and Rowane. She didn''t want to have eye contact with


    them at all, but Rowane took the initiative to greet her, "Miss Nelson, you are so gorgeous!"


    Rowane''s smile was sincere. Irene returned her gesture with a faint smile. She remarked, "You are


    looking gorgeous too."


    Jordan and Edric exchanged courtesies for a while. Soon, they took the elevator to the hall where the


    party was held.


    A group of people had already gathered in the hall; most of whom were familiar faces.


    As they entered the hall, the crowd''s gaze fell upon them. Most of them were looking at Irene. Jordan


    held Irene''s waist tightly and mumbled to her ear, "Dear, you''re the most attractive person in the room!"


    Every woman on earth loved praises. Irene revealed a sheepish grin. "Am I?"


    "Of course." The gloom on Jordan''s face dissipated. "I hate looking at these guys'' lustful eyes!" He held


    Irene''s waist more tightly as he spoke.


    "Should I go back and change my dress?" teased Irene.


    "No, I want them to be jealous of me!"


    Looking at Irene and Jordan whispering and the blush on her face, Edric''s face darkened.


    Jordan held Irene in his arms and passed through the crowd. From time to time, he would greet the


    guests he knew. It was the first time for Irene to attend such a party. The attendees were all dressed to


    the nines.


    Melodious music started echoing off the wall, signifying the beginning of the party. The guests were


    having a good chat among themselves while they drank fine wines or danced to the music. After


    Jordan exchanged a few words with an acquaintance, he took Irene''s hand to the buffet area.


    He sat at the table and looked at Irene. "I know you must be starving. Eat all you want tonight. I''ll keep


    youpany."


    Irene red at him. "You''re acting like I''ve not eaten in ages." She was indeed hungry. Without


    hesitation, she took a te and began to grab some food.


    She took the full te and sat next to Jordan. Somehow Jordan felt ravenous too when he saw the


    food Irene took, for he muttered, "I want to have some too."


    "Go ahead!" said Irene while she took a bite of the croissant.


    "Can''t you get some for me?" mumbled Jordan.


    "No." Irene continued to eat. Annoyed, Jordan snatched away the te and cutlery in her hand. "This


    portion now belongs to me. Go and get another one."


    Irene gritted her teeth. "Don''t you darey a finger on my food. I''ll get a new one for you!"


    Edric had been watching Irene''s every move with the corner of his eyes. He was irked by the scene;


    hence, with much annoyance, he strode over with Rowane. "Would you mind if we sit here?"


    Jordan faked a smile and replied, "Of course, no. Mr. Myers, please have a seat!"


    As Jordan spoke, he saw Ireneing back with another te full of food. Jordan took the food from


    her hand. "It''s all my favorite. Thank you, my love! Please give me a kiss!"


    Irene almost threw the food on Jordan''s face when she heard Jordan calling her in such an intimate


    manner. Edric, meanwhile, was obviously irate for the cks of his eyes had already be as ck


    as coal. Rowane rose from her seat and said, "Edric, I''ll also get you some food."


    Rowane soon came back with the food. Irene nced at the food ced in front of Edric with a hint of


    sarcasm in her eyes. It was all Edric''s favorite food. As Edric''s lover, Rowane really knew his taste well!


    Jordan felt that Edric was obviously here for another reason. "Why is he sitting beside Irene and me


    when there are so many seats in the hall?"


    Rowane took her seat and had two mouthfuls of food. She looked up at Irene and remarked, "Miss


    Nelson, your son is the most handsome boy I''ve ever met!"


    Irene replied to herplement with a slight smile. At this moment, Jordan chimed in, "If you like kids,


    you should have one with Mr. Myers as soon as you can!"


    "That''s right. A child is important for a lively family. Miss Wood, you wouldn''t have to worry about Mr.


    Myers being a heartbreaker anymore after you have a child!" Irene added, her eyes shed with irony...


    Edric''s face fell. Jordan looked at Irene in confusion as he, too, had heard the sarcasm in her words.


    Randy came over with his femalepanion. "Mr. Reed, Mr. Myers, everyone who attends will have to


    perform tonight. What have you guys prepared?"


    "Perform?" Stunned, Irene immediately turned to look at Jordan subconsciously.


    Jordan smiled at her and reassured her, "Don''t worry. We''re just a bunch of friends having fun together.


    Let''s watch the performance first. If they insist, we can just do cross-arms drinking!"


    "Oh? Cross-arms drinking? Is this supposed to be a practice session for your wedding in the future?


    How about you two perform biting an apple together? The game is popr in post-wedding parties."


    Randy winked at them.


    "Well, what''s so difficult about it? Of course, we can do it." Jordan didn''t seem to be bothered at all.


    Irene''s face flushed with embarrassment. "No! You can perform it yourself. I won''t do it!"


    "Irene is blushing!" Randyughed. "Mr. Reed, it seems to me that Irene still gets shy easily when we


    joke about you two. Could it be that your rtionship is still in the preliminary stage?"


    "Nonsense! Do you think I am someone who will stay in the preliminary stage?" Jordan retorted. "We


    have done all we can and tried every position."


    "You''re wild!" The crowd burst intoughter.


    Despite knowing that they were merely joking, Irene was still not used to such indecorous jokes. She


    lowered her head and took a sip of juice.


    Feeling an intense gaze, Irene nced in the direction of Edric. Immediately, their eyes met each other.


    Edric was looking at Irene with disdain.


    Furious, Irene red at him fiercely. A voice in her head chastised him, "Lily and he will hold their


    engagement in two days. How shameless of him to take his new lover to the party. Such a disgusting


    man. He absolutely has no right to look at me with such contempt."


    Edric was caught off guard when he met Irene''s ferocious gaze. He looked away before Irene


    continued to savor the food in front of her. She did not spare a look in Edric''s direction anymore.


    When the dinner was over, the soothing music stopped abruptly. A hostess donning a red evening


    dress with a microphone in her hand appeared on the stage set up in the middle of the hall. "Ladies


    and gentlemen, we''ll start the highlight of tonight''s party. Our first performance is by Mr. Lewis and Miss


    Sasha!"


    Both of them performed a Latin dance. Next, Randy and his femalepanion sang a song.


    After that, a few people that Irene couldn''t recognize took their turn to go on stage and performed.


    Then, it was Edric and Rowane''s turn.


    The two were dancing waltz. Edric and Rowane were both good-looking, and their dancing skills were


    impable, which attracted a lot of apuse from the audience.


    Jordan held Irene''s waist and whispered, "Rowane and Edric are well-matched. Edric looks better


    together with her than Lily!"


    Without realizing it herself, Irene was fuming. She sneered silently before she spoke, "Jordan, I''ll go to


    the bathroom!"


    When she marched out of the hall, she turned around and took a look. She saw Edric and Rowane,


    who had finished dancing, epting the praise from the crowd with the brightest smile on their faces.


    Feeling an air of mncholy surrounding her, Irene strode to the bathroom before she entered a stall.


    Sitting in there, she exhaled deeply in an attempt to relieve the suffocation she felt.


    Right then, she heard the sound of high heels clicking on the floor, followed by the sound of water


    running. A woman said, "Mr. Myers'' performance is the most eye-catching part up till now. It seems that


    tonight''s champion must belong to Mr. Myers and his femalepanion!"


    "There are still a few couples who haven''t performed yet. I''m looking forward to Mr. Reed and his


    femalepanion''s performance."


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    "Mr. Reed just said to the host that they are not performing because his femalepanion is under the


    weather." Their conversation continued on without realizing Irene was eavesdropping on it.


    "Really? Mr. Reed''s femalepanion is gorgeous, and I thought she was a talented girl. It turns out


    that she''s just another pretty face," remarked one of thedies.


    "Exactly. And this begs the question why Jordan would find a girl who''s just visually attractive. By the


    way, Jordan''s piano is one of the best. Word has it that he has won tons of awards."


    "What a pity. Jordan''s such a fine man. He''s rich and handsome!"


    After the women left, Irene came out of the stall and stood next to the sink. She looked at her reflection


    in the mirror in a daze. "I should not havee tonight. Jordan must look awful with me standing


    beside him. He''s obviously not in my league."


    Irene washed her hands and returned to the hall. There were still people on the stage performing.


    Jordan was standing at the side with a smile on his face; he was talking to a guest. Irene walked over


    to him and heard someone asking him, "Are you really going to perform cross-arms drinking?"


    "Why can''t I?" Jordan didn''t care much about it, but Irene clearly saw the ridicule in everyone''s stare,


    Edric''s included.


    The derision in Edric''s eyes was so obvious that Irene could feel her anger smoldering within her like a


    wildfire.


    She sneered and said, "Who said we''re going to perform a cross-arms drinking? We''re going to y


    the piano tonight!"


    "Piano?" Jordan was shocked. Everyone immediately turned to look at Irene, their jaws slightly


    dropped.


    "Yes, Jordan, I want to y the piano." Irene''s lips quirked up into a warm smile as she looked at


    Jordan.


    Shocked, Jordan looked at Irene in disbelief.


    She held Jordan''s waist as they walked to the stage gracefully. An ivory-white piano was ced beside


    the stage.


    Irene installed herself onto the chair in the most elegant manner. She brushed along the piano keys


    with her slender fingers before a stream of fine, euphonious tune reverberated across the hall.


    Edric''s sardonic smile gradually disappeared. "She knows how to y the piano?"

 Chapter 77 Champion

    Chapter 77 Champion


    Edric had married Irene for three years, but he didn''t know that she could y the piano!


    On the contrary, Jordan was not surprised by the fact that Irene was so talented. She used to be the


    apple in Steven''s eyes. Thus, it was normal for her to learn the piano from a young age.


    He walked to Irene''s side and crouched down before he allowed his fingers to dance their ways on the


    piano keys gracefully. They had never yed the piano together before, but they yed in perfect


    harmony!


    "It is a four-hands performance! Oh my! I didn''t expect Mr. Reed and Irene to have such unique skills!


    How romantic would it be if they are married in the future?" Randy''s mouth was agape. When he saw


    Edric''s cold gaze, he shut his mouth instantly.


    The mellifluous piano sound echoed in the hall. As the song came to an end, they looked at each other


    and smiled, their faces glowed under the spotlight.


    After a long time only the onlookers came back to their senses and began to apud, and the


    thunderous ovationsted for a long time.


    Irene and Jordan were doubtlessly the champions of that night''s performances.


    Adam, who was the host of the party, handed the prize to Jordan and gave him a bunch of keys. "Mr.


    Reed, enjoy a romantic night of starlight with your beauty!"


    Jordan took the key and marched through the crowd while holding Irene''s hand. He said with a yful


    smile on his face, "Everyone, we''re going to enjoy a romantic night of starlight!"


    Randy whistled and advised, "Be careful, don''t wear her out! Give her some room to breathe."


    "Don''t worry, I know how to treat my woman well!" Jordan patted his chest.


    "Mr. Reed, do you want something to liven up? I have some in my room!" Randy leaned in.


    "There''s no need for that. I can erect right after the clothes are off!" Jordan said as he reached out and


    carried Irene in his arms. He passed through the crowd and strode to the door of the hall in front of


    everyone''s eyes.


    Seeing Jordan going straight to the most luxurious room on the cruise with Irene in his arms, Edric''s


    face turned livid. Suddenly, he pushed the crowd away; he was about to rush over.


    "Edric!" Rowane grabbed his hand quickly at his side.


    "Let go!" Edric seethed.


    "If they want to be together, you can''t stop them." Rowane lowered her voice.


    "How would I know if I don''t try?"


    "Don''t you know her temper? I''m afraid that if you stop her, she will only do the opposite."


    Rowane''s reminder made Edric stand rooted to the ground. Rowane was right. Irene was ady of her


    own mind. If he went out to catch her at this moment, she would definitely go against him out of anger.


    "She is a mother. A mother won''t leave her child behind no matter what!"


    These words made Edric feel a little better. He flounced himself down on the sofa in the hall dejectedly.


    He could only wait there to see if Irene would go home.


    Jordan carried Irene into the presidential suite, and she was shocked by the luxuriance. Jordan opened


    the wine cab, poured two sses of red wine, and handed one of them to Irene.


    Irene took a sip and paced around the room. She then went to the private deck to have a look. It was


    pitch-ck out there; she could only see a few lights on.


    She turned around with a dull mood. "Is there nothing special about this presidential suite except its


    luxuriance?"


    "Of course there is!" Jordan picked up the remote control and pressed it. Soon enough, arge starry


    sky appeared on the ceiling over the bed.


    "Wow! It''s breathtaking!" Irene remarked.


    "Do you want to try lying on the bed?" asked Jordan.


    "Of course!" Irene climbed onto the huge, soft bed and looked up at the bright starry sky. Jordan


    followed suit.


    "This is designed for couples." Jordan reached out and fiddled with Irene''s long hair. "On such a


    romantic night, we can drink red wine, admire the starry sky and make love to each other!"


    "You are so annoying!" Irene red at him.


    Jordan nted a kiss on her face. "Don''t worry. Unless you give me your consent, I won''t touch you!"


    Time passed by. After more than two hours, Jordan and Irene still had note out of the suite.


    Edric felt a chill in his heart. "What are they doing inside?"


    It was a super luxurious room where one could see the stars on the bed. It was a magnificent room


    where many rich people brought their girlfriends to.


    "She must be lying on the bed with Jordan, drinking red wine and enjoying the picturesque scenery. It


    would be fine if they just do these," he thought to himself.


    Edric thought of what Jordan had said. "Every position." Jordan was well-known for being a womanizer.


    Edric couldn''t bear to imagine the heated scene in the room. He got up abruptly and strode to the exit.


    "Edric!" Rowane chased after him in her high heels. When she got off the cruise, Edric''s car was


    disappearing from her sight like a flying arrow.


    Edric stepped on the gas pedal forcefully, and the car sped up instantly with a loud noise. The


    pedestrians avoided it quickly. Only a few secondster, the number on the panel exceeded the speed


    limit. "You''re now driving beyond the limit. Please drive within the speed limit!" The speed limit system


    in the car reminded Edric, but Edric paid no heed to it.


    All he had in his mind was the scene of Irene and Jordan''s four-hands performance, how they looked at


    each other affectionately, and Jordan''s smiling face when he left with Irene in his arms.


    It was as if his heart had fallen into an ice hole; he felt cold from the inside to the outside.


    Anger and despair filled his mind. It was the feeling of the end of the world! He had lost his hope to stay


    alive!


    At the same time, the sports car shing across on the surveince screen of San Fetillo Transport


    Department made the traffic police''s eyes widened. "Does this person want to die?" Stop him quickly


    and get him off the car!"


    After receiving the order, the traffic police began to intercept Edric. For a moment, piercing sirens rang


    out, and countless police cars started to go after Edric.


    Edric was furious and kept stepping on the gas pedal desperately. He didn''t even realize that he had


    be the target of the police.


    It was not until more and more police cars joined in besieging him, and the sirens covered the roar of


    the sports car that he realized that something was wrong.


    Edric parked the car on the side of the road, and the police who were chasing him surrounded him.


    When they saw that the driver was Edric, the police could only smile bitterly and let him go.


    The matter had initially been settled, but as there was arge number of police cars involved, some


    onlookers recorded videos of the scene with their phones.


    When the videos were posted on the Inte,izens immediately found out the identity of the driver.


    The matter that had been concealed caught mass attention immediately.


    Netizens began to demand that Edric shouldn''t get special treatment. The issue caused a great


    sensation. Steven was infuriated after knowing about it, and stated that Edric should get the


    punishment he deserved.


    As Edricmitted reckless and dangerous driving, Steven ordered to severely punish him. Hence,


    Edric was detained for 15 days and fined, and his driver''s license got revoked. Both the fine and the


    revoking of his driver''s license were no big deal to Edric, but detainment was different.


    As a result, the shares of the Myers Group were affected and suffered three limits down. Margaret was


    so irate that she almost fainted. However, Edric remained calm. He ordered thepany''s public


    rtions team to issue an apology statement before he calmly entered the detention centre.


    Irene soon learned about the big news. Jordan looked at the newspaper and shook his head. "If it


    weren''t for his future father-inw, Edric would just be fined and get his driving license revoked. Steven


    ordered such a severe punishment for his own reputation. Edric''s arrest is unnecessary!"


    "That''s right." David continued, "The engagement of Edric and Mr. Cook''s daughter is supposed to take


    ce in these few days, but it can''t be held as scheduled because of the detainment. Edric should be


    enraged!"


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    "If you didn''t mention it, I would have forgotten that Edric''s engagement date is indeed in these two


    days. It''s strange that a person who is about to get engaged went on a joyride." Jordan frowned. "Is it


    possible that Edric doesn''t want to be engaged to Lily and created this mess on purpose?"


    "That''s possible. Isn''t he with Rowane now? Maybe it''s Edric''s idea to avoid the engagement," David


    added.


    "Edric is willing to pay such a high price for Rowane. He has lost billions of dors in three days! It''s


    really a lot!" Jordan sighed. "I guess he indeed loves Rowane."


    Irene felt a burst of sorrow, hearing their words. Edric had cheated on her with Lily and divorced her


    without giving her anypensation, but he was willing to lose billions of dors for another woman.


    Rowane must have a ce in his heart.


    Recalling Edric and Rowane''s intimate interaction at several parties, she was consumed by a greater


    wave of sadness. Knowing that she was in a rtionship with Jordan at the moment, and Edric was her


    past, Irene suppressed her overwhelming emotions immediately. Whatever Edric did had nothing to do


    with her anymore.


    It was a great blow to Margaret that Edric went into detainment. She was sent to the hospital due to


    high blood pressure. Lying in the hospital bed, Margaret exhaled deeply. She wasn''t enraged by the


    fact that they had lost billions of dors. What distressed her the most was the damage to Edric''s


    reputation.


    Edric''s image had been ruinedpletely this time. If it weren''t for Steven and the severe punishment


    he issued, Edric wouldn''t have been detained at all.


    The more Margaret thought about it, the angrier she became. She picked up the phone and called


    Deborah. "What was Mr. Cook thinking? Others would try their best to cover it up and help Edric, but he


    gave orders to punish Edric. Doesn''t he know that Edric and Lily are about to get engaged? Well, now


    that Edric is detained, the engagement has to be postponed!"


    Of course, Deborah knew that the engagement was heavily affected. She was, in fact, much sadder


    than Margaret. However, when she heard Margaret''sint, she could only keep a rein on her


    dissatisfaction and exin, "Steven had no choice. He was under the scrutiny of the public, so he had


    to lead by example!"


    "Lead by example and send his son-inw to prison?" Margaret sneered. "What benefit will you get for


    sending Edric to the detention center?"


    Deborah was exasperated. Yet, she continued to console Margaret in the gentlest voice. After a long


    struggle, Margaret finally ended the call.


    Deborah flumped back on the sofa, gasping for breath. "D*mn it! It is your son who caused the trouble


    but I have to apologize."


    At this moment, Lily''s crying rang out from upstairs. Upon hearing it, Deborah got up from the sofa and


    went upstairs.

 Chapter 78 Proposal

    Chapter 78 Proposal


    In the event that the engagement ceremony could not be held on time because of Edric''s detainment,


    the angriest person was none other than Lily. No one would be happy when one''s engagement was


    cancelled because of a joyriding incident. Besides, the calls from several people who called themselves


    her best friends made her rage explode like a volcano.


    She let out her wrath by grabbing the scissors and cutting several pieces of her clothes. It was not until


    Deborah pushed the door open and yelled at her that she stopped her crazy behavior. "Mom, why am I


    so unlucky? Why is God doing this to me?"


    "Lily, calm down!" bellowed Deborah.


    "How can I calm down? I''ve waited for him and loved him for so many years, but I could only watch him


    marry another woman. After enduring all these and ending up being pregnant with his child, God once


    again took him away from me. Now that he agreed to get engaged, he was caught in an ident at the


    veryst minute. Why? What did I do wrong?"


    Lily stared at Deborah with her bloodshot eyes. She had loved Edric whole-heartedly for many years,


    but he ignored her and had married Irene.


    In order to get Edric, she ttered Margaret and tried every means with Deborah to stop Irene from


    getting pregnant.


    Eventually, Lily sessfully persuaded Margaret to get Edric''s sperm so she could get pregnant with it.


    However, her ecstasy was short-lived. She started showing signs of miscarriage upon examination.


    The doctor said that she might lose her baby. Therefore, Deborah and Lily instead framed Irene,


    making her a ruthless woman who pushed Lily and caused her miscarriage.


    After Irene got divorced and left Edric penniless, Lily thought that Edric would be with her because of


    guilt. However, she waited for three years until she finally managed to convince Edric to get engaged


    with her. But there it was! Another hindrance at thest moment.


    The severe punishment was ordered by Steven. Yet, Lily and Deborah were the ones who had to clean


    up the aftermath.


    Margaret had called and scolded Deborah. Despite feeling miserable, thetter could only console


    Margaret with much patience. The more Deborah thought about it, the more irritated she became. It


    shouldn''t be like this. How did it end up in this way?


    "Can you change anything byining and crying in your room?" Deborah stared at Lily. "Such a


    useless thing. You only know to cry when something goes wrong. What''s wrong with you? I''m angrier


    than you!"


    Sensing Deborah''s wrath, Lily shut her mouth at once.


    Deborah grumbled, "Why would a simple car racing incident get so much attention? Have you ever


    thought about it?"


    "Wasn''t Dad the one who sent Edric to the detention center?" asked Lily.


    "Idiot! Do you think your father has a say in that?" Deborah poked Lily''s head. "Think. With Edric''s


    wealth and ability, how could he allow such bad news to propagate?"


    "Mom, what do you mean? Do you mean that Edric deliberately let the media report about it?"


    "Otherwise, would they even dare to report it without his approval? It is a piece of cake for Edric''s


    public rtions team to suppress such negative news. Why did he not cover it?" Deborah scratched


    her chin, pacing back and forth in the room.


    "Why did he do that?" Lily was puzzled.


    "He doesn''t want to get engaged to you at all. Thus, he let the news spread and let Steven order to


    punish him. Only in this way can he stay out of this matter and put the me on us." A thought shed


    across Deborah''s mind.


    "But the price is too high, isn''t it?" Lily couldn''t believe it. The loss of billions of dors, the damage to


    his reputation, and the detention. No person in his right mind would do that.


    "He can do anything for Irene." Deborah sneered. "The more he acts like this, the more I won''t let them


    go. Didn''t he try to plot against me? I''ll make him pay back!"


    Edric was released after fifteen days of detention. When he left the detention center, he let out a long


    sigh. In addition to John, Lily and Margaret were also waiting outside.


    Seeing Edric, all of them all came up to him hurriedly and excitedly. Margaret hugged him tightly as if a


    decade had passed by.


    Edric remained silent. He took off his coat and threw it into the car. Sitting in the car, Margaret began


    her nagging. "Take a bath immediately when you get home. You''d better stay at home..."


    Edric didn''t say a word. His mind was fully upied by Irene. "What was she doing in the past fifteen


    days when I was in the detention center?" he wondered.


    Although this method of getting rid of the engagement had a bad effect, it was the best solution he


    could think of at the moment.


    In fact, he had this idea when he was surrounded by the police cars. At that time, he was reminded of


    the engagement ceremony with Lily, which was just around the corner. As this idea took shape in his


    mind, he immediately ordered John to carry out the necessary steps.


    He hoped that Irene would know about his painstaking efforts and that there would be no progress


    between her and Jordan. But could it be possible?


    Edric didn''t stay at home as Margaret advised.


    After taking a shower, he left home in a hurry with an excuse that something had happened in the


    inwardly, she was seething.


    Jordan drove his ostentatious sports car all the way to Irene''s house. Irene had been waiting for him.


    She revealed a sweet smile as soon as she saw Jordan.


    Jordan opened the car door and said, "Dear, please get in the car!"


    Irene got in the car and grumbled, "What''s happening? You look so impatient!"


    "Secret!" Heughed.


    "What''s your n? Why are you acting so mysteriously? What is going on?" Irene bombarded him with


    a series of questions.


    "You''ll know itter!"


    Edric''s car stopped at the corner of Irene''s house. Seeing Jordan and Irene leaving happily, he decided


    to tailgate them.


    Jordan and Irene passed through the downtown area before they headed towards the beach. When


    Irene recognized the familiar route, she couldn''t help but ask, "Jordan, it isn''t a cruise party again, is


    it?"


    "No!" Jordan let out a chuckle.


    "What the hell are you going to do?"


    Jordan remained close-mouthed, giggling. Irene rubbed her forehead. She knew she wouldn''t get an


    answer out of him if he had chosen not to reveal it.


    Soon the car stopped at the beach. Jordan and Irene got out of the car and strolled to the beach.


    The night breeze lifted Irene''s silky hair. As the two of them ambled by the beach, there were sparkles


    shing across the dark sky in front of them. Soon, the shes gathered in one ce before they


    began to growrger andrger.


    Jordan held Irene''s hand and continued to move forward. Soon, the sky was covered with the light of


    fireflies. Irene looked up in surprise. The fireflies illuminated the whole beach as well as her and


    Jordan''s faces.


    She could clearly see the expression on Jordan''s face. His gaze was so intense and affectionate.


    They looked into each other''s eyes for a long time. All of a sudden, Jordan took out a ring box from his


    pocket and opened it. There in the box sat a huge sparkling diamond ring.


    He took out the diamond ring from the box and knelt on one knee. "Irene, marry me!"


    Irene was stunned. She looked at Jordan and was at a loss for words. He held the ring while looking at


    her. "I love you, Irene. I''ve always wanted to marry you. I might not be the best man on this, but


    for you, I am willing to be better to always protect and love you!"


    His voice was dangerously maic. Both his eyes were twinkling with so much determination; they


    were the evidence of his love for her. Irene stared at him nkly and nodded after a while.


    Jordan took her hand and put the ring on her ring finger. "From now on, you are my only woman."


    Irene''s eyes glistened; her tears stung her eyes. After so many hurtful events, she didn''t believe in love


    anymore. However, having said that, she was still greatly touched.


    Looking at her moist eyes, Jordan felt a pang of pain spreading across his heart. He reached out to cup


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    Irene''s face in his hands and gently kissed her lips.


    Irene did not resist him this time. She put her arms around his neck...


    In a ce not far away from them, Edric stood there in a daze and watched this scene unfold in front of


    him.


    His hope had now shattered. The piano music that Jordan and Irene yed was still ringing in his ears.


    Edric should have thought of it. She hated him so much. How could she return to him just because he


    entered the detention center?


    "Love you to death."


    "It''s all or nothing."


    "Only in the depths of emotion, you can see my genuine love."


    "Love you to death."


    "Cry while we smile. Can''t you see that my girl?"


    "I''ll love till the end of the universe."


    In the bar, a fashionable woman on the stage was singing Love You to Death at the top of her lungs.


    Edric leaned against the chair and stared at the ss in front of him in a daze. He had drunk half a


    bottle of wine. His stomach was in so much pain, but he was not even tipsy.


    The wine was supposed to numb him, but it didn''t have any effect at all. On the contrary, his memory


    got even more vivid.


    Everything that had happened between Irene and him yed in his mind like a movie.


    He remembered every moment he spent with her¡ªwhen she was happy and angry. His every emotion


    changed with hers.


    The memories tore and ate his heart up.


    The moment she epted Jordan''s ring, it meant that she was going to start a new family.


    However, Edric was still stuck in the same ce, unable to break free from the cage she trapped him


    in.


    Edric''s mouth quirked up into a smile. How ironic! It had been said that men got over breakups easier


    than women.


    However, he felt that it was the opposite for him and Irene. He was reminiscing about the past and


    hoping to reunite with Irene, but she had let go of the past and moved on.


    The more Edric thought about it, the more distressed he felt. He gulped down a few sses of wine in


    an attempt to numb the pain he was going through at this moment...


    Rowane sat on the bed and was browsing through her Facebook with her phone. Suddenly, her phone


    rang. After picking it up, she heard a man from the other side of the phone say, "Is this Miss Wood? A


    person called Mr. Myers is drunk here. Can youe to pick him up?"


    "What is the address?" Rowane sprung up instantly.


    An hourter, Rowane had arrived at the bar. Edric was resting his head on the countertop; he was


    obviously on the verge of passing out.


    There were a few flirtatious women sitting next to him. They looked at Edric as if they couldn''t wait to


    devour him whole.


    "Why did you drink so much? Don''t you know you have gastritis?" Rowane raced to Edric at once.


    Edric raised his heavy eyelids and smiled at Rowane. "Irene!"


    "No, I''m not her!" Rowane hissed.


    "I knew you woulde back!" Edric reached out and held Rowane''s hand. "You know how much I


    miss you! Irene, I miss you so much all these years. You are the only one in my heart!"


    Rowane tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but she failed. Edric put her hand on his chest and


    continued, "Irene, feel my heart. It''s here; it''s been here all the time. It''s always been only yours!"


    "Edric Myers, you''re drunk!" Rowane''s voice was getting louder.


    "I''m not. I''m speaking my true feelings for you." He pressed her hand against his chest. "Irene! Don''t be


    with Jordan. Please don''t go to him... I''d rather die than seeing you with him!"


    In Rowane''s impression, Edric had always been a calm, collected man. At work, he was then a cold


    and overbearing president. To be honest, she always found him invincible. Never did she expect to see


    him being so helpless one day.


    It was all because of Irene. Irene was the only one who was able to put him in such a roller coaster.


    Looking at Edric, Rowane''s heart missed a beat. It pained her to see him in such a helpless state.


    She had no idea how tofort him. She helped him up and said, "Edric, let''s go home!"


    Edric looked at Rowane''s face, which was so simr to Irene''s, and allowed her to bring him out of the


    bar.


    He was intoxicated and his legs wobbled. It took Rowane a lot of effort to get him into the car. After


    closing the door, Rowane started the car and left. She didn''t send Edric home but took him back to her


    condominium.

 Chapter 79 Why Did You Lie To Me

    Chapter 79 Why Did You Lie To Me


    After parking the car at the condominium, Rowane helped Edric into the elevator. Edric had drunk too


    much, so he couldn''t stand still at all. He had been leaning on Rowane all the while.


    She used all her strength to hold his body, slowly waiting for the elevator to reach their destination, and


    soon, the elevator stopped. Rowane helped Edric out of the elevator and stumbled into her unit.


    Rowane brought Edric into the bedroom and settled him on the bed. Then, she turned around and


    made a cup of honey water for him.


    Then, she entered the bedroom with the honey water in her hands. At that moment, Edric was lying


    motionlessly on the bed with his eyes closed and eyebrows knitted.


    Rowane looked at his handsome face and sighed slightly. "Edric! Sleep only after you drink up the


    honey water!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Edric opened his eyes. Rowane helped him up and put the cup near


    his mouth. Edric drank it all up in one breath and then held her hand tightly while looking at Rowane in


    a daze. After a while, he spat out, "Irene!"


    Rowane felt a little sorrowful when he mistook her as Irene again. She finally understood why Edric


    helped her.


    It was not because she was beautiful or talented, but because she looked like Irene.


    She stood at the side of the bed in a daze and watched as Edric slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep


    with steady breaths.


    Her heart, which had been fluttering for Edric, had returned to its steady rhythm too.


    How could she just sit by and do nothing when Edric was so sad?


    In the evening, after Irene tucked Eden to sleep, she turned off the lights and went back to her room.


    When she was about to go to bed, she suddenly heard a beep from her phone.


    She picked it up and looked at it. It turned out to be a text message. "Shameless b*tch. You even go to


    lure an engaged man!"


    Irene looked at the text message in dubiety. She thought that the message was meant for someone


    else, but then another text message came in immediately. "You must be punished for robbing someone


    else''s man. You''ll pay for it. Miss Nelson, be careful!"


    Blood rushed towards Irene''s head while she read the message. Since that person called her ''Miss


    Nelson'', it was obvious that that person intended to send that message to her. She immediately replied,


    "Who are you? Why are you sending text messages as such to me?"


    "You don''t need to know who I am. I just want to tell you that you are a shameless mistress!"


    "Are you crazy?" Irene quickly replied.


    "Wow, I''ve seen many shameless people, but I have never seen someone like you. You''re just a


    mistress yet you''re so arrogant as if you''ve done nothing wrong. It seems that you really are


    shameless." The other party sent another text message indifferently.


    Irene was furious. "Exin yourself or I''ll sue you for nder!"


    "I''m so scared! Miss Nelson, are you really unaware, or are you ying dumb? I really don''t believe


    that you don''t know about Jordan''s situation."


    "What about Jordan?" asked Irene.


    "He has a fiancee!"


    "Nonsense!" Irene was extremely shocked.


    "Nonsense? Why would I even joke about this? You know who Jordan''s fiancee is in fact. Her name is


    Joanne White! The White family and the Reed family are a match to each other. They have already


    decided on this marriage for a long time."


    Irene looked at the text message on her phone in a daze, and her mind was in a mess. She had never


    thought that Jordan had a fiancee. Moreover, his fiancee was an old acquaintance of hers.


    She had heard from Nathan that the White family and the Reed family were on friendly terms and had a


    good rtionship with each other. Otherwise, Nathan would not have let her work at Jordan''spany


    either.


    Since both of the families were rich, it was really possible for them to unite through marriage.


    However, why had she never heard of that? Just as she was thinking, a text message came in again.


    "Miss Nelson, if you have some shame and conscience left in you, you should break up with Jordan as


    soon as possible. This is a good thing for you, for you can set a good example for your child."


    "Who the hell are you? Why should I believe what you said?" Irene used all her strength to send


    another message.


    "You want some evidence, don''t you? Wait, I''ll send it to you right away."


    A few minutester, a screenshot was sent to Irene''s phone. It was an article with a picture that was


    taken at a hotel abroad. It was an article about Pedro''s 70th birthday party. Joanne was seen with


    Jordan''s grandmother in the picture.


    ording to an insider, the Reed family nned to appoint Joanne to be Jordan''s fiancee.


    After reading the article, Irene couldn''t hold her phone for a moment, and it fell to her bed. Her whole


    body followed along before she flounced onto the bed too. Her face felt cold as tears started to


    cascade down her cheeks.


    "Jordan, you said that you wouldn''t lie to me. I have already decided to let go of the past and start over


    with you. I have decided to give you my love. How can you give me such a big blow at this time?!"


    Irene thought.


    That night, Irene had trouble sleeping. At 8 o''clock in the morning the next day, Jordan appeared


    downstairs on time. Irene''s heart went into turmoil when she saw Jordan standing next to the car and


    staring at her with a smile.


    He was noble, handsome, and rich, but what was she?


    She felt extremely bitter in her heart. She got in the car silently, and Jordan started the car. "What''s


    wrong? You seem a bit under the weather today."


    "I have something to ask you. You must answer me honestly," Irene said.


    "What''s the matter?" Jordan smiled.


    "Did your family decide on a fiancee for you?" Irene asked.


    "Who told you that?" Jordan was surprised.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Just answer the question. Is it true or not?"


    "It''s true." Jordan sighed, and the smile on his face disappeared little by little. Irene''s heart gradually


    became cold, too. "Why did you lie to me? Is it fun to do that?"


    Looking at her fiery eyes, Jordan held her hand andforted her, "Irene, listen to me. It is not what


    you thought."


    Irene collected herself as she listened to Jordan''s exnation. "I don''t have a fiancee. It was just an


    idea that Grandpa and the parents of the other family had. You know, rich and powerful families always


    arrange marriages for mutual benefits. This is only their wishful thinking. I will never do it!"


    "Why didn''t you tell me, then?" Irene asked.


    "This is just their idea. I have never agreed to it, and I never think it will affect our rtionship. That''s


    why I didn''t tell you. I didn''t mean to hide it from you," Jordan exined.


    "But it''s different for me, Jordan. Have you really thought carefully about everything between us? I''m a


    divorced woman with a child, and I don''t have a strong background. You''re a bachelor with a bright


    future. We''re not evenly matched, do you understand?" Irene''s voice was getting softer.


    "Irene, I''ve thought thoroughly about everything you just said before. I love you. I want to marry you. I


    want to make you happy. Believe me!" Jordan replied.


    "No! You must have never thought about it. Love is a matter between two people, but marriage includes


    two families. I used to be too naive, thinking that love can ovee everything, but after experiencing


    what I had gone through, I know it''s not the case. You loving me and wanting to marry me doesn''t


    necessarily mean that we can be together, do you understand?" Irene continued on.


    "Irene, I understand everything you said. Marrying you isn''t something that I thought of on the spur of


    the moment. It''s the result of careful consideration. I understand that there surely will be obstacles


    ahead of us, but I have already given thought to it and I am willing to bear all the hindrance as long as


    you stay by my side!"


    "Jordan, you''d better think about us more carefully. All the obstaclese from your side, not mine. Do


    you understand?" Irene sighed.


    Jordan certainly never thought of the kind of resistance they would face for being together, just like the


    time when she was with Edric.


    This time with Jordan, what they would face was not only those problems between her and Edric


    previously, but also other problems pertaining to Joanne''s family. Irene was now a mother. How could


    the Reed family ept her?


    "Irene, let''s find a ce to talk." Jordan started the car and soon, they arrived at his condominium.


    After inviting Irene to sit down, he poured two cups of tea and took his seat too. "We have been


    together for so long but I have never initiated any conversation to talk about myself with you. Today, I


    will tell you everything about me. Let''s start with my family."


    Jordan began his storytelling. "My parents got together through an arranged marriage. Just like a usual


    arranged marriage, my father had no feelings for my mother, but he was forced to marry her due to the


    pressure exerted by his family. It was not long before he began to have an affair. How ridiculous. He


    wasn''t doing it for fun. The mistress he had an affair with was the love of his life. For her, he abandoned


    my mother and me before he got chased out of the family. Yet, he never regretted it."


    Jordan sighed heavily. "Although I have a father, I have never felt his love before. Although my mother


    has a husband, she has never been loved by him before. When I was a child, my mother always cried


    herself to sleep. Just imagine how disheartened she must be. She let go of her past as I grew up. Since


    I was born in such a family, my personality has always been different from others. Due to my parents''


    influence, I didn''t believe in love at all. Therefore, I yed and flirted with countless women. If I hadn''t


    met you, I might have continued this kind of life till I die."


    Irene looked at Jordan and felt an air of mncholy surrounding both of them. She lost her mother


    when she was a teenager, and her father disappeared from her life not long after. She always thought


    that she was the most pitiful one.


    However,pared to Jordan, she felt that she was quite lucky. She at least had a happy childhood,


    but Jordan had never experienced love from his father ever since he was born. It was no wonder that


    he became such a womanizer.


    "If I hadn''t met you, I would have married a woman from another family when I finally became tired of


    drinking and ying outside. I wouldn''t have cared about that woman''s beauty or whether she loves


    me or not. It would be a mere fulfillment of responsibility as a member of the Reed family. However,


    after I met you, I realized that I couldn''t live like this anymore, for I could live a happier and more


    "I want to make it clear to you about the matter of my fiancee. I have no affection towards her at all. I


    have always regarded her as a childhood friend. Although the White family and the Reed family have


    such ns, it is just their wishful thinking. Irene, even if I did not meet you, I would never choose


    Joanne to be my life partner."


    He felt a little thirsty after talking so much in a breath. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Irene, I


    won''t ept this so-called matched marriage for you. I won''t yield to the so-called family pressure. I


    have the ability to support myself, my woman, and children. Irene, as long as you love me, as long as


    you believe me, we can go anywhere hand in hand. We will definitely have a bright future ahead of us."


    Jordan was so determined and his gaze was so sincere that Irene''s heart, which had initially be


    cold, began to warm up. She reached out to hold his hand and said, "Jordan, I believe in you!"


    A bright grin appeared on Jordan''s face instantly. He stared at Irene for a long time. Suddenly, he


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    pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "Irene, I just need your word. Whenever you''re ready, I will


    marry you right there and then."

 Chapter 80 How Could There Be Such A Coincidence?

    Chapter 80 How Could There Be Such A Coincidence?


    Ireneid in his arms, her heart filled with happiness. Over the years she had been wandering around


    together with Eden, only God knew how much she had suffered all this while.


    It was not because she was particrly strong, but because she couldn''t find a reliable person to be


    her anchor. She was always wondering when she could finally live a stable life, when she could give


    Eden a father who truly loved him. Right then, she finally found Jordan, who was willing to hold her


    tightly. She couldn''t find a reason to run away and give up on him.


    Rowane thought that if she told Irene that Jordan had a fiancee, Irene''s self-esteem would cause her to


    soon break up with Jordan. Yet, little did she know that the situation would unfold in such a different


    way from what she had envisioned.


    Not only did Irene and Jordan not break up, but they got closer than before.


    Edric had be more dejected when he noticed Irene and Jordan were getting more intimate with


    every passing day. He could no longer find the light at the end of this tunnel.


    Rowane didn''t know what went wrong as it was the idea she came up after a few days of careful


    thought.


    Since Irene refused to leave Jordan, Rowane could only report the matter to Joanne for her to separate


    the lovebirds.


    While thinking that, Rowane immediately began to search for Joanne''s contact details. Soon, she found


    Joanne''s Facebook ount. Rowane immediately left a message to Joanne, stating that Jordan had a


    new lover.


    Her message also detailed Jordan and Irene''s joint performance on the cruise, and even how Jordan


    proposed to Irene with a ring.


    Not long after she sent the message, Joanne replied to Rowane, "Are you sure about that?"


    Knowing that Joanne might not believe it, Rowane immediately sent her a picture of Jordan and Irene


    attending the banquet.


    Joanne''s instinct told her that it was just someone ying a prank. Never did she expect to see the


    photo.


    In the photo, Jordan looked like the happiest man on earth. Irene''s beauty, on the other hand, was


    ethereal. Joanne was fuming with rage at seeing that photo.


    She and Irene were old acquaintances. Whenever her brother, Nathan, was trying to chase after Irene,


    she would oftene up with ideas to tease the two of them.


    However, she couldn''t tolerate the fact that Irene had seduced Jordan whom she had taken a fancy to.


    Joanne narrowed her eyes; it seemed that she had to teach Irene a lesson.


    How dared a divorcee with a child seduce her man! Where on earth did Irene''s confidencee from?


    Joanne couldn''t wait to go to San Fetillo to put Irene into her right ce. However, she knew that she


    was in an awkward position right then. The Reed family and the White family were the ones proposed


    the idea of marriage; Jordan had no interest in her.


    If she rashly went to trouble Irene, her action would only backfire. After thinking for a while, Joanne


    finally came up with an idea.


    Since Pedro liked her, she could ask him for help.


    Without hesitation, Joanne immediately called Pedro and told him on the phone that Jordan was having


    an affair with a divorced woman who had a child.


    In fact, Pedro had heard about it previously, but he never took it to heart. He merely thought that Irene


    was just another ything of Jordan, and that Jordan would grow bored of her sooner orter.


    Now that he heard Joanne bringing it up, he realized at that moment that something was amiss.


    Jordan was the type of man who did not stay interested in anything for too long. It was obviously


    strange for Irene to be able to stay with him for such a long time.


    Pedro immediately instructed Joanne, as Jordan''s fiancee, to talk to Irene so thetter would back off.


    How arrogant of her to date Jordan!


    With Pedro''s support, Joanne finally had someone to fall back on. She immediately booked a flight to


    San Fetillo.


    Irene was very surprised when she received a call from Joanne. Jordan insisted that he had nothing to


    do with Joanne. If that was the case, why did Joanne want to meet her?


    She was not a coward; she wasn''t scared of Joanne at all. Therefore, when Joanne proposed to have a


    long, detailed chat with her, Irene epted the invitation at once.


    The two of them decided to meet at a cafe. Irene encountered a traffic jam, so she waste. By the


    time she entered, Joanne had already waited for more than ten minutes.


    "Long time no see, Miss White!" Irene sat down in front of her and looked at Joanne calmly. The White


    family''s genes were exceptional. When Irene saw Joanne in the past, she knew that Joanne would


    certainly be a great beauty in the future. She was proven right upon their meeting.


    Joanne was also observing Irene with a smile on her face. Irene looked like she had never aged since


    eight years ago. She was as beautiful and pleasing to the eye as she used to be. "Irene, you''re getting


    more and more dazzling!" Joanne sighed softly.


    Irene chuckled lightly and replied sarcastically, "Miss White, you didn''t call me out here to praise me,


    did you?"


    "What kind of coffee do you want?" Joanne ignored Irene''s sarcasm.


    "Miss White, let''s get straight to the point. I''m in a hurry!" Irene added.


    "You''re still the same. Arrogant and straightforward. I like that very much! In fact, Irene, I really want to


    be friends with you, do you understand?" Joanne let out another soft sigh.


    Irene did not answer to Joanne; she merely looked at thetter quietly. Seeing Irene''s indifferent


    expression, Joanna decided to cut to the chase. "You know about Jordan and I, don''t you?"


    "What''s your rtionship with him?" Irene asked.


    "Don''t feign ignorance. I don''t believe you''ve never heard about the rtionship between him and me.


    We''re going to get engaged soon!" hissed Joanne.


    "I thought you guys were not going to get engaged?" Irene snorted.


    Joanne shook her head with a smile and said in a softer voice, "I know everything about you and him.


    Jordan likes you. He used to like a lot of other women, but obviously, you''re different. He has fallen in


    love with you."


    "I know the ring on your hand was given to you by Jordan. Since he gave that to you, it shows that his


    feelings for you are really genuine. In fact, if he didn''t give you that ring, I wouldn''t even think about


    Joanne''s gaze was now on Irene''s hand. "I know that you had a performance with him on a cruise ship,


    and you were also selected to be the best couple and got to stay in the most luxurious suite. I know


    that he sends you to work every day. I know very well what you guys have done..."


    Irene''s heart suddenly turned cold. She did not know yet that it was Rowane who had told Joanne


    those things. She thought that Joanne had been watching Jordan all the while. She immediately


    became vignt.


    "Irene, I''m really sorry about what happened between you and Nathan. But even if I could go back in


    time, I would still stop you as I did before. I don''t mean to look down on you. You are a good and


    aplished person, but you are not suited for the life of the rich and powerful," Joanne said


    eloquently.


    "The Reed family is veryplicated. There are hundreds of people of varying ages and genders in


    the family. You can''t even deal with Edric''s mother, just imagine how your life will be if you were to


    marry Jordan," Joanne continued.


    "That''s none of your concern, Miss White." Irene scoffed.


    Seeing that Irene was unmoved, Joanne got a little anxious. She suppressed her emotions and asked,


    "Irene, are you really not going to leave Jordan?"


    "Miss White, you''re asking a ridiculous question. Why should I leave Jordan just because of the


    nonsense you prattled to me?" Irene retorted.


    "What do you mean, ''nonsense''? The marriage between Jordan and me was agreed to by both


    families," Joanne rebuked.


    "Agreed to, huh? That means that you both have never actually dated, and it''s only some far-fetched


    talk between both families. How can you say that you''re Jordan''s fiancee then? Miss White, your logic


    is too ludicrous, isn''t it?" Irene replied, her voice like a rising storm.


    "Ludicrous? Jordan''s grandfather, Pedro, asked me to meet you today to talk to you. So you would


    leave Jordan for you," Joanne answered.


    "Jordan''s grandfather? What era are we living in now? Do you think it is the medieval times? Even


    then, it would still take a lot of time and effort to confirm your so-called identity of being Jordan''s


    fiancee. Can you show me any evidence? If not, drop all this nonsense and leave."


    Irene narrowed her eyes and looked at Joanne. "I will be frank with you, Miss White. Jordan is


    handsome, talented, and rich, so he has captured the hearts of a lot of women. What I mean to say is,


    you''re not the first woman toe and talk to me over this."


    "You!" Joanne didn''t expect that Irene would brazenly ssify her as just another woman who was


    infatuated with Jordan. Irene was implying that she was Jordan''s sole lover. Upon hearing that,


    Joanne''s expression changed. "I haven''t seen you in so many years, but I see that you''ve gotten good


    at talking, huh?"


    "Compared to you, it''s really nothing worth mentioning." Irene sneered.


    "Irene, did you seduce Jordan because you hated me for meddling in the business between you and


    Nathan?"


    Joanne continued on with her harshly questioning, "You couldn''t ept that, could you? So when you


    heard that I liked Jordan, you went in great lengths to seduce him. The purpose of all this is to break


    me, isn''t it?"


    "You must be lunatic!" Irene let out a scoff. "Joanne, back then, I left Nathan not because you were


    powerful, but because I had no affection for him at all. Otherwise, how could you make me leave?"


    The disdain in Irene''s eyes angered Joanne. She could no longer pretend to be gentle anddylike.


    "This is a warning to you! Don''t bite the hand that fed you!"


    "Miss White, what are you suggesting? Are you going to order your servants to mess with me like you


    did before?" Ireneughed, her voice void of emotions.


    "How did you know that?" Joanne was taken aback. Back then, she had ordered the servants of the


    White family to torment Irene''s life. She had always thought that she had done that without anyone


    noticing.


    "I guessed it, but I didn''t expect you to admit it!" Irene chuckled. "Miss White, even the timid rabbit bites


    when it is cornered. If you provoke me any further, I''m afraid I might identally tell Nathan your true


    colours and let him know that his sister, who has always been gentle and virtuous, is nothing but a


    sham. Then, your good days wille to an end!"


    "Nathan won''t believe you!" Joanne barked.


    "Why don''t we try it, then?" Irene asked.


    Joanne bit her lower lip. Originally, she came to meet Irene with confidence, thinking that she could


    make Irene leave Jordan. However, she did not expect that Irene was no longer the same person she


    was in the past. The person who was driven into a corner was her instead.


    Irene looked at Joanne scornfully and stood up. "I have matters to attend to, so I''ll be leaving. Miss


    White, take your time and ponder about it!"


    Irene had already disappeared from the cafe when Joanne''s phone rang. She answered it, saying, "Mr.


    Pedro."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Pedro''s voice rang out over the line. "How is it? Is it settled?"


    "Things are a little tricky," Joanne told him truthfully.


    "Juste back if it''s too much to handle. Let me deal with it," Pedro replied.


    "Don''t worry. I will find a way to solve it." Before she left, she had already promised Pedro that she


    would seed, so she felt that it wouldn''t be right to return empty-handed.


    "I know you are one capable woman, but you and Jordan still need to live together peacefully in the


    future. You can''t be separated from him because of this woman. You''d better let me deal with it so you


    don''t get your hands dirty." After saying that, Pedro hung up.


    He picked up the document in front of him, which had just been sent by Ivan. Pedro''s eyes were fixed


    on the photo in the document. The woman in the photo and Irene looked at least 70% simr. Pedro


    couldn''t help but frown.


    How could there be such a coincidence?

 Chapter 81 Pedro Has Stepped In

    Chapter 81 Pedro Has Stepped In


    After Irene went out of the cafe, she received a call from Jordan. He asked, "Where are you?"


    "I went to see Kinsey," she lied.


    "Why didn''t you call me and say that? I came all the way here for nothing," Jordanined.


    "Sorry, I left in a hurry, so I forgot," she apologized. Jordan decided to let it pass. "I''m going back to the


    After hanging up, Irene got on the taxi. It was rush hour, so there were a lot of cars on the road.


    Needless to say, she was caught in a traffic jam. Fortunately, her boss was Jordan, so she wasn''t afraid


    of being reprimanded for beingte. Thinking of Jordan, a sweet smile appeared on her face.


    A familiar voice rang out, "How long are we going to be stuck in this traffic?"


    Irene turned her head and looked over. It was Marie.


    Marie used to be an attending doctor for her infertility. Hence, Irene had a lot of consultations and


    appointments with Marie. As she so often appeared in Marie''s office, those who went to see Marie


    thought that she was Marie''s daughter. Some of them even remarked that both of them looked alike.


    Irene felt uncanny about the fact that she and Marie looked alike too. She and Marie didn''t know each


    other and didn''t have any blood rtionship. However, they did look simr to each other. To be exact,


    she saw her mother in Marie.


    Due to that reason, Irene naturally felt close to Marie. She firmly believed in Marie''s words and had


    never switched to another doctor.


    Didn''t Marie work in Alsburg City? Why was she here in San Fetillo?


    Marie did not notice Irene. She was grumbling to the man beside her. When Irene looked closely at that


    man beside her, she was positively shocked. Wasn''t that Jordan''s father, Ma?


    Why would Ma be out with Marie? Was Marie the woman who made Ma abandon Jordan and


    his mother?


    It was true that there was such a possibility. Marie still looked charming even though she was at least in


    her forties. Evidently, she must have been a great beauty when she was younger. Every man would


    probably fall over her bewitching charm.


    Irene''s affection towards Marie vanished at that moment. She hated mistresses; all of them were


    despicable.


    After returning to thepany, Irene saw Jordan talking to David. When they saw hering in, they


    stopped talking. David got up and left. Jordan grumbled at her, "If you weren''t here in a few minutes, I


    was nning to go and look for you."


    "I was caught in a traffic jam," Irene said with a smile.


    "Come here, I have something to tell you." Jordan waved his hand. "Joanne hase to San Fetillo.


    She came yesterday. I''m guessing that she''s here for you. If she contacts you, you must remember to


    tell me."


    "It''s toote. She''s already contacted me," Irene replied.


    "Didn''t you say that you went to see Kinsey? How dare you lie to me." Jordan raised his eyebrows,


    about to lose his temper.


    "I was scared that you might worry about me." Irene reached out and held Jordan''s hand. Her initiative


    extinguished Jordan''s anger. He then turned his hand around to hold Irene''s hand much more tightly.


    "What did she say to you?"


    "Do you really want to hear it?" Irene raised her eyebrows and looked at Jordan with a faint smile. "She


    told me about the love story between you two. She wanted me, the mistress, to quit the game."


    "Irene, let me get this straight, we weren''t anything like what she had told you. Please firmly believe in


    that standpoint!" Jordan got a little anxious.


    "If I believed her words, would I be standing in front of you and talking to you right now?" Irene red


    at him. Jordan chuckled after pondering about it. But, he couldn''t help reminding her, "Don''t believe


    what others say. Believe no one. Everyone will lie to you except me. Do you understand?"


    Irene nodded. "I understand! I''m waiting for you to give me a happy life you promised!"


    Recalling that she had seen Marie on the way here, she couldn''t help but ask, "Jordan, do you know


    Marie Walker?"


    "I don''t," Jordan replied, but in a sh, he scoffed. "But I''ve heard that she was the woman who asked


    my father to abandon my mother and me!"


    "It''s really her?" Irene was stunned.


    Rowane thought that Irene would leave Jordan''s side once Joanne took action, but things didn''t go


    ording to n. Irene and Jordan were still as close as ever. Meanwhile, Joanne had chosen to


    leave San Fetillo. It seemed that her meeting with Irene that time resulted in nothing.


    Rowane''s head started to ache again. She had done everything she could for Edric. What should she


    do then?


    Edric had also learned about Joanne''s visit to San Fetillo. When he heard that Joanne left immediately


    after meeting Irene, he was very shocked.


    When he knew that Joanne hade to San Fetillo, he was worried about Irene. After all, Irene had


    been humiliated by Joanne many times over Nathan.


    He thought that Irene would take Joanne''s punches as she was in the past, but in the end, it was


    Joanne who left in embarrassment and disgrace.


    It was obvious that Irene didn''t let Joanne get what she wanted. Edric was very surprised. How could


    Irene have changed so much?


    Thinking back, at that time, in order to separate Nathan from Irene, Britney had taken it upon herself


    and confronted Irene. Irene gave in almost immediately. So, why was Irene so unyielding this time?


    Plus, Irene hated yboys the most, right? So why did she fall in love with a yboy like Jordan?


    Why?


    Edric frowned. His heart was boiling. He understood that Jordan''s ce in Irene''s heart was


    unshakeable at this moment, to say the least.


    Edric felt a sharp pain in his chest. He was not only in pain, but also very disappointed. Could it be that


    he could only watch and do nothing as Irene married Jordan and stayed with thetter?


    As Edric was still in turmoil over that matter, John came in. "Mr. Pedro has just reached San Fetillo!"


    Pedro actually showed up in person. That made Edric feel both fortunate and worried.


    The fortunate part was that Pedro finally couldn''t sit still anymore. What Edric was worried about was


    that he didn''t know how Pedro would handle Irene. After all, Pedro was a very sly person. Irene had


    strong self-esteem and a straightforward personality. How could she be a match for Pedro?


    Pedro didn''t inform Jordan about his arrival in San Fetillo. Heid low and stayed at an ordinary hotel.


    He then called Irene that night.


    Pedro''s voice sounded exceedingly kind as he spoke, "I''m Jordan''s grandfather. I want to meet you,


    Miss Nelson. When would you be avable?"


    Irene was stupefied to receive a call from him. Joanne had just left the previous day, and there it came


    another person, Pedro. Such a strong reaction from the Reed family was indeed extraordinary. She


    replied, "Anytime."


    "Since that''s the case, let''s meet now," Pedro said.


    Irene went to the tea house where Pedro was. There were two bodyguards standing at the door. When


    they saw Irene, they politely pushed the door open. "Miss Nelson, please!"


    Irene entered the room. She saw Pedro sitting on the sofa. He looked somewhat in his sixties, but Irene


    knew that he was actually over 70.


    Pedro''s facial features were very simr to Jordan''s, but he didn''t look as approachable as Jordan.


    Instead, he gave people a sense of alienation.


    Hearing the voice, Pedro looked up at Irene. He had seen Irene''s photo before, but at that moment,


    when he saw her in person, he was still slightly stunned by her beauty.


    It was no wonder that Jordan would love her so much. If it weren''t for her identity and the fact that she


    was a divorcee, Irene would be worthy of Jordan.


    Irene nodded to Pedro. There was a warm smile on Pedro''s face, but his eyes revealed that he wasn''t


    as happy as all that. "Miss Nelson, please sit."


    Irene sat opposite Pedro. The waiter came in to serve them tea before leaving. Pedro picked up the


    cup and took a sip. "Miss Nelson, were you born and raised in San Fetillo?"


    "Yes," Irene answered.From N?velDrama.Org.


    "What''s your rtionship with Myra Nelson?" Pedro asked.


    "She is my mother." Irene subconsciously nced at Pedro. How did he know the name of her mother?


    "Oh! I wonder if Jordan has told you about our family issues." Pedro still sounded as gentle as he had


    been thus far.


    "He''s told me a little about it," Irene replied tly.


    "Then, you must know that Jordan has never had his father''s presence ever since he was young, right?


    What do you think about that?" Pedro asked.


    "I''m very sympathetic towards his plight." Irene did not know what Pedro was getting at.


    The reason he came to meet her must be because he wanted her to leave Jordan. But why didn''t he


    just go straight to the point? Pedro wouldn''t do such meaningless things, would he? There must be


    some purpose veiled behind his words. Irene became more cautious.


    "The woman who made Jordan lose his father is someone from San Fetillo. How queer that her name


    is exactly the same as your mother''s. I don''t know if it is a coincidence." Pedro slowed down the speed


    at which he was talking.


    Irene was dumbstruck. In her memory, her parents had been in love with each other the whole time.


    Moreover, her Myra passed away when she was about ten years old. How could it be possible for her


    to have a rtionship with Ma?


    She answered, lukewarm, while nursing the doubt in her heart, "Maybe it is such a coincidence."


    "I have a picture of Ma and that woman. I would like you to have a look at it." Pedro took out a


    photo and put it on the table.


    The photo was a little yellowish. Obviously, it was because it was from a long time ago. Irene picked up


    the photo and took a look at it. Her face suddenly changed. "How is it possible?"


    In the photo, the handsome man was a literal copy of Jordan, and she recognized the woman in the


    man''s arms at a nce. Seeing her face changing greatly, Pedra added unhurriedly. "Miss Nelson, do


    you know this woman?"


    "Is this a mistake?" Irene was rattled. She remembered what Jordan had said. The woman who


    snatched Ma away from Jordan''s family was a married woman.


    However, how could it be possible that Myra had an affair with Ma? And the photo in her hand was


    very clear, it was indeed Myra in the photo.


    "No! Impossible! It must be a mistake!" In her memory, her parents loved each other a lot. How could


    Myra have an affair with another man? Irene couldn''t and refused to believe it.


    "This is all the truth. Ma left Jordan''s mother and Jordan because of your mother. When he left,


    Jordan was still a young boy. No matter what method I used, he would note back. Later, your


    mother died in a car ident, yet he still refused to return to our family." Pedro sighed deeply.


    "It must be a mistake. It''s impossible for my mom to have an affair with another man. It must be a


    mistake!"


    Irene muttered to herself. Suddenly, she remembered that she saw Ma and Marie together earlier


    in the day. "The woman Ma liked wasn''t my mother, but a woman who looks like her. Her name is


    Marie. She is a doctor. I saw her with Ma!"


    "Can''t you even tell who your mother is? That Marie woman you mentioned, she is indeed Ma''s


    lover. But, do you know why? It''s solely because she looks like your mother."


    Irene couldn''t grasp it. She couldn''t understand what was going. However, the photo was undeniable


    proof. The woman in the picture was indeed Myra. She and Ma were hugging each other


    intimately.


    Irene closed her eyes in pain. The person who Jordan hated the most was actually her mother. How


    could that be?

 Chapter 82 Break Up

    Chapter 82 Break Up


    "Miss Nelson, now you know why I object to your rtionship with Jordan. It is not because you are a


    single mother or a divorcee, but because you are the daughter of someone Jordan hates the most.


    Because of your mother, Jordan has lost his father since he was a child. If he knows that you are the


    daughter of the woman who snatches his father away, what will he think?"


    Pedro''s voice was like a strained foghorn, slow but powerful; every word of his was devastating. "Think


    it over. If you can be with Jordan without feeling guilty, I won''t object to your rtionship. But you can''t


    hide the truth. Otherwise, when Jordan learns it..."


    Irene tried her best to keep herself calm, but tears still welled up her eyes. It was such a huge blow to


    her. She didn''t want to cry in front of outsiders, hence she stood up and bid goodbye to Pedro. Looking


    at her straightened back, Pedro''s heart couldn''t help aching for her.


    "Jordan, I have always been afraid of liking you. It''s because I am afraid that I will lose myself again,


    and I am worried that you will betray me. But now, what reason do I have to like you and ept your


    love?" Irene muttered silently.


    "Sorry, Jordan. I can''t ept your love because I don''t deserve it! I don''t deserve it!"


    In fact, the bitterness and pain in her heart at this moment were threatening to engulf her whole.


    However, only she knew how difficult it was to maintain her steady pace as she marched out of the tea


    room.


    She took her bag quietly and went downstairs; Jordan stood beside a car and beamed at her. Looking


    at his bright smile, Irene felt more miserable.


    She walked toward Jordan step by step, but every step seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. It was a


    short distance, but it felt like eternity.


    Jordan opened the car door for her, and Irene got in the car mutely. He followed her and looked at her


    with a smile. "Why didn''t you pick up my callst night?"


    "My phone was out of battery," Irene answered.


    "I had a rough night. I couldn''t fall asleep all of a sudden. I wanted to talk to someone, but I couldn''t get


    through your number. I ended up having a really bad insomnia. You have topensate me for not


    picking up the call!"


    Irene turned her head and hugged him suddenly. She brought her lips to Jordan''s and kissed him.


    Obviously, Jordan was shocked by her initiative. After a while, he began to respond to her.


    Finally, the two of them separated from each other. "If it weren''t daytime now, I would have ''eaten'' you


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    right now!" Jordan gasped.


    Irene looked at his handsome face and felt great pain inwardly. She concealed her own emotions and


    drawled, "Jordan, I have thought about it. We do not suit each other. Let''s break up!"


    "What did you say?" Jordan''s eyes widened. He almost suspected that there was something wrong


    with his ears. Irene had just kissed him, but she told him that she wished to break up with him the next


    second. Her capriciousness was f*cking believable.


    "I said, we''re not suitable for each other. Let''s break up!"


    Jordan''s face darkened. "Irene, are you joking?"


    "I''m not joking. I''ve thought it over. We''re indeed not suitable for each other. It''s better to end it now


    than be hurt in the future."


    "Not suitable? Why did you agree to date me in the beginning if we''re not? Irene, I''m warning you, I''m


    not a nobody. Since you get yourself involved with me, don''t think about running away!"


    "Jordan, let me go!" Irene lowered her head.


    "Let you go? Am I a monster? Am I that scary?" Jordan red at Irene.


    "I can''t convince myself to ept a man who had countless women. I think you are filthy!" hissed Irene.


    "You!" Jordan was gasping. How could Irene say that he was filthy?! How dared she?!


    Jordan raised his fist. For a second, Irene thought that he would punch her. She closed her eyes


    subconsciously, only to hear a bang. When she opened her eyes, she realized Jordan had hit the


    window with his fist.


    His hand was cut open and was bleeding. It pained Irene to see him being in such a state; she reached


    out her hand by instinct. Jordan''s eyes lit up at once, thinking that things were going to change for the


    better. But the next second, Irene suddenly changed her action. She quickly opened the bag in her


    hand and took out a letter. "This is my resignation letter. I hope you can approve my request."


    Irene tried her best to sound as cold and calm as possible. Only God knew how painful her heart was


    when she said those words.


    She knew very well how good Jordan had treated her. He had given her strength when she was in her


    most challenging and helpless state, but she was not destined to be with him.


    "Irene! Is someone threatening you?" Jordan grabbed her shoulders, and the blood on his hand


    dripped on Irene''s clothes. "Did Joanne threaten you again?"


    "No, no one threatened me. I just feel that we are not suitable for each other. I can''t get past that


    thought! For me, men are like toothbrushes, and they can''t be shared. I can''t ept the fact that you


    used to be with so many women."


    Jordan''s expression changed; he was hurt. She found him filthy. He knew well how many ridiculous


    things he had done in the past. Irene was not wrong!


    He let go of Irene''s shoulder dejectedly. She then put the resignation letter in front of him. "Mr. Reed, I


    hope you can approve my resignation as soon as possible. I believe you will not be as childish as


    before and threaten me with another contract, right?"


    Jordan was so furious that veins started popping on his forehead. He stared at Irene with bloodshot


    eyes. Yet, Irene did not budge; she mustered up the courage to look into his eyes.


    Looking at the indifference in her eyes, Jordan was finally defeated.


    "Get out of the car!" he barked ruthlessly. Irene opened the car door, but before she could steady her


    stance, he sped away.


    Looking at his car disappearing from her sight, she burst into tears. "Jordan, I''m sorry! It''s me who


    doesn''t deserve you. It''s my fault! I''m sorry!"


    The afternoon sun was scorching. Joanne was resting under a giant umbre in the garden with her


    eyes closed. She was on cloud nine. A while ago, she had gone to the Reed family to visit Pedro, who


    had just returned from San Fetillo. Pedro had told her that Irene would certainly leave Jordan.


    Pedro was indeed admirable. What did he have up his sleeve to make Irene back off? Joanne could


    not help thinking of Irene''s upromising attitude towards her previously. "Irene, you lose again!"


    Pedro was sitting contentedly in the garden as he took a sip of his tea. Ivan came in a hurry and


    shouted from a distance, "Master Pedro, Mr. Jordan is back!"


    Pedro did not react until Ivan walked up to him and repeated himself. Pedro finally asked, "Is Jordan


    back?"


    "Yes, it''s Mr. Jordan," answered Ivan.


    "Why is he back at this time? Is it because of Irene?" Pedro was in a daze, and soon he saw Jordan


    striding towards his direction.


    "Well yed, Grandpa!" Jordan walked to Pedro and sat down next to him. He then poured himself a


    cup of tea.


    Pedro remained silent, and he had guessed the reason why Jordan came back. It must be because of


    Irene.


    To be frank, Pedro felt a little guilty for Irene. After all, Irene was utterly different from what he had


    imagined.


    If she were not Myra''s daughter, he would let her and Jordan date. Unfortunately, the truth was not so,


    and he would not agree to their rtionship no matter what.


    "Grandpa, do you have anything to say to me?" Jordan stared at Pedro with his pair of coal-ck eyes.


    Even Pedro, who had been in the business for many years, was a little intimidated by Jordan. He faked


    a cough and asked, "Jordan, what''s the purpose of your return?"


    "Your acting skills have improved," Jordan mocked.


    Pedro''s face darkened. "You brat, watch your tongue! I''m your grandfather!"


    "So you do know that you are my grandfather, huh? Since you are my grandfather, how could you do


    that to me?"


    "Jordan, things are not as it seems. You really can''t be with Irene. I''m afraid that you will regret it in the


    future. Thus, I persuaded Irene to leave you!" Pedro sighed.


    "Regret? How do you know that I will regret it? How can you predict my future when I don''t even know


    about it. Are you a prophet?"


    "Jordan!" Pedro''s face was livid. "I did it for your own good!"


    "For my own good? I don''t need it! Grandpa, I''ve never liked a woman this much before. Do you know


    how I feel now? I feel like I''m being burnt alive. I''m in agony!" Jordan bellowed.


    Looking at Jordan''s expression, Pedro turned his head away silently, his emotions unreadable.


    "Grandpa, I beg you. Let me be with Irene! As long as you agree to it, I''ll do anything you want me to


    do."


    Jordan''s frantic statement spoke of the amount of love he had for Irene. Pedro wondered, "What is the


    charm of Irene and Myra?"


    Ma abandoned Jordan and his wife for Myra, and now, Jordan, too, was willing to do anything for


    Irene.


    Pedro was angered, and he took a sip of tea and remarked, "Jordan, never did I threaten and humiliate


    Miss Nelson. She willingly suggested leaving you. If you don''t believe me, you can check with her."


    "Willingly? How is that possible?" Jordan refused to believe it. "Grandpa, tell me honestly. What did you


    do to make Irene leave me so resolutely?"


    "It''s simple. I told Irene that she''s a divorced woman with a child. She''s not a match for you, and I don''t


    like her. That''s all."


    "Impossible!" Jordan did not believe it.


    "That''s the truth. Irene retreated because she felt that she didn''t deserve you, which proved that she


    didn''t love you much." Pedro would never tell Jordan about Myra.


    Seeing that Pedro wasn''t going to tell the truth, Jordan sneered. "Alright, I won''t press on since you


    don''t want to spit out the truth. But there is one thing I want to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "I won''t listen to you anymore!" Jordan raised the corners of his mouth sarcastically and looked at


    Pedro. "Grandpa, from now on, I won''t listen to any words from you. You want me to marry Joanne


    from the White family, right? You''d better give up!"


    "What''s wrong with Joanne? Why don''t you fancy her?" asked Pedro.


    "Why should I take a fancy to her?" Jordan scoffed. "I won''t get married or live as you wish without


    Irene. Just wait and see! A good show is about to unfold."


    "B*stard!" Pedro was furious. "Are you threatening me? I''m not buying this!"


    "I''m not. I''m telling you the truth!" Jordan drawled, making sure Pedro could hear each word of his


    clearly. "Without Irene, I''ll return to my previous messy life. Remember this! You are the one who ruins


    me and my happiness!"


    With that, Jordan got up and left. Looking at his back, Pedro''s eyes darkened.


    "Jordan, why are you so ignorant? How can you be such a fool?! It''s never my intention to go against


    you, but you can''t marry Irene!" he thought to himself.


    After saying goodbye to Jordan, Irene never went to Jordan''spany again. In order to cut off ties


    with Jordan, she handed over the valuable ring Jordan gave her to David and asked him to pass it to


    Jordan.


    On the other hand, Jordan had never appeared in her life again. Life went on even though she was


    jobless. The first thing Irene needed to do was to find a new job.


    She began to look for one and soon she found herself an administrative position. Although the sry


    was not as high as what Jordan had paid her, it was enough to cover her expenses.


    She was busy and productive at work. When she was free, she would think of Jordan, wondering how


    he was doing. "He must hate an ungrateful woman like me to the core."


    That was good. With Jordan''s character, if he hated her, he would not pester her anymore.


    But why was there so much reluctance and mncholy deep inside her?


    "Mom, why didn''t Jordane to y with me?" Eden couldn''t help but ask as he hadn''t seen Jordan


    for a few days.


    "Jordan will nevere again," Irene replied.


    "Why? Is he busy?" asked Eden.


    "No." Irene did not know how to answer Eden.


    "Mom, did Jordan abandon us?"


    Irene was caught tongue-tied, sadness sparkling in her eyes. Eden noticed it and reached out to hug


    her. "Mommy, don''t be sad. I will not leave you. I will apany you for the rest of my life!"


    "Oh, my dearest son!" Tears glistened in Irene''s eyes as she hugged Eden tightly.

 Chapter 83 Car Accident

    Chapter 83 Car ident


    Before the breakup, Irene did not feel anything unusual with Jordan apanying her every day. But


    now, without Jordan''spany, she found that her life had be so dreary.


    Everytime after dinner, she sat in the living room and checked her phone several times. Although she


    knew that there would be no phone calls or messages, she still looked forward to one.


    Thomas was ying games with Eden before he noticed Irene''s actions. He sighed and said, "Irene,


    it''s still early. Shall we take Eden somewhere nearby?"


    "Sure!" Irene got up and went downstairs with Eden and Thomas.


    The three of them took a stroll around the park. There was a night market not far from the residential


    area. It was always lively there in the evening.


    Eden saw the crowd and pointed in the direction of the market with his chubby little finger. "Mommy,


    can we go over there?"


    "Sure!" Irene nodded.


    Soon, the three of them arrived at the market. It was packed, leaving them little to no room for


    movement. Some people were buying snacks, meanwhile some were setting up stalls.


    Eden caught the sight of a stall owner selling cartoon helium balloons. "Mom, I want a Mickey Mouse


    balloon." His eyes were twinkling with excitement.


    "I will buy it for you." Irene took his hand and walked over.


    It cost Irene ten dors. When Eden got the balloon, he was ted. He ambled among the crowd with a


    content smile.


    Irene''s heart slightly ached when she saw the broad smile on his face. The three of them continued on


    before Irene''s phone rang. It was Kinsey. Irene handed Eden to Thomas as she went to answer the


    phone.


    Eden was jumping along the street with the helium balloon in his hand. In front of them was a candy


    stall. Looking at the colorful candies, Thomas said with a smile, "Do you want candies? I will buy some


    for you."


    Thomas went to buy the candies for Eden, meanwhile Eden stood aside and watched. Suddenly, a gust


    of wind blew across them. Before he could know it, the balloon in his hand was already blown away by


    the strong breeze. Eden ran after it immediately.


    After Thomas bought the candies, he turned around and saw Eden running through the road to chase


    after the balloon.


    Countless cars were passing by on the road. Eden was just a young boy, and the drivers wouldn''t


    probably see him. Shocked, Thomas yelled, "Eden, watch out!"


    Irene was on the phone with Kinsey. When she heard Thomas''s shout, she turned around. Seeing


    Eden running across the road, she was scared out of her wits. She ran after Eden instantly.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    The honking sound of the cars was deafening as it pierced through the air. Irene''s heart missed several


    steps before she and Thomas rushed forward regardless of the situation.


    The cars kept honking at the sight of the two adults running across the road.


    Irene''s eyes were fixated on Eden. A car was driving fast in Eden''s direction. She let out a heartrending


    scream and rushed toward Eden, screaming, "No!"


    Suddenly, they heard a screeching sound. Feeling an acute pain on her body, Irene''s vision went ck


    before she fainted.


    On the opposite side of the road, Edric stopped driving and rushed to Eden. When the car driver saw


    Edric, he subconsciously stepped on the brakes and turned the steering wheel hurriedly. The friction


    between the tyres and the road made a rather thunderous noise.


    Edric pulled Eden into his arms. The driver poked his head out of the window in shock. "What''s wrong


    with you? Are you trying to kill yourself?"


    When the driver saw the child in Edric''s arms, he wiped his sweat. It was a close call!


    In a hospital, Irene was pushed out of the operating room after emergency treatment. Edric held Eden


    in his arms and followed them into the ward.


    "Doctor, is she alright?" asked Edric.


    "Don''t worry. She''s out of danger!" the doctor answered.


    Edric''s racing heart finally calmed down. When Eden saw Irene unconscious on the bed, he struggled


    to get off from Edric''s arms. He stepped forward and shook Irene''s hand. "Mommy, wake up, please.


    I''m scared!"


    Edric went forward and hugged Eden as heforted him, "She is just tired. She will be fine after a


    short sleep."


    Eden quietened down sensibly. He held Irene''s hand and stood in front of her, refusing to leave her


    side. Edric felt as though his chest was punctured by an arrow as he watched them. Eden was


    behaving with such maturity that did not match his young age. Before Edric knew it, he was already


    tearing up. Then, he held Eden and Irene''s hands in his.


    After a long time, Irene finally opened her eyes. "Mom! You''re awake!" Eden was ecstatic.


    Irene saw Edric standing in front of her. The pain all over her body began to get the better of her. With


    much difficulty, she muttered, "Eden... Eden!"


    "Eden is right here. Don''t worry, he''s fine," Edric immediately said.


    "Edric... You... Why are you here?" Irene looked at him, trying hard to keep her eyes open.


    "Irene, you''re finally awake! How do you feel?" Edric asked with concern.


    Eden came closer to Irene and said, "Mom, it''s him who saved me!"


    Irene looked at Edric in astonishment. How could it be possible that he saved Eden?


    She had mixed feelings. Edric was the one who saved Eden. She couldn''t bring herself to thank him.


    Instead, she asked, "Where is Uncle Thomas?"


    She remembered that Thomas rushed out when she crossed the road. She was hit by a car, but what


    about Thomas?


    Edricforted her in a soft voice, " He''s doing fine. His leg is sprained, and he''s resting in the ward


    nearby."


    Irene was relieved to hear that Thomas was fine.


    Hearing that Irene had an ident, Kinsey hurried to the hospital. When she noticed Edric, she looked


    at him disgustedly. "We don''t need you here. Please leave!"


    Edric was not willing to leave Irene alone in the hospital. But, he knew that Irene did not want him to


    stay either. "Mr. Myers, thank you for saving my son. My friend is here, and she will take care of me.


    Please leave!"


    Irene was determined. Edric could only let out a sigh and get up to leave the hospital.


    Kinsey apanied Irene in the hospital for a while before she went to Irene''s house to grab some


    daily necessities. In less than an hour, she came back to the hospital.


    With a pale face, she said, "Irene, something serious has happened!"


    "What''s the big deal?" Kinsey had always been calm; Irene had never seen her like that before. She


    didn''t know what had happened, but she had a premonition of imminent disaster.


    Sure enough, Kinsey''s reply made Irene stunned. "The building where you live has a fire, and


    everything in the house has been burned down!"


    "How could this be?" Irene muttered.


    The fire had burned the whole building into ashes. Kinsey had heard that a few people who failed to


    escape were severely injured and sent to the hospital. The police had blocked the scene and were


    investigating the case.


    The house that Irene had lived in for only a few months was gone in a fire. She needed to rent another


    ce to stay.


    She had to pay the rent and her mortgage at the same time. The most terrible thing was that she


    couldn''t go to work because of her injury. This meant that she would fail her probation and be


    dismissed.


    Irene leaned against the bed in a daze. Her wounds had not healed, but she had fallen into a new


    predicament. A sense of despair overwhelmed her.


    "Why must God treat me like this?" she mused under her breath.


    Kinsey took her hand tofort her. "Irene, don''t worry. Take care of yourself first. When you leave the


    hospital, you can move to my ce first, and you can look for a new job then. You don''t need to worry


    as long as I am here."


    Irene held Kinsey''s hand in silence. The only right thing she did in her life was probably having Kinsey


    as her friend.


    Kinsey wanted to ask for leave to take care of her, but Irene refused, "Kinsey, I can take care of


    myself."


    Kinsey nodded. "I wille to see you at night." She had been busy with a case recently. If she won


    the case, she would be able to earn arge sum of money. As Irene was in trouble, the extra money


    would be a big help.


    Steven learned about the fire instantly. He went to the hospital to see the injured in person.


    All of the patients injured in the fire were staying in the same ward as Irene. Only then did Steven know


    that Irene had a car ident.


    Seeing Irene''s head wrapped with gauze and her pallid face, Steven was upset. After he had tended to


    several other patients, he went to Irene''s bed and reached out to hold her hand.


    "Does it hurt? Just let me know if you need my help. The government will do its best to help you."


    Steven, a politician, went to the hospital to visit the wounded, and naturally, he had managed to attract


    arge number of reporters. Seeing Steven holding Irene''s hand with concern, they all raised the


    cameras to take pictures.


    Seeing that reporters were taking photos, Irene controlled the urge to push Steven''s hand away.


    "Thank you, Mr. Cook."


    Steven gave instructions to the hospital that they must do their best to treat the injured patients. Then


    he left the hospital surrounded by a group of officials.


    On the way back, Steven called Deborah. "Clean up the house immediately. Irene may move back in a


    few days."


    Deborah was shocked but she didn''t dare to ask more. All she did was to nod her head.


    After hanging up the phone, Deborah''s face turned sour. She got up and went into the bedroom.


    Closing the door behind her, she picked up the phone and dialed, "What''s going on?"


    "Didn''t you ask me to find a way to drive her out of the San Fetillo? I had arranged for someone to set


    fire to her residence. Thus, she won''t be able to stay in San Fetillo," the person answered triumphantly.


    "Idiot! You can''t do anything but make trouble for me!" Deborah was so vexed that her eyes shed


    with rage.


    No wonder Steven had ordered her to clean up the house. Irene didn''t have a ce to live in and would


    definitely move back. What a stupid fool!


    While she was in a fit of anger, Lily came back to the house. "Mom, I saw the news that there was a fire


    in Soutke Residence. Irene is now hospitalized. Dad had gone to the hospital to check on her.


    What''s going on?"


    "It is exactly what you read!" Deborah said with a gloomy face. She told Lily what Steven had said.


    Lily became anxious at once. "If Irene moves back, Edric will definitely know the rtionship between


    Irene and me. If it is so, Edric may cut ties with me. All our ns will go down the drain! "


    When she finished shouting, the phone rang again. After seeing the phone number, Lily was more


    concerned. "Mom, it''s Edric. Why is he calling me at this time? Has he learned something?"


    "Don''t panic! Beposed. What will you do if you encounter a huge problem if you can''t even handle


    a phone call?" Deborah yelled at Lily.


    "You should meet up with him and see what he has to say. Remember to be more flexible and act


    ording to circumstances. Now that your father is determined to let Irene move back, we must handle


    the situation more tactfully. Hold Edric back for a while, and I will find a way to solve it."


    When Lily entered the cafe, Edric had been waiting for her for a long time. She showed him an


    apologetic look. "I''m sorry, there''s a traffic jam on the road. That''s why I''mte."


    "It doesn''t matter. I just arrived." Edric''s voice was gentle.


    Lily, who had been with Edric for three years, knew that he hated waiting for others the most. He was


    unusually kind that day. Her heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling about it.

 Chapter 84 Find Ways to Look Into It

    Chapter 84 Find Ways to Look Into It


    "What do you want to drink?" Edric asked her gently. "Blue Mountain or cappino?"


    Lily only liked to drink caffe mocha. Every time she met Edric, she would order it. Yet, Edric was still


    unaware of her preferred drinks. Glumly, she said, "Mocha."


    Edric ordered the coffee for her, and he ordered a cup of Blue Mountain for himself. Seeing that he had


    the same taste as Irene, Lily was irked; but instead, she put on a concern mask. "Edric, you seem to


    have lost a lot of weight."


    "Really?" Edric smiled faintly. When the waiter brought the coffee, Lily picked up the cup and took a sip.


    Edric remained silent, watching her motionlessly. After Lily put down the cup, he said, "Lily, I''m sorry. I


    can''t get engaged to you."


    Lily knew he wouldn''t deliver good news, but it never crossed her mind that Edric would cancel the


    engagement just like that.


    One of the reasons Lily med Irene for her miscarriage was that she wanted to make Edric feel guilty


    for his whole life.


    She would have a shot as long as Edric was haunted by his own guilt. But she didn''t expect that even


    his guilt wouldn''t stand a chance against Irene.


    Lily was crestfallen. The dejected look on her face was genuine. "Have you thought about it


    thoroughly?"


    "Yes, I''ve thought it over." Edric felt that he was a little cruel. Lily was innocent. From the beginning, it


    was Deborah who let her get involved in the rtionship between Irene and him.


    Edric had always felt sorry for her. Therefore, he had tried his best to make up for Lily by fulfilling every


    single wish of her in thest three years, as long as they could be bought with money. "I''m sorry, Lily. I


    can''t leave her alone."


    "I know. When Irene returned, I already knew it. I don''t me you." Lily took a deep breath and forced


    a smile. "Will you marry her again?"


    "I''ll fight for it. After all, I''ve wronged her."


    "Try your best to win her back. She is a good person worthy of your love. If you need me, I will help you


    at any time."


    Edric didn''t expect that Lily would be so forgiving, which made him feel even more guilty. "If you need


    anything, you cane to me. I will never turn you away."


    "I don''t need anything. Your happiness is my greatest wish. I wish you and Irene a happy life." After


    saying this, Lily covered her face and ran out of the cafe.


    Looking at her staggering figure, Edric sat in the cafe for a while before he got up and left.


    After leaving the cafe, Lily went straight home and called for Deborah when she entered the door.


    "Mom, Edric broke up with me. He is going to be with Irene."


    "He broke up with you for that b*tch. He is really heartless!" Deborah scolded fiercely.


    Irene was indeed fortunate. Compared to her, Deborah and Lily had done everything they could but


    none of their ns worked. It was indeed an unlucky turn of events for them. Deborah was infuriated.


    "This b*tch is a jinx. D*mn it!"


    Lily pulled a long face. "Mom, I don''t want to break up with Edric. Think of a solution. I don''t want to live


    anymore if Irene and Edric are remarried."


    "What are you panicking about? You''re so useless." Deborah red at Lily. "You''ve already admitted


    defeat before you even make a strike!"


    "What else can we do now?"


    "Let me think about it!" Deborah was flustered. She kept pacing back and forth in the room. After a


    while, her eyes lit up as a vicious idea formed in her mind.


    Irene leaned against the hospital bed, worried about her future. The door of the ward was pushed


    open. It was David who had appeared in the ward.


    She was surprised to see David. Irene looked behind him but did not see Jordan. She did not know


    whether she should be disappointed or relieved.


    David walked up to her and asked, "How do you feel?"


    "Not bad."


    "I''ve told Mr. Reed what happened to you. He''s back to Mencodia, and he''ll probably return tomorrow.


    He asked me to send a message to you."


    David paused for a moment and continued, "Mr. Reed said that you had signed the contract of selling


    yourself to him. If you don''t go back and work at thepany, you will have to bear legal


    responsibilities and pay a huge penalty. Hence, he hopes you can reconsider your choice, and you''d


    better go back to thepany to work. In addition, he knows that you have been in a series of


    unfortunate events recently. He said that you could have a break to have a good rest before going back


    to work."


    "I..." Irene did not know what to say.


    "Mr. Reed said that your rest time is unlimited, and it''s paid leave. But after that, you must go back to


    work immediately. Otherwise, he will hold you liable for it!"


    Irene controlled the tears that were about to spill. "How is he?"


    "He''s doing very well. He eats well and sleeps well. He asked you not to worry about him. You just have


    to recover and go back to work. Everything that happened in the past has never happened!" David took


    out a sum of money. "This is the sry of your paid leave."


    "No! I can''t take this money!" Irene refused. She was not a fool. How could she not understand


    Jordan''s good intentions?


    "Miss Nelson, please take it. This is the sry given by Mr. Reed. Don''t waste it!"


    "I won''t. Please pass on to Jordan that I will go back to work."


    David didn''t give Irene the money in the end. Instead, he left the hospital with it. In the hospital''s


    parking lot, Jordan sat in the car with an anxious look on his face. When he saw David, he opened the


    door and asked, "How did it go?"


    "Since you''re worried, why don''t you go and have a look?" David was straightforward.


    "Then what did I hire you for?" Jordan red at him. He was a prideful person; he wouldn''t visit a


    person who despised him.


    David answered, "Irene''s fine. She''ll be discharged from the hospital in a few days. She said she would


    "This is the money you gave her. She won''t ept it." David handed the money to Jordan. Jordan''s


    face darkened at once. "Why doesn''t she want it?"


    "I don''t know. She just doesn''t want to. She said that if I insist, she won''t go to work."


    Jordan knew how mulish Irene could be. Jordan was so irate that he cursed under his breath. This


    woman was f*cking stubborn, but he adored her stubbornness.


    With a long face, Jordan retorted, "What did I say when we were on the way here?"


    "You said that if Iplete this task, you will double my bonus," David replied.


    "Now things haven''t been done well, and your bonus is halved."


    Anger began to roar inside David. But all he did was to meet Irene and ry Jordan''s message. And by


    promised amount. At the thought of this, his resentment dissipated.


    When he started the car, Jordan said, "I heard that Edric often goes to the hospital during this time.


    Why?"


    "I don''t know. I heard that Edric saved Miss Nelson''s son," David replied.


    "If you don''t know, then you should find ways to look into it," Jordan ordered. "I always feel that there is


    something strange between Edric and Irene. Is there something going on between them?"


    "Miss Nelson is not such a person." David did not see eye to eye with Jordan''s spection.


    Jordan knew that Irene would not cheat on him. "But what about Edric? Could it be that he''s interested


    in Irene?"


    It was possible. Edric did not know the rtionship between Irene and Lily. Thus, he might have fallen


    for her beauty.


    Thinking of Edric''s gaze on Irene when they met before, Jordan frowned. He had to think of a way to


    get rid of Edric and to win Irene back. Something that allowed him to kill two birds with one stone. He


    couldn''t let Edric take advantage of the current situation and go near Irene.


    Jordan was lost in thought when David suddenly remarked, "By the way, Miss Nelson has no ce to


    stay now."


    "I know." Jordan was displeased at the fact that David interrupted his train of thought. After closing his


    eyes and pondering for a while, he spoke, "Buy a house right away and rent it to her. Do it without


    anyone noticing."


    "Mr. Reed, what are you nning? You should be the one who does this to show that you care for her.


    Only in this way can you win her back." David was puzzled.


    "What do you even know?" Jordan red at him. To win a woman required strategies. If Irene could be


    bought over with money, Jordan wouldn''t have to worry to begin with.


    Thinking of those cruel words Irene had said to him, his heart ached. "I''m so pathetic! She humiliated


    me, but I''m still concerned about her. How pathetic!"


    The room was silent after David left. Ireney on the bed alone, her heart racing inside her chest. She


    had never dreamed that Jordan woulde to help her. She had degraded him so meanly. "How could


    he have thought of helping me? Is he not angry at all?"


    "Or did he move on?" she pondered. The more she thought about it, the more confused she felt. After a


    long time, the door was pushed open. This time, it was Edric who came in with Eden in his arms.


    "Mom, I went to have dinner with Mr. Edric just now. The food is yummy, and I have eaten a lot. Mr.


    Edric even brought meals for you and Uncle Thomas."


    Eden''s face was flushed with glee; he was notably happy. Edric put Eden on the ground and put the


    bag in his hand on the table next to Irene.


    He opened the bag and handed the food to Irene. Irene did not take it. "Thank you, Mr. Myers. The


    hospital provides meals, so you don''t have to trouble yourself."


    "The hospital food is not delicious. Whereas, the food I bought is tasty." Edric didn''t care about her


    attitude. "It''s all your favorites. Have a try."


    Irene was about to lose her temper, but Eden came up to her and said, "Mom, shall I feed you?"


    Looking at Eden''s smiling face, Irene suppressed her anger. "I can do it myself. You don''t have to feed


    me, Eden."


    "Mom, you should dig in. You''ll feel better after you eat, and we can go home."


    Looking at Eden''s innocent eyes and thinking of the hardship she would face after leaving the hospital,


    Irene let out a long sigh. When she looked up, she saw that Edric was looking at her. She scowled at


    him coldly and asked, "Mr. Myers, don''t you have work to do?"


    Eden on the side chimed in, "Mom, Mr. Edric said that you and Uncle Thomas are injured, and no one


    can take care of us, so he''s decided to stay to look after us."


    "Mr. Edric is a busy man, and I can take care of myself." Irene looked at Eden. "We should be


    independent. It''s not a good thing to rely on strangers, understand?"


    "But Mr. Edric is no stranger. He is a good man."


    "Eden!" Irene raised her voice, and Eden immediately fell silent while biting his lower lip . Edric picked


    up the other set of meals on the table. "I''ll go to see Uncle Thomas next door."


    "I''ll go with you!" Seeing Eden and Edric leave together, Irene sighed heavily. "Why is Eden so close


    with Edric? Is it because they''re rted by blood?"


    When Edric went to the ward next door, he encountered a cold treatment from Thomas. In fact,


    Thomas was even more straightforward. "Thank you for saving Eden, Mr. Myers. We will remember


    your great kindness and help. If there is a chance in the future, we will definitely repay you. But now,


    we don''t want to see you!"


    Thomas was using honorific to address Edric. Edric''s face fell, but he knew he shouldn''t vent his anger


    at Thomas.


    Eden did not understand the fight between adults. "Uncle Thomas, why do you say that we don''t want


    to see Mr. Edric? I am happy to see him."


    "Did you forget what your mother said?" Thomas reminded him.


    "I remember. Don''t talk to strangers." Eden lowered his head. Edric had be strangers to Irene and


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Thomas. Edric''s eyes lost their gleam, but he managed to hide his fury.


    Edric didn''t leave the hospital even with Irene and Thomas'' requests. Instead, he insisted on staying.


    As soon as Marie heard Edric had saved Eden, she quickly told Margaret the matter.

 Chapter 85 The Truth

    Chapter 85 The Truth


    Margaret had a huge shock when she heard that Edric risked being hit by a car to save Irene. He had


    already gotten hurt because of her the time before. Margaret increasingly felt that Irene would only


    bring bad luck. If this went on, Irene would be the death of Edric.


    She had to get Irene out of San Fetillo as soon as possible! Marie said that Irene''s house had been


    burned down and she had nowhere to stay. Furthermore, she had also lost her job. It seemed like it


    was the right time to add fuel to the fire. Margaret would use this to negotiate with Irene and persuade


    her to leave San Fetillo.


    Margaret felt like now was her window of opportunity. She gave Irene a phone call.


    "Mrs. Myers? What is it?" Irene spoke in an aloof tone; hearing Margaret''s voice made her uneasy.


    "Well, I just saw the news and found out what happened to your home. I sympathize with you,"


    Margaret said.


    Pigs were probably about to fly at Margaret''s call of concern. She should be the happiest person on


    earth at Irene''s predicament. Irene did not reply; she wanted to see what Margaret would say next.


    Margaret continued, "I know things are difficult for you now. You are now jobless and homeless. It must


    be hard having to raise your son and your uncle. I''ve thought about it, and I want to help you."


    "Would you really be so nice?" Irene questioned.


    "Irene, we used to be family after all. I don''t feel any better looking at your situation like this. I wasn''t


    born a cruel woman, we just had different points of view. In fact, I''m a mother just like you are. On


    behalf of that, please ept my suggestion. If you can leave San Fetillo, I''ll give you money. I


    guarantee that you won''t be able to finish spending it for the rest of your life. You won''t have to struggle


    so hard, and your son can get the best education money can buy. Please think about it," Margaret


    persuaded.


    "Margaret Myers, San Fetillo is my home. This is where I grew up! Why should I leave? Weren''t you


    and Edric doing fine in Alsburg City? Why did you guyse here? If you''re so worried about him, take


    him and leave. Why do you have to force me instead?" Irene roared at the phone. "I''m staying in San


    Fetillo even if I end up on the streets. I won''t leave, ever!"


    After that, she hung up the phone. Her heart was in a mess. What was wrong with Margaret?


    In the evening, Irene told Kinsey, who came over for a visit, everything Margaret had said. Kinsey was


    equally exasperated. Why was that old witch so insistent?


    "Irene, I think you should ept her offer. Take the money she gives. You''re not holding onto Edric


    anyway. This money is what his family owes you; don''t turn it down for nothing," Kinsey said.


    "I know, but I don''t want to have anything to do with them. Not even a little bit," Irene replied.


    "You''re just too stubborn!" Kinsey sighed.


    After staying in the hospital for another week, Irene was no longer in pain. She was ready for


    discharge, but the doctor thought otherwise. He imed that the higher-ups in the government had


    made a request to the hospital. He could only allow her to leave when her wounds werepletely


    healed.


    Irene knew that this must be Steven''s doing. She had no choice but to return to her ward. Soon after,


    the door was pushed open and Edric came in with a thermos sk. He asked, "Are you feeling better


    today?"


    Irene stayed mute and looked at him coldly. He paid no mind to her indifference as he opened up the


    sk and poured out the soup. He handed it to Irene and said, "Have some of this!"


    "Can you stop showing up in front of me?" Irene did not take the soup.


    "I can. I''ll leave after you finish the soup." Edric held the container in front of her. She took it and drank


    it all in one go. "I''m done. You can go now."


    He did not leave. Instead, he started tidying up. "Don''t worry about the house. I''ve one prepared; you


    can move into it once you''re discharged. And for your job..."


    "Edric Myers, I don''t need your charity!" Irene interrupted him. She was still furious from Margaret''s


    phone call that day.


    "Why did youe to San Fetillo? The world is so big; why did youe here and force everything on


    me? Will you only be happy once I''m dead?"


    "Irene, I''m not trying to force you. I just want to help you!" Edric looked at her as his heart ached for


    her.


    "Get out!" Irene pointed at the door. Her life had changed ever since she met him.


    If it were not for him, she would have found a stable job after graduation and lived an ordinary but


    fulfilling life.


    She would not have had to go through all this pain and suffering, nor would she have faced such


    humiliation. "Edric Myers, get the hell out of here. I never want to see you again for the rest of my life!"


    Edric furrowed his eyebrows, the emotions in his eyes unreadable. He eventually let out a low sigh.


    "Okay, I''ll go."


    She was injured and was at her most vulnerable point right now. No matter how vicious she was, he did


    not want to provoke her any further. Standing at the corner of the corridor, he lit a cigarette.


    He did everything in his power to move hispany''s operations center from Alsburg City to San


    Fetillo. This was because San Fetillo was her hometown. People said to never forget their roots. He


    believed that she woulde back one day.


    Well, she had indeede back to San Fetillo, but everything had unfolded in a way out of his control.


    It was as if they were strangers. She hated him to his bones. How could he change all of this? Edric


    threw away the cigarette butt and turned around irritably, only to notice a man striding across the


    corridor.


    Steven?


    Seeing Steven entering her ward, Irene was cautious. "What are you doing here?"


    "Irene, my child, you''ve suffered so much!" Steven was about to hold her hand before she avoided his


    grasp. He retracted his hand dejectedly. "Irene, I''m sorry!"


    "Mr. Cook, would an apology change anything?" Irene red at him. There were two people she hated


    the most in the world. One was Edric, and the other was Steven.


    "You''d better stay away from me. You''re now in the prime of your career. If someone were to find out


    that you had an affair, you wouldn''tst very long in your seat."


    "I was wrong back then. I didn''t have an affair. I never thought of betraying your mother. Deborah is her


    friend. I met her when I was on a business trip, I was drunk and..." Steven pulled his hair as he spoke.


    "I''ve always felt so guilty to Myra. I didn''t expect Deborah to be pregnant and give birth to Lily. After


    Myra passed away, Deborah showed up with Lily at my doorstep. At that time, people were reporting


    me for hical and immoral behavior. I thought about how hard it must have been for her to raise Lily


    alone all those years. In order topensate her, I..."


    Steven did not dare to look at Irene. He rambled on and on about what happened that year. Irene


    looked at him in disdain. "Are you telling me that you have no feelings for Deborah? And that you


    married her for the sake of your reputation and career?"


    His face turned red. Her harsh words were right on point.


    She sneered. "You said you loved Myra, but I don''t see any love from you at all. If what happened that


    year was an ident, why didn''t you exin it to her? Why did you choose to keep it a secret?"


    If Steven had told Myra the truth, she would not have been heartbroken when she found it out herself.


    She would not have left home, leading up to the car ident. If he really loved her so much, he would


    never have married Deborah, a woman from an affair, just for the sake of keeping his power!


    "To you, power is always the top priority. Your words about how much you love my mother and me are


    all utter nonsense. When your power is jeopardized, you''ll always choose that over anything else,"


    Irene said.


    Steven pleaded, "Irene, forgive me. I''m a coward; I know I was wrong. I won''t leave you alone again.


    I''ve asked Deborah to prepare a room for you. Move back and let me take care of you. I won''t let you


    get hurt ever again!"


    "Mr. Cook, you''d better think this through. If someone were to bring up the past, could you still continue


    on with your career?" Irene asked.


    "I''ve made up my mind, you don''t have to worry about me. Nothing will happen out of it," he assured.


    "That means you''ve already prepared an excuse in advance." Irene sneered. She was wondering why


    Steven had suddenly shown up and asked her to move back.


    It seemed like he had already handled everything that mighte after. He was not worried about


    being exposed. She felt a wave of mncholy and irony. This was her father, the man that her mother


    had loved so dearly. Yet in his heart, there was no ce for family, only power.


    "I won''t move back. If you insist on me going back, get that b*tch and her daughter to move out!" she


    dered.


    "Irene!" Steven was startled.


    "You don''t have to say anything else. I won''t go back. Leave!"


    He sighed heavily. He got up and left the ward.


    After Steven left, Edric came in. Irene was surprised to find him still here. "Why are you here again?"


    "Irene, what''s your rtionship with Steven?" Edric stared at her.


    "Our rtionship?" Irene scoffed. Since Edric had not left, he must have overheard their conversation.


    She did not want to hide it anymore either. "He''s my father. Are you satisfied with this answer, Mr.


    Myers?"


    "He''s your father?" He finally confirmed his guess. He should have realized it earlier. The photo in


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Steven''s study was not Irene, but Irene''s mother. "How could this be?"


    "Isn''t it surprising?" Irene chuckled without emotion. "Steven had an affair and ended up having an


    illegitimate daughter. My mother was so distressed by it that she ran out of the house and got into a car


    ident. After her death, he brought his mistress and daughter home. That''s it."


    "Why didn''t you tell me the truth?" Edric pressed on.


    "Tell you? Why should I?" She stared at him mockingly. "Are you going to say that if I had told you my


    father was a politician, Margaret would be impressed? And you would have support in your business,


    and you wouldn''t have gone in an affair with Lily?"


    "Irene Nelson, have you ever loved me, even for once?" If she had been honest about her identity,


    Margaret would not have treated her that way. She would not have objected to Edric and Irene''s


    rtionship, and they could have lived happily ever after.


    However, she had kept her identity a secret. They were husband and wife, but she hid it from him.


    Edric felt sorrow well up in his heart.


    Irene wanted to burst outughing. He had the nerve to ask if she loved him! If she did not love him,


    would she have married him? Would she have endured the endless humiliation from Margaret for three


    whole years? Was he in the position to question her love for him?


    Ever since he had an affair with Lily and gotten her pregnant, Irene had given up all hope in him. He did


    not deserve her love!


    "Edric Myers! I''ve never loved you at all! Never!"


    Listening to her cold and ruthless words, Edric was about to lose his mind. He raised his fist at her. She


    looked at his bloodshot eyes and contorted expression, snickering. "Are you furious because of your


    own shamelessness? Are you going to resort to hitting me now?"


    Looking at her fearless gaze, he punched the headboard of the bed. He turned around and strode out


    of the ward before he left the hospital immediately.


    Irene was Steven''s daughter. She must hate Deborah for being in an affair and marrying Steven. That


    hate probably extended to Lily too. If that was the case, why did Lily choose to be the surrogate? Did


    she not know how much this would hurt Irene?


    As Edric drove his car, he made a phone call to Lily. "Come out for a while. I have something to ask


    you."

 Chapter 86 Somethings Wrong

    Chapter 86 Something''s Wrong


    After hanging up the phone, Lily looked at Deborah and said, "Mom, Edric sounded weird; it seems like


    something''s wrong!"


    "Don''t worry. Tell him the truth. Steven will be responsible for anything that happens," Deborah said


    dismissively.


    "But I''m still worried," Lily replied in doubt.


    "Don''t be scared. I''ll take care of everything for you." Deborah had a sinister smile. "That little b*tch


    wants to have Edric? In her dreams! Edric is yours. I won''t just turn her and Edric into strangers; I''ll


    make sure they be enemies!"


    Hearing Deborah''s words, Lily felt relieved and headed out to meet Edric.


    Edric''s expression looked incredibly livid. "I have something to ask you!"


    "What''s the matter?" Lily spoke in a meek voice, attempting to elicit sympathy in Edric. She and


    Deborah had already thought of all the possible situations and came up with countermeasures. She


    was not panicked at all as she faced Edric.


    "Did you know the rtionship between you and Irene?" Edric stared at her. His gaze was sharp as if


    he was trying to see through her.


    "You know?" Lily showed a dumbstruck expression and looked down at the ground. "I knew she was


    my sister for a long time. Because of my mom, she has a huge misunderstanding towards us. She


    never wanted to acknowledge our rtionship."


    Sneering, Edric remarked, "So, my mother and I were the only ones kept in the dark? You knew that


    she was your sister and she hated you. Why did you agree to the surrogacy?"


    "Edric, I''m sorry! We lied to you. Back then, Irene could not get pregnant for so many years, and we


    heard that Aunt Margaret was treating her really badly because of it. Dad was really worried, so..." Lily


    trailed off.


    "So what?" he asked.


    "Dad has always felt sorry towards Irene, so has my mom. When they heard that Aunt Margaret was


    being mean to her because she couldn''t get pregnant, their hearts ached for her. Coincidentally, Aunt


    Margaret mentioned the surrogacy to my mom. Instantly, my mom thought of me. I didn''t want to do it,


    but my mom said that this was our only chance to make up for the past to Irene. If I could give birth to a


    child for her, Aunt Margaret would definitely stop hurting Irene. She could live happily with you by then.


    I felt bad for her too, so I agreed."


    "How could you all do this?" Edric murmured to himself. He never dreamed that Lily had agreed to be a


    surrogate only because of Steven and Deborah''s guilt towards Irene. This was the only reason that


    could exin why a rich heiress like her would be willing to do something like this.


    "Edric, although I have always liked you, I never thought of recing Irene. I''m telling the truth!" Lily


    exined pitifully.


    "I never nned to tell her about the fact that I was pregnant with your child. All I wanted was to give


    birth to a child for you secretly so that Aunt Margaret would not torture her anymore. You have to


    believe me; I had no other motives!"


    Edric did not reply to her. Back then, Margaret was exasperated that they could not save the baby. Yet,


    Lily did not evenin about it. The moment she had got out of the operation room, she begged


    him to not me Irene, saying that it was all her fault. She was so weak after the surgery, but that was


    all she had to say.


    Later, when Lily heard that Margaret forced him to divorce Irene, she came to him in tears. She imed


    that she was the one to be med and asked him to go exin things to Irene. She even said that she


    would go with him.


    Then, when Margaret demanded him to marry Lily, she continued to bring up Irene in front of him. She


    was always so apologetic about Irene. He never understood why, but now he knew that all these


    happened with a reason.


    Lily stole a nce at Edric and began to wipe her tears with her hands. "I''ve always felt very sorry


    towards Irene. All these years, I couldn''t sleep at night because of the guilt. If it weren''t for me, you and


    Irene wouldn''t have ended up like this. This is all my fault! When you said you wanted to return to her, I


    was so relieved. You have all my support. As long as you two are able to get back together, I won''t


    have to live in guilt anymore when I see her."


    Edric said nothing. He had nowhere to vent his frustration. If what Lily said was true, Steven and


    Deborah were indeed the true culprits of this incident. They sacrificed Lily to make up for the mistakes


    they made. Lily was innocent; she had done nothing wrong.


    Lily was sobbing, and Edric''s thoughts were caught in a mess. Everything was too f*cking unexpected!


    He took out a cigarette irritably. Before he lit it, his phone rang. In the call, Loraine said in a panic, "Mr.


    Myers, pleasee back quickly. Miss Nelson has just rushed into the house and is quarreling with


    Mrs. Myers!"


    Irene was in an argument with Margaret at their home? Shocked, Edric bolted up at once. Lily


    overheard the conversation and chimed in, "Edric, I''ll go with you."


    After Edric had left the hospital, Irene went to Thomas'' ward. Thomas'' leg was injured and he could not


    ambte. Irene sat by the bed and talked to him while Eden yed by himself.


    Irene and Thomas had no idea as to when Eden disappeared. Later, a nurse came in with an envelope


    in her hand. She handed the envelope to Irene. "Someone asked me to give this to you."


    Confused, Irene took it from the nurse. When she opened it, there was only a single message. "If you


    want your son back safe and sound, leave San Fetillo!"


    "Eden!" It was only then that she realized Eden was gone. She ran out anxiously to look for him, and


    happened to meet Kinsey who had juste in. Seeing her flustered look, Kinsey grabbed her wrist


    and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Eden is gone!" Irene eximed.


    "Don''t worry, maybe he''s just ying outside," Kinseyforted her.


    Irene was not as optimistic as Kinsey. She handed the note in her hand to Kinsey. "Kinsey, I suspect


    that Eden was taken away by Margaret. She called me previously and asked me to leave San Fetillo,


    but I refused... That old witch! She had also hired men to knock out Eden before. It must be her again.


    She''d do anything to make me leave. I''m going to her now."


    "Okay, I''ll take you there!" Kinsey held onto the shaken Irene and drove to Edric''s home.


    In the living room, Margaret was sittingfortably watching TV while sipping a cup of tea. Loraine on


    the other hand was cleaning up the stairs. When Loraine heard the doorbell ringing, she went over and


    opened the door. She was shocked when she saw Irene. "Miss... Miss Nelson?"


    "Where''s Margaret?" Irene''s voice echoed off the wall.


    "Why are you looking for Mrs. Myers?" Loraine asked.


    "You don''t have to know. Just tell me, is she here or not? I need to talk to her," Irene pressed on.


    Loraine looked back at the living room. Irene followed her gaze and saw Margaret on the sofa. Before


    Loraine could answer Irene, thetter barged in. Loraine stopped her and said, "Miss Nelson, you can''t


    Of course, Irene and Kinsey would not listen to Loraine. They pushed Loraine away and went into the


    living room. Irene gnashed her teeth at the sight of Margaret. "Margaret Moore, what have you done?!"


    "Why are you here?" Margaret was startled when she saw Irene.


    "Where''s my son? Margaret, how can you be so evil? Hand my son over now!" Irene red at Margaret


    with anger in her eyes.


    Margaret was dumbstruck. "What are you talking about? Hand your son over? I never saw your son!"


    "Are you telling me you didn''t send me this note?" Irene threw the note at Margaret''s face. "Margaret


    Moore, you are also a mother. How could you be so cruel?"


    Margaret picked up the note and scoffed. "Irene Nelson, are you insane? How can you be sure I sent


    this?"


    "Because you hired someone to kidnap my son before. I won''t leave San Fetillo. Give me my son right


    now!" Irene shouted.


    "Mrs. Myers, what you''re doing is illegal. Hurry up and hand Eden over, or we''ll call the police!" Kinsey


    interrupted.


    "Call the police? Are you kidding me? You two are the ones trespassing on my residence and causing


    a ruckus. I''m the one who should be calling the police!" Margaret turned back and told Loraine, "Get


    them out of here!"


    "Miss Nelson, your son isn''t here. You''d better leave now," Loraine persuaded.


    "I won''t leave until I see my son. Margaret, I know you did it. Don''t try to deny it. Tell me, where''s my


    son?! Otherwise, I won''t let you go!" Irene yelled.


    "How can you be sure that your son is with me?" Margaret was infuriated. Irene had the audacity to


    barge into her house and shout at her as she pleased. No one had ever dared to talk to her in that


    tone.


    "How arrogant of you now that you have given birth to a child! You have to know how to raise a child as


    a mother. Given your attitude, no wonder your child is missing!" Margaret retorted.


    "There''s no one else who would do this to my son except you. You vicious old witch,e at me if you


    dare. Why go and hurt a child?"


    Irene pointed at Margaret. "What on earth is your heart made of? How could you do something as such


    to a young boy? Aren''t you afraid of ending up in the fiery depths of hell?"


    Margaret was smoldering with fury when Irene pointed at her. She was used to being high and mighty,


    and in her anger, she reached out to p Irene hard across her face.


    Irene did not expect Margaret to hit her at a time like this. However, she was no longer the weak


    woman she used to be. She would not allow Maragaret to do as she pleased. She raised her arm and


    blocked Margaret''s hand.


    Because of her rage, Irene exerted a lot of force as well. As a result, Margaret fell back down onto the


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    floor. This time, hell broke loose. Margaret''s curses flew across the air as she got up from the ground


    and began to pounce on Irene, attempting to tear thetter apart. "You''ve gonepletely crazy. You


    even dare to hit me now!"


    She then scolded Loraine who was on the side, "Are you blind? Aren''t you going toe and help


    me?"


    Loraine immediately stepped up to help Margaret at her order, but she was stopped by Kinsey.


    Margaret began to hiss at Irene with all the curse words she knew.


    "You little b*tch, how dare you hit me in my own home? You just wait and see. I''m going to end you!"


    "If you don''t hand over my son, then we''ll all die together!" Margaret was pulling at Irene''s hair and


    Irene was incandescent with rage. She reached out and grabbed Margaret''s hair in return.


    A fight between women would always consist of the same few moves. Margaret was much older, so


    she was quickly at a disadvantage. However, she refused to give in as she continued cursing at Irene.


    "You''re such a rude and disrespectful thing. No wonder you didn''t have a mother to teach you manners.


    How could you even dream of being pregnant? You don''t deserve to have a child. Both you and your


    son will go to hell!"


    Upon hearing Margaret badmouthing both Myra and Eden, Irene wasbusting in fury. She pressed


    Margaret down on the sofa and barked, "I''ll strangle you to death! No one will get to live between us!"

 Chapter 87 A Slap in the Face

    Chapter 87 A p in the Face


    Edric rushed into the house and was met with chaos. He first separated Kinsey and Loraine who were


    now actively fighting each other.


    Then he saw Irene pressing Margaret down on the sofa with her hands tightly gripped around


    Margaret''s neck. Margaret was getting choked and her eyes were rolling upwards. Aghast, Edric


    stepped forward to pull Irene away.


    Margaret was struggling for air with Irene''s hands grappling around her neck. For a second, she


    thought she was going to die. When she could finally breathe, she gasped as she took in mouthfuls of


    air.


    "Mom, are you okay?" Edric immediately went to her to help her catch her breath. Margaret was still


    puffing and panting as she looked at him. Here came her savior!


    "Edric, you came right on time. Look at this little b*tch! She came to my house to attack me! She wants


    to kill me!" Margaret sniveled.


    Seeing Margaret''s disheveled hair and the red mark around her neck, Edric was furious. He turned his


    head and red at Irene. "Irene Nelson, what are you doing? Huh?"


    "Edric Myers, why don''t you ask your mother what she''s done?" Irene huffed and glowered at Margaret


    fiercely as if she wanted to swallow thetter whole.


    "Mom, what did you do again?" Edric looked at Margaret again.


    "I didn''t do anything. This little b*tch broke into the house and hit me without any warning. Argh, my


    head! I''m so dizzy!" Margaret whined.


    "You''re still ying dumb! Aren''t you the one who kidnapped my son? Margaret Moore, God is


    watching you. You''re going to be punished for what you''ve done!" Irene dered.


    "I didn''t kidnap her son. Edric, believe me, I really didn''t kidnap her son!" Margaret pleaded.


    "Stop acting. Last time, you had hired a hitman to take him away. You must''ve done it again today. If


    anything happens to him, I''ll make sure you pay it with your life!"


    While they were fighting, Kinsey''s phone rang. "You''ve found Eden? Okay. We''ll be back soon." Her


    face written with surprise.


    Everyone had heard Kinsey. Irene was dumbfounded with joy. "Eden''s really been found?"


    "Yes, they found him. Apparently he fell into a ditch at the hospital." Kinsey grabbed Irene and headed


    for the door. "Let''s go back and have a look!"


    Margaret jolted up and stopped Irene. "Edric, you heard that? Her son has been found; I didn''t do


    anything this time. But she barged in here and hit me. I won''t just take this! Call the police now and let


    them teach this b*tch a lesson. She trespassed on our property and assaulted me! I won''t let her off the


    hook until I see her in jail!"


    "Irene, you have to apologize to my mom!" Edric reached out and grasped Irene''s hand. Irene had


    barged in and hit Margaret. If Margaret really took this matter to the police, things would not end well


    for Irene.


    "Why should I apologize?" Irene snorted. "Even if she didn''t do it this time, she did hire people to


    abduct my son thest time. She even called and threatened me to leave San Fetillo. Why should I


    apologize to a person who threatened Eden''s safety?"


    "Where''s the evidence?" Margaret shouted fiercely. "Edric, she''s talking nonsense. I''ve never done


    anything like that at all."


    "Irene, no matter what happenedst time, it''s wrong for you to barge into the house and hit her. I want


    you to apologize at this instant!" Edric stared at Irene.


    "Edric, I will never apologize to her!" Irene huffed and shook off Edric''s hand. He grabbed her again


    and said, "I won''t let you go if you don''t!"


    "Edric, Aunt Margaret, please listen to me. Irene was just anxious because she was desperate to find


    her son. She had no intention to hurt you, Aunt Margaret. Please, let her go this one time!" Lily, who


    had been silent, suddenly pleaded on behalf of Irene.


    Irene scoffed at Lily''s act. "I don''t need you to stand up for me. Keep your fake kindness to yourself."


    "Look at her! Look at how arrogant she is! That''s uneptable!" Margaret trembled in exasperation.


    "Lily, you''re just too kind! You don''t have to speak up for this b*tch. Back then, I wanted to put her in jail


    for causing you a miscarriage but you stopped me. Even at this moment, I can still feel my fury


    churning inside me just at the thought of it. If this b*tch hadn''t pushed you, my grandchild would be


    three years old now. She''s such a vile, d*mned woman! Not only does she not repent, but she even


    shows up at my home and attacks me. I''m reporting this to the police to arrest her!"


    She picked up the phone and was about to call the police. Lily stepped forward and stopped her. "Aunt


    Margaret, please spare her this time! I''m begging you!"


    Then she turned to look at Edric and said, "Edric, help me talk to her!"


    "Mom, forget about this. Just drop it," Edric said. "You guys should leave now!"


    Irene was worried about Eden, so she turned around and left with Kinsey. Margaret rushed up and


    grabbed her. "No! We can''t let her go! I demand an exnation."


    Lily quickly came up and held Margaret back while she spoke, "Please let her go!" Nevertheless,


    Margaret was still baring her teeth at Irene. As the havoc continued on, Lily identally stepped on


    Irene''s foot. Irene felt as if Lily''s high heel was about to fracture her toes.


    Irene grimaced in pain and without thinking, she raised her arm to p Lily. Unfortunately, Margaret


    was the one who came forward. With a loud p, Irene''s palmnded squarely on Margaret''s face.


    Edric''s expression changed instantly. "Irene Nelson, you''ve gone too far!"


    "How could you do that?" Lily looked at Irene in shock. Irene then scowled at her fiercely. She clearly


    saw that Lily was the one who pushed Margaret forward. "You b*tch!"


    "She pped me, and called me a..." Margaret was so irate that she stumbled back and passed out.


    "Mom¡­" "Aunt Margaret..." Edric and Lily both held Margaret. Among the chaos, Irene and Kinsey


    strode out and left.


    They hurried back to the hospital. The nurse who took care of Eden began toin when she saw


    them, "Where were you two? What took you guys so long?"


    "Where''s the child?" Kinsey asked.


    "He fell into a manhole and was soaked all over. Now, he has a high fever and is receiving an IV drip,"


    the nurse replied.


    Irene''s heart ached terribly. She rushed over to Eden''s side. Eden''s little face was flushed red due to


    the fever. She held his hand and said, "Eden, I''m so sorry. This is all my fault. I have failed you as your


    mother. It''s all my fault!"


    "Fortunately someone discovered him. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable," the


    nurse interrupted.


    "Who found him? I want to thank the person who saved my son," Irene asked.


    "It was a family member of one of the patients in the hospital. He dropped your son off and left without


    leaving his name," the nurse answered.


    "Thank God that someone discovered him." Kinsey''s face was stered with relief.


    After Margaret fainted, Edric immediately put her down with her head lifted. He fed her some medicine.


    After a long time, Margaret finally woke up again.


    "Mom, how do you feel?" Seeing Margaret regain her consciousness, Edric breathed a sigh of relief.


    She stared at him for a while and suddenly burst into tears.


    Edric consoled her for a long time before she stopped crying. She said, "You used to always say I was


    the one that hurt her. I admit that I was a little harsh to her for being infertile. But you saw what


    happened today with your own eyes. She barged in here and almost choked me to death. Before


    leaving, she even gave me a p right in front of you. No matter what I''ve done, I was still her mother-


    inw. I am someone older than her. If she had even an ounce of you in her heart, would she have


    treated me this way?"


    Edric was silent. Irene had gone overboard this day, but Margaret was notpletely meless either.


    There must be something else that he did not know. He was mute for a long time before he spoke,


    "Mom, is it true that you threatened her with her child before?"


    "I did, but I only did it to scare her. I didn''t n to actually hurt the child at all." Margaret did not want to


    deny it.


    "Mom, you threatened Irene with her child. Do you think you would stay quiet if that happens to you?"


    Edric knew that Margaret must have done something really terrible to make Irene this angry.


    "Are you ming me now? But I did it all for your own good." Margaret did not feel like she had done


    anything wrong. "You only have eyes for that b*tch. Meanwhile, I''m still waiting to have a grandchild!"


    "I know you want the best for me, but I''m a man, not a puppet. I have my own thoughts. Don''t impose


    your ideas on me again, okay?" he exined.


    "Fine, I won''t impose my thoughts on you, but I won''t just forget what happened today. There''s


    absolutely no reason for me to be hit by her. If word gets out, how would I face my friends? I won''t let


    Irene go. I must make her pay the price for what she has done!" Margaret made up her mind as she


    barked.


    "Mom, what do you want?" Edric was consumed with frustration. Although he knew that it was probably


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Margaret''s fault, Irene attacking his mother still made him feel rather dejected. Even if Margaret was in


    the wrong, she was still Irene''s former mother-inw. Did Irene even consider the impact of her actions


    on him?


    "I want you to call the police and let them deal with this. I want Irene to pay the price for hitting me,"


    Margaret demanded.


    "Mom!" Edric rubbed his temples. Irene''s actions would definitely not do her any good. If Margaret


    really took this matter to the police, Irene would certainly be in trouble. What should he do?


    "Edric, I''m your mother. I gave birth to you and raised you. Are you just going to stand idly by and let


    her hit me?" Margaret stressed.


    Seeing that Edric was silent, Margaret tried to get on her feet. "If you are not going to call the police, I''ll


    report it myself. We have surveince cameras in the house. I''m going to hand over the footage to the


    police. I don''t believe she can escape thew."


    "Mom, please let her go. She''s already so pitiful!" Edric stopped Margaret.


    "Aunt Margaret, please forgive Irene. It''s not easy for her to take care of a child alone. She must''ve


    been so panicked today, and that was why she lost herposure at you," Lily, who had been quiet,


    also persuaded Margaret.


    "Lily, you''re too kind and innocent. If she was half as obedient and thoughtful as you, would I need to


    do this?" Margaret hissed with hatred, "I don''t care, I''m not going to let her get away with this."


    "What do you want? Will you be satisfied if she gets thrown in jail for a couple days? Mom, she''s still


    injured. She has a child to raise, and he''s only three years old. Can you even bring yourself to do this?"


    Edric asked.


    "Yes, she has a child, and he''s such a lovely boy. For the sake of that child, please let Irene go," Lily


    pleaded.


    The image of Eden''s adorable face appeared in Margaret''s mind. She had been a single mother


    herself, and she knew clearly what Eden meant to Irene. Regardless, she was still reluctant to let the


    matter pass. "I can let her go, but Edric, you must promise me one thing."


    "What is it?" Edric asked.


    "Cut her offpletely, and get engaged with Lily immediately. You mustn''t have any contact with her,


    ever again," Margaret demanded.


    Edric did not say anything. Lily on the side immediately cut in, "Aunt Margaret, I''ve broken up with


    Edric."


    "What did you say? When?" Margaret was shocked.


    "We broke up yesterday. Aunt Margaret, please don''t me Edric. I was the one who asked for a


    break-up. I feel so exhausted in this rtionship, I don''t want to hold on to him anymore," Lily squealed.


    "You''re lying. It must be Edric''s idea. It''s because of Irene, isn''t it?" Margaret stared at Edric.


    "No, it has nothing to do with Edric. It was my idea. I don''t want to live such a life anymore. I have


    someone else I like," Lily replied.


    Margaret red at Lily, then at Edric. She rolled her eyes and passed out again. This time around, she


    was not pretending. She had indeed fainted!

 Chapter 88 You Played It Well

    Chapter 88 You yed It Well


    Margaret had never thought that Irene woulde to her house and make such a huge fuss. However,


    the truth was that Margaret wasn''t the one who kidnapped Irene''s child. Nheless, when Irene


    barged into the house and started questioning her, she suddenly had an idea.


    At that time, Irene was furious and was convinced that Margaret was the one who kidnapped Eden. All


    Margaret needed to do was provoke Irene so she would do something irrational and uneptable.


    Then Margaret would be able to force Edric to make a choice and get rid of Irene once and for all.


    That was why Margaret didn''t even care to run away; instead, she even hit Irene. Due to that, Irene


    almost strangled Margaret to death in a fit of anger.


    Since they had such a huge fight, needless to say, Margaret would definitely not give in. However, all


    Edric did was to demand Irene to apologize. His protective action towards Irene infuriated Margaret.


    Therefore, Margaret once again grabbed hold of Irene, attempting to force Edric to make a choice on


    the spot. However, she didn''t expect Irene to p her. While she was smoldering in rage, Irene and


    Kinsey seized the opportunity to run away.


    Margaret did not lose consciousness although she indeed felt giddy. She noticed Edric''s anxious and


    concerned expression. It seemed that Edric wasn''t that cold-blooded after all; he still regarded her as a


    mother. Margaret already had a n when she pretended to pass out. She decided to report Irene and


    remand her in order to force Edric to follow her wish. She wanted Edric to cut off any rtionship with


    Irene and engage with Lily.


    What Margaret didn''t expect was that Lily had broken up with Edric. The thought that her painstaking


    efforts had all but gone in vain, Margaret was really dumbfounded. Her blood pressure dropped


    because of the shock and she ended up passing out for real.


    It was already midnight. Deborah had been waiting anxiously in the living room for Lily toe back.


    This could only mean that things must have gone ording to her n. She was the one who ordered


    the kidnap of Eden.


    Margaret had once used Eden to threaten Irene. If she kidnapped Eden right at that point of time, Irene


    would certainly suspect Margaret. Margaret was never a kinddy either; she would definitely take that


    opportunity to scheme something on Irene.


    Nevertheless, Deborah was still unsure whether her plot would develop ording to her wishes. After


    a while, she finally heard the sound of the door opening and saw Lily. Deborah quickly went up and


    asked, "How was it?"


    "Mom, let''s talk in the room." The two went into the room and closed the door before Lily ryed the


    incident of the day to Deborah


    Deborah gave Lily a thumbs-up and said, "Well done! You have yed it well. Even if the little b*tch


    saw you deliberately stepping on her, she has no other way to defend her statement too. As for


    Margaret, did she suspect that you were the one pushing her to be pped?"


    "No, it was so chaotic at that time, so how could she have expected that I would push her to get


    pped by Irene? However, I thought that Edric would p Irene when she hit Margaret. If he did,


    Irene would definitely leave the house disheartened. But to my surprise, he didn''t do it. It''s so


    frustrating."


    Deborah sneered, "What a son he is! Even though that woman beat Margaret, he could still maintain


    hisposure."


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect he could take it either. But Mom, I think he has reached his limit," Lily said.


    When Lily apanied Edric to send Margaret to the hospital earlier, Edric''s expression was terribly


    cold. There was a limit to one person''s tolerance. Edric could forgive Irene for making a fuss at his


    home, and beating Margaret, but he couldn''t possibly hold it in anymore.


    "Really?" Deborah sneered. "The reason why Edric could tolerate Irene''s impudence wasn''t only


    because of his love for her, but also because of his guilt. Irene has suffered so much because of him,


    so he wanted to make it up for her. But he has forgotten that you too have suffered a lot for him. This


    time, he has to make it up to you."


    "Mom, will he reallye back to me?" Lily asked.


    "He will! Just do as I say!" Deborah whispered in Lily''s ear, and Lily nodded in response.


    Irene was anxious because Eden''s high fever wasn''t getting any better. He woke up once and


    mumbled, "Mom, the bad guys took me away and pushed me into the sewers. I tried my best to shout


    for help andter on, a kind man came and saved me."


    Irene was so irate that her teeth were chattering. Margaret, that old b*tch! How dared she said that she


    didn''t do it? Who else would hurt a three-year-old child if it weren''t Margaret? She was the only who


    took Irene as an enmity.


    Margaret must be the mastermind behind the kidnap with the purpose to force Edric to turn against her.


    It was no wonder that Margaret provoked her like that when she went to Margaret''s house the previous


    day.


    If something were to happen to Eden, Irene swore that she wouldn''t let go of Margaret!


    Eden fell asleep again. Irene was looking after Eden at the bedside worriedly when Lily suddenly


    called, "Irene, can we meet?"


    "Why?" Irene was not in a good mood.


    "I have something very important to tell you," Lily answered.


    "I''m not free!" Irene replied.


    "It''s about your child. If you don''te, you will surely regret it. I will wait for you at the cafe near the


    hospital." Lily hung up the phone.


    Lilly imed that she wanted to talk about Eden. It was better for Irene to meet Lily so she knew what


    Lily had up her sleeve. After asking Thomas to look after Eden, she headed to the cafe near the


    hospital. When Lily saw Ireneing in, she stood up. "Is the child all right?"


    "Yes." Irene sat down. "What''s so important?"


    Lily studied Irene''s expression carefully. "Irene, are you okay? Yesterday''s situation really scared me


    out of the wits. Aunt Margaret has a hot temper. Please don''t hold a grudge against her if you can.


    Never confront her directly. If she does something extreme, the consequences will be unimaginable."


    "The consequences will be unimaginable?" Irene sneered. "Didn''t Margaret threaten me with my child?


    If something happens to Eden, I will definitely not let her go!"


    "She didn''t only threaten you with your child." Lily acquiesced that Margaret was the one behind Eden''s


    kidnapping. "Last night, after you left, Edric and Aunt Margaret had a big fight. Aunt Margaret wanted


    the police to arrest you. Edric and I tried our best to stop her, so she didn''t do it in the end..."


    "Were you always such a kind person?" Irene interrupted Lily, scoffing.


    "Irene, you''ve misunderstood me. I have never harmed you before. Never," Lily exined.


    "Lily, you really are shameless. You know that Edric was my man, but you tried to have a baby with


    him. Weren''t you the one who hurt me by having an affair behind my back?" Irene hissed.


    "Irene, it''s a misunderstanding. The rtionship between Edric and me is not what you think," Lily


    exined.


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    "Back then, you couldn''t get pregnant. Plus, Aunt Margaret was being so cruel towards you. Mom and


    Dad were worried about you, so they asked me to bear you a child in order for you to maintain your


    marriage with Edric. I didn''t agree at first, but Mom said that she felt sorry for you and asked me to do


    this for her. Hence, I had no choice but to agree to it..."


    "What did you say? Are all of these Steven and Deborah''s ideas?" Irene was shocked. How could


    Steven and Deborahe up with such a disgusting idea? How unbelievable. "How could they be so


    shameless?"


    "They thought of this because they were worried about you. Irene, I wanted to have Edric''s baby for


    you. Everything we did was for you!" Lily sobbed.


    "For me? Lily, do you think I''m a fool?" Irene had already recovered from her shock. She did not believe


    in Lily''s words at all.


    Irene knew well about Lily''s feelings for Edric in the past. "Do you really think that the others can''t see


    through your feelings for Edric? What do you mean you did it all for me? Don''t tell me you had never


    wanted to have Edric all for yourself? You are as shameless as your mother! You two have always


    been a homewrecker."


    "Irene, don''t you dare to insult my mother. She did it for you; she sacrificed me in order to help you."


    Lily defended, "I admit that I used to love Edric, but I have always hid this love in my heart. I am willing


    to give birth to his child or do anything for him, but I''ve never thought of recing your position. Irene, I


    really am not as bad as you think!"


    Lily shamelessly boasted in front of Irene that she loved Edric and said that she was willing to give birth


    to Edric''s child. God knew how furious Irene was to hear such a tant statement from Lily.


    "I can judge with my own eyes. Lily, your trick may deceive those who are blind, but you can''t deceive


    me. You and your mother are the same kind of people. You are selfish and will do anything to achieve


    your goals. You did everything for me and my marriage, right? In that case, why are you engaged to


    Edric?"


    "Aunt Margaret forced me to. Edric and I never thought of getting engaged. Edric has been waiting for


    you all these times. However, you never came back. Aunt Margaret then forced us to get engaged," Lily


    detailed, lowering her head.


    "Irene, I called you here today so you can know the truth. Edric still loves you. I have decided to leave


    him. You can reconcile with him!" Lily continued.


    "You really know how to defend yourself!" Irene sneered. Lily made her seem like she was forced to do


    everything. Did that include making love to Edric too?


    It didn''t matter if what Lily said was true or false, for it had nothing to do with Irene. The pain Irene had


    experienced could not be eliminated with just a few words of exnation from Lily.


    "Since you love that dirty liar so much, and you are willing to do anything for him, then stay with him. I


    don''t need him back!" Irene barked.


    With that, Irene got up and left. Lily stepped forward and grabbed her. "Irene! Forgive me. Forgive


    Edric! He really didn''t cheat on you!"


    "Let go!" Irene red at Lily.


    "I won''t let you go! If you don''t forgive Edric, I will never let you go!" Lily held Irene''s hand tightly.


    When Lily saw a man appear outside, she put on a more exaggerated expression as she pleaded Irene


    at a much louder tone, "Irene, I beg you! Go back to Edric''s side! The person he loves has always been


    you!"


    "Let go of me!" Irene interrupted. "Lily, things between me and Edric have passed. Drop your act and


    your talk about our reconciliation. As the saying goes, don''t dwell on the past. Edric is the past and he


    was with you now. He''s now but a filthy, disgusting man in my eyes. I will never ept him anymore!"


    From a distance, it seemed that Lily was sping Irene''s clothes tightly, refusing to let her off. But in


    fact, she was grasping on Irene''s arm. Irene felt a sharp pain on her wrist for the force Lily put in was


    huge. Thus, she pushed Lily away without hesitation.


    Lily fell to the ground and knocked her head on the corner of the table. She started to bleed almost


    instantaneously.


    "Irene, what are you doing?" Edric strode in and helped Lily up. When he heard that Lily was meeting


    Irene, he was worried that another conflict would break out. Therefore, he rushed over immediately.


    When he arrived, he heard Lily begging Irene toe back to his side. However, Irene cursed him for


    being filthy and disgusting instead. When she said that she would never return to his side, he felt a


    piercing pain in his heart.


    Then he saw Irene pushing Lily away viciously. At that point in time, he couldn''t stand by watching them


    any longer. Seeing the blood on Lily''s forehead, Edric glowered at Irene and remarked, "How can you


    be so vicious?! She is your sister! Your sister!"


    "My sister? Her mother has an affair with my father!" Irene felt a great pain in her heart when she saw


    how concerned Edric was.


    Three years ago, he was being so ruthless to her, and three yearster, he had the audacity to show


    his concern towards Lily in front of her. Reminded of Eden who was still lying in the hospital because of


    Margaret, Irene grew even angrier.


    "Edric, go back and tell your disgusting mother that if anything happens to Eden, I will let her pay for it!"


    Irene said.


    "Irene, don''t go too far!" Edric was seething with rage too. He thought that he had chosen to forgive


    Irene for causing a fuss at his home and hitting Margaret. Yet, the truth was he still felt uneasy. When


    he heard Irene verbally attacking Margaret again, he couldn''t remain silent anymore.


    "Yes, I owe you, but it doesn''t mean that you can insult my mother continuously!" Edric added.


    "I went too far? I insulted your mother?" Ireneughed heartily. "Edric, you will regret it! I swear you will


    regret it!" She strode away after saying that.

 Chapter 89 Just Like Her Mother

    Chapter 89 Just Like Her Mother


    Edric''s face darkened when Irene walked away without turning back. Lily said tearfully, "Edric, go and


    get Irene. Talk to her. I''m fine."


    "Why should I? We didn''t do anything wrong!" Edric helped Lily up. "I''ll take you to the hospital to treat


    the wound."


    While the doctor was treating Lily in the operation room, Edric stood alone outside, feeling irked. How


    could Irene be so cruel? How could she be so heartless?


    A surprised voice rang out from behind all of a sudden, "Edric? Why are you here?"


    Edric turned around and saw that it was Marie. Edric then nodded politely and greeted her, "Madam


    Walker, nice meeting you!"


    "Edric, I have something to check with you." Marie pulled Edric aside. "I heard from your mother that


    you broke up with Lily. Is it true?"


    Edric nodded. "It''s true."


    "That''s good! That''s good! Then, I wouldn''t have to be worried anymore." Marie looked relieved.


    "What''s the matter, Madam Walker?" Marie and Lily''s rtionship had been quite good. What was the


    meaning of her current expression?


    "Edric, you mustn''t tell others about this. Didn''t Lily have a miscarriage three years ago?" Marie asked.


    Marie lowered her voice and added, "After that, she has always been unwell; she''d been having quite a


    number of gynecological issues. Some time ago, she came to see me. I checked her body and found


    that she was no longer fit to have a baby."


    "What did you say?" Edric was stunned.


    "The miscarriage three years ago had caused great damage to her body. Lily might not be able to have


    a child for the rest of her life!" Marie sighed. "She is such a good, beautiful, and kinddy. Why would


    God allow such a fate to befall on her?"


    Edric was shocked by the news. How could that be? "Madam Walker, are you sure?"


    "Edric, I am an expert in this field. Why would I lie to you?" Marie exhaled deeply.


    "Ever since I found out that Lily was in poor health, I have been feeling so unsettling. You know, your


    mother wants a grandchild so desperately. If she knows that Lily can''t be pregnant, she will certainly


    not ept Lily. I have been her friend for many years, and I don''t want to deceive her. I feel so terrible


    being caught in such an awkward position. I have just gone to see your mother, and she told me that


    Lily has broken up with you. I''m so relieved to hear that. But it''s a pity for Lily. She''s such a good girl;


    what can she do about her future life?"


    Edric turned around nkly. Lily could never ever conceive again! Lily couldn''t give birth because of the


    miscarriage three years ago!


    It was unimaginable. Lily was such an innocent girl. Marie was right. Lily was such a kind person; she


    should not bear such pain. It was all because of him and Margaret. He must do right by Lily.


    Besides, Margaret had be estranged from Irene. She was still lying in the hospital bed,menting


    that she wanted Irene to go to jail. Irene on the other hand, didn''t manage to see his painstaking efforts


    at all.


    Lily had ended up in such a state because of him. Right then, Irene''s heartless words shed across


    his mind. "Don''t dwell on the past. Edric is the past and he is with you now. He''s now but a filthy,


    disgusting man in my eyes. I will never ept him anymore!"


    Irenemented him as a filthy, disgusting man! How could she be so cruel? How could she convict


    him of such a crime without listening to his exnation? She was going to leave him! Since she didn''t


    love him anymore, it would make no difference whom he married then. He would just marry Lily!


    After two days on IV drip, Eden''s fever finally subsided. Irene and Thomas discharged Eden from the


    hospital. They stayed in Kinsey''s house temporarily because they hadn''t found a house yet.


    Irene began to look for houses. She went to several real estatepanies. In the end, all of their


    rentals were over her budget.


    Later, Kinsey called Irene and imed that she saw a notice about a house for rent on the inte. The


    rent was ridiculously cheap. Kinsey had contacted the house owner and asked Irene to go to inspect


    the house immediately.


    It was a three-bedroom house, and it was tastefully renovated. Thendlord told them that he wanted


    to rent the house out because he was going abroad. He wasn''t going to make money from the rental;


    instead, he just wanted someone to help him look after the house. Therefore, the rental wasn''t set at


    the market rate. Most importantly, the tenant must be someone he deemed kind and friendly.


    After meeting Irene, thendlord expressed his willingness to rent the house to Irene with the condition


    that she wasn''t allowed to have pets, and that she should take care of the house as her own.


    Irene gave him her word immediately. From the conversation, thendlord found out that Irene was a


    single mother, and truth be told, he felt very sympathetic towards her. Thus, he reduced the rental


    further. Irene was also told that if she had difficulty settling up for the rental in advance, she could pay it


    when she had the ready money at the end of the year.


    Irene was very grateful to have met such a good person. Later, she signed the contract with the


    After settling the house issue, Irene could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Jordan passed a message to


    her through David, stating that she didn''t need to rush back to work. She could return to thepany


    once everything was settled.


    If it weren''t for the existence of those disgusting beings in her life¡ªsuch as Margaret and Lily, Irene felt


    that her life was actually pretty good.


    When she returned, she was in a particrly good mood. She told Thomas about the new house.


    Thomas was delighted to hear such good news too. "You''ve indeed met a good Samaritan."


    Eden was excited to hear that he would have his own room. "Mom, I want to take a look at the new


    home."


    "Okay, I will take you there tomorrow." Irene rustled his hair and smiled.


    Amidst the joy, Irene''s phone rang. She picked it up and realized that it was Steven on the line. "What''s


    the matter?" she asked.


    "Irene,e out of the house for a while. I have something to tell you." Thomas did not like Steven.


    Steven knew that too, hence he always avoided appearing in front of Thomas.


    Irene resented Steven even more after her previous meeting with Lily. However, since he was now here


    for her, she could take the chance to interrogate him. With that, she went to see Steven.


    Steven revealed her a bright, warm smile when he saw Irene. "Irene, I have already cleaned the house


    and rearranged the interior ording to your preferences. Why don''t you move in?"


    "My preferences? I didn''t expect that you would still remember what my preferences were. What a


    surprise!" Irene satirized.


    "If Thomas is cool with the idea, he can move in with you too," Steven added with a smile.


    "Don''t you think you sounded just like a hypocrite?" Irene sneered and continued in a straightforward


    manner, "Uncle Thomas would rather beg on the streets than live in your house!"


    "That''s because he has a prejudice against me." Steven gave a dry smile.


    "If someone killed your sister, will you have no prejudice against him?" Irene retorted.


    "Irene, don''t listen to Thomas'' words. He is no good man..."


    "So you''re a good man then?" Irene interrupted him, "Mr. Cook, I want to know if you were supportive


    of the rtionship between Edric and Lily in the past."


    "I''m sorry, Irene!" Steven lowered his head in guilt. It was a heavy subject for him. Every time he


    thought about it, he couldn''t believe that he would ept Deborah''s suggestion and let Lily be the


    surrogate mother to maintain Irene''s marriage.


    Back then, Deborah went to him and imed that she wanted to atone for her sins. Her tears made


    Steven decide to go with her suggestion. Furthermore, he was also told that Margaret had been


    torturing Irene. However,ter on when he changed his mind, Deborah informed him that Lily had


    already gone through the operation.


    Steven knew that whatever they had done was wrong and immoral. On the surface, they seemed to be


    doing it for Irene''s sake. Yet, as a matter of fact, that decision of his had hurt Irene the most. His


    stupidity had allowed him to harm yet another precious daughter of his.


    Over the years, he had been living in guilt whenever he was reminded of that incident. He was but an


    inhuman jerk. He felt sorry for both his two daughters. Irene left him because of that and cut off all


    contacts with him. God knew how regrettable he was. However, what was done was done, and


    regretting it wouldn''t change anything.


    Lily imed that everything was Steven''s idea previously; but, Irene refused to believe it in the


    beginning. However, seeing Steven''s reaction at the moment, she knew that Lily was right. A sharp


    pang of excruciating pain began to fill her every cell.


    How could a noble and intelligent person like Myra choose such a disgusting man? Irene couldn''t


    believe that she had such a shameless, immoral father!


    "Irene, I was wrong. I should''ve discussed it with you before making that decision. Deborah and Lily


    were also trying to atone for their own mistakes. Please don''t hate them. We never wanted to hurt you.


    We did this for you."


    "For me?" Irene really wanted to burst outughing. Even at this moment, Steven did not forget to put


    in a good word for Deborah and Lily. Those two were but b*tches in Irene''s eyes. Did Steven seriously


    think that she was an idiot?


    Everybody could see through Lily''s ulterior motive for Edric. Not to mention that before their marriage,


    Lily would alwayse to tter Margaret, hoping that Margaret could help her win Edric. Then, after


    Irene was married to Edric, Lily did not even show signs of stopping her sundry indecorous advances.


    She would oftene to the Myers family to annoy Irene.


    If Lily had even the tiniest consideration for Irene, she wouldn''t have cooperated with Margaret, to


    begin with.


    "Mr. Cook, are you blind? Deaf? Or is your brain dead?" Irene stared fiercely at Steven.


    "If all these were done for me, those two b*tches should have stayed away from me after the incident


    was exposed, or at least stayed far away from Edric. But what did they do instead?" Irene continued.


    "Irene, it wasn''t my intention to let Lily be with Edric. After you divorced Edric, Margaret came to


    propose marriage, but I refused firmly at that time. After that, Margaret also gave up the idea and


    began to look for other women for Edric. Later..."


    "What happenedter?" Irene sneered.


    "Later, the media got their hands on photos of Lily and Edric together. Rumor had it that Edric had


    apanied Lily to the hospital for a pregnancy checkup. For the sake of Lily''s reputation, I had no


    choice but to give my consent."


    Steven had only revealed part of the whole story. In actual fact, he was going for re-election back then.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The rumors happened to leak out at the same period of time. In order not to affect his re-election, he


    had to acquiesce in everything about Lily and Edric.


    Hearing that, Irene couldn''t help but guffaw. That two must be the ones who nned this in order to


    achieve their goals. How lowly they were with the acting! However, a person with such a high position


    like Steven believed in them. It seemed that they were really important to him.


    "Irene, it''s my fault for what happened between Lily and Edric. I''ll do right by you!" Irene''s


    disappearance after her divorce with Edric had made Steven feel really terrible. His only thought was to


    make up to Irene so that she could live a better life in the future.


    "You want to do right by me? How do you n to do that?" Irene looked at Steven disdainfully.


    "I''ll leave all my assets to you. Lily has already promised that she won''t ask for a penny after getting


    married," Steven said earnestly.


    Hearing that, Irene couldn''t help sniggering. "Mr. Cook,pared with Edric, the cash cow, how much


    assets could you have?"


    Steven knew what she meant. He smiled bitterly and answered, "Irene, although my assets can''t be


    home. These things are worth a fortune!"


    "Deborah and Lily don''t know about these assets, do they?" Irene simpered. "Mr. Cook, if your mistress


    and your illegitimate daughter know that you have so many valuable items, things will surely get


    interesting. Why don''t I tell them?"


    "Irene!" Steven''s face changed. Deborah didn''t know about his collection. He also didn''t want her to


    know that he was nning to leave those things to Irene from the very beginning.


    "Just kidding. Don''t take it seriously!" Irene snickered. "I''m really not interested in your assets at all.


    You''d better keep them for yourself. If you can''t use them, then bring them with you to your coffin!"


    "In addition, please don''t appear in my life again. I feel ashamed whenever I see you." Irene left those


    words and turned on her heel.


    Steven looked at her with a dejected face. Irene''s character was exactly like Myra''s. They were


    practically the same!

 Chapter 90 Sick

    Chapter 90 Sick


    Irene was furious. Steven had been a politician for a long time, and to her surprise, even his style of


    left hundreds of million worth of assets for her. If she really cared about those, she would never have


    divorced Edric so easily.


    What made her most angry was the fact that Steven was deceived by Deborah and Lily so easily.


    Steven was not a fool. The reason why he could tolerate them must be rted to his career. What right


    did a person who disregarded family for his own future, have, to act as her father? Right then, she was


    After returning home, Irene''s face was written with dejection. Thomas asked her, concerned, "What did


    he meet you for?"


    Irene sighed and told Thomas that Steven and Deborah asked Lily to bear Edric''s child.


    After she divorced Edric, she only told Thomas that Edric cheated on her, but she never included that


    the person he cheated on her with was Lily.


    Hearing that, Thomas trembled with red fury. "The person that had an affair with Edric turned out to be


    Deborah''s daughter? B*tch! They are all b*tches!"


    He really despised them. Deborah was the one who went to seduce Steven in the past; and now, Lily


    turned out going after Irene''s husband. The apple didn''t fall far from the tree.


    However, Steven was the one who enraged Thomas the most. Steven did nothing as he watched Lily


    take Irene''s man away. Okay then, nevermind, but he even agreed to a marriage between Lily and


    Edric. Was there a shortage of men in the world? Why must they choose Edric?


    "Uncle Thomas, don''t get worked up. It''s not worth it!" Irene was not vexed now in the slightest bit.


    Previously, she had gotten so irate that she lost all rationality and ended up beating and scolding Lily.


    However, when she looked back on it, she found her behavior to be ridiculous. It took two to tango. If


    Edric wasn''t open to it, would Lily be able to seduce him?


    The most hateful thing was that he even stipted such harsh conditions for her upon their divorce;


    and, he did all these for Lily. Irene must be a real fool to have misjudged him.


    "Irene, you should have told me at the start. If I knew that the daughter of that b*tch was the mistress, I


    would try my best to pull Steven down too!" Thomas gnashed his teeth in hatred.


    "Uncle Thomas, it''s already in the past." Ireneforted him, "A person like Steven is not worth our


    time, as are his wife and daughter. Let''s live a peaceful life ourselves."


    "I''m only saying that because I can''t ept their behaviors. How could a smart and clever person like


    your mother choose such a person?" Thomas sighed.


    "There were so many people who chased after your mother. Steven wasn''t an outstanding person at all


    at that time. I used to think that Steven was never a just man, but your mother said that he was more


    trustworthy than those rich people... s! If I had stopped her at that time."


    "Not a just man? What happened?" Irene asked.


    "One of your mother''s friends asked your mother to keep several antique paintings that were worth as


    much as a city. Later on, those paintings were discovered to be fake." Thomas sighed.


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    "What does this have to do with Steven?" Irene did not understand.


    "At that time, Steven was going after your mother..." Thomas did not continue.


    Irene was stunned, and her heart sank. "Do you suspect that he substituted the antique paintings in


    secret?"


    Thomas nodded. "It''s just my suspicion, I have no evidence, and I can''t rule out the possibility that your


    mother''s friend was cheated and had bought fakes."


    "Uncle Thomas, he must''ve done it!" Irene thundered. She then filled Thomas in about Steven telling


    her that his house had a lot of antiques.


    Thomas'' expression suddenly darkened. "Are you serious?"


    "He said it himself. He said that those antiques would cost one''s arm and leg too!" Irene confirmed.


    "It''s really him! It''s really him!" Thomas hit the table with his fist, his face livid. He gnashed his teeth as


    he said, "How could Steven be so shameless? Your mother really was blind at that time!"


    "You''re right! If Mom finds out that she had married such a man, she will definitely feel exasperated."


    Irene''s blood was boiling with rage. "Uncle Thomas, what happened after that?"


    "Because of that, your mother''s friend went bankrupt, and her reputation was ruined..." Thomas'' face


    turned pale, and his voice trembled with seething anger. "I guess you really will get into trouble if you


    don''t know who you are dealing with!"


    "Uncle Thomas, who was that friend of my mother''s?" Irene asked.


    "It''s all in the past!" Thomas stood up shakily. "Irene, I''m tired. I''ll head inside and lie down for a while."


    Looking at Thomas'' staggering steps, Irene was puzzled. What was up with Thomas?


    The next day, the news of Edric and Lily getting engaged appeared on the headlines of the major


    media outlets in San Fetillo. Irene saw the news at Kinsey''s house.


    The person who hosted the press conference turned out to be the public rtions manager of Edric''s


    Margaret was all smiles; she looked exceptionally amiable. Irene was unfamiliar with that side of


    Margaret. In Irene''s memory, it seemed that she had never seen Margaret smile before in the few years


    that she was married to Edric.


    However, Margaret was so gleeful at this moment as if she had found a treasure right then. It seemed


    that she really liked Lily very much! Edric was wearing a formal suit; and he too, was wearing a


    charming smile. He even personally announced their engagement date.


    shes from the cameras lit the entire of the press conference. Irene looked at the smile on Edric''s


    face and froze on the spot. Eden also saw Edric on the TV. He pointed to Edric and asked Irene, "Mom,


    is Mr. Edric getting married?"


    "Yes." Irene came back to her senses.


    "Mr. Edric lied to me. That time, he told me that he didn''t have a girlfriend." Eden showed a despondent


    expression.


    "I like him so much, so how can he lie to me? Jordan is also a bad guy. He said that he was going to be


    my Dad. I even called him Dad, but he abandoned us," Eden continued.


    Irene reached out and hugged Eden. Her heart ached so much. Fortunately, Eden did not know that


    Edric was his father. Otherwise, how heartbroken would he be? She would never let Eden know that


    his father was such a disgusting person!


    Eden was still a child; hence, it didn''t take long before he let go of all his anger. He returned to ying


    with his toys soon. After a while, the door was opened. Thomas, who had gone to buy fruits, came back


    irately. "Uncle Thomas, didn''t you go to buy some fruits? Why did youe back empty-handed?"


    Irene asked.


    "Irene, are you okay?" Thomas looked at Irene with concern.


    "I''m okay." Irene grinned. Thomas must be afraid that she would feel dejected when she heard the


    news of Edric''s engagement to Lily. Irene continued, "Uncle Thomas, I''ve already given up on him. I''m


    not sad, not at all!"


    "Kid! Oh my poor kid!" Seeing Irene putting on a strong front, Thomas was extremely crestfallen.


    "I promised your mother that I would take good care of you, but I have failed her. You''ve been in so


    much torment all this while. I''ve let your mother and you down!" Thomas remarked, downhearted.


    "Uncle Thomas, you''ve been very good to me! If it weren''t for you, I would have ended up on the


    streets long ago." Irene was telling the truth. It was Thomas who took her in and raised her when she


    was at her worst. To her, Thomas was not only her uncle, but also her father.


    "All the people in the Cook family are so heartless, and that scum Edric doesn''t have a shred of


    conscience either. How could he shamelessly get engaged to that b*tch?!" The more Thomas thought


    about it, the angrier he became. "I can''t let those two b*tches get what they want just like this. I must


    expose their scheme. I will crush all their hopes!"


    "In my opinion, me is to beid on both. Just let those jackals from the sameir harm each other.


    Let''s not concern them." Irene held Thomas'' hand.


    "You don''t deserve all this, Irene. If it weren''t for them, you wouldn''t have suffered so much pain.


    Everything they have right now was supposed to be yours. Yours!" Thomas replied.


    "Uncle Thomas, there''s no such as thing as being deserving or not. Everyone has their own goal. I


    never wanted to be a politician''s daughter, nor a nobledy from an affluent family. My goal is simple: I


    want to live with my beloved family happily every day! Right now, you and Eden are all I have and who I


    can rely on. I''m happy enough to have you two!" Irene exined.


    Thomas exhaled. "Irene, I didn''t expect you to be so much more forgiving than me! You''re right. It''s


    good as long as you''re content with your life!"


    Eden came up with a fever again in the middle of the night. Irene and Kinsey urgently sent him to the


    hospital. The fever this time was different from before. The antipyretic and the IV drip didn''t have any


    effect at all.


    Eden''s fever was simr to the early symptoms of leukemia. The doctor suggested doing a blood test.


    After the doctor extracted his blood, he found that there was something wrong with the leukocytes in


    Eden''s blood. The doctor was shocked to find that, for the abnormal leukocyte count indicated that the


    child might have leukemia.


    In order to confirm it, they had to run a bone marrow test. After that, it showed that Eden indeed had


    leukemia. Irene was beyond words.


    Irene could not ept that result at all. She suspected that there was something amiss with the


    hospital''s examination, so she flew abroad with Eden immediately after Eden recovered a little.


    Nathan went to several hospitals with her and Eden in session, and the results of all the


    examinations were exactly the same.


    The doctor diagnosed that Eden had acute myeloid leukemia; its five-year survival rate was at most


    40%. At present, the safest treatment was to control it with medicine in order to prevent the cancer cells


    from spreading. Then, they would work on finding a bone marrow donor. If they found someone with


    matching bone marrow, they could then do a marrow transnt immediately.


    However, a bone marrow transnt might not be 100% effective in treating Eden. There was only an


    80% chance of it being cured.


    80% of hope was better than nothing. Irene immediatelymenced a bone marrow match test, but


    her bone marrow didn''t match Eden''s. The hospital looked around for other people with bone marrow


    that matched Eden''s; however, it wasn''t an easy task.


    Irene had be haggard in just a few days; Nathan left his work to apany her day and night.


    When the doctor saw Irene''s dishevelled appearance, he suggested that the best way to cure Eden


    was to do a cord blood transnt.


    The doctor proposed to have Eden''s biological father to bear another child with Irene, and to treat


    Eden''s leukemia with the cord blood of the new baby.


    Irene flumped herself dejectedly on the chair in the hospital with Nathan sitting next to her. "It has taken


    such a long time even before we can find a match. I think this suggestion is feasible."


    "You want me to make love to that disgusting man? Do you want me to die of disgust?" Irene shook her


    head.


    "Irene, for Eden''s sake, no matter how disgusting it is, you still have to do it. Tell him the truth. After all,


    Eden is his child. No matter what, he will definitely do this for his child," Nathan persuaded her.


    "I know him very well. Since he personally announced his engagement with Lily, it shows that he values


    that matter very much. I don''t want to humiliate myself!" Irene retorted.


    "How do you know if you don''t even try? You have to give it a shot, even if the chance of seeding is


    meager, for Eden''s sake. Do you want Eden to bear the pain of illness all the time?"


    "He is my child, and I am his mother. How would I allow him to be in such pain?" Irene covered her face


    with her hands. Did she really have to bend down to that disgusting man? Men and toothbrushes were


    the only thing that couldn''t be shared. That being said, Edric''s betrayal had made him a dirty and


    nauseating man!


    "Irene, it''s not the time to let your emotions take the better of you. You have to think about Eden. Edric


    and Lily will be engaged the day after tomorrow. You have to stop them before the engagement,"


    Nathan said.


    With Nathan''s persuasion, Irene picked up the phone and called Edric. For so many years, his phone


    number had always been in her mind. She didn''t even need to look it up in her contact book at all.

 Chapter 91 Heartlessly Rejected

    Chapter 91 Heartlessly Rejected


    "Hello?" Edric''s voice was tinged with sleepiness due to the difference in time zones.


    "It''s me!" Irene controlled herself so her emotions did not show in her tone. Edric sat up immediately


    after he heard Irene''s voice. Right then, he returned to his usual indifference. "What''s wrong?"


    "Edric, can I... can I ask you for a favor?"


    "What is it?" he asked.


    "Can... can... can you not get engaged to Lily?" Licking her cracked lips, she finally muttered out a


    "I''m afraid I can''t!" Edric answered in a straightforward manner. He suspected that there was something


    amiss with his ears. If she had made such a request a few days ago, he would have been ecstatic and


    gave her a positive answer. However, right then, he felt that it was too ironic.


    "Edric! If you don''t get engaged to Lily, I... I will consider getting back together with you!" God knew


    how much courage it took for her to say that. Nheless, Edric sneered and parroted, "Get back


    together with me? Did I hear it correctly?"


    "Edric, aren''t you curious about why I want to get back with you?" Irene felt extremely humiliated. It was


    a shame for her to plead Edric, her ex-husband who had an affair to get back to her. This was herst


    resort; and for Eden, she did not mind to bear such humiliation.


    "Miss Nelson, there is a limit to everything. You brought this up after I announced my engagement with


    Lily. Don''t you think it''s toote?" Edric simpered.


    He had considered it carefully before agreeing to be engaged to Lily. It had nothing to do with love. He


    only wanted to do right by Lily.


    The most important thing was that he did not believe that Irene really wanted to get back with him. She


    hated Lily and Deborah. Her calling him after he announced his engagement with Lily was most


    probably for revenge. She wanted Lily''s image to be ruined, but he would not allow himself to be Irene''s


    tool for revenge.


    "Let me tell you clearly, no matter what reason you have, I won''t give up my engagement with Lily!" He


    hung up after saying that.


    Never did Irene want to have any contact with him at all, but for the sake of Eden, she had to give in.


    Irene bit her lip and called Edric again. The phone rang twice before it was rejected. When she called


    back for the third times, Edric had already turned off his phone.


    Listening to the mechanical female voice from the phone, Irene''s face turned pale, her body shaking


    like a leaf. How could Edric be so heartless? How could he turn her away?!


    Her mind was echoing with Edric''s ruthless words to her, "No matter what reason you have, I won''t give


    up my engagement with Lily!"


    "Edric, you will regret it! I swear you will regret it!" Irene thought.


    "How did the negotiation with Edric go?" Nathan asked.


    She didn''te back to her senses until Nathan came over and gave her a nudge. She replied, "He


    said, no matter what reason I have, he won''t give up his engagement with Lily!"


    "Did he really say that?" Nathan was shocked. "Did you not tell him about the child?"


    "He said that no matter what reason I have, he won''t give up on Lily. Nathan, I know Edric''s personality


    very well; he and I are very stubborn people. As long as he has made his decision, he will definitely


    stick to it." Irene shook her head. "It seems that I have underestimated Lily''s standing in his heart."


    "Then what should we do?" Nathan frowned. "Irene, just tell him about Eden. No one is capable of


    hurting their own children; Edric is not such a cruel person. I think you should call him again!"


    "It''s useless. He''s turned off his phone!" Irene smiled bitterly. She had thought of telling Edric the truth,


    but Edric did not even give her a chance.


    "How could this be?" Nathan sighed. "Irene, don''t worry. Call him again after a few hours. His phone


    won''t be turned off the entire time."


    Irene did not speak. Dr. George, Eden''s attending doctor, came over. Seeing Nathan and Irene


    standing there with a dejected face, he asked, "How is it? Have you guys decided to go with my


    suggestion?"


    Nathan smiled bitterly. "This suggestion will not work on our side. The child''s father is about to be


    remarried! I don''t think they''ll be expecting a new child."


    "Why do you mean?" Dr. George shook his head. "You people of Havend are too old-fashioned. You


    don''t need to marry him to give birth to his child. You only need his sperm."


    George''s words enlightened Irene. That was right! Medical technology nowadays was so advanced!


    Indeed, she just needed his sperm. As long as she could find a way to get Edric''s sperm... "Nathan, I


    have an idea."


    "What idea?" Nathan asked.


    But her excitement was short-lived. Although she just needed his sperm, it was not an easy task to get


    it. Edric would not let her get his sperm so easily. And treating Eden''s illness would certainly cost a lot


    of money. Those were all problems she was facing.


    "I''m too simple-minded. Since Edric is so cruel, how can he let me get what I want? Eden''s treatment


    requires arge sum of money too... Argh!" Irene grunted.


    "Worry about getting his sperm for now. I will find the money. Trust me!" Nathanforted her.


    Irene lowered her head and pondered about it for a while. Then, she slowly shook her head. "Nathan,


    I''ve got a way to solve the money issue, but getting his sperm could prove to be quite difficult."


    "You''ve got a way to solve the money issue?" Nathan doubted.


    "Steven came to me a few days ago and said that he would give me arge sum of his inheritance. I


    turned him down decisively at that time, but now, I have thought it through. Why didn''t I ept the


    money initially? I can treat Eden with the money; Eden and I wouldn''t need to live such a hard life


    either..." Irene exined.


    "Irene! Don''t force yourself to do that!" Nathan eximed. Irene hated Steven very much. In the past,


    she didn''t even want to admit that he was her father even though her life was harsh. One could imagine


    how ufortable she must have felt to go to Steven for aids.


    "I''m not. I used to be too pedantic, but this time, for Eden... for him... I will do anything for him!" Irene


    said.


    Irene was determined. "I''ve been running away because of my own fear; Eden had suffered so much


    because of me. On top of that, he was inflicted with such an illness at a tender age. Yet, those who


    once hurt me are still living afortable life. I have figured it out. What right do they have to be happy


    when I''m not? Not only do I want to get my hands on those assets, but I also want to let them feel


    indebted to me all their lives!"


    Irene''s change surprised Nathan. "Irene, don''t go to such extremes. Everything is still recoverable."


    Irene shook her head. "Nathan, you don''t have to persuade me anymore. I will definitely follow my own


    gut this time. I won''t change my decision!"


    Irene knew that obtaining Edric''s sperm wasn''t the only problem. She had to make sure that she was


    able to get pregnant too. The three years that she was married to Edric, she had never ovted. If she


    wanted a child then, she had to make sure that she was able to ovte. Ensuring that was the first step


    before she executed the n.


    Irene immediately carried out a physical examination in the hospital. A few hourster, the results of the


    examination had been released. She looked at the results on the report with surprise. "How could this


    be?"


    When Nathan saw her unusual expression, he immediately took the examination report from her hand.


    He was astonished too after reading it. "What''s going on? When did you undergo such an operation?"


    "I haven''t gone through such an operation before, though? I''m not stupid. Why would I have such an


    operation?" Irene chirped.


    "Then what''s going on?" Nathan replied.


    "I don''t know! I don''t know what''s going on!" Irene flounced on the chair with her head in her arms. She


    had undergone a sterilization surgery, in which her oviduct had been tied up surgically. But why didn''t it


    show after doing so many physical examinations before?


    Was it possible that the surgery was not done before she gave birth? Then when did it ur?


    Nathan rposed himself after the shock. He asked the doctor, "Can she get pregnant in such a


    situation?"


    "Yes, she can. But, she has to undergo tubal anastomosis first," the doctor announced.


    "How high is the sess rate?" Nathan asked again.


    The doctor pondered for a moment and answered, "I think it''s 85 percent!"


    "So low?" Nathan asked.


    "I''ll do it no matter how low it is. I can''t give up any way to cure Eden''s illness. First, I''ll undergo tubal


    anastomosis. Then, I''ll look for matching bone marrow at the same time to increase our chances," Irene


    dered.


    Nathan nodded and said, "Okay, as you wish!"


    Nathan immediately contacted an expert to do the surgery for Irene. After the operation, Irene stayed at


    the hospital and rested for three days. On the fourth day, she immediately booked a flight and returned


    to San Fetillo.


    On the ne back to Havend, Irene saw the news about Edric and Lily''s engagement. She originally


    wanted to go home first and discuss her n with Thomas. But, she suddenly changed her mind when


    she saw the news. She had to go to Steven''s house to witness the engagement ceremony. The news


    stated that they were a couple made in heaven; Irene had to see it herself if it was true.


    After getting off the ne, Irene took a taxi and went straight to the Cook family. That was the first time


    she went to Steven''s house in San Fetillo. When she arrived there, the guards stopped her.


    Irene looked at the mirror on the guardhouse and found that she looked exceedingly haggard. Her dirty


    hair was disheveled and her face was painted with exhaustion. She didn''t look like a guest of the Cook


    family at all; instead, she seemed more like a beggar. No wonder the guards stopped her.


    However, it didn''t matter. She dide to beg for money. Irene put down her luggage and smiled at the


    guard. "Please call Mr. Cook and inform him that Irene is here!"


    The guard took a look at her. He didn''t want to make that call at first, but given her resoluteness and


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    the fact that the Cook family was holding a wedding ceremony that day, he reckoned that Irene might


    be a distant rtive of Mr. Cook''s. Hence, he picked up the phone and dialed Steven''s number.


    A few minutester, Steven appeared in the guard room with a surprised look on his face. "Irene?"


    "Mr. Cook, I have decided to move back here. Shouldn''t you wee me with open arms?" Irene''s


    mouth curved into a beam as she asked in a mocking tone.


    "Of course!" Steven reached out and helped Irene to pick up her luggage. "I called you several times,


    but you had your phone turned off. I went to ask Thomas about it. He said that you went abroad. What


    happened? Why did you go abroad?"


    Steven did not seem to be lying. He did call Irene several times and also went to Irene''s new home to


    find her, but he ended up being sshed with water all over his face by Thomas.


    "I had some private matters to attend to!" Irene answered tly. Anyway, she would have plenty of time


    to get along with Steven. There was no need for her to raise a fuss with Steven now.


    "Today is Lily''s engagement day..." Steven trailed off as he carefully observed Irene''s face. After


    noticing that thetter did not have much change in her expression, he continued to say, "I have only


    invited a few guests to our home. It''s going to be a small-scaled asion."


    "Very good!" Irene replied lightly.


    "Lily and Edric will move out after getting engaged. You don''t have to worry..." Steven added.


    "What''s there for me to worry about? Why did you ask them to move out? Isn''t a family supposed to


    live together to be happy?" Irene smiled faintly.


    Her open-mindedness left Steven tongue-tied. Where did Irene''s hostility and resentment go?


    However, she became more indifferent too. What exactly happened?


    While he was lost in his thoughts, they had already arrived at the house. It was Lily''s big day, so the


    house was decorated ordingly to the joyous asion. Irene saw a tform in the yard. On the


    tform, Lily was standing beside Edric in a dress. Both of them looked on cloud nine.


    The corners of Irene''s mouth quirked upwards slightly. With a yful smile, she looked at the pair


    onstage acting affectionately. Apuse rang out before she followed suit and pped her hands.


    Steven was originally worried about Irene. However, when he saw her behavior, he felt a weight lifted


    off his shoulders. Onstage, Edric put a ring on Lily with a polite smile on his face. His movements were


    as smooth as flowing water, yet the depth of his eyes was void of emotion.


    His eyes swept to Irene, who was standing below the stage while pping her hands. He was


    subconsciously stunned. While he was in a daze, Lily tiptoed and took the initiative to perk at his lips.


    The apuse became more thunderous. The smile on Irene''s face widened. Margaret breathed a sigh


    of relief when she saw that scene. She looked at Deborah, who was next to her. The two exchanged


    nces and chuckled. Suddenly, they realized that there was a person missing. Margaret asked right


    away, "Where is Steven?"


    "He was still here just now, but he left after answering a call!" Deborah said as she looked at the


    entrance. When she saw Irene standing beside Steven, she was evidently dumbstruck.


    While she was still in shock, Margaret also noticed Irene. "Why is she here?"

 Chapter 92 Whats Going On

    Chapter 92 What''s Going On


    "Irene, you''re back!" shouted Maisy. She was standing in a remote corner, watching the engagement


    ceremony in disdain when she noticed Irene. She ran towards Irene immediately.


    "Where have you been for all these years? Why haven''t youe back to check on me?" Maisy''s


    voice choked.


    Irene saw Maisy; and she, too, ran over excitedly. She stretched out her arms and hugged Maisy.


    When Irene was just a wisp of a girl, Maisy worked as a servant in the Cook family. She had always


    been very good to Irene.


    Deborah and Margaret also came over. When they saw Irene, Margaret''s first thought was that Irene


    was here to stir up trouble. She stood in front of Irene with an aggressive front. "Why did youe?"


    Irene let go of Maisy and squinted at Margaret. "Excuse me, who are you in the Cook family?"


    "I..." Margaret''s face turned red. The contempt on Irene''s face agitated her. "Well, Lily''s my daughter-in-


    "Oh? It''s not yours, then. What makes you qualified to ask me what I''m here for?" Irene retorted


    unceremoniously. She turned to look at Deborah and asked with a smirk, "Isn''t that right, Mrs. Cook?"


    Deborah gave Irene an awkward smile. She knew that things would not go so smoothly with Irene''s


    presence. Irene definitely had no good intentions for visiting them at this time. Fortunately, the


    ceremony was over. Immediately, she chirruped, "Irene, let''s talk inside!"


    "Why are you inviting her in? Just have someone to get her out of here!" Margaret barked despite being


    in such a joyous ceremony. She was used to demanding things her way. Irene did not have money,


    power, nor authority. Margaret was not afraid of offending Irene.


    Irene sneered. "Since when did an outsider get to make decisions in this house? Don''t tell me that Mr.


    Cook is looking for a new Mrs. Cook again? Madam Deborah, it seems like you should keep an eye on


    Mr. Cook. He''s certainly very charming. Perhaps someone would covet your ce in this family!"


    Even fools could tell that Irene was insulting Margaret. Margaret did not expect Irene to insinuate that


    she had a string or two with Steven. Irene was really rude in Margaret''s eyes. Thetter huffed and was


    about to retort when Irene looked at Deborah. "Mrs. Cook, is my room ready?"


    Deborah tried to put a smile on her face. "We''ve always kept your room for you."


    "It''s not the smallest, darkest, and the most humid room, is it?" Irene taunted.


    "No, it''s thergest one that gets plenty of sunlight," Deborah said.


    "Good." Irene was satisfied. She told Maisy, "Maisy, please send my luggage that''s with Mr. Cook


    upstairs. Thank you very much!"


    It was only then that Margaret realized Steven was on the side, looking at them with Irene''s luggage in


    hand. She asked, "What''s going on?"


    Steven cast her a cold gaze with a dark expression. He saw every instance Margaret acted towards


    Irene a while ago. How dared she speak to Irene in that tone in front of so many guests? He could


    imagine how arrogant she would be when no one was around.


    How much torture did Irene had suffered in the past? He ignored Margaret''s question and Maisy''s


    attempt to take Irene''s luggage. He held it himself and went into the house.


    Edric and Lily approached in their direction. Edric looked at Irene with an unreadable expression. What


    did Irene want to achieve bying here? He thought of what she stammered out that night. She had


    told him, "If you call off the engagement with Lily, I''ll consider getting back together with you."


    He did not believe her. He thought that everything she said was for revenge and hung up the phone.


    She called again and again, yet he chose to reject all her calls. Eventually, he switched off his phone.


    He thought that she came to mess things up when he first noticed her. However, when he saw her


    grinning and pping her hands, he knew that it was different from what he expected. Irene looked at


    him and Lily with a mocking smile as she squealed, "Congrattions, Miss Cook. Your wish came true!


    I wish you both to have a child as soon as possible, and many more children in the future!"


    Lily was hesitant on what to say. Smirking, Edric replied, "Thank you, Miss Nelson."


    "You''re wee! It''s what I should do!" Irene beamed. "Go on. I''ll go upstairs and take a look at my


    room. I''ll be taking a nap too!"


    Edric, Lily, Deborah, and Margaret all felt uneasy at the sight of Irene entering the house nonchntly.


    Deborah and Lily wore smiles on their faces, but their hearts were in a mess. They did not believe that


    Irene would stay put on such an asion.


    Margaret was the most oblivious among the four. She was exasperated when she saw Irene being so


    arrogant. She cut to the chase and questioned sharply, "Mrs. Cook, what on earth is going on?"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "Let''s talk about itter. We should arrange the guests to go to the hotel now!" Deborah forced a smile.


    Although there were not many people in the yard who came to attend the engagement party, it was


    definitely not the right ce to discuss such a topic.


    Most importantly, Deborah did not want to even bring this up, for it was rted to a shameful past of


    hers. After Myra''s passing, Steven took on his new position in Alsburg City. She and Lily went together


    with him. No one knew that Steven had once married Myra prior to Deborah. She had lived all these


    years as if she was his first, only, and legal wife. If anyone knew that she had apparently been his


    mistress before she married him, she would certainly be shamed.


    The party was not as joyful as it seemed. While Steven returned to the event, he did not look as gleeful


    as he did in the morning. His attitude towards Margaret also became rather chilly.


    The party finally ended. After greeting the guests goodbye, Margaret mentioned Irene again. Steven


    replied calmly, "Irene is my daughter; my ex-wife gave birth to her."


    Margaret paled in an instant. If Edric was not the one who happened to catch her at the side, she would


    have fallen to the ground from the shock. "How could this be?"


    Wasn''t Irene from a poor family? How did she suddenly be Steven''s daughter? Margaret was


    dumbstruck.


    She was certain that Steven was aware of Edric and Irene''s marriage in Alsburg City. Deborah and Lily


    also knew very well that Margaret was the one who forced Irene to divorce and leave the Myers family


    without any alimony. Why did Steven agree for Lily, his second daughter, and Edric to be engaged?


    "Why couldn''t it be?" Steven glimpsed at Margaret with annoyance. "I''ll excuse myself. Irene hasn''t had


    dinner yet."


    With that, he strode out at once. Deborah asked Margaret to take a seat. Only at that moment could


    Margaret finally take a breather. She nced at Deborah and hissed, "What happened?"


    Deborah sighed. "It''s a long story. Irene was Steven and his ex-wife, Myra Nelson''s daughter. There


    were some misunderstandings at that time, and Myra left home with Irene. Later, an ident happened


    and Myra passed away. Her younger brother, Thomas med Steven for Myra''s death. He hated


    Steven a lot, thus he took Irene away and changed her name. We''ve been looking for Irene for many


    years, and we finally identified news about her recently."


    Deborah was fantastic at spinning lies. Deborah was definitely to be med for Myra''s, but she


    glossed over her passing as a simple motor vehicle ident. Irene had left because she was angered


    that Deborah took Lily and upied Myra''s ce in the family. Despite so, Deborah twisted it into


    Thomas taking Irene away. She even lied that they only found Irene recently.


    Of course, Deborah would never tell the truth, for she knew that Steven would not let their scandal see


    the light of day. For his reputation, he would never admit that he had an affair with Deborah while he


    was married to Myra.


    Edric felt rather ufortable when he heard Deborah''s reply. He got up and went out to smoke.


    Seeing him leave, Deborah gave Lily a look, and Lily immediately followed him.


    Edric stood outside and lit a cigarette irritatedly. Uneasiness enshrouded him as he looked at Margaret


    and Deborah. One was snobbish and the other was full of lies. Both of them were indeed a good


    match. Thinking of the mockery in Irene''s eyes, his heart sank.


    Lily walked to his side and spoke, "Aunt Margaret didn''t know that I got pregnant for Irene, and my


    mother didn''t want anyone to know about this. Thus, she lied to Aunt Margaret. Please don''t me my


    mother for it..."


    Lily defended Deborah, "Back then, my mother... was indeed in the wrong. But, it''s not like I have a


    choice. After all, she gave birth to me and raised me up. I can''t hate her no matter what."


    Her words hit Edric right in the heart. He also had qualms about Margaret, but Margaret was his


    mother. He could not disobey her nor abandon her.


    "If you find it difficult to live in such a family, you can cancel all of this. I won''t me you," Lily added.


    Edric looked at her pitiful appearance and forced a smile. "Don''t overthink it."


    Margaret was not stupid. She did not believe in Deborah''s words. Irene and Myra definitely did not


    leave home due to a misunderstanding. Lily and Irene were of the same age. That so-called


    misunderstanding should be rted to Deborah herself; thetter was probably Steven''s mistress at


    that time.


    Besides, she did not believe Steven and Deborah were unaware of what happened between Irene and


    Edric. Since Steven knew that Margaret abused Irene and was still willing to have Lily married Edric, it


    was clear that he took a fancy to the money of the Myers family.


    At first, Margaret was shocked and worried that the marriage between Lily and Edric would be


    canceled. However, right then, her thoughts changed. She felt flustered with a hint of contempt. She


    had searched high and low for Edric''s perfect partner. Why did she end up choosing Lily, who was just


    a mistress'' daughter?


    Nevertheless, Lily was still better than Irene. Just the thought of Irene''s unyielding attitude made


    Margaret boil in anger. Lily was gentle, kind, and sensible. She would never go against Margaret like


    Irene did.


    Experienced in the pretense and the deceit of the corporate world, Margaret knew how tough the


    matter off, thereby leaving Deborah some dignity. "I see. So, what happened between Edric and Lily?"


    "Actually, Steven and I were also in a dilemma about Lily and Edric. Steven once told Irene about it as


    he was worried that Irene would disagree with it. But to our surprise, Irene was pretty open about it.


    She didn''t object to the rtionship between Edric and Lily. Since Irene was okay with it, and Edric and


    Lily are in love with each other, Steven and I can''t possibly separate the lovebirds. Well, can we?"


    Deborah said.


    Deborah was clever with her talking. She beat around the bush before she finally came up with an


    excuse that Irene did not object to the marriage. All these were meant to indicate that Deborah did not


    want to call off the engagement. Margaret chuckled and said, "I think the same. Since Edric and Lily


    have fallen for each other, how can we parents stop them?"


    Deborah nodded. "Edric and Lily should not feel guilty towards Irene too. Let bygones be bygones!"


    "Yes! Let bygones be bygones. We should always look to the future!" Margaret parroted.


    "By the way, since I''ve told you my past, I''ve nothing to hide anymore anyway. There''s another thing


    that I have to tell you," Deborah added.


    Deborah was an observant person. Since Irene had returned rightfully as Steven''s daughter, it was


    impossible for her and Edric to avoid meeting each other. To prevent any unnecessary situations,


    Deborah had to make preparations in advance.


    "What is it?" Margaret asked.


    "It''s about the urban construction projectst time. It wasn''t that Steven didn''t want to help, but it was


    Irene who requested him to do so. Steven felt guilty towards her, so he agreed with her request,"


    Deborah exined.


    "I see." Margaret nodded in understanding as her hatred for Irene increased tenfold. If it was not for


    Irene, the Myers Group would not have lost such a huge project.


    "But don''t you worry. Steven has already done his part to do right by her. Such a thing won''t happen


    again," Deborah affirmed.


    Margaret hummed in agreement. She knew what Deborah meant. Now that things hade to this


    point, there was no use to argue about the rights and wrongs. She stood up and spoke, "It''s getting


    <pte. I''ll ask Edric to send you guys home!"

 Chapter 93 More to Keep Them Awake at Night

    Chapter 93 More to Keep Them Awake at Night


    Margaret said that Edric would send them home, but it was John who drove them back instead. Lily


    and Deborah sat at the back while Edric was in the passenger seat. Although there were four of them


    in the car, the atmosphere was unusually depressing. Not one word was spoken on the way.


    John nced at Edric in confusion. Why did he feel that Edric was in a bad mood? What happened?


    When they arrived at the Cook family, Edric did not get out of the car. Lily, too, did not cling to him as


    usual. Instead, she bid goodbye to him sensibly and left.


    As Edric''s car vanished from their visions, Lily exhaled and asked, "Mom, do you think Margaret


    believed what you told her?"


    "Even if she doesn''t, I''ll make her believe it!" Deborah huffed. She felt her face growing stiff from all the


    forced smiles she had to put on just for the sake of exining things to Margaret earlier in the day.


    Thinking that all this happened because of Irene, she cursed in a low voice, "D*mn that little b*tch! She


    came back right at this time on purpose. D*mn it!"


    "Yeah, I was so nervous today. I thought she would make a scene, but unexpectedly, she did nothing,"


    Lily agreed.


    "By the way, how''s it going with Edric?" Deborah asked.


    "He trusts my words. Seems like there''ll be no problems for the time being," Lily answered.


    "You''re right. Edric has always thought that you''re innocent. Besides, he''s been feeling guilty towards


    you that you''re not able to give birth. He probably won''t suspect you. But you have to be careful in the


    future," Deborah reminded Lily.


    She continued, "Everything is good about Edric, but he''s just too respectful to Margaret. If Irene had


    made the effort to please Margaret back then, she wouldn''t have ended up in such a pathetic state. You


    must remember that no matter what happens, don''t provoke Margaret. As long as Margaret''s happy,


    the same will be for Edric."


    Lily nodded. Thinking of how Margaret had threatened Edric to divorce Irene with her life, Lily made up


    her mind that she must coax Margaret well and must never ck off in ttering thetter.


    Deborah and Lily stood at the door for a while. Only then they opened the door and entered the house.


    Irene had already woken up from her nap and was having her meal in the dining room. Maisy and


    Steven sat on the side and looked at her.


    After having a shower and some sleep, Irene looked much refreshed. She was not as lethargic as she


    was at noon this day. Maisy made spaghetti for dinner before Irene ate it with relish. "Maisy, it''s been a


    long time since Ist had your spaghetti. It still tastes as good!"


    Maisy looked at Irene lovingly. "From now on, I''ll make you whatever you like every day!"


    "Thank you!" Irene gave Maisy a sweet smile and continued to tuck in the spaghetti.


    Steven heard the noise and turned around. When he saw Deborah and Lily, he spoke ndly, "You''re


    back."


    Deborah walked over with a beam on her face and asked, "Steven, why do you let Irene eat spaghetti?


    We should bring her out to a restaurant."


    "Irene said she didn''t want to trouble us, so she asked Maisy to make some spaghetti for her," Steven


    answered.


    "I''ll personally prepare a meal tomorrow to wee Irene back into the house," Deborah said.


    Irene gobbled up the remaining spaghetti and put down the cutlery. She got up from the table and


    spoke, "I''m full now. I''ll be heading upstairs. Maisy, please help me settle the dishes!"


    Irene had ignored Deborahpletely. Deborah wasn''t angry in the slightest bit either; her face was


    still full of smiles.


    Steven was satisfied with Deborah''s behavior. When he saw Irene went upstairs, he gestured at


    Deborah to go to the study. After closing the door, he asked, "Margaret didn''t say anything, did she?"


    "No, she''s just very surprised about Irene. I told her that Irene was taken away by Thomas when she


    was a child. We never heard anything from Irene until recently," Deborah answered.


    Steven nodded. "Whether she believes it or not, that''s it. She''s one evil woman too. When I saw how


    aggressive she was towards Irene today, I''m really worried that Lily will suffer a simr fate..."


    "Lily will be fine. Margaret didn''t know Irene was your daughter back then, but Lily''s different. She has


    to treat Lily well out of respect to you," Deborah reasoned.


    Steven agreed. He was so delighted at the fact Irene had decided to move back home. He told


    Deborah, "Now that Irene''s back, you must remember to be nice to her. Humans are emotional beings.


    If you treat her well, she''ll certainly change her mind towards you."


    "I know. Don''t worry. I''ll treat Irene like my own daughter," Deborah responded.


    Steven''s tone no longer sounded as harsh as he muttered, "Thank you!"


    When Edric returned home, Margaret had been waiting for him in the living room for a long time. "Edric,


    why are you back sote?"


    Edric walked over to her and sat down, asking, "Mom, why are you still up?"


    "Can''t you see I''m waiting for you? How could I sleep when such a big thing happened? I''m waiting for


    you toe back and discuss this with me," Margaret answered.


    "Is there anything to be discussed?" he questioned.


    "Aren''t you surprised?" Margaret was very dissatisfied with Edric''sposure. "I''ve seen so many


    things in my life, but never have Ie across something so outrageous. Irene and Lily are actually


    siblings, but why don''t they look alike at all?"


    "Even biological twins won''t look like each other, let alone the half-siblings," Edric answered inly.


    "Thomas was so cruel. No matter how much he hated Steven, he shouldn''t have dragged Irene down


    with him! If Irene had grown up with Steven, she would definitely be more charming and perfect..."


    Margaret sighed.


    "Sure, if you knew that she was Steven''s daughter, you would surely not treat her like how you did. Am


    I right?" Edric''s voice was as calm as a millpond, but the irony in his speech was apparent.


    Margaret tittered awkwardly. "Well, I had you divorce her because she couldn''t give birth to a child. It


    had nothing to do with her identity."


    "In the kind of environment when she was with us, it''s normal that she couldn''t get pregnant." Edric let


    out a sneer.


    "Let''s not talk about this first. You have to be careful with the Cooks from now on. Since Irene has


    reunited with Steven, she might very likely pull tricks on us," Margaret reminded him.


    "Are you worried that she''ll take revenge on you?" He scoffed. "Then why did you do all those things to


    her back then?"


    "Edric, didn''t I do it for you? Everything I did was for your own good! You have to be careful of Irene. I


    always felt that she returned with evil intentions this time. She''ll definitely find a way to go against us!"


    Margaret knew that Edric felt ufortable talking about Irene, but Margaret was not at peace either.


    She was well aware of Irene''s hostility towards her. It seemed that Steven also regarded Irene rather


    dearly too. It could clearly be seen from the drastic change in his attitude towards Margaret earlier in


    the day.


    Didn''t Deborah say that it was Irene who interfered in the urban construction project? If Irene continued


    to sabotage them in the future, the sports tournament they were working on would be ruined too.


    That was why she stayed in the living room and waited for Edric toe back to discuss how to


    remedy the situation. However, she did not expect to be met with his indifference andck of alertness,


    as if it was none of his business.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "If she wants to have revenge, then let her be!" Edric looked impatient.


    "Have you ever thought about it? Irene is dead weight. With her in your way, Steven would give you


    less support," Margaret warned him.


    "Mom, will thepany go bankrupt if I don''t have Steven''s help?" Edric asked in return.


    "No, I know you''re capable. But I''m not assured looking at you fighting alone. That''s why I have to find


    someone who''ll help you in the business to marry you. It seems that we have to put the marriage with


    Lily on hold," Margaret stated.


    "Why?" Edric was bewildered and asked, "You want to break off the marriage?"


    "If Steven won''t support you, there''s absolutely no need for this union!" Margaret replied confidently.


    "You''d better be sure of yourself." Edric was vexed. "It''s you who asked them for marriage, and now it''s


    you who want to break it off. I''m not going to sugarcoat my words. I''ll have you know that Steven is not


    the same as the old Irene. You''d better not go for wool ande home shorn!"


    After being retorted by Edric, Margaret flounced herself down onto the sofa in disappointment.


    Looking at Margaret, Edric''s heart felt incredibly heavy. He knew that she was snobbish, but he did not


    know that she was this crazed for power. It was not because of love that Edric agreed to be engaged to


    Lily. Well, it was the same for him to marry anyone if Irene would not return to him.


    When he saw Margaret calcting everything about the marriage, he could not imagine how she would


    marry Lily so desperately, a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. This must be their retribution.


    The Myers family was destined not to have an heir. He stood up coldly and hissed, "I''m tired. I''m going


    upstairs to rest!"


    Margaret felt a little depressed when she saw his stony expression. Ever since Irene was driven out, he


    had be more and more impatient when they had a conversation.


    But she did not feel that she was in the wrong. Everything she had done was for Edric; why didn''t he


    appreciate it?


    Irene went back to her room and made a phone call to Thomas, saying that she had returned to the


    Cook family. Thomas was positively astonished. After she told him the reason for her return, he


    exhaled deeply. "Irene, you have to be careful. Deborah is not easy to deal with."


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Thomas. I''ll be careful," Irene responded.


    After hanging up the phone, Ireney on the bed and kept shifting around. She could not fall asleep.


    She wasn''t asposed as she seemed to be outwardly when she witnessed Edric and Lily receiving


    blessings from everyone on the stage this day. Like an experienced actress, she had hidden all the


    difort she had inside.


    She tried her best to smile the brightest at those who had hurt her the deepest. She knew that Margaret


    would definitely know her identity this day. Margaret must be shocked. They must not be able to fall


    asleep this night, must they? They could be assured though. There would be more to keep them awake


    in the future!


    Irene turned herself over. The purpose of her return was not only to get Steven''s assets, but also


    Edric''s sperm. Obtaining Steven''s assets should be a piece of cake, but the sperm was huge trouble.


    How could she get Edric''s sperm? Did she have to seduce him and sleep with him? She shook her


    head. This method would not work. Even if she could endure the disgust in her and spent an after-dark


    with Edric, it was still unknown whether she could get pregnant or not.


    She had slept with him more than often in the three years of their marriage, but she did not find out that


    she was pregnant until right before their divorce.


    She had just undergone Fallopian tube anastomosis. It should be very difficult for her to conceive


    naturally at this point in time. There was only one way, which was to steal his sperm! But how should


    she do that?


    She remembered that she had read a story before. There was a woman who stole sperm from the


    condom in order to get pregnant with another man''s child. That woman in the story managed to be


    pregnant eventually.


    This approach might work. Since Edric and Lily were already engaged, they would surely sleep


    together. If she could rece their condoms with those without spermicide, and retrieve the condoms


    after they used them...


    It was just that they would not use condoms, would they? After all, Margaret was very eager to have a


    grandchild. Edric was such an obedient child that he would definitely satisfy her wish.


    Irene sighed. None of the ways would work. What should she do?

 Chapter 94 A Lot to Ask

    Chapter 94 A Lot to Ask


    The next morning when Irene went downstairs, she saw Steven on the sofa in the living room with


    Deborah. Spotting Irene, Steven revealed an amiable smile and asked, "Irene, did you sleep wellst


    night?"


    "It was good," Irene replied inly.


    "Let''s have breakfast!" As soon as Steven got up, Deborah followed suit too. With a smile stered on


    her face, she exined, "Steven had Maisy make you your favorite breakfast. He''s been waiting for


    you to have it together."


    "Thank you!" Irene forced herself to say the words. The truth was she did not feel grateful at their kind


    gestures at all. In fact, she hated seeing their hypocritical smiles. If it were not for Eden, she would not


    have the energy nor interest to interact with them.


    Because of Irene''s return, Steven chose not to go to work. It was unprecedented, but he stayed at


    home to apany Irene. Nevertheless, he was still busy entertaining numerous phone calls one after


    another.


    As Irene was bored, she went to Steven''s study. Her original purpose was to get a book to read, but


    she identally noticed a bunch of documents on the desk. They were about San Fetillo organizing a


    sports tournament.


    The cogs in her mind began moving. Since there was a sports tournament, a bid would definitely be


    held as well. Edric would certainly participate, and she would not let him achieve his goal. The only


    opponent who could defeat Edric was the Golden Age Group. She hurried out of the house with her


    bag in hand to meet Jordan.


    Leaving the house, she rushed to the nearby bus station. However, despite waiting for more than ten


    minutes, no bus was seen. One of the people waiting for the bus pointed to the car on the side. He


    asked her, "That person has been staring at you. Do you know him?"


    Irene turned her head and was surprised to see Edric in the car. He was staring intently at her.


    Irene did not expect to see him. Her first thought was that Edric hade to pick Lily up, hence she


    turned her head to the other side. However soon, she heard the sound of the door opening. A familiar


    scent was nearing; Edric had already walked to her side.


    "Let''s talk," Edric spoke.


    Irene looked steadily ahead, pretending not to hear him. Her silence caused him to grow anxious. He


    drove here the previous night because he could not sleep.


    He felt that he had a lot to ask Irene. He parked the car at the bus stop and called her, but he could not


    reach her. He reckoned that she had turned off her phone. Little did he know that she had already


    blocked his number.


    However, it was not enough to make him leave. He stayed in the car for the whole night. It was a tough


    and restless night for him. He had been wondering why Irene returned to the Cook family at this time.


    He could still recall all the wonderful and sweet memories they shared in their three years of marriage.


    He had always believed that they were honest towards each other. But now, he was forced to realize


    how ridiculous he was. It was merely his one-sided, wishful thinking. If Irene had loved him even just a


    little, she would not have hidden her true identity.


    During their marriage, she had never mentioned her rtionship with Steven. After their divorce, she


    had not contacted Steven either. Why did she return to the Cook family when he got engaged to Lily of


    all time?


    Seeing Irene finally appear at the bus stop, Edric''s feelings boiled into a potpourri of emotions. He


    stared at her in a daze as she passed by his car without even a nce. Strangely, that reminded him of


    what she had told him in the past, "I have a radar on me. As long as you appear within 500 meters from


    me, I can sense you immediately."


    At the moment, he was no more than two meters away from her, but she could not sense his presence.


    Edric found himself childish. How could he believe every word she had said?


    When she left, he had sworn that he would stop believing in her. However, everything she said seemed


    to have taken root in his heart. It would ring in his head whenever it was fitting.


    Perhaps he had stared at Irene for too long, the man who was waiting for the bus spoke to Irene and


    reminded her of his existence. Then, she turned her head to nce at his car indifferently before


    looking away. Herpleteck of emotion made him rush out of the car to grab her hand without


    thinking.


    "Follow me!" he urged.


    "Let go!" Irene struggled. She did not want to get into his car. Ever since he rejected her mercilessly


    that day, herst touch of affection for him had vanished. From then on, they would only be strangers.


    He dragged her onto the car and locked the doors. Irene failed to open the door and red at him.


    "Edric Myers, are you out of your mind?"


    "Irene, we have to talk!" He ignored her outburst. "You have to answer me honestly."


    "Who do you think you are?" She stared at him with a contemptuous leer on her face.


    Disregarding her hostile response, he queried, "Why did youe back at this time?"


    "Because I wanted to. Can''t I do that?" she fired back.


    "You must have a purpose. You refused to recognize Steven even though you were in that situation


    back then. Why did youe back this time? And why did you call me that night? I want to know the


    reason!" he demanded.


    What a foolish man Edric was. Didn''t he realize that it was already toote for him to get an answer


    from her at this point in time?


    "I wasn''t thinking straight at that time," she answered.


    "Are you trying to take revenge on Lily? Is revenge your goal?"


    Lily? Revenge? Irene whipped her head around, her gaze icy. "So what if that''s the case?"


    "I won''t let you seed. You''d better not think of doing anything." Edric red at her and warned, "I


    won''t let any hurt befall her!"


    Those were the words he had once promised Irene. At this moment, his promise was bound to another


    woman. Irene found it both amusing yet pathetic. She must have been really blind. How could she fall


    in love with such a man? How could she believe that he would bring her happiness? Fortunately,


    everything was in the past.


    "Edric Myers, I would no longer cower in the pain you inflicted on me. From now on, I swear that I


    would take back everything I deserved!" barked Irene inwardly while gritting her teeth.


    "It depends on whether you''re capable of stopping me," she spat. Then, she pointed at the door. "Open


    the door and let me out!"


    Edric remained unmoving. "Irene, Lily is in no part in this. Come to me if you want revenge!"


    "I said, open the door!" Irene yelled. "If you don''t, I''ll call your fiancee over!" She took out the phone


    and was about to call Lily''s number. He had no choice but to open the door. Irene got out of the car and


    after a few steps, she suddenly turned around and marched back.


    She motioned for Edric to open the window. He presumed she had something to say, so he stretched


    his head out of the car, only to receive a hard p on the face.


    "This is the price you have to pay for forcing me to get in your car. Also, you''ll pay for what you''ve said


    today. I swear that you''ll pay the price!" Irene cursed.


    Seeing her ferocious gaze, Edric felt a twinge of pain in his heart. Why did they be like this? Why?


    After the incident, Irene no longer had the mood to wait for the bus. Instead, she hailed a taxi and went


    to Jordan''spany. Jordan saw her appear out of the blue and stood up in shock. "Why are you


    here?"


    "I''m back to work. Mr. Reed, shouldn''t you wee me?" Irene tried her best topose herself


    before Jordan as if nothing had happened.


    "Of course I do! Why wouldn''t I?" Jordan studied Irene''s countenance carefully. He was really


    astonished. After all, he was aware of Eden''s illness. Shouldn''t she be by Eden''s side at the time? Why


    did shee back all of a sudden?


    He could not figure it out and asked, "How''s Eden? Is he getting any better?"


    "His condition is stable for now," Irene answered and froze. "How do you know Eden is sick?"


    "I... I found it out by ident." He would not reveal that he had been paying close attention to her every


    move. Looking at her weary face, his heart ached.


    "Irene, don''t worry. Everything will be fine. Medical technology is so developed now. My family owns a


    hospital abroad. I''ve already ordered them to report to me once they find apatible bone marrow,"


    heforted her.


    "Thank you!" Irene did not know how else to express her gratitude to Jordan. She could only thank him


    with words.


    "You don''t have to worry about the treatment costs too. I''ll help you with it," he added.


    "Thank you!" Once again, she could only thank him.


    Just then, David entered the room. He was shocked to see Irene. "You''re back?"


    Irene nodded. David sighed and patted her shoulder to encourage her. "Eden will get through it and


    everything will be fine. Don''t worry too much."


    "Thank you," she replied.


    Seeing David''s concern for Irene, Jordan felt a wave of jealousy rising in him. "You have anything to


    report to me?"


    David turned to face Jordan. "Mr. Reed, the 8th National Sports Tournament Committee has been


    officially established in San Fetillo. All thepetitions will take ce in San Fetillo this time.


    ording to the Committee, they estimated eighty-eight games and training arenas. Thirty-eight of


    them will be the existing stadium while the other fifty will need a newly built venue. The total investment


    of the construction, renovation, and maintenance of the stadium will reach two billion dors."


    Jordan''s expression turned solemn instantly. "The bidding announcement has been issued?"


    "Yes!" David answered. He put a filepiled of well-organized notice before Jordan. Jordan looked at


    it carefully and said with excitement, "This seems like another steal, huh?"


    David nodded. "Indeed, this is no less than the urban construction project."


    "We must find a way to win this bid." Jordan rubbed his hands together.


    David agreed. "But Edric certainly won''t sit by and do nothing. He lost thest bid as he underestimated


    his opponent. It''s likely that he''ll go all out this time. We can''t disparage his abilities. It will be an


    arduous task!"


    "What are you afraid of? I like this kind ofpetition!" Jordan sneered. "It''s boring if the opponent''s


    too weak. Let''spete with Edric again and see who''ll win this time!"


    Irene interjected, "To be honest, I''m here for the sports tournament too. Mr. Reed, if you need anything,


    you can order me as you please."


    "You just need to make sure that Steven does not show any favoritism to Edric," Jordan informed her. "I


    must let Edric know how powerful I am this time!"


    Right away, he called his team for a meeting. Meanwhile, Edric was also holding a meeting to n for


    the bid. Bothpanies were cranking up their gears to win.


    Jordan was a ssic example of a person who had to have some form of enjoyment even if he was


    working. During such a tense atmosphere, he did not forget to enjoy a delicious meal. He went to a


    Michelin-starred restaurant with Irene for lunch.


    There Irene saw Lily and Freya. Without Edric''spany this time, Lily did not seem as elegant as she


    was when she dined with Edric. Now that the engagement was settled, she was smiling all over her


    face. Meanwhile, Freya was wolfing down the food without care.


    Irene shed a look of disdain when she saw Freya talk with food in her mouth. Lily appeared as a


    graceful and ssydy. How did she have such a philistine woman as her friend?


    Jordan noticed Irene''s gaze and could not help butugh in a low voice. "Lily is really good at making


    herself stand out. She befriends such weirdos to make herself look better. But is she not aware of the


    idiom ''birds of a feather flock together''?"


    Irene understood the meaning of his words instantly. Lily was friends with Freya just because she


    wanted to appear better than the others. Irene really never thought that Lily would have such an


    intention. Jordan had looked through Lily in an instant.


    "By the way, did youe back in a hurry yesterday to attend Lily''s engagement party?" Jordan asked.


    "Sort of!" Irene replied. She did not want anyone to know what had transpired between her, Lily, and


    Deborah. It was her private affairs.


    Noticing that Irene was reluctant to borate, Jordan sensibly dropped the topic. Just then, Lily''s


    phone rang. She picked up the phone and answered the call. Irene and Jordan could not hear what the


    other party was talking about, but they heard Lily answering repeatedly in a respectful manner, "Rest


    assured. My father has promised that nothing like thest time will happen again! Please don''t worry


    about it!"


    Jordan and Irene exchanged a nce. Seeing Lily answering the phone so politely made them think of


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Margaret. Lily had said that she promised the same thing would not happen like thest time. Was she


    talking about the sports tournament?

 Chapter 95 Laying Her Cards On The Table

    Chapter 95 Laying Her Cards On The Table


    Sure enough, their guess was not wrong. After Lily put down the phone, Freya asked her in a ttering


    manner, "Is it your mother-inw?"


    Lily nodded and the smile on her face died down. She could not afford to lose the bid for the uing


    sports meeting. If that happened, Margaret would give her a hard time. Therefore, she had to find a


    way to ensure her father Steven would not side with Irene.


    Although Irene was eating her food quietly, her heart was beating fast. She knew very clearly what


    Margaret and Lily''s intentions were. If it weren''t for her, Edric would definitely have won the auction


    previously without any difficulties. This time, Steven would certainly be bound to be biased to Edric.


    She, on the other hand, would never allow Edric and Margaret to get what they wanted.


    Eden was seriously ill and suffering in pain at such a young age. Therefore, how could she allow Edric


    and Margaret to have everything as per their ns. She had to fight for the auction of the uing


    sports meeting.


    When Irene returned to the Cook family in the evening, everyone was waiting for her to have dinner.


    After she washed her hands, she sat down at the table. With a smile, Deborah picked up a spoonful of


    mashed potatoes for her. However, instead of epting it with appreciation, she blocked it.


    Nevertheless, Deborah was not infuriated. She continued to wear a smile on her face and continued to


    serve Irene. Inwardly, she was snickering. After all, Irene was such a youngdy in Deborah''s


    eyes. Irene would never know that her actions would only increase Steven''s sympathy for Deborah. It


    showed him how hard it was for Deborah to be a stepmother. As long as she had Steven''s sympathy,


    the guilt he harbored for Irene would decrease correspondingly. When that happened, Irene would


    regret her rudeness.


    Sure enough, after Irene blocked Deborah for the third time, Steven couldn''t help but cry out, "Irene!"


    "What''s wrong?" Irene looked at Steven innocently.


    "Deborah is picking up food for you. Why are you..."


    "I don''t like the food she picked. What''s more, why bothers others when I can do it by myself?" Irene


    asked in return.


    After saying that, she turned to face Debora. Despite her grin, Irene''s gaze was callous.


    "So, Mrs. Cook, please don''t do anything unnecessary. Such an act can only deceive the simple-


    minded. Even a dumb would know that a mistress will not treat the daughter of the master''s wife well


    sincerely," Irene criticized.


    She was tantly using Deborah of putting up a show. Steven frowned slightly and his sympathy for


    Deborah disappeared at once. It was true that Deborah knew that Irene was unhappy but she still


    picked up food for thetter several times. That was a little fake.


    "Irene, don''t go too far!" Lily barked. She couldn''t bear to see Irene humiliate Deborah like that.


    "Did I?" Irene sneered. "Isn''t Deborah a mistress? Aren''t you an illegitimate daughter? Hmm, what do


    you think will happen if I tell an outsider about the rtionship between you and our father? How will


    they judge you?"


    Lily fell silent instantly. Although Deborah insisted that she and Steven had been madly in love and that


    they ended up being pregnant with Lily back then, Deborah could only deceive herself. Even a fool


    knew that a woman who slept with another woman''s husband was a mistress. Lily, the so-called


    politician''s daughter, was indeed born out of wedlock.


    Deborah''s face turned ashen. Her hand, which was holding the fork and spoon, trembled. It was


    unbearable for her to be humiliated in front of her own daughter. But in the end, she just kept her head


    down mutely.


    Steven''s face flushed in anger. It was not his intention to have an affair with Deborah. But, he knew he


    wouldn''t be able to exin himself anyway. Nevertheless, Irene had misunderstood him for a long time.


    Hence, her barbed words were not the worst he had heard.


    However, Steven must admit that he was rather content with Deborah''s tolerance towards Irene. Since


    Irene was seething with rage at the moment, she certainly needed an outlet. As long as Deborah could


    swallow her pride, no matter how unruly Irene was, Irene would eventually be moved by their kindness


    and ept them as her new family.


    Because of Deborah''s toleration, the tense atmosphere in the dining hall finally calmed down a tad bit.


    After such a fiasco, Irene was not in the mood to have any more food. She put down her cutlery and


    went to the living room.


    Steven, Deborah, and Lily were not in the mood to eat either, hence they ended the meal hastily.


    However, Irene''s agenda for the evening did not only include provoking Deborah and Lily. She didn''t go


    upstairs. Instead, she sat in the living room as she wanted to have a talk with Steven. When Steven


    came out of the dining hall, she spoke, "I need to talk to you!"


    "What is it? Let''s go to the study to discuss it," Steven suggested. His implication was that Irene should


    not have an open discussion with him in the face of Lily and Deborah.


    Nevertheless, Irene wasn''t going to do as per his request. "No, here is a good spot."


    At that moment, Deborah and Lily hade over. Originally, they were about to head to their rooms


    after suffering such great humiliation. However, when they heard Irene''s words, they both reversed


    their direction and sat down on the sofa in the living room.


    Steven nced at Deborah and Lily, who were sitting opposite Irene, and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Irene answered, "It''s regarding the sports tournament. I hope you can continue to be fair and square in


    the auction. Don''t be partial to any party!"


    Lily couldn''t help but blurt, "Dad, you''ve promised me. I''ve already told Edric and Aunt Margaret."


    Steven hesitantly admitted, "Irene, I have promised Edric the project a long time ago."


    "Mr. Cook, you are a funny person," jeered Irene. "Does San Fetillo belong to your family? Can you


    give a project worth tens of billions of dors to anyone you want? Is what a politician ought to do?"


    "I''m not being partial to any party. It''s just that the Myers Group is indeed capable..." Steven exined.


    "Are you suggesting that otherpanies apart from the Myers Group are incapable of handling this


    project?" Irene interrupted him. "After the auction of the urban construction projectst time, can you


    still be confident that the Myers Group is the one and only powerfulpany in San Fetillo?"


    "I..." Steven was in a dilemma. Indeed, the strength of the Golden Age Group was not inferior to that of


    Myers Group. It was true that the Golden Age Group had clinched the urban construction project


    previously because the city was interested in attracting foreign investment. Besides, their bidding


    documents were indeed on par with those of the Myers Group.


    "Irene, you can''t be so greedy. Dad has already sided with you about the urban construction projectst


    time. You can''t do the same again this time," Lily interrupted.


    "Miss Cook, you are mistaken. The previous auction was carried out fairly. The Golden Age Group won


    the project themselves. Of course, Mr. Cook, if you''d chosen to help Edricst time, the urban


    construction project would not fall into the hands of the Golden Age Group," Irene rified.


    "That''s all because of you," Lily sulked.


    Ignoring Lily, Irene looked at Steven, warning, "I hope that the sports tournament this time can be


    carried out fairly. Mr. Cook, if I find out what other tricks you have done in this auction, I will surely


    report you!"


    Her words brought a drastic change to Deborah and Lily''s countenance. Irene was not afraid at all as


    she had nothing to lose. After all, she was used to living a poor life and had never thought of living


    under Steven''s care.


    However, Deborah and Lily were different. If Steven was investigated for that matter, it meant that their


    good days woulde to an end. They knew what would await them if the halo of Steven''s position as


    a politician stopped shining on them.


    "Irene, what do you mean by this?" Lily questioned as she couldn''t bear Irene''s undisguised threat to


    Steven. Fury was scribbled all over her face. "You are doing this on p-p-purpose, aren''t you?" she


    stammered, enraged.


    "Miss Cook, why would I do such a thing on purpose?" Irene looked at Lily mockingly.


    "You are jealous because Edric is engaged to me. You refuse to see us live a happy life!" Lily yelled.


    She was so pissed off. After all, Lily had promised Margaret at noon that Steven would lend them a


    helping hand. She had even told Margaret thetter could rest assured. However, now that Irene had


    made such a statement, Steven would very likely not help Edric. What was Irene up to exactly?


    "You''re right. I don''t want to see you guys live a happy life!" Irene sneered. "Do you really think that I


    will bless both of you? You two are but a pair of adulterous couples! I can''t wait to see you guys go to


    hell!" Irene cursed.


    Lily''s face paled. She looked at Steven for help. "Dad!"


    Nevertheless, Steven was solemn and silent. Watching Irene at the moment, he was reminded of her


    pathetic state when she had divorced Edric. Irene was his daughter, so how could he not feel


    distressed when she was being mistreated? The Myers family was indeed ruthless; it wasmon


    knowledge to all. Therefore, Irene''s hatred was only reasonable.


    "Dad, you can''t let Irene have it. If she''s doing this to us for the rest of her life, then are you going to


    stop dealing with Edric?" Lily asked.


    "Lily!" Deborah, who had been silent all this while, stopped Lily. Then, she cast her gaze on Irene,


    saying, "Irene, your father will help the Reed family in this sports tournament. I will exin to the Myers


    "Mrs. Cook!" Irene interjected. "I don''t know what''s wrong with yourprehensive skills. Did I ask


    him to help the Golden Age Group? I didn''t, right?"


    Deborah''s face flushed red. Indeed, Irene did not say anything about needing Steven''s help at all.


    Irene simpered. "Let me make myself clear. I''m not a person who conducts shabby deals. Mr. Cook, I


    just want to remind you to be impartial in your dealings. Let the participantspete in the way they


    should in this bid. If there is any favoritism, I won''t hesitate to report it!" Irene rified.


    With that, she got up and went upstairs. The living room fell silent. Steven stood up and said, "Irene is


    right. San Fetillo is not mine. I don''t have the right to decide who to help. Everyone has topete for


    it fairly."


    Lily''splexion turned ash-white. "But I have promised Aunt Margaret. Dad, please help me. Just this


    one time will do," she pleaded.


    "No way!" Steven refused decisively. "Just as I said before. If the reason Edric gets engaged to you is


    just because of me, there''s no need for you to get married! I, Steven, won''t ept such a shameless


    person to be my son-inw!"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Lily wanted to beg Steven again, but Deborah grabbed her arm and pinched her. Lily shut up sensibly.


    Steven went to the study while Deborah and Lily headed to Lily''s bedroom.


    "Mom, this little b*tch, Irene, is so hateful!" Lily closed the door furiously before she let her mouth run


    loose.


    "Well, can you hold it in if someone else takes away Edric from you?" Deborah retorted.


    Lily replied, "Of course, I can''t. I''ll definitely make that woman''s life a living hell."


    "That''s right! There''s nothing wrong with Irene''s actions. In fact, the more she does this, the further she


    would drive Edric away. Think about it, what kind of impact will it have if we ry Irene''s words to him?"


    Deborah asked.


    "Huh? You''ve got a point. If we let Edric and Margaret know that Irene is ying such a trick on us,


    they will hate her to her bone. And, I won''t have to worry that Edric will fall in love with her anymore,"


    Lily chirruped excitedly. "I will tell Aunt Margaret what happened tonight!"

 Chapter 96 The Search For Dave

    Chapter 96 The Search For Dave


    Deborah didn''t stop Lily from calling Margaret. Once the call was answered, Lily told Margaret in detail


    what had happened that night, "Aunt Margaret, how can Irene be so mean? She said that as long as


    Dad helps Edric, she would report him to the authority. Even Dad has to listen to her now. She''s stirring


    things up!"


    Upon hearing that, Margaret fumed with rage. "D*mn Irene! She''s getting back at Edric! How can she


    be so cruel?" Inining about Irene, she did not realize how cruel she had been in the first ce.


    "Yeah, Mom and I were pleading with her, but she never let up¡­ She even cursed us with nasty


    words!"


    Margaret sighed. She was well aware of Irene''s temper and eloquence. Back when Irene had


    confronted her, Margaret couldn''t even get half a sentence in. It seemed that Steven couldn''t be


    counted on from now onwards. Knowing that it wasn''t Lily''s fault, Margaret didn''t harbor any ill feelings


    against her. Instead, Margaret noted sensibly, "I''ll tell Edric about this and have him think of another


    way."


    Deborah didn''t expect Margaret to be so nice. Hence, she went downstairs to make tea for Steven in


    relief.


    After she hung up the phone, Margaret gritted her teeth in anger and called Edric immediately. But


    even before she reached him, she heard the door open. Edric was back.


    "Edric, you''re back just in time!" Margaret threw the phone down on the coffee table. "I''m so pissed off!"


    "Mom, your health is not in its tip-top condition. What are you angry about?" Edric seemed visibly tired.


    "How can I not be angry? That b*tch, Irene, is making a fool of us behind our backs!" Margaret ryed


    what Lily had told her. "Edric, you can''t count on Steven this time. You have to think of another way!"


    "I know!" Edric reassured. "I''ll take care of thepany. You don''t have to worry about it."


    Margaret initially had more to whine about, but seeing Edric''s weary face, she forced herself to swallow


    her words. "Alright, you''d better go up and rest!"


    Edric nodded and went upstairs. After entering his room and closing the door, he crashed onto the bed


    in exhaustion. He was surprised by what Margaret had just told him. As far as he could remember,


    Irene was never a vindictive person. Hence, why would she take it out on him?


    As for the sports tournament, he had never expected Steven to do him any favors from the start.


    Hence, Edric had already approached the governor of the state, Owen Arnold.


    Owen told him that the government took this sports tournament very seriously. Not only must the


    winningpany possess strong financial resources and capabilities, but it must also produce an


    innovative design for the stadium. The government was hoping that the biddingpanies woulde


    up with some creative design works and that after the games, those locations could be converted into


    would there be a possibility of winning the bid.


    After getting the news, Edric quickly had his men start a call for design proposals. Of course, the Reed


    family was also aware of the information Edric had received. Hence, Jordan''s team was also on a tight


    schedule. Both the Myers Group and the Golden Age Group''s strengths and capabilities were not in


    question. It was just a matter of waiting to see who coulde up with a design that would convince


    the experts.


    As for Margaret, afterzing around the living room alone, she finally returned to her room. Lying in


    bed, her heart itched ufortably. If she had known that Irene was Steven''s daughter, she would


    never have tormented Irene.


    If she hadn''t done that, Irene would have given birth to Edric''s child by now. With Steven as a strong


    backbone and a grandchild, Margaret would have been able to draw closer to Edric. How nice would it


    have been if they had a happy family? Yet, that could not happen now. In ce of that, they had made


    themselves another enemy. She had made a wrong choice back then.


    That night, Irene did not sleep well. She tossed and turned, thinking about Eden''s condition. As she


    woke up in the morning, she found that her eyes were a little bloodshot. After drinking the bowl of


    cereal Maisy prepared for her breakfast, she hurried to the office. Meanwhile, Jordan had arrived early


    at the office and was talking to David.


    "Edric went to Owen instead of Steven. It seems he doesn''t trust his father-inw!"


    Irene was stunned. "Edric went to the state governor?"


    Jordan nodded. "But it turned out to be a waste of efforts. The higher-ups clearly stated that the sports


    tournament should be fair and just. The participants must not only be highly skilled but also have to


    At that, Irene smiled bitterly. No wonder Steven hadn''t reacted to her threat the previous day. It turned


    out that he knew the oue already. Out of a sudden, she felt slightly irritated. Watching as her face


    sank, Jordan was confused. "You don''t seem too happy?"


    "No, it''s nothing." Irene forced a smile. "Is the focus now on finding a designer?"


    Jordan nodded, informing, "Mr. Pedro called to tell that he received some intel that Dave Walker might


    be hiding in San Fetillo. He told me to put an effort into finding him."


    "Is Dave a well-known designer?" Irene asked.


    "He''s not just a designer; he''s a design genius. He won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most


    prestigious award in the architecture field, at the age of twenty-five. Many famous stadiums abroad at


    that time were designed by him," answered Jordan.


    "In that case, he should be a very famous person, but why haven''t I heard of him?" Irene was puzzled.


    "He''s not been in the industry for quite some time," Jordan replied.


    Dave was one of the most internationally acimed figures in the history of architecture and was


    known as the design genius of architecture. All his designs were ssics. However, he suddenly


    disappeared at the height of his fame.


    ording to the rumors, he had passed from a terminal illness. Meanwhile, others said that he had


    be a priest because of a woman. Whether the rumors were true or not, Dave''s departure was a


    great loss to the architecturalmunity. Irene had never dreamt that Thomas'' real name was Dave


    Walker. "I always thought Dave was from Fransburg? But didn''t everyone say he was dead?"


    "He''s not dead. Something happened in the past and he got discouraged, so he went into hiding in San


    Fetillo," Jordan exined.


    "What was it?" Irene was surprised.


    "Not many people know about it. It was my grandfather who told me. Back in the days, Dave was the


    darling of the Fransburg society. At the time of his rise to fame, many wealthy businessmen were his


    friends. Although Dave was an architect, he had a good knowledge of antique paintings. Because of


    that, many wealthy Fransburg merchants, who loved Havend culture, loved to request him to be a


    connoisseur for the antique paintings they bought," said Jordan.


    "For this reason, Dave had spent a lot of money on several antique paintings at the request of a


    wealthy Fransburg merchant during a trip to Havend. However, all the paintings turned out to be


    imitations."


    "The rich merchant took Dave to court for that, but it waster agreed that the matter would be settled


    privately. As a result, Dave lost all his money. Fortunately, the wealthy merchant was merciful to Dave.


    He recovered some money and then had the news blocked to save whatever was left of Dave''s


    reputation. Therefore, only a few people know about this incident, and that is why although many are


    aware of Dave''s sudden disappearance, no one exactly knows why," detailed Jordan to Irene.


    "He disappeared just because of that?" Irene found it unbelievable. " Since he was a genius in the


    architecture world, he mustn''t have done such a thing because of money, right? After all, he can make


    a lot of money just by taking a single order."


    "Not only that, there is another rumor that says that Dave''s disappearance from the public eye has


    nothing to do with the painting, but because the woman he loved married to another man. He was so in


    love with that woman that he vanishedpletely, discouraged and disillusioned," Jordan added.


    "Some people are really blinded by love in this world. Even a genius like him can''t escape the bonds of


    love." Irene sighed.


    "It''s a pity that a design genius like him has fallen from grace!" Jordan also sighed along with her.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Now that we''re sure Dave is hiding in San Fetillo, let''s spend our best efforts to find him. If we can find


    and convince him to design the stadium for us, what''s there to worry about?" David interjected.


    "Since he''s incognito, he must not be easy to find." Irene shook her head. "So, I suggest we don''t put


    all our hope and focus on him."


    "I know. I''m going out of town to meet with some designers, and I won''t be at the office for the next two


    days. I''ll give you some time off to rest too," announced Jordan as he rose to his feet.


    As Jordan and David left thepany, Irene went back to her rented ce. Thomas was happy to see


    her back. "I''m going to buy food to make dinner."


    "Uncle Thomas, it''s still early for lunch, there''s no need to rush." Irene stopped him. "Let''s chat."


    Thomas took a seat and asked, "Did Steven and Margaret treat you well?"


    "It was the usual," Irene replied. She then told Thomas about the incident at the Cook family,


    borating, "Steven acted so coolst night that I thought he felt humiliated. I didn''t think he already


    knew what would happen. It''s abominable!"


    "If he wasn''t abominable, he wouldn''t have cheated on your mother back then," Thomas stated in all


    seriousness. "You must not believe his words. He is a man of many faces."


    "I know. I didn''t go back to catch up on our lost father-daughter time. I did it for the assets," exined


    Irene with a sneer. "Once Steven makes good on his promise, I''ll leave immediately and never bother


    myself with their disgusting tricks again."


    "But we don''t know yet if Steven will give them to you. After all, those ancient paintings weren''t his in


    the first ce." Thomas was worried.


    "Also, Margaret is very cunning," continued Thomas. "You shouldn''t sh with them face to face.


    Otherwise, you''ll easily fall into their trap. Steven is already biased, and he''ll be even more so if you


    continue confronting that woman."


    "Once upon a time, I used to think that forbearance was a blessing," Irene began. "So, I never fought


    for anything. But what did that get me in the end? God fooled me and allowed Eden to fall sick! I''m


    filled with hatred at this moment!"


    A glint of ruthlessness shed across Irene''s eyes. "Didn''t Steven want me to take part in a


    harmonious family reunion y? I''ll never do as he says! My mother is dead and my son is seriously ill.


    Why should they be well when I''m not? I''ll give them hell!"


    "Irene, you have to think about it positively. Eden''s illness is curable," Thomas reassured. "We still have


    time. Once we find the bone marrow, things will be fine."


    "That''s true, but how easy is it to find a matching bone marrow?" Irene sighed and then told Thomas


    what the doctor had suggested. "Uncle Thomas, not only did Ie back for the property, but also to


    get Edric''s sperm and have another child. That''s the only way Eden will be safe."


    Thomas was silent for a while. "I will support you unconditionally no matter what you choose. I''m sorry


    for being useless. I hate myself that I am unable to help you."


    "Uncle Thomas, I only wanted to talk to you about my troubles. I don''t mean to me you in any way.


    You''ve done enough for me."


    Irene held Thomas''s hand. "I don''t know why I''ve been so upsettely. I find that I have be a


    different person. I don''t want to see the Myers family in a better position than I am; I loathe to see that


    cheating mother-and-daughter duo enjoy such a good life. Uncle Thomas, am I a bad person?"


    "Irene, you are not. I''ve watched you grow up since you were a little girl. I know you have a good heart


    like your mother. You are only doing this because you were forced by them! Even creatures as gentle


    as rabbits bite when they are forced to a corner, don''t they? You''re never like them!"


    "I''m so mad at Margaret and Lily that I have the urge to beat them up! They try to win Myers the sports


    tournament project. Therefore, I threatened Steven so that he wouldn''t dare to y favorites! s,


    Steven didn''t have to make a decision in the end as the governors have already issued the papers. He


    got lucky this time!"


    The more Irene thought about it, the more upset she became. "I can only pray now that Jordan''s men


    will find Dave!"

 Chapter 97 Not A Good Person

    Chapter 97 Not A Good Person


    The name Dave shifted Thomas'' expression slightly, but Irene didn''t notice it. Since Jordan had said


    that Dave was hiding in San Fetillo and Thomas had been living in San Fetillo for quite some


    time, Irene reckoned that perhaps Thomas had heard of Dave before. "By the way, Uncle Thomas, in


    all your years in San Fetillo, have you ever heard of a person named Dave Walker?"


    "Nope!" Thomas replied.


    "Ah, I''m not thinking straight. If Dave is hiding in San Fetillo, there is no way he would reveal his real


    name," Irene mocked herself.


    "Irene, why are you guys looking for this Dave guy?" Thomas questioned.


    Irene told Thomas about the stadium design. "If we can get Dave to design it, then the chances of the


    Golden Age Group winning will be high. If we can''t find him, it will likely end with a tie with the Myers


    Group."


    Thomas seemed to consider her statement carefully. "Irene, heaven helps the worthy. Perhaps you''ll


    find Dave."


    "I know you''re trying tofort me, but even if we find Dave, there''s no guarantee he would be willing


    to help. What''s more, we''re not sure if we can find him either." Irene shook her head.


    "God will definitely help you," Thomas repeated.


    Looking at the time, Irene realized it was already noon. "Uncle Thomas, let''s go out for a meal today.


    We''ll have your favorite dish."


    Thomas nodded and headed out of the door with Irene.


    When Irene returned to the Cook family in the evening, Steven arrived home at the same time too.


    Deborah kindly handed him his slippers while Lily helped take Steven''s briefcase from him. On the


    other hand, Irene, who was following behind, watched them with a derisive smile on her face.


    Deborah was really gentle and considerate to Steven. It was no wonder that Steven would believe all


    her words.


    As Deborah noticed Irene''s disdainful smile, she immediately announced, "I made Irene''s favorite dish


    tonight."


    "My favorite dish? Did I hear you right? Mrs. Cook, you actually know what I like to eat?" Irene


    squealed, feigning a look of surprise.


    "I told herst night," Steven chimed in.


    "Mr. Cook, I''m ttered that you remember what I like to eat!" Irene''s smile grew wider, the hint of


    mockery even more obvious this time. She then walked over to the dining room to nce at the dishes


    on the table. "Mr. Cook, are you sure these are all my favorites?"


    "You liked these when you were a kid," said Steven as he walked over.


    "Infants love to drink milk too! Mr. Cook, tell me, do you really think that people drink milk when they


    are adults because of that?" she chided.


    At that, Steven stiffened awkwardly. Nevertheless, Irene didn''t relent, instead, she pressed on further,


    "Mr. Cook, you''d better enjoy the meal Mrs. Cook prepared for you. Let me know when you''re done


    eating; I have something to tell you."


    Steven froze. "You''re not eating?"


    "I mean, oh my, these chicken steaks aren''t zombie steaks, are they? I heard on TV that there is a lot


    of zombie meat that has been frozen for hundreds of years now. I''m sure I''ll turn into a zombie if I eat it.


    I''d rather eat pizza!" Irene sneered. She was determined to make them lose their appetites with her


    words.


    Irene''s purposeful remarks made all of their stomachs churn at once. Lily couldn''t hold it in any


    longer. She blurted, "Mom made these specially for you. Don''t describe it in such a disgusting manner


    even if you don''t appreciate it."


    "Disgusting? I am just reminding you, otherwise, you might regret it after you turn into a zombie after


    eating it."


    At those words, Lily''s face turned blue with anger. She knew Irene was deliberately trying to repulse


    her and Deborah. Lily decided enough was enough. She dropped her act and shouted, "Irene, Dad has


    already given you the urban construction project as you wish. He''s even agreed to your demands for


    the sports tournament. What more do you want?"


    "What do I want?" Irene smirked cheerfully at Lily. "I want you all to get out of this house, is that okay?"


    "You..."


    "Let me say it again, the urban construction project was awarded to the Golden Age Group based on


    its own merit. As for the sports tournament, Mr. Cook, I thought we agreed to a fair fight. Miss Cook,


    don''t worry! You''re Mr. Cook''s sweetheart, and Edric is Mr. Cook''s ideal son-inw. He certainly won''t


    treat you both badly!"


    "Don''t be so sarcastic," scolded Lily. "Dad initially promised me the sports tournament project, yet it


    turned into a fair fight because of you. He obviously favors you. Why aren''t you grateful to him?"


    "He favors me? Is that so, Mr. Cook?" Irene cast a nce at Steven. "Well, even the best lies aren''t


    foolproof. Mr. Cook, you should know better than anyone else about what is going on, right?"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Steven''s face turned red before it paled quickly. He had wanted to take the time to talk to Irene about


    that matter, but he didn''t expect her to find out so soon. "Irene!" he gasped.


    "Your illegitimate daughter thinks you favor me so much that you are going to mistreat her husband. Mr.


    Cook, why don''t you make it clear to them who you really care for? Is it me or is it your illegitimate


    daughter and her mistress mother?"


    "Irene, it wasn''t my intention to conceal this matter. The state just issued the document, and I only


    learned about it today."


    "Did you hear that? It''s not that Mr. Cook is biased, but the state has issued a document. For him, you


    two are always first. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have cheated on his wife and raised an illegitimate


    daughter knowing that he would lose his job," jabbed Irene viciously. Jeering, she turned in her heel to


    leave.


    As she climbed up the stairs, Irene was thrilled to see their expressions. She was sure their dinner was


    ruined. In fact, she was content with her own performance. She reminded them gleefully, "Mr. Cook,


    take your time. Call me when you''re done."


    Naturally, Steven, Deborah, and Lily had a very unpleasant dinner. The food on the table was


    practically left untouched. Steven only had a few sips of soup before he got up and left the dining hall.


    As they watched him go upstairs to find Irene, Deborah and Lily looked at each other. Lily put down her


    cutlery. "Mom, I can''t have this. It''s too disgusting!"


    "Let''s not eat it then. We''ll go out for ate-night snackter." Deborah also felt sick to her stomach.


    "Mom, will we feel this sick every day with Irene around?" Lily huffed as she looked upstairs.


    "No. She''ll be fine after a few days of whining." Deborah lowered her voice. "The fact that she''s fussing


    proves that she''s not happy. Something probably pissed her off before she arrived home. Got it?"


    Lily nodded. "Mom, wasn''t there a rumor that she and Jordan were in a rtionship? But I saw Jordan


    at an event the other day with an actress standing next to him. He''s a yboy. Mom, do you think it''s


    because Jordan dumped her that she''s in a bad mood?"


    "Keep your voice down!" Deborah stopped Lily. She peeked at Maisy in the kitchen. "Watch out for


    eavesdroppers. We''ll talk about thister."


    Meanwhile, Steven knocked gently on Irene''s room door. As soon as she opened the door, Irene


    asked, "Mr. Cook, dinner''s over?"


    "Irene!" Steven entered her room and tried to exin himself. "I didn''t mean to keep this from you. I just


    found out about it and I was going to tell you at the right moment..."


    "Hold up!" Irene stopped Steven from continuing to talk. "Mr. Cook, let''s get down to business. I have


    returned to the Cook family as you requested. When are you going to give me the assets?"


    Steven was taken aback. He hadn''t expected Irene to be so straightforward and direct in jumping him


    for the assets. "In a few days."


    "When exactly?" Irene pursued.


    "Irene, are you in need of money?" Steven asked tentatively.


    "Yes!"


    "Then how about I give you the money I''ve saved over the past few years?" Steven suggested.


    "What about those properties? Are you not going to give it to me?" Irene fired back.


    "Of course they are yours, but only after Lily gets married," Steven exined.


    "You mean, if Lily doesn''t get married for the rest of her life, I''ll never get it?" Irene questioned


    mockingly. "Mr. Cook, please exin it clearly. Are you nning all of this because you are afraid that I


    will steal your precious daughter''s man?"


    "Irene, you''ve misunderstood me!" Steven was put in an awkward position. He had made it very clear


    to Deborah and Lily that all of his property would be Irene''s after Lily married Edric. Since Lily had not


    married yet, naturally these properties could not be touched. After all, it was not a small amount of


    money. If Deborah knew what he was hiding, with her greed, she would definitely create unnecessary


    trouble.


    Of course, Steven''s biggest concern now was not Deborah''s greed, but the fact that those properties


    couldn''t be discovered at the moment.


    "Okay, Mr. Cook, forget it. You don''t have to exin anything!" Irene spat impatiently. It seemed that it


    was not easy to get his so-called properties. She didn''t have much hope for him to give them to her


    right away anyway.


    However, judging from Steven''s behavior in the past few days, he was indeed not a person worthy of


    sympathy. Irene felt stupid for feeling emotional the other day when she had spotted white hair on his


    head.


    A man who cheated on his wife was never a good person. It applied to both Steven and Edric. She


    vowed to remember never to have any hopes on them ever again.


    Meanwhile, Margaret was unaware that the sports tournament project was going to be conducted in a


    fair manner. She had spent thest two days thinking about Irene. Back then, she was the one who


    ordered Irene to leave the house, for she hated Irene very much at the time. She had waited months to


    see her grandson born alive, but Irene made it impossible.


    Therefore, her anger had erupted like a volcano and she had forced Edric to divorce Irene by death. On


    top of that, she had even forced Irene to leave the family. As Margaret had known that Irene would go


    against her, she thought she could just give Irene a little money as child support and shoo her away.


    However, she didn''t expect Irene to be so hard-headed. If she had known that Irene had Steven as her


    backer, she would not have treated Irene so badly. As the saying went, it was better to squash enmity


    rather than keeping it alive. She had to find Irene and set things straight. As long as Irene stopped


    stirring up trouble, Margaret would be willing to pay a fortune.


    With that in mind, she asked Lily for Irene''s phone number and called her. Meanwhile, Irene jumped in


    surprise when she received a call from Margaret. She thought she had seen a ghost! As she was very


    disgusted with Maragaret, Irene simply hung up the phone after hearing only one word from her.


    But Margaret was undeterred. She actually found Irene''spany! Faced with Margaret''s pestering,


    Irene had no choice but to follow her to a nearby cafe.


    Margaret forced a smile. "Irene, I came to see you today because there are some things I want to clear


    up with you¡ª"


    However, Irene cut her off, "Mrs. Myers, we''re just strangers. I don''t think there''s anything left to clear


    up."


    Margaret ignored her retort. "I forced Edric to do it, and Edric didn''t want to. me me if you want to!"


    "Mrs. Myers, if that nonsense is all you have to say, I don''t have time for it!" Irene rose to her feet. "Let


    me make this clear, I don''t want to see any of your family members. Please be aware of your actions."


    "Irene, I know I wronged you, but I can make it up to you!" Margaret grew anxious.


    "How so?" Irene nced at her, her eyes full of ridicule.


    "I can give you a sum of money. Here is the cheque." Margaret handed her a cheque. "If you are not


    satisfied with the amount, we can discuss it again."


    "As expected of a rich person. What a generous offer," Irene tsked. "But Mrs. Myers, are you sure you


    want to give me this money? Are you sure you want to give it to me without a condition?"


    "I hope you''d stop giving Edric a hard time," Margaret voiced.


    "Giving Edric a hard time? Who''s Edric? Is it an animal?" Irene asked rhetorically.


    At her response, Margaret''s face flushed red. "Irene, what do you want exactly?"


    "Nothing. That''s exactly what I want." Irene shrugged her shoulders. "Mrs. Myers, unless your ears


    aren''t working well, I think I''ve made myself extremely clear."


    As soon as the words left her mouth, the door was pushed open.

 Chapter 98 Its All The Fault Of Women

    Chapter 98 It''s All The Fault Of Women


    Edric stood at the door with a grim expression. He had received a call from Lily informing that Margaret


    had gone to Irene. Although Margaret had a bad temper, Irene was no pushover either.


    He had been worried that a sh would happen between them. Thus, he rushed over immediately.


    However, Edric heard Margaret begging Irene at the door, to which Irene had asked Margaret if Edric


    was an animal. At that, Edric became hot under the cor.


    "Why are you here?" Margaret was startled by Edric''s arrival. Edric did not answer her. Instead, he


    fixed his eyes on Irene steadily for a while before extending his hand. "Miss Nelson, it''s a pleasure to


    meet you. I''m Edric, and I''m not an animal you think I am."


    Irene turned a blind eye to his outstretched hand. "Mrs. Myers, I have nothing to say to you. I hope you


    will never again engage in such childish behavior. Don''t call me on the phone and don''t look for me at


    my workce."


    With that, she turned to leave without even ncing at Edric. However, he grabbed her hand. "Wait a


    minute!"


    Restrained, Irene stopped in her tracks. "Sir, please behave yourself!"


    Edric''s tone was cold when he spoke to her, "Miss Nelson, don''t you think it''s a bit rude to talk to an


    elder like that? Apologize now!"


    "An elder?" Ireneughed mockingly. "Who''s this elder you''re talking about?"


    "Although we are divorced, there''s no denying that you once called her ''Mom'', right?" Edric continued.


    Irene sneered at his remark. "My memory isn''t too good. Hence, it''s hard for me to remember people


    and things that don''t matter. For some reason, I can''t seem to recall what you are talking about! Also, if


    I remember correctly, my mother died a long time ago."


    "Since you don''t remember, I''ll help you with that. Now, apologize!" Edric persisted.


    "If I don''t, what can you do about it?" Irene scorned. "Edric, remember, once upon a time, I apologized


    to her because you were my husband. But who are you to me now? What makes you think you can


    force me to apologize to a stranger?"


    "Because I was once your husband!" Edric bellowed.


    "Wow! Mr. Myers, that''s riching from you!" Suddenly, the door flung open, and Jordan trod into the


    room sullenly.


    Edric was taken aback by Jordan''s sudden appearance. What was Jordan doing there?


    Although Jordan had suspected that there was something strange going on between Irene and Edric,


    he never thought that Edric was Irene''s ex-husband. This was because Lily was Edric''s current fiancee.


    Jordan had spected that the sisters might have fallen in love with the same man. However, as a


    politician, Steven would never allow both of his daughters to be entangled with Edric.


    Worst of it all, Irene was left with nothing after being divorced by Edric. Since Edric did not seem to be


    so vile and revolting, Jordan had never expected that it was him.


    However on that day, after he noticed Margaret hade to visit Irene, he realized something was


    amiss. Why would Margaret look for Irene? Feeling strange, Jordan followed Margaret.


    In fact, he had arrived earlier than Edric but he didn''t enter the room. Although Jordan was usually a


    jokester, he was a man of principle. He couldn''t be bothered to eavesdrop; therefore, he sat downstairs


    in his car and waited. He thought of asking Irene what was going on after she was done meeting


    Margaret.


    However, to his surprise, Edric had shown up too. As he saw Edric rush into the cafe, Jordan had an


    inkling that things were not as simple as he had thought. Thus, he followed Edric in to see what was


    going on.


    Overhearing Irene and Edric''s conversation at the door, Jordan had been dumbfounded. It turned out


    that the man Irene had married was Edric. When Edric was demanding Irene to apologize to Margaret,


    Jordan''s anger shot through the roof and he rushed in regardless.


    Jordan didn''t stop until he had walked up to the pair. "Mr. Myers, is it appropriate to hold your sister-in-


    "Get lost!" The term ''sister-inw'' delivered a sharp poke to Edric''s ears. At that, he yelled viciously at


    Jordan.


    Nevertheless, Jordan remained calm. "Am I wrong?" Then, he looked at Margaret in a pompous


    manner. "Aunt Margaret, you be the judge. Edric is engaged to Mr. Cook''s second daughter, isn''t he?


    Since Irene is Mr. Cook''s eldest daughter, isn''t she Mr. Myers'' sister-inw? Why is Edric holding his


    sister-inw''s hand? How is this appropriate? What would other people think of this?"


    He had a good point. Once Edric let go of Irene''s hand in dismay, Jordan took hold of her hand that


    had just been grabbed and blew on it.


    Then, smirking evilly at Edric, he punched Edric hard in the face.


    Edric was caught off guard, and blood immediately seeped out of the corner of his mouth. Before he


    could react, Jordan punched him again. "I''ve been wondering who that ungrateful b*stard of her ex-


    husband is. So it''s you! Edric Myers, I''ll teach you a lesson today!"


    After being punched twice in a row, Edric finally reacted. He started to retaliate and fight with Jordan.


    Watching the brawl, Margaret screamed in terror. Completely disregarding their dignity, they traded


    blows with each other. Soon, they began to wrestle on the ground.


    Irene was initially stunned by the sudden situation too. Therefore, it took quite some time for her to


    the lower hand. Knowing that Jordan had started the fight because of her, she refused to see him being


    hurt. Therefore, she offered her help by kicking Edric.


    As Edric saw that she was on Jordan''s side, rage filled his chest and he began to hit Jordan even


    harder than before.


    Noticing his increased vigor, Irene became even more reckless. Spotting a nearby vase, she flung it at


    Edric. Margaret, who managed to see through Irene''s intention, immediately pushed Irene away,


    disrupting her bnce. Having been initially aimed at Edric''s head, it was currently flying towards both


    of them instead.


    After all, Jordan and Edric were locked in a fierce fight and it was difficult to separate them. When the


    vase hit them both, they stopped at once and stared at Irene in disbelief.


    Irene looked at Jordan, stammering helplessly, "I... I didn''t mean to attack you!"


    Quickly, she fumbled to help Jordan up. In return, Jordan broke into a grin. "Be careful next time.


    Actually, just stand aside. Don''t make a mess!" he chided yfully.


    Standing in a corner, Edric was watching the two converse. Their interaction tore his heart into pieces.


    While he had a slight upper hand in the fight, he was the first to be knocked down and the first to be


    injured. Still, Irene was indifferent about it. Instead, she hit him with a vase! What was her heart made


    of? How could she be so cruel?


    Irene paid no attention to Edric. She was only worried about whether Jordan was hurt. She picked the


    Like a statue, Edric stood there, staring at the retreating figures of the duo. As he remained unmoving


    for quite some time, Margaret had no choice but to take the initiative to ask, "Edric, are you alright?"


    Edric didn''t respond to her. Margaret couldn''t help fussing, "Edric, you''re bleeding. I''ll take you to the


    hospital to bandage your wounds."


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I won''t die because of this!" Edric spat viciously.


    Meanwhile, Irene was driving with utmost focus while Jordan stared at her face. He was shocked. In


    fact, to say that he was shocked was an understatement. Never in his dreams had he imagined that


    Edric was Irene''s ex-husband. No wonder she wouldn''t tell him who her ex-husband was. On top of


    that, her interaction with Edric always seemed rather odd to him. So that was it!


    After finding out Edric had cheated Irene during their marriage, Jordan''s heart pained for her. What a


    jerk Edric was to give up such a wonderful wife for another woman!


    "Is your son Edric''s?" Jordan couldn''t help but enquire.


    Irene nodded in confirmation. "But he''s my son. He has nothing to do with Edric. I hope you won''t tell


    anyone about his existence. Only Nathan, my uncle, and I know about it. So, you''re the fourth person


    to know."


    "Edric doesn''t know?" Jordan froze. How outrageous of Irene to conceal from Edric the fact that he had


    a son. How would he feel if he discovered Eden''s existence?


    However, recalling how Edric had cheated on her, Jordan felt that Irene''s actions were justified. It was


    what a cheating man deserved. "Who was the person Edric cheated on you with?"


    Since things had already progressed to that stage, Irene felt there was no need to beat around the


    bush anymore. "To be honest, I did not divorce him just because he cheated. It was also because I


    couldn''t bear a child."


    "Then Eden..." Jordan trailed off.


    "After his mistress got pregnant, I got a pregnancy confirmation report. However, his mistress stopped


    me at the hospital and made me look at her pregnancy test. As a result, I hit her in anger. I didn''t


    expect her to fall to the floor and miscarry!" exined Irene. After a momentary pause, she concluded,


    "And after that, Edric divorced me."


    "So that''s what happened! Edric hated you for ruining his ns, and that''s why he divorced you."


    Jordan finally understood.


    "Yeah! I guess he would hate a vicious woman like me with a burning passion. After all, it wasn''t easy


    for him to find the right woman to bear his child. It makes sense that he would want to execute me.


    Although I receive no alimony, I guess, in a way, the divorce was for my benefit too!" Irene smiled


    bitterly as she mocked herself.


    "Who is that woman?" Jordan was really curious about the identity of the mistress.


    "It''s his current fiancee!"


    "What did you say?" Jordan''s eyes widened. "Your sister is the mistress?!"


    "No! She''s not my sister. She''s the daughter of another mistress!" Irene reiterated. "Lily''s mother stole


    Steven, and now Lily has stolen Edric. Of course I would explode with rage. If I had been more


    sensible, Edric would have a son the same age as mine."


    "Sensible my a*s!" Jordan burst indignantly. "How could Mr. Cook agree to let Lily marry such a man?


    Did he not consider your feelings at all? And what the hell was Edric thinking, to do such a disgusting


    thing between you two sisters? No, you should drive back. I''ll beat him up again!"


    "Forget it!" Irene shook her head. "Edric didn''t know about my rtionship with Lily. He knew about me


    being Steven''s daughter eventer than you did! As for Steven, he and Edric have the same terrible


    taste. After all, they are both cheating men."


    "Irene, what about you? Didn''t you really not love Edric at all in the first ce?" Jordan found it


    unbelievable. Two people would only marry because they loved each other, but the two of them


    seemed to know nothing about each other. Jordan found the notion inconceivable.


    "I never wanted to be involved with Steven! I''ve always felt ashamed instead of honored to have a


    father like that, you know?"


    "If that''s the case, why do you want to go back now?" Jordan wondered.


    Irene sighed. "If it weren''t for Eden, I would never have gone back to the Cook family."


    At that point, Irene had no desire to conceal her purpose of returning to the Cook family. Jordan


    nodded in agreement. "Irene, you''re right to go back to the Cook family for those possessions. Do what


    you have to do and get what you deserve. If you don''t demand those properties, you''ll be practically


    letting Lily and Margaret off the hook. You must fight for it! I support you!"


    "Jordan, don''t you think I''m evil for doing that?" Irene thought her actions would paint her in a bad light


    before Jordan. Contrary to her imagination, he supported her.


    "Irene, you can even be eviler in my opinion. If I were you, I''d find a way to screw Lily and Margaret


    over," hissed Jordan.

 Chapter 99 I Havent Been Able to Afford Such An Expensive Fruit For Years

    Chapter 99 I Haven''t Been Able to Afford Such An Expensive Fruit For Years


    Jordan continued to fume, "Don''t let Edric off the hook either. Doesn''t he love to cheat? You should


    return the favor and find countless women to seduce him, so Lily can experience the same pain you


    had back then."


    Irene was stupefied. Jordan''s suggestion... was a good one! If she could find a woman to seduce Edric


    and steal his sperm... Suddenly, she stepped on the brakes. "Jordan, will you do me a favor?"


    "What favor do you need?"


    After Irene told him her n to steal the sperm, Jordan was in disbelief. "Do you really want another


    child with Edric?"


    "I''m not doing this to have another child with Edric, but for Eden. The doctor said the chances of getting


    a suitable bone marrow donor is low. I don''t want anything to happen to Eden, so..."


    Jordan was silent for a while. "I don''t think having a child is a problem. It''s just the thought of you


    getting entangled with a scum like Edric again doesn''t sit well with me."


    "I''m not trying to get entangled with him. I''m doing this for Eden," Irene reiterated.


    "I know!" Jordan sighed deeply. No wonder the world imed that a mother''s love for her child was the


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    greatest love. Although Irene hated Edric to the core, she was willing to go to such lengths for Eden''s


    sake. Hence, he shouldn''t stand by and watch, no matter what.


    "Irene, I have a way to steal Edric''s sperm. A man who cheats within marriage is definitely unclean.


    When the timees, we''ll find a beautiful woman to seduce Edric and steal his sperm."


    "But will he take the bait?" Irene was still a little worried.


    "Leave it to me!" Jordan was full of confidence.


    Meanwhile, after Jordan and Irene left, Edric copsed onto the chair in a crumpled heap. Margaret


    saw that the corner of his mouth was bleeding. Feeling sorry, she came to wipe it for him, but Edric


    pushed her away.


    "Mom, would you give it a rest?" he hissed.


    "Edric, I didn''t have any other intentions. I only wanted to apologize to her and set the record straight


    about what happened in the past. I was the one who forced you to divorce her back then. She should


    hate me instead of giving you a hard time," answered Margaret.


    "Giving me a hard time?" Edric looked over at Margaret. "How is she giving me a hard time?"


    "The sports tournament would be in our hands if she didn''t stir things up..."


    "Mom, that project is fair game. Even Steven can''t do anything about it," Edric told Margaret about the


    details. "It''s not up to anyone to decide this matter; it''s all about the design work now."


    "Why didn''t you say so?" Margaret grumbled angrily. "If you had told me earlier, I wouldn''t have to be


    humiliated by her!"


    "Don''t ever get involved in my business again. Whether it''s apany or a personal matter, please


    stay out of it!" Having said that, Edric left the cafe.


    As he returned to the office with a bruised mouth, John jumped in shock when he saw Edric. "Mr.


    Myers, what happened?"


    "I got into a fight!" Edric sat down grouchily.


    "Was it with Jordan again?" asked John.


    "Who else could it be?" Edric spat angrily. "He''s so obnoxious, and that woman is so abominable!


    As John nced at the bruise at the corner of his mouth, he shook his head. Jordan and Edric were


    enemies. Although they were both respectable people, they would fight every time they met.


    People who didn''t know might think they had a big grudge. But only John knew the reason why they


    fought every time they met¡ªit was all Irene''s fault! At that, John shook his head and marched out.


    At that moment, Edric was leaning back in his chair. He looked like he was about to cry. Hadn''t Jordan


    separated from her? Why were they together again?


    Was she not the person who refused to return to the past? If that was the case, why did she go back to


    Jordan? Or did her past only include Edric?


    Still, it made some sense. Irene was kind to both Nathan and Jordan, but ruthless and vehement only


    to him! The more Edric thought about it, the angrier he became. "Since Jordan is making it hard for me,


    I can''t let him have it easy either."


    "Mr. Myers, what do you want to do next?" asked John.


    "Tell Pedro that his precious grandson is with Irene again!"


    Elsewhere, Jordan was busy looking for designers, but Edric wasn''t idle either. While Jordan was


    meeting with designers in other cities, Edric had hired Sinir Brown, one of the country''s leading


    architects.


    Sinir had designed the venue for several games, so the chances of winning the project would be


    much better with him in their team.


    Jordan wasn''t very surprised to hear that Edric had brought Sinir on board. Since Sinir and Edric


    had connections, it was normal for Edric to bring him in.


    However, Irene began to worry after hearing the news. "What should we do? Sinir is someone who


    cannot be underestimated. Edric''s chances of winning are high."


    Jordan smiled at that. "Although Sinir is skillful, we still stand a chance. Don''t worry. It''s still unknown


    who the winner will be. Everyone has a 50-50 chance of winning."


    Nevertheless, Irene wanted nothing but aplete victory over Edric. Jordan''s indifference to Sinir''s


    recruitment depressed her. After work, she went to Thomas''. On the way there, she bought him some


    fruits and vegetables.


    After she unlocked the door and entered, she found no trace of Thomas in the living room. At that, she


    put down the fruits and vegetables, and called out a few times before Thomas came out of his room.


    "Irene, you''re here!"


    "I bought you some groceries," she announced.


    "I''ll start cooking right away," Thomas informed. Then, he went to get his apron. Just then, Irene noticed


    his hands stained ck. She queried, "Uncle Thomas, why are your hands stained?"


    "Oh, it was an ident," exined Thomas with a grin. Then, he immediately went to wash it away.


    Still, Irene thought it was strange. Why did the ck stuff on Uncle Thomas'' hands look like pencil


    dust? Perhaps she was thinking too much. Since Uncle Thomas wasn''t an artist, why would he touch a


    pencil?


    As Thomas was busy preparing the meal, she walked into the kitchen. "Uncle Thomas, calm down. I


    only came by to see you. I''ll go back to the Cook family for dinner."


    Thomas didn''t stop her from leaving. After Irene chatted with him for a few minutes, she left.


    Back at the Cook family, she met Steven at the door. When the two entered the vi, Maisy had already


    prepared the meal. At that, the family began to eat.


    During the meal, Lily was nowhere to be seen but Irene ignored that fact. After all, Maisy had cooked a


    delicious meal. Irene dug into the food heartily. Meanwhile, Steven was surprised that Lily wasn''t


    around. Therefore, he questioned Deborah about her whereabouts. Deborah replied, "Lily is having


    dinner with Margaret today."


    Steven grunted; he was obviously displeased as it was the fourth time Lily had dinner with Margaret


    that week. It was no wonder that Steven was upset.


    At that, Irene sneered secretly. Lily was indeed a dutiful daughter-inw. She never forgot to please


    Margaret; it was no surprise that both Margaret and Edric liked her.


    Sensing Steven was upset, Deborah immediately exined, "Mrs. Myers sent someone to give Lily a


    mink coat today, so Lily went over to say thank you."


    Nonsense! It was clear that Lily was trying to please Margaret. Ever since Margaret knew that Lily was


    born to a mistress, she had begun to treat Lily differently than before. Deborah was afraid that Margaret


    would change her stance, wherefore she asked Lily to find a way to please Margaret.


    Although Lily was doing her best to please Margaret, Margaret did not appreciate it. As a result, every


    time she came back, Lily would sulk for a while.


    The culprit for all that was Irene. Therefore, it riled Deborah that Irene was enjoying her meal so well at


    the moment, gulping down the food inrge mouthfuls. "Mrs. Myers is as close to Lily as a mother. I


    thought they would be living together soon, so I didn''t stop her!"


    Like a mother? Steven frowned at Deborah. Then, he turned his head to ask Irene, "Is your work going


    welltely?"


    "Good!" Irene answered with a single word and continued to eat.


    "Take care of your health. Don''t wear yourself out," said Steven. Irene knew that Steven was afraid that


    she would feel ufortable after hearing Deborah''s words, hence he deliberately ended the topic. At


    that, Irene nced at Deborah andmented, "Since Margaret is so close to Miss Cook like a


    mother, are you not jealous?"


    Deborahughed awkwardly, but Irene pressed on with a smile, "As the saying goes, birds of a feather


    flock together. During my time at the Myers family, I got to know Margaret very well. She is a


    noblewoman outside but a shrew in the house. I must say that you must have done a good job, Mrs.


    Cook, since Margaret and Lily can get along so well with each other. After all, she is a really fickle


    person. I really hope they can stay that close forever!"


    What Irene said was the truth. She knew exactly what kind of people Lily and Margaret were. Since the


    two were always scheming something up their sleeve, they had to put out their best cards.


    Since they were merely acting, they couldn''t keep it up for the rest of their lives. Irene was looking


    forward to seeing how Lily and Margaret would get along after Edric and Lily got married. She didn''t


    believe they would still be as close by that time.


    In a short instance, Deborah''s face took on a series of strange expressions. Nheless, instead of


    replying to Irene, she just chuckled dryly.


    She was so disconcerted that her meal didn''t taste good in her mouth. Meanwhile, Irene ate it with


    gusto. As Irene finished eating arge te of food without the slightest change of expression,


    Deborah cursed in her mind, "Why is this little b*tch so nonchnt?"


    After the meal, Irene went for an amble in the garden. When she returned from her stroll, she saw


    Edric''s car parked in front of the door. It seemed that Edric had just sent Lily back.


    Pushing the door open to enter the living room, she caught a glimpse of Edric and Lily sitting on the


    sofa while Steven and Deborah were seated opposite them. Without looking at them, Irene trudged


    through the living room and headed upstairs.


    Lily called out to her, "Irene, we bought some fruits. Why don''t you have some before heading


    upstairs?"


    Just then, Maisy approached Irene with the fruit in her hand. "Irene, it''s your favorite cherries."


    Irene forced herself to smile. After all, she could ignore everyone in the room but Maisy. "Thank you,


    Maisy, but I don''t like cherries anymore."


    "Didn''t you like them the most when you were a kid?" Steven interrupted.


    "I haven''t been able to afford such an expensive fruit for many years," Irenemented before she


    strode upstairs.


    At her words, Edric''s eyes sank, and his heart ached. He knew exactly how much she loved cherries.


    Therefore, he had gone to buy cherries before sending Lily back. However, she didn''t like it anymore


    because she couldn''t afford to eat it. And wasn''t her current predicament all his fault?


    Edric was in no mood to stay, so he took his leave. Edric hadn''t been to the Cook family since his


    engagement party with Lily, and Lily had had a hard time getting him to take her home. Lily initially


    thought she could get a rise out of Irene, but instead, Irene stirred up her emotions again. Because of


    that, Lily was fuming with rage.


    Although Lily hated Irene to the core, she didn''t show it in the slightest on her face. After sending Edric


    out, she requested a favor from Edric in a docile manner, "Edric, Irene must be having a hard time with


    the child. Why don''t we help her with some money?"


    Lily''s suggestion was actually reasonable, but Edric was not at all happy. Everything he owned had


    belonged to Irene in the past. If those things hadn''t happened, he wouldn''t even need to help Irene


    financially at this moment. All he would have had to do was to love her. Feeling distressed, he started


    the car and left without replying to Lily.

 Chapter 100 The Child is her Achilles Heel

    Chapter 100 The Child is her Achilles Heel


    Irene''s words made Steven lose his appetite. He brought an ATM card to Irene''s room and said, "Irene,


    this is for you. The pin is your birthday."


    Irene took the card without hesitance. "Remember to tell me if you need help. I will try everything in my


    power to help you," Steven added.


    Irene was skeptical. Nheless, she replied to him with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Cook!"


    Steven noticed her indifferent attitude. He left dejected and met with Deborah. Deborah handed him


    another ATM card and said, "Steven, Irene must be having it really hard right now. I have some savings


    here. Give it to her for me."


    Deborah''s gesture of kindness made Steven speechless. "Forget it, leave all the money you have for


    LIly. I will find a way to help Irene," Steven responded and went into the study.


    Deborah wasn''t sincere; she was just trying to gain some points for herself. It was great that Steven


    didn''t take the money. After Steven left, she then took the card to Lily''s room.


    Lily immediately flew into a rage when she saw Deborah enter, "Mommy, that b*tch is too evil! Why did


    she have toe back at this time? She just wants to see the world burn! I can''t stand it anymore; we


    have to drive her out of the house."


    "What ns do you have?" Deborah asked. She would have acted sooner if she had any.


    "Mom, why do you think that b*tch came back? We pleaded with her before but she refused. What


    made here back now?" Lily asked.


    "How would I know?" Deborah was annoyed. She was also racking her head trying to figure out why


    Irene came back.


    "Why didn''t she bring her son back too? He was so young."


    Speaking of Irene''s child, Deborah was also stunned. Why did Irenee back alone? "Mom, if Dad


    finds out about the child, the entire thing would go downhill for us."


    "Nothing is going to happen but you are right. We have to let Steven know about the child. That child is


    her Achilles heel. If we can manage to bring the kid into this home, she won''t be that hard to deal with."


    "Will she bring the child here?" asked Lily.


    "I don''t know. I''ll tell your father now."


    Deborah went to Steven''s study and knocked on the door. She tried to push the door open but it was


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    locked.


    Deborah was dumbstruck. Why did Steven lock the door? What was he doing in the study alone?


    Steven thought for a while and opened the door. Seeing Deborah''s impatient face, he asked, "What''s


    the matter?"


    "Steven, I have something to tell you." Deborah suppressed her doubts and tried to put a smile on her


    face.


    "What''s the matter?" Steven asked her to go in.


    "It''s about Irene. I just heard from Lily that Irene has a child."


    Steven''s face was full of disbelief. "Irene has a child? Wasn''t she infertile?"


    "Lily heard from Edric that Irene had a child who was about two or three years old. He also said that the


    child''s father had already passed away. She struggled to bring up the child by herself¡­"


    Steven didn''t even wait for Deborah to finish. He ran up to Irene''s room and frantically knocked on the


    door. Irene came to the door and was greeted by Steven''s nervous face. "Can''t I sleep in peace?"


    "Irene, I heard that you have a child?" asked Steven.


    "Mr. Cook, why are you so surprised that I have a child?" Irene asked with a sneer. Lily had already


    known that she had a child. Irene didn''t know what Lily was nning. However, it didn''t matter. These


    people would never see Eden.


    "Do you really have a child?" Steven just couldn''t believe it. "When did you get married? Who is the


    father of the child? And why didn''t you bring the child here?"


    "The child''s father is dead, but why don''t I bring the child back? Mr. Cook, do you think I will bring the


    child back to such a messy house?"


    "Irene, I am your father, the child''s grandfather. You should at least tell me about the child..." Steven


    trailed off.


    "Grandfather?" Irene sneered. She had never nned to recognize this sanctimonious father of hers.


    Hence, she never thought of even letting Eden meet Steven. "What would you have done even if I had


    told you about him?"


    "I..."


    Irene smiled sarcastically. "Well, it''s gettingte and I need to work tomorrow. Mr. Cook, let''s talk again


    some other time, shall we?"


    After she said that, she closed the door. Steven just looked at the door and sighed. He turned around


    and went downstairs. Deborah came forward and asked, "So? Was it true?"


    "Get out of my face!" Steven red at her and entered the study. He mmed the door behind him.


    This was the first time Steven was so irate and that made Deborah a little uneasy. Was it a wise choice


    to tell him about Irene''s child?


    Steven sat down on the sofa dejectedly. It was really surprising that Irene could give birth to a child. If


    that was the case, why did the test results show otherwise?


    He recalled that it was Marie that ran the tests on Irene. Marie was very resentful of Myra; maybe there


    was something going on there as well?


    Steven did not sleep well that night. The next day, he called Marie and when they met, he


    asked, "Didn''t you say that Irene was infertile? Care to exin yourself?"


    Marie replied calmly, "I just knew about it too. To tell you the truth, it really baffled me."


    "Baffled? Is that how you are going to do it?" Steven growled at Marie, "Your diagnosis had caused so


    much pain to Irene. Don''t you think you owe her an exnation?"


    "I have saved logs of all my previous diagnoses. Please be my guest and take a look at them!" Marie


    retorted.


    "Marie, I know what kind of person you are. It is easy to fabricate false diagnoses. I have reason to


    suspect that you intentionally harmed her."


    "I harmed her? For what?" Marie rebuked.


    "You were resentful of Ma and Myra''s rtionship, hence youshed it out on Irene."


    "Mr. Cook, that is a really interesting story you have there. Why should I be angry with a dead woman?"


    Marie added, "I have won, not Myra. Why would I ever hold a grudge against a loser?"


    "It''s hard to say!" Steven just stared at Marie. He had seen how scheming this woman was. Judging on


    what she did to Myra previously, it was definitely usible that she fabricated the diagnosis.


    "You can take a look for yourself and see." Marie wasn''t intimidated at all. "Think about it, when did


    Irenee to the hospital? She didn''t get pregnant even after two years with Edric. If I was wrong, why


    didn''t she get pregnant before then?"


    Steven didn''t say anything; he would get to the bottom of this. Marie also knew Steven very well. She


    scoffed, "Steven Cook, why are you so insistent that I harmed her? For all I know, I may have cured


    her!"


    "You cured her?" parroted Steven.


    "I prescribed so many drugs for Irene. Maybe she is pregnant because of the drugs I prescribed," Marie


    argued for herself.


    Steven just stared at Marie for a few minutes and said, "You better be telling the truth. If I find you that


    you did anything to my daughter, I will hunt you down!"


    Seeing Steven striding away, Marie sneered. "Steven, you will never find out the truth. There was


    nothing wrong with my diagnosis and nothing wrong with the drugs too. The truth will forever be eluded


    from you."


    People said that anyone with a clear conscience was able to sleep through the night. Even though


    Marie was sure that Steven couldn''t find anything that might be used against her, she still felt a little


    worried.


    She got off work at night and went home. When she opened the door, she saw that the lights were on,


    but she couldn''t see Ma. She knew that Ma must have been in his bedroom working on his


    sculpture.


    "When will this end?" Marie sighed and threw herself on the couch.


    There was an old photo of Myra on the wall. Myra was smiling very beautifully and that irritated Marie.


    It would seem like Marie had won in the feud with Myra but only Ma and she herself knew the


    truth. Malcolm might have been staying in the same house as Marie but they were far from lovers. They


    were more like roommates and all these years, Ma had never even slept in her bed once.


    She had tried countless times to seduce Ma but never seeded. Marie felt that she was cheap


    and undignified. She knew that Ma was not in love with her but she didn''t even consider leaving


    him.


    She still had unsurmountable hatred and resentment towards Myra. She would asionally vent out


    her frustration towards Myra''s portrait in the living room.


    "Myra Nelson, are you seeing this? The man you love is living with me. Your beloved husband was


    snatched away by your best friend. Your daughter lost her husband to her best friend too. This is all


    karma for what you did to me back then. I am going to return it all bit by bit to your daughter. Myra


    Nelson, I am going to make your daughter''s life a living hell!"


    Every single time she yelled out would make her feel slightly better and gave her the strength to keep


    pressing forward.


    That day was no exception. Marie scoffed at Myra''s portrait and continued, "Myra, your daughter is


    getting together with the son of the man you love but I won''t let her get away with it. I am going to make


    Ma break them up!"


    After that, Marie felt a lot better. She went to Ma''s room and knocked on the door. There was no


    response. She pushed the door open and saw Ma working on his wooden sculpture on the floor.


    The sculpture had already taken shape and it was clearly a woman. Ever since Myra passed away,


    Ma retreated to working on sculptures every day. He would make sculptures about Myra every


    single day. He filled a room in the house with the various sculptures he finished.


    Marie suppressed the anger in her heart and stood by Ma''s side. "Ma, I have something to


    say to you."


    "I''m very busy. Let''s talk tomorrow!" Ma mercilessly declined Marie.


    "It''s about Jordan!" Ma stopped when he heard the word ''Jordan''. It could be seen that Jordan was


    very important to him. "What''s the matter?"


    "I heard that Jordan is getting together with that divorcee again. You''d better go talk to him!"


    Marie was the one that told Ma about Irene and Jordan. She even went out of her way to belittle


    and degrade Irene. When Ma found out that Jordan was getting together with a divorced mother,


    he flew into a rage and even went to Pedro to break them up.


    "What did you say?" As expected, Ma''s expression changed when he heard the news this time.


    He put down the wooden carving in his hand and stood up. "I''ll call Pedro and tell him."


    Marie simpered. "Ma, if I told you that the girl Jordan is dating is Myra''s daughter, will you stop


    him?"

 Chapter 101 It turned out to be an old friend

    Chapter 101 It turned out to be an old friend


    After Ma''s phone call, Pedro immediately flew to San Fetillo. The first thing he did after he arrived


    in San Fetillo was to invite Irene and Thomas for dinner.


    Pedro was really angry. Previously, he felt a little bad when he forced Irene to back off. But, he didn''t


    expect her to y such tricks and got back with Jordan again. Pedro decided that since Irene was not


    ying nice, he had no choice but to deal with her even harsher. He even had a n to dispose of her.


    Irene was brought to the hotel lounge when Thomas arrived at the door. When she saw Pedro''s gloomy


    face, she immediately knew what happened. Before she could exin herself, Thomas stepped


    forward.


    "Uncle Thomas, what are you doing here?" Irene stood up and stopped Thomas. "Uncle Thomas, there


    is nothing for you to do here. Go home, I''ll talk to Pedro myself."


    "I invited him here." Pedro slowly picked up a teacup and took a sip of the tea. He did not even look at


    Thomas. "I take that Miss Nelson didn''t really listen to what I said before, so I wanted to invite Mr.


    Thomas here to have a short discussion."


    "Good! I was also looking forward to talking to you about this!" Thomas walked up to Pedro. "How have


    you been, Mr. Pedro."


    Pedro held the teacup in his hands and looked at Thomas. He took a closer look and there was


    disbelief in his eyes. He was startled and identally tilted the teacup to spill it all over his shirt.


    Pedro''s gaffe stupefied Irene. Thomas stepped forward and took the cup from his hand and put it on


    the table. He turned to Irene and said, "Irene, step outside for a while. I want to speak with Mr. Pedro!"


    "Uncle Thomas, I am not going anywhere. I am staying right here!" Irene was unwilling to leave. Pedro


    had been around for decades and was proficient in maniption. Thomas had barely stepped foot out


    of the street he grew up in. He was a simple-minded guy. How could he possibly stand up to Pedro?


    The most important thing was that she was the one that caused all this trouble. She had to face the


    music.


    Thomas smiled faintly and grabbed a piece of tissue casually to help Pedro wipe the tea stains on his


    shirt. "Rest assured. I am not that weak."


    Pedro, at this same time, had also returned to his senses. His voice waspletely different from


    before, which was less domineering and sounded much softer. "Miss Nelson, please leave us be. I


    have something to say to your uncle."


    Irene didn''t budge. Pedro raised his voice and ordered the bodyguards, "Please escort Miss Nelson


    out!"


    At this time, Jordan also rushed over after getting the news. "Grandpa, what''s the matter? Come at me.


    It has nothing to do with them."


    "Jordan, you''re just in time. Take Miss Nelson to dinner. I have something to say to Mr. Nelson," said


    Pedro.


    "But..."


    Pedro interjected, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill Mr. Nelson."


    "Yes, Mr. Pedro won''t harm me. You two go have dinner," Thomas chimed.


    Jordan took Irene and left. The door closed. Pedro stared at Thomas, dumbstruck. He had never


    dreamed that this Thomas was different from the Dave he knew. "What''s going on here? How did you


    be Thomas?"


    "It''s a long story." Thomas sat down and picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. His movements


    were extremely elegant and there was no fear on his face at all. "Not long after I returned to San Fetillo,


    the real Thomas passed away. At that time, everyone was hunting for me. I was very vexed, so I


    assumed Thomas''s identity and survived."


    "No wonder I couldn''t find you all this time. So that''s what happened." Pedro sighed deeply. "Why are


    you doing this? For a woman? Is it worth it?"


    "Yes, it is!" Thomas replied. "Life is short, and I only want to pursue what I desire."


    "Is this really what you want to be? You had such potential as a designer." Pedro shook his head,


    his face stered with regret. He hadpletely forgotten why he had asked Thomas toe.


    Thomas smiled and said, "Pedro, let''s get back to business."


    "You''re not even the real Thomas. What''s the point?" Pedro exhaled.


    "To Irene, I am still her uncle. I have really grown used to being Thomas Nelson. Don''t worry."


    "How can I not?" Pedro sighed. "Your appearance really surprised me. I even forgot what I was going


    to do tonight."


    "Since that''s the case, let me start first. Pedro, we are not strangers so I''ll get straight to the point. I


    hope that you won''t stop what happened between Irene and Jordan."


    Pedro smiled bitterly and responded, "Dave, you and I are old friends. Naturally, I will not refuse your


    request. However, Irene is Myra''s child. If Jordan finds out about that, then this..."


    "Then we just don''t tell them! There are only a few people who know about this. If we don''t tell, Jordan


    would never know."


    "But the truth wille out eventually. Can we really keep this hidden forever?" Pedro felt that it was


    unrealistic.


    "I know that but it had been so long since Jordan really fell in love with a girl. Are you really going to


    break his heart? Love will triumph, I know because I have experienced it. Ma and I are perfect


    examples. We know that it was never meant to be but we still risked it all. Do you really want to see


    Jordan end up like us?"


    Thomas added, "Furthermore, Jordan would never find out that Ma abandoned them because of


    Myra. After all, Marie is there right now. Jordan would never suspect a thing."


    "I..." Pedro didn''t want to see Jordan end up like Ma, but the thought of Jordan getting together


    with a divorced mother made Pedro extremely ufortable. However, Jordan was, too, a stubborn


    man. He would do unimaginable things if forced into it.


    "I know what you are thinking and I am not asking you to support them. I only hope that you won''t stop


    them. If Irene and Jordan are destined to be together, nothing can stop them. Do you understand me?"


    Thomas wanted Pedro to just leave them to fate. Pedro went silent for a while and nodded. "I give you


    my word. I won''t stop them!"


    "Many thanks, Pedro!" Thomas thanked him with a fist-palm salute.


    Jordan and Irene sat down and ced their orders. But they had no appetite at all. They kept their eyes


    fixed on the lounge until Thomas and Pedro walked out together.


    Both of them were unusuallyposed. Jordan and Irene immediately approached them. Thomas then


    said, "Irene, let''s go home." Then he turned around and bid farewell to Pedro and Jordan.


    Irene helped Thomas out of the hotel. After getting in the car, she looked at Thomas worriedly and


    asked, "Uncle Thomas, did Mr. Pedro insult you? I''m so sorry!"


    "No, Mr. Pedro is a very well-cultured man. He didn''t do anything of the sort," Thomas replied.


    Irene didn''t believe it. "Uncle Thomas, I will find another chance to speak with him. It''s my fault and I


    will ask him to stop pestering you."


    "Irene, we had talked things through. Mr. Pedro is very sympathetic and also admired the rtionship


    you two shared. He said that he would no longer be against the two of you being together. If you really


    like Jordan, go for it! No one''s stopping you!"


    Irene was taken aback. She couldn''t believe that Thomas could convince Pedro into allowing her and


    Jordan being together. With that being said, she still couldn''t really venture into another rtionship


    knowing that Eden was still sick.


    "Uncle Thomas, I don''t fancy anyone anymore. I only care about Eden''s health at this point. Nothing


    else matters."


    "Don''t worry! Lady Luck is on your side. Eden will be fine," Thomasforted her. "I think that Jordan


    is a decent young man; you should really consider him."


    Irene agreed that Jordan was a really good guy but if Jordan found out that Irene''s mother was the


    woman he despised the most, would he still love Irene? "Uncle Thomas, I have a question. Was my


    mother in a rtionship with Jordan''s father?"


    "How did you know?" Thomas looked at Irene in surprise.


    "Jordan;s father abandoned him and his mom because of Myra?"


    "It''s not like that." Nelson''s hesitance sank Irene''s heart. Jordan couldn''t even forgive Ma; how


    could he possibly forgive her? And how would she possibly have the courage to fall in love with


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jordan?


    On the flip side, Jordan helped Pedro into the car and said, "Grandpa, I am telling you this right now.


    Everything that happened between Irene and me was all out of my own wishes. You know me very


    well; I will do something once I set my mind to it. I hope that you will stop bothering Thomas and Irene."


    Pedro sighed in his heart. If Jordan knew that Irene was Myra''s daughter, would he still be this


    persistent?


    Pedro suddenly sympathized with Jordan. It took him so long to fall in love but Irene turned out to be


    the daughter of the woman Jordan despised. How devastated would he be if he found out the truth?


    "Forget it. I''d better follow Thomas'' advice and let fate take its course!" Pedro thought to himself before


    he replied to Jordan, "I won''t meddle in your personal affairs anymore. I only hope that you''ll focus on


    your work and not disappoint me!"


    This meant that he would not stop Jordan from dating Irene. Jordan couldn''t believe that Pedro would


    change his mind. "Grandpa, are you thinking straight?"


    "Jordan, are you cursing me now?"


    "That''s great!" Jordan''s face was written with joy. "Grandpa, don''t worry. I will definitely work my


    hardest. Just you wait and see!"


    Edric was delighted when he heard that Pedro wasing over. Pedro must be here to break Jordan


    and Irene up. If Pedro interfered, Jordan would probably be devastated.


    However, it didn''t turn out as Edric had hoped. Pedro had only just stayed a few days in San Fetillo and


    didn''t even do anything.


    Edric was quite shocked. Pedro''s silence seemed to be a sign of agreement and a blessing to Irene


    and Jordan.


    They two could finally be together and that made Edric extremely irate. He was engaged to Lily and


    probably didn''t have any right to interfere in Irene''s personal affairs. Yet, the fact was that he still had


    feelings for her. He couldn''t just watch as she got together with Jordan.


    Jordan seemed to know that Pedro''s sudden appearance in San Fetillo was credited to Edric. They


    gave each other some sly, underhanded greetings while scheming against each other. They even


    deployed different tactics against each other, including sending beautiful girls to each other.


    However, Edric waspletely immune. He declined all of the girls that Jordan sent his way. Even


    though Jordan didn''t seed, Edric was getting really annoyed.


    Jordan was really persistent. However, Edric would never have expected the true intention of sending


    numerous beauties his way; Jordan wanted to steal Edric''s sperm for Irene.


    Edric didn''t fall for Jordan''s tricks; and hence, Jordan was caught at a dead end. How could Edric be so


    firm and resist all the temptations that presented themselves before him?


    Jordan was racking his brain when Irene sent him an invitation for the 10th cocktail party of the Hayes


    Group. When he saw that the party was held in Shangri-La Hotel, Jordan''s eyes flickered, and he


    immediately came up with an idea.

 Chapter 102 Cocktail Party

    Chapter 102 Cocktail Party


    The Hayes Group in San Fetillo was regarded as a high-standingpany. Their 10th Anniversary


    Appreciation Cocktail Party was definitely held in a grand manner. Edric, who would definitely be invited


    to the party, would not miss it.


    The venue was Shangri-La Hotel, which belonged to the White family. As long as he greeted Nathan,


    things would fall into ce. This time, Jordan wanted to let Edric know how powerful he was.


    At the same time, Edric received the Hayes Group''s invitation to attend the appreciation party.


    However, he was reluctant to attend it as Jordan would definitely be present at that party. When he


    thought about Jordan and Irene attending the party together, he felt upset.


    John was not aware that Edric was upset and asked him softly, "Mr. Myers, do you want me to inform


    Miss Cook?"


    Edric did not want to show up with Lily at all, but it was not justifiable to not bring her along to such a


    big asion. After all, they were engaged. He sighed heavily. "Okay, call her."


    At seven o''clock in the evening, Jordan took Irene''s hand as they entered the banquet hall. Irene wore


    an off-shoulder minidress. Her long hair was tied behind her head; her slender and fair legs attracted


    the attention of countless people.


    Edric stared at Jordan as he appeared with Irene, his arm around her waist. As soon as Jordan came


    in, his eyes scanned the hall for Edric.


    When he saw Edric and Lily, he smiled menacingly. He lowered his voice and whispered in Irene''s ear,


    "I have prepared a generous gift for Edric tonight. I hope he will be happy about it."


    "What do you n on doing?" Irene asked curiously.


    "Don''t you think that tonight is the perfect opportunity?" Jordan winked at Irene.


    "Tonight?" Irene immediately understood what Jordan was hinting. She lowered her voice and said,


    "His fiancee is here; it might not be a good idea."


    "Don''t worry, I have made all the arrangements!" Jordan said as he walked toward Edric with Irene. The


    two of them greeted each other politely, as if they never had any issues between them.


    Lily wore a long dress. She was tall and slim, and the dress fully outlined her sensuality. Jordan''s sly


    eyes swept over Lily several times before he said with a faint smile, "Can we expect good news from


    Mr. Myers and Miss Cook soon?"


    Jordan did it on purpose. Edric subconsciously looked at Irene. Irene''s face was full of smiles, and any


    unhappiness was not apparent at all. His heart tightened a little, and he nodded his head.


    "Don''t forget to send an invitation card to us when the timees," Jordan added before he saw


    Edric''s gaze on Irene.


    "We''ll definitely invite you, Mr. Reed," Lily replied with a beam.


    At that moment, some people who knew them stepped in. Jordan stopped their conversation and


    warmly chatted with the others. The third son of the Hayes family, Edward Hayes, also came with a


    female celebrity.


    Edward had a good rtionship with Jordan, and he managed to catch some of Jordan''s conversations


    with Edric and Lily a while ago. He interrupted, saying, "Mr. Myers and Miss Cook will soon be


    celebrating a baby I suppose. Jordan, you should do the same. Hurry up and propose to Miss Nelson


    before she''s taken by someone else."


    "Isn''t she safely in my arms now?" Jordan held Irene''s waist tightly and looked at Edric, challenging


    him. Although Edric had a faint smile on his face, he wanted nothing more than to tear Jordan''s grip on


    Irene.


    A waiter came over with a few sses of wine. Jordan reached out and took two sses of wine; one


    for Irene, and one for himself. Edric also reached out to take two sses, and handed one to Lily. At


    that moment, the waiter suddenly lost his footing and fell to the ground. The wine in the sses on the


    tray sshed onto Edric and Lily.


    Lily had been sshed with wine on her head and face. Even her hair was wet, too. The white dress


    was dyed red; Lily looked rather startled. Edric was slightly better, but the suit he wore was stained with


    wine, too. His face flushed with slight vexation, but he did not lose his temper due to the asion.


    Jordan heard the sound and turned around. He looked at the scene gloatingly. Edward''s expression


    changed; he red at the waiter and barked, "What are you doing? Why did you make such a mess?"


    The manager of the hotel came over in a hurry and apologized to Edric. "I''m very sorry, Mr. Myers!"


    Jordan drawled, "Apologies don''t fix anything. Look at what happened to Miss Cook!"


    Lily felt extremely embarrassed, being the centre of attention with so many people staring. She did not


    want to stay at the party at all. Thus, she looked at Edric, saying, "Edric..." She meant to ask him to


    send her home.


    Edward was also irate, but his anger could not change anything. Edric was of special status. He could


    not leave right away just like that, when he had just arrived. Edward looked at Jordan and asked,


    "Jordan, do you have any spare clothes for Mr. Myers?"


    Everyone knew that Jordan''s car contained many suits. The main point was that he was about the


    same size as Edric. Jordan giggled at Edward''s question.


    "Yes, I just bought a suit a few days ago and ced it in my car. If you don''t mind, Mr. Myers, you can


    change into it." Then, he took a meaningful look at Lily.


    "I also have a dress in my car. If you don''t mind, Miss Cook, you can change into it as well! I just don''t


    know if it fits you or not."


    The spare dress in Jordan''s car must have been prepared for young celebrities. Lily certainly would not


    allow herself to wear them given her prestigious status. Hence, she refused his offer, "Thank you for


    your kindness, Mr. Reed. I''d better go home and change."


    Edward apologized repeatedly and asked the driver to send Lily home. Since Edward had taken the


    initiative to find a recement suit for Edric, Edric had to let this one slide to spare Edward the


    embarrassment. However, he couldn''t help feeling the waiter''s behavior was a little strange.


    Edric looked at Jordan''s mischievous face, being quite sure that Jordan had done it on purpose. He


    wanted to know what Jordan intended to do. Therefore, he chose not to leave the party, but change


    into Jordan''s suit instead.


    The party continued. Edric changed his clothes and returned to the party. Edward came to toast him


    and said some words of apology. It would be inappropriate for Edric to reject Edward, therefore he


    downed a ss of wine.


    Later, he turned all the toasts down with the excuse that he had a really bad gastritis. Most of the


    people who attended the party knew that Edric was not lying about it, therefore no one else tried to


    offer any more drinks to him. However, Jordan ignored this. He smiled and walked to Edric with a ss


    of wine in his hand. "It''s a joyous asion today. I would like to propose a toast to you, Mr. Myers."


    Edric did not take the wine ss from Jordan''s hand, but looked at thetter coldly. "What are you so


    happy about, Mr. Reed?"


    "Are you sure you want to know about it, Mr. Myers?" Jordan sat down beside Edric. "I''m happy that


    you and Miss Cook are going to marry soon!"


    "Mr. Reed, you and I are merely friends. I don''t understand why you are so happy about it," Edric


    replied.


    "I''ll tell you the reason since you don''t understand." Jordan was still smiling. "After you and Miss Cook


    get married, we will be rtives. Aren''t I supposed to be happy for my rtive?"


    "Mr. Reed, you must have drank too much." Edric naturally knew what that so-called ''rtive'' meant.


    His face sank at once. "As far as I know, you have nothing to do with the Cook family. I don''t know why


    you would think that we would soon be rtives."


    "Oh, you! Can''t you understand such simple reasoning? Although Miss Cook is the child of a mistress,


    she is still technically Mr. Cook''s daughter. Although Irene does not admit that, Irene is her elder sister


    in blood. You are Lily''s man, and I am Irene''s boyfriend. So, that makes me your brother-inw."


    "Jordan, shut up your trap!" Edric red at Jordan fiercely.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to take this toast from me. Why are you losing your temper?" Saying that,


    Irene came over. "What''s wrong with you?"


    "I was congratting Mr. Myers and Miss Cook who are about to get married. But Mr. Myers seemed


    displeased."


    "You must have put your foot in your mouth." Irene took the wine ss from Jordan''s hand. "Mr. Myers,


    please do not mind Jordan. You and Miss Cook are going to be married soon. I have not congratted


    you yet. This ss of wine is my toast to you."


    Irene handed the wine to Edric, but Edric did not take it. He merely stared at Irene. Irene looked at him


    and giggled. "I wish you and Miss Cook a lifetime of love and happiness!"


    Edric''s lips curved up slightly. He reached out and took the ss from Irene''s hand. "I ept your


    blessings. Thank you very much, Miss Nelson!" Then, he raised his head and drank the wine in his


    hand.


    After Edric finished drinking, Irene and Jordan looked at each other with joy in their eyes. Edric waved


    his hand and a waiter came over with another ss of wine. Edric took it from the waiter and handed it


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    to Jordan. "Mr. Reed, I was wrong earlier to not ept your toast. Please take this as an apology!"


    "You''re too straightced!" Jordan took the wine ss and clinked it with Edric''s. Then, he drank it all in


    one gulp, showing Edric the bottom of the ss. Edric did not say much and drank up the wine that he


    was holding as well.


    "Thank you, Mr. Myers. We''ll be heading over there now." Jordan put down the ss and put his arm


    around Irene''s waist as they left.


    Edric watched Jordan and Irene leave with no expression on his face. After a while, he suddenly felt


    dizzy and fell on the sofa in the hall. A waiter came over and asked, "Sir, are you alright?"


    A familiar voice rang out, "Mr. Myers must have drank too much. Please send him upstairs to rest.


    Here, the ess card!"


    Someone helped Edric up to a guest room. Jordan winked at Irene, indicating that all had gone to n.


    Irene smiled gratefully at him and said, "Thank you for your hard work! You''ve drank a lot of wine


    tonight. Do you want to go to the guest room to rest as well?"


    "There''s no need! I won''t get drunk even if I drink a thousand sses!" Suddenly, Jordan covered his


    abdomen and said with a pained look, "I''m going to the washroom."


    Jordan was inside for a long time before he came out, covering his stomach. "How are you?" Irene


    asked with concern.


    "I... I''m having diarrhea." Jordan could not look Irene in the eye.


    "Is it serious?" Irene reached out and held onto him.


    "It is." After that, he let go of Irene''s hand and ran into the stall again.


    A few minutester, he came out with his hands on his stomach. He scurried a few steps to Irene''s side


    and rushed back inside again. Irene was very anxious when she saw him in such a state. She


    immediately called David and asked him to send Jordan to the hospital as soon as possible.


    Jordan was not willing to leave; he had wanted to wait to execute the n personally, but he was


    already exhausted. David was worried about Jordan''s condition and forced him to the hospital. When


    he left, David handed Irene an ess card. "This is the card for the next room. You can go to the next


    room and wait. Someone will update you soon. I will send Mr. Reed to the hospital first. Please call me


    if anything happens."


    Irene took the card and went upstairs to the room. When Edric went to change his suit earlier, Jordan


    had told her that the wine that was given to Edric earlier was spiked.


    After Edric fainted, someone would send him into the guest room. In the guest room, a beautiful woman


    would be waiting for him. After Edric and the woman had intercourse, the woman would inform them


    about it. And then, Jordan would go to the room to collect his sperm.


    However, Jordan''s diarrhea was not part of the n. Irene was very nervous, being alone. She did not


    know what the situation next door was like. But, once Edric had passed out, she thought that he had


    yedpletely into their hands, with no way to escape.


    Irene waited in the room for a long time, but the said woman did not contact her. She knew clearly that


    Edric had a lot of stamina, therefore she waited patiently for another half an hour. Then she got up,


    opened the door and went out.


    Edric''s room was next to hers. Irene tiptoed over and ced her ears close to the door to listen. She


    did not hear any unusual soundsing from the room. Was the woman too tired that she fell asleep?


    She thought about the past, when she was often ravaged by Edric and ended up fainting. She became


    more convinced that the woman inside had fainted.


    She could not wait any longer. Although sperm could live for a long period of time, in order to make


    sure it was an absolute sess, she had to get her hands on it as soon as possible and send it to the


    hospital. Therefore, Irene gently knocked twice on the door.


    As she knocked on the door, the door was opened at once. Before Irene could see the situation inside


    clearly, her mouth was immediately covered by a person''s palm. She smelled a faint fragrance and


    immediately lost consciousness.

 Chapter 103 Reversed Scheme

    Chapter 103 Reversed Scheme


    Outside the window, it began to rain. Raindrops rustled the leaves outside the house. Irene gradually


    regained her consciousness as the noises tapped against her eardrums.


    "What happened? How did I fall asleep?" she thought. A familiar breath tickled the tip of her nose. Only


    then did she realize that her limbs were tightly entangled with him like the tentacles of an octopus. In


    the past, he always liked to hold her in this way to sleep. She thought that she was still in a daze. She


    couldn''t help but touch his face gently.


    His aquiline nose was outlined on an impable silhouette, and the lines of his chin were exceptionally


    angr. She was shocked out of her daze at once. What happened?


    She went there to collect his sperm. How did she end up falling asleep? Most importantly, how did she


    fall asleep in the arms of this disgusting man?


    No! Why did she feel pain in between her legs? Her bones seemed to be falling apart. She could not


    imagine what she had just experienced. She was nowpletely awake.


    She was lying naked in Edric''s arms!


    What happened exactly? How could she sleep with Edric? She could not call anything to mind, but it


    was not the time for her to be pondering about it. She had to leave the room before he woke up.


    Irene gently moved her body out of Edric''s arms. She tried her best to suppress the difort she felt


    down there while putting on her clothes. She fumbled around in the dark to look for the door.


    The metal doorknob in her hand was freezing cold. She gently turned it, but before the door was


    opened, the light in the room was lit up.


    There and then she heard his unusually low voice, "Are you leaving, just like that?"


    Irene turned her head like a frightened rabbit. Behind her was a pair of coal-ck eyes. As gentle as


    they were a few years ago, they were akin to a bottomless ocean that would drag people in to drown


    them.


    "You''re awake?" She heard her voice trembling.


    "Hmm?" he answered tly.


    "I... I..." she stammered. She had gotten onto his bed in the middle of the night without any reason.


    "My dear sister-inw, can you exin why you appeared in my room?"


    He leaned on the head of the bed. His handsome face revealed the charm and aggressiveness


    exclusive to him. His naked torso was perfectly molded, like a Greek statue. He did not find it


    inappropriate at all. At this moment, his eyes were locked on her as he waited for a reply from her.


    Irene felt her throat tighten. It took her quite a while to find her voice. "Um... you... you were drunk."


    "So?" he asked calmly.


    "I sent you back, and..."


    He interjected, "And what?"


    "I don''t know what happened either." She gritted her teeth.


    "If you don''t, then let me tell you." Edric sneered.


    "Last night, after I was sent to this guest room, there was a beautiful woman inside. She said that she


    wanted to sleep with me, but I wasn''t interested in her. Later, she said that if I did not like her, she could


    find someone else to rece her. Never did I expect another beautiful woman who would rece her to


    be you. Irene, how did you end up stooping so low? Are you sleeping around with men now?"


    Under the light, there was a smirk on his face with a trace of sarcasm in his good-looking eyes.


    She felt her heart sink when she saw the mockery in his eyes. Only she knew that this seemingly


    harmless pair of eyes were now smoldering with rage and ferocity.


    She was the only person who knew what he was capable of; he was the most dangerous and ferocious


    animal in the world. He could say that he loved you a second ago, but he would drive you to hell


    without a second thought in the next moment.


    Her chest felt exceedingly heavy. He was no fool, but the question was, how much did he know


    exactly? As she thought about it, his voice broke through the air. "What do you think would happen if I


    gave this thing to Mr. Cook?"


    There was something in his fingers. It turned out to be a small pinhole camera. When she saw the


    camera in his hand clearly and thought of the contents of the video, her vision turned blurry and her


    knees went weak.


    "Edric, you''re so despicable! How dare you install a hidden camera?!"


    Edric leaned against the bedside elegantly in his naked state. He held the camera in one hand and


    took out a piece of paper with another hand. "Come here and sign this!"


    "What is that?" she roared.


    "It''s a contract to sell your body to me!" He spat out these words coldly.


    "You..."


    "Irene, you asked for it. After signing in it, you''ll be my secret lover. I won''t release the video to the


    public. But if you choose to walk out of this room, you know what will happen."


    "Why?" Irene muttered.


    "Why? Don''t you know?" Edric''s eyes shed with viciousness. "Irene, when you paid someone to


    seduce me, you should have thought of the consequences of your actions."


    "Edric, aren''t you afraid that I will tell all this to Lily? You''re already engaged to her. If she is aware of all


    this..." She grasped at herst hope.


    When he heard Irene mention Lily, he revealed an eerily gentle smile. The words that tumbled out of


    his lips next were exceptionally cold and ruthless. "If you dare let Lily know about this, I will ensure you


    die a tragic death!"


    Irene thought that she knew Edric, but now she realized that she had never fully understood him. She


    never knew what he was thinking.


    His cold eyes bore into her. Irene bit her lip hard; blood began to ooze out of her thin lips and dyed


    them red. She did not want to have anything to do with him, not even the slightest bit.


    But this was also an opportunity for her. If she could conceive a child... Irene''s mind spun desperately


    as she tried to formte the best solution.


    The room was silent. Edric did not wish to wait for her answer any further. He reached out and picked


    up the phone. "John,e to the hotel. I have an item for you to deliver to Mr. Cook."


    As soon as Irene heard Edric''s words, she immediately stopped him. "I''ll sign it. I''ll sign it immediately."


    Shaking like a leaf, she picked up the paper and pen chucked on the bed by Edric and signed her


    name in the designated column.


    After that, Edric put the paper away with a poker face. "You can go now."


    "But... but you have not given the video to me yet." Irene bit her lower lips.


    "Did I say that I was going to give you the video?" he asked coldly.


    "No..." Irene stared at Edric with wide eyes. Indeed, Edric had never said that he would give it to her.


    She was the one who made such a presumption.


    Irene marched out of the hotel, her mind still in a frenzy. It waste at night in San Fetillo. On top of


    that, it was raining cats and dogs. There was no one in sight, as were the taxis.


    This situation reminded her of a day three years ago. It was also ate, rainy autumn night. After she


    signed the divorce agreement, she changed her clothes and walked out of Edric''s vi alone.


    She remembered very clearly that her entire being was consumed with despair then, but now she was


    not in despair, it was just bitter.


    How did Edric foresee what would happen this evening?


    No! More urately, when did Edric start to plot against her?


    Irene assumed that she had nned everything well, but she did not expect that she would be framed


    and schemed against instead. In the end, she ended up in this shameful state. Irene let out a sigh,


    Suddenly, a ck car was seen stopping in front of her. A man came out of the car anxiously with an


    umbre and rushed toward her. "Miss Nelson, let me drive you home!"


    Irene did not turn him down. She turned on her heel and entered the car.


    When the heater was turned on in the car, Irene finally felt a little warmer. She looked at John and


    asked, "Tell me when Edric begins to plot against me."


    John looked steadily forward. "I''m sorry. I can''t answer this question."


    John was as faithful to Edric as before. His silence spoke of his loyalty. Therefore, it was impossible to


    gain any information from him. Irene did not speak again after that.


    After a while, the car stopped at the Cook family''s gates. Irene strode out of the car and entered the


    vi.


    She soaked herself in a warm bath and exhaled a long breath. She and Jordan were undoubtedly the


    losers in their n this evening. But looking at it another way, she did notpletely fail. At least she


    was one step closer to her goal.


    Edric wanted her to be his secret lover? She had never considered him to be such a lecherous man. To


    hell with the contract, as long as she seeded in conceiving another child of his!


    She would leave him as soon as she got pregnant. If Edric thought that the contract could tie her down,


    he must be daydreaming!


    John sent Irene home and went back to the hotel to pick up Edric. Edric was fiddling with the pinhole


    camera in his hand. He glimpsed at John before throwing the camera into the trash can and asked,


    "What did she say?"


    "She asked when we started to plot against her."


    Edric closed his eyes. She was unusually calm, wasn''t she? How could she have the nerve to ask such


    a question when she was the cunning one in the beginning? Although he was the winner now, he could


    not celebrate just yet. If he had not stayed alert this evening, God knew what would have happened!


    He had been on guard against Jordan all the time. All the service crew at the reception were trained


    professionally. How could they make such a mistake? At that time, he had guessed that Jordan was the


    one behind all this. It was not the first time since Jordan had started his shameless scheme against


    Edric. In that case, Edric needed to n ahead as well.


    When he went to change his clothes, he instructed John to pay more attention to Jordan in case he


    yed any tricks. As expected, John found some hints that Jordan had ordered people to drug Edric''s


    wine.


    John asked someone to change Edric''s wine and to serve Jordan''s wine withxatives instead. When


    Jordan saw Edric drink the wine, he thought that Edric had fallen into his trap. Never did he expect that


    he had, instead, been caught in Edric''s scheme. He then downed the drugged wine that Edric gave him


    without any suspicion.


    Edric wanted to see what they were going to do. Hence, he pretended to faint and was sent to the


    guest room by a waiter.


    Not long after he entered the guest room, a woman with heavy makeup opened the door and entered


    the room. The woman closed the door and took off Edric''s clothes. Edric suddenly sprung up. Truth be


    told, it almost scared the woman half to death.


    John held the woman down and forced her to spill everything to them. She imed that someone had


    paid her a high price to sleep with him and asked her to record the entire process.


    The recording was originally Jordan''s idea. He made such requests so he could kill two birds with one


    stone. The first objective was to obtain Edric''s sperm, and the second objective was to record Edric


    and the other women in bed. He would then send the video to Lily, to put her off him as revenge for


    Irene.


    The condoms used by the woman would not kill the sperm. Jordan did not tell her about the sperm.


    Jordan thought that he would be present in the room anyway. When Edric had intercourse with the


    woman Jordan hired, he would immediately bring Irene to retrieve the sperm and the video.


    So when Edric interrogated the woman, she did not mention anything about the sperm at all. She only


    told Edric about the intercourse and video recording.


    Edric was, of course, incensed when he learned the truth. Jordan would not be able to collect the video


    because he was going to have bad diarrhea. Edric wanted to see who woulde to collect the video.


    He swore to teach Jordan a lesson this time.


    Edric sent the woman away and waited with John to take the bait. Soon, he heard a knock on the door.


    John quickly prepared some chloroform solution. When he saw that it was Irene who had knocked on


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    the door, rage erupted from his nostril like moltenva at once.

 Chapter 104 The Only Opportunity

    Chapter 104 The Only Opportunity


    Thus far, Edric had always thought that Jordan was the one scheming against him. Never would he


    even dream that it would actually be Irene. What did Irene n to do? Why did she hire someone to


    seduce him and record a video of it? He was very angry and disappointed with Irene.


    Edric guessed that Irene did this to take revenge on Lily. If that was the case, then she should not


    me him for plotting against her too.


    Well, he thought that he was merely giving Irene a taste of her own medicine. Little did he realize he


    was actually enjoying this moment with her. In these four years they parted ways, he had never


    touched another woman. Therefore, when he managed to have such intimate contact with her again, all


    his desires went haywire in an instant.


    Afterward, he held her in his arms while the faint fragrance of her body perfumed his nostrils, her


    delicate body felt as soft as silk in his embrace. His heart could barely stop drumming in his chest.


    During that period of time, he had seen her and Jordan being together countless times; it drove him


    crazy, but he could not do anything about it. Now that she had gotten under his skin, she should not


    me him for whatever he would do next. This was the only opportunity he could seize at the moment.


    Didn''t she want to be with Jordan? Since Edric could not change her mind, he did not mind using any


    means as long as he could keep her with him. Even if she hated him, he would not let her go!


    The drizzle of rain outside formed an orchestra of music, keeping Lily awake. It was already midnight at


    this hour. She had been greatly embarrassed that night. However, Edric did note to her rescue and


    save her from the humiliation. He did not escort her back, too. Instead, he sent her away with a driver.


    She felt dejected, but she could not do anything about it.


    When she got home, she took a bath and changed her clothes. Sheid on her bed and listened to the


    sound of the rain falling. This evening, Irene was at the party too. Lily felt something amiss when she


    saw Edric''s gaze on Irene. She knew very well how she had gotten together with Edric. Her uneasiness


    was making her insomnia worse as Irene had not returned home yet.


    Lily tossed and turned on the bed. Soon, it was already three o''clock in the morning. Why hadn''t Irene


    returned home? Lily felt even more restless. She called Loraine, "Has Edric returned home?"


    Loraine was groggy from sleep. "I''ll go and have a look."


    A few minutester, she replied, "I did not see Edric''s car."


    It was impossible for the party tost until three o''clock in the morning. Where was Edric? Lily''s heart


    skipped a beat when she thought about Irene who had not returned home either.


    Were Edric and Irene spending a night together? As this thought shed through her mind, Lily


    immediately got up from the bed. Right then, she heard the sound of a car from outside. She opened


    the curtain and saw a ck car turning around and leaving. The rain was so heavy that she could not


    see the license te and the driver clearly. She had a gut feeling that the car was very familiar.


    Lily remembered that Edric seemed to have such a car. Again, her heart went into arrhythmia. "Could it


    be possible that the person who sent Irene home was Edric?"


    Loraine had imed that Edric had not returned home. With this fact in mind, Lily was absolutely sure


    that the person who sent Irene home was Edric!


    Edric had not shown any concern or asked any questions about Lily''s feelings after the incident at the


    party. Lily''s heart was in turmoil. She just stood by the window, sping the curtain tightly in her hand.


    Her long vampish fingernails sliced through her palm, but she did not feel the pain at all.


    It was veryte when Irene returned home, so it was almost noon when she woke up. She went


    downstairs and saw Lily sitting in the living room.


    Lily''s expression was rather strange. Although Lily''s eyes were fixed on her, Irene chose to ignore it


    and went straight into the dining area. "Is there anything to eat? I''m starving!"


    "Breakfast will be ready soon!" Maisy replied, "Please wait for a while!"


    "I can''t wait any longer. I need to go to the hospital to visit a patient. Is there anything less salty?"


    "Yes, there is!" Maisy immediately filled a bowl of cereal for her. When Irene sat down and took a bite of


    the cereal, Lily came over. She sat opposite Irene and gawked at Irene''s neck with hatred burning in


    her eyes.


    "Why are you staring at me?" Irene could not bear it anymore.


    "Where did you gost night?" Lily barked. Gone was her usual gentleness.


    "Do I need to report myings and goings to you?" Irene asked.


    "Irene, I warned you not to go after what you do not deserve!"


    "May I ask, Miss Cook, what the things that I do and do not deserve are?" Irene sneered.


    "I just want to remind you to live with dignity. It''s so not you to be a homewrecker!" With that, Lily


    pushed the chair back and got up.


    Irene was stunned. Did that mean that Lily already knew what happened the previous night? But how


    could she have known? Did she nt a tracker on Edric''s body? It was absurd to think about this


    possibility. Irene got up after she finished the meal. Maisy came over and reminded her, "Miss Irene,


    your neck..."


    Irene reached out and touched her neck. Only then did shee to her senses. She hurried upstairs


    and saw two bright red marks on her neck in the mirror!


    Edric, that b*stard! She finally understood where Lily''s weird statements came from. Irene found a scarf


    to wrap around her neck before she left the house with her bag.


    On the road in front of the Cook family, she saw a ck car parked in the distance. John got out of the


    car when he saw Irene and opened the door for her. "Miss Nelson, Mr. Myers has been waiting for


    you."


    "I''m sorry, John. I''ve made an appointment with someone today." Irene turned on her heel and went


    ahead.


    "Miss Nelson!" John shouted behind her. Irene strode past John and saw a taxiing over. She


    stopped the taxi and headed to the hospital.


    Jordan was on a drip, his face pale. When he saw Irene, he asked, "Why are you here sote? And


    why did you turn off your phonest night? I called you countless times!"


    "I was set up by Edric!" Irene sat down and let out a long sigh. She then told him about what had


    happened the previous night.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Jordan''s expression changed after he heard her. "Edric is insane! It seems that my diarrhea has


    something to do with him as well!"


    He punched the bedhead, and the tip of the needle attached to his hand broke off. Blood gushed out of


    his wound all of a sudden. Irene hurriedly called the nurse.


    Jordan''s face was stered with remorse. The night before, he was wheeled to the ER. He did not


    expect that Edric would plot against him. When he called Irene and was unable to get hold of her, he


    began to worry. Therefore, he asked David to return to the hotel to check on her. David reported that


    Irene was nowhere to be seen, but he saw John there.


    He had a feeling that things did not go well. He had anxiously prayed for Irene to be fine. Indeed,


    something bad had happened to Irene¡ªshe was ckmailed by Edric. Jordan regretted his actions


    and med himself for everything. It was all his fault. He was the culprit who had put Irene in such a


    predicament. He was a jerk!


    "You don''t have to me yourself. Although I''ve been tricked by Edric, it''s not entirely a bad thing."


    Ireneforted him, "This way, it would be easier for me to obtain his sperm."


    "But it''s a bad thing for me." Jordan''s eyes were red. "Irene, you are the woman I love. I single-


    handedly sent you to another man''s bed. Do you know how I feel? I''m such a jerk!"


    Jordan pulled his hair with his hand, seemingly in great anguish. Well, who on earth could watch their


    beloved women sleep with another man? Besides, Irene was even forced to sign that ridiculous


    contract with Edric.


    Irene looked away; she did not dare to look at Jordan. It was a fact that Jordan loved her. If he knew


    that she was the daughter of the woman he hated the most, would he still feel the same?


    She knew the answer very well. She could not bear to see Jordan suffer anymore. She should tell him


    the truth and have him stay away from her. It would be much better than letting him me himself.


    After grappling violently with her emotions, Irene finally mustered up her courage and spoke, "Jordan, I


    have something very important to tell you."


    She dared not meet Jordan''s eyes. She lowered her head and muttered, "You did not know why I broke


    up with youst time, right? It''s because I learned that my mother was the woman who had asked your


    father to abandon you and your mother."


    "What did you say?" Jordan stared at Irene with wide eyes.


    "I saw a photo of my mother and your father hugging each other... Jordan, I''m sorry, for whatever my


    mother had done!" Irene''s eyes were brimming with tears. "I don''t deserve your love, nor do I deserve


    your concern!"


    "Impossible! How can this be?" Jordan murmured, "It can''t be! There must be some sort of


    misunderstanding!"


    "It''s true. I''ve checked with Uncle Thomas, and he''d admitted it!"


    Jordan gaped at Irene in a daze. After a while, he suddenly shouted, "Get out!"


    Edric stood on the balcony of Chandelle Valley Vi, looking into the distance. Chandelle Maple Vi


    was akeside vi he had established in San Fetillo. It was by a crystal-clearke and river.


    These vis were developed because of Irene. She told him that she missed the river behind her


    previous apartment very much. She said that she would build a wooden house by the river in the


    future, to amble along the river with him, and enjoy their old age. She even promised that she would


    catch fish for him every day.


    The design and concept of Chandelle Valley werepletely ording to Irene''s imagination. It was


    surrounded by mountains andkes; most importantly, it was built along the river.


    In the vi area, there were multiple streams, springs, waterfalls, and a fountain. There were even


    small inds in the water, forests, wooden bridges,ndscape frames, winding mountains, houses, and


    trees. These scenes were mentioned by Irene before, and Edric had always kept it in his mind.


    After the vi waspleted, countless rich people flocked to view the vis, and its sales skyrocketed


    within days.


    Edric left the best vi in Chandelle Valley for himself. He personally supervised the design of the vi.


    He only hoped that one day when Irene came back and saw it, she would understand his love for her.


    After John sent Irene back the previous night, he instructed John to send him there. Heid on the


    huge bed in the bedroom. But, he didn''t feel sleepy in the slightest bit, for his heart was consumed with


    an expectation of what would unfold in theing days.


    After dawn, he called John and asked him to bring Irene there. After he hung up the call, he walked


    downstairs. Theyout of the house was in ordance with her preferences. He wondered what her


    expression would be like when he showed her the house.


    He went to check the nursery again. He thought to himself, "Her child should like this kind of design,


    right?"


    Edric thought of the scene of Irene living with Eden here in the future. It must be beautiful. Impatient, he


    went to the balcony.


    Although he seemed to be enjoying the picturesque scenery, he knew in his heart that it was not his


    real purpose. He stood there so he could get himself a bird''s-eye view. He wanted to see her as soon


    as she was here.


    He stayed on the balcony for a long time before he grew increasingly anxious. It would not take a long


    time to get from the Cook family to here. Why hadn''t John brought her here?


    In his anxiety, his phone rang. He picked up and asked, "Why haven''t you arrived yet?"


    "I waited outside for more than an hour before Miss Nelson came out. However, she refused toe


    with me..."


    "Pass the phone to her!" John was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.


    "She had hailed a taxi and left!" answered John truthfully.


    "Sh*t!" Edric''s joy had now turned into red fury. He smashed his phone to the ground. What a fearless


    woman! How dared she!


    Edric walked back into the house angrily. After a few steps, he turned around and picked up his phone.


    He found Irene''s number and dialed it. Her phone line was busy. Edric hung up the phone and hurried


    out of the vi.


    He nned to search for that disobedient woman. He had informed her very clearly that the contract


    the previous night would take effect immediately. Since she was now bound to him and was his secret


    lover, she must act like one!


    Edric drove the car to Jordan''spany and called Irene again. The phone line was still busy. Edric


    hung it up, and after a few minutes, he called again. The result was still the same. At that time, Edric


    felt that something was wrong. Did she cklist him?


    If Irene had cklisted him, there was no way he could reach her by phone. Yet, he could not enter


    Jordan''spany to catch her. He was so furious he punched the steering wheel.


    The anger in his heart had dissipated a little. He lit a cigarette and forced himself to calm down. He


    knew how stubborn Irene was. It was reasonable that she did not cooperate with him as she was


    humiliated by him the previous night.


    Well then, he had to think of a way to make her give in to him!

 Chapter 105 Extremely Uneasy

    Chapter 105 Extremely Uneasy


    After Irene left the hospital, she immediately returned to the Cook family. She packed her luggage and


    went straight to the airport. Edric must be dreaming if he thought that she would be obedient and


    submit to him!


    She gave in the previous night merely for the sperms. If it weren''t for Eden, she would not even pretend


    to follow his instruction and sign that stupid contract.


    In the past few years with Edric, she had learned a lot about him. He could have an affair with another


    She had been back for some time and she missed Eden very much. Although Nathan would report to


    her about Eden''s condition every day, and she also got to talk to Eden every day, she still missed him


    dearly.


    Irene decided to go see Eden and hide from Edric for a few days. She would return to San Fetillo


    during her ovtion period. If she could get pregnant at that time, she would leave immediately.


    Edric drove to the Cook family in the evening. When Lily saw that he came to visit her, she was


    extremely happy. It was raining cats and dogs the previous night. She only caught a glimpse of the car


    that sent Irene home. It was very simr to Edric''s car, but she could not see the license te and the


    driver clearly.


    She called Loraine out of suspicion and was told that Edric had not returned home. When she saw the


    red marks on Irene''s neck in the morning, she presumed that Irene and Edric must have slept


    together. This realization made her feel extremely uneasy.


    When she saw that Edric came to the door with a gift, she med herself for overthinking it. If Edric


    and Irene were together, he would have known about Irene''s flight in the afternoon. How would he


    appear at the door now?


    Lily took the gift from Edric with a smile. She invited him to sit down and made tea for him. At that time,


    Deborah and Steven had just returned home.


    After they greeted each other, they sat down and chatted. Maisy came over to ask if they would like to


    have dinner. Steven looked at the time and asked, "Why isn''t Irene back yet?"


    "Irene has gone abroad!" Maisy responded.


    "She went abroad?" Steven was stunned. "Was there any urgent matter for her to attend to?"


    "I don''t know. Irene said that she would stay abroad for a period of time," Maisy responded and went to


    prepare dinner. Edric, who was on the sofa, did not have any change in expression on his face, but his


    heart was instantly enshrouded by restlessness.


    He went to the Cook family that evening not to see Lily, but to look for Irene. He thought that he could


    find a chance to talk to her and to threaten her, but he did not expect that Irene would leave.


    Maisy''s dishes tasted splendid, but Edric had no appetite. After dinner, he sat in the living room for a


    while before he stood up and left.


    While driving, he could not help thinking about Irene. His heart was in turbulence. He had to admit that


    Irene was no longer the innocent, kind, and lovely Irene she was before.


    It seemed that he had to spend a lot of time and energy to get hold of her. He called John to investigate


    what Irene was doing abroad.


    John brought news to Edric that Irene went abroad to see Eden. John also updated Edric that Eden


    was previously thrown into a stinky ditch of the hospital and ended up having a high fever. Later, Eden


    was diagnosed with leukemia.


    Edric was dumbstruck. That lovely child was diagnosed with leukemia? How could God be so cruel?


    "Miss Nelson sent the child to a foreign country for treatment. She is currently looking for a matching


    bone marrow donor."


    Since Eden was sick, why didn''t she stay abroad to take care of him? What was she thinking of


    returning to San Fetillo?


    She left the sick child with Nathan and went back to live with the Cook family every day. What on earth


    did she n to do? Wasn''t she aware that Eden needed her presence and love the most now that he


    was sick?


    Was it because she was short of money? He recalled what she said in the Cook family that day. She


    stated that she could not afford such an expensive fruit. Was it because she did not have much


    money? It must be so.


    John looked at Edric''s morose, somber face. "Mr. Myers, you should not have treated Miss Nelson that


    way. Previously, she went to look for Madam Margaret for a reason. Madam Margaret once instructed


    someone to abduct her son in the park and threatened her to leave. On that day, someone sent her a


    note, therefore..."


    So that was the reason Irene came to look for Margaret. Well, Edric was aware of that, hence he


    restrained himself when Irene hit Margaret during their heated argument.


    "You should not have gotten engaged to Miss Cook so early!" John knew that Edric''s heart only had


    room for Irene thus far.


    Edric did not reply to John. His engagement with Lily was unrted to the quarrel between Irene and


    Margaret but was because Irene had said that she would never go back to him again. She said she


    despised him. Besides, Lily could not conceive and with that in mind, he found her rather pitiful. Well,


    since he could not be together with Irene, he ended up making this decision.


    Edric''s eyes darkened. "Have you found out the identity of the person who abducted the child?"


    "No, the hospital''s surveince video was blurry, and the man wore a mask, therefore his face was not


    apparent at all," John replied.


    That was a premeditated act! Except for Margaret who wanted Irene to disappear, who else would want


    her gone?


    "It''s definitely not Madam Margaret''s order. I checked her call records and could not find any clues that


    she was linked to the incident," added John.


    Edric believed that it was not Margaret who took Eden away from the hospital. Although Margaret could


    be quite unreasonable and snobbish, she would not do such a vicious thing of throwing a child into the


    ditch.


    That was to say, someone deliberately took Eden away and framed Margaret. This person who took


    the child must be an insider. At present, there were only a few people in San Fetillo who knew about


    Irene''s rtionship with him. Edric''s eyes were now smoldering with an unreadable emotion.


    The first person he suspected was Lily and Deborah, and the second was Joanne. At that time, Joanne


    had no association with Jordan at all, therefore she would not target Irene. This left Lily and Deborah.


    He controlled his emotions and instructed, "Go and investigate what Lily and Deborah were up to these


    past few days."


    John nodded and left.


    After Edric learned that Eden had leukemia, he could not calm himself to report for work. Eden''s lovely


    face appeared in front of him, and his heart seemed to be crushed by a heavy boulder. Restlessness


    haunted his every single cell.


    He remembered that Irene had called himte at night a few nights ago. She said that if he was not


    engaged to Lily, she would consider being together with him again.


    He rejected her ruthlessly. After that, she called him again several times. He suspected that she had


    other intentions, therefore he refused to answer her call and turned off the phone.


    He had always thought that she called him so to request him to cancel the engagement as a way to


    take revenge on Lily. He now realized that his judgment might have been wrong. At that time, she had


    taken Eden overseas for treatment. That meant that when she was in her most helpless state. She was


    reaching out to him for help.


    Edric''s heart pained for her. If Irene was indeed in despair and came to ask him for help, how hurt


    would she have been when he rejected her so ruthlessly like that?


    When Edric returned home, Margaret was ying cards with several wealthydies. Seeing that he


    had returned home early, she stopped the game and went upstairs to ask him with concern, "Edric, why


    are you home so early?"


    Edric looked at Margaret angrily. "Mom, I have something to ask you. Are you behind the incident of


    Irene''s son being thrown into the ditch?"


    "It''s not me!" Margaret denied it.


    "Are you telling me the truth?" Edric was agitated. Although he did not believe that Margaret would do


    such a crazy thing, he was still worried.


    If John''s investigation was wrong and if it was really done by Margaret, Irene would definitely not


    forgive him for the rest of his life.


    "I really did not do it, Edric. I don''t have to go so far because of Irene. I threatened her because I did


    not want her to have anything to do with you. Furthermore, I am also a single mother. I know how


    important a child''s life is to a mother. How could I do such a crazy thing as to throw a child into a


    ditch?"


    Margaret''s words made Edric sigh in relief. He was d that Margaret was not behind the incident.


    "Why do you look so pale? What happened?" Margaret asked tentatively.


    "Nothing. I just feel sorry for the child. He had lost his father at such a young age..." Edric stood up and


    swore, "I must find out which heartless person threw such a young child into a foul ditch!"


    Loraine brought him a cup of tea, and her expression suddenly changed.


    When Deborah arrived home, her phone rang. After Deborah picked it up, Loraine''s nervous voice


    came over the line. "Mrs. Cook, bad news. Mr. Myers wants to investigate Eden''s abduction."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "What?" Deborah was stunned.


    "Just now, he came home to ask Mrs. Myers if it was she who threw the child into the ditch. After Mrs.


    Myers denied it, he insisted on investigating the case. I''m a little scared. What if Mr. Myers finds out the


    truth?"


    "Don''t worry, he will not be able to find it out," Deborahforted Loraine. She had already made


    detailed arrangements on the matter, therefore Edric would not be able to uncover it no matter how


    hard he tried.


    But Loraine had ample reason to be worried. It was her son who threw Eden into the ditch. It would be


    terrible if Edric found out about it.


    Deborah knew what Loraine was worried about. "Calm down. I''ve already made arrangements to cover


    this matter up. He won''t be able to find out anything. You can rest assured."


    After Deborah hung up, she frowned. That incident had happened so long ago. Why did Edric suddenly


    want to investigate it?


    Fortunately, she handled it with extreme care and had not used any outsiders. Instead, she asked


    Loraine''s son to carry it out. Loraine''s son was Steven''s driver. Even if Edric were to investigate this


    matter, he would never suspect the people around Steven.


    Eden''s condition improved tremendously after the treatment. When Irene arrived, Nathan was


    apanying Eden for a walk in the garden. When they saw Irene, they were pleasantly surprised.


    Eden threw himself into Irene''s arms. "Mommy, I''m a brave boy. I did not cry after the injection."


    Irene held Eden in her arms and kissed him repeatedly. "My darling son, you''re so brave!"


    Nathan looked at her sunken face and knew that she must have been under a lot of pressure during


    that period of time. "Irene, you don''t have to worry about Eden. The doctor said that Eden''s condition is


    not too bad. We still have time."


    "How can I not be worried?" Irene picked Eden up and went inside. She was his mother and they


    shared an unbreakable bond. After all, Eden was her flesh and blood. At such a young age, he had to


    endure the torment of such an illness. How could she not stay put and sit idly? She even hoped to be


    the one who was ill instead of Eden.


    Irene''s arrival made Eden very happy. The room was echoing withughter. Irene had forgotten all her


    fatigue; she yed building blocks with Eden. Nathan joined in as well. The three of them sat on the


    carpet and had a whale of a time. Suddenly, Nathan''s phone rang. He picked it up and heard Joanne''s


    voice. "Nathan, Grandma asked you toe home for dinner tonight."


    "I''m not free," Nathan answered while he reached out to ce the blocks.


    Joanne turned on the loudspeaker mode on her phone. Britney heard Nathan''s answer and gestured


    for Joanne to continue to persuade him. Suddenly, Britney and Joanne heard a childish voice from the


    receiver end. "Nathan, this is for you."


    Eden picked up a block and handed it to Nathan. Then, he pointed to a building block that Irene had


    ced. "Mommy, this is wrong. It should be here."


    "You''re so smart!" Irene praised Eden.


    Britney heard Irene''s voice from the receiver, her face fell instantly.

 Chapter 106 Let Me Think About It

    Chapter 106 Let Me Think About It


    Joanne looked displeased too. "Nathan, you haven''t been back for a few days. Grandma missed you


    very much. She had told the chef to make your favorite dishes just for you..."


    "I know, I will visit her tomorrow," Nathan answered and hung up.


    "Grandma, that Irene is so evil!" Joane''s hatred for Irene could not be put into words. "She is using her


    son to hang onto Nathan, meanwhile she''s fooling around with Jordan. Word also has it that she is still


    meeting her ex-husband. What on earth is she up to?"


    Britney was too fuming with anger. The rtionship between Irene and Nathan had always been


    something she found intolerable. When she found out Irene was born from a poor family, she had


    opposed their rtionship. However, she hadn''t expected that Irene''s father was actually Steven. If


    Irene hade clean about her identity earlier, Britney would not have been against their rtionship.


    On the other hand, Irene would rather break up with Nathan than reveal her true identity. This showed


    that Irene didn''t love Nathan at all despite him beingpletely head over heels for her. Because of


    that, he had been living a single life for so many years.


    "Grandma, Irene is a troublemaker. With her around, Nathan will never be able to start afresh in a new


    rtionship. You should make it clear to Irene. Get her to disappear and never show up in his life


    again."


    Joanne''s statement made sense. Since Irene had no feelings for Nathan, she should stay away from


    him. Their asional meetings would only give Nathan false hope. Britney sighed slightly and said,


    "Let me think about it first."


    Jordan could not believe that Irene was Myra''s daughter. Not long after Irene left the hospital, he pulled


    out the drip from his hand and left the hospital to look for Ma.


    Seeing Jordane looking for him, Ma was over cloud nine. However, he ended up being


    greeted by Jordan''s exceptionally cold attitude. Jordan hissed, "Get in the car. I have something to ask


    you."


    Ma opened the door and got in the car. Jordan said bluntly, "Is the woman you like named Myra


    Nelson?"


    "Who told you that?" Ma asked.


    "Just tell me, is it Myra or not?" Jordan''s eyes were twinkling with a hint of fierceness. Ma was


    silent for a while and nodded.


    "B*stard! You are a b*stard!" Jordan shouted at Ma. "You are a coward. You''re not even a


    man! Since you love Myra, why did you marry another woman? Why did you get together with Marie?


    Don''t you feel ashamed of yourself?"


    Ma remained silent. His silence made Jordan even angrier. He growled, "Why did you marry my


    mother if you don''t love her? Why did you give birth to me? How can I have a father like you? Go to


    hell!"


    "Jordan, I''m sorry!" Looking at the furious Jordan losing his temper, Ma felt guilty and apologized.


    "What can your apology change? Can a single apology make up for my mother''s twenty-odd years of


    suffering? Can a single apology make up for all the years of love I''ve missed out on?"


    "Ma, why do you only feel guilty towards the dead? Have you forgotten the living? Do you know


    what my mother has been through all these years? She was a rich young heiress. But because of a


    b*stard like you, she has spent all her years in solitude. How could you bear to treat her that way?"


    "Compared to the dead, she''s living a much better life!" Ma said with a sad smile.


    "What did you say? How can you be so cold-blooded and heartless? What did she do to make you


    treat her this way?"


    Jordan had never dreamed that Ma would say such a thing. He grabbed Ma''s cor and


    bellowed, "Ma, you are the root of my pain and my mother''s. Why don''t I put an end to all that


    today? Let''s just die together!"


    "Jordan! You are crazy!" A painful look shed across Ma''s face. "How much do you know about


    the past? Let me tell you the truth. Lydia brought all this suffering upon herself!"


    "You!" Jordan raised his fist to Ma. Faced with Jordan''s potential assault, Ma was not afraid at


    all.


    "Jordan, who told you that Myra stole me away from your mother and you? Who told you that your


    mother was the victim of this tragedy? The truth is apletely different story! If Lydia did not entrap


    me with her so-called love, I would have never broken up with Myra. Then she wouldn''t have married


    someone else, and she wouldn''t have passed away at such a young age!"


    Ma pushed Jordan''s hand away from his cor and roared, "Just like how you have no feelings for


    Joanne, I never intended to marry Lydia Klein. I told her very clearly that I wouldn''t marry her. I loved


    Myra, but what did she do to me? She promised me she would let go of me. But behind my back, she


    plotted against me and set me up so Myra would see her in my bed. Because of that, Myra broke up


    with me. Your mother has never been meless in this tragedy! I became like this because of her! Do


    you understand?"


    "Bullsh*t!" Jordan did not believe that his gentle mother would pull such a plot.


    "You can go ask Lydia whether this is all bullsh*t or not. After that night, she got pregnant with you, and


    her mother forced me to marry her. I was in so much pain after losing Myra, so I lost all rationality. I


    agreed to marry Lydia, but we were never in a real rtionship."


    Ma smiled bitterly and added, "We could have just lived peacefully like this, but she just had to


    push Myra even further. Do you know how Myra died? She got into a car ident the day your mother


    invited her out! The culprit escaped, but even a fool could tell that that was too much of a coincidence.


    Lydia is spending her life in solitude because she is atoning for her sins!"


    "No, that''s not true! It can''t be true!"


    "This is the truth. I''ve never thought of seeing her. I''ve given her countless chances to divorce me over


    the years, but she refused it! Let me make it clear, the only people I feel sorry for in my life are you and


    Myra. My conscience is clear when ites to anyone else!" Ma said firmly.


    Jordan sat in the car in a daze. If what Ma said was true, that the car ident was not an


    ident, that would mean that his hatred towards Myra was nothing but a joke. It was Lydia who killed


    Myra. It was Lydia who made Irene lose Myra at such a young age. He should be the one who felt


    guilty, not Irene.


    In his memory, Lydia was always gentle and kind, totally different from the insidious and vicious woman


    that Ma had described. Meanwhile, Malcolm had always been a ruthless man. Everything he had


    said must be make-believe, lies. Jordan did not believe Ma; he wanted to confirm it with Lydia


    himself.


    Jordan insisted on going home although he had yet to fully recover. David booked a ticket immediately


    and went home with Jordan.


    After flying for more than ten hours, Jordan and David returned to the Reed home. He didn''t go see


    Pedro. Instead, he immediately went to look for Lydia in the yard.


    Lydia, dressed in in clothes, was sitting in the yard reading. When she heard the noise, she looked


    up, shocked. She asked, "Why are you back?"


    Jordan walked to Lydia and stood still. He had so many questions to ask her, but now that he was


    facing her, he did not know where to start.


    If everything had been made up by Ma, would it be appropriate for him to question Lydia?


    A servant immediately carried a bench over for Jordan and poured him a cup of tea. Lydia put down the


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    book in her hand. "Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?"


    "No, I''ve been having diarrhea recently," Jordan answered.


    "If you''re not feeling well, you should go to see a doctor. It''s not good for your health if you hold it in."


    Lydia looked at Jordan with distress and ordered her servant, "Get some carrot juice for him."


    The servant nodded and went to prepare it. Lydia then chatted with Jordan about the situation at home


    in a soft voice. Jordan gave her a brief answer. Then, the servant brought some carrot juice for Jordan


    and said, "Mrs. Reed, Miss Joanne hase to meet you again. Do you want to see her?"


    Lydia nced at Jordan and met his frown, therefore she answered, "Tell her that I don''t have the time


    today. Perhaps another day."


    The servant nodded. Joanne stood at the door and saw the servanting over. She shook her head


    as she told Joanne, "Mrs. Reed is not avable now. You''d bettere another day."


    Joanne came here because she heard that Jordan had returned. Since she had no intention to see


    Lydia anyway, she wasn''t angry when she got rejected. She turned on her heel and left.


    Jordan drank up the carrot juice and handed the cup back to the servant. Lydia asked, "Joanne is


    gone?"


    The servant nodded and said, "Yes, she has left."


    "Shees to visit me every few days. What a thoughtful girl," Lydia praised. Seeing that Jordan did


    not answer her, she had no choice but to take the initiative to raise the issue of him and Joanne.


    "I watched Joanne grow up. She is gentle and kind, and beautiful too. I like her very much. Jordan, can


    you listen to my advice and marry Joanne?"


    "Mom, I don''t like Joanne. Didn''t I make that clearst time?" Jordan was growing impatient.


    "The two of you grew up together and you guys know each other better than anyone. Anyhow, she''ll be


    better than whatever woman you meet outside."


    "You can''t be sure of that. After all, you never know what is truly lurking in someone''s heart." Jordan


    sneered. He knew Joanne very well. When he was reminded of Lydia''s praise for Joanne, his heart


    beat faster. Wasn''t Lydia also such a gentle and kind person?


    "Joanne is a wonderful girl." Lydia did not know what Jordan was thinking, but she still defended


    Joanne.


    Jordan frowned and interrupted her, "Mom, I met Ma before I came back."


    "How¡­ how is he?" Lydia''s eyes lit up.


    "He''s fine." Jordan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Mom, do you know Myra?"


    Lydia''s face suddenly changed. After a while, she mumbled, "Yes!"


    "How did she die?"


    "What did Ma say to you?" Lydia retorted with another question.


    "He told me a bit about what happened between the two of you. He said... he said that Myra was killed


    by you!"


    "Did he say that?" Lydia''s face suddenly turned ashen, her body shaking like a leaf.


    "Mom, is what Ma said true?" Jordan insisted on an answer.


    "Since he had said so, it must be true!" Lydia''s face was as white as a ghost; there was a bitterness


    brewing in her heart.


    Jordan did not expect Lydia would admit to it. He felt an unspeakable disappointment in his heart. How


    he wished Lydia would deny it without any hesitation and tell him that it was all Ma''s nonsense.


    But she didn''t.


    The image of his kind mother who had always been humiliated by Ma had changed in his mind.


    Anyone in his position would feel the same about it. Jordan could not ept it at all. He asked, "So,


    everything Ma said is true? You trapped him into marrying you, right? Mom, why did you do that?"


    Hearing this, Lydia''s face turned pallid again, feeling humiliated. She was also a victim in this marriage.


    In the past, she had unknowingly had sex with Ma, but no one sympathized with her predicament.


    Ma believed that she was the reason he broke up with Myra. No matter what exnation she


    gave, he would not believe her.


    As their marriage was an arranged and forced one, Ma had always been very distant to her. Not


    only that, the entire Reed family had looked down on her and seen her as a scheming woman.


    But in reality, she had no idea about anything. When Myra got into a car ident, everyone branded


    her as an evil, vicious woman. But only God knew that it was honestly just an ident; she had never


    intended for any harm to befall Myra.


    Over the years, she had suffered so much, but she had pushed through it because of her son. But what


    was Ma doing now?

 Chapter 107 Suicide

    Chapter 107 Suicide


    ......


    Why had Ma said all these things to Jordan? Most importantly, they were irrelevant. The only


    mistake she had made was marrying Ma. She had already lost more than half of her life for that


    decision. Why did she still have to bear such humiliation?


    In front of her, Jordan was staring at her coldly as he waited for her answer. Lydia smiled sadly. "Why?


    That woman took my husband away. She took away Ma from you and made me live a lonely life at


    such a young age... Why else do you think?"


    "That''s a human life! Mom, how could you be so vicious and cruel?" bellowed Jordan.


    "Vicious? How dare you say I''m vicious?" Looking at Jordan, Lydia''s eyes were brimming with tears.


    "Anyone else can call me vicious and cruel, but not you! You''re my son, my own flesh and blood. I went


    through so much just to raise you. You can''t say that about me!"


    "So just because you raised me, then I must forgive you for whatever you did, huh?" Jordan growled in


    a low voice, "If the reason you raised me was just to protect your rights and for my unquestioning


    loyalty, then I''d much rather you hadn''t raised me! Besides, you should know very well why you raised


    me in the first ce, right?"


    "You... you are an ingrate... get out of here!" Lydia pointed at Jordan, her fingers trembling. Jordan


    nced at Lydia, turned around, and left without saying a word. Seeing Jordan''s figure disappear,


    Lydia sat down dejectedly.


    A servant stepped forward and asked, "Mrs. Reed, are you all right?"


    Lydia let out a long sigh mutely. She was such a failure! Ma didn''t love her, and now even her only


    son had begun to despise her. Her heart ached. What was the point of living such a pathetic life?


    Jordan angrily went back to the mansion. He brushed off the housekeeper who greeted him warmly. He


    entered his room with a cold expression and locked the door. With a mixture of disappointment, sorrow,


    and bitterness in his heart, hey down on the bed, fatigued.


    After some time, footsteps came towards the door. Someone knocked on the door and screeched, "Mr.


    Jordan, it''s time to eat!"


    Jordan ignored the voice and continued to lie motionlessly in the bed. The servant shouted a few times


    at the door and heard no reply before he left. After a while, Pedro''s gentle voice rang out. "Jordan!


    Open the door. I want to talk to you!"


    Jordan grabbed the quilt and covered his head, blocking out all the sounds. Silence and darkness


    surrounded him. After a while, he fell asleep.


    Though he was asleep, he was still conscious. His head hurt and his entire body ached from the


    destion. He could feel a throbbing pain in his heart. It was so painful that he wanted to end his life


    there and then. Perhaps it would be better off if he just died like that!


    As soon as that idea came to his mind, he suddenly heard a piercing scream in the mansion. "Oh no!


    Mrs. Reed¡­ she''s attempted suicide!"


    Jordan shot straight up. It was not a dream. There was a flurry of footsteps outside, apanied by


    the panicked and trembling voice of the servants. "Send her to the hospital quickly!"


    Someone knocked on the door. "Mr. Jordan! Come out! Mrs. Reed has attempted suicide!"


    Lydiay in the emergency operating room. Jordan leaned against the cold wall and silently held his


    head in his hands. If one looked closely, they could see that his body was shaking. Pedro bent down


    and patted his shoulder gently. "It will be fine. Don''t worry!"


    How could he not worry? The person lying on the operating table was his mother. The reason he had


    been so disappointed and angry at her was that he loved her. He had been living in this bubble of


    happiness, which just got burstpletely by what he found out.


    But he never wished any misfortune on her. No matter what, he was her son. She had raised him up so


    painstakingly. He would never be able to cut off the ties of blood he had with her.


    The light on top of the operating room finally went out and the door was pushed open. Jordan quickly


    stood up as a nurse walked out of the room. "Right now, her vitals are stable. You don''t have to worry."


    Jordan was relieved and pushed Lydia into a ward with Pedro and the nurse. Lydia was currently in a


    It had been three days since Irene left San Fetillo. During those three days, Edric had used different


    numbers and called her countless times, but she answered none of his calls.


    After Irene left, Jordan followed suit. Although they were not on the same flight, Edric did not believe


    that they wouldn''t contact each other. If possible, he really wanted to go abroad and bring that


    heartless woman back.


    However he had no power overseas. With Jordan and Nathan both there, he was helpless against


    Irene.


    Edric felt upset, so he had John investigate Lily and Deborah. Lily''s social circle was rather narrow; she


    had no friends apart from Freya. Deborah was living a pretty simple life too. Other than a few rich


    friends, there was nothing unusual about them two.


    The findings surprised Edric very much. For the past few days, he had been thinking who would want


    Irene out of San Fetillo. Apart from Margaret, there was only Lily and Deborah. Now that the three of


    them had been ruled out, who else could be targeting Irene? Could it really be Joanne?


    Edric would never have imagined that Deborah had been puppeteering everything behind the scenes.


    She had handed over everything to Loraine''s son, the driver of the Cook family.


    Even more so, Edric would have never guessed that the nanny who had been working in his home for


    ten years, Lorraine, would be in cahoots with Deborah.


    Seeing that Edric was deep in thought, John stood quietly aside and waited for him to give the next


    instruction. After a long time, Edric said, "Help me look into every infertility specialist. Start with the


    famous one!"


    John was stunned. When Irene couldn''t get pregnant in the past, Edric never looked for an infertility


    specialist. Why was he looking for one now?


    Jordan was smoking at the end of the corridor. The cigarette tip glowed brightly, illuminating his gloomy


    face. Suddenly, he heard footstepsing from behind him. Jordan felt a hand on his shoulder.


    "Jordan, I have something to tell you," said Pedro.


    Jordan nodded and went to the study with Pedro. "I know what happened yesterday. In fact, if you want


    to know about what happened back then, you didn''t have to question Lydia. You could havee to


    me."


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    Jordan didn''t say anything. He just looked at Pedro quietly.


    "The emotional dispute between your parents and Myra was actually a tragedy caused by the two rich


    and powerful families. Both your grandmothers were friends, and they had agreed very early on that


    they wanted their children to marry each other. Later on, your grandmother was even more determined


    when she saw how kind and gentle your mother was. Unfortunately, she hadn''t expected Ma to fall


    in love with Myra in high school."


    Pedro paused for a while and added, "What happened that year was hard to rify. Everyone had a


    different way of viewing the issue. To us, your mother is a virtuous daughter-inw. She is respectful to


    us, to Ma, and treats her family well. I daresay that everyone in our family likes her, except


    Ma."


    Jordan couldn''t help sneering. "She knew Ma loved someone else, yet she clung to him. What was


    she expecting?"


    "Rtionships aren''t that ck and white. Take a look at the people around you, your elders, and your


    friends. How many of them fall in love and get together with each other wholeheartedly?"


    Jordan was silent. Pedro went on to say, "After your father married your mother, everything went


    downhill. Lydia relentlessly protected the family regardless with noints. To a rich family, it was a


    blessing to be able to have found such a daughter-inw. So, they could only see Myra as a rebellious


    woman. Ma was married, and yet she went on to look for Ma. She wrote a letter to Ma


    asking him out. Ma had always been a fool for her so he went to meet her. After that, Myra said


    something that made Ma never want to return again."


    Pedro lowered his head, continuing, "At that time, you were still very young. Lydia couldn''t bear to see


    you lose Ma at such a young age, so she endured the humiliation and went to find Ma in


    person. But he refused toe back. She had no choice but to meet Myra instead. The day she asked


    Myra out, Myra died in a car ident."


    "Why didn''t Myra get into any idents earlier? Why did it have to happen while she was on the way to


    meet my mother?" Jordan asked. "Are you honestly telling me you don''t find the matter a tiny bit


    suspicious?"


    "I can guarantee that Lydia had nothing to do with the ident. To be honest, in my opinion, I never


    thought Lydia did anything wrong. She is your father''s rightful wife. She has the right to defend her


    marriage. If anything, her only mistake was her ill fate to have met us." Pedro let out a long sigh.


    "Myra''s death from the car ident was unintentional, and it had nothing to do with Lydia. But Ma


    med it on Lydia, and Lydia has been regretting and ming herself since then. She always felt that.


    If she hadn''t asked Myra out, Myra would not have gotten into that ident and died. That''s when


    Lydia started turning religious."


    "If she wasn''t guilty, then why would she have to turn to religion?" questioned Jordan.


    "Jordan, don''t be so stubborn. Ask yourself, why are you so harsh on your mother? Are you telling me


    you aren''t doing all this for Irene? If Myra was just an ordinary person, would you be that harsh on


    Lydia? You have pushed your own problems onto Lydia just so you can have someone to me.


    Jordan, don''t you know what kind of person Lydia is? Think about it carefully. Has it been easy for Lydia


    all these years?" Pedro rebuked.


    "I..."


    "You are a grown man. You have your own thoughts and can make your own judgment, and you have


    your own responsibilities and burdens to bear. I don''t want to force my ideas onto you, but I hope you


    can at least treat your family well!" Pedro turned on his heel and left.


    Jordan went to the hospital alone and stood at the door of the ward. Through the window, he saw Lydia


    leaning against the bed and crying. Joanne sat at the edge of the bed and held Lydia''s hand,


    whispering into Lydia''s ears.


    All these years, he had never once seen Lydia cry. Even in the face of the sarcastic remarks


    of Ma''s siblings and the rumors circting outside, Lydia had always been strong.


    Lydia had always had a heart of gold. During these years, she donated numerous times to charity.


    Even though she was rich, she would personally visit nursing homes just to volunteer. She couldn''t


    even bear to raise her voice at the servants at home. How could someone like her take away another


    person''s life?


    Myra''s death was probably just an ident. His anger had clouded his judgment!


    Pedro was right. If the person in the car ident was not Irene''s mother, would he me Lydia for it?


    He was just indignant! It was just his resentment, for Irene couldn''t stay with him. As he was


    emotionally frustrated, he vented it onto the person closest to him.


    However, because of him, Lydia had attempted suicide. If the servants hadn''t found her in time...


    He didn''t even dare to think about what could have happened!


    Pedro''s words echoed in his ears. "You are a grown man. You have your own thoughts and can make


    your own judgment, and you have your own responsibilities and burdens to bear. I don''t want to force


    my ideas onto you, but I hope you can at least treat your family well!"


    Jordan looked at Lydia in the ward in a daze and asked himself over and over again, "Jordan, you have


    lived for so long. What have you done for her?"


    He couldn''t think of anything. In his memory, it seemed that Lydia had always been the sole one


    sacrificing for him. He had never done anything for her!


    He recalled Lydia''s pleading eyes that night when she said, "Joanne is a good girl. I like her very much.


    I hope you can like her too and get together with her!"


    A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Jordan''s mouth. At this moment, he finally understood what


    Ma felt like back then. After all, who wouldn''t feel this way when they couldn''t be with the one they


    loved?

 Chapter 108 Kidnap

    Chapter 108 Kidnap


    After some thought, Britney decided to invite Irene out to meet at a cafe. Irene had arrived twenty


    minutes earlier. Meanwhile, Britney was very punctual; she arrived right on the dot.


    This was the first time Britney was meeting Irene again after nine years. Irene''s appearance was still


    the same as that of nine years ago, as beautiful as always. Her beauty attracted the attention of all the


    customers in the cafe.


    Britney walked over and sat opposite Irene. Irene smiled politely at Britney and asked, "What do you


    fancy?"


    "Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee!" Britney replied.


    The waiter quickly brought over the coffee. After stirring the coffee with a spoon for a long time, Britney


    stopped and said to Irene, "You are much thinner than before."


    Irene smiled faintly and did not speak.


    Britney didn''t mind Irene''s silence. She sighed softly and added, "Time flies! In a blink of an eye, it''s


    been nine years!"


    Irene understood what Britney meant. She still remembered what they talked about when theyst met


    in a cafe. She said, "Don''t worry, Britney. I have always remembered what you said to me. I won''t cross


    the line."


    Her answer made Britney''s face sh with embarrassment. At that time, she wasn''t polite to Irene at all.


    Each word of her wasced with ruthlessness. She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip, trying to


    hide her awkwardness.


    "I''ve also heard about your son''s illness. Such a young child, so smart and cute too. What a pity."


    "Yes, God really is cruel!" Irene answered lightly; her face was expressionless.


    "Irene, I want to ask you something." Britney had no choice but to cut to the chase. "Can you leave


    Nathan? I mean, I know your child needs treatment and I can offer my help. As long as you don''t show


    up in front of Nathan anymore."


    Irene knew that Nathan was the only reason that Britney woulde looking for her. If it was in the


    past, she would have agreed to leave Nathan without hesitation. But now, Eden was her priority.


    Nathan had said that the doctor he found was treating Eden very effectively. How could she leave at a


    time like this?


    "Irene, I know it''s not a good time for you, but I have no choice. As his grandmother, I am worried about


    his future and happiness. I don''t want to see him be lonely for the rest of his life."


    Seeing that Irene was silent, Britney pondered over her words, picking them carefully. "Nathan has


    always had you in his heart. Because of you, he has been single for nine years. How much more time


    does he have? Are you okay with watching him grow old alone?"


    "I never thought of letting Nathan grow old alone. Nathan is the best person I have ever met in my life. I


    regard him as a friend, a confidant, and an elder brother. I wish for his happiness just as much as you


    do," Irene answered.


    "I believe that you want Nathan to be happy, but do you know that Nathan''s happiness has always


    been tied to you? All these years, his heart has always been in your hands. I''ve let him meet dozens of


    other women, but he didn''t take a fancy to any of them... I''ve been so worried about him. Irene, I beg


    you, please stay away from Nathan!"


    "Do you honestly think my departure will change anything?" Irene smiled bitterly. "Back then, you asked


    me to stay away from Nathan so he could be happy. I listened to you and married Edric instead. I was


    married to Edric for five years, but Nathan remained single. Are you saying that''s my fault too?"


    "That''s..." Britney was left speechless. Indeed, Irene had been married to Edric for five years. Nathan


    had known that he would never have Irene back again, but still, nothing changed. True


    enough, Nathan''s current choice seemed to have nothing to do with Irene.


    "I don''t think I have control over Nathan. Perhaps I am part of the reason why he is how he is now. But


    if it weren''t for you, he wouldn''t have be like this," added Irene.


    "Irene, I had indeed made a wrong choice. Nathan''s parents died when he was a child, and I brought


    him up by myself. I have high expectations for him, so I want to find him a suitable wife to support him.


    I''m not doing anything wrong in my opinion. On the contrary, you''re the issue here. Why didn''t you ever


    tell me that you were Steven''s daughter? If you had even a trace of love for Nathan, you would not


    have let him go without a fight."


    "I don''t have a trace of love for Nathan?" Irene couldn''t help scoffing. All she had ever wanted was a


    rtionship formed from true emotions, but her identity kept getting in the way. Everyone around her


    was after power.


    True, if Britney had known Steven was her father, she would have approved of her and Nathan. But


    what about Irene''s feelings? Myra had died because Steven had an illegitimate daughter with Deborah


    whom he cheated on Myra with. There was no way she would be willing to admit he was her father.


    "Britney, if your father had an affair and then had an illegitimate daughter behind your mother''s back


    and caused her to die, would you still acknowledge him as your father?"


    "Of course I won''t!" After Britney answered, she looked at Irene in astonishment. "What do you mean?"


    "If you had paid a little more attention to Steven, you would realize that Lily is the same age as me."


    Irene turned to look out of the window.


    "I see!" Britney sighed. "I have misunderstood you. I''m sorry!"


    "Britney, let me be frank with you. It''s not that I didn''t have feelings for Nathan, but rather I understood


    the disparity between our worlds. I didn''t have any right to like him, so I suppressed my feelings for


    him. Later, after you talked to me, I decided to leave. Now I don''t deny that I am part of the reason why


    Nathan is the way he is now. I didn''t choose him back then. Now that I''m burdened with my own


    baggage, I can assure you that I won''t hurt him. I will persuade him to find his own partner."


    Irene took a breath. "As for what you said about me leaving, I can tell you right now, that I won''t be


    going anywhere..." Suddenly, she noticed that Britney''s face had be pale, her eyes full of horror.


    Irene was stupefied, and then she realized that the cafe was surprisingly quiet. She turned her head


    and saw that there were a few masked people with loaded guns in the cafe.


    One of the robbers turned around and locked the door of the cafe, while the other robbers pointed their


    guns at the customers inside and asked them to gather together.


    Irene, who had never encountered such a situation before, was dumbstruck andpletely glued to


    her seat. Although Britney had lived her fair share of years on earth, she had only ever experienced


    wars and fights in the business world. Right now, the scene unfolding before them was a matter of life


    or death. Britney was scared out of her wits too.


    The robbers came over with guns and knocked twice on the table in front of them, indicating for them to


    gather together with everyone. Irene helped Britney over into the crowd.


    The robbers began to talk. The long and short of it was that they wanted cash. They had everyone take


    out their wallets and jewelry. For the safety of their lives, everyone did as they were told.


    Several robbers loaded their guns and aimed at them, while the other two began to collect their wallets


    and other valuables. When they reached Britney, she quickly handed over her purse. She even took off


    her ne and bracelet.


    The robbers took the wallet and opened it. There wasn''t much cash inside; it was mostly cards. The


    robbers were only after cash, so they took that out and threw the wallet back to Britney.


    Unexpectedly, a business card dropped out from her purse. The robber picked up the card and studied


    it carefully. His expression changed before he ran to the leader with the card and whispered a few


    words in his ear. The leader came over and stared at Britney for a while and asked, "Are you Britney


    White?"


    Britney knew it was useless to deny it, so she nodded.


    Irene''s heart sank; she had a bad feeling about this. The White family was pretty well-known. How


    could they let Britney go after knowing her identity? They were in trouble.


    Irene immediately said, "She''s not Britney. You''ve mistaken her for someone else!"


    "She''s not? I remember seeing a photo of her in the newspaper before." The leader of the robbers


    sneered. "Why don''t you call her and ask for confirmation?"


    Britney knew that it was useless to try and wiggle out of it, hence she admitted her identity.


    Sure enough, after confirming Britney''s identity, the leader simpered slyly. "I didn''t expect to meet


    Britney here. We would love to invite you back to ours as a guest. Don''t worry, we''re just looking for


    money, so we won''t hurt you!" He winked at another robber.


    The robber came up and dragged Britney out. Irene hurried forward to stop them. "You can''t take her


    away!"


    "Go away!" The robber pushed Irene aside. Irene fell to the floor, but she did not give up. She got up


    and continued to plead, "You guys are taking her for her money, right? Take me instead. I''m her


    granddaughter! Let me be the hostage! Leave my grandmother alone; she''ll prepare the money you


    want."


    "Are you really her granddaughter?" The robbers were a little suspicious.


    "Yes, I am Joanne. My grandmother is old and is not in good health. She won''t be able to take all this


    fright. You guys won''t want to cause so much trouble over some money, do you?"


    Joanne was from the White family, so naturally, the robbers had heard of her before. They


    contemted it for a moment. It was true that Britney was quite old; an ident was bound to happen


    if she were to be a hostage. However, Joanne was different. Therefore, they set Britney down and took


    Irene as a hostage instead.


    Irene was taken out of the cafe by the robbers. Before they left, they requested Britney to prepare 100


    million dors in cash. After the kidnappers took Irene away, the customers in the cafe quickly called


    the police. The police arrived and after a round of inquiries, they began tob through the city, in


    search of the kidnappers. The police told Britney that if the robbers called her, she was to inform them


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    right away.


    After a while, Britney was sent home. She was very worried about Irene''s safety. If it weren''t for Irene,


    she would have been taken away by the kidnappers. She had to pay the ransom to save Irene.


    When they returned to the White Mansion, Britney ordered the housekeeper to prepare the cash. When


    the kidnappers called, she would give it to them to save Irene. When Joanne came back, she stopped


    Britney after getting a hold of the situation. "Grandma, don''t you think this is the perfect opportunity?"


    "Perfect opportunity for what?" asked Britney.


    "To get rid of Irene," Joanne reminded her. "As long as we don''t pay the ransom, the robbers will


    definitely get rid of her. By then, Irene willpletely disappear. That way you won''t have to worry


    about Nathan anymore."


    "What did you say?" Britney looked at Joanne in surprise, as if she was a stranger. "How could you


    suggest something so sinister? Irene was taken away in order to save me. Do you feel like it is the right


    time to discuss this?"


    "I... I..." Joanne knew that she had misspoken. She had always acted gentle and kind. No wonder


    Britney was surprised when Joanne made such a suggestion.

 Chapter 109 Escape

    Chapter 109 Escape


    The robbers took Irene to a house. After locking the doors, they began nning on how to demand the


    ransom. One of the kidnappers decided to make a call to the White family. Britney was rather


    straightforward; she told them that someone was preparing the ransom, so they would need to wait for


    a while.


    The kidnappers did not believe her and warned her not to try to rescue the hostage through the police.


    They threatened Britney, saying that if she even tried anything funny, they would kill Irene right there


    and then. Britney promised not to call the police. The eyes of Joanne who had been by the side


    listening lit up at once.


    After hanging up, several kidnappers sat together and began a discussion. One of them brought up the


    fact that the White family was pretty well known. Wasn''t 100 million in cash too little? The leader of the


    gang felt a little regretful for not asking for more.


    It wasmon for kidnappers to go back on their word. Irene''s heart sank when she heard their


    discussion. At that point, Irene was no longer as afraid as before. She carefully observed the situation.


    She was brought into the room by the kidnappers with her eyes blindfolded, hence she did not know


    where they had taken her.


    Now that they were indoors, the ck cloth on her eyes had been removed. She could see clearly that


    the ce she was in was an apartment. After they pushed her into the room, they gathered in the living


    room to talk.


    There was a window in the room where Irene was locked up. There were iron grills on the windows,


    thus there was no way to escape at all. Typically, bathroom windows would not have iron grills.


    Therefore, Irene asked the kidnappers if she could use the bathroom. The kidnappers did not refuse


    her request.


    When Irene entered the bathroom, it was as she suspected¡ªthe windows did not have any grills on


    them. She stood on the toilet and looked out. She counted and realized she was on the third floor. If


    she jumped down now, she would be injured for sure.


    However, there was a condenser unit right outside the bathroom window; below that was a canopy


    jumped down to the canopy, it would be much safer.


    However, it was also very dangerous to do so. A single slip would cause her to fall and injure herself.


    However, she did not have the time to think too much then. If the White family did not agree to the


    conditions of the kidnappers, the kidnappers might harm her. She had to take the risk.


    Irene returned to the room quietly and continued to wait. Another two hours passed in a sh. The


    kidnappers called the White family again. The White family said that they had prepared the money and


    agreed on a location to meet for the transaction.


    The kidnappers sent two people to get the ransom, but they didn''t n on taking Irene with them. Irene


    knew that the kidnappers were going to go back on their word. Soon after two of the kidnappers had


    headed out, Irene asked to go to the bathroom again. The kidnappers were in good spirits, so they


    allowed it.


    Irene entered the bathroom and locked the door. Immediately, she put her n into action. She thought


    that it would be rtively easy, but she was wrong. It took her a lot of effort just to climb out of the


    window and stand onto the condenser. Looking down, she felt dizzy, hence she subconsciously


    squatted down.


    She had been ''in the bathroom'' for quite some time at this point. One of the kidnappers knocked on the


    door, impatient. Flustered by it, Irene closed her eyes as she jumped onto the canopy. Shended right


    on it but unfortunately, the canopy was quite old. It could not withstand her weight so it broke and Irene


    fell right through it.


    Luckily, there was a base at the bottom. Shended with most of the weight hitting her ankles. As soon


    as her feet touched the ground, she felt a pang of pain shoot up her ankles. But Irene had no time to


    care. She ran away, struggling. Meanwhile, the kidnappers upstairs forcefully kicked the bathroom door


    down.


    To the kidnappers'' surprise, the bathroom was empty. "Boss, she has escaped!" The leader


    immediately panicked when he heard that. "Why are you guys still standing there? Hurry up and get


    her!"


    The kidnappers cursed and ran downstairs. Irene''s feet hurt so much. She knew that at her current


    speed, she wasn''t going to be able to outrun the kidnappers. Sometimes, the most dangerous ce


    was the safest ce, hence they would least expect her to be there. With that in mind, she turned


    around and, instead of running away, she hid downstairs inside the bushes.


    The kidnappers only stopped at where Irene had been hiding for a while. After all, they weren''t familiar


    with the area. When they reached downstairs, they headed outwards. After some distance, they


    received a call from the two kidnappers who had gone to take the ransom.


    "Boss, we have been tricked. There is no ransom at all. They chose to call the police. We have been


    surrounded. Hurry up and escape!"


    The leader could tell that things were going south, therefore immediately he gathered the rest of his


    men and made a run for it.


    Joanne happily went to visit Lydia in the hospital. Lydia was doing much better and was talking to one


    of her servants. She was delighted to see Joanne too. "Joanne, you don''t have toe to see me


    every day."


    "I don''t have anything to do anyway." Joanne sat down by the bed. Jordan had just returned to the


    room from his smoke. When he saw Lydia and Joanne happily chatting away, he lowered down his


    head, his eyes gleaming withplicated emotion.


    Joanne left the ward and saw Jordan standing in the corridor and leaning against the wall in a daze.


    She reached out and nudged him. "Why didn''t you go in, since you''re here?"


    Jordan came to his senses and said, "Joanne, I have something to ask you."


    "Is it about Aunt Lydia? Don''t worry. She''sparatively stable now..."


    "No, it''s about you and me." Jordan stared at her pretty face. "Joanne, do you really want to marry


    me?"


    Joanne nced at Jordan in surprise. She was confused as to why he would ask her this. Jordan


    continued to ask, "Even if I don''t love you, do you still want to marry me?"


    Joanne nodded. "Jordan, I want to marry you. Even if you don''t love me, I still want to marry you!"


    "You''d better think it through. I won''t show you any love for the rest of your life. If we get married, we


    won''t be a real couple. I will spend my days outside drinking and looking for other girls. You can have


    your own fun too, of course. Neither of us will control the other. Even so, are you willing to do it?"


    "I am!" Joanne replied firmly.


    "Okay then Joanna, let''s get engaged. If you can hold on for three years after the engagement, I will


    marry you!" With that, he pushed the door open and went into the ward.


    Joanne pinched her wrist in disbelief. It hurt. She wasn''t dreaming! Her brain was seething with


    happiness. She ran out of the hospital without a single care about how she looked.


    By the time Nathan received the news about Irene''s kidnapping, it was already a few hourster. He


    rushed to White Mansion and roared, "Grandma, why didn''t you inform me that something so serious


    happened?"


    "I was afraid that you would be worried, so..." Britney didn''t dare to look at Nathan. "It''s all my fault. I


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    thought the kidnappers just wanted money so I paid them the ransom. I didn''t expect them to not keep


    their word."


    "The kidnappers have absconded now, and Irene is nowhere to be found." Nathan was so anxious that


    he was jumping up and down. "You should have told me when it happened. Now, what do we do?"


    While speaking, the men who had gone to deliver the cash came back. "We got to the agreed location,


    but the police were there. It''s likely that the kidnappers didn''t show up because they saw the police."


    "Why would the police appear there? I didn''t call them, though." Britney was surprised.


    "I don''t know," replied the man. "When I drove there, I saw policemen everywhere."


    "Who on earth informed the police?" Britney looked around at the people in the room and realized that


    Joanne was not there. "Where is Miss White?"


    "Miss White has gone to the hospital to visit Mrs. Reed!" a servant answered. Britney''s face darkened.


    She was about to lose her temper when the phone rang. The police called, saying that they had found


    Irene and were on their way to the hospital.


    Britney and Nathan set off to the hospital immediately. Irene sprained her ankle and there were some


    bruises on her body. But overall, she was doing quite well.


    Seeing that Irene was fine, Britney breathed a sigh of relief; Nathan''s anxiety vanished at the sight of


    Irene.


    Nathan''s heart never stopped racing while listening to Irene''s description of how she escaped. To jump


    down from such a high ce and escape with a sprained ankle, she was considered very lucky to have


    managed to leave there alive in such a situation. Fortunately, the kidnappers didn''t get to catch her, or


    else who knew what could have happened.


    Britney was feeling extremely grateful towards Irene. Her attitude waspletely different from before.


    She held Irene''s hand and told her to take good care of herself and not to worry about anything else.


    After Britney left the hospital, she returned home. Joanne had been waiting anxiously in the living room


    for a long time. When she saw Britney, she came over and said, "Grandma, I have something to tell


    you!"


    However, Britney was not as kind as she usually was. Instead, she ordered coldly, "Come with me."


    Joanne followed Britney into the study. After the door was closed, Britney pped Joanne hard across


    the face. "You stupid girl, did you call the police?"


    "Grandma! I..." Joanne covered her face and the joy in her heart was immediately overturned. She


    really wanted to deny the allegation, but Britney''s stern gaze made her shudder in fear. She lowered


    her head mutely.


    Britney continued to stare at Joanne coldly. "You''d better tell me the truth. If I find out..."


    "Grandma, I had her best interests at heart. It''s better if the police cane and rescue her. What if


    the kidnappers harmed her?"


    "How dare you say that? Why would you call the police so brazenly when the kidnappers had


    threatened to kill her if they saw the police? You clearly wanted to kill Irene!"


    Britney was positively shocked by Joanne''s ruthlessness. She had watched Joanne grow up. She was


    gentle, obedient, and good with her words. All in all, she was very likable. She had been following


    Britney everywhere since she was a wee little girl. Who would have expected that everything Britney


    had seen of Joanne thus far had been fake?


    "I didn''t expect you to be so vicious. You can''t even tell right from wrong. You''ve really disappointed


    me!"


    "Grandma, I was just frustrated. Irene has been the cause of Nathan''s problems. You couldn''t bear to


    do anything, so I..." Joanne didn''t give in. "Perhaps Irene had an ulterior motive. If you''re too soft-


    hearted, she''ll be able to marry Nathan!"


    "Even now, you''re still lying to me, huh? Do you think I''ve gone senile just because I''m old?" Britney


    looked at Joanne with disappointment.


    "How can you be so shameless and say you''re doing this for Nathan? You''re doing it for that brat from


    the Reed family, aren''t you? Do you think that Jordan will marry you just because Irene is dead? If it


    were that simple, then every rich person in the world wouldmit murder to achieve their goals. Why


    do we even need police and judges?"


    "Grandma, I was wrong!" Joanne suddenly knelt on the ground. "I made a mistake today. I did that


    because I wasn''t thinking straight. Please forgive me!"


    "Fortunately, Irene was lucky enough to escape this disaster. Otherwise..." Britney was certainly greatly


    traumatized.


    However, Joanne was her own granddaughter, after all. She left it at that and ordered Joanne to reflect


    on her actions. "Go back and think about your actions, Joanne. You''re selfish, vicious, and cruel. It''ll


    bring no good to your future."

 Chapter 110 Fool

    Chapter 110 Fool


    Britney went to the hospital the next day to visit Irene. Irene''s ankle had started to recover after


    treatment. Nathan was there too, holding Eden.


    The three of them were ying games happily, and the ward was filled withughter. Looking at their


    happy faces, Britney stood at the door and looked at them as she was overwhelmed with mixed


    emotions. If she hadn''t stopped Irene and Nathan in the past, they would have gotten together, and


    their children would have already been attending kindergarten at least!


    The three of them stopped ying when they saw Britney. "Grandma, you''re here!" Nathan greeted


    her.


    Britney walked in and smiled at Irene, asking, "How do you feel?"


    "I feel much better after getting treatment. I don''t think there''s any need for me to stay in the hospital


    anymore," Irene replied.


    "That won''t do. You''d better listen to the doctor''s instructions and stay in the hospital for a few more


    days for observation," Nathan interrupted.


    "Yeah, stay in the hospital for a while longer. Don''t worry; you have us," Britney said gently.


    After a while, Britney left and Nathan walked her out. At the entrance of the hospital, Britney held


    Nathan''s hand, saying earnestly, "You''re very busy with work, right? You shouldn''t stay in the hospital


    all day long. I''ll call the servants from our home toe and take care of Irene."


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "Grandma, don''t worry about it. It won''t affect my work." Nathan smiled. "Let''s set aside the fact that


    Irene and I are good friends. You''re the reason why Irene is injured. As the White family''s eldest


    grandson, my conscience won''t allow me to not take care of her."


    Hearing that, Britney''s expression changed slightly. Nathan seemed to be reminding her to not forget


    the fact that Irene saved her. Was he hinting at her to agree to the rtionship between him and Irene?


    Britney returned home glumly.


    After she got home, Britney sat on the sofa and was lost in her own thoughts. Even though she had


    lived for a long life and had experienced a lot of things, she never thought that she would be in such a


    dilemma one day.


    She didn''tpletely hate Irene; she only felt perturbed because of Nathan''s change. However, after


    Irene saved her regardless of her own safety, Britney suddenly found that the way she viewed Irene


    had changed. She even started to pity Irene a little. But when she saw Nathan and Irene getting along


    happily that day, that ufortable feeling had returned to haunt her again.


    Even though Joanne was a slow person, she had asked a good question. If Irene used the fact that she


    saved Britney as a card of negotiation in order to get together with Nathan, would Britney object or not?


    Britney felt very uneasy. People''s hearts were unpredictable. She was afraid that Irene saved her


    because Irene had ulterior motives. While she was thinking about it, Irene had already bought a flight


    ticket to return home.


    The day after the next day was Myra''s death anniversary. She had to go back to tidy up Myra''s grave.


    Irene''s sudden return made Britney remorseful as she realized how narrow-minded she was; she


    shouldn''t have gauged Irene with her own presumption and imagination. She felt so guilty that she


    deliberately went to see Irene off.


    Upon looking at Nathan holding Eden and saying goodbye to Irene, Britney felt touched. They were


    supposed to be a couple, but they weren''t able to be an item because of her selfishness. That


    was the first time that she thought that she was cruel.


    When Irene was about to enter the security check, Britney couldn''t hold it in anymore. She went


    forward and held Irene''s hand. She told Irene something that even thetter was surprised at. "Irene, if


    you love Nathan, you can continue on doing whatever you''re doing. I will never object to you two


    again!"


    Sitting on the ne, Britney''s words buzzed in Irene''s mind. It was true that those words of Britney


    were heartfe Irene could feel that. But, they were told far toote.


    If Britney had told her that seven years ago, she would have been ecstatic; but right then, after


    experiencing so many hardships, she had lost the courage to fall in love again.


    Her only wish right then was that Eden could grow up healthily and happily. As long as Eden was fine,


    she was willing to suffer any trial or tribtion.


    The nended safely at the San Fetillo Airport. Irene walked out of the security check and took a taxi


    back to the rented house. She reported to Thomas about Eden''s condition, but did not mention her


    being abducted at all.


    Thomas was delighted to hear that Eden''s health was in a good state. After talking for a while, Irene


    returned to the Cook family.


    On the way back, she decided that right then was the time to face Edric. During the time when she was


    abroad, she had received a lot of missed calls, all of which were from Havend. She was familiar with


    none of them.


    Irene guessed that those phone calls must be from Edric. Edric must''ve realized that Irene had


    cklisted his phone number; that was why he tried to contact her by changing to another number.


    Of course, Irene didn''t care about Edric as the very purpose of her going abroad was to avoid him.


    However, for Eden''s sake, she had no choice but to return to him. Her ovtion period wasing


    soon. No matter how much she hated him, she had topromise for Eden.


    Irene pushed open the door of the Cook family''s house before she saw Lily and Edric sitting on the


    sofa in the living room. Of course, Steven and Deborah were also there.


    The four of them were chatting away happily. The atmosphere was extremely pleasant.


    Her appearance disrupted that good atmosphere. Lily was the first to respond. "Irene, you''re finally


    back."


    Her words sounded very kind and warm, as if she missed Irene so much. Irene ignored Lily and went


    upstairs with her luggage. After taking a bath, she went downstairs and at that time, Steven told


    everyone to head to the dining hall to eat.


    Irene got up and took the lead in walking to the dining room. There were fragrant dishes on the table.


    Lily told Maisy, "Maisy, serve the soup first. Drinking soup before a meal can help people lose weight."


    Maisy followed Lily''s order and served soup for everyone. Irene smiled coldly. When she hadn''t yet


    divorced Edric, Edric would always serve her soup before a meal, saying that drinking soup before a


    meal could make people lose weight too.


    In order to maintain her figure, drinking soup before a meal became a habit of hers. She really didn''t


    expect that Edric would use the same trick on Lily too.


    Maisy put the soup in front of Irene, but she didn''t drink it. Instead, she pushed the soup aside and


    said, "Maisy, I''m not used to drinking soup before a meal! Get me some food."


    "Okay." Maisy quickly reced the soup with food.


    Lily chimed, "Irene, I remember that you used to like drinking soup before a meal, didn''t you?"


    Irene didn''t look at Lily. She slowly took a bite of the food and chewed it carefully before speaking.


    "I used to drink soup because I wished to appear beautiful, and I wanted to lose weight. But now, I find


    it to be quite silly. A person who truly loves me wouldn''t leave me just because I am ugly."


    Edric''s eyes lost their gleams at once. Irene, too, had a weak stomach. And since she refused to take


    the necessary medications, Edric told her that if she had soup before the meal, she could lose weight.


    This was a white lie to make her drink the soup obediently.


    However, he didn''t expect that Irene never understood his painstaking efforts. Instead, she said that a


    person who truly loved her wouldn''t mind if she put on a few pounds.


    After taking a few sips of soup, Steven asked Irene, "Did you go abroad this time to meet Nathan?"


    Irene did not answer him, but Deborah deliberately remarked, "Mrs. White didn''t make things difficult


    for you, did she?"


    Irene put down her utensils. How could she let it slide? She said, "Thank you for your concern, Mrs.


    Cook. Mrs. White didn''t make things difficult for me. She even said that if I love Nathan, I can continue


    to do so. She won''t stop me anymore!"


    Steven was surprised to hear that since he knew about Nathan and Irene''s past.


    In the past, they didn''t get married because of Britney''s opposition. Because of Irene, Nathan was


    single all those years. If Britney not opposing them seeing each other was true, it would be excellent


    news. The White family was a huge, affluent family, and Nathan''s love for Irene was quite obvious. If


    they could get together for real, it would be a great thing.


    At the thought of that, Steven cleared his throat. "When will you bring Nathan back to let us meet him?"


    "Let''s talk about it when we have time in the future!" Irene answered ambiguously. She only ryed


    Britney''s message. As for whether others believed it or not, it had nothing to do with her.


    Edric strengthened his grip on his utensils. He held back the anger that was about to spread from his


    chest and picked up some sliced-up meat for Lily who was next to him. "This is very nourishing. Lily,


    you should eat more of it."


    Lily was ttered. Irene looked at Edric and Lily with a smile and said, "Edric, my brother-inw, you


    are so kind to my younger sister!"


    That was the first time Irene called Lily her younger sister. Edric choked on his food and was out of


    breath for quite a while upon hearing that.


    At that moment, Steven took a piece of meat and put it on Irene''s te. Irene then pulled out the meat


    that Steven had just given to her and stated, "Please don''t give me this fat and greasy meat. It''s


    nauseating."


    At the same time, Lily was enjoying the meat that Edric had given her, but when she heard Irene''s


    words, she suddenly felt a little disgusted.


    After dinner, Irene excused herself and went back to her room to rest. The reason Edric went there that


    day was that he heard that Irene hade back, but he didn''t expect that he didn''t even get to say a


    word to Irene. He knew that there was no chance to talk to her anymore that night, hence he left after a


    short while.


    The next morning, Irene changed her clothes early in the morning and went out.


    The cemetery that Myra''s tombstone was at was on a hill, in the west of the city. It was very far away.


    After a long while, Irene finally reached the cemetery. She bought some flowers at the foot of the hill


    before walking up the hill.


    From a distance, she could see a flower at the front of Myra''s tombstone. It was not a chrysanthemum,


    but a bright rose. Irene walked over in confusion. Myra loved roses very much when she was alive.


    Who was the person who put the roses? Was it Steven? After thinking about it, she shook her head.


    Steven wasn''t the type of person who would miss his dead wife.


    Irene cleaned up the weeds in the area and quietly sat in front of the tombstone, staring at Myra''s face


    on the tombstone.


    Myra''s smile was so bright and dazzling. Irene had personally experienced betrayal before, thus she


    naturally knew Myra''s despair and pain at that time. She could not help but ask softly, "Mom, do you


    regret it?"


    Myra was looking at her with a smile that was as gentle as before. Irene reached out and touched


    Myra''s face. "You lost your life for a man that wasn''t worth it and left me behind. You are such a fool!"


    Then, the sound of footsteps came from behind her along with a voice of surprise. "Myra?"

 Chapter 111 A Good Night With You

    Chapter 111 A Good Night With You


    Irene turned around and saw Ma staring at her.


    After  a while, Ma came to his senses and asked, "Are... are you Myra''s daughter?"


    Irene nodded; she looked at Ma in an unfriendly manner and hissed, "Who are you, sir? What are


    you doing here?"


    "I''m a friend of Myra''s¡ª"


    Irene interjected, "Friend? Sir, are you crazy? My mother was a woman with a family. How could a man


    and a married woman possibly be friends?"


    Irene did not n to be polite with Ma at all. No matter what kind of feelings they had at the


    beginning, as long as they were married, they should be responsible for their families. Irene''s


    impression was that Myra and Steven were perfectly harmonious.


    However, Ma abandoned Lydia and Jordan in the name of love. What he did not only ruined Lydia,


    but also ruined the reputation of Myra. Irene didn''t like him at all.


    "I... Your mother and I were from the same school." Ma was a little embarrassed. He didn''t know


    where to put the roses that were in his hands.


    "Sir, are you out of your mind? You said you and my mother were friends just now, but you say that you


    two are from the same school now? My mother has so many batchmates, so why are the others not


    here? What are you thinking?"


    Irene looked at Ma coldly. A married man went here to Myra with roses. Didn''t he know what kind


    of impression his behavior would cause?


    "My mom had never done anything immoral all her life. I don''t want to see anything that will damage


    that reputation of hers. Please keep yourself in line and don''te bother her anymore!" Irene said


    angrily.


    Ma stood there in a daze, neither advancing nor retreating. Irene not only looked like Myra, but


    also had the same temper as her.


    When Irene was about to head back, the sky looked unusually gloomy, like it was going to rain. Irene


    knew how bad the weather in San Fetillo was, therefore she went to take a taxi. But how could she find


    a taxi in such a remote ce? She had no choice but to take the bus. Fortunately, she was lucky


    enough to get on the bus before it started to rain.


    The bus didn''t go straight to her destination. It was still raining when she was transiting to another bus.


    Irene stood alone at the bus station while waiting for the next bus. Her clothes were drenched in


    rainwater, and they all stuck on her body, which made her feel a little chilly.


    Then, a car passed by the bus station, and it sshed the water on the road at her. Irene did not avoid


    it, her face void of expression. Since she was already wet right then, she thought that it didn''t matter


    anymore.


    Finally, Irene saw a taxi; she stopped it and took it home. When she arrived at the Cook family, Irene


    saw from a distance that a car was parked outside the vi. Although it was raining, she still could see


    the car''s license te clearly. Edric was there?


    She had only been back for two days, and Edric had alreadye to the Cook family twice to visit Lily.


    It showed that Lily had a really special, important ce in his heart.


    Irene witnessed Edric opening the car door and holding an umbre to cover for Lily while Lily snuggled


    into Edric''s arms.


    Irene suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her heart when she saw how caring Edric was. The person he


    had been taking care of had always been her. He even said that he would love her forever.


    When the taxi stopped, Irene rushed out of the car after paying. When he passed by Edric and Lily, she


    heard Lily eximing, "Irene?"


    Irene didn''t stop. She continued to stride into the vi. When they saw that she was drenched all over


    when she came in, Steven and Deborah, who were in the living room, were shocked. Steven stood up


    and chirped, "Irene, what happened?"


    "I was caught in the rain!" Irene coldly spat out those words and rushed to her room. When she was


    about to close her room door, she heard Deborah''s voice, "Oh Lily, what happened to you?"


    Irene took off her wet clothes and immersed herself in hot water. The warmth spread from her skin to


    her nerves and she couldn''t help sneezing.


    She stayed in the bathtub for a long time until she heard a knock on her door. Then, she walked out of


    the bathtub and put on her clothes. She opened the door and saw Maisy standing at the door with a


    cup of ginger tea in her hand.


    The scene in front of her made Irene''s eyes a little moist. Maisy was the only one who really cared for


    her in that family. She leaned over and let Maisye in. However, when she was about to close the


    door, she saw Edricing from the other end of the corridor.


    Irene remembered that Lily''s room was at the other end of the corridor. Edric really was very concerned


    about her now that she was her secret lover. Nheless, Irene closed the door expressionlessly.


    When she saw Maisy still standing there with the ginger tea in her hand, she took it from Maisy and


    said, "Maisy, please sit down!"


    Maisy did not sit down. "Irene, you must be hungry. What would you like to eat? I''ll make some food for


    you."


    Irene thought for a moment and said, "Spaghetti, Maisy. I want to eat the spaghetti you make."


    Maisy nodded. "I''ll serve it to you after I finish cooking it," answered Maisy while she walked towards


    the door. When she reached the door, she turned back and said, "Irene, Miss Lily is injured. Do you


    want to go and see her?"


    Irene was stunned, but she immediately came back to her senses. "I''ll go check on herter."


    After hearing what Irene said, Maisy opened the door and went out.


    In fact, Irene didn''t want to see Lily at all, but she knew Maisy''s intention. She couldn''t be too out of line


    while she was living in that vi. She dried her hair, changed her clothes, and went to Lily''s room. Lily''s


    door was open. Inside her room, there were three people that she had already guessed would be there.


    Seeing Irene''s appearance, they all looked surprised.


    Irene ignored them and walked in. "Maisy told me that you''re injured, so I came to have a look."


    "Thank you for your concern, Irene. I just fell down and scratched myself. I''m fine now," Lily replied.


    Deborah, who was on the other side, said, "Be careful next time. Fortunately, Edric was there, if not


    things would''ve gotten worse."


    Deborah''s remark made Lily look at Edric with affection. Edric smiled gently in return. Irene''s heart


    cracked upon seeing how loving they were.


    She controlled her emotions and said, "I have some supplements I brought back from abroad. It''s very


    effective on this kind of injury. Should I bring it to you?"


    "There''s no need." Lily hurriedly refused, "Edric has already applied medicine for me. You don''t need to


    trouble yourself."


    Actually, Irene didn''t have any supplements at all, but she was sure that Lily wouldn''t dare to use the


    supplements she mentioned, that was why she said that. Since she had already done her part, it was


    time for her to go back and have her spaghetti. Thus, after saying a few more words of concern, she


    excused herself.


    She didn''t go back to the room but went downstairs to the kitchen instead. Maisy was still cooking


    downstairs. When she saw Irene, she grumbled, "Irene, why did youe down? I''ll bring it to you


    once it''s done."


    Irene just chuckled without saying a word. Soon, Maisy finished cooking the spaghetti and took them to


    the dining room. Irene had only eaten two mouthfuls when she heard footsteps entering the dining


    room.


    Edric''s cold voice rang out. "You don''t have any supplements at all, do you?"


    Irene did not answer him; she was focused on eating the noodles. Edric got closer to her. "Irene, I''ve


    really underestimated you. I really didn''t expect that you''ve learned how to act. Did you attend some


    acting sses in the past few years?"


    "Mr. Myers, I mean, my dear brother-inw, what are you trying to say?" Irene looked up at Edric.


    "Chandelle Valley, A8, I''ll be waiting for you there tonight!" With that, a bunch of delicate keys was


    ced in front of Irene. Edric then turned around and left. Irene looked at the keys with a mocking


    smile on her face. Then, she finished eating the spaghetti and went upstairs with the keys.


    At ten o''clock that night, Edric had already waited for Irene for nearly three hours. Just as he was


    reaching the limit of his patience, he finally heard the sound of the door opening. He suppressed the joy


    in his heart, to not look at the person who came in, by focusing himself on the TV.


    The person who came in changed into slippers and approached him. As she walked closer, a pungent


    smell of perfume followed. Edric continued to stare at the TV as if nothing had happened. When he


    threw the keys to Irene, he knew that she would surely not follow his instructions due to her resentment


    of him.


    It seemed that she must have put on heavy makeup to purposely try to disgust him. Such a way of


    resistance would have no effects on Edric. He was looking forward to seeing how she would be


    tormented that night.


    She came closer and closer, and the sharp scent on her was getting stronger and stronger. Edric


    sneezed a few times because of it. Then, he felt hering close to him before she handed him a


    tissue. Edric took the tissue and realized that something was wrong in an instant. Irene''s hand was


    slender and pale; whose hands were those?


    He turned around and looked at the person in a panic. "Who are you?"


    The woman sitting next to him wasn''t Irene, but a woman with heavy makeup, Monica. Monica winked


    at Edric, "I''m here to have a good night with you!"


    "Have a good night?" Edric looked at Monica, who was quite beautiful, and soon understood that it was


    Irene''s doing. "Get out!" He pointed at the door.


    Looking at Edric''s angry eyes, Monica reluctantly stood up. That night, she met Irene, who was too


    very beautiful, in the bar. Irene asked if Monica wanted to do a job, and Monica naturally agreed to it.


    After Irene finished negotiating the price with Monica, she gave thetter a bunch of keys and paid her


    two thousand dors in advance. She sent her to Chandelle Valley to service a handsome and young


    president for After Dark; if she did a good job, she would get additional pay.


    People who stayed in Chandelle Valley were all rich. Needless to say, Monica was over cloud nine


    upon hearing that. Then, she took a taxi with the keys in hand. She believed that the person she was


    going to service was a rich person, but might not necessarily be a handsome one. However, when she


    opened the door and saw the handsome Edric staring at the TV on the sofa, she was ted.


    She had worked in that field for a long time, but that was the first time she had seen such a good-


    looking person on the job. She would even be willing to serve such an attractive man without getting


    paid, but she didn''t expect that Edric would lose his temper and suddenly ask her to get out!


    Monica really didn''t want to leave, but the look in Edric''s eyes was a little scary, and it made her feel


    frightened. Therefore, she did what she''d been told. However, when she reached the door, with ast


    shred of hope, she asked, "Sir, are you sure you don''t want me to apany you tonight?"


    "Get out!" She got the same reply.


    Monica left, albeit rather reluctantly. Before leaving, she put the keys at the door. Edric felt sick to the


    extreme. When he thought that the first woman who came into this well-arranged vi was a prostitute,


    his blood immediately boiled with anger.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He jumped up and called John, instructing him to find someone to remove the brand-new sofa in the


    living room and rece it with another identical one. He alsomanded John to hire someone from


    the housekeepingpany to clean the house, especially the living room.


    After giving his orders, Edric drove and left Chandelle Valley. When he thought of the fact that Irene


    had pranked him, an evil fire burned at the bottom of his heart.


    cklisting his phone number, not answering any of his phone calls, and thinking that he would not go


    to the Cook family to find her directly¡ªIrene must have thought that she got the upper hand in this


    game. However, Edric had his own way of doing things too; he swore to himself that he would force


    Irene to appear that night.

 Chapter 112 Hard Time Sleeping That Night

    Chapter 112 Hard Time Sleeping That Night


    After Edric drove Monica out, she called Irene, "The person drove me out."


    Irene had expected that Edric would kick Monica out. That night, she was merely using this method to


    disgust him. Hearing Monica''s words, Irene smiled at the thought of Edric being furious. Edric had


    mysophobia, so he would have a hard time sleeping that night, right?


    Irene was gloating in her heart when Maisy came to knock on the door. "Irene, someone called just


    now and said that something had happened to your uncle. He asked you to go and have a look


    quickly!"


    When Irene heard that, she picked up her purse and ran out immediately. When Irene was about to hail


    a taxi by the road, a car suddenly rushed out and stopped in front of her.


    Seeing Edric, Irene instantly realized that she was fooled. Under Edric''s gaze, she got on the car. Edric


    stared at her sinisterly for a few minutes before hissing, "Irene, how dare you?!"


    "Why did you say that, Mr. Myers?" Irene looked at him fearlessly.


    "Pretending to be a fool, huh? Great!" Edric gnashed his teeth in anger. Did she think that if he put him


    on her cklist, then he wouldn''t have a way to find her? Dream on! He handed Irene a phone and


    said, "I got this for you. You must keep it turned on for 24 hours!"


    "Thank you! Actually, you don''t have toe here personally. You can ask your executive assistant to


    send it to me." Irene took the phone and put it in her purse.


    "Do you think I came to look for you just to give you that phone?" Edric mocked.


    "Otherwise?" Irene looked at Edric coldly. "Today is my mother''s death anniversary. Are you really


    going to do such a thing on this kind of asion?"


    Edric was stunned for a moment. Was it Myra''s death anniversary? D*mn it! He had forgotten about it!


    "I..." He didn''t know what to say for a moment.


    A sneer appeared at the corner of Irene''s mouth. "I''ll keep the phone on for twenty-four hours a day


    once I return. You can give me an order or errand anytime, but today is an exception!" She opened the


    door and got off the car after saying that.


    Edric looked at her back, his heart twitched ufortably. When Irene met him before, her eyes were


    cold, but they never harbored any hatred towards him. However, he didn''t know when she started to


    look at him with disgust. Edric leaned back on the seat and carefully recalled the time he had spent


    with her. Irene''s hatred for him seemed to have started since his engagement with Lily.


    Edric couldn''t help but think of their phone call that night. Irene said that she didn''t want him to be


    engaged to Lily, and she would consider getting back together with him if he chose to turn away from


    Lily. It must be because of his ruthlessness and indifference that she started to hate him so much.


    Edric sighed deeply. He deserved it! Why did he give up such a good opportunity?


    The next morning, Jordan and Joanne''s engagement news in Mencodia was reported by the media.


    When Irene left her room, she could already hear the news as Lily and Deborah talked about it loudly in


    the living room.


    "Joanne is so beautiful and has such a good background. She matches Jordan very well in all aspects!"


    Lily loudly imed as if she was scared that Irene couldn''t hear her.


    Irene''s hand, which was holding the door handle, suddenly froze. They got engaged so soon! It was


    only expected for Jordan to be engaged to Joanne, but Irene''s heart couldn''t help missing several


    beats after hearing it.


    Naturally, Lily and Deborah would not give up that opportunity to provoke Irene. The two continued to


    talk about the grand asion of Jordan''s engagement.


    Irene wanted to calm herself down, but she found that she couldn''t as that pair of b*tches were


    determined to break her heart. She opened the door and strode out.


    She didn''t know where she was going. She ended up wandering around aimlessly. She didn''t stop until


    her feet started to hurt.


    It was only then that she realized that she hade out of the house empty-handed. She touched her


    pocket and found that it still had a few coins in it. God was probably helping her given her current


    situation.


    The news of Jordan''s engagement came so suddenly; Edric just learned about it too. After hearing


    Jordan''s engagement, he felt so much relieved.


    Compared to Nathan, Jordan was a much stronger opponent for him. Nathan was a fine gentleman,


    thus he would not use any extreme means to get his hand on Irene. However, Jordan was different. He


    was an experienced businessman, and he wouldn''t y his cards like a usual man. Irene being by his


    side every day meant that Irene was in danger every day.


    Although a strong enemy of his had disappeared, Edric''s relief only stayed for a short while. Wasn''t


    Jordan determined to marry Irene? Why did he suddenly get engaged to Joanne? Was it because he


    asked Irene to be his secret lover too?


    No men could ept the woman they love having sex with another man. Naturally, this included


    Jordan. Edric felt a little guilty as Irene''s hatred towards him was probably because he separated her


    and Jordan.


    He picked up the phone and called Irene. He wanted to ask her out, but no one answered the phone.


    Edric couldn''t sit still, hence he went to see Irene.


    After waiting around the Cook family for more than an hour, Edric finally saw Irene. She had her hands


    in her pockets and looked exceedingly lonely. Edric greeted her, "Irene!"


    Irene looked at Edric indifferently. "What can I do for you, Mr. Myers?"


    Edric reached out and took Irene''s hand. "I want to talk to you."


    "Spit it!" Irene replied.


    "Irene, I didn''t know about Eden''s illness until now. I''m sorry." Edric''s face was stered with remorse.


    Frankly, he sounded rather sincere. However, Irene only found it extremely ironic. She would always


    remember the words that Edric had used to reject her that night. She would never forget it for her whole


    life.


    "Mr. Myers, I do not need this from you. You are not anyone to me either. There is nothing for you to be


    sorry about," Irene said.


    Looking at her indifferent expression and hearing her unkind words, Edric felt a sharp pain in his heart.


    "Irene, w-w-what you said the other night, were they true?"


    "What do you mean?" Irene asked.


    "About us getting back together," Edric answered.


    Irene smiled sarcastically. "Mr. Myers, I have answered this question before, and I''ll answer it again


    happily. Please listen carefully. I wasn''t thinking straight at that time, so I made the wrong call."


    "Irene, I''m sorry!" After all, they had been husband and wife for three years. At that time, Edric finally


    understood what he had missed. "I didn''t mean to say that. I was just afraid that you would y tricks


    on me, so I..."


    "It was indeed my intention to trick you at that time. That was why I called you. Fortunately, you were


    smart and didn''t fall into my trap," Irene interrupted him.


    "Irene, you don''t have to worry about Eden''s illness. I will help you." Edric lowered his head.


    "How will you help me? By giving me money? Edric, I don''t want your money or your fake concern.


    You''d better just stay aside and remain unbothered!" Irene retorted.


    "Irene, it''s not just money. I can take care of you and Eden," Edric replied.


    "Take care of us? Do you even deserve to do that?" Irene sneered. How could an engaged man offer to


    take care of Eden and her? What right did he have?


    Irene wanted to satirize Edric further, but she thought it was unnecessary to do so. "Mr. Myers, I am


    exhausted now. If you have no other questions, can you let me go back and have a rest?"


    "Irene!" Before Edric could continue, he was interrupted by a gentle voice. "Edric, Irene?"


    Without them noticing, Lily''s car had stopped beside them. At that moment, she was rolling down the


    car window while looking at Edric and Irene in surprise.


    Upon seeing Lily, Irene showed Lily a faint smile. She raised the hand that was grabbed by Edric while


    looking at Lily and chuckled.


    "Miss Cook, you came at the right time. Your fiance might be insane. He stopped me and said


    something iprehensible. He also promised that he would take care of my child and me. Please


    send him to the hospital for a check-up. I really suspect that he''s crazy."


    Lily''s expression was a sight to behold. Irene knew that at this moment, Lily must be outraged deep


    down. Finally, Irene managed to avenge herself. Then, she forcefully shook off Edric''s hand and strode


    away.


    Irene left all the subsequent trouble to the couple. It didn''t matter whether they would quarrel or


    reconcile. It had nothing to do with her.


    Lily opened the door and got out of the car. She walked to Edric and shouted, "Edric!"


    Edric did not exin; his silence meant that he had tacitly admitted what Irene had just said. Lily was


    fuming in her heart, but her expression remained unchanged. "Edric, I know you can''t forget Irene. I


    don''t me you."


    "I''m sorry!" Edric apologized and marched away.


    Watching Edric leave, Lily turned around and got into the car with a fierce look in her almond-colored


    eyes. "Irene, just you wait. I won''t let you go!"


    When Irene reached the vi, she heard the sound of a caring from behind. Lily had actuallye


    back. Irene found it a little peculiar. Logically, wouldn''t Edric need to make an exnation for Lily?


    What made Irene feel strange was what happened after. Lily stopped the car and quickly caught up


    with her. She thought that Lily would be angry, but she couldn''t see a trace of unhappiness on Lily''s


    face, and Lily even grinned at her.


    Irene felt goosebumps all over her skin. She really underestimated Lily. How was she still able to smile


    at that point?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    After dinner, Lily went out for a stroll with Deborah. She told Deborah about how Edric held Irene''s


    hand. "Mom, Edric didn''t even exin anything to me. I''m so angry."


    "Whoa, that''s unbelievable! He''s already engaged to you, and yet he''s still thinking about that little


    b*tch!" Deborah frowned. "We have to find a way to destroy their rtionship. I think the best way is for


    you and Edric to get married immediately and move out."


    "Things won''t be as easy as you think." Lily felt that it was unrealistic for her to get married to Edric


    immediately.


    "Even if it''s not easy, we still have to think of a way." Deborah sneered. "I will discuss it with Marie and


    asked for her help. I won''t let the b*tch go so easily."


    "Will Marie help us?" Lily asked.


    "Yes, she will. She will do whatever I ask her to," Deborah replied.


    "Mom, I have always been very curious, why is Marie always helping us?" Marie had participated in


    their scheme against Irene from the beginning. Lily was puzzled, why would Marie be so persistent to


    help them?


    "There was a love feud between her and Irene''s mother," Deborah stated.


    "So it''s because of that?" Lily still found it rather unfathomable. "Mom, you have to be careful. I don''t


    think Marie is worthy of a friendship; I''m afraid that she will bite us back."


    "Don''t worry. She won''t do anything to us no matter what," Deborah assured Lily.


    "Why so?" Lily asked curiously.


    "It''s a secret!" Deborah smirked sinisterly, but she refused to tell Lily the truth no matter how persistent


    Lily asked.


    The next day,  Marie was surprised to see Deborah at the hospital. She closed the door and asked,


    "What''s the matter?"


    "It''s about Lily." Deborah sat down and told her everything about Irene''s return to the Cook family.


    "Edric is still not over that little b*tch. I''ve thought about it for a whole night and I could only think of one


    way, that is to get them to marry as soon as possible. Please meet up with Margaret to hear her opinion


    on this."


    "Okay," Marie agreed at once.

 Chapter 113 There Will Be Some Changes

    Chapter 113 There Will Be Some Changes


    Marie invited Margaret out for dinner that night. During the dinner, Marie asked about Edric and Lily,


    "When will Edric and Lily get married?"


    "Don''t mention it!" Margaret sighed. "I''m afraid there will be some changes in this matter."


    "Changes?" Marie''s heart sank. "You adore Lily the most, don''t you?"


    Margaret put down the fork and told Marie about what happened to Irene. She concluded, "Since Irene


    knows that she is Steven''s daughter, why doesn''t she admit her identity? Yet after seeing Lily and Edric


    got engaged, she came back and even moved into the Cook family. What do you think she''s up to?"


    "What else can it be? Of course, she wants to make Edric and Lily feel pent up!" Marie answered.


    "The person who feels pent up now it''s me!" Margaret whined. Since she took Marie as a friend, she


    didn''t hide anything from Marie. "I used to like Lily, but now I really feel ufortable when I see her.


    You know that I hate paramours the most, but I''ve actually selected Lily for my son. It''s really


    exasperated just by thinking about it."


    Hearing this, Marie put on a long face, but Margaret didn''t notice it. "Deborah pretended to be Steven''s


    only wife when she was obviously only a mistress. Isn''t Deborah treating me and the others as fools?


    She even said that she had no news about Irene at all after Irene was taken away. The more I think


    about it, the more uneasy I feel these days. Irene''s mother passed away when she was in her teenage


    years. Lily is only a few months younger than Irene, and Deborah must have some memories of Irene.


    So how can she not know Irene?" Margaret questioned.


    "Perhaps they have lookedpletely different," Marie analyzed.


    "Even if it''s true, there shouldn''t be a big difference. I suspect that Lily knew Irene''s identity at that time,


    but she still fought for Edric. Isn''t this the same thing as Deborah did?" Margaret questioned again.


    Margaret remembered the disgusted look on Irene''s face when she saw Lily before. At that time, she


    always thought that Irene was narrow-minded, but now she had finally seen the light.


    It was not because Irene and Lily were born to be hostile to each other, but because Lily was


    Deborah''s daughter. How could Irene, the daughter of Steven''s wife, be intimate with Lily, who was but


    a mistress'' daughter?


    "Deborah indeed went too far, but you couldn''t judge Lily in this way because of Deborah. I think Lily is


    kind and virtuous, and she is definitely not the kind of person you said," Marie defended Lily.


    "Well, she indeed doesn''t look like it, which is why I''m so annoyed now." Margaret sighed.


    Margaret continued, "I must have made a grave mistake. If I hadn''t looked down on Irene, I wouldn''t


    have caused so many troubles. You''re right. I''ve thought a lot over these two days. Irene wasn''t


    infertile. She couldn''t have been pregnant at that time because I''d given her too much pressure. If I


    hadn''t treated her like that, she might have had a child with Edric long ago. The most important thing


    was that Irene wouldn''t have been so against me if Edric was happy."


    Margeret was a person who couldn''t hold back her emotions. Hence, she told Marie about the sports


    tournament too. Although Edric stated that the governor of the state had instructed all who participated


    in the bids topete fairly, Margaret didn''t believe it at all. She thought it was Irene who had talked


    into Steven not to help them. Since Steven couldn''t reject Irene and it was hard to exin to Margaret,


    Edric put up this show on purpose.


    "If Steven is going to be caught in such a tight spot in the future, there''s really no need for them to get


    married," Margaret said.


    After parting with Margaret, Marie drove home. On the way, she received a phone call from Deborah.


    "How did it go?" Deborah asked.


    "Margaret is not as enthusiastic anymore now." Marie replied, "She said that she didn''t want Edric to


    marry a mistress'' daughter."


    "That old b*tch, she is just a snob. What rights does she have to pretend to be high and mighty?"


    Deborah was vexed.


    "What''s the use of being exasperated?" Marie sneered. "It''s better to think of a way now. Margaret is


    frustrated because she is afraid that she can''t get the steal¡ªthe sports tournament. Everything will be


    fine as long as youe up with a way to let her get it."


    "Do you think I don''t want to? But Steven can''t decide about this matter. I can only stand by anxiously."


    Deborah sighed and told Marie that the sports tournament required them to design the stadium. It was


    only then Marie knew the truth. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Leave this matter to me. I have a n!"


    After dinner, Thomas strolled around the residence for a while. Just as he was about to return home, a


    figure appeared out of nowhere. "Thomas, how have you been?"


    "What are you doing here?" Thomas'' face fell when he saw the figure clearly.


    "I want to talk to you." Marie beamed and ignored Thomas'' sour expression, saying, "It''s not convenient


    to talk as it''s crowded here. Let''s find a quiet ce to talk."


    Thomas turned around and Marie followed him. The two of them went to the nearby cafe one after the


    other.


    "What do you want to say?" Thomas looked at Marie coolly. Although Marie was his half-sister, he had


    never liked her.


    "Thomas, I want to ask for a favor from you," said Marie truthfully.


    "What can I do for you with my current state?" Thomas rebuked.


    "It should be a piece of cake for you. I''d like to ask your help in designing the stadium of the sports


    tournament."


    Thomas looked at Marie in astonishment. "What do you want to do with the stadium design?"


    "I need it. Thomas, please help me," Marie pleaded.


    Thomas furrowed his eyebrows a little. It waspletely useless for Marie, a doctor, in asking for the


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    stadium design. Could it be that she wanted to use it to please Ma? But after thinking about it, that


    was quite impossible. Ma did not care about business at all, so why would he be bothered about


    this matter?


    Thomas was reminded of the rtionship between Marie and Margaret abruptly. He could vaguely


    guess what Marie wanted to do with the design. Hence, he refused Marie tly, "I won''t help you."


    "Why? Thomas, it''s not difficult for you to do it. Why won''t you help me?" Marie asked.


    "There''s no reason."


    "I''ve never begged you for anything. Thomas, please help me this time." Marie pouted.


    "Speak no more. I won''t help you," Thomas rejected.


    "Thomas, how can you be so cruel? I am your only biological sister," Marie reminded him. Seeing that


    Thomas was unmoved, she sneered and warned, "Thomas, you''d better think twice. I can do anything


    for it."


    "What do you want to do?" Thomas retorted.


    "I am not going to stay put. If I leak the news that you''re not Thomas to Irene, what do you think will


    happen?" Marie barked.


    "Are you threatening me?"


    "I''m not threatening you. It''s just a friendly reminder."


    Thomas looked at Marie, hissing, "How did you end up like this? How could you be so shameless?"


    "Shameless?" Marie simpered in a rather taunting manner. "What right do you have to criticize me?


    Speaking of being shameless, that b*tch is more audacious than me. Yet, I have never seen you


    criticize her once. I have always been curious about the reason why."


    As soon as Marie finished speaking, Thomas grabbed the cup on the table and sshed the tea to her


    face. Marie was unable to dodge it; hence, both her face and hair were wet. However, she was not


    angered at all. Still smiling, she wiped away the tea leaves on her face while asking, "Why are you so


    pissed off? Am I wrong?"


    "Get lost!" Thomas yelled. The veins on Thomas'' hand were throbbing. He must be burning with red


    fury at this moment.


    "Thomas, I won''t. I won''t leave until you promise to do me that favor." Marie''s voice was raising in a


    crescendo.


    "Don''t even think about it!"


    "I am your sister. Although we are not born by the same mother, at least we have the same father. Why


    are you so cruel to me?" Marie was on the verge of tearing.


    "Don''t you know what you have done?" Thomas asked.


    "I don''t!" The smile on Marie''s face finally disappeared. "From the moment I started forming


    memories, that b*tch was the only person you treated well. You would save whatever good stuffs for


    her. I don''t understand what is so good about her, that you have to put so much effort into her!"


    "She''s better than you in every aspect!" Thomas sneered.


    "Very well!" Marie shook her head and spat out a sentence in a gloomy tone, "It''s true that beauty is in


    the eyes of the beholder!"


    "B*stard! Is that what you should say?" Thomas pped Marie on the face. Marie bore his p without


    dodging. Blood oozed from the corner of her mouth but she did not wipe it away. She just gazed at


    Thomas and said, "Thomas, this is the second time you have hit me. You hit me again for that b*tch!"


    "Don''t you think you deserved it?" Thomas red at Marie and questioned, "She''s our sister. Are the


    statements you''ve just made proper?"


    "Sister? This is the first time you call her our sister, isn''t it? I remember you used to call her Myra. You


    were so intimate when you called her name." Marie scoffed. "Since you know that she is your sister,


    why must you love her? There are so many beautiful women in the world but why do you have to hit on


    her?"


    "Is it wrong for me to love her? Is it wrong for me to love my sister?" Thomas retorted.


    "It''s not wrong that you love Myra, but you shouldn''t just neglect me," Marie answered and red at


    Thomas. "What''s more, you shouldn''t have fallen in love with your own sister. It''s incestuous. Don''t you


    know that?"


    "Marie!" Thomas was trembling with anger. "Can''t you even say something nice?! Myra and I did not


    have the kind of rtionship you think we had!"


    "Not the kind of rtionship I think you guys had? Thomas, don''t deny it. I know you love her. The way


    you look at her is not the way a brother looks at a sister, but a lover," Marie argued.


    Marie continued on, "When your career was flourishing like a green bay tree, you actually abandoned


    everything and rushed back after you heard that b*tch was getting married. For that b*tch, you are


    willing to live an ordinary life in the name of a dead person. Thomas, what on earth are you doing this


    for?"


    "Insane! You''ve gone insane!" Thomas gasped.


    "I have indeed gone insane. How can I not be insane when I see my siblings are having an incestuous


    rtionship? Let me tell you, Dave. If it weren''t for me, you and that b*tch would have already done


    something disgraceful to our family." Marie yelled at Thomas, "You have to thank me! I''m the one who


    stopped you guys!"


    "What did you do?" Thomas looked at the mad Marie in shock and asked, "What else did you do


    besides snatching Myra''s boyfriend?


    "What can I do? I just told her the fact that you love her!" Marie condemned.


    "You..." Thomas'' face turned cyanosed. It was no wonder that Myra''s attitude toward him had changed


    so dramatically; she even turned a deaf ear to his advice. It turned out that it was all Marie''s doing.


    "How could you be so vicious? She''s your sister! How could you treat her like this?"


    "I don''t have such a brazen sister!" Marie smirked. "She took away my mother and my brother. She


    even tried to take away the man I love. Why should I let her have everything her way? Why?"


    "We know exactly what the truth is. The person Ma liked since the very beginning was Myra. It was


    you who nned to sleep with Ma by all means. It was you who provoked Myra and forced her to


    choose Steven. How could you be so evil?!" Thomas looked at Marie bitterly.


    "I didn''t snatch him. Ma belongs to me," Marie retorted. "It was Myra who seduced Ma!"


    The fact that such a shameless person like Marie existed on earth was astonishing. Thomas coughed


    in anger as he tried to catch his breath. Seeing that, Marie immediately stepped forward to help him


    smooth his breath, asking, "Thomas, are you okay?"


    Thomas pushed her away. "How can I... have such a sister like you?"


    Thomas coughed for a long time before feeling slightly better. Marie poured him a ss of water and


    said, "Thomas, have a ss of water."


    Thomas didn''t take the water; he stared at Marie with his scorching gaze. Marie lowered her head, but


    none of this was going to change her mind. "Thomas, you have to help me. I am your sister. I only beg


    you for this one time and I won''t beg you anymore in the future!"


    There was dead silence in the room. After a long time, Thomas nodded. "I will promise you that, but we


    have nothing to do with each other anymore after this."


    "Thomas!"


    Thomas gawked at her and added, "Make a choice."


    After a moment of silence, Marie answered, "I''ll choose the design of the stadium."

 Chapter 114 Up To His Neck

    Chapter 114 Up To His Neck


    Irene''s ovtion period wasing soon. She had never looked forward to Edric''s phone call as much


    as she was now, but things went contrary to her wishes as he seemed to disappear all of a sudden and


    never called her again.


    Instead of Edric''s, she received a strange phone call. It turned out that apany was impressed with


    her resume and requested her to attend an interview.


    Thepany that Irene applied to was called the Cloudboat Company. It was quite famous in San


    Fetillo. Irene didn''t have much hope when she applied for the job, but to her surprise, she was


    epted.


    Irene was delighted when she got this job. She called Kinsey and told her about the good news. After


    listening to her, Kinsey was happy for her too and offered to treat Irene to dinner for celebration.


    However, Irene refused Kinsey as she was the one who was supposed to treat Kinsey since this was a


    joyful event for herself. When Kinsey knocked off work at night, Irene went to the restaurant with


    Kinsey.


    During their meal, Kinsey reminded Irene of what Irene should pay attention to when she went to the


    newpany.


    Bullying neers was amon situation in bigpanies like Cloudboat Company. If she wanted


    to gain a firm foothold, she had to eat dirt and faked a smile at people whenever she met them. It was


    said that bigpanies were ces full of office politics. She advised Irene to be careful about the


    other employees and not trust people easily. Irene received a lot of advice at the end of the meal.


    Irene reported to work at the newpany. Her major was marketing management, hence she was


    assigned to the marketing department. Since she had just taken up the job, she didn''t know much


    about thepany culture. She couldn''t help but be afraid of making mistakes.


    Fortunately, the marketing department manager, Wilson, treated her well and went through all the jobs


    with her in person. Other colleagues in the office were very friendly to her as well. The situation Kinsey


    had described did not happen too. Such an incredible working atmosphere surprised Irene, and she


    adapted to it gradually.


    One day, Wilson asked Irene to follow him to meet clients as he wanted Irene to familiarize herself with


    how thepany worked. As he had dealt with the client in advance, the meeting this time went very


    smoothly, and they managed to close the deal quickly.


    After that, Wilson directed Irene to head back first. Irene took the elevator downstairs, but she received


    a phone call from him again, saying that the client wanted to have dinner with them and proposed for


    her to tag along.


    Irene had to return to the lobby again. She sat on the sofa watching TV while waiting for Wilson. "Miss


    Nelson?" A voice rang out behind her. She looked over and saw John. She didn''t know since when he


    had stood next to her.


    "Why are you here?" John asked.


    "I''m waiting for someone!" Irene answered briefly. As long as the ce where John showed up, Edric


    would be not far away. She looked around subconsciously and did not see Edric.


    John was Edric''s most trusted subordinate. He must have taken part in scheming against herst time.


    Although she knew that it was his job, she could not have a good impression of a person who had


    stabbed her back. She continued to watch TV with a frosty face and did not bother John at all.


    John did not care either when he saw her indifferent countenance. "Mr. Myers is here today too," he


    said. Irene did not reply to John. It had nothing to do with her whether Edric was there or not.


    Suddenly, the elevator door opened. Wilson walked out with several men. Seeing John and Irene,


    Wilson was surprised and greeted, "John!" One of them then trotted over and greeted John very


    politely.


    That person whom they met that day was a manager of the client''spany. At this time, the rest


    came over too, including Wilson.


    Everyone greeted John warmly. John, as Edric''s most trusted subordinate, was respected by these


    people a lot. Irene sneered in her heart.


    After Wilson approached John, he asked Irene in a whisper, "John is an acquaintance of yours?"


    "We''re barely friends," Irene answered. Wilson''s face was written with surprise. It was a good thing to


    know the people around Edric as they would have a lot of contact with Edric''spany in the future.


    With this, it would be easy for them to deal businesses with Edric if they had his acquaintances in the


    of the elevator. Everyone eximed, "Mr. Myers!"


    Irene looked over and saw Edric standing straight at the door of the elevator. Seeing Edric made her


    want to run away subconsciously. Suddenly, she saw a woman wearing an apricot-yellow dress from


    the corner of her eyes. Rowane came out of the elevator from behind Edric.


    Edric looked in their direction. Although there were many people over here, Irene had a feeling that he


    seemed to be staring at her. After that, he strode over to them. The few people around John changed


    their direction straight away and moved closer to Edric.


    It was their honor to stand opposite a high-ranking person like Edric and talk to him.


    The people around kept addressing him as Mr. Myers. Edric shook hands with the crowd around him


    one by one gently before he looked in Irene''s direction faintly and met her gaze. Irene averted her sight


    indifferently and thought that Edric was indeed disgusting. She was still wondering why he didn''t call


    her during this time. It turned out that he was up to his neck!


    Rowane, who was beside Edric, noticed Irene too. She trotted over with a smile on her face. "Hi Miss


    Nelson!" she greeted Irene warmly.


    "Nice to meet you, Miss Wood," Irene greeted, responding to Rowane with a smile lightly.


    "I am working in the Myers Group now," Rowane said, exining to Irene why she and Edric showed


    up together.


    Irene hissed inwardly. Edric really knew how to have fun. In order to have Rowane by his side all the


    time, he actually found such a good excuse to hire her. Irene felt more disgusted with him deep down.


    Then, she looked at those people coldly again and found that all of them were full of admiration for


    Edric. Irene raised the corner of her lips a little and showed a sarcastic smile.


    Wilson was sizing up Irene secretly. He thought that Irene must have a strong background. Otherwise,


    why would the headquarters call and ask someone to take care of her on the first day she reported to


    work?


    However, she was modest and eager to learn. She didn''t look like she had someone supporting her at


    the back at all. Wilson always felt that he had guessed it wrong. However, after seeing that she was


    familiar with John, he was sure that her identity was unusual. It seemed that he had to treat her better


    in the future...


    "Since we''ve met, I''ll treat everyone to dinner today!" Edric said lightly after greeting each other. His


    words surprised everyone except Irene. After all, not everyone had the luck to have a meal with Edric.


    Edric looked at Irene faintly. He only had a ce and took the lead in walking to the door. The people


    behind him followed suit immediately. Irene really didn''t want to go. Hence, she pulled the corner of


    Wilson''s clothes and said, "I''m not going with you guys. I''m busy tonight."


    "How can that be?" Wilson shook his head and lowered his voice, saying, "It''s a great thing to have


    dinner with Edric. Others don''t even have the chance to."


    Ireneughed silently. When did Edric be so powerful? Wilson added, "Didn''t Mr. Myers bring a


    femalepanion with him? We are all men here. Don''t you know her? It''s the right time to cotton up


    with her."


    Irene couldn''t object to Wilson''s suggestion despite feeling so very ufortable. Wilson didn''t know


    what happened between Edric and her. If he knew that she and Rowane were Edric''s secret lovers, he


    wouldn''t have made such an arrangement. However, this kind of matter couldn''t be told everywhere.


    Although irate, she followed them to the hotel gloomily.


    Edric''s treat was at the San Fetillo Hotel. As soon as they arrived, they were weed into the best


    private room of the San Fetillo Hotel.


    There was no doubt that Edric''s status was the highest among the group of people. He sat in the main


    seat with Rowane on his left and the said manager earlier on his right. Wilson pushed Irene to


    Rowane''s side while he sat next to Irene.


    Since it was Edric''s treat, the dishes were definitely delicious. Irene suppressed her displeasure and


    persuaded herself to enjoy the meal since it was free!


    Edric was a top businessman among the business circle of San Fetillo. If one could be favored by


    Edric, it would definitely benefit thepany''s future development. Except for Irene and Rowane, all


    the people present were buttering up Edric.


    Meanwhile, Edric remained calm andposed. Facing all kinds of ttery, he wore a faint smile. Irene


    looked at him and felt extremely nauseated. An immoral man was destined to be a loser no matter how


    sessful his career was.


    The dishes were served on the table one after another, and there were all kinds of chitchat during the


    meal. Irene just lowered her head and kept eating, ignoring those people''s ttery to Edric.


    A toast was indispensable in such a moment. Edric didn''t drink much usually, but he behaved a little


    odd that day; he didn''t refuse any of the toasts. Everyone present knew that he had gastritis. Edric


    raised his ss gently and took a small sip, but the others finished their wine to show their respect


    towards Edric.


    Everyone on the table had toasted Edric, but only Irene had been eating all the time. She ignored


    Rowane beside her; she did not care about other people either. Wilson, who was next to her,


    time?


    He thought that Irene would take the initiative to talk with Rowane, but he didn''t expect that she had


    been focused on the food and wholly ignored the fact that Rowane, who was next to her, was the one


    she had to apany.


    Especially when Wilson saw Irene''s table manners, he shook his head secretly because she seemed


    like she hadn''t eaten good food for a few centuries. It seemed impossible to count on her. He reached


    out his hand and poked Irene, indicating for her to toast Edric.


    Since Wilson had made such a gesture, Irene could not y dumb anymore. Although she was busy


    eating a while ago, there was no way she could block off all the voices surrounding her. She inwardly


    criticized Edric disgusting as he could actually remain collected in the face of such nauseating ttery.


    Just how hypocritical he was.


    She didn''t know why there was a fire of anger burning in her heart. Didn''t he like to be


    Well, she wasn''t going to toast to him! What could he do to her anyway?


    However, she couldn''t ignore Wilson''s constant reminder. Thus, she put down her fork and stood up.


    She poured herself a ss of wine, but she didn''t propose a toast to Edric. Instead, she toasted a man


    next to her and said, "Mr. Brown, cheers!"


    Irene was beautiful. She had rosy lips and white teeth. Carl Brown, who was next to her, smiled and


    replied, "Cheers!"


    Seeing that Irene was so defiant, Wilson was a little anxious. He couldn''t help but chastise her inwardly.


    Everyone at the table was fawning on Edric. Why did she toast a person who had nothing to do with


    them?


    However, Irene did not care what Wilson was thinking. She started toasting everyone one by one; she


    finished her wine every time she made a toast. When she finally reached Edric''s side, she had already


    downed about eight sses of wine.


    She rarely drank. After drinking about eight sses of wine, she was already dizzy. She staggered to


    Edric with the ss in her hand, asking, "Mr... Mr. Myers, right? Why do I feel that you look so familiar?


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Have I seen you before?"


    Edric looked at her frostily. "Really? Where have we seen each other before?" he asked in return.


    Wilson was extremely apprehensive when he saw Irene''s drunken state. He answered for her


    immediately, "Mr. Myers is on TV every day. It''s normal for you to see him before."


    "It''s not from TV... It''s..." Irene frowned. "Where is it?"


    Irene looked like she was trying to recall it. Edric knew that she was merely putting on a show. Hence,


    he didn''t expose her. He just nced at her with a grin.


    Irene reached out and rubbed her forehead. After a while, she seemed to be reminded of something


    suddenly, "Ah yeah, that''s it!"


    "What is it?" Edric asked, following her words.


    "Last time when I went to a bar with my friends to drink, I saw your photo on an escort''s phone," Irene


    answered.


    "Irene!" Wilson was so agitated that even his voice raised to another octave.


    "It''s true. I didn''t lie. It''s his naked photo. The escort showed off to the people around and said that she


    won a rich man. She said that he was handsome and rich, but he wasn''t good in bed. Hested for two


    minutes only!" Irene chuckled.


    Edric didn''t expect that Irene would say such a thing. He was so exasperated that his countenance


    changed. This d*mn woman!

 Chapter 115 Sober Up

    Chapter 115 Sober Up


    Wilson had broken out into a cold sweat. "Mr. Myers, Miss Nelson is talking nonsense as she''s drunk.


    Please don''t take it to heart," Wilson apologized to Edric on Irene''s behalf.


    "She''s drunk, right? Since she''s drunk, I''ll take her to go sober up," Edric said as he put down the ss


    in his hand and rose from his seat.


    Before Irene could react, he grabbed her hand and marched out of the private room under the shocked


    gazes of the people around them.


    "D*mn woman, how dare she say that I can''tst long? It seems that I must teach her a lesson," Edric


    thought.


    Edric covered Irene''s mouth and pulled her away from the room they were at. Due to the great disparity


    in their physical strengths, Irene could not break free of his grip. He eventually dragged her into the


    elevator.


    After entering the elevator, Edric let go of the hand covering her mouth. Irene stared at him and asked,


    "Edric, what on earth are you doing?"


    "Didn''t you say that I onlysted for two minutes? Let''s try it right now. You''d better watch the time and


    see if it''s two minutes or two hours!" Edric looked at her coldly, his tone frosty.


    A chill ran down Irene''s spine when Edric stared at her with his cold gaze. The lift was ascending, but


    her heart seemed to be sinking into a pit. "Could it be that Edric...?"


    Just as the thought shed across her mind, the elevator stopped. Edric hauled her out of the elevator


    and took the room ess card out from his pocket. Seeing the room ess card in his hand, Irene


    grappled desperately and eximed, "Edric, let me warn you, you''d better not mess around with me!"


    "You were so fearless just now, weren''t you? Why are you acting like a coward now?" Edric swung the


    door open and yanked her into the room roughly.


    Irene''s heart sank further when the door clicked shut. "Edric used to be so cruel to me. Is he going to


    force himself on me here and now?" she wondered.


    She didn''t want that at all. After all, it was not her ovtion period now. Moreover, she had drunk a lot


    of wine. She worried that a baby conceived from this tryst would suffer some birth defects because of


    the alcohol.


    The thought of that made her hug herself tightly. "Edric, don''t do anything silly!" she warned.


    "Now you''re afraid?" Edric reached out and gripped her chin with his hand. Looking down at her, he


    asked, "Don''t you think it''s toote for regrets?"


    His body exuded the scent of cologne, the same fragrance which had just been on Rowane a while


    ago. Irene had smelled it on Lily before too. She didn''t know if it was because of the alcohol that she


    suddenly felt a wave of nausea washing over her.


    She reached out to push Edric away and yelled, "Edric, stay away from me! You''re disgusting!"


    Irene was telling the truth. She could feel the revulsion in her every cell. The moment she recalled that


    Edric had slept with Lily and Rowane before, he was reduced to filth in her eyes.


    However, Edric saw things in a different light. Irene disliked him and had always framed him as


    sickening and revolting, but to him, he had never betrayed her.


    He felt a surge of anger in his heart. "Didn''t you dislike me because I was disgusting? I''m going to


    disgust you thoroughly today!"


    Edric held Irene''s chin tightly and was ready to kiss her on the lips hard.


    Looking at his face approaching hers rapidly, Irene felt her stomach churning and couldn''t hold it in


    anymore.


    "Ah!" Edric''s whole person was suddenly covered with her vomitus upon that cry.


    A pungent odor spread in the suite. Edric was speechless, his face stormy. Holding back his nausea,


    he rushed into the bathroom with Irene in tow.


    Irene felt much morefortable after she had puked. Seeing the filth all over Edric''s face and body,


    she couldn''t help but giggle. "That''s what you get, Edric!" she rejoiced inwardly.


    Edric turned the shower on and sprayed the water on them madly. The acidic smell had somewhat


    diffused, but he and Irene were now both wet. "Edric, what now?" Irene asked.


    The water spraying out of the showerhead made Irene unable to open her eyes. She could only yell at


    Edric.


    "I''m helping you sober up!" Edric answered coolly as he doused her in water for a while more. He didn''t


    stop until the foul smell hadpletely gone from his nostrils.


    The sensation of wet clothes sticking to one''s body was ufortable. Edric began to take his clothes


    off thusly. Seeing what he was doing, Irene turned on her heel, about to leave. However, Edric caught


    her and reached out to strip her.


    Irene floundered with all her might. However, she was no match for Edric. Soon, he hadpletely


    stripped her bare.


    He had seen her naked countless times before, but the situation they were in now was an awkward


    one. Irene blushed; and, Edric relished the ufortable look on her face. Now in a much better


    mood, he added, "It''s not like I''ve not seen you naked before. Don''t pretend you''re all so innocent."


    With that, he began tother his body with shower gel. Observing his indifferent look, Irene gnashed


    her teeth with hatred and cursed, "You beast!"


    "What did you say?" Edric''s voice became callous at once; he red at her.


    Startled by the re, Irene instantly lost the courage she had plucked up. She said meekly, "Nothing."


    "Irene, these are your just deserts. Since you enjoyed taunting me, I''ll fulfill that wish of yours. I haven''t


    settled the score with you just now. How dare you puke all over me? Come and wipe my back! Also,


    give me a massage while you''re at it," Edricmanded.


    In the past, when they were in love, they would take baths together. At that time, Irene always liked


    giving him massages. His heart smarted; he really missed the good old days.


    However, Irene turned a deaf ear to his words. Such a situation reminded her of the past, too. At that


    time, when he returned home from work, she would sympathize with his exhaustion. She''d help him to


    take a bath and massage him. At the thought of this, a sneer formed at the corners of her lips. How silly


    she was in the past!


    Edric saw that Irene made no move and was just staring at him coldly. Her gaze was full of disgust and


    sarcasm, which further irked him. He reminded her slowly, "Don''t forget that we have a contract..."


    Irene''s countenance changed. She grabbed the towel and walked towards Edric''s back. She used all


    her strength to rub it, cursing internally and telling herself that she was wrestling a boar.


    In the past, she used to rub his back lightly, like a frail maiden that had been starving for days. Her


    sudden forceful rub overwhelmed Edric a little. She appeared to have lost a lot of weightpared to


    the past, but on the contrary, she had be physically more powerful. "Stop it! Do you think you''re


    manhandling a wild animal?" Edric questioned.


    "So you can read my mind?" Irene blurted out, regretting her poor choice of words immediately. Thus,


    she shut up at once. Edric turned around and looked at her with a faint smile, saying, "Let''s trade


    ces."


    "Thank you, Mr. Myers, but I know my ce. I would never dare to have you do that for me," Irene


    refused.


    "Oh?" Edric raised his eyebrows. "Tell me, what ce do you think you''re in?"


    "Mr. Myers, you''re the boss and my sugar daddy. I''m just your lover who serves you in bed. I don''t have


    the gall to have you do anything more for me!" Irene answered.


    Even a fool could hear the sarcasm in her words. Edric''s expression shifted. "Irene, follow my orders


    while I''m being nice, or don''t me me for being harsh on you!" he warned.


    "I don''t get it," Irene replied.


    "You!" Edric turned livid. He grabbed the showerhead and washed himself up quickly. Then, he


    wrapped himself in a bath towel and strode out of the bathroom.


    Irene breathed a sigh of relief. She was very familiar with Edric''s temper from the years she was


    together with him. A while ago, she provoked him and got on his nerves on purpose. Only in that way


    could she escape from his punishment.


    Irene listened for any movements outside while taking a bath. It was quiet; she could even hear a


    single sound. She stayed in the bathroom for a long time before she walked out in a bathrobe slowly.


    When she opened the bathroom door, she did not see Edric.


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    It seemed that Edric had left while she was in the bathroom. But how did he leave? Did he have spare


    clothes in this suite? She walked over and opened the wardrobe. To her surprise, the wardrobe was


    filled with clothes.


    It was no wonder that Edric would carry the room ess card with him. It seemed that this suite was


    his regr, private hub outside, or perhaps the ce where he brought his lovers.


    Irene felt sick when she thought of the fact that Edric most probably hooked up with other women in the


    suite she was currently in. Edric was filth personified.


    However, it was not the time for her to be disgusted at Edric now. She had to find a way to get changed


    and get out of there. Just as she was about to call Kinsey and ask her to send a set of clothes for her,


    someone opened the door. Rowane appeared at the door with a bag in her hand.


    "Miss Nelson, your clothes," Rowane said.


    It was useless to be sentimental at that moment. Irene thanked her and took the clothes, but Rowane


    had no intention of leaving. Irene heard Rowane call the housekeepers to clean up the suite. It seemed


    that she was going to stay here for a while.


    Irene was not ustomed to being seen naked by others, thus she carried the bag into the bathroom


    to change into the clothes Rowane brought. After she was done changing, she put her wet clothes in


    the bag and headed out of the bathroom.


    There she saw a housekeeper cleaning the suite while Rowane was watching TV from the sofa in the


    suite. She had a sudden thought¡ªshe wondered if this suite was Edric and Rowane''s secret


    rendezvous spot.


    She had never interacted with Rowane much before and she had already thanked Irene earlier. That


    was enough. She strode out of the room carrying her wet clothes. Seeing her walking straight to the


    door, Rowane stopped her hurriedly. "Miss Nelson, let me send you off!"


    "Thank you, Miss Wood, but we''re basically strangers," Irene replied. Rowane looked at Irene''s back


    and was at a loss for words. It seemed that Irene did not really like her!


    After the housekeeper cleaned the suite, she proceeded to the bathroom. Since Rowane had nothing


    to do there, she got up and left the suite. When she had just arrived at the elevator, she heard the


    housekeeper call from behind, "Miss Wood, wait a minute!"


    "What''s the matter?" Rowane looked back at her.


    "I picked this up in the bathroom. It was probably left by the youngdy just now," the housekeeper


    replied as she handed an emerald pendant to Rowane. Rowane took the emerald pendant


    casually. Suddenly, she felt a twinge of deja vu.


    Why was this emerald pendant exactly the same as hers? The housekeeper went back to the suite and


    continued to clean it up after handing her the pendant. Rowane''s face was still stered with shock.


    She could not believe it; she entered the elevator speedily.


    While the elevator was descending, Rowane''s heart continued to throb inside her chest. She tried her


    best to stop herself from getting flustered, but she still couldn''t control her mad heartbeat.


    Rowane went out of the hotel rapidly and drove back to her apartment. She parked her car downstairs


    and trotted into her apartment. Before she could even change into her indoor slippers, she went


    straight to the bedroom.


    Rowane panted as she took out a box from the drawer of her bedside table, opening it. There was a


    green emerald pendant in the box. She put her emerald pendant side-by-side with the one that the


    housekeeper had given her.


    They were exactly the same! What her adoptive parents told her before their death shed through her


    mind. "This is the emerald pendant that your mother gave you. As long as you can find the owner of


    this pendant, you''ll find your mother."


    "The emerald pendant! My mother! Irene? What''s the connection between them?" Rowane wondered.

 Chapter 116 Life Is A Fcking Joke

    Chapter 116 Life Is A Fcking Joke


    Irene returned home directly after leaving the hotel. On her way home, she realized that she had made


    a mistake. How was she supposed to exin her rtionship with Edric to Wilson?


    The next day, when she went to thepany, her thoughts were all over the ce. She was afraid that


    Wilson would ask about her rtionship with Edric, but it turned out to bepletely different from her


    expectations. Wilson''s attitude towards her was the same as usual. He didn''t seem to be interested in


    gossiping about her and Edric at all.


    Irene breathed a sigh of relief. She was secretly d that she had met a good manager. What she


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    didn''t know, however, was that he wasn''t uninterested. Rather, he was too afraid to ask. The previous


    night, after she was taken away by Edric, John had a few words with him. In a brutish manner, John


    had instructed Wilson to treat Irene well, and that if he ran into any problems, John would be happy to


    help.


    What luck! With John''s help, Wilson could easily excel in his career. He was no fool; money made the


    world go round after all. To h*ll with gossip!


    At lunch, Irene received a call from Rowane. That was when she realized that the emerald pendant she


    usually wore around her neck had disappeared. Her mind shed back to when that beast, Edric, was


    tearing her clothes off in the bathroom. That must have been when it fell off. The emerald pendant was


    left to Irene by Myra; luckily, Rowane had found it.


    Irene went to the cafe next to her office to meet Rowane. Rowane took out the pendant and handed it


    to Irene. Irene thanked her, taking it. She was about to stash it away into her bag when Rowane


    suddenly prompted her, "Miss Nelson, don''t you want to check it first?"


    "What would I be checking it for?" Irene was taken aback.


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll rip you off?" Rowane asked, half-jokingly.


    "You must be kidding me. I''ve always known you as a person with integrity, Miss Wood," Irene


    responded.


    Rowane asked again, "That emerald pendant looks very expensive. It must be very valuable. Was it


    inherited from your family?"


    Irene smiled. "It''s not worth that much, but it''s very valuable to me. After all, my mother left it to me. I


    can''t thank you enough, Miss Wood."


    Rowane felt a twinge of excitement by Irene''s reply. "Your mother is from San Fetillo, isn''t she?"


    "Yes, she was born and bred in San Fetillo!" Irene answered.


    "Which part?" Rowane asked again. Irene patiently answered her query. Unexpectedly, Rowane


    became even more interested. "Do you have any other rtives there?"


    Rowane''s attempts at making small talk was boring to Irene. Although she was grateful to Rowane for


    returning her pendant, it did not mean that she liked Rowane and was willing to chat with her about her


    family and its matters.


    Both of them were Edric''s secret lovers. It was sickening for them to gather, drink tea and chat as if that


    fact meant nothing. So, Irene returned abruptly, "I have some urgent work to attend to at thepany.


    See you, Miss Wood!"


    Irene took the emerald pendant and left in a hurry. Rowane frowned. She had no idea that that pendant


    was from Irene''s mother. Why did Myra and her mother leave them the same thing? Was there any


    connection between the two?


    Since her adoptive parents had told her the secrets behind her family background, she had never given


    up looking for her birth mother. Although Rowane was sad that her mother had left her alone at the


    orphanage, she felt that her mother must have had her reasons for doing so. A maternal love was


    extraordinary; no mother would be willing to abandon their child.


    Over the years, Rowane had never given up searching, but she could only do so much. The emerald


    pendant was her only clue to find her mother. In this huge world, her chances were minuscule.


    She would have never imagined that she would stumble upon such an important revtion. Both


    emerald pendants were identical and had been left to them by their mothers. Perhaps she was


    somehow rted to Irene...


    Not long after Rowane returned to thepany, Edric called her up to his office. His expression


    indicated that he was not in good spirits. "Why were you looking for Irene?"


    "I..." Rowane hesitated. Should she tell Edric the truth?


    Despite having known Edric for such a long time, he had never asked about the situation she was in,


    nor had she taken the initiative to tell him herself. The issue she had now was a littleplicated. It


    would probably be hard for her to investigate it alone. Therefore, she decided that it would be a wise


    move to disclose it to Edric and request for his help.


    Thus, Rowane told Edric about the emerald pendant. Edric was obviously surprised. One of the


    reasons that he had looked for Rowane in the first ce was because of her simrity to Irene, looks-


    wise. After listening to her story, he observed her carefully. The more he looked at her, the more he


    saw the simrities between her and Irene.


    Was there really some untold history between Rowane and Irene? He really had to investigate this


    matter thoroughly.


    Irene got off work and returned home. As soon as she stepped in, a strong smell of medicine wafted


    over. In her three years of marriage with Edric, she had tried all sorts of supplements and ancient


    herbs. The smell of it now was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She suppressed her nausea


    and asked, "Maisy, who''s sick?"


    Deborah, who was on the sofa, answered, "No one is sick. Lily is taking some supplements."


    With that, she added, "Edric said Lily''s too thin, so he went to consult some famous doctors just to get


    these supplements for her."


    She was obviously deliberately trying to trigger Irene. Irene was no fool. She smirked faintly and went


    upstairs. On her way up, she heard Lily tell Maisy, "Please store the supplements properly. Edric said


    that it took him a lot of effort to get a hold of these!"


    A lot of effort? Irene guffawed in her heart. She closed the door and shut out Lily''s arrogant disy.


    She told herself she wasn''t sad, but her heart still ached a little bit.


    She sat on the sofa in the bedroom and sighed heavily before her phone rang. She picked it up at


    once. Edric''s voice came over the line. "When are you moving in?"


    Irene was silent for a while before answering, "Tomorrow."


    She had already wasted her opportunityst time. This time, she must grab hold of it tightly. No matter


    how disgusting the sight of Edric was to her, it wouldn''t be any worse than the disgust she felt from the


    scent of medicine in this house.


    After their marriage, she developed a deep phobia of any sort of medication. Satisfied with her answer,


    Edric''s tone became quite amicable. He told her to give him a heads up when she was moving out so


    he coulde to pick her up.


    Irene replied that there was no need to trouble him. They weren''t married anyway; he didn''t need to


    show up personally. John could just pass her the keys at the office.


    Her answer made Edric angry for some reason, hence he hung up the call right away.


    The next day, Irene moved into Chandelle Valley. When she moved out of the Cook family, she told


    Steven that she was just going back to keep Thomaspany for a few days. Steven did not stop her;


    he told her to stay there for a couple of days beforeing home again.


    When Deborah and Lily saw that Irene was moving out, they giggled happily. Now that Irene was no


    longer in the house, meaning their eyesore had disappeared, they could finally get some peace at


    home.


    Since the construction of Chandelle Valley had begun, it had been a hot topic among San Fetillo''s


    citizens. Irene had no idea about all of that. While Edric had been setting Chandelle Valley up, she was


    busy dealing with all her problems. She had neither the time nor the energy to go out and pay these


    trivial matters any mind.


    When she opened the door, she was shocked by what she saw. Edric had given his mistress such a


    beautiful ce to stay. What a generous man.


    Irene had only brought a few simple sets of clothes and toiletries. Beforeing here, she had made


    up her mind to stay here for just a month. Well, if she was lucky enough.


    She opened the shoe cab and saw a pair of fluffy cartoon slippers. A mocking smile formed on her


    face. When she lived with Edric, she used to love buying cartoon items.


    Almost everything, from her pajamas to her cup, had cartoons on them. Edric used to nag at her and


    say that cartoons were for children. But now, looking at the cartoon slippers, Irene wondered if she was


    hallucinating.


    After so many years of being adrift and wandering, she was no longer that girl who believed in dreams


    and fantasies. She was now a woman who had been through many hardships. Life was just that


    cruel; it had forced her to change her habits and personality.


    Instead of using the slippers in Edric''s shoe cab, Irene changed into her own slippers. With how


    filthy Edric was, she had reason to doubt the cleanliness of the items here.


    Carrying her luggage, Irene went upstairs and started to unpack. She took out her clothes and hung


    them in the wardrobe. When she opened the wardrobe, another surprise was waiting for her¡ªa set of


    cartoon pajamas hung on the rack.


    Irene smiled wryly. She chose an empty spot to hang her own clothes and set down her toiletries in the


    bathroom. Seeing the cartoon cup in the bathroom, she shook her head. She didn''t expect that. After


    four years of her leaving Edric, he had now turned into a cartoon addict. Life was such a f*cking joke.


    After putting her things away, she got ready to clean the room. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car


    outside. Clearly, Edric had arrived. He hade here quite quickly, indeed!


    She gave up on cleaning and went downstairs. As she was halfway down the stairs, Edric came into


    her line of vision. He seemed to be in a good mood. However, after seeing the grey slippers on Irene''s


    feet, his expression changed. "Isn''t there a pair of slippers in the shoe cab?"


    "Why is this guy so weird? He even wants to control what I wear?" Irene thought. Irritated, she replied


    stiffly, "I''m used to using my own things."


    Irene knew very well that he would take that as her challenging him. Edric suppressed his unhappiness


    and said, "Let''s go for dinner!"


    Irene did not speak; she went straight to the door. Edric was taken aback for a moment before following


    suit behind her. After getting in the car, Edric reached out to buckle the seat belt for her, but Irene did it


    before he could. A little embarrassed, Edric put his hand back on the steering wheel and asked her,


    "What do you want to eat?"


    "Anything," Irene responded lightly, her eyes fixed on the scenery outside. Edric frowned, saying,


    "''Anything is not a food item."


    "I''ll eat whatever you eat, Mr. Myers. I''m not picky." Edric said no more. Irene was indeed not a picky


    eater. He started the car. There was a good Mexican ce nearby. Although Irene did not pick and


    choose what she ate, he knew that she liked spicy food. He decided to head there for their first meal.


    As he drove, the air in the car was drop-dead silent. Irene hadn''t nced at his way at all. Her gaze


    was fixed outside. She was very different from how she used to be.


    Edric found it difficult to bear. As he was about to speak, his phone rang. He answered the phone. Over


    the line, Lily purred in a soft tone, "Edric, this supplement tastes so bitter!"


    Edric''s voice was very gentle too as he replied to her, "Good supplements are always bitter. Just drink


    it. It''s to regte your..."


    Irene didn''t want to listen to his affection for Lily, but they were in the same car. When she heard Edric


    tenderly coax Lily to take her supplements, she felt her heart sank to her stomach.

 Chapter 117 Act Out

    Chapter 117 Act Out


    Finally, their intimate conversation came to an end. Their car stopped outside the entrance of the


    Mexican restaurant.


    "It''s quite a small restaurant, but the food here is really authentic." Edric pushed the door open and got


    out of the car, as he said to her, "I have eaten here twice. It''s really delicious."


    Irene followed Edric without saying a word. Edric was obviously a frequent guest here. When the owner


    of the restaurant saw Edric, he immediately came over and greeted Edric with open arms.


    Soon, they were taken to the VIP room. The waiter brought over two starters. It was nachos and salsa.


    Edric picked up a piece and dipped it in the salsa as he looked at Irene. "Try this. This ce has the


    best salsa I''ve ever had."


    Irene looked at him holding the nacho up to her mouth and sneered in her heart. Best nachos? For


    someone as rich as Edric, eating nachos and salsa asionally was considered a delicacy. But to her,


    they were just an ordinary dish.


    After she divorced Edric, she craved nachos a lot during her pregnancy. It was easy to make it


    delicious. Plus, it was cheap too. She ate it pretty much every day; hence now when she caught a


    glimpse of it, she found it irresistibly intolerable.


    Seeing that she was just staring at him motionlessly, Edric''s brows be knitted at once. "Open your


    mouth!"


    Edric had already held it right in front of her mouth. Irene looked down and frowned as she opened her


    mouth to take a bite. It was not as delicious as he had described. It was no different than any other


    nachos with salsa she had tasted before. She grimaced slightly. She barely managed to swallow it


    down, and she was not going to eat another bite.


    In Edric''s eyes, she was merely acting out, and that made him unhappy. However, he remembered that


    it was a special day this day, thus he chose to suppress his displeasure.


    The dishes Edric ordered were served up one after the other. Among them were tacos, enchdas,


    guacamole, and so on. They were all dishes that Irene liked. Seeing her favorite dishes, Irene picked


    up her cutlery and started digging in.


    Watching her enjoying the meal, Edric felt oddly gleeful. He sat opposite her, looking at her shoving


    food into her mouth. Without his consciousness, his lips had already quirked up into a smile.


    He suddenly felt like he was dreaming. The day before, Edric called her and asked her when she was


    moving in. He was hopeful. He hoped that Irene would remember what day it was that day.


    Sure enough, she did not let him down. She promised to move in that day, but had she forgotten what


    special day it was?


    Eight years ago, on that day, they had their first date. Now, eight yearster, they were having yet


    another first date. No matter what, it was a positive sign to Edric.


    He hoped to start over with Irene again and relive their old life. He wanted to make up for what he owed


    her.


    Irene was really hungry. She gobbled down the food with no care for her image. Halfway through her


    meal, she looked up and noticed Edric was staring at her.


    Irene assumed that he was shocked by the way she was eating. After all, Lily was gentle, noble, and


    elegant; Edric was used to such beauty and grace. It was no wonder that he would be appalled by her


    table manners.


    Irene admitted she wasn''t the most elegant person when it came to eating, but that didn''t warrant


    Edric''s surprise, did it? She felt like he was being a little dramatic as she had never seen him like this


    before!


    "Mr. Myers, why don''t you eat?" Irene couldn''t help but ask.


    Edric came to his senses and said, "I enjoy watching you eat."


    Irene felt like he had said this to her before, but she couldn''t recall when. Slightly surprised, she


    responded, "You''re very funny, Mr. Myers."


    "Irene, are you going to keep calling me Mr. Myers?"


    "If not? Should I address you by your first name? Should I remind you that you''re now my brother-in-


    The atmosphere immediately turned icy. Edric picked up a fish taco and wolfed it down violently. Then


    something unexpected happened. A fishbone got lodged in Edric''s throat.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He drank ss after ss of water, but the fishbone refused to go down. In the end, Irene suggested


    he go to the hospital to consult a doctor.


    Edric felt so embarrassed. He just wanted to have a nice dinner, but this stupid fishbone had messed


    everything up. Later on, the doctor helped him extract the fishbone, but his good mood had already


    been ruined.


    On the way back, Edric kept a straight face and was silent the whole journey. Neither did Irene speak.


    The two of them returned to the Chandelle Valley Vi in silence.


    After entering the vi, Irene sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch a soap opera. Edric


    sat next to her with a dark face, and his heart was burning with anger. How could she be watching TV


    right now?


    Edric had been busy staring at her in the restaurant. Then, after that, they ended up going to the


    hospital. Therefore, he hadn''t eaten anything at all; needless to say, he must be starving at this


    moment. Shouldn''t Irene have somemon sense and cook for him or something?


    He knew very well how good her cooking was. Previously when Edric had to workte nights, she


    would always prepare delicious foods for him.


    Irene''s gaze was on the TV, but she was feeling a little nervous inwardly. She was just hoping Edric


    would be uninterested in the soap opera she was watching and return to his study to work. That would


    be easier for her to spend through the night.


    However, something seemed to be up with Edric. He sat still beside her and gawked at her intensely.


    Irene felt her goosebumps raise under his gaze.


    Just as she couldn''t take it anymore, she suddenly heard a strange gurgling sound. Irene looked at


    Edric. His pallid face had already turned a little red. "Irene, what''s wrong with you?"


    "Mr. Myers, what can I do for you?" Irene asked respectfully.


    "Don''t you know that I haven''t eaten anything?"


    "I''m sorry. I''ll order takeout for you right away!" Irene got up to get the phone. Edric gritted his teeth and


    continued, "It''ste at night, and there won''t be any stores open at this hour. Can''t you make me a bowl


    of pasta or something?"


    "I''m sorry. My cooking isn''t that nice, and you''d better just order takeout." Irene used to put so much


    effort into cooking for Edric because she loved him, and he was her husband. But, what was he to her


    now? He was just another man, and she didn''t have that kind of effort to put into him.


    Seeing Irene pick up the phone, Edric was infuriated. He snatched the phone over from Irene''s hand


    and threw it aside. "I want to eat your pasta tonight!"


    Irene looked at the broken phone on the ground. After a while, she got up and went into the kitchen.


    "He just wants a bowl of pasta, right? Fine, Edric. If you want me to cook so badly, then so be it.


    Whether or not it''ll be edible is a whole other issue."


    Soon she set down a bowl of pasta with cheese on top in front of Edric. He looked at the bowl of pasta


    while his face turned green. Irene knew he hated cheese, but she had included it on purpose!


    "How very nice of you!" Edric gaped at Irene furiously for a few minutes, then angrily mmed the door


    and left.


    Irene pped her hands gleefully and turned to go upstairs. After such havoc, Edric probably wouldn''t


    Irene was worried that Edric might have brought someone ''dirty'' people over before. Hence, she


    cleaned the bedroom and changed the sheets. Then she washed the entire bathroom before taking a


    bath.


    Aftering out of the shower, she saw Edric sitting on the sofa in the room. She was positively


    dumbstruck. "Why are you back?"


    "This is my home. Am I not allowed toe back?" Edric asked.


    "I''m sorry. It was a slip of the tongue!" Irene apologized.


    Edric stood up and walked over to her. A faint fragrance wafted into his nose, and he felt his body rx.


    It was a normal reaction.


    When he was with other women, he never felt such a desire. But with Irene, he felt so alive. Seeing his


    expression, Irene subconsciously took a step back. Edric reached out and held her in his arms. "Afraid


    that I''ll eat you up?"


    His voice was maic and seductive, but Irene was not buying it. She reached out and pushed him


    away. "We can''t do it tonight..."


    Seeing his deep gaze locked onto her, she immediately exined, "I just moved here tonight, and I''m


    not ready..."


    "What is there to be ready for?" Edric felt a little dejected when he saw the way she looked at him as if


    he was some monster.


    Irene instinctively wanted to retreat, but Edric held her waist and forced her to look into his eyes. She


    lowered her head in panic. "I... I''m drained tonight. It''s a foreign ce, and I can''t fall asleep. The bed


    feels so unfamiliar, and I''m sad..."


    "Well, let''s talk then. I will help you rx!" Edric interjected and brought her over to the sofa to sit down,


    but he didn''t let go of her. Instead, he pulled her down onto hisp. Irene could feel something hard


    under her butt, and she felt extremely ufortable.


    Meanwhile, Edric didn''t feel the same at all. His hand was still on her waist, and his head was leaning


    on her back. He asked in a very gentle voice, "Where have you been all these years?"


    He was the one who drove her out without giving her any alimony. But now, he was acting so lovingly,


    as if they were an affectionate couple that had reunited after so long. Irene hated it.


    Irene had no intention of sharing her past with Edric, nor did she want him in her future. She wasn''t silly


    enough to sit there and have a heart-to-heart talk with him. She yawned and said softly, "Mr. Myers, I''m


    so sleepy. I just want to sleep now. Let''s talk another time!"


    A minute ago, she had just said that she couldn''t sleep in an unfamiliar bed. But now, she was iming


    she was sleepy. Only a fool would believe her. Edric sighed silently. Irene didn''t want to have any


    contact with him at all. He held her in his arms and turned around to let her face him. "Do you


    remember what day it is today?"


    Irene shook her head. "I''m a little sleepy. Probably because I''m getting older, once I''m sleepy, I can''t


    remember anything. Everything is but a blur."


    Edric did not force her. Instead, he took out a box from his pocket and said, "I got you this present.


    Open it."


    "Mr. Myers, you''re too generous. I don''t need a present!"


    "Open the box and put it on!" Edric ordered. Irene reluctantly opened the box, and there was a beautiful


    bracelet inside.


    If she remembered correctly, Edric had once given her a simr bracelet eight years ago. That was


    during their first date, and it was the first-ever gift he had gotten for her. Later on, he gave her many


    more gifts, each more expensive than thest, but...


    That day marked the first day of her being Edric''s lover. Him giving her a simr bracelet made Irene


    find the whole thing so ironic. She did not put the bracelet on. "Thank you, Mr. Myers. I don''t need a


    gift. Please take it back."


    "What do you mean?" Edric was irate hearing her reply.


    "Being such a forgetful person, I often lose things. I''ll probably lose your gift too, sooner orter. If you


    want to take it back someday, I might not be able to find it..."

 Chapter 118 Cant You Talk Nicely?

    Chapter 118 Can''t You Talk Nicely?


    It was a reminder for Edric when he had kicked her out and taken back all the jewelry he had given her.


    Edric''s face suddenly sank. "Irene, can''t you just talk nicely?"


    "I''m sorry. I''ll be quiet. I shouldn''t have offended you! Your Excellency, please forgive my insolence!"


    Irene lowered her head pitifully.


    When he heard her sarcastic remark, Edric couldn''t take it anymore. He pointed to the bracelet and


    said, "Irene, don''t forget your ce here. If I ask you to wear it, you have to do as I say. Otherwise..."


    Edric didn''t manage to finish his line before Irene got off hisp. "Otherwise what, Mr. Myers? Will you


    end our rtionship as lovers?"


    Irene''s round beautiful eyes were twinkling with ridicule and disdain. Edric was so enraged that he


    could not get a word out of his lips. But honestly, what could he use to threaten her?


    Irene was not the one begging to be his lover. It was Edric who threatened her to be one. She didn''t


    want to at all. Except for using the video to threaten her, she had no other weaknesses. And even that


    video was non-existent anyway.


    Edric held his breath, and he didn''t know where to direct his anger. "Go draw a bath for me. I want to


    take a bath!"


    Irene entered the bathroom without saying a word. He heard the sound of running watering from


    inside. A few minutester, she came out and spoke, "Mr. Myers, your bath is ready. Please go ahead!"


    Edric really wanted to turn on his heel and leave. In the end, he held back his frustration and went into


    the bathroom. He took his bath hastily. It seemed like being nice to Irene was pointless. Very well, he


    had to do things the hard way then!


    After taking a shower, he walked out of the bathroom. His eyes widened as he saw Irene asleep on the


    sofa. So much for all that talk about not being able to sleep in an unfamiliar ce!


    Edric went over to pick her up and put her back down on the bed. The softness of her bosom


    awakened his inner desire. He really wanted to make love to her, but he couldn''t bear waking her up


    when he saw her sleeping so sweetly.


    Irene actually hadn''t fallen asleep at all. She was pretending so that she could escape him. After Edric


    had set her down on the bed, she was secretly overjoyed. But much to her disappointment, Edric didn''t


    let her go; instead, he clung to her tightly in his arms.


    She could feel his member pressing against her, and that felt so ufortable. She was too afraid to


    move lest he saw through her act. Untilte night when she heard Edric snoring softly, only then did


    she slowly wriggle out of his embrace and went to sleep with her back facing him.


    Although she fell asleep eventually, she couldn''t sleep well; she couldn''t shake off the worry in her


    heart. At dawn, she turned over and woke up. Edric, who was beside her, reached out to hold her.


    "Let''s sleep in. I will send you to the office!"


    "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Myers. But please, at least let me make my decision regarding my


    own work. After all, I''m not proud of you and me being in this rtionship!" Edric was speechless. She


    got out of bed, washed up, and headed out of Chandelle Valley.


    As she hadn''t slept well, her mind was muddled. She barely made it through the day. She then received


    a call from Kinsey, asking her out for dinner.


    Irene didn''t want to go back to Chandelle Valley to see Edric''s face, thus she agreed to the invitation


    happily. Kinsey and she agreed to meet at one of the busiest streets in San Fetillo. When Irene arrived


    at the restaurant, Kinsey was already there. She had ordered dishes that both she and Irene liked.


    Seeing Irene''s dark eye circles, Kinsey couldn''t help but tease and ask if she was having too much fun


    the previous night. Irene sighed and told Kinsey what had happened. Kinseyughed so hard when she


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    heard about Edric choking on the fishbone. It was funny no matter how she looked at it.


    "You should have taken some photos of him at the hospital. ''Edric Myers Hospitalized from a Fishbone'',


    what a great headline!" Kinsey burst outughing.


    "Is that all you can think of?" Irene red at Kinsey. "Help me think of a way to deal with him! Last


    night, I escaped by pretending to be asleep, but I can''t do the same thing again tonight."


    "Irene, why did you go over to that house in the beginning? It''s impossible for you to avoid him forever.


    You haven''t had sex in so long anyway. Why don''t you just pretend he''s an escort? A handsome gigolo,


    perhaps. That way, you''re not losing out!"


    "I don''t want to do it with such a disgusting man. Even if I had to, I want to wait a few days until I''m


    ovting. If I can get pregnant on the first try, that would be the best," Irene reasoned.


    "That''s not going to be easy. You know men think with their d*cks, plus you''re so pretty. Edric isn''t


    going to let you off so easily." Kinsey could tell that it wasn''t going to be easy to hold off Edric''s


    obsession for Irene. "Why don''t you let Lily take your ce?"


    "How do I do that?" asked Irene.


    "If you tell Lily that you live in the Chandelle Valley Vi, that little b*tch will definitelye running to


    pester Edric every day..."


    "That''s not a good idea. Myers threatened me that if I told Lily, he would bury me alive!" Irene


    answered.


    "Did he really say so?"


    "Yes. He cares about Lily a lot. His heart aches for her frail body, and he even went around looking for


    famous doctors to provide her with supplements," detailed Irene.


    "B*stard! He''s so good to that b*tch. Men are trash. How can he still be pining after you when he


    already has Lily? Edric is such an a*shole," Kinsey cursed fiercely.


    After a while, Kinsey added, "Let me tell you, the day before yesterday, I went to Cat Alley with my


    colleagues from the TV station to do an interview. I saw Edric and his other mistress Rowane there.


    What do you think they were up to?"


    Irene was stunned. She heard Thomas mention Cat Alley before. When she was a child, Myra used to


    live there with Thomas. Thomas had said that that ce was like a slum.


    Not only a lot of poor but also criminals lived there. Theymitted murders and sold drugs as if it was


    the norm. Lily and Deborah came from there too. But why was Edric there?


    Irene couldn''t think of an answer. No matter what Edric was up to, it had nothing to do with her. She


    had better focus on the matter at hand!


    Irene and Kinsey talked for about two hours. By the time they came out of the restaurant, the sun was


    already starting to set.


    On the busiest street in San Fetillo, the road was bustling with cars. Kinsey sighed. "It seems like it''s


    going to take us at least two hours just to get home in this jam."


    While speaking, Edric called. His voice rang out coldly from the phone, "Where are you?"


    "Eating out," Irene replied.


    "Give me the name of the restaurant. I''lle and pick you up!" instructed Edric.


    "You''d better note. The traffic jam is awful here, and it''ll take you more than two hours." As soon


    as she finished speaking, Edric hung up the phone irritatedly. He had happily gone home in the hope of


    having dinner with her. While she, on the other hand, had not spared him a single thought and gone out


    with Kinsey to eat. She didn''t even bother to give him a heads-up.


    "Edric is really clinging onto you," remarked Kinsey after Irene hung up the phone. "I''ve thought of a


    way you can deal with him tonight. Just pretend to be drunk!"


    Irene''s eyes lit up at Kinsey''s words. "Good idea! Let''s head to a bar and have some fun!"


    But in this jam, it would take at least an hour to get to a bar! Kinsey was very impatient. She


    overseas.


    Irene remainedposed on the other hand. She wasn''t interested in going to the bar, and she just


    wanted to avoid Edric. As Kinsey continued on babbling, she couldn''t helpughing. "Isn''t it nice to get


    a chance to enjoy the scenery? Look at all the tightly packed cars. They look kind of like beetles. It''s


    pretty interesting too."


    "Pooh! The amount of cars on the road makes my head hurt. I am not in the mood to enjoy this


    scenery!" Kinsey said as she looked out of the window. Suddenly she eximed, "Irene, look at that


    woman in the sunsses. Doesn''t she look exactly like that old b*tch?"


    Irene followed Kinsey''s line of vision and looked over. She was shocked too! If she wasn''t mistaken,


    that woman with the shades looked remarkably simr to Deborah. She wasn''t a hundred percent sure


    since the distance between them was quite far apart. It was hard to get a clear view from their angle.


    The woman who looked simr to Deborah was wearing a hat and a pair of sunsses. She sat in the


    front passenger seat. Beside her driving the car was a man.


    That wasn''t the main point. From Irene and Kinsey''s point of view, they could see vaguely that the man


    was holding onto her hand!


    Although Kinsey was a director now, she still had quite a number of experiences working in the field


    previously. When she saw the two holding hands, she instinctively took out her phone to take a photo.


    Irene had a slower reaction. She didn''t respond until Kinsey had finished taking the picture. "What are


    you doing?"


    "What am I doing? That old b*tch is dressing up and going out with other men. What do you think Mr.


    Cook would do if I sent him this photo?" Kinsey giggled proudly. "That old b*tch and her daughter would


    definitely be kicked out of the house. I''d like to see how they can bully you then!"


    Irene was amused by Kinsey. "The photo is too blurry. We don''t even know for sure if it''s her. Plus, it''s


    just a photo. Even if it was her, she could deny it and say she has been framed. It won''t work!"


    As they talked, traffic started to ease up a little. Kinsey knew what Irene was saying was true. First of


    all, both of them couldn''t be entirely sure that it was Deborah. Moreover, knowing how evil and


    scheming Deborah was, there was no way she could be taken down with a single photo.


    But what they saw a while ago was a good sign. If that woman really were Deborah, that would mean


    that she and that man definitely had something going on.


    "Irene, call the Cook family immediately and ask them if Deborah is home. If she isn''t home, then you''ll


    know that woman is her."


    Kinsey''s suggestion was pretty good, therefore Irene immediately called the Cook family. It was Maisy


    who picked up. Irene first asked if Steven was home, and Maisy answered no.


    Irene then asked if Deborah and Lily were there, and Maisy repeated ''no''. Lily had gone out with her


    friends while Deborah had been out since noon. Apparently, she had gone to a beauty salon and hadn''t


    returned yet.


    What kind of beauty treatmentsted from noon till night? It seemed a little unlikely. Irene tested the


    waters and asked how often Deborah would go for these ''beauty treatments''.


    Maisy replied that Deborah didn''t really have a fixed schedule. Usually, she went when Steven was


    busy with work and came backte at night. It always took a long time.


    After hanging up the phone, Kinsey smirked. "It seems that this old b*tch really does have a skeleton in


    her closet. Why don''t we keep an eye on her and see where this ''beauty salon'' is and also, why it takes


    her such a long time to be there?"


    "If there is no fixed time, how will you keep an eye on her?" Irene asked.


    "Hire a private detective?" suggested Kinsey.


    "Forget it. I''m distressed now. Let''s talk about this another time." Irene was not in the mood to care


    about Deborah at the moment.

 Chapter 119 Drunk

    Chapter 119 Drunk


    When Kinsey and Irene returned to the Chandelle Valley Vi, it was already eleven o''clock at night.


    Edric was furious to see Kinsey holding Irene and staggering into the living room. Irene had gone too


    far.


    Not only did Irene ditch him and go out to eat, but she also got back in such a drunken state to boot. He


    controlled his emotions and got Irene from Kinsey''s hand. When Kinsey handed Irene to Edric before


    she secretly pinched Irene''s wrist, wished her good luck, and left.


    After Kinsey left, Edric carried Irene, who was reeking of alcohol, up the stairs. Irene was very light,


    hence it didn''t take much effort for him to carry her. The distance between the living room and the


    sleeping quarters on the second floor wasn''t far either. However, Edric had been frowning a couple of


    times during the process.


    From the beginning, Irene could hear his wheezing gasps, which indicated that Edric was raging. A little


    nervous, she opened her eyes slightly and secretly nced at Edric, but she met with Edric''s eyes in


    an instant. Thus, she immediately closed her eyes and muttered, "My head is aching badly. Put me


    down! Let me sleep!"


    Edric ignored her and pushed open the bedroom door with Irene in his hands. He then put Irene on the


    bed and helped her take off her coat. Irene was relieved when she felt that she was on the soft bed,


    thinking that she was able to dodge a bullet that night too. There were only a few days left for her


    ovtion to start. At that time, she would be happy to y along with Edric. As long as she seeded


    in making a baby, she would immediately leave.


    When Irene was ted about her perfect n, Edric picked up her clothes. He was about to put them


    aside before suddenly, he found that the smell of alcohol on her clothes was unusually strong. He was


    stupefied for a moment. Then, he put the clothes under his nose and smelled them again. His face


    suddenly changed.


    Edric stared for a few seconds at Irene, who was lying on the bed. Suddenly, he picked Irene up and


    took her into the bathroom. Irene''s heart turned into an arrhythmia again. What was Edric trying to


    aplish by taking her to the bathroom?


    Edric turned on the shower, took off Irene''s clothes quickly, and started bathing her. He was going to


    experiment with his hypothesis. Upon realizing the situation, Irene got so irate that she thought, "D*mn


    Edric, aside from the smell of alcohol, there''s nothing dirty on my body. Is he crazy? To even think off


    giving me a bath."


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Since Irene had already pretended to be drunk, she had no choice but to bite her teeth and continue


    her act. Fortunately, the bathroom was full of fog, therefore she didn''t need to put much effort into her


    act. After a long time, Edric finally finished bathing her. He then wiped her clean and took her back to


    the bed.


    After she got on the bed, Irene breathed a sigh of relief. Was she finally able to have some good sleep


    right then?


    However, she guessed it wrong again. Edric went on the bed and held her tightly in his arms. Irene felt


    very frustrated.


    While Irene was still grumbling about Edric silently, Edric said to her, "Stop pretending. I know you are


    not drunk!"


    Irene did not move an inch, but she was puzzled. How did Edric know that she wasn''t drunk? Was he


    trying to test her if she was bluffing him? "You can''t pretend to be drunk by just pouring some alcohol


    on your body. Irene, I have already washed the smell of alcohol off your body," Edric continued.


    No wonder Edric wanted to give her a bath. He was exposing her lies. Irene was so incensed that she


    wanted to curse him. She thought, "So what? I''m not going to answer you and continue to pretend to


    be asleep! What can you do?"


    When Edric noticed that she was still closing her eyes and did not move an inch, he reached out and


    tickled her. Irene could never stand itchiness, and she finally opened her eyes after not being able to


    hold it back anymore.


    "What do you want? Why won''t you let me sleep?" Irene asked.


    "How dare you pretend to be drunk? Irene, you almost got me!" Edric looked at her with ridicule.


    "I''m not pretending to be drunk!" Irene red at Edric and said confidently, "Can''t I go to sleep? I have


    a headache from drinking alcohol!"


    "What kind of excuse is that? I remember that you didn''t look like this when you were drunk in the


    past," Edric remarked leisurely.


    "The past is the past. There''s nothing that won''t change in this world." Irene sneered.


    "No matter how much you change, you can''t change your character, temper, and habits, can you?"


    Edric asked.


    "What''s the big deal? The current society is materialistic. Even vows can turn into lies, so are there any


    other things that can''t be changed?" Irene hissed.


    "Irene! I''ve always abided by my oath, and I''ve never done anything to betray you!" Edric said.


    "Stop, Mr. Myers! It''s not the time to talk about this now." Irene stared at Edric. "Just do what you want


    to do, and finish up quickly. It''s veryte already. I have to go to work tomorrow!"


    Edric was fuming with wrath. "Irene, am I such a person in your heart? Do you think I''m short of women


    if I want to vent my lust?"


    "Then what do you want to do?" Irene looked impatient.


    "Don''t you know what I want? Irene, we have been husband and wife for three years. I don''t believe


    that you don''t know me at all!" Edric barked.


    Irene used to think that she knew Edric very well, but now she found that she was wrong. "Mr. Myers, I


    think you should be very clear about our rtionship. I don''t expect to get anything from you. Naturally,


    I don''t have the mood to guess what you want to do either. So, if you want to do something, just do it


    immediately."


    "Irene, I want to start over with you again, just like before!" Edric answered.


    "What''s done cannot be undone, Mr. Myers." Irene scoffed. "What''s more, what rights do you have?


    What rights does a man with a fiancee have to say this to other single women?"


    "I... Irene, there''s a reason for that. Please listen to my exnation..." Edric trailed off.


    Irene was very disgusted. Edric was still affectionately persuading Lily to take supplements and take


    care of herself the day before. Still, now, he told her he did all this for a reason. Irene despised him a lot


    for it.


    "Mr. Myers, I''m not interested in listening to your exnation. I''m not a fool. If you sincerely want to


    start over with me, then talk to me after you''ve dealt with your matters. Otherwise, leave!" Irene


    squealed.


    "Irene, does this mean you are really willing to start over with me?" Edric was ted. "Don''t worry. I


    won''t let you wait for too long!"


    "It''ste. I''m exhausted! I have to go to work tomorrow. Let''s talk about itter!" Irene turned around


    and wrapped her head with the quilt.


    Irene didn''t say that she would definitely start over with Edric. She just said that if he were sincere


    enough, he should deal with Lily first. Irene didn''t care how Edric interpreted her words. Of course, she


    didn''t believe that Edric would give up on Lily either.


    Edric thought that he had seen a ray of hope. As long as he could treat Lily''s illness, he would not owe


    her anything anymore; he had already taken action to cure her condition. In order to not let Lily feel any


    burden, he even asked John to make an appointment with a doctor who was famous for treating


    infertility. He even took her to see the doctor personally.


    After feeling Lily''s pulse, the doctor said that Lily was a little weak and would be healthier after taking


    some supplements. Those words were agreed upon before they met. If Lily''s condition wasn''t as bad,


    the doctor would answer it in that way. If it were serious, it would be another kind of answer. The doctor


    some health supplements from the doctor for himself.


    After that, he made a phone call to the doctor. The doctor said that there was nothing wrong with Lily''s


    body besides being slightly anemic. He advised Edric to bring Lily to a hospital to do aprehensive


    examination after taking the supplements.


    Edric decided that after Lily finished the supplements, he would take her to a reputable hospital for a


    thorough check-up. As long as Lily was deemed healthy, he would no longer have to feel guilty towards


    her anymore.


    To Irene''s surprise, Edric didn''t try to do anything funny with her again that evening. She breathed a


    sigh of relief at his calmness and fell asleep with ease.


    However, for Lily, she was worried about many things that night.


    Lily had two things on her mind. One was Edric. Recently, Edric started to treat her well and care about


    her all of a sudden. He even imed that she was too thin and took her and John to meet a famous


    doctor specializing in general health.


    Edric also called her every day to remind her not to forget to take the supplements. The supplements


    were actually very bitter, but upon seeing how much Edric cared for her, Lily pinched her nose and


    drank all of them three times a day on time. After taking it, she would always call Edric andin to


    him.


    Edric didn''t get annoyed at her either. Every time she called and stated that the medicines were too


    bitter, he would gently persuade her to take the supplement. He reminded her that it was good for her


    health and that he himself was taking it as well.


    That matter made the rtionship between Lily and Edric much closer. Lily was even faintly expecting


    Edric to propose to her one day suddenly.


    It was said that good things came in pairs. Ever since Edric started to treat her well, Irene, that unlucky


    omen, had moved away from the Cook family too. Without Irene''s sarcasm, Deborah and her life was


    getting better. However, when she went to a banquet that night, she was sshed with cold water on


    her head.


    The rich girl who had beenpeting with Lily all the time informed Lily that she saw Edric in the


    hospital the previous night, apanied by a gorgeous woman.


    Lily pretended to be nonchnt, but inwardly she was guessing who the woman apanied Edric to


    the hospital. There were not manydies around Edric, and the only one she could think of was


    Rowane. Was it really Rowane?


    That sudden realization made her in no mood to stay at the banquet, thus she made an excuse that


    she had something urgent to attend to in her family and left early. On her way home, Lily called Loraine


    and asked about Edric''s situation. As a result, Loraine reported that not only did Edric not go home the


    previous day, but he also hadn''te back that day as well.


    Lily''s started to feel suspicious. Not going home for a night was still understandable, but not going


    home for two nights was very fishy.


    Lily was in a bad mood when she suddenly saw Deborah. Deborah was getting out of a man''s car with


    a pair of sunsses and a hat.


    Didn''t Deborah say that she was going to the beauty salon? How did going to a beauty salon have


    anything to do with a man?


    Lily immediately called Deborah and asked her where she was. Deborah answered that she was in the


    beauty salon. If she responded that she was meeting a friend, Lily would not doubt anything. But


    Deborah didn''t, which made Lily very worried.


    "Is Mom cheating on Dad behind his back?" Lily wondered, but she was shocked with that thought of


    hers. "It can''t be. Mom and that man must just be friends. But, what kind of friend needs to wear a hat


    and sunsses when they meet?"


    Not long after Lily returned home, Deborah came back too. Deborah asked Lily why she came back so


    early. Right then, Lily was dumbstruck to see Deborah''s clothes.


    Deborah wasn''t wearing those clothes she wore in the car just then. Why did Deborah change her


    clothes? The bad feeling in Lily''s heart suddenly became stronger.


    Lily then returned to her room quietly andid on the bed. Her heart was in a mess. On the one hand, it


    was about Edric not returning home, and on the other hand, it was about why Deborah went to meet a


    man in such a sneaky manner.


    That night, Lily couldn''t fall asleep even after tossing and turning for a long time. No, she had to figure


    out what Edric was doing recently. In addition to that, she had to find out the rtionship between


    Deborah and that man too.

 Chapter 120 Discovery

    Chapter 120 Discovery


    Thomas didn''t know that Irene had changed jobs. When Irene went to visit him that day, it suddenly


    came to mind that he hadn''t seen Jordan in a while. Therefore, he asked Irene, "Why haven''t I seen


    Jordan around recently?"


    Irene fell silent for a moment before answering, "Uncle Thomas, Jordan is engaged. I also quit my job


    and found a new one."


    "When did this happen?" Thomas asked in surprise.


    "It''s been a few days," Irene answered.


    "That b*stard! Like father, like son! They''re both b*stards!" Enraged, Thomas cursed at Jordan.


    Thomas had initially thought that Jordan was worthy of Irene, as someone who would protect her all


    her life. But, he didn''t expect that he would be so wrong. The situation now was exactly the same as


    Ma and Myra''s. Myra was left waiting for Ma, who married Lydia without any warning nor


    exnation.


    "Don''t me him. I''m the one to me! It''s my fault!" Irene smiled bitterly and filled Thomas in on what


    had happened.


    Hearing that, Thomas sighed heavily. "Irene, that''s not how things are. Your mom did not do anything


    wrong. It''s just that... Sigh. Jordan went too far... Forget it, you guys are not fated to be..." Speaking in


    a low voice, Thomas exhaled deeply again.


    "Uncle Thomas, Jordan wasn''t the one at fault. Neither was my mother. Ma was the guilty one.


    Since he''s married, he should shoulder the responsibility he has as a spouse and father. How could he


    neglect his wife and son?" Irene grew enraged when she remembered the scene of Ma bringing a


    rose to Myra''s tomb. "He had the gall to show up at my mom''s tomb to mourn her, acting like he was


    still deeply in love. How disgusting!"


    Thomas let out another sigh. "When emotions are involved, things beplicated. Ma might


    have his own difficulties to deal with."


    "Even if he did, how could he be so shameless?" Rage consumed Irene. "Is hepletely devoid of


    When Thomas saw how angry Irene was, he recalled Marie''s threat. If Marie told Irene that he wasn''t


    actually Thomas Nelson, what would Irene think? He had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his


    stomach.


    After Jordan''s engagement, he returned to San Fetillo. When he returned, it struck David right away


    how much Jordan had changed. He was no longer the yful Jordan he used to be. He had be


    much more matured and silent.


    Internally, David shook his head. No wonder it was said that maturity came after a painful love. Jordan


    must have truly loved Irene.


    On that day, not long after Jordan reached thepany, Thomas suddenly came to pay a visit. After


    leading Thomas to Jordan''s office, David tactfully left the office and closed the door behind him.


    Jordan stood up and personally served a cup of tea to Thomas, but Thomas did not drink it. Instead, he


    said, "I just found out that you''ve gotten engaged, so I came here to congratte you!"


    "I''m sorry." Jordan bowed his head.


    "Will your apology change anything? You''ve disappointed me! I always thought that you would be


    different from your father. To my surprise, I''ve misjudged you entirely!" Thomas was furious.


    "It''s all my fault. I wanted to give Irene happiness, but there was no way for me to just pretend nothing


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    had happened in the past!" Jordan said.


    After he found out everything, he pondered over it for a long while. He couldn''t forget Irene. Even if she


    was the daughter of the woman he hated the most, he was certain that Irene would never leave his


    heart. However, right then, the problem he was facing wasn''t if he could ept Irene, but the reverse.


    It was whether Irene would ept him back into her heart upon knowing the truth. Compared to her


    uncovering the truth in the future and suffering then, it would be better to put an end to it now. That was


    why he chose to take a step back.


    "Jordan! Do you even know what love is? How can you pin Ma''s fault on Irene?" Thomas asked.


    Jordan remained silent. He understood Thomas'' anger, and he did not want to make excuses for


    himself. What could he even achieve by defending himself?


    Faced with Jordan''s silence, Thomas became even more enraged. "Jordan, you will regret it! I''m telling


    you now, your hatred is misdirected. Irene''s mother did not do anything ashamed at all. You don''t have


    the right to hate her. Everything is your b*stard father''s fault. He was the one who abandoned you in


    the end. He didn''t see his responsibility through. If you want to direct your hatred at someone so badly,


    he''s the only one you should hate!"


    "I''m well aware of everything you''ve told me," Jordan said very calmly. "I don''t hate Irene''s mother."


    "Then why did you get engaged to another woman?" Thomas red at Jordan; he was indescribably


    disappointed with Jordan. "Jordan, you''re a b*stard! You''re a b*stard, just like your father!"


    "I know I am, but what would you have done if you were in my shoes? Do you want me to keep it a


    secret forever? If Irene knows that her mom''s death was caused by my mother, how would she think of


    me? Isn''t she going to be in pain all the time?" Jordan finally told Thomas what he was really worrying


    over.


    "Myra''s death has nothing to do with your mother!" Thomas denied tly. Myra''s death was due to an


    ident, after Steven had cheated on her. There was no corrtion between Myra''s death and Lydia


    at all.


    "I had a chat with Ma. He told me that Irene''s mom got into a car ident after my mom invited


    her out. ording to him, my mom was the one behind that car ident. I went to ask her about it too,


    and she didn''t deny it! Grandpa also said the same thing," Jordan exined.


    "No! It must have been a mistake." Thomas shook his head. He remembered very clearly that Myra


    called him before the incident, and told him that she regretted marrying Steven.


    After Thomas probed her on what had happened back then, Myra replied that Steven had a mistress


    and an illegitimate daughter behind her back while choking and sobbing. Thomas then asked her who


    Steven''s lover was, but Myra refused to tell him. She just cried.


    Thomas thought of Myra as a strong person. So, being privy to Myra crying helplessly made him very


    worried. After he got her location from her, he immediately hailed a taxi and rushed over.


    However, when he arrived, he couldn''t find Myra. Later, when he saw her in the hospital next, she was


    already dying. She asked Thomas to take care of Irene and to take her ashes back to San Fetillo for a


    burial.


    It was after Myra''s death that Thomas learned the truth. Steven''s lover was Myra''s best friend,


    Deborah. Her own husband having an affair with her best friend¡ªit must''ve been devastating for Myra.


    No wonder she could not ept the truth.


    Judging from the time of Myra''s phone call and that of the car ident, she would not have the time or


    been in a fit state to meet Lydia. Thomas was sure that her death had nothing to do with Lydia.


    Jordan did not see thising at all. He had a gut feeling that things were not as simple as they


    seemed on the surface. Since Myra''s death had nothing to do with Lydia, why did Lydia choose to


    acknowledge it?


    After Thomas'' departure, Jordan couldn''t sit still any longer. He decided to return and ask Lydia about


    it.


    Lydia had made a full recovery. Her suicide attempt was not to threaten Jordan, but because she truly


    wished to die. Ma disliked her, and Jordan was in love with Irene, the daughter of her love rival.


    Not only that, but Jordan also misunderstood and used her. All of it caused a huge stressor to


    Lydia, thus ultimately she chose to end her life.


    However, she did not expect Jordan to agree to an engagement with Joanne. After Jordan''s proposal


    to Joanne, he immediately flew back to San Fetillo to deal with his work affairs.


    As Jordan''s fiancee, Joanne came to visit Lydia every day. The more Lydia saw Joanne, the more she


    liked Joanne. Such a gentle, kind and beautifuldy was far more suitable for Jordan than Irene.


    Of course, it never urred to Lydia that Jordan woulde back to inquire about Myra''s death again.


    In the face of Jordan''s second interrogation, Lydia told him the truth.


    She had called Myra to arrange a meeting, but Myra had refused the invitation resolutely. Lydia


    exined, "She said that she will never do anything that would betray her family, her marriage, and her


    daughter. She even told me to stop harassing her!"


    Lydia did not believe that. Not giving up, she sent someone to tail Myra, in an attempt to stop and meet


    her after finding out her whereabouts.


    The person following Myra that day reported that Myra entered a restaurant in Alsburg City. After Lydia


    heard the news, she rushed over immediately, but when she arrived, she was informed by the person


    that Myra was meeting someone else in one of the restaurant''s private rooms.


    Thus, she waited for Myra outside. After waiting for about half an hour, she saw Myra stumbling out of


    the room.


    At that time, Myra''s face was already stained with tears and she looked very dejected. Lydia got up and


    followed Myra out. After Myra ran out of the restaurant, she did not leave the vicinity immediately. Lydia


    saw her tearfully making a phone call in the telephone booth next to the restaurant.


    Later, Myra paced out of the telephone booth and went to an intersection. She was wiping her tears


    while she walked across the street unsteadily. Right then, a big truck came roaring towards her. Lydia


    watched as Myra got hit by the truck and her body hurtled away.


    Lydia could still feel some feat when she recalled what had happened that day. After the truck hit Myra,


    the driver immediately dashed away while Myra was lying limply on the blood-soaked road.


    Lydia saw Myra struggling in a pool of her own blood, but she did note forward to save her. If Lydia


    hade to Myra''s aid at that time and sent her to the hospital immediately, Myra might not have died.


    Nevertheless, what she chose at that time was to stand by and watch. At the moment, she thought that


    all her hardships were because of Myra. If Myra died, Ma might change his mind; Jordan would


    not lose Ma at such a young age too.


    Between Myra''s life and her selfishness, Lydia chose thetter. Since then, whenever she had any


    spare time to herself, her mind always returned to the recollection of Myra whimpering in pain as she


    Nheless, Myra''s death didn''t change Ma''s mind. On the contrary, he grew more distant from


    her. He even med Myra''s death on her as he somehow found out that she had invited Myra out that


    very day.


    Ever since Myra''s death, Ma had never returned home. Lydia thought of that as her retribution.


    God was punishing her for not saving Myra, letting her endure that suffering in her final moment.


    It was thus that she turned to a vegetarian diet and prayed every day for all those years. Ma was


    not wrong. She was indeed repenting for her indifference and selfishness at that time.


    Jordan could have never imagined the truth. He asked, "Since you didn''t do it, why didn''t you exin it


    to Ma? Why did you let him continue to misunderstand you?"


    "What''s the point of exining when he''s so deeply prejudiced against me? He won''t believe me even


    if I told him the truth. Plus, I did appear at the scene of Myra''s ident. Although I didn''t expressly


    cause Myra''s death, it is an undeniable truth that I didn''t save her," Lydia said.


    "Sure, Ma won''t believe you, but what about me? I would believe you. Why didn''t you exin it to


    me? Why did you admit to killing Myra when I asked you about it before?" Jordan continued


    questioning Lydia.


    "You are my son, but you came with such usatory questions to me for that girl. Do Ie second to


    that girl in your heart?" Lydia asked.


    "Still, you shouldn''t have lied. Do you know that I made a big decision because of your words? I gave


    up the girl I loved the most! Mom, do you really want to see me be lonely for the rest of my life just like


    you?" Jordan was in great pain.


    "What are you talking about?" Lydia''s temper rose. "Joanne is such a good girl. What don''t you like


    about her?"


    "Aren''t you a nice person too? Why doesn''t Ma like you?" Jordan retorted.


    "I... That''s because he''s infatuated with someone else!" Lydia eximed.


    "Then, I''m the same!" Jordan smiled bitterly. "Mom! Speaking honestly, besides Irene, I can''t love


    anyone else. I got engaged to Joanne solely because you like her. Since I can''t be with Irene, it''s all the


    same no matter who I get engaged to. So in order to make you happy, I chose Joanne! Mom, you''ve


    led a miserable life yourself. Why do you want to subject others to the same misery?"


    "Jordan, I''m thinking ahead for your sake! Joanne is a lovely girl whoes from a good family. It''s not


    easy to find a wife like her! I really like her too, so I want to have her at my side," Lydia said.


    "Mom, if you''re thinking ahead for my sake, and for Joanne''s, you''d better convince Joanne to call off


    the engagement," Jordan replied.


    "What do you mean, Jordan?" Lydia was taken aback.

 Chapter 121 Thorns in Her Side

    Chapter 121 Thorns in Her Side


    "You''re asking me what I mean? I''ve already made a three-yearmitment to Joanne. If she still


    insists on marrying me after three years of our engagement, I will marry her, but you have to make it


    clear to Joanne that your current life is an exact portrayal of her future!" After saying that, Jordan left


    right away.


    Lydia was frozen on the spot! She knew best what kind of life she had experienced for all these years.


    It was difficult to think of a young and beautiful woman like Joanne wasting away her youth, just like


    Lydia. Malcolm was truly scum. Not only did he abandon his child, but he had also passed on the


    stupid, useless trait of blind faithfulness to Jordan she had painstakingly raised.


    Jordan angrily left Lydia''s yard and returned to the mansion. As he was in a bad mood, he did not go


    and see Pedro. Instead, he went straight to the airport, ready to depart for San Fetillo. On the way, he


    suddenly recalled something¡ªording to Lydia, Myra was meeting someone in the restaurant before


    Myra left there in tears. In her sadness, she had run out onto the road and met with that fatal ident.


    His anger had clouded his thoughts; itpletely slipped his mind to ask her who Myra was meeting


    on that fateful day.


    Jordan had a nagging suspicion about it, therefore he turned back and went to the Reed family once


    more. When Lydia heard that Jordan went straight to the airport after leaving, she was furious.


    However, she did not expect Jordan to return to the residence once more. Surprised, Lydia asked him,


    "Why are you back here again?"


    "Mom, do you know who Myra went to meet?" Jordan asked.


    Lydia had not considered the possibility that Jordan returned was to ask more about Myra. Lydia''s


    expression darkened; she turned her face away.


    "Mom, please tell me!" Jordan begged.


    "I don''t know," Lydia said.


    "Is that true?" Jordan asked again.


    Seeing Jordan''s expression, Lydia''s tone softened. "On that day, I nced inside the private room


    when the door was opened. It was a very beautiful woman who met with Myra."


    A very beautiful woman? Jordan thought of Thomas'' words. Thomas had said that Myra''s death was


    not because of Lydia, but it was in fact caused by Steven cheating on Myra and having an illegitimate


    daughter with his lover. Was it Deborah who met Myra, then?


    He picked up his phone and called David. "Get a picture of Mrs. Cook and send it to me immediately."


    David immediately booted up theputer and searched for a photo of Deborah before he sent it to


    Jordan''s phone. Jordan gave Deborah''s photo to Lydia to have a look, but Lydia could not confirm it.


    She said, "There''s some simrity. I only got to take a brief nce at her that day before I went after


    Myra. I can''t say for sure."


    Although Lydia was hesitant to give an affirmative answer, Jordan already had a hunch that Deborah


    must have met with Myra. Myra must be going to expose Deborah''s secret love affair with Steven.


    Who could possibly ept the fact that their own best friend was having an affair with their husband? It


    was no wonder that Myra, upon hearing that, ran out in sorrow and unfortunately got into a car


    ident.


    The real culprit behind that incident was Deborah, and only Deborah and Lily had benefited from this


    ident.


    After Myra''s death, Deborah had be the official Mrs. Cook, and Lily had also be Steven''s


    That wasn''t the end of the story. Lily even went to seduce Edric, which in turn made Irene being driven


    out of her own marriage without any alimony.


    After Irene was chased out of the Myers family, she lived a vagrant life. One could only imagine how


    difficult her life had been up till that point, but as it were, God was blind to her suffering. To top it all off,


    Eden was diagnosed with leukemia. If it weren''t for Deborah and Lily''s schemes, Irene''s life would have


    beenpletely different.


    A cold gleam appeared in Jordan''s eyes. Deborah and Lily were the thorns in Irene''s side, who had


    orchestrated Irene''s current pitiful state. He would never let them off!


    Karma dictated that what was stolen from others would surely find its way back to them. Jordan


    pledged that to make Deborah and Lily return what they had stolen away from Irene!


    Lily began to follow Edric in secret. After disguising herself, she rented a car and waited on the street


    outside Edric''spany. During the day, Edric would go to work normally and meet his clients. During


    that period, John would always be with him.


    After getting off work in the evening, Edric and John would leave thepany in their own cars. Lily


    followed Edric''s car from afar. Edric drove into the parking lot of a supermarket. Lily did not dare to


    follow him in, hence she waited outside.


    Half an hourter, Edric left the supermarket. Lily kept up with following him, all the way to Chandelle


    Valley.


    Lily had a rich friend whose vi was in Chandelle Valley; thus, she had been there as a guest before.


    She knew that the design and interior decorations of each vi were top-notch.


    She also knew that Edric had a vi for himself there, but he had never brought her there. After getting


    engaged to Edric, she had been looking forward to living there after their marriage.


    Lily stopped the car at the gates of Chandelle Valley because the car she rented was too shabby. The


    security guard would not let her pass unless she told him who she was going to meet, thus she had no


    choice but to park the car outside.


    After waiting outside for about an hour, she saw a familiar figure appear. It was Irene.


    Carrying a purse, Irene walked inside the gates. Seeing the security guards greeting her, Lily''s jealousy


    reached a fever-pitch. She, Edric''swful fiancee, was stopped outside; meanwhile, Irene, that little


    b*tch, got to enter the premises boldly. Lily seethed with hatred for Irene. For a second, Lily really


    wanted to get out of the car and rush inside the vi area to cause a scene.


    However, that remained just a fantasy that she kept in her mind. She was a well-educated woman. She


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    would not stoop to such a shameless level!


    Lily took a deep breath, releasing some of her pent-up hatred and anger. Right then and there, she


    finally understood everything. No wonder Irene, that b*tch, wanted to move out. The reason was right


    before her eyes now.


    Irene opened the door and entered the vi. Hearing the sound of the door opening, Edric came out of


    the kitchen to wee her. He was wearing a cartoon apron, which frankly, looked a little out of ce


    on him. Upon seeing Irene, he giggled warmly and said, "I''ve finished preparing the ingredients. All


    that''s left is for you to cook, and then we can sit down together for a meal."


    His demeanor was as though he had just ended world hunger, or done something equally


    extraordinary. Irene looked him up and down and drawled, "I''m sorry. I haven''t cooked for many years,


    so I''ve forgotten how to!"


    "You don''t know how to cook anymore?" Edric thought that he had misheard her. Maybe his ears were


    beginning to go bad. "Are you an amnesiac?"


    Irene did not answer him. Instead, she walked past him and sat on the sofa, asking, "Mr. Myers, is it


    written in the contract that I have to cook?"


    Edric was at a loss. He replied, "No."


    "Then, why does it matter if I''m an amnesiac who''s forgotten how to cook?" Irene asked.


    "You used to be good at cooking, right? You liked cooking a lot, right?" Edric did not let up.


    She was good at cooking? She liked cooking a lot? Irenemended his insensitiveness; he could


    even blurt outments as such. Did he think that she was born with a passion for cooking?


    The corners of Irene''s lips twitched, as she said, "I am no longer the same person that you know. I


    couldn''t have food on the table without putting in my own effort. I did what I had to then. But right now,


    I''m a working woman and the breadwinner of the family, so I usually get takeout to save myself the


    trouble. Besides, I''m not interested in cooking at all. Thus, I don''t know how to and I won''t learn it too!"


    When Edric heard her words, his body instinctively stiffened. Then, he gestured with his hand and said


    helplessly, "Okay, I''ll do it if you don''t want to."


    Irene looked at him in surprise. "Mr. Myers, you actually know how to cook?"


    "No. But if you think about it, it''s just throwing some food into a pan, right? There''s nothing difficult


    about that," Edric answered.


    His words made Irene sneer. "Mr. Myers, what are you trying to do? Do you think I''ll be as naive as


    before and fall for you? Save it. I am not interested in a frivolous man that''s been passed around. Used


    goods, basically. Don''t even think of seducing me with your sugarcoated words and acts!"


    After hearing what she said, Edric''s expression changed. He had been going into the kitchen, but he


    stopped dead in his tracks. "Who are you referring to as ''used goods''?"


    "You! No, even that''s too generous of a description for you. You mess around with not only Lily but


    Rowane too. I have enough evidence to believe that you''re stringing along a lot more women outside


    that I don''t know of. It would be more apt to say that you''re a gigolo!"


    Edric red at her for a few seconds with seething rage in his eyes. Then, he took off the apron and


    threw it on the ground, striding away.


    Irene tittered. She couldn''t care less about Edric''s departure; in fact, that was what she had hoped for.


    After Edric left, Irene opened her purse and took out an ovtion test kit. Two purplish-red lines had


    appeared on it, but they were lighter in color than before. It seemed that her ovtion period was


    drawing near.


    Lily angrily drove home and told Deborah about Irene''s appearance at Chandelle Valley. "Mom, what


    should we do now?"


    Deborah scoffed. "Since she wants to get under our skin so much, then I''ll make sure that she regrets


    it!"


    "What are you going to do?" Lily asked.


    "Didn''t she point fingers at me, saying I was a mistress? I want her to know how it feels like to be


    used by countless people as being a mistress!" Hatred shed across Deborah''s eyes.


    In the morning, Irene was woken up her rm clock. When she opened her eyes, she found that Edric


    was also sleeping on the bed. To her surprise, Edric actually came back at midnight.


    It was really unexpected. She quietly got up from the bed. Edric also woke up at the same time then.


    He said, "I''ll take you to work. You don''t have to take the bus!"


    Irene ignored him and rushed straight into the bathroom. While she was brushing her teeth, Edric came


    in with her phone in his hand. "Your manager is calling!" he informed her.


    Irene took it. Wilson told her to not go to thepany, but to go directly to the Myers Group instead as


    the twopanies were going to sign a contract that day.


    After Irene hung up, Edric chuckled and said, "It''s settled then. I''ll take you there! After all, I''m heading


    there too."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Irene red at Edric fiercely. "Edric, did you do this? Did you disclose


    our rtionship to others?"


    "No, I didn''t," Edric answered innocently. He was afraid that Irene would not believe him, so he added,


    "Do I look like I''m that free?"


    Irene ended up taking Edric''s car. Edric insisted that it was still early in the day, thus he took her for


    breakfast. When they arrived at Edric''spany, it was already 9: 30 in the morning. Wilson was


    nowhere to be seen yet.


    She sat in the reception room of Edric''spany for a while before Wilson arrived. The process of


    signing the contract went smoothly. After that, Edric treated them to food again. While they were in the


    midst of eating, Wilson said that he had something to attend to and left after he answered a call,


    leaving Irene to apany Edric for the meal.


    No matter how slow Irene was, she knew that things were amiss. She suggested going with Wilson, but


    Wilson told her not to. He told her that apanying Edric was also part of her work.


    Throughout the meal, Irene was in a gloomy mood, but Edric on the other hand was ted, constantly


    serving dishes to her.


    After the meal, Edric proposed sending Irene back to herpany. Irene couldn''t bear it anymore. She


    asked, "Edric, you really have nothing better to do, huh?"


    Edric gave in after he saw how irate Irene was.

 Chapter 122 Same Old Trick

    Chapter 122 Same Old Trick


    When they returned to the Chandelle Valley in the evening, Edric, who had been teased by Irene the


    previous day, did not prepare ingredients to cook dinner again. Instead, he took Irene to San Fetillo


    Hotel, where they had been before. Irene enjoyed the meal very much as the food there was her


    favorite.


    After returning to the vi, she went to the bathroom to have another test when Edric was dealing with


    business in the study. She found that the color was still the same as that in the morning, which


    indicated her ovtion period would be in these few days. This showed that Irene should start having


    sex with Edric. Though, she always felt ufortable about it.


    "I''m going all out for Eden! If Edric asks for it, I won''t refuse him tonight!" Irene thought as if she swore.


    Irene was mentally prepared, but Edric was busy dealing with business in the study. She fell asleep


    When Irene arrived at thepany the next day, she suddenly found that the atmosphere in the office


    seemed to be different from usual. She assumed that she had overthought. Later, when she went to the


    pantry, she unexpectedly overheard gossips.


    "No wonder I felt that she looked familiar. I didn''t know that she had been on the Matchmaking


    Programme before until I saw the news. Her news gave rise to much discussion at that time. Later, she


    went out with an unknown man. Looking at her stunning look on the show before, I thought she and


    that man would get married, but I didn''t expect..."


    "Only you would believe it. I never believe in the Matchmaking Programme. It''s just a gimmick that the


    TV station nned to boost the ratings," anotherdy remarked.


    "Is Irene not a single mother? If so, why are there so many bachelors fond of her? The Mr. Reed of the


    Golden Age Group used to like her, and so does the Mr. Myers of the Myers Group. What do these


    men like about her?" asked one of the girls.


    "Because she''s pretty! Don''t you think she''s pretty?"


    The tallest girl then scoffed and chimed, "So what? She''s just a mistress. No matter what, she wouldn''t


    join them for official events."


    Irene could not bear to listen to them any longer and rushed in with a cup in her hand. The people who


    were gossiping about her did not expect her to show up. For a moment, their faces were colored with


    awkwardness, and they dismissed immediately.


    Irene felt a wave of raging anger within her. She wondered why these people were gossiping about her


    in the pantry. What on earth happened?


    Just as she was pondering, her phone rang. She answered the phone and heard Kinsey saying, "Oh


    no, Irene! Someone leaked out the matter between you and Edric, and everyone is seeing you as a


    mistress now. The TV program you''ve participated in has also been mentioned. It has a terrible impact


    on you now. You''d better be mentally prepared."


    With the phone in her hand, Irene was stunned. After a while, she ran back to the office. When the


    people in the office saw hering in, they stopped talking instantly. She went back to her own seat


    and clicked on the browser while she took in the overwhelming information.


    She saw the photos of her having meals with Edric, riding the same car together, and her entering the


    Chandelle Valley. The news reported that Edric had a new lover again and that the new lover was


    suspected to be the single mother of the Matchmaking Program, Irene.


    She nced at the context in a hurry. The media reported that she was not a single mother but used


    this identity to deceive the public. It turned out that she had always been a mistress and trying to marry


    a son from a wealthy and influential family. She used to hook up with Jordan, but the Reed family


    opposed their rtionship. Now, she chose to sleep with Edric again. She obviously knew that Edric


    was engaged but still lived with him in the same house.


    All thements below were criticism of her as a shameless mistress. Irene''s hands were shaking.


    She regained herposure, stood up from her seat, and walked into Wilson''s office. She tried her


    best to keep calm and asked for leave from Wilson. She had to find a ce where no one was around


    to calm down and think about ways to deal with this matter.


    Unexpectedly, when she marched out of thepany, she met a group of reporters approaching her.


    They raised the cameras at her and asked her all kinds of questions. There were even a few tall and


    strong women who rushed out of nowhere reproached her.


    "I used to admire you very much. I thought it had been difficult for you, a single mother, to raise your


    child, but I didn''t expect you to be a mistress! All my sympathy for you is gone now..."


    "Don''t let her go just like that! We should expose all the nasty things that the shameless people like her


    have done to the public," another yelled.


    "What a d*mn brazen mistress! I''ll beat her to death!" They all cursed ferociously at Irene, as if they


    hated her to the core. The shlights flickered one after another, dazzling Irene''s eyes.


    Several women kept attacking Irene with foulnguage. One of them actually dashed toward her and


    tried to catch her hair. All of them seemed to be righteous and indignant as if Irene had destroyed their


    families.


    Irene took a step back instinctively. Suddenly, one of them grabbed her hair, and another pounced on


    her. Irene had never fought with anyone before. Her scalp was painful because of the tugging. Hence,


    she tried to block them off with all her strength subconsciously.


    The woman, who was tugging Irene''s hair, was hit in the eye by Irene''s hand. The eyes were a


    sensitive part of our human body. Besides, Irene exerted a lot of strength because she was in great


    pain. Hence, the woman screamed aloud and let go of Irene. Several other women insulted and


    surrounded Irene, ready to besiege her. Fortunately, Wilson came with the security guards. The


    security guards went forward to separate the women before Irene staggered and ran out.


    When Edric saw the news report, he called Irene immediately, but her phone was already turned off.


    Then, he called Wilson immediately and asked him to stop Irene from leaving thepany. When


    Wilson received the order, he did not dare to dilly-dally for sure. He hurried down and saw the people


    were surrounding Irene, therefore he immediately came to her rescue.


    Edric hung up the phone and drove over in a hurry. When he arrived at Irene''spany, Irene had


    already disappeared.


    The women who caused trouble and reporters had not yet left. Edric ordered the security guards to get


    hold of them and send them to the police station. Then, he drove to look for Irene right away.


    He called the Cook family first and asked if Irene had returned home. Maisy answered him that Irene


    had not returned home yet. Upon hearing this, he drove back to Chandelle Valley again.


    Edric did not see Irene at Chandelle Valley. The security guard at the entrance said that he did not see


    Ireneing back too. Hence, he had to rush to Thomas'' residence again. When he arrived at


    Thomas'' residence, Jordan''s car was also seen parked there.


    The two went upstairs together and knocked on Thomas'' door. Seeing Jordan and Edric appeared


    together, Thomas became a little worried at once and asked what had happened.


    Certainly, they would not tell Thomas about the incident. They just told Thomas to call them if Irene


    came back and then drove away immediately.


    Jordan called Kinsey again. Kinsey answered that Irene didn''t go to her ce, and there were only a


    few ces where Irene might go.


    Edric and Jordan looked at each other, and they couldn''t care much at this moment. They decided to


    look for Irene separately. Jordan was responsible for calling Thomas and Kinsey, while Edric was


    responsible for calling the Cook family. If they had news about Irene, they would inform each other.


    Edric drove the car aimlessly on the street to look for Irene and went to check on the ce wherever


    she might appear. He even went to check on Chijmes Building but found no trace of her.


    Edric really didn''t know which direction he should drive toward now. He instructed John to arrange for


    someone to call the Cook family every three minutes and ask whether Irene had gone home.


    Meanwhile, he and John were driving along the street to look for Irene. The sky darkened gradually.


    Edric drove the car slowly, and he never averted his gaze from the street. He only hoped that Irene


    would appear out of a corner suddenly.


    However, no matter how many corners he searched and how many streets he wandered, he could not


    find her. It was as if Irene had disappeared.


    Finally, when Edric almost searched all the streets and alleys in San Fetillo, John remembered


    something all of a sudden and said, "Mr. Myers, we can check on the surveince video to see what


    happened after Miss Nelson left thepany. If she left by car, as long as we got the car registration


    number..."


    That was right! Edric must be confused from being too panicked a while ago. How could he not think of


    this? He ordered John immediately, "Hurry up! Go to the police station right away!"


    They had connections in the police station. Soon, Edric found the surveince video of Irene after


    things happened.


    The footage showed that Irene rushed out of the crowd and went straight to a bus that stopped by the


    road. Edric had been staring at the screen all the time. He noticed that after Irene hopped onto the bus,


    she never got down.


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    The terminus station was by the sea. Edric panicked instantly and thought, "Irene couldn''t be thinking


    about ending her life, could she?"


    Edric took out his phone hastily and called Jordan, "Irene took the bus to the beach!"


    Upon hearing this, Jordan was also stunned. "I''ll be there right away."


    When Edric was calling Maisy to ask about Irene''s news every three minutes, Deborah and Lily were


    "It''s the best if she feels too ashamed that she chose to end her life," they thought viciously.


    Edric sped the car and rushed to the beach.


    The two-hour journey only took Edric half an hour to reach. He parked the car by the beach and hurried


    to the beach, shouting as he searched, "Irene... Irene... Irene..."


    There was no response. Edric continued to scream as he walked along the beach, and suddenly his


    feet hit something.


    He looked down and found that it was a shoe. He picked it up and looked at it carefully, only to discover


    that it was Irene''s shoe. She was indeed at the beach. ted, Edric rushed to the sea quickly.


    The beach was pitch-ck as there was no light at night. Finally, he saw a fair girl on the ground not far


    away. Edric thought he saw it wrong. Thus, he hurried forward and finally saw that it was indeed a


    person curling up on the beach...


    "Irene!" He cried out in distress and reached out his hands to hold her in his arms rapidly.


    Irene''s clothes were all wet, and her whole body was boiling. Edric called her name a few times, but


    she did not answer him. He had to carry her and went back to his car.


    When he was walking halfway back, he met Jordan, who was running in their direction. "How''s she


    doing?"


    Jordan asked anxiously. At the same time, he reached out to pick up Irene, who was in Edric''s arms.


    "Hurry up and get the car!" Edric naturally would not hand Irene over to Jordan. He just ordered Jordan


    to drive the car over quickly.


    Jordan did not argue with Edric and drove over his car immediately. Edric held Irene in his arms and


    sat in the back seat. "Hurry up! She seems to have a fever. We have to send her to the hospital as


    soon as possible," Edric urged.


    Jordan had no time to debate with Edric. The most important thing was to hurry up and send Irene to


    the hospital.


    Irene was in aa, and her whole body was brewing with heat. She only wore a shoe on her foot,


    while the other foot, which was not wearing the shoe, was scrapped.


    Edric''s heart ached a lot. It was he who had caused her so much harm. He was such a jerk!

 Chapter 123 Worried And Frightened

    Chapter 123 Worried And Frightened


    Jordan and Edric quickly arrived at the hospital with Irene. The doctor gave Irene emergency treatment


    right away. After the treatment, Irene was sent to the ward. The doctor told them that she had no


    serious problem and would be fine after some rest. Hearing the doctor''s words, Jordan and Edric


    looked at each other, and both heaved a sigh of relief.


    After Irene rushed out of the office, she went on a bus in a daze. The bus continued to drive forward,


    and she sat on her seat nkly until she was the only passenger left on the bus.


    The night fell, and the scenery outside the window turned into aplete ck. When the bus driver


    announced that they had arrived at the terminal station, Irene stood up at once.


    The bus driver opened the door, and she got out of the bus slowly. She felt chilly as the evening breeze


    blew on her. She stared at the dark sky nkly, and there was a salty scent in the air.


    Realizing that she was not far from the beach now, Irene stumbled to the beach and walked into the


    sea slowly.


    For the first time in her life, she felt so exhausted and desperate!


    "What''s the point of living? It''s best if I just end my life."


    This thought made Irene stroll to the middle of the sea slowly. The seawater passed her feet gradually,


    then her ankles, her waist, her chest, and finally her neck.


    At this time, Eden''s innocent face appeared before her eyes all of a sudden. Eden was crying and


    screaming heartbreakingly, "Mommy! Mommy, you can''t die! What am I going to do if you are gone? If


    you die, I will be an orphan!"


    Eden would be so pitiful if Irene left him alone in this world. Irene had never had a mother since she


    was a child. Thus, she knew very well how challenging and pathetic Eden''s life would be without her.


    When Irene thought of her past, she immediately came to her sense. It was as if she had been


    enlightened. She struggled to return to the shore, but just as she was about to reach the shore, a huge


    wave washed over her suddenly.


    Everything went dark before her eyes, and she lost her consciousnesster on.


    Deborah and Lily looked at thements on the Inte gloatingly while listening to the movements


    outside. Every ten minutes, Maisy would pick up the phone. As time went by, Edric finally stopped


    calling. Deborah and Lily looked at each other, and it seemed that Edric had found the little b*tch.


    "Mom, what should we do now?" Lily asked.


    "Since such a serious matter has happened, we can''t pretend that we don''t know anything. Call Edric


    and ask him about Irene," Deborah ordered.


    Lily followed Deborah''s instruction and made a phone call to Edric, but no one answered. She didn''t


    give up and called him again a few more times but to no avail.


    "Mom, he didn''t answer my phone. Do you think he is suspecting me now?" Right then, her phone


    rang. Lily picked it up. It was Freya who called.


    "Lily, something terrible had happened! Those women... those women... police station..." Freya was so


    nervous that she couldn''t speak coherently. "It''s... police station... the people who went to attack Irene


    were taken to the police station!"


    "What did you say?" Lily was so frustrated that she gnashed her teeth. "Didn''t you ask them to leave


    after causing a scene? How could you allow them to be arrested?" Lily asked.


    "Well, they nned to leave after making a scene, but the security guards stopped them... Later, all of


    them were arrested and taken to the police station. They are all my rtives. What should I do if they


    give away my name?" Freya panicked.


    "You can''t do even do one thing right!" Lily rebuked. She was so furious. "Didn''t I ask you to find


    random, unrted people? Why did you go to your rtives? You''re putting us in trouble!"


    Freya regretted it very much as well. Lily ordered her to find a crowd to make a scene at Irene''s


    first. She thought they could escape unscathed after aplishing the task, but she didn''t expect that


    they would be stopped by the security guards and sent to the police station.


    Deborah heard it clearly from the side and grabbed the phone from Lily. "If they spit your name out, you


    have to bear all the responsibilities!"


    "All the responsibilities?" Freya gasped. When Lily asked for her help with this matter, she didn''t say


    that Freya had to bear the consequences. Instead, she had been assuring Freya that nothing would


    happen. How could they turn their backs on her now? How could Freya handle it? "Will I go to jail?"


    Freya questioned.


    "You won''t! You did not harm anyone or defame them after all. It''s a fact that they are together."


    Deborahforted Freya, "If they gave away your name, you would have to bear the responsibility.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Just say that you were so furious when you identally saw Edric and Irene together. Therefore, you


    decided to stand up for Lily. Remember, this is what you should say. You will be fine as long as you


    side with us. Do you understand?"


    "I... But what if Edric doesn''t believe me?" Freya asked with a guilty conscience. If she had known this,


    she wouldn''t have agreed with Lily.


    "He has to believe it even if he doesn''t. Make sure you tell him what I said. Don''t worry. You''ll be alright.


    Besides, I will make sure to pay you handsomely," Deborah emphasized. "Didn''t you mention that your


    brother is graduating from college soon? I will arrange a nice job for him as well as for your boyfriend.


    You are now on the same boat as us, understand?"


    Freya thought for a moment and agreed to Deborah''s suggestion. She couldn''t lose her backing, Lily.


    Anyway, since things had already turned out this way, it was better for her to follow Deborah''s order.


    Moreover, she had seen how despicable Lily could be. If she provoked Lily, she would never have a


    chance to make a name for herself in her life.


    After persuading Freya, Deborah ordered Lily, "Continue to call Edric. Tell him this matter immediately


    and pass the bucks to Freya."


    Irene was still in aa in the hospital. Jordan and Edric stayed in the ward silently. After a while,


    Jordan''s phone rang. He picked it up and heard David reporting, "Mr. Reed, the culprit has been


    found."


    "Who is it?" Jordan asked.


    "It''s Lily''s good friend, Freya! She contacted the magazine office, and they found a paparazzi to follow


    Irene. That was how they got this news." David paused for a moment and continued, "As for the few


    women who made a scene at Miss Nelson''spany, it was Freya who hired them to do so. They said


    that Freya wanted to avenge Lily."


    "I don''t believe this exnation!" Jordan scoffed. "We must find out the real culprit behind the scenes."


    After Jordan hung up the phone, he looked at Edric with a sneer. "Mr. Myers, don''t you think this whole


    incident is bizarre? I won''t believe that it has nothing to do with your fiancee even if you beat me to


    death!"


    Edric put on a long face. He knew that Lily and Freya were friends. Besides, Freya held no grudge


    against Irene, so why did Freya have to frame Irene? Just as he picked up his phone and was about to


    make a phone call, his phone rang. He heard Lily asking with an urgent voice, "Edric, have you found


    Irene?"


    "Yeah!" Edric snorted.


    "Edric, I have called you many times, but you didn''t answer my calls. I''m so worried, I..." Lily was


    stammering, her voice made her sound rather pitiful.


    "What are you worried about?" Edric asked indifferently.


    "Edric..." Lily paused for a moment and replied in a trembling voice, "Edric, I want to tell you one thing.


    Freya was the one who exposed the rtionship between you and Irene!"


    "Freya did it? Why did she do that?" Edric asked.


    "She... she had some conflicts with Irene. Freya had been hating Irene since thest time Irene


    pped her. When she saw you having dinner with Irene... She... She notified the paparazzi and asked


    her rtives to make a scene at Irene''s office. Freya wanted to teach Irene a lesson," Lily answered.


    Edric mocked, "Is that so?"


    "Edric, it''s true. It''s all because of my ignorance that I got Irene into trouble. I''ve already cut off my


    rtionship with Freya!" Lily replied.


    "So? Can we just pretend that nothing has happened?" Edric hissed. Lily bit her lip. Indeed, what could


    they do even if she cut off her rtionship with Freya? This matter had a significant impact on Irene.


    "I... I''ll find a way!"


    Edric hung up the phone impatiently. It was not the time to hold the me but to minimize the impact of


    the whole incident.


    He went outside and called John, "How is it going?"


    "Mr. Myers, we''ve not managed to remove all the negative news. It has already spread out." John


    smiled bitterly. "Someone has hired arge number of Inte henchmen to publish the post at a high


    price. I checked it and found that all the IDs came from abroad!"


    "B*stard!" Edric swore for the first time and ordered John, "No matter what price we have to pay, we


    have to suppress this news."


    John nodded. Anxious, Edric wondered how this matter turned ugly. John said that someone had spent


    a huge sum of money to hire the Inte henchmen. This could not be done by Freya, obviously. Since


    Lily had called him to talk about this matter, she would not do such a silly thing too. Who was the one


    who was scheming against him?


    When Edric returned to the ward, he saw Jordan standing by Irene''s bed and staring at her. Edric felt


    irked. But at this moment, Jordan asked him to leave, "Mr. Myers, you should go home. I''m here."


    "Why should I?" Edric barked.


    "It''s you who caused all these. And, that''s exactly why you should leave this ce. What can you do


    here anyway?" Jordan looked at Edric indifferently and added, "Irene''s image has been ruined because


    of you. Do you think it''s appropriate for you to stay here? Or do you want to stay here to see how pity


    she is in such a hard situation?"


    Edric''s expression was as dark as the stove lid while staring at Jordan callously. He almost gnashed his


    teeth while retorting, "Jordan, I don''t feel good either when such a thing happened on Irene! I''m not as


    shameless as you said!"


    "You still have the guts to defend yourself, huh? Alright, well done, Mr. Myers! I''m happy that you''re not


    as shameless as I said; you must be the boldest man I have ever seen. I have seen a married man


    who has an affair, but you are the f*cking first person who has an affair with the woman your ex-wife


    hates the most!" Jordan rebuked.


    In a harsh tone, Jordan continued to criticize Edric, "You f*cking said that you loved her, but you


    hooked up with the daughter of the mistress who snatched her father away. If you really have a hint of


    humanity left in you, you will not get engaged with Lily and force her to be your secret lover!"


    "Jordan, what happened between Irene and me is not what you have seen. What I, Edric Myers, did


    are all honest and above board. I''ve nothing to be ashamed of!"


    "Nothing to be ashamed of? Aren''t you embarrassed to say that?" Jordan red at Edric and asked,


    "How are you going to exin this to Irene?"


    "Exin what?" Edric glowered at Jordan and replied, "It''s not the time to do any exination now.


    What we need to do now is to remedy the situation."


    "Remedy the situation? You are f*cking hrious. This matter is now spreading like wildfire. Can you


    shut everyone''s mouth just as you wished? Can you guarantee that everyone will not gossip about her


    behind her back?" Jordan hissed.


    "I''m thinking of a way, aren''t I?" Edric retorted.


    When the two were quarreling, Kinsey came in. She had the same opinion as Jordan before she


    pointed at Edric, shouting, "Edric Myers, get out of here! You are not weed!"


    Jordan was extremely happy to find an alliance. He echoed, "Get lost. You are not weed here!"


    Edric was driven out of the ward in disgrace. He stood furiously in the corridor. John came and said,


    "Mr. Myers, let''s go back and find a way!"


    Edric left the hospital reluctantly with John.

 Chapter 124 Not Letting Her Tell The Truth

    Chapter 124 Not Letting Her Tell The Truth


    Deborah was sneering as she looked at thements on the Inte with Lily. "Although Irene''s


    image has been ruined now, Edric must have a knot about you in his stomach. The most important


    thing now is that we should let him be suspicious about you. Call Edric immediately and tell him that


    you''ll reveal your rtionship with Irene to everyone."


    "How should I do that?" Lily asked.


    "Tell Edric that you want to disclose the news that Irene is your sister to defend Irene," told Deborah.


    "Mom, Dad will definitely not agree to this." Lily did not think that was a good idea.


    "Of course, he won''t, but it doesn''t matter. Just tell Edric and see how he will answer." Deborah had her


    own n.


    "Mom, is this really okay? If Edric really agrees to it, what should we do?" Lily stared at Deborah.


    "Then we should do what we say! If Edric agrees to let you announce the rtionship between you and


    Irene to the public, Irene is his sister-inw by then. In this way, he will never ever dream to get back


    with Irene. Otherwise, the society will certainly turn their backs on him," Deborah mocked. "He would


    have thought of such a consequence."


    "What if he doesn''t agree?" Lily was still rather hesitant.


    "Call him first and see how he reacts. If he doesn''t want to admit it, I have other ways to deal with him."


    Deborah, at this moment, let out a light simper.


    Meanwhile, Edric was sitting in the car, rubbing his eyebrows, feeling extremely worried. All of a


    sudden, his phone rang. John looked at the screen and handed the phone to him, saying, "It''s Miss


    Cook."


    Edric answered the phone impatiently, "Anything?"


    "Edric, I have something to say to you," Lily muttered. She certainly heard Edric''s impatience. "I just


    read the post that attacked Irene on the Inte, and it infuriated me a lot. I can''t let them continue to


    bash her like this. We have to think of a way."


    "Do you have any good ideas?" Edric asked.


    "I thought it through just now. Since everyone is bashing Irene because they misunderstood your


    rtionship with her, why don''t I make an announcement, thereby eliminating the misunderstanding?"


    Lily suggested.


    "How are you going to do it?" Edric''s brows became knitted again.


    "Tell everyone the rtionship between Irene and me and that we are sisters. Irene having a meal with


    you is just a simple family meeting... Also, the reason Irene went to Chandelle Valley is just to visit me.


    In this way, everyone will stop all these bashings," Lily proposed.


    "No way!" Edric refused Lily''s suggestion right there and then. It was true that their problems could be


    solved by announcing Irene''s identity, but there were many drawbacks.


    First of all, no one knew that Irene was Steven''s daughter. Such an abrupt announcement would


    definitely have an impact on Steven. ording to an insider, Steven was not at the capital city to


    attend a meeting, but he was being brought there for an internal investigation instead. If his opponent


    took advantage of this matter and made a big fuss about it, Steven''s career would definitely be


    affected.


    Secondly, if they only announced Irene as Lily''s elder sister, his future rtionship with Irene would be


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Others would criticize that Irene was a homewrecker who snatched her younger sister''s fiance. In this


    way, how could Irene ever gain a firm foothold in the upper-ss society? This method of Lily would not


    work.


    "Why not? I think it is the best way at the moment, isn''t it?" Lily asked innocently.


    "Have you ever thought of asking Mr. Cook''s consent to reveal Irene''s identity?" Edric questioned.


    "But... But all these happened because of me. I can''t think of another way else except this way," Lily


    replied. She certainly thought about requesting Steven''s permission. In fact, she made such a move on


    purpose, for she knew that Steven would surely disagree.


    "Forget it. I''ll think of another way to deal with this matter." Edric hung up the phone.


    Lily turned to look at Deborah and said, "Mom, he doesn''t seem keen to go with our suggestion."


    "This means that he wants to get back together with that little b*tch. It''s okay. We will find a way to force


    them to a dead-end this time." Deborah sneered. "I have to think of a way to get rid of that little b*tch as


    well!"


    After hanging up the phone and pondering for a while, Edric ordered John, "Spread the news that Irene


    is my ex-wife!"


    "Would it be alright?" John asked, his voice as soft as a whisper.


    "What''s wrong with that?" Edric hissed in return.


    "Have you forgotten that Miss Nelson had been on a TV show previously? If we exposed that you''re


    her ex-husband, both your and Mrs. Myers''s reputation..." John reminded Edric. Edric was been called


    a jerk, and Margaret, on the other hand, would bebeled as an evil, despicable mother-inw. If he


    made such a statement, wouldn''t their reputation be ruined?


    "I don''t care that much anymore. I know Irene''s temper. She has such strong self-esteem, so how can


    she take all these criticisms? Most importantly, I am the one to be med as I am the one who forces


    her into this," Edric replied as he rubbed his eyebrows. "I deserve to be condemned by the public. My


    mother has to atone for all her wrongdoings in the past too. There''s no escape for us two in this."


    "I''m afraid that Mrs. Myers would not see eye to eye with you. If this matter is to be reported, can she


    ept it? She has always been holding a prejudice against Miss Nelson. I''m afraid, in the future, Miss


    Nelson and you..." John replied.


    John was hinting that if Margaret were to be the topic of criticism instead of Irene, she


    unquestionably would not ept Irene again. If Edric and Irene got back together in the future, it could


    be imagined Margaret and Irene would never get along well. However, Edric couldn''t care so much


    anymore. "It''s much better than letting Irene bear all these censures alone. Just do what I say. Expose


    the rtionship between Irene and me first," Edric ordered.


    John nodded and carried it out immediately. Edric lit up a cigarette. After this news was released, it


    would surely cause a lot of uproars. He would then be reproached severely, and so would Margaret.


    He only hoped that this matter would be put to an end, at least on Irene''s end. He had to sacrifice


    himself and Margaret in order to that. After all, what happened in the past was his and Margaret''s


    doing.


    As for Lily, he knew that this matter must have something to do with her. Though, he chose not to


    pursue further because he wanted to cut off the rtionship with her. From now on, he and she were


    even.


    In the hospital, Kinsey and Jordan were sitting separately on the sofa in the ward. Kinsey sighed. "Who


    on earth is trying to hurt Irene? Irene is kind and has never offended anyone. Why are these paparazzi


    targeting her?"


    "Is it even considered a crime to steal someone else''s fiance?" Jordanughed grimly.


    "Are you saying that it was Lily who did this?" Kinsey asked.


    "Most likely!" Jordan snickered. "Let''s see what she will do next. Since she''s gotten under my skin now,


    what awaits her will be arger surprise!"


    While they were speaking, David called, "Mr. Reed, the public opinion on the Inte is now lopsided


    and against Miss Nelson, although Edric has instructed his public rtions team to suppress the


    news."


    "Don''t bother. Let it blow up. Don''t let Edric''s public rtions team suppress this matter," Jordan


    directed.


    Kinsey heard it clearly on the side and jumped up in shock, questioning, "Jordan, what are you trying to


    do?"


    "Nothing. I''m just giving him a taste of his own medicine!" Jordan answered callously.


    "But, aren''t you causing more harm towards Irene by doing so? What impact does it have on Lily?"


    Kinsey doubted.


    "You''ll see it soon!" Jordan smiled suspiciously and continued, "Isn''t someone trying to ruin Irene''s


    image? I''d like to see whose image would end up getting ruined in the end!"


    Irene finally regained her consciousness. It seemed that she hadn''t regained herpleteposure


    yet. Her eyes wandered from Kinsey''s face, then to Jordan''s. She then fixed her gaze on him. After a


    long while, she muttered, "Why are you here?"


    Jordan reached out and held her hand, asking, "What''s wrong? You must be insane to even do that!"


    Irene looked rather haggard at this moment. She sprung up before Jordan grabbed hold of her, saying,


    "Take good care of yourself. Don''t worry. I''ll take care of this matter!"


    Edric personally made some of Irene''s favorite food. When he was about to send it to the hospital for


    her, John called him right when he was at the doorstep. John said that someone had released a


    recording on the Inte a few minutes ago. The content of the recording was about Lily ordering


    Freya to hire people to go to Irene''spany. This recording had brought a lot of negative impacts on


    Lily now.


    Everyone was using that Lily was a pretentious b*tch. Edric didn''t say anything after hearing John''s


    report.


    The authenticity of the recording was still being investigated. And, Edric could tell that there was


    something fishy going on here. It seemed that a mysterious hand was deliberately making this subject


    into a much more serious one. But who was it exactly?


    Of course, Lily and Deborah knew about the recording. "Mom, what should we do now? Edric will


    definitely know it soon. Why should I tell him?" Lily asked, biting her nails.


    "Let me think about it! Let me think about it!" Deborah frowned. "I won''t allow that little b*tch to get back


    together with Edric. I have to stop her from surviving this crisis. Hmm, I have a way but you might have


    to suffer a little for the time being."


    "Mom, as long as you can stop the two of them from being back together, it doesn''t matter if I suffer."


    "That''s good. Those who will achieve great things won''t care about these trifles. Let''s make this more


    ruthless this time!" Deborah scorned. "Go and exin to Edric, and don''t admit the recording no matter


    what. Just tell him that someone framed you. I''ll do the rest of the things for you."


    Lily nodded. "I''ll go now!"


    Edric brought the food to the hospital. However, Jordan blocked Edric directly and teased, "Mr. Myers,


    how dare youe again? Oh, is that food you prepared for Irene? Did you cook it yourself? What''s


    wrong with you? Are you asking for forgiveness for Lily out of your guilty conscience? I''m afraid you''re


    going to be disappointed, though. Irene just ate the food I bought. You''d better take all this trash back!"


    "Get out of my way!" Edric put on a sour expression.


    "Edric Myers, get the hell back where you came from. We don''t need you to pretend to be caring here!"


    Kinsey rebuked. She heard the voice and came out of the ward too.


    Edric had a headache when he saw Kinsey. Kinsey was a hot-tempered girl; spiteful words were all she


    had for him. Her firm friendship with Irene made himpletely helpless; he couldn''t quarrel with


    Kinsey, let alone beat her up. After all, she was a woman.


    In this stalemate, Lily appeared. Just like Edric, she had a thermos bottle in her hand too. Kinsey


    couldn''t help chuckling. "It''s said that an apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. Mr. Myers, your mind is


    really in sync with your dear fiancee''s. Are you guysing here to put on a lovey-dovey show?"


    Kinsey teased.


    Lily pretended not to hear Kinsey''s sarcasm. She walked to Edric''s side and stood there timidly,


    exining, "I''m here to visit Irene."


    "Get lost! You shameless b*tch! You were the one who put Irene in such a state. What are you doing


    here? Putting on a show? Do you think you can deceive others just by pretending to be virtuous?"


    Kinsey cursed.


    "It''s not me! I didn''t do those things! I was being ndered!" Lily denied. She looked pitiful with her


    tears rolling down her cheeks. "Edric, you have to believe me. I really didn''t do those things."


    "Tsk tsk!" Jordan smacked his lips and ridiculed, "Miss Cook, did you graduate from acting school?


    How can you cry so easily? Also, that was a fact backed by evidence. Drop your act! We''re sick of it."


    "I never did those things." Lily demanded, "Let me go in and exin it to Irene."


    "Get lost! Go back to your own sty. You''re but an eyesore to us here." Kinsey drove Edric and Lily away


    directly. Seeing that Edric and Lily remained unmoving, she simpered. "Are you guys leaving or not? I''ll


    shout if you guys insist on staying here," Kinsey warned.


    "Miss Miller, what are you going to do?" Jordan interrupted.


    "I''ll tell a story of a mistress hooking up with a jerk. What do you think?" Kinsey answered sarcastically.


    "Not bad. Do you want me to send someone to send you a loudspeaker so that everyone in the


    hospital can hear it?" Jordan asked in return.


    Edric''s emotions were unreadable. With Kinsey around, he would not be able to get in. Kinsey was no


    different from a tigress. He looked at Lily, who was still wiping her tears, and spat out two words lightly,


    "Let''s go!"


    "Don''te again, please! Leave us alone!" Kinsey roared, her voice as loud as the rising storm.


    "Edric, the one in the recording is really not me. Someone was trying to cken my name," Lily told


    Edric after walking out of the hospital and to the car outside.


    Edric remained silent. Lily made another vow again, promising that she had no part in this. After a


    while, Edric drawled, "Lily, even if you did it, I will not me you!"


    "It''s really not me! Edric, trust me!" repeated Lily.


    "That''s enough. You may go back first. Be careful when you drive on the road. Remember to take your


    medication," Edric interjected.

 Chapter 125 Not Admit It No Matter What Happened

    Chapter 125 Not Admit It No Matter What Happened


    Lily left Edric alone sensibly, albeit feeling rather uneasy. Edric didn''t seem to be angry at all; instead,


    he was treating her as usual. Did he believe her that she was innocent or otherwise?


    When she returned home, she told Deborah everything that happened a while ago. Deborah revealed a


    disparaging smile. "It doesn''t matter if he believes it or not. Remember that you should not admit it no


    matter what happened. Your father will be back soon."


    "Mom, Dad has always been favoring Irene over me. If he knew this, he would definitely me me,"


    Lily groaned worriedly.


    "Don''t worry. There will be a good show awaiting him when hees back!"


    Steven came back from San Fetillo in the afternoon. His face looked as dark as the thunderstorm when


    he entered the house. Deborah and Lily were on pins and needles so not to irritate Steven. Deborah


    was highly experienced and her expression looked as if nothing had happened. Lily, on the other hand,


    had been like a cat on a hot tin roof all the time. When she made tea for Steven, she even scalded her


    own hand.


    Deborah definitely knew what Lily was worried about. She instructed Lily to return to her room to apply


    ointments on her wound; meanwhile, she chatted with Steven in the living room to keep himpany.


    "Nothing happened when I was not at home, right?" Steven took a sip of water and asked.


    "Something happened to Irene..." Deborah hesitated.


    "What happened to Irene?" Steven put down his cup and looked at Deborah.


    Needless to say, Deborah told him about the incident of Irene and Edric in an exaggerated manner.


    When she was halfway through the story, they heard Lily wailing from upstairs. After that, Lily opened


    the door, stumbled out, and cried, "I''m going to end my life!"


    "What happened?" Deborah stood up at once.


    "Irene... Irene is taking revenge on me... The news about me has spread across the! Read it, and


    you guys will know what''s going on!" Lily stomped her feet and wailed, "It''s all because of you guys! I''m


    doomed! Since my image has now been ruined, what''s the point for me to live? It''s better for me to


    die!"


    "Shut up your trap! Stop saying that." While Deborah was rebuking Lily, she was running upstairs.


    At this time, Maisy came in with the evening newspaper with a nervous and anxious look on her face.


    "Mr. Cook, something bad happened!"


    She handed the newspaper to Steven hastily. Steven took it, looked at it, and saw a huge eye-catching


    headline, "A Politician''s Daughter is Caught Being a Homewrecker!"


    The news even stated Lily, Irene, and Edric''s name. The reporter got insider news of Lily seducing


    Edric from some unknown ce and exposed everything.


    A politician''s daughter was actually a homewrecker. It could be imagined the predicament they were in


    now. Steven''s hands were trembling. Before he could finish reading it, he fell back abruptly and fainted.


    Deborah let out a scream. Lily immediately stopped crying and came down from the upstairs to help


    Deborah pinch Steven''s philtrum in an attempt to wake him up. After a while, Steven regained his


    consciousness again.


    However, he started to cough non-stop while panting for breath. Deborah was busy rubbing his back,


    trying to smooth his breathing. Steven then started wheezing. Suddenly, he took out a handkerchief


    from his pocket to cover his mouth. Right then, Lily shouted, "Dad, you''ve vomited blood!"


    Almost immediately, Steven passed out again.


    "Call the driver and send him to the hospital!" Maisy trotted out to call the driver. The Cook family was


    now in aplete mess.


    At the same time, John came to Edric in a hurry and reported, "Mr. Myers, something bad has


    happened!"


    "What?" Edric was surprised. John had always been calm and had never lost hisposure.


    Something terrible must have happened that he was in such a panic. He had a premonition of an


    imminent disaster.


    "T-t-the things that happened between you and Miss Nelson have been exposed." John found himself


    in a rather awkward position when he reported this. Nheless, he continued, "The matter about Miss


    Cook as a surrogate mother has been known publicly now. It was reported not only on the Inte but


    also in the newspaper. Everyone''s criticizing Miss Cook!"


    Upon hearing this, Edric turned on theputer and found that the Inte''s most trending event had


    changed. Previously, theizens were outraged at Irene for being a mistress, but now they were


    reproaching him and Lily, as well as Margaret.


    The reporter was excellent in writing and at arousing the public''s wrath. They described how Irene was


    being put in a disfavorable position and betrayed in a few thousand words.


    With this article, Irene became a victim while Lily became the real mistress. Needless to say, Edric was


    called a sc*mbag, and Margaret an evil mother-inw.


    Edric was rtively calm when he learned this news. However, he was a little worried about those


    attacking Lily. This report was going to ruin Lily''s reputationpletely. It seemed that this matter was


    getting more and more irksome.


    "What should we do now?" John asked.


    "Let me think about it!" Edric rubbed his forehead. He had been wishing to cover this matter up, but he


    didn''t expect that it would blow up to such an extent. He could not dy his action any longer and had


    to solve it immediately.


    Kinsey took the newspaper and went into the ward with a smirk. She put the newspaper into Irene''s


    hand and cheered, "Irene, it''s so gratifying! It''s so gratifying!"


    Irene took over the newspaper and saw the huge headline, "A Politician''s Daughter is Caught Being a


    Homewrecker!"


    "Jordan is really amazing. Everything is reversed just in two days. That b*tchy pair will have no ce to


    hide now!" Kinseyughed heartily.


    Irene smiled bitterly. "It''s not a thing to be excited for!" The reason she endured all those humiliations


    silently back then was because she didn''t want to expose these disgusting things.


    The news of Steven as her father must have a significant impact on him. As a politician, he actually


    raised a daughter, who was a mistress. Irene didn''t know how frustrated Steven would be.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. She picked up the phone and heard Lily barking,


    "Irene, are you feeling better now? Are you feeling better after you have made such a scene?"


    "Miss Cook, you made a mistake. This has nothing to do with me!" she answered indifferently.


    "How dare you deny it? Who else would do such a thing except you?" Lily roared at the end of the


    phone. Soon, someone snatched the phone, and Irene heard Deborah roaring, "Irene, Steven vomited


    blood and fainted. Hurry up ande to the hospital!"


    Hearing this, Irene was stunned. She got out of the bed instantly and ran out in a hurry. She bumped


    into Jordan, who reached out to hold her, asking, "Where are you going?"


    "Jordan, you''ve really put me in a difficult situation!" Irene chuckled wryly. She knew Jordan''s intention


    was to help her, and she should thank him by right. But what would happen to Steven now that


    everyone learned about their dirty secrets. "My father vomited blood!"


    "He vomited blood?" Jordan was shocked. "He vomited blood just because of such a little thing? It


    seems like he''s just a so-so politician."


    Irene was so pissed that she yelled at him, "Jordan, why didn''t you ask for my permission before you


    made such a move? Although I hate him, he is my father, after all. What you did is a p in his face.


    He, as a politician, actually raised such a daughter. You are helping me on the surface, but in fact, you


    are helping his opponent!"


    "Is it that serious?" Jordan still couldn''t put a finger on Irene''s anger.


    Irene stomped her feet, pushed Jordan away, and ran out.


    "Well, that''s only expected!" Kinsey stuffed the newspaper into Jordan''s hand and hissed, "You have


    embarrassed Mr. Cook!"


    Jordan took a look at the newspaper and frowned, saying, "I didn''t do this."


    "Don''t deny it. Who else could do such a thing except you?" Kinsey questioned.


    "I really didn''t do it. I thought of doing this, but I haven''t implemented it yet because it is rted to


    Steven. I''d definitely ask Irene beforehand if she would allow me to do it," Jordan argued.


    "Are you sure it was not you?" Kinsey narrowed her eyes.


    "It''s really not me!"


    "Then who did this?" Kinsey was also confused.


    When Irene rushed to the hospital where Steven had admitted, Steven had just been rescued and was


    pushed out of the emergency room by a nurse. When Lily saw Irene, she red at Irene and grunted.


    Deborah looked rather calm instead. Both Lily and Deborah blocked Irene before they pushed Steven


    into the ward. Steven seemed very ill and pale.


    "Dad, finally you''re awake." Lily looked at Steven and said in a choked voice, "Dad, do you know that


    you have scared Mom and me out of our wits when you fainted all of a sudden? We..."


    "Shut up!" Steven yelled at Lily and turned to Irene. "Irene,e here!"


    Irene hesitated for a moment while looking at Deborah and Lily. After that, she carefully trotted to his


    bedside before she asked in a rather indifferent and distant tone, "Are you all right?"


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "How can he be alright?" Lily snorted. "It''s all because of you. If you didn''t seduce Edric, such a thing


    wouldn''t happen!"


    Irene turned to look at Lily and retorted, "If my memories serve me right, you''re the one who hired


    those reporters, right?"


    "So what if I hired them? You leave me no choice since you go after Edric! I am defending my own


    rights and my man." Lily did not even mind falling out with Irene in front of Steven.


    "Lily, apologize!" Steven listened to the dispute between Irene and Lily and finally understood what


    happened. "Apologize to Irene right away!"


    "Dad, what... what did I do wrong?" Lily couldn''t ept that Steven defended Irene. "It was Irene who


    seduced Edric. Can''t I even be furious at her?! Besides, look at what she has done to me. She actually


    released this piece of news to sully my reputation. If it weren''t for her, would I have been pregnant even


    before I found my own love? I didn''t do anything wrong. It was her who let me down!"


    "Shut up!" Steven red at Lily and rebuked her, "Do you think I''m senile now?! I know that you were


    not meless in the matter since before. Stop sugarcoating that you did it for Irene! Even a fool knew


    the truth!"


    Steven looked at the article in the newspaper and suddenly found that he had been kept in the dark for


    so long. Lily''s intention was not as pure as he thought; she didn''t do it for Irene. She was nning to


    snatch Edric as hers.


    "Dad!" Lily was not going to settle this quarrel. Deborah, who was standing aside, nudged Lily, saying,


    "Hurry up and apologize to Irene. Look at what you have done."


    Lily apologized to Irene reluctantly. Then, she covered her face and ran out. Steven looked at Deborah


    coldly and squealed, "You should go out too!"


    "But I''m worried about you!" Deborah eximed.


    "Irene is with me. What is there to worry about? Is she going to hurt me?" Steven stared at Deborah


    with disgust.


    When Deborah was about to leave, she quickly added, "I will be outside. Call me if you need anything."

 Chapter 126 Vomited Blood

    Chapter 126 Vomited Blood


    Only Irene and Steven were left in the ward. Steven looked at Irene and apologized, "Irene, I''m sorry!


    It''s all my fault! I was bewitched..."


    "Let the bygones be bygones," Irene interrupted Steven. "You don''t have to apologize to me. I should


    apologize to you instead because I am the reason that this matter was exposed. Presumably, I''ve


    embarrassed you, didn''t I?"


    "Irene, I''m so regretful. When I received the usation letter back then, I had no choice but to marry


    Deborah. In fact, I only have your mother in my heart all the time..."


    "Alright, Mr. Cook!" Irene interrupted Steven once again. "I have noted your apologies. You did not do


    anything wrong at that time. Everyone is selfish and will do everything for one''s own good. For the sake


    of your own future, you have done nothing wrong. I don''t me you."


    Steven''s face flushed. Instead of looking in his direction, in a very calm voice, she added, "Now, let''s


    talk about the solution of this matter!"


    "Irene, do you have a way to solve all these negative impacts?" Steven stared at Irene in disbelief.


    "When did I say that I will solve all these negative impacts?" Irene retorted, "It''s a fact that your


    daughter, Miss Lily and Edric had an affair and got pregnant before getting married. I won''t do anything


    to save her image. Everyone has to pay the price for their own behavior. Since she was bold enough to


    seduce Edric back then, she should bear the consequences of being a mistress," Irene replied.


    "Then what do you mean by that?" Steven asked.


    "I''m talking about you and me. I''ve caused you a lot of trouble since my return to the Cook family. It


    seems that my appearance is indeed a disaster for you. Not only did I affect your reputation but also


    your career. Therefore, we''d better go back to the past. It''s good for everyone that we part way," Irene


    answered.


    Steven gawked at Irene in shock and chirped, "Irene, that''s not what I want!"


    "I don''t care, but I''m going to do what''s the best for both of us."


    "That''s enough!" Steven covered his chest with his hand and coughed violently.


    "Steven, what happened to you?" Deborah, who was standing outside and heard Steven''s coughing,


    immediately pushed the door open and broke in. She held Steven while patting his back with her hand.


    Steven continued to fight for his air before he took out a handkerchief from his pocket to cover his


    mouth. Then, Irene saw bright red blood on it. Frankly, it looked quite shocking.


    "Steven, you''ve vomited blood! Somebody, pleasee in!" Deborah shouted for help heartbreakingly.


    "Dad, please! Nothing should happen to you!" Hearing themotion, Lily rushed in too.


    Irene stood there nkly. Steven had always been in good health. When did he be so sick that he


    actually vomited blood?


    After that, some medical staff came into the ward. Irene retreated to the side. In the corridor outside the


    ward, she saw Jordan. "How''s Mr. Cook?"


    "He just vomited blood again!" Irene answered.


    "How could it be?" Jordan was shocked.


    "Yes, how could it be?" Irene also found it rather incredulous. When the door opened, Lily dashed out


    furiously.


    "Irene, I admit that it was my fault that I bribed the reporters to take pictures of you secretly, but you


    can''t do this to me no matter how much you hate me. How can you even do that to our father? How is


    he going to face others again in the future? He is a person who has a status..." Lily med.


    "Lily!" Deborah came out to stop Lily and told Irene, "Irene, don''t mind Lily. She''s just anxious from


    seeing Steven vomiting blood. That''s why she is spurting nonsense. Lily is actually not that wicked


    deep down!"


    Irene felt a little guilty as she had forgotten that Steven was a patient. Her emotions had taken the


    better of her a while ago.


    "Irene, I know you hate Mom and me," Lily said. When she saw that Irene remained quiet, she


    continued to question Irene, "You can''t hate Dad even though you hate us, can you? He is your


    biological father anyway. How can you do this to him?"


    "That''s enough, Lily!" Deborah stopped Lily. "Irene, the person who hurt you and your mother is me. It


    has nothing to do with Steven and Lily. If you have to hate someone, just hate me! Steven really loves


    you!"


    Irene did not reply to them. She felt that her mind was in a knot. To be honest, Steven indeed treated


    her good enough. There was no need for her to hate Steven.


    After all, she had already passed the age of needing to be taken care of by others. She might as well


    forget about the past. As soon as she thought of this, a familiar voice rang out, "How''s Mr. Cook?"


    Irene raised her head and saw that Lily had already thrown herself into Edric''s arms. "Edric, what took


    you long enough? Dad has vomited blood..." Lily trailed off.


    Irene frowned. Lily didn''t seem to have joined an acting ss, as most of the acting ss students


    wouldn''t be able to have acting skills as good as hers. A mocking smile appeared on Jordan''s face. He


    muttered in Irene''s ear, "Lily is really good at it!"


    Irene responded to him with a smile, "You only realized it now?"


    Edricforted Lily gently while looking at Irene and Jordan. When he saw them whispering, he put on


    a slightly long face. "I''ll go and have a look there. I''lle backter," Jordan said and glowered at


    Edric before he strode away.


    The doctor who entered the ward finally left. Lily, Deborah, and Edric went in to see Steven. Irene stood


    outside waiting for them patiently.


    There were footsteps from behind. It was Jordan who came back. He mumbled a few words into Irene''s


    ear, and Irene opened her eyes wide, asking, "For real?"


    "Will I lie to you?" Jordan asked.


    At this moment, Edric came out from the ward while glimpsing at Irene and Jordan ndly. Right then,


    he turned to Irene and asked, "I''m going to buy something to eat. What do you want?"


    "No, I''ll leave right away!" Irene answered, her voice as t as the stove lid.


    Edric was dumbstruck. Obviously, he didn''t expect Irene to leave right away. Steven was still in a dire


    situation in the ward. How could she, as his daughter, leave? But thinking that she was not in good


    health either, he dismissed his doubts in the end.


    Irene nced at Jordan and said, "Wait for me outside for a few minutes. I wille out immediately


    after a few words with Mr. Cook."


    After that, she pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing hering in, Steven showed a weak


    smile to her and murmured, "Irene, I''m fine."


    Irene ignored him and turned to look at Deborah and Lily. "Both of you, please go out. I want to talk to


    Mr. Cook inprivate."


    She sounded rather cold and aloof, her face void of any expression. Deborah nced at her and at


    Steven before reminding her, "Steven isn''t in his best state. Don''t agitate him..."


    "Can you guys please go out?" Irene repeated.


    "Both of you, leave!" Steven ordered. With that, Deborah and Lily left the ward.


    After that, they closed the door. Irene looked at Steven lying on the bed with a sneer on her face and


    spat, "Mr. Cook, stop acting. I know you are not ill!"


    Steven was stupefied for a moment before an embarrassed look shed across his face. "Irene, I''m


    sorry, listen to my exnation!"


    "Go ahead!"


    "The reason I pretended to be ill was not to lie to you. I''ve encountered some trouble this time and


    wanted to stay low for a little while. Moreover, it''s so happened that this matter between you and Lily


    had been made known publicly, therefore..."


    Irene couldn''t help but guffaw. This was her father. When she heard that he was ill and vomited blood,


    she sped over to check on him immediately. But in fact, he was just pretending to be sick.


    There was an unspeakable disappointment in her heart. If it weren''t for Jordan, she would have been


    kept in the dark and felt guilty for it. She might even think of a way to make up for it. Fortunately, Jordan


    was here to expose his act and lies!


    "Mr. Cook, if I don''t expose you, are you going to keep on lying to me like this? Do you expect me to


    apologize to those two b*tches out there?" Irene questioned.


    "No, Irene, you''ve mistaken me. I never wanted you to apologize or give in for anything. I have no


    choice this time..."


    Irene cut him off mercilessly, "I only have a question for you. Do Deborah and Lily know about you


    pretending to be ill?"


    "They don''t know yet," Steven answered.


    Steven was indeed a politician. He did not even mind lying to his families in order to achieve his goal.


    Irene looked at him mockingly and was at a loss of words all of a sudden.


    Steven looked at Irene while a flush crept up onto his face. "Irene, I know that you are ming me. You


    hate me for being selfish. But, there are so many things that happened against my will recently. In my


    heart, there''s only you and your mother..."


    "Mr. Cook, you must be so busy that you seem rather forgetful. My mother has been dead for more


    than ten years! She is no longer in your heart," Irene chimed in and ignored his embarrassed look.


    "Since you are in perfect health, I''ll take my leave first. I don''t have time to y along with your scabby


    act here because I myself am still ill!" Irene hissed.


    After saying this, Irene turned around and left.


    "Irene!" Steven called out from behind. Irene ignored him. She found him really disgusting. How could


    she have such a father? If Irene could choose her life, she really didn''t want such a shameless father.


    s, that choice was never hers to make!


    After leaving the hospital, Irene had been keeping silent. Jordan had been secretly sizing her up.


    Finally, he couldn''t help asking, "Did you have a quarrel with Mr. Cook?"


    Irene snorted.


    "I... I didn''t mean to tell you that. I was just afraid that you would keep worrying about him," Jordan


    exined.


    "How do you know he is pretending to be ill?" asked Irene.


    "I guessed it," Jordan answered.


    "How dare you? You ask me to question him when you''re just guessing?!" Irene was utterly


    speechless. If Steven hadn''t pretended to be ill, how hurt would he be if she used him in that tone of


    hers a while ago?


    "In fact, this is the case. Recently, the officialdom had a rigorous investigation, and Mr. Cook has been


    isted from the department for investigation. In fact, Mr. Cook was not going to the meeting this time,


    but to ept the investigation. As a matter of fact, there are many people involved. Hence, the superior


    wanted him to dodge the bullet first. It''s just the right time for him to use this matter of you and Lily as a


    shield," Jordan detailed.


    "How do you know this?" Irene''s eyes widened while listening to Jordan.


    "My grandfather''s old friend is one of the superiors," Jordan replied. "Thus, my grandfather informed


    me in advance about this matter. Your father''s reputation as a politician is never too bad, so some


    superiors wish to keep him safe and sound."


    Irene smiled contemptuously. She had no words for Steven. How foolish of her to even care about him!


    Jordanforted her, "That''s how the politics work. Don''t take it to heart."


    Irene kept silent. It was a lie if she said that she didn''t care. She just tried her best not to think about it.


    "By the way, what do you think of this incident? How could someone expose the scandal between Lily


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    and Edric at such a critical moment? Was it Mr. Cook''s opponent or Lily and her mother who did it?"


    Jordan asked.


    "I don''t think it was Deborah and Lily. Although they loathe me, they don''t have to be so silly to taint


    their own reputation and shame Steven. After all, they would be ruined as well if Steven is doomed,"


    Irene analyzed after pondering for a moment.


    "I think it must be Steven''s opponent who did it," Irene continued.


    "Your analysis is indeed reasonable, but you must have heard of a saying, haven''t you?" Jordan asked.


    "What''s it?"


    "Every cloud has a silver lining!" Jordan chuckled.


    "Although Lily was exposed as a mistress, and it indeed tarnished her reputation, this news had


    instantly made her a victim, making her to be on the same side as Edric and Margaret. Think about it


    from another perspective. People tend to sympathize with the person who shares the same experience


    as them. Perhaps, Edric and Margaret might sympathize with her because of this scandal," Jordan


    probed.


    "Besides, now that this matter was exposed, Margaret will certainly hate you to the core. And as for


    Edric, he wouldn''t feel good either with this scandal being exposed to the public. He would certainly


    alienate you. Of course, there must be another purpose to this event. They did this not only to get


    Edric''s sympathy, but also to let Steven believe that you were the one who manipted all these. All in


    all, it would make you seem rather narrow-minded and insensitive about everyone''s feelings. If Steven


    despises you because of this incident..." Jordan continued.


    "Oh? Is that so?" Irene couldn''t believe it. "Are they so devious?"


    "I''m just guessing!" Jordan replied with a chortle.

 Chapter 127 Never Ever Let Her Down

    Chapter 127 Never Ever Let Her Down


    Jordan was implying that Lily and Deborah were the ones who self-directed the whole thing. Irene


    didn''t believe it. Although she hated them very much, she wasn''t convinced that they wouldmit


    such a thing for it would very likely end up shooting their own feet. After all, they were gambling with


    their reputations.


    She returned to Thomas'' ce with a heavy heart. When Thomas saw her face that was stered with


    anxiety, he recalled that Edric and Jordan were looking for her all over the ce earlier that day.


    Thomas had been worried about her throughout the day, for fear that something would happen to her.


    Later, Jordan called Thomas and told thetter that Irene had gone on a business trip. Soon after that,


    when Thomas finally reached Irene, what she told him was the same as Jordan. Although Thomas


    didn''t quite believe it, he decided not to question the authenticity of their statements.


    It was not until he saw the evening news that he realized that things had been going haywire. Seeing


    Ireneing over, he asked immediately, "Irene, are you alright?"


    "I am all good, Uncle Thomas. It''s all in the past!" Irene sat down. "Uncle Thomas, I''m famished. Can


    you make me a te of spaghetti?"


    Thomas went to prepare it immediately. At this time, Irene received a phone call from Kinsey. "Irene,


    Edric is recording a program on the TV station now."


    "At this hour?" Irene took a look at the time in surprise. It was now 10 o''clock in the night. "Is there


    something wrong with Edric?" she wondered.


    "Yeah, I just heard from my colleagues in the TV station. What do you think he is going to do?" Kinsey


    chirped.


    "How would I know?" Irene replied.


    "I knew that this would be your answer. You guys are on the cusp of everyone''s attention now. In


    everyone''s eyes, Lily is now the mistress and Edric is a jerk. Even your ex mother-inw is now called


    evil by others. Aren''t you worried that Edric would counterattack?"


    "Just let them do whatever they want. Anyway, I didn''t initiate this whole thing. Let them do whatever


    they want," Irene said. She had not been feeling very well. Besides, Steven even made such a scene in


    the hospital a while ago. She was exhausted and famished, so how could she be bothered to even care


    about this?


    "You are indeed so kind. Normally, people will seize this opportunity topletely vanquish them, but


    you didn''t even badmouth them or do anything about it. I''m so pissed off!" Kinsey whined.


    Kinsey was infuriated by Irene''s indifference. "Forget it. I''m destined to have a busy life from having


    friends like you. I''d better find out why Edric is participating in the TV program at this hour. I''ll tell you


    when I find out the reason."


    It was already the following day when Margaret found out that she was now on the headlines of every


    newspaper in the city. When she read the condemnation against her, Edric, and Lily in the newspaper,


    she was so irate that she went breathless.


    At this moment, Marie called her and told her what had happened. She imed that Irene had


    orchestrated the whole thing as Irene wanted to get back together with Edric. Margaret gnashed her


    teeth, and her sympathy for Irene disappeared at once. She swore to make Irene pay for all the


    criticism and verbal abuse she received.


    After she hung up the phone, she called Edric immediately and questioned if the public rtions of his


    Edric smiled bitterly. How could they not stop it if they could? He listened to Margaret''s venting silently.


    In the end, he promised that he would settle this matter on that day and no media outlets would ever


    mention it again in the future.


    Margaret hung up the phone furiously, her blood boiling with anger. She wondered how Irene could


    ambush her like this. After all, Margaret considered herself a nice person to Irene; she treated Irene


    quite well in the past, didn''t she? Although Irene couldn''t get conceived back then, Margaret had


    apanied her to visit the doctors a few times. How could Irene be so heartless?


    Irene slept in until noon of the next day. After having a quick meal, she resumed to take a nap. To avoid


    being disturbed, she turned off her phone.


    She slept till nighttime. It was not until Thomas asked her if she wanted to have dinner that she got up.


    Rubbing her rest, she felt much better after having a day of rest. Not only did she feel much more alive,


    but her gloomy mood had also lifted up a little.


    All the dishes Thomas prepared were Irene''s favorites, and they made Irene''s mouth watered. She sat


    at the table and started to tuck in without hesitation. While she was enjoying her meal with relish, the


    doorbell rang. Thomas opened the door and saw Kinsey show up at the door!


    "Come and let''s have dinner together!" Thomas greeted Kinsey.


    Kinsey epted his invitation without hesitation when she saw that there was delicious food on the


    table. Thomas served her some spaghetti. Kinsey muttered while eating, "I have called you so many


    times today, but you''ve turned off your phone. I''m so freaking worried about you. Hence, I came to


    check on you."


    "I turned off my phone because I wanted to have a rest. I''m afraid that someone will disturb me," Irene


    answered.


    "I know you''ll use this excuse." Kinsey rolled her eyes at Irene. "By the way, the program Edric


    participated inst night has a very high degree of secrecy. No one knows what he is recording until


    now."


    "Why don''t you have some food first? Why do you always mention that disgusting man?" Irene


    interjected.


    "You''re right. Let''s eat. We''ll talk about it after we finish our meal."


    After dinner, Kinsey and Irene sat on the sofa, shooting the breeze. They talked about Edric


    participating in a TV program again. "The TV program that Edric participated inst night will be


    broadcasted on San Fetillo Channel 1 at prime time tonight. I want to see what he was nning to do


    since he was acting so mysterious about it."


    As she spoke, she picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and changed to San Fetillo Channel


    1.


    The TV program yed during the prime time would usually involve influential guests. Sometimes, they


    would also invite celebrities or business elites. Most of the time, their ratings were extremely high.


    It was apparent that the guest that night was Edric. Since the negative news about Lily and Edric were


    everywhere now, Edric''s purpose of participating in the program at this time must be to whitewash


    himself. Irene wanted to see how he would pull that stunt.


    The hosts of the program were a man and a woman. Edric was dressed leisurely and looked more


    approachable than usual. The two hosts rose from their seats and shook hands with Edric. The hostess


    imed exaggeratedly, "You''re so handsome! I can''t catch my breath!"


    Kinsey rebuked scornfully, "Can a handsome face feed a person? F*ck, he''s just a well-dressed beast!"


    The host reached out to hold the hostess instantly and asked, "Are you kidding me? If you really can''t


    catch your breath, why don''t we ask Mr. Myers to give you CPR?"


    He then joked again immediately, "Just kidding. Mr. Myers. Don''t take my words seriously!"


    They then made some small talks for a while before they started focusing on the main topic. The two


    hosts pretended to ask Edric a few ordinary questions before they talked about what happened in the


    past few days.


    "Mr. Myers, as you''re a public figure, there''re a lot of people who pay attention to you. The recent viral


    news is all about your personal affairs. May I take the liberty to ask you a few questions? Some people


    say that Miss Irene is the mistress, but some say that she''s your ex-wife. And now, some even say that


    Miss Lily is the mistress instead. As there were so many versions of stories, no one knows its


    authenticity. Mr. Myers, can you exin it and clear our confusion?" the host asked.


    "The purpose I participate in the program today is indeed for this matter," Edric answered. "Neither


    Irene nor Lily is the mistress. The truth is unlike what the news has reported."


    Edric began to tell the ins and outs. He admitted that Irene was his ex-wife and also the woman he


    loved the most in his life. He even detailed the rtionship between him and Irene affectionately. When


    it came to the emotional part, the hostess began to wipe her tears.


    Kinsey sneered. "What on earth is Edric Myers doing? Is he acting in a love drama? But what can he


    achieve by doing this?"


    Irene remained silent. Edric was so different from his usual self. The details of the love story that Edric


    mentioned in the program were very unexpected and touching to Irene.


    She always thought that she was the only one who remembered those details, but she never knew that


    Edric also remembered it.


    After Edric finished talking about his love affairs with Irene, he began to talk about his family. Since his


    father passed away when he was just a young boy, Margaret raised him single-handedly. Throughout


    the past generations, the Myers family had been only having one son in each generation. Thus,


    Margaret always wanted a grandson.


    Irene was in such poor health that she couldn''t get conceived. Margaret was anxious; hence she forced


    him to divorce Irene. On one hand, Margaret was the one who gave birth to him and raised him, and on


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    the other hand, Irene was his most loved woman. He was in a dilemma and couldn''t choose between


    the two of them. Later, Margaret used her life as a threat to force him to divorce Irene.


    Although he was divorced, he could never let go of Irene. He never thought of ending his rtionship


    with Irene, but Margaret forced him to have a blind date every day. God knew how annoyed and irked


    he was!


    At this time, Lily appeared. Lily''s beauty, tenderness, and kindness won Margaret''s heart. Margaret


    favored Lily very much and wanted him to marry her.


    Lily was kind and she understood his pain. To help him and Irene, Lily pretended to y his girlfriend


    and even fiancee to fool Margaret.


    His engagement with Lily was fake too. It was only to deal with Margaret.


    The truth was that Lily was not a mistress but his and Irene''s shield. He and Irene had already got back


    together long ago.


    Originally, they nned to hide this matter from Margaret. But now, someone had exposed it with


    ulterior motives and damaged Lily''s reputation. Edric was very sorry for everything that happened and


    hoped that everyone would stop bashing Lily again, for she was a kind soul.


    Edric noted that he should shoulder all the responsibilities of this matter. It was all because of his


    selfishness that he ruined Lily''s reputation for his true love, Irene. He felt extremely sorry for Lily.


    He also said that he had a deep self-reflection after this incident. Edric reckoned that he was so


    indecisive back then that he had hurt both Irene and Lily, both of who cared so much about him. From


    now on, he would not hide in the darkness anymore and would man up. If the public had to criticize


    someone else, he begged them to switch their targets to him and stop harassing Lily.


    Edric apologized to Irene too, saying that he had failed her, for he had not done what he had promised


    her. He vowed to love her for a lifetime and protect her from all the hardship, but clearly he was a


    failure in this. Now, he would not hide Irene behind the curtains again. He wanted to announce that the


    person he loved was Irene. He loved her in the past, in the present, and the future!


    Lily was not a mistress who destroyed their family, but an angel who saved their love. Edric was indeed


    capable of scriptwriting. He actually wrote such a campy plot to whitewash all of them, which let Irene


    and Kinsey look at each other speechlessly.


    "I knew that Edric is up to no good!" Kinsey hissed furiously. "He actually took great efforts to


    participate in the TV program to whitewash Lily. He''s f*cking good to her! Yet he said that you''re his


    true love? I think not. It seems like Lily is his true love!"


    Irene took the remote control and turned off the TV. Kinsey was still indignant, but Irene was not in the


    mood to add any of herments on this. Edric was really superb in reversing the truth. "Forget it. I


    should just hide from him since I can''t afford to provoke him!" Irene thought.


    Thomas remained silent all the while. At this time, he interjected, "In my opinion, this matter is not as


    simple as you think. Although Edric is whitewashing for Lily, it is equivalent to publicly dering that he


    has no rtionship whatsoever with Lily. What''s exactly going on?"


    "That''s right. Edric said that the woman he loves is you and everything that happened between him and


    Lily is only to deal with Margaret. This is no good news for Lily, isn''t it?" Kinsey had the realization too.


    "Does Edric really want to get back together with you?" She asked.


    "How would I know?" Irene forced a smile. Men''s words were like an olddy''s teeth; just how many of


    them were real? Besides, even if Edric really wanted to get back together with Irene, would Margaret


    even agree to it?

 Chapter 128 Denied The Affair

    Chapter 128 Denied The Affair


    Irene could imagine how Margaret would react to Edric''s action. She would definitely be furious. She


    assumed that Margaret would be ruining the furniture and making a mess at her own home now.


    Irene''s guess was urate. Margaret saw Edric''s interview and smashed all the things in her house


    into pieces. She called Edric and asked him toe back quickly to exin to her.


    On the other side, Lily and Deborah were so vexed after watching the show. It was beyond Lily and


    Deborah''s expectation that Edric would shape Lily into such a person.


    Deborah only thought that Edric and Margaret would sympathize with Lily more because Lily''s


    reputation was tarnished, and they would take her side as they were bashed too in this incident. It


    never crossed her mind that Edric would pull out such a card.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    When Lily approached Edric, she yed the same trick. Edric was now using her own ploy. How ironic


    it was.


    Looking at the host praising her kindness, Lily was distraught. She didn''t aim to be a moral model.


    Edric had announced in the face of the people of San Fetillo that Lily had nothing to do with him and


    denied his engagement with Lily. It made Lily feel embarrassed. She had worked so hard for it!


    She would rather be scolded by the public than have nothing to do with Edric. Lily was enraged when


    Edric thanked her for helping him and Irene. She jumped and shouted at Deborah, "It''s all because of


    you. You said it''s foolproof. What should we do now?"


    "Calm down!" Deborah frowned at Lily''s manic look. "We still have our chance, don''t we?"


    "How can I calm down? What should I do now to make Edric take back what he said? It''s all your


    fault... If it weren''t for you, things wouldn''t have be like this."


    Deborah was irked. "I did all these for you. If it wasn''t for me, you couldn''t even get to see Edric, let


    alone be engaged with him. How could you me me? Well, I won''t care about your business from


    now on!"


    "I''m going to end my life if you are going to leave me alone. I''m going to kill myself if I can''t get Edric!"


    "Go ahead. I won''t have a coward like you as my daughter. I will never stop you!" Deborah mmed


    the door and walked out.


    Lily fell on the ground as she wailed and covered her face. She didn''t want to die, and she was


    reluctant to end her rtionship with Edric in such a way. Lily had waited for Edric for nine years. She


    almost seeded, but all her efforts went in vain in a blink of an eye. She was crestfallen.


    Deborah stood in the corridor and heard Lily crying in the bedroom. She, too, was upset. It was her


    fault, after all. She thought that if she pushed them to such a desperate corner, they would get a


    bargaining chip, but Edric''s decision was totally the opposite of her expectation.


    She had carried out such a desperate n, for she was sure that Edric would not allow Margaret be in


    the spotlight. However, Deborah didn''t expect that Edric would mention this on TV.


    "What should we do now? Since Edric went to the TV station and exposed all these, it meant that he


    did not want to have any rtionship with Lily at all. Would this matter be settled just like this? No way!


    I must think of a way to reconcile with him!" Deborah scratched her mind.


    She had worked hard for this in thest seven or eight years, but everything was now down the drain in


    just one day. Deborah was not willing to give up; she wanted to turn the table around. They shouldn''t


    give up so easily!


    After watching the show, Jordan turned off the TV with a sneer. "Edirc is indeed brilliant. He killed three


    birds with one stone!"


    Edric went back home immediately after receiving a phone call from Margaret. As soon as he pushed


    the door open, a pillow was thrown at him. He reached out his hand to catch it urately. Margaret


    jumped up from the sofa and dashed to him and pped his face.


    Edric didn''t dodge it, hence he was pped squarely in the face. Seeing that, Margaret''s heart ached a


    little. However, when she thought of him mortifying her for Irene, her edge of irritation returned again.


    "You are such an ingrate. You''ve ndered me for her. Are you still my son?"


    Edric frowned and looked at Margaret. "Mom, take it easy. You''re almost in your seventies now. Aren''t


    you afraid of beingughed at if news gets out?"


    "Are you kidding me? Who dares tough at me?" Margaret remembered that there was an outsider in


    the house, Loraine. After all, Edric was a president of apany, and Margaret shouldn''t p him in


    front of Loraine. Hence, she red at Loraine. Immediately, Loraine stepped out instantly but the truth


    was, she did not go far. She waited at the door to see what would happen.


    "You can break up with Lily, and I have nothing against it. However, don''t even think about getting back


    together with Irene. I will not let her be one of the Myers family members," Margaret bellowed. Loraine


    shook her head. Edric was so unfortunate to have such a mother.


    In the face of Margaret''s roar, Edric helped her sit down calmly. He then went back to pour two cups of


    water. He put one in front of Margaret and said, "Mom, have a ss of water. I''ll exin everything to


    you."


    Margaret refused, "No matter what tricks you y, I won''t agree to it anyway."


    "Mom, except for Irene, I have no interest in anyone else. You can only ept Irene. Otherwise, the


    Myers family will have no descendants."


    "Don''t lie to me. I''m telling you, I''ll never fall for your lie!"


    "I''m telling the truth. Mom, think about it. Have you ever seen me meeting with other women in the past


    three years?"


    "Isn''t Lily a woman?" Margaret retorted, "Even if you don''t like Lily, don''t you still have Rowane?"


    "I''ve never had any affection for Lily and Rowane. I don''t even bother to touch their hands in private


    except for the necessary etiquette when we attend formal asions."


    "What... What''s so good about that woman?" Margaret was so irate that she stuttered.


    "Well, don''t you know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? I like Irene, and I only have feelings for


    her."


    "No, I can''t ept it. You can choose to break up with Lily, and I won''t disagree with your decision. I


    will help you find another woman. There are so many rich girls out there, and I don''t believe you are not


    interested in them. Taking a step back, ordinary girls will work too. You just can''t be with Irene,"


    Margaret screamed.


    "The reason you forced me to divorce was that Irene was infertile. Now that Irene can have a child, why


    can''t I get back with her?" questioned Edric.


    "Are there no other fertile women?" Margaret asked.


    "There are a lot of women who are fertile, but I''m willing to have children with Irene only." Edric felt


    thirsty after so much shouting. Thus, he picked up his cup and drank some water.


    "Bah! What kind of drug did Irene feed you? Is a divorced woman worthy of so much of your effort?"


    Margaret grabbed the cup from Edric''s hand and chucked it on the ground. "I don''t agree with it. Dream


    on. I won''t agree to this no matter what."


    "Mom, enough. I am sick of you controlling my life! Isn''t it better for us to get along well?" Edric grabbed


    his head within his arms.


    "No matter what, I won''t agree to it. It can be anyone, but it can''t be Irene!"


    "Mom, I''m not here to discuss it with you. I''ve made a decision!" Edric ran out of patience. "No one can


    stop me from being with Irene."


    "How dare you!" she roared.


    "Nothing and nobody can stop me!" Edric sneered. "I''m telling you this as I hope that our family can live


    happily together. But if you don''t want it, I won''t force you. If you don''t like Irene, we can distance


    ourselves from you. In short, I want to be with her, and no one can stop me!"


    Margaret was so enraged that she rolled her eyes. "Just wait! I won''t let you go like this."


    Edric mmed the door and left while Margaret was sulking on the sofa. In the past, Edric always tried


    to satisfy both sides, but now he waspletely blinded by love. If he really married Irene, where


    would she stand? She would never agree to this matter!


    Before going to bed, Irene used an ovtion test strip. As a result, two red lines appeared on it, which


    meant that her ovtion period was just around. Irene was both nervous and excited.


    She had to find a chance to meet Edric the next day. Anyway, she must hurry up and make sure that


    she would seed at one shot. Irene turned on her phone and found that there were a lot of missed


    calls. They were from Kinsey, Jordan, Steven, and Edric.


    After thinking for a while, she called Edric. Edric didn''t expect that she would call him at this time. He


    was positively surprised. "Irene, I''m downstairs. I''m going to see you."


    "I''ll go downstairs now." Irene hung up the phone briskly.


    There was a clear handprint on Edric''s face, which was Margaret''s masterpiece. Sure enough, she was


    very angry that night. Irene ignored it and asked, "What are you here for?"


    "Irene, let''s talk, okay?" muttered Edric.


    "Alright!" She nodded.


    Edric didn''t expect Irene to be so nice. He had assumed that Irene would be furious since he had


    helped to defend Lily on the show. He had been hoping that Irene would throw a fit at him, but now that


    she was nonchnt, he felt rather uneasy.


    Edric took Irene back to Chandelle Valley. Irene was rather cooperative as she was here for a purpose.


    She had never been so anticipating and hoped that Edric would be more beast-liketer on. The more


    However, Edric did not seem interested in making out with her at all. He poured Irene a ss of water


    and sat opposite her. "Have you seen the TV show?"


    Irene nodded, but she didn''t say anything. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Edric looked


    at her and drawled, "You must think that I am a fake and disgusting man, aren''t you?"


    "A little bit."


    "Irene, I don''t know who is deliberately blowing this matter up. The impact is huge. I have no other way.


    Only in this way can I restore Lily''s reputation."


    "You are so good to her!" Irene smiled at the irony. When she was scolded as a mistress, she did not


    see any action of Edric. But when Lily was chastised, he felt distressed and immediately went to her


    rescue. The difference between the two was evident.


    "I just don''t want to owe Lily anything. I owed her so much because of my mother. This time, I can''t


    bear to see her being dragged in this mess again. Hence..."


    Irene interjected, "That''s why you did this, huh? I understand. In fact, you have nothing to exin to


    me. You and Lily are engaged. It''s normal for you to help her. There''s no need for you toe to me."


    "Irene, I must, in fact. What I said in the show today is true except for Lily''s. Every word about you is


    true. I have been waiting for you to give me a chance. I have never changed my feelings towards you!"


    blurted Edric.


    "Stop! Mr. Myers! Yes, your feelings for me have never changed, but aren''t you nning to raise your


    children with other women? This topic itself is too depressing for me to handle. Even if I believe that


    your feelings for me have never changed, so what?"


    Irene sneered. "Can I just pretend that you have never had an affair with another woman? She was


    even pregnant with your baby!"


    Originally, Irene had made up her mind and came over to get her deal done. Yet, when she heard


    Edric''s confession, she couldn''t help but get exasperated.


    "I didn''t cheat on you! Nothing happened between Lily and me!" Edric denied.

 Chapter 129 She Would Never Trust Him Again

    Chapter 129 She Would Never Trust Him Again


    "Whoa, that''s amusing! The baby must be from the Storks!" Irene sneered.


    "Is sexual intercourse the only way that a child can be conceived?" Edric retorted. "There are many


    ways to get pregnant."


    "Do you mean artificial insemination?" Irene looked at Edric in surprise.


    Edric nodded and said, "Yes, and it''s not even my sperm!"


    Irene''s eyes widened. "How is this possible?"


    "At that time, my mother forced me to divorce you. I had no choice. I wanted to give her a grandson for


    the sake of my family. I asked John to get sperm from a sperm bank."


    "Impossible!" Irene did not believe it at all. "Are you lying? Edric, do you think that there''s no way for


    me to investigate all this, and that''s why you lied?"


    "I didn''t. Irene, I have never touched Lily. At that time, I had no choice but to divorce you. My mother


    threatened me with her life. You know that! Thus, I forced you to sign that contract. I thought you would


    not sign it, but you left the city without even a warning..."


    Irene found it rather unbelievable. After staring at Edric for a while, she shook her head. "Edric, don''t lie


    to me. I don''t believe it. I will never trust you!"


    How could she believe it? Edric, who she had thought to be cheating on her for many years, was now


    telling her that he had never been involved in an affair. Everything was but a misunderstanding.


    "You must be ying another trick, Edric, aren''t you? I know I can''t defeat you, and I raised my white


    g. I am your secret lover now. You can do whatever you want. There is no need to make up a story


    and lie to me!" Irene screamed.


    "Irene, I''m telling the truth. I didn''t say these to make you believe me. Time will tell, and you can watch


    my performance from now on," said Edric genuinely.


    "If you really have nothing to do with Lily, why did you get engaged to her? Why did you turn me away


    when I called to reconcile with you?" questioned Irene.


    "I was being too irrational. At that time, you refused to forgive me, and the rtionship between my


    mother and me had been going downhill. On top of that, Lily had just had a miscarriage and was


    diagnosed to have a weak cervix. At that time, I was disheartened. I thought that you left me. Thus, I


    got engaged to her as getting married to anyone else did not matter to me."


    Edric added, "Later, I took Lily to see a famous doctor. He said that Lily''s condition was not as serious.


    She would be fine after some treatment, therefore..."


    "Why do all these sound so imusible?" Irene felt confused. She didn''t know whether she should


    choose to believe Edric or forgive him.


    Edric reached out and held her hand. "Irene, I don''t ask for you to forgive me immediately. Please give


    me a chance. Let''s start over!"


    Actions were louder than words. After so many hardships, it was hard for Irene to trust Edric again. Her


    n now was more important than hesitating to believe Edric''s confession. Irene avoided Edric''s


    scorching gaze and removed her hand from his. "Edric, if everything you said is true, I will give you a


    chance. Otherwise..."


    He interjected, "Irene, I''m telling the truth. Just give me a chance to prove myself. I won''t let you down


    this time!"


    Edric sounded exceedingly sincere, just like what he said when he proposed to her in the past, but


    Irene knew that she would never ce her faith in him again.


    So many things had happened, and they would never be able to return to their previous state.


    Irene would not hold onto her fantasy. She had dreamed that Edric would love her and get back


    together with her before they form a family of their own. The suffering she had experienced in thest


    few years was going to serve her as a reminder. She knew clearly the purpose of her approaching


    Edric, and she was no longer the foolish Irene. She would no longer have unrealistic expectations


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    because of his promises.


    Edric seemed to trust that Irene would forgive him. Once again, he reached out and held her hand. In


    fact, Irene was reluctant to have any physical contact with him. But now was not the time for her to


    resist Edric. Eden''s illness mattered most.


    Thinking of Eden, she controlled herself and let Edric hold her hand. Edric was apologizing to her, but


    Irene was not paying attention to him. Her mind was full of Eden''s images. She hadn''t called him for


    two days, and she wondered how he was doing.


    While she was immersed in her thoughts, Edric had held her in his arms. Irene raised her head, and


    their eyes met. Edric''s eyes were as gentle as water. She looked at him nkly; she couldn''t even hear


    what he said. The next second, his lips touched hers.


    Deborah helped Lily to bed and put the nket on her. She sat by the bed and looked at Lily for a while


    before she quietly left. When she returned to her room, Deborah called Marie.


    It was nearly midnight and Marie was surprised when she received the call. She lowered her voice and


    asked, "What happened again?"


    "Didn''t you watch the TV?" asked Deborah.


    "No, Ma is sick today. I don''t have the time."


    Deborah told Marie what Edric had said on TV before she asked, "What should we do now?"


    Marie replied in a grumbling tone, "I told you not to do it at the beginning. Great, now you shoot


    yourself in the foot. I have no way to help you. You have to give up that unrealistic thought of yours


    now!"


    "Will I be this worried if I can choose to give up? Lily is so stubborn, and she says she''llmit suicide


    if she can''t marry Edric. Please help me to think of a solution!"


    Marie was silent for a while. "I''ll go and find Margaret to see what she''s up to. Don''t let Lily and Edric


    meet in the next few days. Wait for my news."


    After hanging up the phone, Deborah exhaled deeply. Steven was in the hospital, and Lily was making


    a scene at home. Why would all these happen? Such a coincidence! Her entire being was seething


    with rage at this moment.


    "It''s all Irene''s fault! I couldn''t just let her off so easily. This time, I must teach her a good lesson. Even if


    Edric and Lily couldn''t be together, I''d not allow her to reconcile with Edric too!"


    Concerned about Lily, Deborah went to Lily''s room to apany her. At dawn, Lily woke up and saw


    Deborah by the bed. She couldn''t help crying while hugging Deborah. "Mom, I''m sorry to put you in


    such a state. I''m sorry!"


    Deborah patted Lily''s back gently. "It''s not the end yet. Don''t be discouraged. We had lived a wandering


    life for nine years. What are you afraid of? Don''t admit defeat so easily!"


    Lily nodded. After a night''s rest, she was finally feeling slightly better. Her quick adaptability was was


    simr to Deborah''s.


    "From today on, you will go to the hospital to take care of your father. If Edric calls you and asks you to


    see him, don''t go. We''ll talk about it after some time," ordered Deborah.


    "I''ll listen to you," Lily promised.


    Lily went to the hospital with food. They had taken a long time to prepare it. Steveny on the bed with


    his eyes closed. When he heard the sound, he opened his eyes. When he saw it was Lily, he seemed


    to be quite surprised. "Where is your mother?"


    "Mom didn''t manage to get a wink of sleepst night. I asked her to rest at home. I''ll take care of you


    today," Lily answered. She sounded rather calm, but her red and swollen eyes had betrayed her.


    Steven looked at Lily for a while and sighed.


    The incident had caused a bigmotion. Edric''s way of handling this matter was undeniably the best


    option. Not only could he save Lily''s reputation, but he could also make peace with Irene. However,


    everyone knew that Lily was the most pitiful one in this storm.


    Lily brought out the food and handed it to him. "Dad, have some food."


    Steven took a few mouthfuls of food and handed the container to Lily. He exhaled slightly. "Lily, let


    Edric go. You will find a better man."


    "Dad!" Lily cried.


    "Don''t cry. I know that Edric has wronged you. I will do right by you," Stevenforted her.

 Chapter 130 I Dont Mind It

    Chapter 130 I Don''t Mind It


    Steven''s words were of nofort to Lily. Lily''s sobs soon escted into loud, sorrowful wailing.


    Compared to Edric, whatever Steven was going to do was just a drop in the bucket. Money was


    secondary to her. She loved Edric so much. After so many years of painstaking effort and work, she


    could not just give him up.


    Faced with Lily crying, Steven handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears with. "Don''t cry, Lily. I will


    definitely find you someone better than Edric!"


    At that moment, a doctor came in to examine Steven''s condition. Lily stopped wailing at once. The


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    doctor, noticing Lily''s reddened eyes, told her, "Mr. Cook will be fine. You don''t need to worry."


    The doctor mistakenly believed that Lily was crying because she was worried about Steven. Steven did


    not bother exining to the doctor too. It was then that Lily''s phone rang. The caller turned out to be


    none other than Edric. Lily excused herself from the room and answered the call outside.


    "Lily, are you free now? Let''s meet up," requested Edric.


    "I''m not free. I''m taking care of my father in the hospital." Lily refused his invitation.


    "It won''t take a long time. I''ll meet with you at the hospital then!" Edric replied.


    In the past, she was always the one who demanded to meet Edric. Edric had never taken the initiative


    to reach out to her. Lily realized that something was amiss. She insisted, "I can''t leave his side. My


    father''s sick; he needs someone with him!"


    Afraid that Edric would not believe her, she added, "He''s not doing too well now. My mother was here


    watching over him the whole night. I''ve just arrived to take over."


    "How''s Mr. Cook?" Edric sounded nicer than usual, which made Lily feel rather uneasy.


    Regardless, Lily answered, "The doctor''s doing a checkup on him now."


    "Alright, then. Call me back when you''re free."


    From that, it was evident that Edric wanted to meet her no matter what. Lily was irked, but she agreed


    to his request without hesitation. Now she finally understood why Deborah instructed her to take care of


    Steven during the day.


    It seemed that Edric was going to cut ties with her, but she couldn''t let that happen. Once it did, there


    would be no going back. As long as he hadn''t ended their rtionship yet, there was still a chance for


    her to make aeback. Fortunately for Lily, Steven''s illness was the most convenient excuse that


    cropped up at that moment. Edric wouldn''t end things with her while there were so many things going


    on now.


    Marie went to the Myers to meet Margaret. Margaret was seen slumping on the sofa limply. When


    Margaret saw Marie, she sighed and said, "You''re the only one who thinks of me. I''ve lost all my dignity.


    I can''t possibly show my face in public again after this!"


    "Take it easy," Marie said.


    "How?" Margaret, having found a person who she could vent to, could not hold her anger in any longer.


    She told Marie the whole story about Edric and her quarreling.


    "I don''t know how Irene bewitched him to the point he would nder me in public. He even fought with


    me openly. I''m upset beyond words!" Margaret''s face now was longer than that of a horse.


    "Edric could get any woman he wanted. Why does he insist on someone who you''re against? It''s so


    wrong!" Marie agreed with Margaret.


    "Let''s just call it what it is; it''s betrayal! Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. What a miserable


    life I have!" Margaret eximed.


    "Edric is a kind-hearted person who treats you well. I don''t think it was his true intention to hurt you. It


    must be Irene''s orders. It has to be her behind this. That utterly shameless woman! She''s divorced


    from Edric and yet she still stays beside his side, clouding his judgment!"


    Marie knew well that no mother would want to hear negative remarks about their child. Hence, she


    tactfully put the me on Irene.


    Sure enough, it was like Marie had read Margaret''s mind. As far as Margaret could remember, Edric


    used to be obedient and had never disobeyed her. Yet, he had butted heads with her for Irene several


    timestely. Margaret barked with hatred, "You''re right! Irene is a bad influence on Edric!"


    "But Edric doesn''t listen to you now. What will you do if he insists on marrying her? After all, he''s an


    adult now," Marie said tentatively.


    Margaret was also worried about just that. She was powerless if Edric refused to change his mind. Her


    threats no longer held any weight. Her mind was troubled indeed because of all these factors.


    "I''m racking my brains for a way to settle this. Anyhow, I can''t let Irene and Edric be together. Irene is a


    divorced woman. She even married another man. On top of that, she has a child. Edric shouldn''t be


    made to raise a child for another man." Margaret scratched her head, obviously exasperated.


    "Yeah, he could easily have a child of his own. Why does he need to raise hers?" Marie chimed.


    "I have to think of a way to cut him off from Irene!" Resentment was growing inside Margaret at the


    thought that Irene had a son. Why should Edric, a bachelor, marry Irene? She was clearly no match for


    Edric!


    "What are you going to do?" Marie asked.


    "I have no idea what to do now. If I did, I would have taken some actions earlier." Margaret sighed. "But


    Marie, you''re a bright woman. Do you have any good suggestions?"


    "I''ve none either." Marie would not reveal her trump card that quickly; she followed up with another


    question instead, "Oh, have you discussed this matter with Lily''s parents?"


    "No, Steven''s hospitalized now. He was admitted to the hospital as soon as he got back from a state


    meeting. Deborah is stricken with worry. She''s been in the hospital looking after Steven all day. I''ll just


    add unwantedplications to the matter if I try to bring it up with them now." Margaret shook her


    head.


    "That''s right. Now is not the right time to discuss this problem with them," Marie agreed.


    "Pleasee up with a way to settle this. I can''t just wait like this. Irene is fertile now, and she is living


    with Edric. If she gets pregnant, I have to go with Edric''s decision for that child''s sake." Margaret''s


    worries were never-ending. "I have to think of a quick way to cut him off from her, or it will be toote."


    "I got it! Why don''t you have Edric and Lily sleep together? If Lily gets pregnant, Edric will give Irene


    up." Marie pped her hands.


    "That''s easy for you to say. How would I even go about doing that?" Margaret shook her head again.


    "Lily is a gentledy, but she doesn''t know the way to a man''s heart. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be stuck


    at zero progress for three years."


    "That''s because Lily''s family taught her self-respect. It''s rare for someone to save their virginity for


    marriage nowadays," Marie replied.


    "It''s not that. Edric told me that he''s not interested in her." Margaret''s anger spiked again when she


    mentioned this. "ording to him, he''s not interested in any women except Irene. He really pissed me


    off."


    Marie kept her anger in check. "He deliberately said that to get together with Irene. Don''t all men think


    with their p*nises?"


    "I know Edric well. He''s as stubborn as his father." Margaret let out another sigh. "He is not interested


    in Lily. I''ll have to find a good woman for him."


    "You''re going to look for another woman now?" Marie shook her head. "When you eventually find one,


    it will be toote!"


    "I can''t just sit by and watch, can I? In the past, so many rich youngdies came to me to express their


    likings on Edric. He must have fancied at least one of them." Frustrated, Margaret looked as though


    she would really get up and start searching for a suitabledy right there and then.


    "Forget it. If it''s in the past, I''d believe that manydies would be after him. But, now that Edric has


    caused such a scene on TV, everyone knows that he loves Irene. Who would agree to get together with


    him now?"


    Marie analyzed the situation. "You have forgotten how sly Irene is. If you upset her this way, she''ll just


    expose more lies and stories on the Inte. Do you want to be humiliated further? Instead of choosing


    a woman from his past, it''d be better if you find someone that still has some sort of connection with


    Edric."


    "You make a lot of sense." Margaret groaned, "I still feel uneasy, though. I used to think that Lily would


    be a good fit, but now, I guess that I am wrong. She caused all that ruckus before, right? If Lily hadn''t


    gotten someone to take pictures of Irene and Edric, this matter would not have escted to this point. I


    always thought that Deborah had a displeasing disposition too, so..."


    Marie interjected, "You say that, but is there any other suitable person around except her? Edric has


    been keeping his reputation clean; there are no other women around him."


    Margaret''s eyes lit up. "What do you mean? Isn''t Rowane a good fit?"


    "Rowane Wood? Are you sure you want a woman from a poor family for Edric? Wouldn''t she be the


    same as Irene, then?" Marie asked.


    "Now that it''se to this, I don''t mind," Margaret replied.


    "You''d better think it over again!" Marie would not allow Margaret to choose Rowane.


    "You have to tread carefully in this matter. Steven is still an important person in this situation. It won''t do


    for you to offend him. He can''t get angry if your choice is between his two daughters. But, if you choose


    someone else, that won''t necessarily be the case."


    Marie threatened Margaret with Steven''s position.


    Margaret smiled mysteriously. "You''re my best friend, so I won''t hide this from you. I heard that Steven


    is in huge trouble this time. Rumor had it that the state meeting recently was to investigate him. That


    was why he fell ill instantly when he came back. If Steven gets caught in the prison, how could I


    possibly let Edric marry one of his daughters?"


    "You should consider if what you''ve said is even true. I''m afraid that someone may have released that


    piece of news to confuse you. Think carefully about it." Marieughed dryly.


    "I know, I''ll give it more thought. Now, my top priority is to separate Edric and Irene. I have to go to see


    Rowane. If she can cooperate in driving Irene away, I will definitely treat her well. Even if she can''t


    marry Edric in the future, as long as she can bear a son for Edric, I''ll ept her as my daughter-inw."


    Marie said goodbye to Margaret despondently. She knew very well Margaret''s power and fortune.


    Therefore, she made full use of this fact to raise a huge fuss against Irene. She didn''t expect Margaret


    would use the same trick on Lily. Marie had to confirm with Deborah if those rumors about Steven were


    true.


    Deborah was taken aback when she received the news from Marie. Steven fell ill as soon as he came


    back from the meeting, hence she knew nothing about it. If a formal investigation wasunched against


    Steven, her future would be bleak.


    Deborah rushed to the hospital. Steven was watching TV with Lily in the ward. When he saw Deborah''s


    anxious face, he was surprised. Steven asked, "What happened?"


    "Lily, leave us alone for a while. I have something to discuss with your father. Don''t go too far. Just stay


    at the door," Deborah ordered.


    Lily went out obediently. Deborah walked to Steven''s bed and lowered her voice. "Steven, has anything


    happened to you recently?"


    "Where did you hear that from?" Steven asked.


    "Is it really true?" Bothered, Deborah questioned Steven impatiently.


    "Yes, I''m now caught in some trouble," Steven came clean.


    "So it is true after all! What the hell is going on?"


    "Don''t meddle in my affairs!" Steven frowned. "You''ll know when the timees."


    "I''m worried. Steven, just tell me!" Deborah urged.


    "All I can tell you is that the mayor has been ostracized! You can ponder over the rest of it on your


    own!" Steven barked.


    "What''s going to happen now?" Deborah grew even more anxious when she heard about the


    ostracization of the mayor.


    It wasn''t a small matter. Steven and the mayor were close friends. Fear began to well up in Deborah''s


    heart. She asked, "If something happens to you, what will happen to Lily and me in the future?"


    "Don''t worry. I will make sure that you won''t be implicated by it," Steven replied her impatiently,


    frowning.

 Chapter 131 Face the Music

    Chapter 131 Face the Music


    Steven had assumed that Deborah had always been concerned about him. He even naively believed


    that Deborah took him as everything that revolved around her.


    But now Deborah suddenly said, "If something happens to you, what will happen to Lily and me in the


    future?" She didn''t even think about Steven at all. Steven was positively upset.


    "Wait, I am sorry. I didn''t mean that. I was just worried about you!" Deborah hurriedly exined herself.


    She knew that she had uttered the wrong words. "Honey, what can I do for you now?"


    "If you were genuinely worried about me, you would have stayed at home and not caused me any


    trouble. Visit me at the hospital when I need you to," Steven said.


    Deborah lingered at the hospital a while longer before leaving. She didn''t head home but instead, she


    went to the beauty salon that she frequented. She arrived and was escorted to the VIP room.


    Heather, the staff member that serviced her regrly came up and asked, "Why are you here today?"


    Deborah usually called before visiting the salon and no wonder Heather was surprised. "Give him a


    call. I need to speak to him," Deborah instructed.


    Heather immediately picked up the phone and dialed it. The call got through and a female''s voice was


    heard, "What''s the matter?"


    "I''m looking for Logan," Heather replied.


    "Logan is in the shower. I''ll ask him to call you backter," the voice answered.


    Deborah heard the female''s voice and her face changed. She immediately grabbed the phone and


    screamed, "Get Logan on the phone now!"


    "Who are you?" asked the female voice.


    "It''s none of your business! Get Logan on the phone or you will face the music!"


    Deborah''s soprano-like tone pressured thedy to knock on the bathroom door. "Logan! There''s a call


    for you!"


    Logan opened the door, revealing his naked body. "Baby, who is calling?"


    "It''s your sister''s phone number, but it isn''t your sister. She sounds fierce."


    Deborah heard it loud and clear. She was so jealous that she screamed out, "Logan Wheeler! Get here


    this instant!"


    Twenty minutester, Logan rushed to the salon and was greeted with a ssh of tea on his face. "You


    b*stard! How dare you cheat on me?! I will kill you!"


    Deborah lunged at him like a lioness. She wed and even bit him. Logan repeatedly pleaded, "She is


    not my mistress. She is just a nanny."


    "Bullsh*t! Do you take me for a fool? I am out there busting my balls for you yet you cheated on me!"


    "Deborah, calm down! I didn''t cheat on you! I only have eyes for you!" said Logan.


    "If I really believed you then pigs could fly! Let me tell you, Logan Wheeler. I am not to be trifled with! If


    you cross me, I will get my revenge!" hissed Deborah.


    "No, I would never! You are my everything! I told you that I only had eyes for you!" repeated Logan.


    "If I catch you cheating on me, I will kill you!" Deborah gnashed her teeth and eximed, "After all that I


    had done for you, how could you? I gave you a daughter and I even put up with the son of a b*tch


    Steven Cook! By the way, did you know that your daughter is going to kill herself?"


    "What''s wrong with Lily?"


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you ever watch the television? Edric is getting married and Lily wants tomit


    suicide!"


    "What? What the hell is he thinking?" Logan roared, "He is a divorced man and Lily is a perfect little


    Logan then chortled and said, "Baby, calm down. Tell Lily to let him go. There are plenty of fishes in the


    sea. With her looks, she can definitely find someone better."


    "That is not the point! Lily likes Edric, don''t you know that?" Deborah almost had a heart attack.


    "But love can''t be forced¡­" Deborah suddenly grabbed Logan before thetter immediately yelled,


    "Hey stop! Are you nning to murder me?!"


    "I was looking to you for solutions but you are useless to me now. I am better off just consulting Marie,"


    barked Deborah.


    "You better stop meeting Marie. She was quite involved with what happened that year. If everything


    gets exposed, you are done for," Logan reminded her.


    "Don''t worry. Lily is thest person she would ever harm," Deborah said confidently.


    "Anything can happen. If she finds out that Lily is not her daughter, she would definitely throw a fit. Be


    careful!"


    "Marie would never suspect a thing. Don''t worry!" Deborah didn''t want to discuss this anymore. "I''m


    thirsty, get me a drink."


    Logan immediately poured her a ss of water. Deborah gulped down the drink. Logan sat next to her


    and stared at Deborah''s towering chest. "Baby, is there anything else?"


    "What?" roared Deborah.


    "If there is nothing else, let''s have some fun!" Logan reached out and grabbed her bosoms.


    "Quit ying! I have something important to tell you." Deborah patted away his hands and told him


    about Steven, "If he really causes any trouble, we need to save ourselves."


    Logan frowned and thought for a moment before he shook his head. "There won''t be any trouble."


    "Why?"


    "Steven is a cunning fox. No one can get a hold of him that easily." Logan was confident.


    "But he admitted it himself," retorted Deborah.


    "The mayor is still in the capital city but Steven is now in the hospital. What does this say? Can''t you


    tell?" Logan winked at Deborah.


    "Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me." Deborah was getting more impatient at this moment.


    "It means that there must be something going on with the mayor, and he must be fine." Logan


    shrugged his shoulders.


    "I still don''t understand." Deborah was confused.


    "If Steven was in trouble, he would stay in the capital city like the mayor. Why would he evene


    back? Do you understand?" asked Logan.


    Seeing that Deborah still seemed puzzled, Logan added, "Now that I know this, I will send someone to


    keep an eye on it. Don''t panic, and stay by his side. I will inform you if anything is up."


    Deborah was relieved when she heard Logan say that. Logan then extended his hands towards her


    pervertedly. This time, Deborah didn''t decline his lecherous advances.


    After that, Deborah put on her clothes and left. Heather came into the room that was still evaporating


    with lust. Logan then grabbed her hands and sighed, "Heather, I am so sorry that you had to go


    through that."


    "Logan, we have everything we need right now. Why don''t you just ditch her?" Heather looked at Logan


    with sympathy.


    Deborah was a vicious woman. Logan couldn''t have any other woman but Deborah was out there


    having the time of her life. Was the Wheeler family going to end with Logan?


    "I know but I have no other choice. Everything I have today is because of Deborah. I can''t just abandon


    her like that! Besides, she gave me a daughter already!"


    "Logan, you are too kind! In fact, I never found Lily to bear any resemnce to you at all. For all I know,


    that sl*t Deborah might have just bore Lily from another man!" Heather pouted.


    "Heather, nonsense."


    "I know but I just feel so bad for you! You don''t have to do this! How dare she stop you from getting


    married and having your own children?" asked Heather.


    "I am doing this out of my own ord." Logan shook his head. "No matter what, I know what I am


    doing!"


    "Logan, you have already passed your prime! Listen to me, get married and start a family! The Wheeler


    family needs an heir."


    Heather pleaded, "We don''t need money anymore. If Deborah still doesn''t let you go, we can just leave


    everything behind! She can''t possibly be on to us forever!"


    Logan didn''t respond. He knew that Heather was really worried for him but Deborah was right; she was


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    not to be trifled with. Besides, Deborah had something to use against him.


    If he had been more sensible, he wouldn''t have ended up like this. Logan let out a sigh.


    The sun was shining brightly. Edric opened his eyes and the person in his arms was still asleep. He


    gently pulled the nket over her arms and noticed the marks he left on her bosoms.


    Edric lowered his head and kissed her face. He then hugged her tightly and said, "Irene, are you really


    back in my arms again? Is this a dream?"


    There was an inexplicable joy in his heart. Edric really wanted tough his heart out! He had never felt


    this alive in three years!


    After a short while, Edric got up and went into the shower. He made a ham sandwich for breakfast.


    Irene used to make all sorts of healthy breakfasts for him when they were together.


    However, Edric only knew how to make ham sandwiches. Edric put the bread into the toaster and fried


    up an egg. He then cut the tomatoes and put together two beautiful ham sandwiches.


    He warmed up a cup of milk and brought the sandwiches upstairs. He went into the bedroom and Irene


    was still sound asleep. He gently nudged her but Irene didn''t respond.


    Edric decided to let Irene sleep peacefully. He then left the room after he finished up a sandwich. After


    that, he gave Lily a call.

 Chapter 132 Nothing Remains Unchanged

    Chapter 132 Nothing Remains Unchanged


    Edric had always felt very guilty towards Lily. As a matter of fact, he felt that Margaret was the one


    responsible for putting Lily in such a state. Lily had such a bright future ahead of her but she was


    sucked into this whole predicament.


    After finding out that Steven and Deborah were behind all these, he felt even more sorry for Lily. His


    guilt towards Lily reached its peak after Marie told him about Lily and her infertility. Edric then decided


    to get engaged with Lily although his choice would put Irene in misery.


    For starters, he felt indebted to Lily. Though he didn''t love her one bit, Lily had always seemed kind and


    gentle. He never expected Lily would do such a thing to Irene.


    He was not a fool. He knew that Freya was the mastermind behind all this. Edricmented himself for


    making such a huge mistake.


    Because of whatever things he did to Irene, he had to end the rtionship with Lily.


    Edric didn''tpletely me Lily. He was still Lily''s fiance after all and it was a fact that he cheated on


    her with Irene. He had indeed failed Lily. Putting himself in Lily''s shoes, he was surely guilty.


    However, Irene was innocent. She should not have suffered such pain and humiliation. Edric was ready


    toe clean with Margaret so Irene could forgive both of them.


    He wanted everyone to know that Irene wasn''t supposed to be med for any of this. Firstly, he''d have


    to break up with Lily. But he never expected that the matter would blow up to such a scale even before


    John could carry out his order. Lily waspletely decimated in this process. Hence, Edric finally


    decided to sever ties with Lily and go back to Irene.


    Now Irene had promised to give him another chance. Edric was going to make it clear to Lily that he


    would do everything he could to cure her. He would do everything he could to do right by her, but they


    should share no rtionship whatsoever.


    But Lily refused his request to meet, saying that she had to take care of Steven.


    It was true that Steven had just fallen ill. Edric didn''t want to push her too hard either; thus, he hung up


    the phone. Seeing that there was nothing to eat at home, he drove to a nearby supermarket.


    Irene didn''t wake up till the next day. As a matter of fact, she was woken up by her rumbling belly.


    When she opened her eyes, she found that it was already noon. There was no trace of Edric on the


    bed. She struggled to get up from the bed and went downstairs.


    The breakfast made by Edric was still on the table. Irene wolfed down the food and went upstairs to


    take a bath.


    When she came back after taking a shower and changed her clothes, Edric had just returned from the


    supermarket. "Are you hungry? I''ll whip something up in a jiffy."


    "Don''t you have to go to the office?" Irene was surprised. Edric was a busy man; he couldn''t possibly


    have time to cook lunch for her.


    "I''ve taken some time off to stay home with you the next few days," exined Edric.


    "It''s alright. I will be fine. You better go to the office." She added, "We are starting over anyway. These


    few days wouldn''t matter. We have all the time in the world."


    Edric was extremely happy to hear that. He said softly, "I''ll make you some lunch and I will go to the


    office."


    Since he said so, Irene chose not to stop him. She watched him cook and felt like she couldn''t just


    stand idly by. She got to the kitchen and asked, "Do you need my help?"


    "Just stand there and watch," Edric answered. Edric began washing the pot and Irene recalled how


    clumsy he was before. It was all very weird.


    Seeing her thoughtful expression, Edric exined, "I can cook now. Isn''t it great? After you left, I


    missed you and your cooking so much. Loraine''s cooking really was not up my alley so I tried to make


    some of your recipes from memory. Over the past three years, I have really improved a lot!"


    Irene nodded. She didn''t know how to respond. He was telling her that he missed her, but she didn''t


    feel happy at all. She would rather have Edric be pretentious about his feelings so she could leave him


    without any guilt!


    "I bought your favorite fruits. Help yourself," Edric reminded her.


    Irene then turned and looked at him. Edric had bought a crate; therein was filled with cherries.


    His voice rang out from behind. "I promise that I will give you the life you want! We can afford all of the


    things that you like now."


    Irene didn''t say anything. He continued, "I will transfer some of thepany stocks to you. Then we


    will go get Eden to live with us."


    Hearing this, Irene was shocked and turned to look at Edric. "No! Eden is doing fine over there. You


    can''t bring him here!"


    "Don''t worry. I''ve found a way to help him. I won''t joke around with Eden''s condition."


    "Let''s talk about itter." Irene refused to continue this topic. She never wanted to get back together


    with Edric and she definitely was not nning on bringing Eden over.


    "I know. I just thought that I should inform you first." Edric knew that he needed to take things one step


    at a time.


    However, he still had not made it clear to Lily yet. He needed to settle all of his problems to prevent


    anything else from harming Irene and Eden.


    After lunch, Irene urged Edric to go to thepany. After he left, Irene looked around the vi. It had


    been several days since she moved into the vi yet this was the first time that she really got a closer


    look at it.


    Irene took a small tour of the house and realized that Edric really decorated the house to her likings,


    such as the kid''s rooms, the decor, color theme, and even the furniture options. No wonder people said


    that one would slowly mold into the likeness of their partners.


    She was lost in her thoughts when Kinsey gave her a call. "Irene, I saw Deborah going to the Immie


    Saloon. Do you think I should go in and have a look?"


    "Look at what?" Irene had not yet reacted to Kinsey''s words and hint. It was not a big deal for Deborah


    to enter the beauty salon.


    "To take a look at what she is nning! Your father is seriously ill in bed, but she is in the mood for a


    hair treatment! Don''t you find that a little weird?"


    Kinsey didn''t know that Steven was faking it, but Irene did. Maybe Steven told Deborah about his n;


    that could exin why Deborah went for some beauty sessions. However, Irene couldn''t tell Kinsey


    that Steven was faking his illness, therefore she tried to stop Kinsey from pursuing this matter any


    further. "Forget it, she probably has her own reasons. You go do your own stuff and leave her be."


    Kinsey gave up the idea of following Deborah. They then talked for a while before ending the call.


    Marie was not in a good mood after she met with Margaret. She thought that she could turn the tides


    with her wits but she never expected Steven to be in such a predicament. D*mn Steven, why did he


    have to be caught in this awkward position at this critical time?


    Steven deserved to go to hell but he should go alone! Though Marie hated Steven, at that point, she


    hoped that Steven was fine. If anything should happen to him, what would possibly happen to Lily?


    Deborah must have assumed that the only reason that she helped Lily was because of the hatred she


    had for Myra. But in fact, Lily was Marie''s biological daughter. How could she watch her own daughter


    live in such agony?


    Speaking of that, it was not a pleasant memory to Marie too. She had a love-hate rtionship with Lily.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Lily was her own flesh and blood but Lily also represented one of her deepest darkest secrets.


    If it wasn''t for her infertility, she would never have given birth to Lily. And it was all thanks to Myra and


    Steven.


    Blood was thicker than water. Myra was basically her half-sister and Marie ought to love her. But


    unfortunately, they were a pair of sworn enemies.


    Marie''s mother, Dania was a rich mistress that fell from grace. Because of that, she was forced to


    marry Myra''s father and that led to the birth of Myra and Thomas.


    Myra''s father died from tuberculosis and left them behind. It was a really challenging time in fact. Some


    timeter, Dania met Yohannes Walker, who was an up-anding artist in town. He was also a


    widowed man who had a son, Dave.


    Yohannes was instantly smitten by Dania''s beauty and began courting her. Naturally, Dania was


    attracted to him and they slowly began an item.


    Yohannes then promised Dania that he would take care of Myra and Thomas. It was supposed to be


    fantastic news but the Nelson family had toe and ruin things. They forced Dania to make a


    decision: stay in the Nelson family with the kids or leave them and go with Yohannes.


    It was a very hard decision. Dania had finally met her lover but these kids were her flesh and blood too.


    In the end, she chose the former.


    Later, Marie found out that someone from the Nelson family had taken an interest in Dania and wanted


    to marry her. Dania refused but that man used the children as leverage and forced Dania into marriage.


    Dania initially agreed to leave with Yohannes because she was pregnant with Marie. Under those


    circumstances, she was forced to make a decision and ended up choosing Yohannes. But she had


    never forgotten Myra and Thomas. Marie remembered that Dania had mentioned Myra and Thomas for


    as long as she could remember.


    Marie was initially very excited to meet Myra but that all turned to dust when they actually met. She was


    five years old when it happened. Dania brought them to the Nelson family to meet Myra and Thomas


    but they were refused entry. The people from the Nelson family hurled slurs towards her and began


    cursing her.


    They even called Marie a b*stard, the offspring of the devil. After that, Dania left with her. She was


    forever traumatized and resented Myra. Myra was the one that caused them that suffering.


    Although Dania was very happy in her marriage with Yohannes, the Walker family was not very kind to


    her either. They were very judgmental towards premarital pregnancies. Marie heard people talking and


    judging her behind her back. She even caught Dania crying in the room alone.


    Yohanna couldn''t bear to watch Dania endure that humiliation. Hence, he decided to move out of San


    Fetillo with them and start afresh. Without all this gossip and criticism, they were finally happy again.

 Chapter 133 The Past

    Chapter 133 The Past


    Myra and Thomas lived a hard life and were often abused physically by the people who took care of


    them. After their caretakers died of an ident, Myra and Thomas became orphans. When Dania


    received the news, she sent someone to pick them both up but Myra refused.


    Dania didn''t know what the Nelson family had been telling Myra that caused Myra to hate her so much.


    Myra imed that she didn''t have such a shameless mother. Myra was confident in her own abilities to


    raise Thomas and herself well. As a result, Dania had been living in guilt and pain. Later, Yohannes


    suggested that one of their servants adopted Myra and Thomas as a deed of kindness. That way, both


    of them would be able to get a good education.


    Myra''s grades were very good from primary school all the way until college. Thomas on the other hand


    had no interest in studying. He did not graduate from middle school; instead, he chose to homeschool.


    When Myra was in college, she was the campus belle. She had many suitors, including Marie''s brother,


    Dave Walker. Myra hated Dave at first, but as time went by, they became closer.


    Marie had witnessed Dave spending time together with Myra. Truth be told, she had never seen Dave


    so happy with anyone except Myra.


    Whenever there was something good at home, the first person Dave would think to share it with was


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Myra.This made Marie very jealous. She and Dave were siblings. Why would Dave treat an outsider


    who shared no blood rtion with him better than his own sister?


    Because of this, Marie slowly started to despise Myra. Especially when she heard everyone around her


    praise Myra for her beauty, intelligence, and talent, she despised Myra even more.


    Due to his excellent grades and his talent in architectural design, Dave received an invitation to study


    at a well-known university abroad.


    After he went abroad, he quickly made a name for himself as a famous designer. Since he was abroad,


    Marie had gone to visit him over the summer.


    Dave mostly hung out with the upper ss and many among them were rich families from Havend.


    Ma, being one of them, had an interest in carving sculptures; hence, Dave and he became friends


    immediately when they met. From there, Ma also got closer to Marie.


    Ma was handsome and was also the heir of a rich and powerful family. At the first nce, Marie


    took a fancy to him immediately; she began to have a crush on Ma. She would always use


    different excuses just to get closer to Ma.


    Because of Dave, Ma treated her well. He epted most of her requests and often invited her to


    parties and events as his partner.


    In the two short months they hung out, Marie was extremely happy. She had always thought that


    Ma liked her, otherwise, why would he invite her to events as his partner?


    Marie began to fantasize about Ma. Of course, none of this escaped Dave''s eyes. He warned her


    not to have too many unrealistic expectations about what was going on between them. Ma only


    regarded her as a younger sister of his friend and nothing more. Besides, Ma''s family was out of


    their league.


    But of course Marie didn''t listen. She had fallen head over heels for Ma. Her vacation wasing


    to an end and she had to return to her home country soon. She hoped that Ma could use the


    remaining time to confess to her and the two of them would live out their own fairytale.


    Although Ma did not confess to her, he did go back to the country with her. He had wanted to go


    back to meet with a famous sculptor. However, Marie did not think so. To her, he was using that as an


    excuse, and his real motive was to apany her back.


    As Ma was returning to the country, Dave had requested Ma to bring back some gifts for Myra


    on his behalf. When Ma went to pass her the gifts, he was struck by Myra''s beauty and fell in love


    with Myra at the first sight.


    For this reason, Ma did not go back abroad. He came up with the excuse to learn sculpting locally


    so he could remain in the country. For Marie, this was great news. She thought Ma was staying


    back for her.


    It was not until she saw Ma and Myra started dating that she realized what was going on. Marie''s


    hostility towards Myra grew tenfold at the sight of that. She hated Myra for stealing her lover away.


    Looking at the rtionship blossoming between Ma and Myra, Marie felt as if her heart was


    shed by a knife. She would never allow Ma to be taken away from her by Myra, not even if she


    was her sister.


    She began to find a way to break them up. Coincidentally, Steven had a crush on Myra. Marie decided


    to shift her focus onto Steven.


    Steven was popr in school. He was also good-looking and won the hearts of many girls. He also fell


    in love with Myra at first sight, but Myra was not very keen on Steven.


    No matter how Steven pursued Myra, Myra showed no attention to him. Marie subtly hinted to him that


    she could help him get Myra, and she also told him about the rtionship between her and Myra.


    Naturally, Steven was overjoyed that Marie had offered to help. The two began to form a n. Marie


    started treating Myra well and because Myra saw Marie as her sister, she did not doubt Marie''s


    intentions. Meanwhile, Marie would often think of various ways to bring Steven closer to Myra.


    However, there wasn''t much use. Myra had no interest in Steven at all. Seeing the n with Steven


    failed, Marie had to shift her strategy to Ma. If the Reed family found out that Ma had stayed


    back in the country for Myra, Pedro would definitely not allow it.


    Therefore, as Ma''s fiancee, Lydia personally came to find Ma. Ma had no feelings for


    Lydia and he had made it clear to her.


    To Marie, if she could not have Ma, then no one else could have him too. Therefore, since Steven


    couldn''t help her, she was on her own. She couldn''t let Myra win. Lydia''s appearance was an


    opportunity presenting itself. While Ma still had his guard down against her, Marie decided to set


    them all up.


    Marie got Ma and Lydia drunk before she made them sleep with each other. She then told Myra to


    chose to be with Steven instead.


    It seemed as if everything had already ended, but it was only the beginning for Marie. She thought that


    since Ma was no longer with Myra, she stood a chance to get back with Ma. However, she


    didn''t expect that Ma would marry Lydia even though he did not love her. Meanwhile, she had


    thought Myra and Steven would''ve just lived a simple and in life together after marriage.


    Surprisingly, Steven''s business prospered and his career grew tremendously.


    Marie was unwilling to give up. She was the only one who benefited nothing in this grand n of hers.


    God knew how frustrated she was! Everyone was now living a happy life except her.


    Dave had been entrusted by a rich Fransburg merchant to bring some famous drawings back home.


    He had ced the drawings with Myra for safekeeping. But, when the drawings were revealed back


    home, they turned out to be fake. As a result, Dave lost everything and went bankrupt. His reputation


    was gone. This caused Dave''s father to pass away from the shock, his mother following soon after.


    In one night, Marie lost everything, just like how Myra used to be. Her brother, Dave became


    devastated and lost hope in life. Marie med everything on Myra. She said that if it wasn''t for her,


    their family would not have stooped to this level.


    After the death of her parents, Dave returned to San Fetillo to live in seclusion. Marie had no choice but


    to go look for the old servant who used to take care of Myra. The old servant lived in Cat Alley. That


    was when she met Deborah, who also lived there. Deborah wasmonly known as Sugar there.


    Myra felt guilty that Marie and Dave ended up in such a situation. She gave Marie money she earned


    from work so that Marie could further her studies. At the time, Marie was studying medicine so she


    needed it. She never rejected Myra''s money but she never appreciated it either. On the contrary, she


    always thought of ways to get her revenge on Myra.


    She was never grateful to Myra. On the other hand, she was getting along really well with Deborah.


    Deborah was famous back then in Cat Alley. People around would always praise her beauty so Marie


    treated Deborah extremely well.


    During the summer that Marie graduated, Steven went to San Fetillo for business. On behalf of Myra,


    he visited Marie and gave her some money. Marie took Deborah and Deborah''s cousin, Simon to see


    Steven.


    At that time, Steven was young and handsome, and Deborah could not take her eyes off him. Seeing


    this scene, Marie secretly formed a vicious n in her head.


    She wanted Myra to suffer the pain of betrayal, especially that of her best friend whom she once


    trusted. So Marie drugged Steven and Deborah''s water. However, the ending was unexpected.


    She had plotted for Deborah and Steven to sleep together, but something else happened. She woke up


    and found herself naked instead, next to Simon, and thus, began their entanglement.


    Simon was a local ruffian in Cat Alley, and the ruffians in the alley were all blood-thirsty creatures.


    Before the incident, Simon had treated her well. However, after they had slept together, he started to


    threaten her. He wanted to maintain a sexual rtionship or he would expose this to others to


    embarrass her. For the sake of maintaining Deborah and Simon''s rtionship, she agreed.


    Unexpectedly, she got pregnant.


    She had nned to abort the child at the hospital. But the doctor told her that her body wouldn''t be


    able to take it. If she did so, she would never be able to have a child again.


    Simon also followed her to the hospital after hearing the news. In the end, Marie decided to keep the


    baby. On the day she gave birth to a child, Deborah also gave birth to Steven''s child.


    Marie hated Deborah. She was no fool. She was the one who nned to make Steven and Deborah a


    pair but somehow she ended up being drugged too. There was no way Deborah wasn''t involved.


    Therefore, she persuaded Simon to steal Deborah''s child. Naturally, Marie wasn''t going to take care of


    a child that wasn''t hers soter on she told him to give the child away.


    Marie knew that Deborah wasn''t giving birth to this child out of love. Deborah just wanted to rece


    Myra. Using this, she made a negotiation with Deborah. She would help Deborah get Steven if


    Deborah would help her get rid of Simon.


    In the end, they were all happy. Myra died in a car ident, and Deborah became Steven''s official


    wife. Marie''s child became Deborah and Steven''s child. As for Simon, Marie and Deborah worked


    together and sessfully sent him to jail.

 Chapter 134 The Past (II)

    Chapter 134 The Past (II)


    After that,Marie left San Fetillo and went to Alsburg City. After more than ten years of hard work, she


    became a famous specialist. But this was not the life she wanted. If it wasn''t for Steven and Myra, she


    would not have gotten into such a situation. She would be livingvishly with Ma as his rich wife


    instead of being just a doctor.


    Although she was well-known in the medical world, she was nothingpared to thosedies living in


    rich families. If that incident hadn''t happened, would she be in this situation? She hated both Myra and


    Steven even more now.


    During Marie''s time as a famous doctor in Alsburg city, Steven also got transferred over to the city as a


    politician. Marie was genuinely happy to see how well her daughter was doing, apart from having such


    a horrible father of course.


    If truth be told, she hadn''t any ill intention towards Irene. It was Irene who chose to fall in love with


    Edric that Lily was in love with first. Irene''s behavior was as shameless as her mother, Myra.


    That was why Marie continued to help Deborah to deal with Irene. She and Margaret used to be old


    friends, thus she knew Margaret very well. The Myers family were simple-minded people. Margaret was


    snobbish and wanted to have a grandson. With this information, Marie and Deborah came up with a


    vicious n. They would let Loraine secretly drug Irene while staying in the Myers family so Irene could


    never get pregnant.


    For two years, Irene and Edric had no children. Margaret brought Irene to the hospital for a check-up


    and they consulted none other than the famous doctor, who was also their best friend, Marie.


    Since Irene was taking medicines that made her infertile, the test results naturally showed that she was


    barren.


    Being infertile meant that Irene could not give birth. Marie also added a lot of details telling Margaret


    that it would be hard for Irene to get pregnant in this life. By throwing in a lot of medical jargon, she had


    made Margaret and Irene believe her words.


    Margaret, who had already been dissatisfied with Irene, was extremely angry when she heard that.


    Since then, she often spoke ill of Irene and treated her poorly.


    Irene epted it all in silence. She always thought it was her own fault. Hence, she searched


    everywhere for a remedy.


    Marie was worried that if Irene dug deeper she would realize what the real reason behind her infertility


    was. Therefore after a discussion with Deborah, they decided to give Irene a tubal ligation to end any


    hope of her ever getting pregnant.


    When Edric wasn''t home, Loraine drugged Irene to make thetter unconscious. Then they secretly


    arranged for people to go to the house and operate on her.


    After the operation, they stopped feeding Irene medicines. Later on, when Irene went to other hospitals


    for check-ups, Marie and Deborah would always interfere and switch out the reports. Hence, Irene had


    no clue at all about what was going on with her body.


    Since they knew that Irene would never be able to have a child, they started to focus on how to get Lily


    and Edric together.


    Everything was going as they nned. Edric eventually gave in to Margaret and agreed to get a


    surrogate.


    Lily was sessfully impregnated. As long as she could give birth to a child, Irene would be kicked out


    of the picture. However, something went wrong with the pregnancy. In the end, Marie and Deborah


    agreed to expose Lily''s identity to Irene and get rid of Irene at the same time.


    The n went well. Irene was kicked out and she went far away.


    Marie and Deborah''s n was indeed very intricate. They were close to sess when something


    came up again after the engagement of Edric and Lily. Surprisingly, Irene and Steven had reconciled


    after discovering their rtionship as father and daughter. Even more surprisingly, they were told that


    Steven was now in an investigation.


    Margaret wasn''t changing docks because Lily was the child of a mistress, but because Steven was


    about to lose his power.


    However, she still had a trump card in her hand. That was the famous designer Thomas, or rather his


    real name, Dave.


    As long as Dave could design the stadium for the sports tournament, Margaret would definitely change


    her mind.


    She had to go ask Thomas about the designs. Once she had the designs with her, she would be able


    to negotiate with Margaret. There was no way Margaret would give up something as big as that after


    all.


    Thinking of this, Marie went to find Thomas. Thomas was very distant with her; he didn''t say much and


    just handed her the designs. Marie was happy to finally have the designs. She thanked him half-


    heartedly and left.


    With the designs in hand, Marie calmed down a lot more. When she returned home, she began to


    formte another n. This drawing was just a bargaining chip. Margaret was too hard-headed so it


    would be hard to change her mind. This time she had to make sure her n was wless, with no room


    for mistakes at all.


    After seeing Irene''s jade pendant, which was the same as hers, Rowane firmly believed that Irene must


    be somehow rted to her. Edric thought the same, hence naturally, the investigation began with Myra.


    He put in a lot of effort to find out more about Myra. He uncovered that Dania had remarried and a


    rtive had raised Myra and Thomas. Later, after their rtive died, a kind person had adopted them


    to Cat Alley. Therefore, Edric and Rowane went to Cat Alley to further their investigations.


    Yohannes'' servant was the one who adopted Myra and Thomas back to Cat Alley. Although they lived


    there, they did not have much contact with the people around them; thus, no one really knew anything


    about the two either.


    All they knew was Myra married a government official. After she settled down, she took Thomas and


    her adoptive father away. As for where they went, nobody really knew. Some said they bought a house


    in San Fetillo; some said they went to another city.


    Edric guessed that Myra never took them away at all. Instead, she let them stay in Chijmes Building,


    and that was why Thomas had always been there.


    However, Edric did manage to uncover one clue. Around twenty years ago, Myra had stayed in Cat


    Alley for a period of time. It was winter then and she wore thick clothes, making her look a little chubby.


    Besides Sugar, no one had seen Myra interacting with anyone else.


    Sugar was Deborah''s nickname. The person who had mentioned this had mistaken Marie for Myra


    since they looked alike. Furthermore, they never had much contact back then. It was only expected that


    others would confuse the two.


    "Wasn''t Myra already married to Steven at the time? Why would she return to Cat Alley? Also was she


    chubby because she was pregnant?"


    Edric felt like something wasn''t adding up. ording to his calctions, Irene would already have


    been a few years old by then. Why would Myra leave Irene behind and go stay in Cat Alley for so long?


    More importantly, Deborah was pregnant with Lily at the time. Rowane and Lily are about the same


    age. Could it be that Myra hade to Cat Alley to give birth to a child?


    However, Myra and Deborah had been so close. If they got pregnant at the same time, how could Myra


    not know about the child in Deborah''s womb?


    Deborah''s child belonged to Steven, this was also the reason that led to Myra''s eventual ident.


    Since that was the case, how could Myra have such a good rtionship with Deborah?


    There was something strange going on. Could it be that the person who returned to Cat Alley was not


    Myra? But if it wasn''t her, who could it be?


    Edric and Rowane hadn''t made much progress in their investigation at Cat Alley. Meanwhile, John had


    just uncovered something huge whilst investigating Dania and Yohannes.


    After Dania married Yohannes, she gave birth to a daughter named Qiana. Later, Yohannes and Dania


    passed away. Following this, Qiana and her brother Dave disappeared.


    John showed Edric two pictures of Marie and Dave. "Why does Dave look just like Thomas? Also, Mr.


    Myers, don''t you feel that Qiana looks just like Dr. Walker?"


    Edric was shocked at the photos. Although the photos were old and a little yellow, the faces could be


    seen clearly. Dave indeed looked exactly like Thomas, and Qiana looked exactly like Marie.


    "What the hell is going on?" Edric was puzzled. He couldn''t understand the connection between


    Thomas and Dave, but at this moment, he was making a bold guess about the Myra he learned earlier


    in the day at Cat Alley.


    It wasn''t Myra who was close to Deborah back in Cat Alley; rather it was Qiana. Following this


    exnation, it would mean that Qiana was most likely Rowane''s mother.


    While Edric and John were discussing the matter, the designer he hired, Sinir came in to talk to


    Edric. He nced down at the photos in front of Edric and eximed, "Isn''t this Dave? Have you guys


    found him?"


    Edric was stunned. "What did you say?" He recognized the name immediately and was shocked at


    Sinir''s mention of it.


    Sinir picked up the photo and looked at it. He told Edric positively, "This is the amazing designer


    Dave! I met him once when I went to Fransburg to study."


    "Isn''t Dave from Fransburg?" asked Edric.


    "At first I thought he was, but I found outter that he wasn''t. He is from Havend but he keeps his


    identity a secret. It''s rare to see him in the news. I''ve only met him once at an engineering fair. He was


    in a hurry and left after a few minutes. I noticed that the Fransburg people were all very polite to him. I


    asked around and found out he was Dave," exined Sinir.


    "Do you know his full name by any chance?" Edric passed the photos to John.


    "No I don''t." Sinir shook his head.


    Sinir talked to Edric for a while and left. Edric waved to John toe over. "When you were


    investigating Dave, did you manage to find out that he had gone to study in Fransburg?"


    John nodded. "Yes. I am about to reach that part of the report."


    Edric massaged his forehead. It was all so strange. "Is Thomas'' real name Dave? Then where is the


    actual Thomas?"


    No matter how Edric thought about it, it didn''t make sense. The Thomas in his mind was so honest and


    simple. How could he be rted to that genius designer Dave?


    Edric pondered for a moment and ordered John to call thepany''snguage interpreter over. He


    asked the interpreter to call Thomas in French, and the call was soon connected. French was the


    officialnguage of Fransburg. The interpreter asked in French, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Bush?"


    Thomas replied in French, "No, you''re mistaken!"


    The interpreter hung up the phone after saying sorry in French. Edric and John stood beside him and


    had heard clearly Thomas answered in French. Edric waved his hand, indicating for the interpreter to


    leave.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    After Thomas graduated from junior high, he dropped out of school and stayed at home. Edric, at this


    moment, knew very well that Thomas who was on the phone a while ago was just a fluke. Why was


    Dave pretending to be Thomas?


    Did Irene know about this?


    Edric pondered for a while and called Rowane toe in. Now he was sure that Thomas was Dave.


    But he was not sure whether Marie and Qiana were the same person. In this case, it was better to let


    Rowane meet Marie and ask thetter about the jade pendant personally.


    Irene had an appointment with Kinsey for lunch at noon. Coincidentally, she ran into Rowane there.


    When Rowane saw Irene, she came over to say hi. Irene greeted Rowane back as she didn''t want to


    be rude. The two of them exchanged small talks before Rowane went into a private room.


    When the door opened, Irene took a look inside and saw that the person Rowane was meeting was her


    long time acquaintance, Marie. Irene remembered Marie because thetter used to treat her infertility.


    It was strange that Marie would meet Rowane. Was Rowane also seeing her for infertility issues?

 Chapter 135 Mother and Daughter

    Chapter 135 Mother and Daughter


    After closing the private room door, Rowane seated herself opposite Marie, who had a very unpleasant


    look on her face. Marie asked, "Miss, what do you want from me?"


    Rowane stared at Marie and bit her lip. The woman in front of her looked somewhat simr to her. For


    some reason, she had a vague hint of expectation that Marie was her mother.


    Meanwhile, Marie looked at Rowane with disgust. Margaret had stated that she wanted Rowane to


    have children with Edric. In fact, both Rowane and Edric were pretty close. As a result, Marie


    subconsciously felt ufortable when she saw Rowane and spoke in a very unpleasant tone.


    "I..." Rowane pulled out a pendant from her pocket and put it on the table. "Do you recognize this


    pendant?"


    Marie''s expression changed when she saw the pendant. She picked it up and inspected it carefully.


    "Why do you have this?"


    "Is it yours?" Rowane nced at Marie eagerly.


    "Yes!" Marie picked up the pendant. "It''s a family heirloom of mine. My mother left it to me, but I


    identally lost it. Why do you have it?"


    "It was given to my foster parents by the orphanage director. She said that the pendant was given to


    her for safekeeping by the person who sent me to the orphanage. She also mentioned that it belonged


    to my mother and that if I found the owner of this pendant, I could find my mother... I''ve been searching


    for her for years... Mom! I finally found you!" Tears rolled down from Rowane''s eyes as she sobbed


    uncontrobly.


    Marie looked at Rowane in astonishment. At that moment, she had a shback to a scene in the dead


    of winter. A woman in a thick cotton coat handed a newborn baby to a thin man. "Take this sinful child


    away immediately! Send it as far away as possible!"


    As ordered, the man reached for the baby and vanished into the cold winter. That very night, her


    pendant disappeared as well. Marie had always thought she lost it by ident, but to her surprise, it


    had been taken away! Upon realization, she was fuming with rage. How dared that wretched man


    stirred up such a massive mess for her! What should she do now?


    While Rowane was still crying, Marie''s mind had already gone through several turns. A huge fuss now


    Looking at Rowane''s current reaction, Marie knew that she would be persistently searching for the truth


    if Marie denied it. After all, the truth would always prevail. It would be bad if she identally exposed


    what happened back then.


    But deep down, she did not want to admit it. As Marie gazed at Rowane''s exquisite features and


    recalled her rtionship with Edric, she was sure that Rowane must''ve done some research before


    Rowane. In any case, maybe Rowane could be of helpter.


    With that in mind, her face immediately took on a sad and bitter expression, and tears rolled out of her


    gorgeous eyes. "My child, my poor child! It was my fault that I put you in the orphanage, but I didn''t


    have a choice!"


    She took Rowane in her arms. "I can''t live with you since I was not yet married at that time, so I was


    forced to send you to the orphanage. I went back to look for you, but instead, I heard that you were


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    adopted."


    There was no lie in her words. Ever since Marie heard that Rowane had been sent to an orphanage,


    she had secretly visited her. It wasn''t until Rowane was adopted that she was relieved and forgot about


    Rowane.


    "My adoptive parents died. But before they left, they told me the truth. They told me to take this


    pendant and search for my birth mother¡­ I... I never thought I''d really find you!"


    Rowane felt happy from the bottom of her heart. Although Marie had left her at the orphanage


    unattended, Rowane had always believed that she had done it for a reason. Rowane, at this moment,


    was thrilled to have found her biological mother!


    Marie, however, did not share her thoughts. To her, Rowane was destined to be a nuisance. To avoid


    further chaos, she must find a way to deal with this matter. The two hugged each other as they cried,


    and both were lost in their own thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Irene was having dinner with Kinsey when she received a call from Edric. Upon hearing


    what she was doing, he bombarded her with a series of questions, hoping to know every single detail of


    hers. Babbling like an olddy, he did not realize that Irene was so annoyed by him.


    It was said that women in love would lose their logic, but this also applied to men, for that was what


    happened to Edric. He now felt afflicted with worries and anxiety every day.


    He felt that there was a reason for Irene''s sudden change of attitude toward him, but he couldn''t tell


    why. In fact, he was afraid that all the good things he saw now were only an illusion. He was worried


    that one day when he pushed open the door to his house, he would find Irene gone like before.


    And because of that, Edric would remind Irene not to forget to think of him every morning before


    leaving the house. He would give her a phone call during work to inquire about her whereabouts. Even


    when he came home at night, the first thing he would ask was, "Irene, did you miss me?"


    Irene found Edric''s behavior strange. After hanging up the phone, she sighed. "Do you think he''s faking


    it? Does he have to be so clingy?"


    Kinsey giggled. "You shouldn''t ask such questions to people like me who have never dated before.


    However, I do think that Edric is probably faking it. After all, you haven''t seen him miss you as much in


    the three years you''ve been apart. How could he suddenly be so attached to you? If you think about it,


    it doesn''t seem normal..."


    Irene nodded. "I think so too, but why do you think he''s pretending? Does he have to?"


    "I haven''t finished my words yet. What I mean is that Edric is either faking it or really loving you, and


    only you can figure that out. I, an outsider, can''t give you the answer."


    Irene red at Kinsey. "Where do I find the time to figure that out? I have to hurry up and get pregnant


    in the next week or so."


    "Actually, sometimes, I find Edric''s a nice guy, but the fact that he has a disgusting mother is a huge


    minus," added Kinsey.


    "Don''t mention it. As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. I still get chills thinking about her. Say,


    how could I have been so stupid back then?" Thinking about the past, Irene found herself hard to


    believe.


    "That''s because you love him. A woman in love has zero intelligence. You had fallen head over heel for


    him, so naturally, you don''t care about yourself. All you can think about is him. Therefore, you are


    willing to endure any form of torture for him." Kinsey sighed. "Irene, do you really not love Edric at all?


    Not even the slightest?"


    "I don''t have time to think about that!" Irene replied.


    Kinsey reminded Irene, "It''s not just about Eden now. If you''re pregnant, it''s about the second child as


    well. Are you going to raise both of these kids without a father?"


    "As soon as Eden is healed, I''ll consider finding a father for them," answered Irene.


    "The love of a biological father is not the same as the love of a stepfather. Irene, if Edric is true to you,


    you can absolutely start over with him. Even for the sake of the children, you should consider him.


    Provided, of course, that he loves you and has no other agenda," analyzed Kinsey.


    Irene was silent. Kinsey was right in saying that the love of a biological father was not the same as the


    love of a stepfather. Her heart cracked a little as she thought about Eden''s look of longing for his


    father''s love.


    She was indeed resentful of Edric. But after he told her the truth, she realized that she had been


    handling things in an extreme way. Therefore, it was partly Irene''s fault that the two of them had turned


    out this way.


    Her heart waspletely consumed with anger and hatred the moment Lily showed her the pregnancy


    test and said, "I''m pregnant and it''s Edric''s baby."


    Back then, Deborah had seduced Steven, and now, Lily had snatched Edric away. This was too much


    for Irene to take! The pain of not being able to conceive for a long time and the pain of what she


    perceived as betrayal consumed her heart. That was why she became crazy and irrational.


    So much so that after Edric''swyer showed up with the divorce papers and offered such harsh


    conditions, she signed the divorce without any hesitation.


    Couples usually argued in divorce, but she didn''t even give Edric a word of exnation, nor did she


    need to. Just like that, hatred sustained her to leave Edric.


    For all these years, she could not get over the hurdle of how Edric could betray her. However, the truth


    of the matter was that she might have misjudged Edric. If that was the case, her hatred and insistence


    at the beginning would have been totally unnecessary.


    Kinsey was right. Irene should indeed think about her future with Edric, and Eden.


    Just then, Kinsey received a call from the TV station and left, while Irene sat in the booth for a moment


    before getting up to leave. But when she passed by the door of the room Rowane had just entered, she


    heard people cryinging from inside. Irene subconsciously stopped in her tracks. If she heard


    correctly, not only Rowane but Marie were also crying inside. What was going on in there?


    Irene had no intention of eavesdropping. However, the sound of wailing inside sounded way too


    strange. Besides, she didn''t expect to hear Rowane calling Marie ''Mom''. Startled, Irene rushed out of


    the hotel.


    While on her way back, Irene kept on muttering to herself. She had often dealt with Marie in her


    previous visits to the hospital and knew that Marie had always been single. Irene was positively taken


    aback now that Marie suddenly had a daughter.


    As she thought about Marie and Ma''s rtionship, Irene''s heart missed a beat. Could Rowane be


    their daughter? If so, wouldn''t that make her Jordan''s half-sister?


    Should she tell Jordan about this?

 Chapter 136 To Each His Own

    Chapter 136 To Each His Own


    Later that night, Edric came home a little earlier than usual. He had lots of questions to ask Irene but


    didn''t know where to start.


    Dania remarried Yohannes. Although Dave was not rted to Irene by blood, he was her uncle by


    lineage regardless. Edric was upset to think how little he knew about Irene, even though they had been


    married for a good five years.


    Edric did inquire Irene about her family before the marriage. She imed that her parents had passed


    away and she was left with only one uncle. At that, he did not have the slightest doubt. But even so, he


    didn''t me Irene for not telling the truth. Back then to him, going back home only meant spending


    some alone time with Irene. He didn''t care what she was thinking. Married with such an ipetent


    husband, it was no wonder that Irene kept all her thoughts to herself.


    Edric dwelled in his own mncholy for a long time. Finally, after dinner, while strolling around the area


    with Irene, he tentatively began to ask, "Irene, does your mother have any other siblings besides your


    uncle?"


    Irene was stunned. "No, I guess not!"


    For as long as she could remember, Irene knew she only had one uncle. During Christmas or


    Thanksgiving, other children would go back to their grandmother''s houses with their respective parents.


    At the time, she envied this and demanded to know about her grandparent''s whereabouts. Myra told


    her that both her grandparents had passed away. Later, when she went back to San Fertillo to visit the


    graves, the only grave she saw was only her grandfather''s.


    Irene once asked Myra where her grandmother''s grave was but got no response, and when she saw


    Myra''s slightly angry look, she didn''t dare to ask again.


    She had never asked about how many siblings Myra had. As far as Irene could remember, she had


    only one uncle, Thomas. And at that time, Thomas and Myra weren''t very close yet.


    Although Myra rarely took her to visit Thomas, he had always remembered her. He often sent her good


    food and bought her gifts for Christmas.


    As for Steven, he seemed to dislike Thomas. Steven had never mentioned Thomas at home.


    Therefore, Irene figured that Myra''s bad rtionship with Thomas had something to do with Steven.


    It wasn''t until Myra died in a car ident that Thomas appeared in Irene''s life.


    At that time, Thomas handled Myra''s funeral alone while Steven was out of town for a meeting. Steven


    rushed back as soon as he heard the news of her ident, but Thomas had already cremated Myra.


    That was the first time Irene saw Thomas get angry. With red eyes, he punched and kicked Steven in


    the face. She and Thomas did not cross paths much. On the contrary, she was much closer to Steven.


    But when she saw Thomas beating Steven that day, she didn''t feel any hatred towards Thomas at all.


    Later, Thomas tried to take her away, but Steven stopped him. She remembered Steven''s vicious


    warning to Thomas, "Don''t make me do it! It''ll be ugly If I expose what you did back then!"


    In the end, Thomas gave up on taking Irene away. But he told her before he left, "I''ll always be at


    Chijmes Building in San Fetillo. Irene,e to me if you ever miss me. I''ll visit you as often as I can."


    After that, Deborah showed up with Lily. As soon as Irene saw Lily, who was already a few years old,


    Irene immediately understood Thomas'' wrath back then. Irene didn''t need such a shameless father.


    Therefore, she resolutely left Steven and went back to Thomas.


    What was Edric''s intention in asking her these questions at this moment? He couldn''t have asked them


    without reason. Irene asked rhetorically, "Why do you want to know?"


    "Nothing. Your mother died when you were little. I was wondering if you have any other rtives you


    don''t know about..."


    Irene interjected, "Other rtives?" Irene stopped and looked at Edric. "For as long as I can remember,


    I''ve known that I only have one uncle. I haven''t heard of any other rtives."


    "Could it be that your mother didn''t tell you about it?" Edric probed tentatively.


    Irene red at Edric. "What do you mean? It''s a good thing that I have other family rtives. Why


    would my mom not tell me?"


    Irene''s verbosity left Edric speechless. Just then, it dawned on him that Myra must have known that


    Thomas'' real identity was Dave. What had kept her from telling Irene about it? Was it because Irene


    was too young, or were there other considerations?


    If there wasn''t anything sinister behind the hidden identity of Thomas, then there must be a reason


    Myra chose not to tell Irene the truth. If that was the case, was it appropriate for Edric to tell Irene about


    Thomas being Dave?


    The point was, this matter hadn''t been confirmed yet. It''d be too early for Edric to say anything to Irene.


    He should wait for Rowane and Marie to meet and see what happened next.


    How did Dave be Thomas? Edric would have to look into the matter carefully before making any


    decisions.


    Meanwhile, Rowane and Marie were weeping in each other''s arms. Rowane was sobbing with joy while


    Marie was faking it. She soon stopped crying and persuaded Rowane to stop as well.


    After the two stopped, Marie exined to Rowane her choice back then. Although she had been r*ped


    at a young age and had gotten pregnant, she could not bear to abort Rowane. After all, she was


    innocent. It was difficult for an unmarried woman to take care of a child. As a result, Marie sent Rowane


    to an orphanage. Throughout the whole story, all Marie wanted was to gain Rowane''s forgiveness.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Rowane forgave Marie right there and then. Marie then asked Rowane how she had been doing all


    these years. Naturally, Rowane didn''t hide anything and told her everything that had happened over the


    years. In fact, Marie was not interested at all in how Rowane had lived all these years. She only wanted


    to know how Rowane found her.


    Marie was surprised to find that it all started when Rowane found Irene''s pendant and that Edric was


    looking for her. It wasn''t a good thing that Edric knew about this. After a few turns in her mind, Marie


    asked Rowane for a favor.


    Marie told Rowane that the humiliating incident had a huge impact on her reputation. Hence, Marie


    begged Rowane not to reveal their rtionship, not even to Edric.


    Rowane was slightly hesitant. Edric was very nice to her, and she didn''t want to lie to him. Seeing her


    hesitation, Marie told Rowane that she and Edric''s mother were friends. No one knew that she was


    r*ped and got pregnant out of wedlock. If Rowane told Edric about this matter, Margaret would


    eventually find out. Marie would never be able to hold her head up again!


    It was quite cruel to Rowane to work so hard to find her biological mother and not disclose the


    rtionship. However, she was a kind person. She searched for Marie for no other reason than to fulfill


    her own wish. Rowane knew that Marie was no ordinary doctor. She was a specialist who often


    appeared on TV. It wasn''t easy for a woman to reach such a position. Hence, Rowane agreed to her


    request.


    By the time the two walked out of the restaurant, it waste afternoon. Before Marie left, she reminded


    Rowane again not to tell Edric about their rtionship.


    Marie was calcting her next step when she was on her way back. Rowane''s stay in San Fetillo was


    a huge problem for her. She had to find a way to get Rowane far away from San Fetillo so that Rowane


    would never appear there. As for Lily, she couldn''t put things off any longer and had to make a quick


    decision. Hence, she went to see Margaret right away.


    Margaret was confused as to why Marie asked her out at this hour. "What''s going on?"


    "I saw Deborah at the hospital yesterday. We were chatting about Edric and Lily. Deborah said


    something to me that I thought I should tell you," answered Marie.


    "What did she say?" Margaret was interested.


    "She said you broke your word and didn''t keep your promise. And that you treated the engagement like


    a charade, and it''s a good thing she didn''t choose to believe you."


    Margaret was fired up to hear that. "Wasn''t Lily the one who caused this? What does that have to do


    with me?"


    "Don''t get angry. Hear me out." Marie knew Margaret''s temper. "The point is not that Deborah said you


    didn''t keep your word. The point is about the sports tournament. Deborah left a n."


    "A n?" parroted Margaret.


    "When Irene returned, Deborah already had a n for the sports tournament to prevent Edric from


    returning to Irene, just in case you guys backtracked. I didn''t think it woulde in handy now." Marie


    was a top-notch liar.


    "What can Deborah do?" Margaret expressed skepticism.


    "Don''t underestimate Deborah. She''s capable of so much more. I believe she told me this so I could


    pass the word on to you. After all, she knows I''m close to you," chirped Marie.


    "What exactly does she want to do?" Margaret squinted her eyes.


    "Although Deborah is disappointed in Edric, Lily has feelings for him. She can''t help it. What Deborah


    meant was that if you can get Edric and Lily together, she''ll find a way to leave the bidding for the


    sports tournament to the Myers Group," stated Marie.


    "I knew these two were up to no good. They told me the sports tournament would be fair, yet they


    hatched a n." Margaret was furious.


    "It''s human nature. This bidding is no trivial matter. Think about it. There are a lot ofpanies over


    there staring and lining up to offer gifts. If you do not show your sincerity to side with them, how could


    they give you a bid for nothing?" Marie analyzed, "Since you are now so defensive to them, it is only


    normal for them to do the same."


    "Since it''s normal for them to be wary of me, I should do the same in return. Who knows if what


    Deborah said about helping out is true?" Margaret crossed her arms.


    "That''s easy. As I proposed the other day, you have to find a way to get Edric and Lily together. That


    way, Deborah will naturally be relieved to help you out," suggested Marie.


    "But Edric doesn''t listen to me anymore. He doesn''te home now either. How can I do anything


    about it?" Margaret''s face was clearly written with exasperation.


    "He doesn''te home during the week? What about on your birthday?" Marie reminded


    Margaret, "It''s your birthday this Friday, and you can request Edric toe back. Then, you create an


    opportunity for Lily and Edric to spend time alone together. As for the rest, Lily should be able to handle


    it."


    "Will that work?" Margaret scratched her chin.


    "Why not? You won''t lose anything anyway. You''ll even get the bid. As for the future, if Lily conceived


    Edric''s child, you''ll let her in your door. If she doesn''t, don''t worry, you did your best anyway. Deborah


    can''t do anything about it." Marie sat back and took a sip of her water.


    Margaret thought for a moment and chirruped, "That''s a good idea."


    Marie was relieved to hear that. Only Margaret could help in this matter. As long as she could create


    the opportunity for Edric and Lily to share a room, she would have a way, too, to get Lily pregnant with


    Edric''s child even if Edric didn''t touch Lily.

 Chapter 137 No Shame

    Chapter 137 No Shame


    Edric had fallen asleep, but Irene was quietly contemting something on her mind. Why did Edric


    throw her such a weird question that night? Why would he suddenly ask about Myra? What was he


    trying to find out? Or did he already figure something out?


    Since Irene could remember, Myra had always been very reluctant to talk about Dania. She would just


    brush the topic off and tell Irene that Dania had died. But if that was so, why was there no grave of


    Dania?


    Was Myra lying? Was Danie not actually dead? Did Edric find something out, and was that why he


    came to ask Irene about it? But what was the rtionship between this matter and Edric? When Myra


    died, the only family Irene had left with was Thomas. He was the only one who knew about all this.


    Irene decided that she had to go back to check with Thomas.


    The next day, Irene returned to Thomas'' residence. She chatted with him briefly before quickly inserting


    her question, "Uncle Thomas, I have a question to ask you. Did grandfather and grandmother only


    have you and mother?"


    Thomas was stunned and nodded.


    "I heard from Mom that my grandparents died when you guys were very young. You and mom were


    raised by other kind people. But why is it that my mother has only ever brought me to visit my


    grandfather''s grave but not my grandmother''s?"


    Thomas did not reply to her. Irene saw his silence and asked tentatively, "Is she still alive?"


    Thomas shook his head. "She''s dead."


    "Then why don''t you guys bury her next to my grandfather?" asked Irene.


    "Well... because... because she got married to someone elseter on," Thomas trailed off.


    "Remarried? To who?" Irene was slightly dumbfounded.


    "I think the man''s surname was Walker. I don''t know the details. Back then, your mother and I were


    very young. They moved away soonter, so we aren''t sure," exined Thomas.


    Irene understood the entire story somewhat. It turned out that Dania had abandoned her children and


    remarried after Nelson''s death. Myra must have hated Dania, so she never brought her up. "How could


    Grandma be so cruel?"


    Thomas wanted to exin it to Irene, but he didn''t know how. If he defended Dania, Irene would


    definitely ask more questions. This would undoubtedlyplicate things. However, if he chose to


    remain silent, Irene would surely misunderstand Dania. And, Thomas felt bad about it. Dania was


    actually a great person; it was never her choice to remarry another man!


    Irene continued to press on, "After Grandma remarried, she probably had more children, right? Does


    that mean I actually have other rtives?"


    "Irene, are you hoping to have one?" asked Thomas.


    "Of course, having a rtive is better than being alone and helpless. Uncle Thomas, would you be able


    to recognize Grandma''s children if we found them?" Irene''s eyes were sparkling with expectations.


    "I don''t know. Maybe!" Thomas looked at the time. "It''s almost noon. I''ll buy some food for you. What do


    you want to eat today?"


    "I''lle with you."


    "No, you should stay at home. I will be back soon." Irene found Thomas'' purposeful remark to change


    the topic weird. "Why does it feel like there''s something off about him?"


    When Thomas walked out of the house, his brows furrowed tightly. Indeed, no secret could be kept


    forever. Since Irene was asking him all this, she must have heard some rumors.


    "Should I tell her the truth? How would she feel if she knew that I was Dave and not Thomas?"


    He wasn''t actually worried about his identity being exposed. Rather, he was more worried about Marie


    spouting nonsense. Although Marie was his half-sister, she wasn''t the best person to narrate this


    that wouldn''t be good for Irene.


    Life just kepting at him. All Thomas wanted was to live a peaceful life. Was that so hard? Thomas


    sighed heavily. No matter what, he had to find a solution. If not, then he would have to bring Irene away


    from San Fetillo!


    Since his quarrel with Margaret, Edric hadn''t returned home. Not only that, but he hadn''t made a single


    phone call to her since.


    His heartlessness made Margaret raging. This was typical of a man who put his girlfriend before his


    own mother. Edric had used to be filial until that vixen Irene came into his life. Margaret swore to never


    let that vixen step into their house again, hence she agreed to Marie''s suggestion.


    Margaret wasn''t doing this just because of the sports tournament, but rather to make Irene upset.


    Margaret wanted to let Irene know that she could never win in a fight against her.


    The next day was Margaret''s birthday. Every year for her birthday, Edric would be personally in charge


    of every single preparation. But this year, there was nothing, as if he had forgotten her birthday.


    Margaret was so enraged that she ordered Loraine to call him and remind him that it was her birthday.


    Edric answered the phone and promised toe back the next day. Margaret was relieved to learn


    that, and she called Lily toe over for the birthday dinner. Besides, she also invited a few close


    friends.


    Since he was going home to celebrate Margaret''s birthday, Edric told Irene in advance that he would


    not being home for dinner.


    Irene wasn''t bothered about Edric''s schedule in a bit. Edric had nned to take Irene home with him


    for dinner, but when he saw how unconcerned she seemed to be, he decided to swallow his words.


    Irene was no longer the same person she used to be. She was no longer a pushover, and Margaret


    was no angel either.


    Although Margaret would not embarrass Irene in front of guests, she definitely wouldn''t be nice. If they


    started fighting, it would be hard to stop them. Thus, he decided that he''d better not rush it and wait for


    a better opportunity.


    When Edric returned to the Myers family, the guests had already arrived. Even Lily was there. When


    Edric saw her, he frowned slightly.


    He had been calling Lily for a meeting every day, but she had kept brushing him off, iming that she


    was busy. Yet now Lily was here toe to celebrate Margaret''s birthday. Her intentions were so


    obvious; Edric could feel a surge of disgust towards her in him.


    When Lily saw Edric, she quickly came over and exined, "Dad got discharged from the hospital


    today."


    She was giving an excuse as to why she could attend Margaret''s birthday. Edric felt a bit better after


    hearing her exnation. Since Steven had been discharged, Lily had no reason to reject meeting him


    anymore. He had to make things clear with Lily and also with Steven.


    The dinner was in a family buffet style. All the guests were close friends of Margaret. When they saw


    Lily, they all beamed. Then, they started tucking in the food gleefully when the feast began. Since it


    was Maragaret''s birthday, Lily had quite a bit of wine. Eventually, she passed out.


    Edric then toasted every single guest at the table. He drank quite a bit as well throughout the meal.


    Although all these wines did not have very high alcohol concentration, he could still feel a headache


    Only Marie and Lily were still in the house. When Margaret saw that Edric was a little tipsy, she asked


    him to go rest in the room. Then she winked at Lily. Lily''s heart was pounding and she felt oddly


    excited. This was a perfect opportunity for her. Thinking of what would happenter, she couldn''t help


    but blush.


    Edric staggered upstairs. It didn''t take long for Edric to enter the room. Margaret asked Loraine to


    prepare some hangover soup before she whispered to Marie, "Is that medicine harmful to his body?"


    "No, it''s just an aphrodisiac. Didn''t you say Edric has no interest in other women? This medicine will


    definitely change that," Marie muttered.


    Loraine prepared the hangover soup and carried it out. Then Margaret brought it over personally to


    Edric''s room. Edric heard the sound and opened his eyes. She stopped by his bedside and handed the


    soup to him. "Edric, drink this soup. It will make you feel better."


    Edric took the soup mutely and drank it all in one huge gulp. After she witnessed Edric finish the soup,


    Margaret came out with the empty bowl and a satisfied look on her face.


    "Did he drink it all?" Marie asked worriedly.


    "Yes."


    "In ten minutes or so, Lily will go upstairs." Marie looked at Lily. Lily blushed and lowered her head as


    she sat on the sofa in the living room. Margaret and Marie sat beside her and gave her some brief


    advice on what to do.


    As they were talking happily, they heard the sound of a car outside. Soon the door was pushed open


    and Edric''s executive assistant John strode in. He greeted them in the living room politely. "I''m here to


    pick up Mr. Myers. He has something to doter."


    "What could there be at this hour?" Margaret could sense that things were going south; therefore, she


    quickly stood up to block John''s way. "Edric is drunk and is lying in bed. Don''t disturb him. Let him


    rest."


    "I''m sorry, Mrs. Myers. There is an urgent matter at hand. I must take Mr. Myers away." John''s attitude


    was neither shrewd nor pushy.


    "I won''t allow it! Edric must stay here tonight. You should leave now. If he mes you, I will take


    responsibility." Margaret was starting to feel unhappy.


    "I''m sorry, Mrs. Myers. I can''t follow your orders. I am Mr. Myers'' assistant, and I will only listen to his


    orders."


    "You are just an assistant hired by Edric. To put it nicely, you are an employee. If I put it bluntly, you are


    just a servant. What qualifications do you have to refute me?" Margaret was vexed when she saw that


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    John wasn''t bending to her will.


    John smiled faintly and was unbothered by her insult. "You are right. I am indeed a servant hired by Mr.


    Myers. However, as a servant, I am only loyal to my master. Since you are not my master, I can''t follow


    your orders!"


    After that, he moved past Margaret and went upstairs. Seeing that John was going upstairs, Margaret


    reached out to stop him anxiously. "This is my home. Did I permit you to go upstairs?"


    "Sure he can since he has my permission!" A cold voice rang out from the back. Everyone downstairs


    raised their heads to look up. Edric had suddenlye out of the room and was looking down at them


    from the first floor.


    "Edric, it''s so rare for you toe home. Can''t you stay here for one time?" asked Margaret.


    "No!" Edric went downstairs and staggered a little. John immediately went up to hold Edric up. "Mr.


    Myers, are you alright?"


    "You came just in time. Nothing will happen with you around," Edric answered.


    As they watched John help Edric down the stairs, Margaret and Marie looked at each other. They knew


    immediately that their n would fail. She was a little annoyed, but also a little apprehensive. "Edric,


    today is my birthday. Are you going to leave me alone at home?"


    Edric felt as if there was a fire burning in his chest. Instead of replying to Margaret, he ordered John,


    "Let''s go, right away."


    "Edric, you can''t leave me alone!" Margaret saw that Edric''s face was red and knew that the medicine


    had taken effect. If she could make him stay for a little longer, maybe......


    Edric nced at Margaret with a sneer. "Mom, I have to go tonight! Nobody can stop me!"


    John helped Edric through the living room. When he noticed Lily blushing in the living room, Edric


    stopped. "Miss Cook, have you no shame?"

 Chapter 138 Unadulterated Loathe

    Chapter 138 Unadulterated Loathe


    Lily''s blushing face instantly turned as pale as snow. Edric sneered and stated, "Tomorrow, I will go to


    the Cook family and tell Mr. Cook and Mrs. Cook about our affairs in person."


    John held on to Edric and they headed out to the car outside. John quickly started the car while Edric


    undid the button on his cor and ordered John to turn on the air conditioning. But it didn''t lessen the


    heat in his chest.


    When he came back to celebrate Margaret''s birthday, he hadn''t intended to stay overnight. Before he


    came, he told John that he muste pick him up at night. It wasn''t because he was afraid Margaret


    would y tricks on him, but rather he was worried about leaving Irene at home alone.


    He hadn''t expected Margaret would have such a n. At the dinner earlier, she made him drink even


    though she knew he had gastritis. It was clear she was up to something.


    But he was not worried. He knew John would being to get him; hence, he yed along with


    Margaret. After drinking the hangover soup Margaret brought to him, his chest started feeling really hot.


    Instinctively he knew something was amiss.


    Therefore, he got up from the bed. When he came out and saw Margaret stopping John as well as


    seeing Lily on the couch, Edric immediately understood what Margaret was thinking of. Even a fool


    would figure it out at that point.


    He was truly disappointed; most importantly, he was all the more disgusted with Lily. She herself had


    said that she had been forced to be a surrogate in order to pay off her parents'' debt. She imed


    she had done it for Irene''s happiness! But why was she doing all this now?!


    She was clearly aware that he loved Irene, yet she was willing to do something so despicable. It said a


    lot about her.


    The car soon stopped in front of Chandelle Valley. John helped Edric quickly into the vi. Irene heard


    the noise and came out of her room. When she saw how flushed Edric''s face was, she was shocked,


    asking, "What''s wrong?"


    "Mr. Myers will do the exining to you. I''ll take my leave first!" John said and left immediately.


    Irene reached out her hand to hold Edric. "Did you drink a lot?"


    "Irene, I miss you!" Edric reached out and hugged her narrow and supple waist. He kissed Irene''s lips


    fiercely and tore at her clothes hastily.


    Irene''s mouth was covered so she couldn''t make a sound. She reached out to push him away but with


    Edric''s stature, she was helpless. He swiftly stripped her naked and pushed her down onto the sofa.


    He groped at her bosom; there was no escaping his desire that night.


    After John had taken Edric away, Lily stood still with her face drained of color. Not only had their n


    failed, but she had also embarrassed herself.


    Before leaving, Edric''s mocking tone and disgusting gaze caused chills to run down her spine. Her


    supposedly ''good'' image that she had built up over the years had been shattered in a night. It was


    over! A sense of despair rose in her heart. She was too embarrassed to stay there. She rushed out of


    the Myers family without saying a word.


    "Lily!" Marie called. She was worried, thus she followed her out and stopped Lily outside the vi. "Be


    more open-minded. It''s not the end yet."


    "It''s all because of you!" Lily shouted as she red at Marie. "If you haven''te up with such a


    horrible idea, will I have to stoop to this? I hate you so much!"


    "I..." Marie was tongue-tied.


    "Go away! You can''t even do one thing well!" Since she had already lost her angelic image, she didn''t


    care about pretending to be kind and gentle anymore. F*ck being ady! She pushed Marie aside, got


    into her car, and left the Myers family.


    Meanwhile, Deborah was bubbling with hope as she sat at home waiting for news. Right then, she


    received Marie''s call, "The n failed, Edric noticed it. Lily is very angry. You betterfort her and


    make sure she doesn''t do anything stupid."


    Her words immediately shattered any hope Deborah had. After hanging up the phone, she called Lily,


    but no one answered. Had something happened to her?


    Deborah''s heart started to race. How could she stay at home given such circumstances? Worrying that


    something bad would happen to Lily, Deborah hurried out of the house. On the road in front of the Cook


    family, Deborah looked around and continued to call out Lily''s name.


    But still, no one answered. Deborah was so anxious. Nothing would happen to her, right?


    In the midst of anxiety, Lily''s car finally appeared in her sight. Deborah finally felt her heart calmed


    down. Lily stopped the car and paced into the vi with a gloomy face. She didn''t stay in the living room


    and went straight upstairs to her room.


    A few minutester, Deborah trotted in and went upstairs in a hurry. Maisy stood at the door of her


    room and observed the scene in front of her. It was rare to see Deborah and Lily lose theirposure.


    What had happened?


    Deborah pushed open Lily''s door, asking, "Lily, are you okay?"


    "How can I be okay?" Lily jumped up and shouted at her, "Edric says that tomorrow he wille over


    to make things clear to you and Dad. Do you know what that means?"


    "Lily! Please, lower your voice. Your father has just fallen asleep. Don''t wake him up!"


    "Why should I keep my voice down? Anyway, there is no hope left for Edric and me. If that''s the case,


    why should I care about my image anymore? From now on, I don''t need to pretend anymore. I want to


    be myself again!"


    Lily bellowed angrily. Deborah was so flustered that she stomped her feet. She hurriedly stepped


    forward to cover Lily''s mouth and warned her, "Don''t you know that you will only bring trouble upon us


    by doing this?"


    "Yes I am!" Lily pushed Deborah''s hand away. "Since I can''t get Edric, I don''t have to pretend to be


    weak and gentle anymore. I''ve had enough!"


    Deborah was also angry. "I told you a long time ago that you should have given up on Edric Myers.


    There are so many good men in the world, but you insisted on hanging on to one. Serves you right!"


    "Serves me right?! It''s all because of you! It is you who said that you will help me get Edric. It is you


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    who came up with the idea for me to be a surrogate. You are the one who asked me to seduce Edric


    tonight. Now, Edric knows everything. He and I are done! It''s because you believed in Marie! It''s all


    because of you!"


    Edric''s words and gaze shed across her mind once more; Lily could feel her heart throb painfully.


    "You heartless girl. Did I raise you just so I can hear youin about me every day? How dare you


    be so selfish? If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t even have been able to go near him!" Deborah''s temper


    was rising as Lily med her.


    "I wish you never gave birth to me! Why couldn''t you live a normal life? Why did you end up bing


    a mistress? I am so ashamed! I can never live my life proudly. I always feel inferior to others and


    insecure. It''s all because of you that I end up in such a pathetic state!" Lily''s voice increased in a


    crescendo.


    "You b*tch, can''t you live without a man?" Deborah pped Lily across the face in a fury.


    "I don''t want to live for another second!" Lily sat down on the ground after being pped. "I will die


    before your eyes!"


    "If you want to die then go die in Cat Alley. Don''t dirty this house!" hissed Deborah.


    The words ''Cat Alley'' brought back memories for Lily and she suddenly went quiet. Deborah looked at


    her coldly. "Have you forgotten the hardship we''ve been through just because we''ve had a few days of


    good life here? If you want to go back to Cat Alley, I''m not going to stop you. Now get out of here!"


    Lily was speechless for a moment. Deborah poked her head with her hand. "Don''t get too full of


    yourself. If it wasn''t for me, would you be able to live such afortable life? How dare you attack me


    by saying that I am a mistress? If it wasn''t for me, you would be living in Cat Alley for the rest of your


    life eating scraps! You ungrateful wench! You''re such an ingrate!"


    Lily could still remember her days back in Cat Alley clearly as if it were only the previous day. They


    lived in a wet and moldy house, dressed in patched clothes, and ate food that was barely edible. On


    rare asions when they got to eat meat, she would be over the moon.


    But now she was living in a vi, driving a car, and staying in high-end hotels. All her friends were


    upper-ss citizens. Comparing the two was likeparing heaven and hell.


    Noticing her silence, Deborah continued to scold, "Did you really think you were some rich heiress?


    B*tch, take a look in the mirror. How dare you raise your voice at me? Tired of living, are you? Do you


    think this house is mine? It belongs to that man downstairs! If he sees you like this, you can forget


    about ever getting your life together. I''m warning you, he will always favor Irene. You are nothing


    "I... I''m sorry!" Lily finally came to her senses. What was she doing? She threw a tantrum and even


    called her mother a mistress while her father was asleep in the other room.


    In this family, only Steven had the right to speak. Although Deborah and she had been in the public


    limelight for so many years, she understood their position in this house. Irene could lose her temper


    and mock Steven, but Lily did not have such rights.


    From the first day she entered the house, Steven had been very distant towards her. He had never


    shown the kind of fatherly love he should have for her.


    Sometimes, she even felt that Steven was disgusted by her; thus, she often felt very nervous when she


    was around him. Deborah had reminded her several times that she should act to be docile, kind, and


    polite in front of Steven, in fear of annoying him.


    She had followed that rule religiously and eventually Steven started to pay more attention to her. If she


    really went back to her old self again, would he even look at her again? Lily knew the answer to that


    question in her heart.


    Deborah softened her tone. "That man downstairs is no ordinary man. He is cruel! He has been


    ignoring his precious daughter for so many years, let alone you, a child of an affair! We must act well to


    please him. That is why I willingly handed you over to Margaret, in hopes that you can take control of


    your own life, instead of letting you be an essory to some men. How pathetic is it to live that life and


    lose yourself? Even if you can marry Edric, as long as your mindset is wrong, you will be eliminated


    from that household one way or another. You''d better think it over carefully yourself!"


    With that, Deborah went back to the bedroom. Steven was still reading in bed. When he saw here


    in, he asked lightly, "What happened? What''s all the noise?"


    "Lily was in a bad mood and drank some wine, so she was acting a little crazy," answered Deborah.


    "Acting a little crazy?" Steven put down the book in his hand and looked at Deborah with slight fury.


    "Have you not disciplined her? Does she not know what time it is now? Or will the two of you only


    behave yourselves once I''m gone?"


    "Steven, calm down. Please let me exin. Lily drank at Margaret''s birthday party. She didn''t drink


    outside," replied Deborah.


    "Margaret''s birthday party? You guys really know how to embarrass me, huh?" Steven smiled


    mockingly. Deborah was a little frightened by his smirk. She braced herself and exined, "Margaret


    called to personally invite Lily over. It was hard to turn her down."


    "Hard? Do you think I am a three-year-old?" Steven stared at Deborah. "Previously when you two


    f*cked up, someone cleaned up the mess for you. Now that everything has died down, what you need


    to do as a mother is to get Lily to stop acting out her foolish thoughts."


    "I know. Lily is usually very sensible and obedient. This time was an exception because she drank. She


    likes Edric. But I''ve already given her a lecture earlier." Deborah lowered her head slightly.


    "Likes Edric? Hasn''t Edric made it clear enough on TV?" Steven sneered, "You better warn her not to


    chase after things that she shouldn''t have. If she keeps this up, don''t me me for getting mad!"


    Deborah nodded obediently. Her demure attitude made Steven let her off. Things returned to their calm


    state and shey next to Steven. As she heard his calmed breathing, Deborah let out a sinister simper.


    "A small leak will sink a great ship. Steven, you''re merely one of the pawns for me to achieve my goal.


    One day I''ll repay all this humiliation you''ve given me! I swear!"

 Chapter 139 A Fresh Start

    Chapter 139 A Fresh Start


    At daybreak, Edric opened his eyes after a deep sleep. Looking at Irene who was still sleeping beside


    him, he anxiously hugged her and nted a kiss on her forehead. "Irene, I''m sorry!"


    The previous night, he knew how crazy he had been, but he couldn''t control it. In the car, he was still


    trying his best to keep it together with sheer willpower. But the moment he returned home and saw


    Irene, he lost all his control. He had to have her right there and then.


    He fiercely made love to her once on the couch. That managed to somewhat calm down the heat inside


    him a little. He held Irene in his arms and asked for forgiveness. Regardless of her punches and kicks,


    he took her back to the bedroom. He wanted to give her a bath, but within minutes, his desire started


    burning inside him again. Hence, he ended up making love to her again.


    He heard Irene begging for mercy, but he could not stop himself.


    Irene''s body was full of marks from the day before. Edric reached out his hand and gently touched one


    on her bare neck. His eyes were pitch-ck. Margaret had used her birthday to trap him; was she


    trying to make him cut her off?


    He was not a rebellious child, and he looked down on those who were. He had always believed that a


    person who was not kind to their parents should not be treated as a person as well.


    He knew how hard Margaret had worked for him, and because of that he had allowed Margaret to do


    whatever she liked in the past. But now when he found out what Margaret was capable of, Edric felt


    extremely disappointed.


    How could she do something so immoral? He was loyal to her but not blindly so. Margaret had gone


    too far this time; he definitely would not let this go.


    He couldn''t forget Lily of course. He had always thought that Lily was kind, but that impression had


    but behind his back, she had colluded with Margaret to carry out such a despicable scheme.


    No matter what kind of reasons or excuses Lily had, she knew clearly that the woman he loved was


    Irene. Despite knowing he would never leave Irene, she still proceeded to plot against him. That was


    enough to show him how terrible of a person she was.


    Thinking about how guilty he used to feel towards her, he found himself incredibly naive. Luckily, he


    had kept an eye on her. Otherwise, he and Irene would really be in deep trouble.


    Irene wiggled in his embrace and opened her eyes. "Irene, you''re awake!" Edric''s eyes were twinkling


    with guilt.


    Irene felt aches all over her body. "Edric, were you insanest night?"


    "Irene, I''m sorry!" Edric apologized.


    Irene was about to scold him when she noticed the scars on his bare skin. The previous night, Edric


    was like a ravenous wolf. She was in so much pain she kept gasping. Naturally, her first instinct was to


    resist him, and hence the scratches on his body and his face. Looking at the several bloody scratches


    on his face, Irene held her anger back. "What happenedst night?"


    Edric sighed. "I drank too much. I''m sorry!" Even though Margaret was the one who had caused this,


    he didn''t want to let Irene know lest she despised Margaret even more.


    He finally understood why Irene refused to tell him about her rtionship with Steven. For Irene, she


    was ashamed to have a father like Steven; she would rather hide the truth than be honest with him.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    It was true that Edric had drunk a lot the previous night, so he wasn''t clear-headed. Although Irene was


    confused about why he was so drunk, she would never have expected that Margaret would pull such a


    scheme on Edric. Hence she didn''t doubt Edric''s answer at all. "You should drink less in the future. You


    have gastritis after all."


    Irene''s concern made Edric''s eyes filled with tears. He hugged Irene tightly and said, "Don''t worry. I


    won''t drink so much in the future."


    "Edric, please be gentle. It hurts." He exerted so much force that Irene whined.


    "I''m sorry! I''m just too emotional!" Edric quickly let go of her and lowered his head to kiss her. "Are you


    hungry? I''ll go make breakfast for you."


    "Forget it. Let me do it," Irene said and got up. Edric thought he had misheard her. He gazed at Irene.


    Irene then red at him and said, "What are you looking at? Is it so surprising for me to make


    breakfast?"


    "I''m not surprised; I''m touched!" Indeed, this was the first time since Irene moved in that she offered to


    make breakfast. In the past, she would always make excuses and said that she forgot how to cook.


    Now that she was willing to make breakfast for him, did it mean that she had let go of the past and was


    willing to ept Edric again?


    Steven had just returned from his morning exercise and opened the door when he saw Lily sitting on


    the sofa in the living room. Seeing him entering the house, Lily smiled and said, "Good morning, Dad!"


    Steven just nodded and went to Lily''s side to sit down. Lily apologized, "Dad, I''m sorry! I drank too


    muchst night! I won''t do it again!"


    "Do you really mean it?" Steven asked without a trace of emotion in his eyes.


    "I know I was wrong," Lily replied. "Dad, I was just out of my head for a moment. Please forgive me!"


    Steven didn''t reply to her. Lily continued, "Dad, Irene hasn''t been home in so long. I miss her so much.


    Why don''t I ask Maisy to buy some of her favorite dishes back so we can invite her and Edric over for


    dinner?"


    Steven looked at Lily at the mention of Edric. Seeing her neutral expression, he nodded slightly. This


    meant that he agreed. Deborah was right. In Steven''s heart, Irene was his everything, yet Lily did not


    even mean anything. Lily''s heart swelled with hatred right there and then but she did not show it on her


    face. "I''ll go and call her right now!"


    She picked up the phone and was about to dial Irene''s number when Steven stopped her. "Forget


    it. Irene won''t listen to you. I''ll call her!"


    Edric went to the office after breakfast. John was very surprised to see him. "Why are you not at home


    resting?"


    "The bidding is about to begin. I''m worried," answered Edric.


    "The documents are all in order but the designs are running into some problems. You can''t help with


    design so there''s no point in youing over. Although I just received a message¡­" John trailed off


    while ncing at Edric and saw the scars on his face. He suddenly paused and asked cautiously, "Did


    Miss Irene do that to you?"


    "Mm. What''s the message?" Edric asked.


    Seeing that he was not unhappy about it, John was relieved. "It''s about Mr. Cook. He seems to have


    encountered some troubles."


    "Is it about the suspension?" asked Edric.


    "It''s not that. It has something to do with Tobias, the chairman of the Tobias Group."


    Hearing this, Edric frowned. It must be something serious if Tobias was involved. Was Steven in hot


    water this time?


    While he was deep in thoughts, his phone rang. Steven was calling to invite him and Irene back to the


    Cook family. He had something he wanted to talk to them about. Since Edric was going to talk to


    Steven about the matter of him and Lily, he agreed immediately.


    Steven hung up the phone and called Irene. Irene''s voice was cold. "Mr. Cook, have you recovered


    from your ''sickness''?"


    Steven ignored her sarcastic tone and said, "Irene,e back for dinner with Edric tonight."


    "Mr. Cook, don''t you feel ufortable when you see Edric?" Irene asked.


    Steven gave a dryugh. "Irene, it''s a good thing that you and Edric are back together. I have always


    wanted you to have a good life! The mistake I made in the past was also for your own good. I have


    never wanted to hurt you!"


    "Stop! I don''t want to talk about this anymore," Irene interrupted him. She felt disgusted that Steven


    would make such ims as if he genuinely wanted her to be happy.


    "Mr. Cook, you''re a politician. You must be very generous and forgiving. But your mistress and


    illegitimate daughter are just regr people. Are you sure they wouldn''t mind?" retorted Irene.


    "They know their ce," Steven replied.


    Of course, they did. Ever since Steven pretended to be ill, Irene no longer believed what he said. Her


    intuition told her that nothing good coulde from Steven inviting her and Edric home.


    However, no matter what he had nned, Irene didn''t care. She watched Steven and his family carry


    on their lives as if she was watching a soap opera. Perhaps others would get involved emotionally


    watching them staying under one roof, but not her. No matter what Steven tried, he would never


    seed.


    At six o''clock in the evening, Edric and Irene arrived at the Cook family. At the sound of their car


    arriving, Maisy came out first, followed by Steven, Deborah, and Lily.


    As Irene had expected, everyone was smiling. Irene''s eyes deliberately lingered on Deborah and Lily''s


    faces for a while. She was secretly amused. How could they be grinning at such a time? They truly


    were great actors.


    Edric opened the trunk and took out a series of gifts. Steven took them with a smile. "No need to waste


    your money next time!"


    "It''s what I should do!" Edric answered with a smile. He continued to get gifts from the car. The number


    of gifts he had prepared was more than double what he usually brought over.


    Lily looked at the grin on Edric''s face and felt a sharp pain in her heart. This was the real Edric. There


    was not only a smile on his face but in his eyes too. She had never seen his eyes smile during her time


    with him.


    She had loved him for so many years. In order to get him, it took nine years of nning. She had


    wasted a good nine years of her youth. But what did she get in the end?


    In addition to the humiliation and tears, Edric had never given her the slightest bit of attention. Lily


    hated him so much. Deborah was right. She was too stupid. It was not worthy to put all eggs in one


    basket, just to end up as an essory to him. From that day onwards, she would no longer be the fool


    she used to be.


    Deborah nudged Lily. When Lily came to her senses, she found that Deborah, Steven, and even Maisy


    all had gifts in their hands. Irene looked at Lily and sneered.


    Although there was a smile on Lily''s face, Irene could tell at a nce that Lily was obviously absent-


    minded. Lily wasn''t as skilled as Deborah. For her to be able to put on such an act could be considered


    admirable, given the fact that she was supposed to feel incredibly heartbroken at this moment.


    At the very least she was better than Irene. If the roles were reversed, Irene would definitely not be


    able to do as well.


    Seeing Deborah nudged Lily, Irene smirked and nced at Steven. She wondered if he saw the


    performance between the two of them, or whether he had truly discerned what lied beneath the facade


    they two put on.


    As Edric retrieved the final gift from the car, Lily reached out her hand and called, "Edric, pass it over!"


    Irene was impressed by how nonchnt Lily was. She could see the reluctance and hurt in Lily''s eyes,


    but Lily took the lead to talk to him first.


    It was clear that Lily had learned her lesson and had withdrawn herself from the equation. It must have


    been difficult for her to make that decision.


    Irene wasn''t the only one surprised, so were Deborah and Steven. Deborah was very impressed. Lily


    was really something. The fact that she could recover in such a short time and cooperate with the


    acting was enough to prove that she had matured a lot.


    As long as Lily no longer loved Edric, Lily''s life would be in her own hands. She would be able to get


    anything she wanted with just a flick of the wrist. Living as a puppet to a man would get her nowhere.

 Chapter 140 Seeing Things From A Different Perspective

    Chapter 140 Seeing Things From A Different Perspective


    Steven nced at Lily. Being kind, gentle and understanding was a mask Lily always put on. However,


    he didn''t like that. Compared to Irene''s outspoken attitude and ignorance, he preferred Irene more. He


    liked how she was always honest and blunt.


    Steven was a man who had been in politics for many years. Although he wished that Lily would change


    her ways, deep down, he knew that such a tremendous change in her attitude was highly suspicious.


    Edric was also surprised when Lily was smiling from ear to ear at him. The person who was trying to


    get into his pants the previous night was now being such aposed state. This was all very puzzling


    to him. This further confirmed his intuition of Lily not being an innocent person.


    "Let''s talk inside," Steven invited them in. Steven shared the same couch with Deborah; Irene and


    Edric on another. Lily plopped down alone in a single chair.


    Irene couldn''t help feeling that the entire scenario looked odd. After thinking about it for a bit, she


    recalled how she used to be the one sitting in that single chair, but now it was Lily.


    Seeing Steven talk to Edric as if nothing had happened, and how Deborah and Lily were trying to put


    on an act, Irene felt all this was extremely ironic. This entire family deserved Oscar awards for being


    such great actors; their acting skills were really top-notch.


    Maisy set the dishes on the table before she beckoned for everyone to have dinner. Surprisingly, the


    atmosphere at the dining table was good. Lily actually scooped some dishes for Irene and Edric, and


    so did Deborah. Seeing how hospitable she was to Edric, Irene felt nauseated.


    At first, she did her best to resist that sickening feeling in her stomach. But when Deborah tried to put


    some sd onto her te, Irene couldn''t hold it in any longer. She pulled her te away. Seeing the


    look of disgust on Irene''s face, Steven remarked, "It''s okay, we''re a family. There''s no need to be so


    courteous. Just let her be!"


    On the surface, the whole dining experience seemed to be a happy one but deep down, it was far from


    being a joyful asion.


    After dinner, Steven called Edric into the study. After closing the door behind him, the smile on Steven''s


    face faded away, and it was reced by a gloomy expression.


    "Edric, I am starting to see you from a different perspective! What''s so good about you? Both of my


    daughters¡­ they''re amazing in their own ways, so why did they have to fall for you? Sigh... If news of


    this breaks out, it''ll tarnish my family''s reputation! My name will go down the drain too!"


    Before this, Steven was all smiles. But seeing how his face changed immediately, Edric was positively


    amazed by him. He had to give it to Steven, to be as skilled at being this two-face, for it must''ve taken


    years of practice.


    But wasn''t Steven the one who told him to seduce Lily? Why was he turning around and ming it on


    Edric now?


    Finally, Edric understood why Irene despised Steven so much. He said lightly, "About Lily, please


    ept my apologies. It was my mom''s doing. If she didn''t want a grandchild so badly, none of these


    would have happened."


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "Yes, if your mom hadn''t treated Irene like that back then, then everything would not have happened.


    It''s all your mother''s fault," Steven echoed.


    As that, Edric chuckled faintly. "It''s true that it wasn''t right for her to be selfish and snobbish, but it


    wasn''t right for you and Mrs. Cook to set me and Lily up either. If we''re going to bring up the past,


    clearly you and Mrs. Cook had a part in it too."


    Hearing this, Steven''s face turned red. He never expected Edric to be so straightforward. All he could


    do now was to titter in embarrassment.


    With a weary smile, Steven stated, "The things parents do to protect their children... I didn''t think things


    through... But the past is the past; there''s no point regretting it now. The reason I invited you over


    tonight was to discuss Irene and Lily. So how are you nning to deal with all this?"


    "That''s also why I''m here." Edric looked at Steven. "I''m nning to break off my engagement with Lily


    and marry Irene."


    Steven mmed his hand onto the table, but continued to remain silent.


    Edric went on to say, "Although I''m engaged to Lily, we haven''t done anything inappropriate. What


    Irene and I have is special; I hope you will give us your blessings!"


    "There''s nothing I can do since things have turned out this way. As long as Irene says yes, I won''t


    object to your proposal. However, it pains me to see Lily in such a state!" Steven sighed deeply.


    Trying to ease his broken heart, Edric replied, "If Lily needs anything, I''llpensate her with money!"


    Steven''s eyes lit up when he heard the word pensate''. He pondered for a moment and said,


    "There''s no need for that, as long as you and Irene are happy, I''m sure Lily will be happy for you two


    too."


    Seeing that Steven was on the same boat with him, Edric felt more rxed.


    After Steven and Edric entered the study, Deborah and Lily pretended to rinse and prep the fruits in the


    kitchen. Irene knew they didn''t want to be with her alone. Well, neither did she want to stay in the same


    area with them. Thus, she walked into the living room alone to watch TV. She wasn''t paying to the


    show, instead, she was wondering what Steven and Edric were discussing in the study.


    After a few moments, Lily and Deborah marched into the living room with a te of fruits. cing down


    the te in front of Irene, Lily said with a bright smile, "Irene, please have some fruits."


    Smiling politely, Irene responded, "Thank you, but I don''t feel too well, you can enjoy it yourself, Miss


    Cook."


    "Oh my, I''m sorry!" Lily apologized sincerely. "It''s my fault for not being thoughtful enough. Please


    forgive me!"


    Irene scoffed, "Miss Cook, cut that off." This meant that she didn''t ept Lily''s apology. The smile on


    Lily''s face vanished immediately while she stared at Irene with her big, pitiful eyes.


    "Irene, I know what I did previously was wrong. This is all Freya''s fault. She chose to abandon me


    when I was at my weakest. I was so mad that I went along with her n... Deep down, I really feel bad


    for it. After all, we''re sisters, and blood is thicker than water..."


    As Lily said this, she started choking on her words. Tears started streaming down her pretty face.


    Frankly, Irene was astonished at her wless performance!


    She wanted to give Lily a round of apuse for her marvelous acting skills. If she remembered


    correctly, after the whole thing in the past, Lily was the one who stood her ground and argued with her.


    Even a child could tell that such a change in her attitude was questionably suspicious!


    "Miss Cook, don''t cry. I didn''t even touch you," Irene stood up and stepped aside in disgust.


    "Irene, your father and I have already taught Lily a lesson. She really wants to turn over a new leaf! You


    need to give her a chance to change!" Deborah chimed in.


    "Irene, please give me a chance!" Lily cried aloud, "I won''t fall for someone else''s words anymore. I''ve


    cut all ties with Freya already!"


    Lily called this an apology, yet all Irene could hear was her pushing all the responsibility onto someone


    else. There wasn''t an inch of sincerity in Lily''s words. Irene felt utterly broken at Lily''s pretense. "Miss


    Cook, you really don''t have to do this. Everything is in the past. We all know what really happened back


    then; none of us are that stupid. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    "Does this mean you''re not willing to forgive me?" All of a sudden, Lily got onto her knees in front of


    Irene. "Irene, I''m begging you!"


    As Lily knelt down, coincidentally, the room of the study swung open at the same time. When Steven


    saw this, he frowned and asked, "Lily, why are you kneeling on the ground?"


    "I... I''m apologizing to Irene. If she doesn''t forgive me, I... I won''t get up!" Lily sobbed. Her eyes were


    beaming with tears as if Irene had just beaten her up.


    Hearing this, Steven quickly walked over. "You two are sisters and you''ve gone through so much


    together! The key here is to realize your mistake and don''t repeat it." After saying this, he turned to


    Irene. "Lily''s still a young girl; it''s normal that she will make mistakes as such. Why can''t you just


    forgive her this once?"


    Didn''t Lily say that she wouldn''t get up if I didn''t forgive her? Seeing how Steven was defending Lily,


    clearly, he thought that he could resolve this entire situation that easily.


    Irene smirked yfully. She didn''t show any intentions of helping Lily to her feet, neither did she say


    anything. All she did was just stared coldly at Steven and Lily. When she finally had had enough, she


    said, "Mr. Cook, did you ask me toe back just to watch her put on an act?"


    "What are you talking about?" squealed Steven.


    "Impressive. I have always seen actors on TV begging for mercy. Little did I know I will have the honor


    of seeing such a magnificent act when Ie over for dinner tonight."


    Irene stood up as she spoke, "Mr. Cook, thank you for your dinner. I had enough of her acting.


    However, all of you have better practice more. Maybe then, you''ll gain my sympathy the next time!"


    With that, she turned around and left without even noticing the horrid look on Steven''s face. Seeing


    Irene leave, Edric knew it was his cue to leave too. After muttering something to Steven, he quickly left


    the house.


    Watching Edric and Irene disappear from their lines of vision, Steven''s face suddenly turned cold.


    When Irene mentioned the word ''act'', he was reminded of something.


    If Lily really wanted to apologize to Irene, then she wouldn''t have chosen a time like this. He turned his


    head and looked at Lily, who was still kneeling on the ground. "What are you still kneeling for? Wasn''t it


    embarrassing enough?"


    Deborah quickly reached out to help Lily up. Lily''s eyes were twinkling with tears. "Dad, I really wanted


    to apologize and ask for her forgiveness."


    "Regardless of whether it was sincere, don''t do anything like this in the future. You''re not the brightest,


    and those around you aren''t dumb," Steven said and went back into his study.


    Back in the car, Irene couldn''t help sneering when she thought about what had happened a while ago.


    She wondered if Lily was putting on this show for Steven or Edric.


    "Edric, do you think I''m taking things too far?"


    "Irene, no matter what happened, I''ll always support." Edric didn''t know what exactly had happened


    earlier, but he was sure that Irene would never force Lily to kneel. They''d been married for three


    years; he knew very well what kind of person Irene was. Regardless of how cruel Lily could be, Irene


    would never make such a ridiculous demand.


    "You''ll support me? Edric, Lily was your fiancee after all. This reply of yours would disappoint her,"


    Irene teased.


    "Irene, she''s no longer my fiancee. I''ve already made it clear to Mr. Cook that Lily and I have broken off


    the engagement." Edric reached out and held her hand. "Irene, you told me that you''d give me another


    chance if I rid myself of all the troubles. Now that I''ve done that, we can start over again, right?"


    Irene did recall saying this, but she never said they''d start seeing each other again. For her, Edric''s


    problem didn''t end with Lily; he also had a demanding mother. With Margaret in the picture, there was


    no way Edric and she would make it to the end. With that being said, now wasn''t the right time for her


    to reject him. Forcing a smile on her face, she said, "Yes, we can start over again."

 Chapter 141 We Have Our Own Way Around

    Chapter 141 We Have Our Own Way Around


    For the past few days, all Rowane could think about was Marie. Eventually, she decided not to tell Edric


    that she knew Marie just as she had been instructed.


    After finding out that Marie wasn''t Rowane''s mother, Edric evenforted Rowane and promised to


    help find her mother.


    Rowane felt uneasy about lying to Edric about the entire situation. She was never one to lie and cheat,


    so hiding something like this made her very ufortable.


    Unexpectedly, Marie came to look for her one day. Marie mentioned that she felt guilty for not being a


    responsible mother for so many years. Now that Marie was rich, she wanted to do right by Rowane and


    sponsor her studies abroad. To study abroad was a dream to many; naturally, Rowane was tempted by


    Marie''s offer.


    When Marie saw that Rowane''s eyes lit up at her proposal, Marie stated that she would arrange for


    everything right away. Marie told Rowane to resign from her position at Edric''spany immediately,


    but Rowane was a little hesitant.


    Admittedly, Rowane harbored feelings for Edric because not only had he helped her when she was in


    trouble, but also because of how capable he was. A man like him would definitely draw the attention of


    many women.


    However, Edric didn''t share the same thought as hers. He focused all his attention on Irene. Rowane


    knew that she agreed to study abroad not because of Marie''s attractive offer but because she wanted


    to forget Edric.


    A one-sided love was much too painful for Rowane, and she felt that she could no longer stay by


    Edric''s side. Right now, the only option was for her to leave him and forget about himpletely.


    Before Marie allowed her to dere their rtionship, Rowanne had to resign and leave Edric''s


    Just as Rowane was going to inform Edric about her resignation, she noticed his face that was covered


    with scratch marks. She didn''t even need to think about who the culprit was. Only Irene could have her


    way like this.


    It was an unspoken rule that during fights, one could hurt any body part except for the face. It was clear


    that Irene''s intention was to embarrass Edric. Although this was a matter between both of them,


    Rowane could feel a sense of resentment against Irene growing inside her chest.


    "Irene is so cruel! Edric is willing to do anything for her. Hell, he does not even mind tarnishing his own


    reputation! What more does this woman want?" Rowanne thought to herself.


    In the end, she didn''t inform Edric about her resignation. Instead, she went back to her office. On this


    day, she was frustrated and flustered. When she returned home in the evening, Marie dropped by with


    a bag of fruits for her.


    Once again, she talked about Rowanne furthering her studies abroad before she asked if Rowane had


    resigned. Rowanne could only shake her head in reply. She mentioned what she witnessed in the office


    earlier in the day and that it was not a good opportunity to bring her resignation up, lest she make


    things awkward.


    Marie looked at her thoughtfully. "Rowane, is this because you have a thing for Edric, and you can''t


    bear to leave him?"


    "No, that''s not true." Rowane shut her down immediately.


    "I''ve seen a lot in my days, and I can tell how you''re feeling from that look in your eyes. Edric is a


    wonderful man. It''s not wrong for you to like him." Marie sighed. "But Edric''s heart has always belonged


    to Irene, and he''s not going to fall for someone else. You better not bet your heart on him. I don''t want


    you ending up like Lily."


    "Isn''t Lily the mistress? What''s there to pity about her?" Rowane retorted.


    "Lily isn''t the mistress. Irene is. I know about this entire situation better than you." Then, Marie


    proceeded to tell Rowane about how Lily and Irene were sisters. However, she tweaked the story to


    make it look like Lily and Edric were childhood sweethearts and that Irene was the mistress. She said


    that Irene had dumped Nathan, who was infatuated with her, just to ruin Lily and Edric''s rtionship.


    Marie twisted the truth and told Rowanne that Irene had manipted Edric into sleeping with her, finally


    forcing him to marry her.


    "It''s not that she''s barren; she just doesn''t want to give birth to Edric''s child, ''cause her heart belongs to


    Nathan. She ns to reconcile with Nathan eventually. After Edric and she got married, she still met


    Nathan secretly. Margaret was furious when she found out about it, so she forced them to get a


    divorce. Not because Irene was infertile, but because she had an affair."


    "She actually had an affair?" Rowane''s mouth hung open in surprise. She couldn''t imagine that Edric,


    whom she held so highly in her heart, would actually be stepped on by someone else.


    "Not only did she cheat, but she''s also a very vicious woman. Let me let you in on something else.


    Irene used her infertility as an excuse to argue with Margaret 24/7, creating havoc in the family. If that


    wasn''t enough, she forced Steven to make Lily her surrogate. Lily felt that she owed Irene this much,


    so they went along with it. Yet, Irene only became even crueler. When Lily was three months pregnant,


    she shoved Lily so hard that she suffered a miscarriage. Because of this, Margaret had no choice but


    to allow Irene to file a divorce with Edric," added Marie.


    "So this was the reason behind the divorce?" Somehow, Marie had managed to slide in all the lies so


    casually between the truth that it sounded believable. Naturally, Rowanne fell for Marie''s words. SinceN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Rowane had never been fond of Irene, she said in a firm voice, "I never thought Irene would be like


    this."


    "Yeah, the Myers Group is wealthy, so they wanted topensate her handsomely during the divorce.


    But that woman was so sinister that she left without epting the alimony the Myers family gave.


    That''s why Edric still feels guilty about it until now," Marie continued to spout her nonsense.


    "After divorcing Edric, she got together with Nathan. However, the White family is strict and old-


    fashioned. Irene couldn''t get things to go her way. Madam Britney wouldn''t allow her grandson to marry


    a divorced woman."


    "So that child of hers belongs to Nathan?" asked Rowane.


    "Well, after divorcing Edric, she nned to wrap her hands around Nathan, but Madam Britney


    disapproved. She spent three years of her life being Nathan''s secret lover and even gave birth to his


    child. When she heard that Lily and Edric were getting engaged soon, she couldn''t sit still, so she


    rushed back to ruin everything." Marie''s ability to distort the truth was top-notch.


    "Irene is a spiteful person; seeing how Deborah and Lily stole Steven away from her mother, she


    wanted to get her revenge. Margaret knew her true character, so she strongly opposed their


    rtionship, but Edric was too kind and he felt for her tricks again. He always trusted her."


    It was true that Irene showed up when Edric and Lily were about to get engaged; this convinced


    Rowane even more. "If that''s the case, then why didn''t anyone expose her?"


    "She''s far too good at lying! Not only did she lie to Edric, but she also made him believe that she


    suffered a lot of hardship after the divorce. Look at what happened thest time, Irene and Jordan


    worked together to put on a brilliant act. They were trying to frame Lily, and they insisted that Lily had


    hired someone to nder her. I watch Lily grow up with my own two eyes, and I know what a kind and


    caring girl she is. How could someone like her do such a thing? She did this to ruin Lily''s reputation,


    and that''s why she''s using others to frame Lily!"


    "That''s right. All of us felt the whole situation was odd. Wasn''t Irene the one who hired people to do


    that? How could she turn the finger on to Miss Cook?" Rowane shook her head.


    "It''s all Irene''s fault. She would do anything to ruin Lily. Edric had no other choice, so he had to go on


    TV to clear Lily''s name. Just like that, a perfect couple was separated. I can''t help feeling sorry for


    them. If Irene really loved Edric, then fair enough, but she''s just doing all this for revenge. Edric felt bad


    seeing how pitiful she looked after the divorce, and he med it all on himself. He wanted to do right by


    her, but of course, Irene refused his financialpensation. She just wanted to make him feel bad,


    thus pushing him to break up with Lily. Edric''s not any better. How could he believe such an evil


    woman? Doesn''t he see how our innocent Lily has been wronged?"


    Thinking of how ruthless Irene was towards Edric, Rowane agreed that someone who was truly in love


    would never resort to these means. "How could Irene be so cruel?!"


    "Also, it was Margaret''s birthdayst Friday. When Margaret invited Lily over for dinner, Irene started


    throwing a fit again. She was afraid that something would go on between Edric and Lily, so she kept


    calling him non-stop. The only reason Edric was there that night was to apany his mother, but she


    insisted for John to go over and pick Edric home. The entire birthday dinner was ruined because of her.


    Margaret was so mad she burst into tears." Marie created yet another lie.


    "No wonder there were scars on Edric''s face. Irene must''ve scratched him." Rowane quickly connected


    the dots.


    "That''s right; she''s such a shrewd. When she was married to Edric, she often quarreled with Margaret.


    She made the entire family a mess." Marie didn''t know that there were scars on Edric''s face, but when


    she heard Rowane say it, she immediately seized the chance to pin it onto Irene.


    "That woman is too despiteful!" Rowane was so irate that she shouted, "We can''t continue to be


    blindsided like this. We have to teach her a lesson!"


    After Marie left, Rowane sat and thought about the whole thing for a long time. Even though she wasn''t


    close to Irene, she felt that she had to sit Irene down for a good talk after listening to Marie''s story.


    When Irene received Rowane''s invite, she didn''t know how to interpret it. She''d never had a good


    impression from Edric''s little fangirl since the start. Irene didn''t understand why such a young girl was


    willing to y the role of someone''s secret lover instead of finding other means of ie. Even though


    Edric insisted that it was all just for show, Irene was still skeptical about all of it.


    Rowane had a lot of qualifications, and she could''ve easily gotten any other position. Choosing such a


    job only showed how wed her character was. Rowane and Irene didn''t have a good impression of


    each other, so one could imagine how things were going to turn out.


    "What can I do for you, Miss Wood?" Irene went straight to the point.


    "I want to talk to you about Edric."


    The word ''Edric'' made Irene ufortable. "About Edric? I''m sorry, did I hear you correctly?"


    "You did, I just want to ask you, Miss Nelson, do you love Edric?"


    "What does any of this have anything to do with you?" Irene asked. Judging from Rowane''s tone of


    voice, she figured that Rowane didn''t think of Edric as just her boss. Things were already bad enough


    with Lily''s involvement, and now Irene had Rowane to worry about. This annoyed Irene tremendously.


    All that bullsh*t was about starting over again. With all these weeds around bothering them, Irene was


    never going to associate herself with Edric again in this lifetime.


    "Of course, it has something to do with me. If you really love Edric, then I''ll give you my blessings. But I


    hope you''ll stop clinging onto him, Edric has suffered a lot these few years, and I hope you''ll let him


    go," answered Rowane.


    "Clinging onto him?" Irene hissed. These words truly irked her. She red at Rowane coldly. "Aren''t


    you overstepping your position, Miss Wood? May I ask, who are you to Edric? What right do you have


    toe here and say this to me?"


    "I... I''m his friend..." stammered Rowane.


    "Friend?" Ireneughed sarcastically. "There are only a few kinds of friends in this world. Some are


    acquaintances whom you just nod at; some are loyal friends who would risk their lives for you, and


    there are others whom you get to know through business deals and transactions. I wonder, Miss Wood,


    what sort of friend do you fall under?"

 Chapter 142 Dont You Dare Cross The Line

    Chapter 142 Don''t You Dare Cross The Line


    Clearly, Irene meant to point out the fact that Rowane was just one of Edric''s ''customers''. Upon hearing


    this, Rowane''s face suddenly turned red. "Irene, don''t you dare cross the line!"


    "I''m crossing the line? I don''t think so!" Irene spread her hands up, feigning an innocent look.


    "I''ll have you know that our rtionship is purely friendship. You won''t be able to point any fingers at


    us!" barked Rowane.


    "Whether you two are truly friends or not has nothing to do with me. I''m not interested. If you don''t wish


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    to embarrass yourself, then don''t use Edric as an excuse to look for me. I hate busybodies. As far as I


    know, you''re nobody to Edric, so please don''t get yourself involved in others'' businesses."


    "Do... Do you think I want to see that face of yours for nothing? If you hadn''t hurt Edric so much, I


    wouldn''t even dream of doing this," Rowane spat back at Irene.


    "Hurt Edric?" Irene was amused when she heard these words. It was obvious that Rowane couldn''t tell


    her a*s from her esophagus. "I wouldn''t mind if you stole Edric from me, neither would I care if you hurt


    him, that is of course if you''re able to do so."


    "Just how shameless you are. You seem to be really proud of yourself. Irene Nelson, I know exactly


    what sort of person you are. I hope you realize what''s best for you and leave Edric immediately.


    Otherwise, don''t me me for embarrassing youter on," threatened Rowane.


    "Embarrassing me? Miss Wood, you really make me wonder what you have on me?" Irene sneered,


    her eyes glimmering with conceit.


    "Shouldn''t you know what you did? You stole Lily''s boyfriend, made her suffer a miscarriage, and


    continued to nder her reputation..."


    Rowane cursed at Irene in one breath. "You''re the cruelest and most ruthless woman I''ve ever seen.


    You''re also the most pretentious person I''ve met. One day, I''ll reveal your hypocritical face and


    humiliate you."


    Irene broke into a fit ofughter. After hearing Rowane defended Lily, she couldn''t help wondering what


    Lily had given Rowane in exchange.


    "Miss Wood, are you mad at the fact that I possess Edric''s entirety, or are you seeking justice for Lily?"


    asked Irene.


    Rowane was so stunned by her words that she was momentarily speechless. She had originally


    nned to talk to Irene politely. However, things didn''t turn out that way. Irene''s eyes were full of


    undisguised contempt and disdain.


    "Truthfully, there''s no need for you to be mad at me, Miss Wood. Since you''re still so young and


    charming, I''m sure Edric would dream of you if you put in more effort!" Irene chuckled.


    "I''m not as shameless as you! I just can''t bear to see you snatch someone else''s fiance. If you like him,


    it''s okay. Yet, you''re using him for your revenge. You have a distorted personality, and you do not want


    to see other people happy!"


    Rowane was so outraged that she no longer held back her words. "You''re trying to say that I''m Edric''s


    secret lover, aren''t you? But, aren''t you also a mistress yourself? What gives you the right to talk about


    me in that tone? Do you think you''re a person better than me?"


    Irene couldn''t understand what was wrong with people these days. She felt like theycked basic


    "I never said I was a person better than you, Miss Wood, so don''t try to y the good cop here. I''ve


    seen a lot of disgusting things these days, but I''ve never seen a mistress like youing to seek


    justice for another mistress. Miss Wood, you''re truly making me look at you in a different light. But


    before you continue on, I think you need to take a good look in the mirror to see if you''re capable of


    doing so first. You might as well have spent your time studying up on how to seduce Edric instead of


    looking for me!" Irene rolled her eyes at Rowane.


    "You!" Rowane was so angry that her entire body trembled with anger. Irene''s words were so vicious


    that they stabbed right into her heart!


    "Just because Edric''s obsessed with you, it doesn''t give you the right to do anything you want. Irene,


    God is watching you. There''s no way you''ll live the rest of your life in peace." Rowane was breathless


    with red fury.


    "That''s right, God is watching our every move! Miss Wood, let me give you some advice. Edric still


    hasn''t spoiled you rotten yet. Even if he does, that''s only for you and him to know. You don''t have the


    right to point fingers at me. Today, I''ll let it slide, but next time, if you ever confront me so boldly again,


    don''t me me for pping you!" Irene snarled.


    "How can you be so arrogant?!" Rowane shouted in her head. Even after Irene''s figure disappeared,


    Rowane continued to tremble in anger at where she was. "How can Irene be so shameless? How could


    anyone behave like this?"


    At the same time, Irene was also infuriated. "Who on earth gave Rowane the courage to challenge


    me?" Now, she refused to believe that Edric and Rowane were merely just friends.


    Before Irene was divorced, Lily woulde down to the Myers family every day just to irk her. Now,


    Rowane was here trying to test her patience. Irene pondered on whether she would ever live a regr,


    peaceful human life.


    Fortunately, she did not intend to have anything to do with Edric anymore. Otherwise, the same cycle


    would repeat once again.


    When Edric returned in the evening, he seemed to be in a good mood. After dinner, they went out for a


    stroll. Once again, they spoke about Eden. He mentioned he had contacted an expert from ab and


    that he would arrange for Eden to be sent here so it''d be easier to care for him.


    The only problem was that Lily was still in the scene, and there was a new problem to worry about,


    Rowane. If Irene chose to believe Edric''s words, then that would make her a fool. Looking at how Edric


    was feigning affection for her, Irene felt a little sick, hence she continued to rebuke his proposals.


    Seeing that she wasn''t too enthusiastic about the idea, Edric proposed that they travel to see Eden.


    Irene did not refuse this suggestion of his, since he mentioned that it would only take a few days, plus it


    would just take another ten days to check if she would have a baby. Thus, she decided to make a


    choice after knowing the results.


    At night, Rowane met up with Marie, ranting angrily about her meeting with Irene. Marie was a little


    surprised. Her intention behind her constant visits was to make Rowane have a bad impression of


    Irene. That way, it would be easier for her to carry out her ns in the future. However, she didn''t


    expect Rowane to take the initiative to meet Irene on her own. Although it was risky, Marie was relieved


    that things hadn''t turned out smoothly. If they had a truthful discussion, all her previous efforts would be


    flushed down the drain.


    Seeing how pissed off Rowane looked, Marie knew that it was her shot. Sheforted Rowane, "Calm


    down, now that we know her true character, we won''t be fooled so easily."


    "She''s so arrogant! Why didn''t Margaret find a way to make her leave Edric?" Rowane was still irked


    when she thought about it.


    "Don''t you think Margaret tried? She''s used all sorts of methods, but I don''t know what Irene did. Edric


    refused to listen to her. Right now, they two aren''t on good terms. It''s a real pity if you think about it."


    "Are you going to let her go on like this?" asked Rowane.


    "Right now, Edric believes everything she says. We don''t have a choice." Marie shrugged her


    shoulders.


    "Yeah, the only reason Edric believes her is because she''s so arrogant. Edric should know better too.


    He''s usually smarter than this. How could he have been deceived so easily?" Rowane scratched her


    forehead.


    "But hasn''t Edric always been soft-hearted? Irene used his kindness against him. Edric is already in his


    thirties. God knows how much longer he has. Margaret cries every day about how she doesn''t have a


    grandchild, but I guess she won''t be so blessed to be a grandmother in this lifetime." Marie let out


    a long sigh.


    Naturally, Rowane knew all too well about how kind Edric was. After hearing Marie''s words, she felt that


    Margaret was also in a pitiful situation. "I can''t help feeling sorry for Margaret!"


    "Exactly, my heart broke when I saw her crying today, and my whole mood was ruined. Think about it,


    Margaret is also in a sorrowful situation. Seeing her being in the middle of it makes me think that I


    should do something as her friend. That''s why she came to look for me today," told Marie.


    "What did she want from you, Mom?"


    "She asked me to seek help from you," Marie answered.


    "Mom, didn''t you say that we can''t tell her about our rtionship?" squealed Rowane.


    "No, I didn''t tell her about our rtionship. She noticed that you were always with Edric, so she wanted


    you to have his child. She mentioned that you would be paid for it." Marie wanted to see what Rowane


    thought about Edric.


    "No, I refuse!" Rowane shook her head. She had feelings for Edric, but Edric had no feelings for her at


    all. They were merely acquaintances, so how could she carry his child?


    "Mom, let me tell you, Edric doesn''t show the slightest interest in me. You might''ve heard that


    something is going on between us, but they''re all rumors. Edric just regards me as an ordinary friend,


    so this idea of yours won''t work at all."


    "Is that so?" Marie pondered for a moment. "Tell me honestly, do you like Edric?"


    "I... Of course, I like him." Rowane was a little shy to admit it.


    "Since you like him, why won''t you carry his child? I''ll make it happen for you." Marie continued to nt


    the idea into Rowane''s head.


    "Mom, the problem isn''t whether I need your help or not. Although I like Edric, I won''t resort to such


    nonsensical means. I refuse to do something against my beliefs and principles!" Rowane stood her


    ground.


    Holding her hand, Marie praised Rowane, "My daughter''s indeed the best; I knew you wouldn''t let me


    down, so I refused Margaret''s proposal and suggested that she brings it to Lily. After all, Lily was


    pregnant with his child before, and she''s loved him for so many years. She''s probably the best


    candidate."


    "But didn''t you say that Edric didn''t want to touch Lily? How are they supposed to have a child


    together?" asked Rowane.


    "Margaret thinks that if they both have a child, Edric would definitely leave Irene, but clearly, it''s not that


    simple! Irene''s always watching him so closely, and there''s not even the slightest chance of Edric and


    Lilymunicating with each other!" Marie sighed. "That''s why I came to ask for your help."


    "What can I do for you?" Rowane was a little perplexed.


    "Since Edric doesn''t have his guard up against you, I want you to invite him out for a drink. Get him


    drunk, then let him sleep with Lily," proposed Marie.


    "Uhm..." Rowane hesitated. It was true that Edric didn''t have his guard up against her, but was it okay


    for her to do something like this? What if Edric refused to forgive her after?


    "I know that this is asking a lot from you, but we couldn''t find a better candidate for the job." Marie


    sensed Rowane''s hesitation. "Since you already know so much, then I won''t hide the rest from you. It''s


    not that we want to force Edric into a rtionship with Lily, but we want him to believe that he


    identally slept with Lily."


    "What? I don''t understand. You want him to think he slept with Lily on ident and made her


    pregnant?" Rowane was puzzled.


    "Didn''t Lily use his semen for artificial insemination thest time? She still has some of it frozen.


    Margaret wants Edric to think that he slept with Lily before we artificially inseminated her to be


    pregnant. This way, Edric will choose her for their child."


    After listening to all this, Rowane still didn''t know if it was the right thing to do. Knowing that they


    needed Rowane on their side, Marie continued persuading her, "This would be good for Edric since


    he''s caught right in the middle of it. His mind''s in aplete mess. Obviously, the only thing he''s clear


    about right now is his obsession with Irene. Rowane, you need to think about this carefully. Can you


    bear to see Edric go on living such a pathetic life with Irene forever?"


    After a momentary silence, Marie added, "Is it because you''re worried Edric will be mad at you? Don''t


    worry, after all this ends, I''ll send you overseas to further your studies. After three or five years, Edric


    and Lily will be married with children when youe back. When that has happened, I''m sure he''ll


    understand that you did what was necessary. At that time, he''ll thank you for everything you''ve done for


    his sake."


    Rowane hesitated for a while and finally nodded. "I''ll try to ask him out, but I''m not sure if he''ll agree to


    it."


    Marie pped her hands. "As long as you follow my instructions, things will definitely go the way we


    nned!"

 Chapter 143 Thought Of A Way To Deal With It

    Chapter 143 Thought Of A Way To Deal With It


    Thomas was insecure these days. After thinking about it for a long time, he felt that he had done a very


    wrong thing. He should not havepromised with Marie just for a moment of peace.


    He knew very well what kind of person Marie was. She would never stop meeting him like what she told


    him. Instead of waiting for her toe to him again to threaten him, he rather thought of a way to deal


    with her first. After pondering about it, he went to meet Jordan.


    Thomas'' visit surprised Jordan. Jordan invited him to take a seat and poured a cup of tea for him.


    Thomas took the tea and had a sip, saying, "The purpose of my visit this time is to ask you for a favor."


    "I will try my best as long as I can do it." Jordan was very outright.


    "This is very easy for you. I would like to ask you for your help to settle Irene and me abroad."


    "Is Irene going to do as you say?" Jordan asked.


    "Just help me deal with the migration procedures first. Irene will join by then. After all, her purpose of


    "Okay, I''ll ask someone to do it right away," Jordan promised.


    Thomas was very pleased with Jordan''s swiftness. He opened the bag he was carrying and took out a


    few drawings from it. He ced them in front of Jordan and said, "I won''t let you help me for nothing.


    These are the rewards."


    "What''s these?" Jordan picked up the drawings and looked at Thomas in surprise. "Isn''t this the design


    of the stadium? Thomas, how could you have this?" Jordan asked.


    "I''m Dave. This is the design of the stadium for this sports tournament," Thomas replied.


    "You''re Dave?" Jordan reacted after a moment of surprise. No wonder he thought Thomas was


    strange. It turned out that it was the reason.


    "The design I gave you is the design of the sub-stadium. I''ve given the main stadium''s design to Marie.


    She probably will give it to Edric very soon," told Thomas, or more urately now, Dave.


    "Do you want the Myers Group and the Golden Age Group to cooperate in the construction of the


    stadium for the sports meeting?" Jordan asked.


    "No! Although, it will be better if twopanies construct the stadium construction of this sports


    tournament. To be honest, I never thought of letting Edric''spany win the bid. The only purpose I


    designed these was for Irene. Originally, I nned to give all these designs to you, but I didn''t expect


    that there would be such an ident," Thomas replied.


    Thomas told him about Marie threatening him. Then, he exined his rtionship with Marie and Myra


    again.


    "I am not the real Thomas. The real Thomas died of an ident not long after I returned to San Fetillo.


    At that time, my parents had passed away, and I was downhearted due to the bankruptcy and the huge


    bought for Thomas temporarily. Only Steven, Myra, and Marie knew the truth, while the others thought I


    was Thomas. At that time, I just wanted to run away from all the troubles I was caught in, but I didn''t


    expect it to be a drawback," he exined.


    "Marie is your sister? I really didn''t expect that. Although you are not the real Thomas, you are Irene''s


    uncle after all in terms of seniority. You haven''t done anything wrong. Why are you afraid of Marie?"


    Jordan asked.


    "Back then, I lived in seclusion in San Fetillo not only because I was discouraged from my misfortune


    but also for the loss of my love." Dave sighed.


    "I love Myra as deeply as your father, but my kind of love is prohibited. Marie knows my thoughts, and


    she threatened me with it. If I don''t help her, she will expose my feelings for Myra to others. I don''t want


    Myra to be criticized even after her death, and I don''t want Irene to know that I''m not her real uncle,"


    Dave continued to say.


    "You are not blood-rted to Myra. Besides, you never confessed your feelings. I think Irene can


    understand you," Jordan thought for a moment andforted him.


    "No, she won''t. I''ve spent most of my life like this, and I don''t want something unnecessary to happen


    at this moment. I''ve carefully thought about Marie''s character, and she''s not credible. Instead of letting


    her continue to bother me and bring these pasts out, it''s better for me to hide away from everyone first.


    It''s good for everyone in this way."


    "Well, since you have made up your mind, leave everything to me. I''ll let you know again soon," Jordan


    promised.


    At the same time, when Thomas asked Jordan to n for their migration, Steven was not at peace


    either. The chairman of the Tobias Group, Tobias, who absconded with the money, and it had brought


    Steven a lot of trouble.


    When Tobias made outstanding achievements in San Fetillo, Steven was quite close to him. Steven


    had once bought a share of the Tobias Group and became the silent shareholder. Only he and Tobias


    knew about it.


    As the business of the Tobias Group had always been running very well, Steven''s ambition and greed


    for money grew evenrger. Therefore, when Tobias went to him and asked for funds to open a branch


    Tobias had promised Steven to return it a monthter, but Steven didn''t expect that Tobias''pany


    was already in trouble long ago. The so-called opening of a newpany was just for scamming him


    out of money. Tobias absconded abroad with the money right after Steven gave him the money.


    The total of the funds that the superior allocated was one billion dors. How could Steven have so


    much money to make up this loophole? Therefore, he was in a state of nerves during this time.


    Coincidentally, the superior heard the news and demanded to meet him to talk about this matter. The


    superior had a good rtionship with Steven over the past few years. Hence, he asked Steven to find a


    way to fill up the loophole as soon as possible. Then, he would let this matter go.


    Since Steven cooperated with Tobias to open thepany, Steven only got some dividends, which


    was just a few million dors in total. Therefore, how could he make up for such a significant sum of


    money?


    The only person he could ask for help was Edric, but it was not a small amount of money. Edric might


    help him with millions of dors, but he was unsure if Edric would help him with one billion dors.


    Edric had no interest in Lily. Therefore, he was sure that Edric would not help him because of Lily.


    Then, he thought of Irene. Edric had always been obsessed with Irene. Perhaps, he would help him for


    Irene''s sake.


    When Steven came back to the city, he happened to discover that Lily had just attacked Irene. He took


    the opportunity to pretend that he fell sick and was admitted to the hospital to figure out a solution.


    Steven saw a glimmer of hope when he saw Edric rify the matter''s ins and outs on TV. It could be


    imagined how infatuated he was with Irene when he would rather let his mother, Margaret, take the


    me to whitewash Irene. That glimmer of hope eventually grew into a bright ray in Steven''s heart.


    Therefore, he did not oppose Edric''s proposal to terminate Lily''s engagement and got back together


    with Irene. When he asked Edric and Irene to go home for dinner that day, he wanted to tell Edric about


    this matter, but he couldn''t bring it up. Now that this matter was getting more urgent and Steven


    couldn''t dy it anymore, he requested Edric to meet up.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "I''ve encountered some troubles recently, so I would like to ask you to do me a favor." Steven did not


    beat around the bush.


    Edric had already known about Tobias'' matter, and he guessed that Steven should have something to


    do with this matter. "What''s the matter? Tell me," Edric replied.


    Steven told him about Tobias'' abscond with the money. He was embarrassed to admit that he was


    associated with Tobias and that their acquaintance was to earn money illegally. Hence, he only said


    that he had a close rtionship with Tobias and didn''t expect Tobias to be such a person who escaped


    with the money and left all the trouble to him.


    Edric pondered for a moment. One billion dors was no small amount, but it was not a big deal for


    him. But should he tell Irene about it?


    When Steven saw that Edric did not speak, he thought Edric would not agree to this matter. He began


    to panic inwardly. "I won''t let you pay for nothing. You can give me an IOU. I have a few heirloom


    paintings with me. I''ll mortgage them to you first."


    Then, Steven opened the box he carried with him and showed it to Edric. "These are the ancient


    paintings my ancestors have passed on through generations. It was estimated to be worth more than


    100 million dors more than a decade ago."


    Edric was stunned. Steven''s family didn''t seem to be an aristocratic family. How could there be a


    collection of ancient paintings worth more than 100 million dors? He picked up one casually and


    opened it.


    "They''re not counterfeit. Don''t worry. They''re genuine ancient paintings." Steven thought Edric didn''t


    believe it and exined immediately, "I''ve kept these paintings for more than twenty years. If it hadn''t


    something bad happened, I wouldn''t have taken it out."


    It was rare to see Steven in such a panic. It seemed that he was really anxious this time. Edric smiled


    lightly and said, "Okay. I''ll go back and collect the money for you."


    Steven was not sure if Edric''s words were valid. However, he was in an imminent crisis now. He would


    do anything as long as the loophole was filled. Although these paintings were Steven''s lifeblood, they


    were nothingpared to his future. Besides, these paintings would be passed to Irene after his


    passing anyway. It was the same to pass them to Edric now. "You''d better take these paintings back. I''ll


    give you an IOU again," Steven said.


    "No need," Edric refused. He helped Steven just because of Irene. If Steven weren''t Irene''s father, he


    would not have cared about it. Since he had helped Steven, he certainly did not want any mortgage or


    IOU.


    "Don''t tell Irene about it. I will lose face if she knows about it." Steven insisted on giving him an IOU


    and reminded Edric, "Irene has been an obstinate person since she was a child. I don''t want her to


    misunderstand me."


    Steven was a typical person who did something terrible yet still wanted to maintain a good reputation.


    Edric knew better how brazen Steven was. "Forget it. Mr. Cook, I''ll take it as your wedding gift for Irene.


    As for the IOU, you don''t have to give me that. I''ll ask the finance department to transfer the money to


    you."


    Hearing Edric''s words, Steven heaved a sigh of relief. After that, he gave his ount number to Edric.


    After Edric received the ount number, he mentioned the marriage between Edric and Irene very


    enthusiastically, "When are you and Irene going to register your marriage?"


    "I can go at any time as long as Irene agrees," Edric answered.


    "You''d better go get it done as soon as possible. It''s not a good thing to keep dragging it." Steven,


    whose problem was solved, regained his usual calm and asked, "Why don''t you take Irene home for


    dinner tonight, and I''ll do the talking with her?"


    Steven took the initiative to show his appreciation to Edric, but Edric was not grateful. Even a fool could


    see that Irene hated Steven. If he asked Steven to help him at this time, it would be counterproductive.


    "It''s okay, I''ll tell her myself," Edric refused.


    After chatting for a while, they parted. Edric returned to thepany and ordered the finance


    department to transfer the money to Steven''s ount. After hearing him finish the call, John couldn''t


    help reminding him, "Mr. Myers, don''t you want to inform Miss Nelson about this?"


    "Irene hates this kind of thing the most. If I tell her, she will change her attitude towards Steven. Let''s


    leave this matter aside and talk about itter," Edric responded.


    While they were talking, someone knocked on the door. Rowane came in and said, "Mr. Myers, I have


    something to tell you."


    Hearing that, John then left the room sensibly. However, Edric signaled him not to go and uttered,


    "John is no outsider. If you have anything to say, just say it."


    "Here''s the thing. I received an admission notice from a foreign university and have the thought of


    pursuing my studies abroad, so..." Rowane was a little nervous. She did not receive any eptance


    notice from any foreign university, but Marie hired an agent to send her abroad. She was afraid that


    Edric would ask her in detail again.


    "Do you want to resign and further study abroad?" Edric understood what she meant. "This is a good


    thing. I support your decision. You can alwayse to me if you need anything. I will try my best to


    satisfy your requests."


    Rowane smiled and shook her head. "Thank you, Mr. Myers. I don''t need anything else."

 Chapter 144 Painting

    Chapter 144 Painting


    Although Edric was surprised at Rowane''s resignation to study abroad, he did not stop her. He readily


    agreed to Rowane''s resignation and ordered the finance department to pay her more than a few


    months'' sries.


    When he returned to the Chandelle Valley in the evening, Irene was on a phone call with Eden. Eden


    said that he missed her and asked her when she would visit him. Irene answered him that she would


    visit him in a few days'' time.


    Seeing Edrice back, Irene hung up the phone hurriedly. Edric went forward and pulled her to sit on


    the sofa, saying, "Irene, Mr. Cook has met me today."


    "Why did he want to meet you?" Irene asked. Her intuition told her that there was nothing good going


    on that Steven went to meet Edric.


    "Mr. Cook gave me this," Edric answered as he opened the paintings that Steven had just given him


    and showed them to Irene.


    Irene opened the painting, took a nce at it, and then put it down. She didn''t know much about


    paintings, but she guessed that it should be the ancient paintings worth more than a hundred million


    dors, which Steven had mentioned before. "Why did he give it to you?" Irene asked.


    "He said it''s a wedding gift for us," Edric replied. He didn''t intend to ask for anything from Steven, but


    when he saw Steven insist on giving him an IOU, he remembered that Irene would own these paintings


    after Steven passed anyway. Hence, Edric proposed to receive them as wedding gifts and brought


    them back to Irene.


    Irene didn''t expect that Steven would give the ancient paintings to Edric as their wedding gift. One of


    the reasons she came back and admitted Steven as her father was for these paintings. Steven had


    refused her many times before but he was so generous now. It was bizarre. After pondering for a while,


    Edric reached out his hand to hold her hand. "Irene, let''s get married!"


    "Get married?" Irene parroted. Although Edric had mentioned getting married several times, it was the


    first time for him to mention it in this way. She was a little surprised.


    "Yes, let''s get married." Edric looked at her eyes with deep affection, confessing, "Irene, I have been


    thinking about it for a long time, but I dare not mention it to you. I know that I once hurt you very deeply,


    so I know I''m not in the ce to mention this matter. However, I really want to take care of you and


    your child. Irene, marry me please!"


    "Edric, getting married is not just a matter of two people. Do you understand?"


    "I understand. I will deal with Margaret. Don''t worry about it. History won''t repeat itself," Edric assured.


    "Not only Margaret, but I also have a child¡ª"


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Edric interjected, "Don''t worry. I adore Eden very much. I will treat him like my own child."


    Irene fell silent. Eden was Edric''s child anyway. She was not worried that Edric would do harm to Eden.


    What mattered now was not the problem about Eden but if Edric was worth believing or not.


    Thinking of Rowaneing to argue with her in great confidence earlier in the day, Irene felt a slight


    chill. In the past, she clearly knew that Lily was eyeing Edric. However, Irene did not take any


    precautionary measures against Lily, which led to the incident that happened after that. She could not


    ept the history to rey in her life.


    Back then, she was already exhausted from dealing with Lily alone. But now, Edric was no longer the


    young and inexperienced Edric of the past. He was a business tycoon now, and there was more than a


    single woman who coveted him. Irene would never put herself in that awkward situation again.


    In addition to the women around Edric, he also had a mother who was challenging to deal with. These


    were the facts that were ced in front of her and Edric. However, Edric was Eden''s biological father.


    Giving Eden aplete family had always been her dream. Irene was really in a dilemma. Seeing that


    Edric was still waiting for her answer, she said, "You''d better think about this matter again!"


    "I''ve already thought it through. Irene, please marry me!" Edric begged. "I won''t let you down anymore!"


    Irene did not believe in the so-called guarantee of his at all, but Kinsey had told her that it was not


    about Eden now. If she could sessfully get pregnant, she would have two children of Edric.


    It was impossible for her to be single for the rest of her life. She had to get married and find a father for


    the child, or children. Undoubtedly, Edric was the most suitable candidate. Perhaps, she could have a


    try with him. After all, he was not that wicked. She nodded after a moment of silence.


    Edric was on cloud nine. He carried her in his arms and spun her in the room. When she promised


    Edric''s proposal a few years ago, he held her in his arms and spun in the room like this too.


    Reminiscing the past, Irene felt dejected. She only hoped that the oue this time would be different


    from the past.


    Since the engagement with Jordan, Joanne came to talk with Lydia every day to relieve her boredom.


    At first, Lydia was very friendly, butter, she changed her attitude gradually.


    She was not as intimate as she used to be but a little alienated. Joanne thought about it over and over


    again but could not wrap her head around it. What had she done wrong? But why did Lydia change her


    attitude all of a sudden?


    On this day, she visited Lydia with gifts again. Lydia sighed and said, "Joanne, you don''t have toe


    here to apany me anymore in the future."


    "Mrs. Reed, what happened? Do you dislike me?" Joanne asked.


    "No, you are such a good and sensible girl. How would I dislike you? It''s just that you are so young that


    you should hang out with a girl of your age. There is no need for you to spend time with an old woman


    like me all day," Lydia answered.


    "Mrs. Reed, I''m relieved to know that you don''t dislike me." Joanne heaved a sigh of relief. "Mrs. Reed,


    you don''t seem to be very happy these days. Anything happened?" she questioned.


    "Nothing happened. I''m just a little upset," Lydia replied.


    "I see. Why don''t you tell me what you''re upset about? It''s often said that you''ll feel better once you


    speak out about the things that are bothering you. Tell me, and you''ll feel better."


    Lydia looked at Joanne''s beautiful face and sighed. Her worries were all because of her son, Jordan.


    After hearing what Jordan said when he came back that day, she had always felt uneasy. Her life was


    already miserable. Joanne was so young. Did Joanne have to follow in her footsteps?


    Her heart had been aching these days because of this matter. Especially when Joanne came to visit


    her every day, which made her even more upset. She wanted to keep Joanne by her side as she really


    liked Joanne. But now, Lydia found that she was wrong, and she might hurt Joanne if she did so.


    "Joanne, you''ve made a three-year agreement with Jordan, have you?"


    "Mrs. Reeds, do you know that too?" Joanne was shocked.


    "I''m sorry. I''m the one who puts you in this," Lydia apologized.


    "Why do you say so?" Joanne was surprised.


    "Jordan has the same personality and temper as his father. Do you understand?" Lydia smiled bitterly.


    "He won''t give up even if he dies for someone he loves. He hasn''t forgotten Irene at all. It''s unfair to


    you. You''re still young, and it''s the best time for you to choose a suitable life partner. Keep your options


    open."


    What she meant was to let Joanne give up Jordan. It had taken Joanne a lot of effort to earn a rightful


    position beside Jordan, so how could she take Lydia''s advice? "Mrs. Reed, I love Jordan and am willing


    to stay with him for the rest of my life. Even if he doesn''t love me, I''m willing to do so," Joanne refused.


    "Joanne, you don''t understand what I mean. I''m just worried that my current life will be a portrayal of


    your future. Do you understand?"


    Joanne did not. She was so beautiful and had so many tricks up her sleeve. She believed that Jordan


    would be able to fall in love with her for the rest of his life.


    Lydia had no choice but to make it clear, "I loved Ma as much as you did. I loved him so much that


    I would not marry anyone except him. At that time, I also thought that it didn''t matter if he didn''t love


    me. It''s more than enough as long as I love him. I would definitely melt him with my love and let him fall


    in love with me slowly. But what happened in the end?"


    Lydia''s face was stered with bitterness. "Even if I marry him and give birth to Jordan for him, he did


    not favor me at all. I have spent so many years of my youth on him since I married him in my twenties.


    What do you think I gained? I''m still all alone, just like a nun. Joanne, are you willing to live a life like


    this?" Lydia asked.


    Needless to say, Joanne did not want to live such a life, but she was not scared off. She knew


    something about Ma and Lydia. Lydia was too weak and kind, while Joanne''s weakness and


    kindness were just a facade.


    Ma had a good reputation before they married. However, Jordan was different. He was a famous


    yboy and had slept with countless women. She did not believe that Jordan could restrain himself


    and not fall for her.


    Most importantly, Joanne was convinced that Lydia didn''t seize the chance. After she married Ma,


    Ma had stayed with her for a few years. It was Lydia who was not capable enough to keep her


    man.


    Joanne and Lydia were not at the same level at all. If she was given a chance to let Jordan get along


    with her all day and night, she must have a way to make him fall in love with her.


    She did not even mind if he only fell in love with her body!


    Seeing her obsession, Lydia sighed and gave up persuading Joanne. She really couldn''t tell the thing


    that happened between her and Ma.


    Since she married Ma until now, Ma had only slept with her once, and that urred before


    marriage. Later, although they got married and lived together in awful way, they slept in different


    rooms; she had been living as a grass widow for so many years. The sorrow and grief in her heart


    couldn''t be exined to outsiders by words.


    After Joanne prattled with Lydia for a while, she left and went home. Since she had framed Irene,


    Britney didn''t think of the world of her as much as before; she always looked at Joanne with vignce.


    It was not a small matter for Joanne that her image, which she had tried hard to maintain in the past


    few years, was destroyed in an instant. Fortunately, Britney was kind enough to protect Joanne and did


    not tell Nathan about this matter. Nathan still treated her as before.


    Although Britney had retired from the working field, she held one-third of the shares of the White Group


    in her hand. Therefore, there was still no one who dared to oppose her in the White family. Joanne


    knew that Britney would not treat her like before, but she couldn''t just turn her back on Britney, for


    Britney was her big support. Her father was not the most outstanding person in the White Family. If it


    wasn''t for Britney and Nathan, she would have been iced out.


    Although Britney didn''t like her now, Britney never showed it to others. Hence, Joanne was still


    Britney''s most favorite granddaughter in other people''s eyes. In order to maintain this illusion, she had


    to walk around in front of Britney even if Britney didn''t like her.


    Joanne purposedly went to buy Britney''s favorite snacks. When she arrived at the White family, she


    saw Nathan''s car parked at the entrance. When Joanne entered the living room, Britney''s servant saw


    her and greeted her, "Mr. Nathan is here. He''s talking to Madam Britney in the study room."


    The implication was that she should not disturb them. Joanne was not perturbed at all. She smiled and


    responded, "Don''t worry, I won''t disturb them."


    Embarrassed at Joanne''s undisguised reply, the servants excused themselves. Joanne put the snacks


    she brought into a te and carried them to the study room.

 Chapter 145 Secret

    Chapter 145 Secret


    In the study, Britney and Nathan were talking about Irene, "Irene has been gone for a long time. Is


    there any news about her?"


    Nathan chuckled and answered, "Grandma, why do you care about Irene suddenly? I''m really not used


    to it."


    "I''m just being honest. Previously, I treated her so badly, but Irene actually took the initiative to save me


    without even a hint of hesitation. It''s hard to find such a person in this era. It was all my fault back


    then." Britney said emotionally, "If it weren''t for me, you two wouldn''t have be like this. Irene


    wouldn''t have been in such misery!"


    "Grandma, don''t me yourself. Irene and I have never med you. We all understand that you have


    your standpoint," Nathanforted her.


    "Haven''t you been busy with thepany''s affairs recently? Free some time to meet Irene!" Britney


    added, "Don''t worry about Eden. Leave him to me. I promise I will take good care of him."


    "We''ll talk about it again," Nathan responded.


    "Why do I find that you are not as passionate as in the past? You used to find a way to meet her when I


    tried hard to stop you. Now that I''ve given you an opportunity, but you are no longer that enthusiastic.


    What happened?" Britney asked.


    "Irene has got stuff to do now. I don''t want to distract her," Nathan answered.


    Speaking of this, Britney felt more and more strange. A child falling sick was the biggest matter for a


    mother. She wondered why Irene left her ill son, Eden, and went back to San Fetillo? "Is there anything


    more important than Eden''s illness?" Britney asked.


    "The reason she went back is right because of Eden," Nathan remarked.


    "Is it because of money?" Britney asked tentatively, "We can afford Eden''s treatment fee for her, can''t


    we?"


    "It''s not entirely because of money. Money is only one of the aspects. Irene is an independent woman.


    She won''t ept others'' help easily unless it''s absolutely necessary," Nathan responded.


    "I appreciate her character very much, but she can''t be too stubborn. She should be more flexible."


    "It''s not her fault. When she married Edric, it was a great blow to her when she was forced to divorce


    him and leave him with no alimony. For Irene, what''s rightfully hers is the one that she earns herself.


    Other people''s belongings have nothing to do with her."


    "Edric Myers is really ruthless!" Britney sighed. "You said money is only one of the aspects, so what''s


    the other aspect?"


    "I can''t say that." Nathan shook his head.


    "Not even me, Nathan?" Britney was slightly displeased. "Could it be you''re still afraid that I will hurt


    Irene?"


    "Grandma, I know you won''t harm her, but this matter involves her privacy. Irene doesn''t want too many


    people to know about it." Nathan didn''t want to tell Britney the truth. "Anyway, Irene went back to the


    country for Eden''s illness. You will know it in the future."


    "Privacy? And it''s even rted to Eden''s illness?" Hearing this, Britney became all the more curious.


    During this time, she often went to the hospital to visit Eden. Britney had heard Eden''s attending doctor


    say before that Eden''s illness was more effective by using the treatment of cord blood transntation.


    Quick-witted enough, Britney realized something instantly, but she was not sure. "Therefore, the reason


    Irene went back is to find Eden''s biological father? Does this mean that his biological father is Edric?"


    Nathan nodded.


    It was impossible for Irene to remarry another man right after experiencing such an incident. She had


    been married to Edric for so many years and did not get conceived. Even if she got remarried, she


    wouldn''t be conceived immediately. Britney''s countenance changed. Her voice raised at once,


    astonished. She asked, "Eden''s biological father is Edric?!"


    Joanne walked over with the te of snacks in her hands. Just as she was about to knock on the door,


    she heard Britney''s voice ringing out from inside. Her hand that was on the doorknob stopped instantly.


    "Grandma, keep your voice down!" Nathan shook his head. He couldn''t help praising Britney inwardly


    that she could figure it out instantly. "Don''t tell anyone about it."


    "I won''t. It''s just that since the child is Edric''s, why didn''t Irene tell him the truth? No one will hurt their


    own children. No matter how evil Edric is, he won''t be so cold-blooded and not save his son, will he?"


    "Before Edric''s engagement, Irene called Edric and asked him to cancel the engagement with Lily, but


    he refused cruelly." Nathan sighed, "It''s Irene''s ill fate to meet such a cold-blooded and ruthless man."


    Furious, Britney criticized, "It''s really rare to see such a vicious man like Edric. Irene was really blind at


    that time." Thinking that she was most of the reason why Irene married Edric, she med herself in her


    heart. "It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for me, she wouldn''t have be this. I''m a sinner! My dear


    Nathan, I won''t stop you and Irene from being together again in the future!"


    "Grandma, it''s all over. Time for me, and you too, to look forward. It''s not toote now!" Nathan


    "That''s true. There are just too many setbacks that appear for you two. No matter how you two are


    well-fated, though!" Britney was emotional and told Nathan, "If everything goes smoothly on Irene''s


    side, you can hold a wedding with her immediately as long as she agrees to it!"


    Joanne did not expect to hear such explosive news. She was shocked and did not dare to stay any


    longer. She turned around quickly and left.


    Steven was in a good mood as he had taken a load off his mind. When he returned home at night, he


    wore a rare smile on his face. Seeing that he was so happy, Deborah asked tentatively, "Did something


    happy happen today?"


    Steven nodded. "Irene and Edric are about to get married again."


    Deborah also smiled. "It''s really a good thing. Have they set the date?"


    "It will be in a few days." Steven was not sure either.


    "We''ve made her suffer so much when thest time she married Edric. This time, we must prepare a


    great gift for Irene," Deborah suggested. She was as excited as if it was Lily who was getting married.


    Steven was stunned by Deborah''s reaction. Deborah should not be too delighted, should she? After all,


    Edric had almost be her son-inw. He looked at Deborah and asked, "Are you not unhappy at


    all?"


    "No, why should I? Irene and Edric are a couple in the first ce. I used to ask Lily to break them apart


    because Lily was pregnant with his child. Now that they can get back together, I feel genuinely happy


    for them," Deborah answered.


    "But Lily certainly wouldn''t think so. After all, she truly loved Edric." Steven sighed. "You have to


    apany Lily andfort her more. If she feels really sad, you can take her on a trip and have some


    alone time."


    Steven had rarely cared about Lily like this. Although Deborah yed along with him on the outside,


    she felt a little strange from the inside. Did the pigs fly? Something must have happened that Steven


    changed all of a sudden.


    Deborah told Marie about Irene and Edric''s uing wedding. After that, Marie went to Margaret and


    told her about Edric remarrying Irene.


    Margaret was very anxious. After she failed to plot against Edricst time, Edric never came to her


    again, for they were now not in a good term. Not only did he disappear, but he didn''t even give her a


    call. He did not answer her phone, even if she called him on her own initiative. She was troubled and


    frustrated. If Irene, a jinx, really married Edric again, Margaret reckoned that she would surely live a


    miserable life.


    She couldn''t let Edric and Irene get married again. Thus, she had to find a way to stop them as soon as


    possible. Marie told her not to be impatient and said that she would go to talk to Rowane. Edric would


    guard against them, but not Rowane. Therefore, they could give Rowane some money and ask for her


    help. Margaret thought it over and over again, but she couldn''t think of any better way else, so she


    agreed.


    The next day, Irene told Thomas about Edric''s proposal. Thomas fell silent for a long time and said,


    "Irene, I don''t support you to get back together with Edric!"


    Thomas never cared about her personal affairs. In the past, he always supported her no matter what


    she did. The sudden opposition this time surprised Irene. "Why?" Irene asked.


    "Did you get back together with Edric because of love or Eden?" Thomas asked.


    "Because of Eden." Irene replied, "Eden will be much better to be with his biological father."


    "If it was only because of Eden that you get back together with Edric, I don''t think it is necessary at all.


    Jordan and Nathan will treat Eden very well too. They are not worse than Edric, so you don''t have to


    "Uncle Thomas, I know that Nathan and Jordan treat me well, but Jordan is engaged now. Nathan is


    such a kind person too, and I don''t want to be his burden."


    "Irene, you''re not a burden. For those who love you, it''s the happiest thing for them to take care of you.


    I hope you can consider carefully about your rtionship with Edric. Edric not only has bad records in


    the way he treats you, but he also has an unreasonable mother. With his mother, you and he will


    always be in an awkward position. I don''t want to see youpromise yourself for them again like


    what you did in the past when you were with Edric. Therefore, I don''t support you to get back together


    with him," Thomas exined.


    Irene and Thomas were worried about the same matters. She left Thomas'' ce in a gloomy mood. On


    the way back, she received a phone call from Edric, saying that he would go homete that night. He


    asked her not to wait for him and have her meal alone.


    Since Edric was noting back, Irene nned to have her dinner outside. She remembered that she


    hadn''t eaten Mexican food for a long time. Right then, Jordan called her unexpectedly and invited her


    to have dinner with him that night.


    She hadn''t seen Jordan for a long time. Thus, she didn''t refuse.


    Since it was Jordan''s treat, he would definitely not take her to some random restaurants. He took Irene


    to the Rotate Pce, which was a famous restaurant in San Fetillo. It had 360-degree panoramic


    French windows where one could overlook the cityscape while the restaurant rotated on its axis slowly.


    The view was especially scenic at night.


    Not only could they enjoy the delicious food, but also enjoy the beautiful night view of San Fetillo.


    Irene had long heard about the name of Rotate Pce. Not only the environment there was great, but


    the taste of the dishes was also unique. Needless to say, the cost was cut-throat too. If Jordan hadn''t


    brought her here, she wouldn''t have dared toe here.


    Sitting in the rotating restaurant, enjoying delicious food, and looking at the brightly lit city outside were


    indeed a kind of enjoyment. However, Irene reckoned that Jordan did not just invite her to dinner. Since


    he had not shown up for such a long time, he must have something to say to her.


    On that day, Thomas called Jordan and told him that Irene wanted to get back together with Edric. He


    requested Jordan to think of a way to stop her. Hence, Jordan came to meet her up.


    Jordan was distraught when he heard that Irene was going to be back together with Edric. After


    pondering for a while, he finally said, "Today, I heard Uncle Thomas say that you are going to get back


    together with Edric. Is it true?"


    Irene felt a little embarrassed and thought, "What''s wrong with Uncle Thomas? Why does he go


    gossiping like those older women? I just went back to discuss it with him in the afternoon, but he told


    Jordan immediately." She disguised herself by taking a sip of water. "I''m still considering," she


    answered.


    "If it''s just for Eden''s sake, I think it''s not necessarily for you to get back together with him. Let''s not talk


    about whether Edric truly loves you or not. Margaret is a problem herself. She is already so hard to


    deal with even before you guys get back together. As for what will happen in the future, it''s imaginable,"


    Jordan persuaded.


    What Jordan said was the same as Thomas. "You are one survivor under Margaret''s despotic power. I


    think you should know exactly what you will face if you and Edric get back together. For Eden''s and


    your happiness, I think you should think about it carefully," Jordan analyzed.


    "I surely will," Irene responded.


    "Irene, there are many good men out there. For example, Nathan and I are the best candidates you


    can ever find. Even if you have to choose with your eyes shut, you shouldn''t choose Edric, should


    you?" Jordan asked.


    Looking at how he rmended himself, Ireneughed. "Alright, alright. The one who already has a


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    girlfriend, please stand aside!"


    Her words made Jordan''s gaze lose their sparkles at once. He and Irene could have been together. But


    the goddess of fate tricked them, and they ended up bing passersby in each other''s life.


    Now, he was engaged to Joanne. Although he didn''t love Joanne, he was a man of his words. He and


    Joanne made the three-year agreement. If Joanne could persevere, he would marry her. He couldn''t go


    back on his word.


    "I''m just giving an example. Even if you don''t want me, Nathan is always a better choice than Edric,


    no? Eden likes Nathan so much. You should think about Nathan for Eden''s sake!" Jordan said.


    As he spoke, a familiar voice rang out, "Our seat is over there!"


    Irene looked up and saw a pair of familiar figures appear before her eyes. It turned out that Edric was


    busy that night because he had to apany Rowane to have dinner here. Irene sneered.


    If Jordan hadn''t invited her here for dinner, how could she witness such a good show with her own


    eyes? Thinking of Edric''s gentleness and caring for her during this period of time, as well as his


    proposal the previous night, Irene''s simper became even more obvious.


    "What a coincidence! Fortunately, I didn''t believe him!" Irene thought.

 Chapter 146 Check-up

    Chapter 146 Check-up


    Jordan followed Irene''s gaze to look over and saw Edric and Rowane too. A sneer appeared at the


    corner of his mouth. "Edric was trying to own more than one woman, wasn''t he? He wanted to get back


    with Irene while he was still enamored of his little lover!


    However, Edric must have not expected that they would bump into each other this evening. What a


    coincidence! Jordan took a nce at Irene and found that Irene''s countenance fell in an instant.


    She put down the fork and spoon in her hand and said, "I''m full!"


    "I''m full too. Let''s go!" Jordan left with Irene thoughtfully. Along the way, Irene kept a gloomy face.


    Although she was silent, Jordan knew that she had already made up her mind about Edric. Jordan


    estimated that it would be curtains for Edric this time.


    Rowane said that she would leave the day after the next day. Hence, she invited Edric out for dinner to


    express her gratitude for his care over the years. The most crucial reason for Edric to ept Rowane


    into hispany was that her life story had a resemnce with Irene''s. Not only her background but


    also her appearance was somewhat simr to Irene''s. In the past days, when he was all alone and lost,


    Rowane was his source offorts.


    Rowane was a decent girl. She was very sensible and had never caused him any trouble. Now that she


    was going to study abroad, he would definitely not stop her.


    Rowane had never drunk before; she imed that she was allergic to alcohol. However, she took the


    initiative to ask for wine on that day. She poured a ss of wine and said, "Edric, cheers!"


    Edric picked up his ss and replied, "Have a safe trip!"


    After drinking a ss of wine, Rowane poured another ss of wine for him, saying, "Edric, I know you


    have gastritis, so I won''t ask you to drink more. You just have to drink three sses of wine today."


    Edric nodded. "Okay, three sses it is!"


    Rowane picked up her ss again. "Edric, it''s all because of you that I, Rowane Wood, have such an


    achievement today. You are the benefactor in my life. I have nothing to repay you. In the next life, I will


    do anything for you to return your kindness!"


    "Why do you say that all of a sudden?" Edric was stunned.


    "I''m just happy and excited," Rowane answered as she poured another ss of wine for Edric again.


    They clinked their drinks, and she continued, "I wish you a blissful life, Edric."


    "I love to hear that." Edric smiled and drank it up. "I''ll marry Irene soon, and I''ll definitely live a happy


    life in the future."


    Rowane poured the third ss of wine for him again. "I''m a young and ignorant girl at times. If I have


    offended you in any way, please do forgive me!"


    Edric drank the third ss of wine readily. They realized that the night was still early after they had


    dinner. Edric certainly couldn''t drive after drinking. Hence, he hired a designated driver. Edric ordered


    the driver to send Rowane home first before sending him home. However, he didn''t expect to see Lily


    on the way.


    Lily''s car had broken down and she was standing at the roadside anxiously. Edric didn''t want to bother


    her initially, but Rowane reminded him, "Edric, isn''t that Miss Cook? She seems to be in trouble, isn''t


    she? Let''s go and have a look."


    Hearing that, Edric could no longer pretend that he didn''t see Lily. Hence, he asked the driver to stop


    the car. "What happened?" Edric asked Lily.


    "Edric, my car is broken," Lily replied pitifully.


    "Have you called the workshop?" Edric asked again.


    "Yes," Lily responded. While they were speaking, someone came to tow the car. Rowane invited Lily to


    get in the vehicle enthusiastically, "Miss Cook, get in the car. It''s cold out there!"


    "Is that okay?" Lily looked at Edric, her eyes twinkling.


    Edric frowned. Knowing that the driver and Rowane were in the car waiting for him, he nodded and


    said, "Come on up!"


    When Lily got in the car, Rowane suggested, "My apartment is near to here. Edric, why don''t you send


    me back first and then send Miss Cook back?"


    Edric nodded. He didn''t drink much, but he did feel a little dizzy. Therefore, he closed his eyes to rest in


    the back seat and fell asleep unconsciously.


    Seeing that Edric was asleep, Rowane and Lily sent Edric back to the Myers family together. Margaret


    and Marie had been waiting impatiently for a long time. When they saw theming, both Margaret


    and Marie immediately helped Edric upstairs joyfully.


    At this point, Rowane had finished her task. She got up and left their house. Meanwhile, Margaret and


    Marie signaled Lily to enter Edric''s room. "Seize this opportunity and try to get pregnant!"


    Closing the door, Lily revealed a smirk on her face. She was on her menses that night, and Edric was


    unconscious, so how could she getid?


    She came here that night to pretend that she had a one-night stand with him so Margaret would believe


    herter on when she imed that she was pregnant.


    Marie told her before that the sperm provided by Edric in the past had been well-preserved in the bank.


    After that night, Marie would take her to have in-vitro fertilization with his frozen sperm. As long as Lily


    managed to get pregnant and Margaret backed her up, Edric would be hers forever.


    In the past, Lily only pretended to be gentle to gain Edric''s good side. But now, she had already


    understood that she did not want to be just Edric''s essory. She had to live for herself. Her mother,


    Deborah, was right. If a person had no self-esteem, they would never seed. Therefore, she was


    going to make a call for herself.


    Jordan sent Irene back to the Chandelle Valley and left. Irene was in a bad mood; she felt dispirited in


    doing everything. Irene watched TV for a while in the living room. But after nearly an hour, Edric was


    still not back home yet. Then, she went upstairs to take a bath. When she came out of the bathroom,


    she heard the phone ringing. Kinseyined, "It''s tough to reach you."


    "I was taking a shower just now," Irene replied.


    "Guess who I saw on the road just now? Edric and Rowane..."


    "I saw them in the Rotate Pce," Irene interrupted her.


    "No, I am not done yet. In addition to Rowane, Lily was there as well. What do you think Edric is doing?


    Be careful and don''t believe his words so naively," Kinsey advised.


    "I know," Irene responded, sighing.


    "By the way, you have been with Edric for some time. Is there any news?" Kinsey asked again.


    "I''m going to the hospital for a check-up in a few days."


    After hanging up the phone, Irene fell into a trance for a while. Why did Edric get Rowane and Lily


    together? She couldn''t understand Edric at all. Rubbing her forehead, she decided to forget it. No


    matter what Edric did, it has nothing to do with her. She didn''t have to worry about it. After she went to


    the hospital for a check-up in a few days, she''d slip away if she was pregnant with Edric''s child.


    Well anyway, she still couldn''t fall asleep that night. Seeing that Edric hadn''te back after


    midnight, she decided to give him a call. However, the person who answered the phone was Margaret.


    She asked in a taunting manner, "Edric is sleeping upstairs. Why do you call him?"


    Irene was stunned. Wasn''t Edric with Rowane and Lily? Why did he go home again? Margaret rebuked


    Irene harshly at the end of the phone, "Irene, I always believe that you''re one decent girl, but why do


    you have to do such a shameless thing? Don''t you think about getting married to Edric again! I''ll never


    agree!"


    Knowing that Margaret wouldn''t say something nice to her, Irene hung up the phone without waiting for


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Margaret to finish her line. There was no reason for her to listen to Margaret cursing at her. Hearing the


    beeping voice from the phone, Margaret muttered, "She''s still so rude. I really don''t know why Edric


    takes fancy to her."


    It was already noon of the next day when Edric opened his eyes. When he saw the familiar decorations


    in the room, he was shocked. How could he be lying on the bed at home? At this time, someone


    knocked on the door. Margaret came in with a bowl of soup, saying, "Edric, I made you a bowl of soup.


    Have a try."


    "Why am I here?" Edric looked at her in surprise.


    "Don''t you remember? Lily sent you back," Margaret answered but didn''t mention what happened the


    previous night. Lily left Edric''s room in the middle of the night. Marie said it was still uncertain whether


    Lily could be pregnant or not. Therefore, she told Margaret to keep quiet and not tell Edric what


    happened lest she ruin the n.


    There was a scent of Chanel''s perfume in the room. Edric rubbed his forehead and sat up. To his


    surprise, he found that he was naked. "Who took off my clothes?" he asked.


    "It''s me who took off your clothes. I''m afraid that you can''t sleep well with your clothes on," Margaret


    exined.


    Didn''t he just drink a few sses of wine? How could he be so drunk? Edric felt that there was


    something wrong here. Seeing Margaret still standing by the bed with soup in her hand, Edric got a


    little impatient. "Mom, can you go out?"


    "I''ll go after you drink the soup." Margaret gave him a warm smile.


    "I don''t dare to drink your soup!" Edric let out a sneer. "You''d better go out."


    "You are such a brat," Margaret muttered and turned to leave. Edric hurried to get up and put his


    clothes on. Then, he reached out to get his phone, but he found that his phone was not with him. He


    opened the door and yelled at Margaret, "Mom, where is my phone?"


    "It''s here." Margaret pointed to the tea table in the living room.


    Edric hurried downstairs to pick his phone. When he saw Irene''s call, his countenance changed. "Did


    you pick up Irene''s call?" he questioned.


    "Yes," Margaret answered.


    "What did you say to Irene?"


    "Nothing. I just said that you''re sleeping and tell her not to disturb you." Margaret shrugged her


    shoulders.


    How would Edric believe it? He knew Margaret very well. She would not give up this opportunity to


    humiliate Irene! He had to ask Irene about the situation immediately. While driving, Edric called Irene


    but she was on the line. He made another phone call to Rowane and asked, "What happenedst


    night? How did I get sent home by Lily?"


    Rowane decided to y dumb. "I don''t know. The designated driver sent me home first," she


    answered.


    Edric felt that things were not as simple. He did not suspect that Rowane was lying to him for sure.


    Instead, he found Lily rather suspicious. He called John again, ordering, "Keep an eye on Lily and see


    what she is doing recently."


    Edric didn''te back home the previous night. Irene surely felt uneasy. Kinsey''s phone call reminded


    her that she and Edric had been together for more than half a month. She should be able to find out if


    she was pregnant; it should be able to be detected once she was conceived for more than ten days. At


    the thought of it, she went to the pharmacy outside to buy the test kit right away.


    She couldn''t sleep well after tossing and turning that night. There were two things on her mind; firstly, it


    was about the pregnancy test, and secondly, it was about Edric. When it was just dawn, Irene got up


    and took out a test kit to test it. For the fear of inuracy, she took out a few more test kits to test it all


    at once.


    A few minutester, two red lines appeared on all the few test kits. She was pregnant!


    Irene stared at the red line in shock. The unexpected surprise made herpletely unable to believe it.


    She got pregnant only after she had been married to Edric for five years, but now she got pregnant just


    in a month''s time. No matter how she thought about it, she found it rather incredulous.


    She rubbed her eyes again. It was no mistake. All the test kits showed two red lines. Irene bent down


    instantly and covered her face with her hands, crying. These were tears of joy. Eden was saved!


    Almost instinctively, she grabbed the phone and wanted to call Nathan, but she stopped when she was


    ready to dial his number. She was still worried that the test kits were inurate. She had to ensure that


    everything would go perfectly well.


    Irene decided to go to the hospital to get a proper examination. She had her breakfast hastily and took


    a taxi to San Fetillo Hospital.


    She went too early and the hospital had not opened yet. Despite that, there were still many people


    waiting in the hall and lining up to register.


    Irene also lined up in the queue for registration. Soon, she got her waiting number. There was still


    some time before the work hours. Hence, she stood next to the hospital''s bulletin board and read the


    brochure to kill her boredom. Regardless, she still found the waiting time hard to pass.


    She looked at her watch every five minutes to soothe her anxiousness. Suddenly, she heard a familiar


    voice ring out from behind, saying, "Mom, we''re too early."

 Chapter 147 Pregnant

    Chapter 147 Pregnant


    "Isn''t that Lily''s voice?" Irene thought. She turned her head a little and saw Lily and Deborahe in


    through another door in sunsses.


    "We don''t have to line up if wee early," Deborah replied.


    "Come at night if you are afraid of lining up. Madam Walker is here anyway. Why do we have toe


    so early?" Lily replied with displeasure. She returned home at midnight, but Deborah still dragged her


    out to have a check-up early the next morning, hence disturbing her sweet slumber. Lily was irked.


    "Let''s have an examination first. It''s better to settle this matter sooner, idiot!" Deborah chided as she


    grabbed Lily''s hand and hurried upstairs. They were in a hurry that they did not see Irene, who was


    standing next to the bulletin board.


    Irene heard their conversation clearly. "Madam Walker? Marie is a specialist in this hospital. Are they


    referring to Marie?" she wondered.


    "Lily called her Madam Walker, as if they are close to each other. Is Marie an acquaintance of them?"


    Irene scratched her head.


    Seeing that it was almost her turn, Irene went upstairs too. The Gynecology and Obstetrics Department


    was on the second floor while the Infertility Department was on the third floor. Irene saw Deborah and


    Lily went up to the third floor.


    She went straight to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department on the second floor. When the doctor


    heard that she was going to have a blood test to check her pregnancy status, he gave her an invoice


    and asked her to proceed to the cashier to make payment. The physician in charge of blood testing


    then asked her toe over to get her results at noon.


    Seeing that it was still early, Irene went outside to wait for the results. She needed not to go far. There


    was a small garden between the hospital wards and the clinic. It was decorated with a fountain,


    flowers, and trees. The surroundings were beautiful and peaceful.


    Irene went to the garden and sat by the fountain. She scrolled through the news on her phone.


    This ce was really quiet. Irene watched the news for a while and suddenly heard a familiar voice.


    "Why do you pull a long face just now? What would Marie think? She is doing this for your own good,"


    Deborah said.


    Irene was hidden by a huge stone; she was able to see Lily and Deborah but they couldn''t see her.


    "I can''t be happy," Lily replied.


    "You have to be happy no matter how displeased you are. You''re lucky this time. You happened to be


    menstruating. So, we are able to do tests that can be done only when you are on menstruation. When


    your menstruation has ended, let''se back for another check-up," Deborah said.


    Lily was very impatient. "It''s so annoying. Haven''t I taken these examinations before? Why do I have to


    take the tests again this time?" she asked.


    "Silly girl, that was three years ago. We wouldn''t know yourtest fertility status if we don''t take the


    tests again," Deborahforted her. "It''s for your own good. Be patient, though it''s a little troublesome.


    We have to ensure that everything will go perfectly well."


    "I''m flustered when I see Marie''s face. Mom, can we change to another hospital? I don''t want to deal


    with her at all." Lily still looked rather unwilling.


    "No way, I only trust her with this. Anyone else might not be able to do it right," Deborah replied.


    "Why do you trust her so much? She is so cruel. She can even hurt her own niece. I''m afraid that she


    will do the same to me," Lily continued.


    "You''re not the same as her niece. Don''t worry. Even if she treats everyone with malice, she will always


    treat you with tender care," Deborah added. "Just be patient, remember to smile at her and pull an


    attitude,understand?"


    Lily promised Deborah unwillingly and they left. Irene was very surprised. Why did Lily and Deborah


    said that Marie was cruel enough to hurt her own niece. As far as Irene knew, Marie had no rtives.


    Who was her niece?


    Also, why did Lily have to do the examination during and after her menstrual period? Did Lily have any


    gynecological sickness?


    Edric said that he had agreed to get engaged to Lily because Marie said that Lily could not conceive.


    Could it be that Lily came to the hospital this time to treat her infertility?


    Multiple questions started to flood Irene''s mind and she could not make a single sense out of them.


    She sat in the garden for a long time and soon noon arrived. She stood up and went back to the


    hospital.


    Irene collected the test results and went to the clinic to see the doctor. The doctor looked at the results


    and told her, "Based on your test results, we can confirm that you''re in your early stage of pregnancy!"


    Irene was over cloud nine. After thanking the doctor, she rushed out of the hospital. At the hospital


    entrance, she couldn''t wait to call Nathan, "Nathan, I''m pregnant!"


    "Really?" Nathan''s voice changed a little when he heard her. He was, too,pletely surprised. "Thank


    God, we can finally stop worrying!"


    "Yes! Thank God for giving me some hope. Eden is saved!" Irene cried. She knew it wasn''t easy for her


    to reach this step.


    "Mom, when will you be back?" Eden interrupted from the other line.


    "I''ming back in a few days. My dear boy, I will be back by your side in no time!" Irene said as she


    made a kissing sound on the phone. Eden''s kissing could be heard from the other end of the line too.


    "Mom, hurry up ande back. I have a surprise for you!" Eden said.


    "What surprise?"


    "I can''t tell you now. I''ll tell you when you are back!" chuckled Eden.


    "You''re being so mysterious." Irene burst outughing.


    After the call ended, she found that she had received a few missed calls from Edric. He had had dinner


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    with Rowane After Dark before, and he finally remembered to call her.


    Irene ignored his call and waved her hand to hail the taxi to go back to Chandelle Valley.


    After hanging up the phone, Eden shook Nathan''s hand and said, "Nathan, I didn''t tell Mom about the


    surprise just now. You have to reward me!"


    Eden looked at Nathan with his charming eyes, which were like the brightest stars in the starry sky.


    Nathan tittered, picked Eden up, kissed him, and then circled him in an embrace around the house.


    Eden giggled. Hisughter surrounded the whole house. He was finally going to have a father! He was


    extremely excited since he had always wanted a father like Nathan. His dream was finally bing


    true; he was overjoyed.


    After more than three minutes or so, Nathan put Eden down, exhausted. Eden nestled in his arms and


    asked, "Nathan, you won''t change your mind, will you?"


    Nathan reached out to stroke Eden''s hair and said lovingly, "Don''t worry. When have I ever lie to you?"


    "Alright! Nathan, you''re the best!" Eden beamed so wide his eyes became a line.


    In Chandelle Valley.


    Irene arrived back in a taxi. When she entered the house, she began to pack up.


    Since she had expected that such a day woulde, she didn''t bring too many things. Therefore, it did


    not take long for her to pack up all her belongings. In less than ten minutes, she had cleared the house


    of her things.


    Looking at the packed luggage, her heart was blistering with joy. Yet, she felt kind of lost too. She


    looked around the house again, taking in the sight of the familiar decorations. She recalled what Edric


    had said to her here and couldn''t help falling into another daze.


    If he hadn''t lied to her the previous night... if he hade back the previous night... if it wasn''t for that


    phone call...


    Perhaps she would really be with Edric and tell him about Eden''s identity, and then...


    "That''s impossible¡­" She shook her head to clear her thoughts and patted her face. "Irene, wake up.


    Don''t be fooled or you will regret it."


    She reminded herself to not bring trouble to herself again. That man was not worthy of her trust


    anymore.


    Irene walked out of the house without second thoughts. The most important thing in her mind now was


    Eden.


    Irene soon reached the airport. She was lucky enough to buy a flight ticket at the counter. Sitting in the


    waiting hall, she took out her phone and called Kinsey, "I''m going back to Mencodia."


    "Are you pregnant?" Kinsey was stunned before a realization soon dawned on her. She sighed and


    asked, "Are you going to give up on him?"


    Subconsciously, Kinsey still hoped that Irene would stay, but her happiness...


    "I haven''t given up. I hadn''t had any hope for him to begin with since three years ago. If it wasn''t for


    Eden, I wouldn''t have..."


    Kinsey understood what she meant. "Well, then what about you and Nathan? He has been really nice


    to you for so many years."


    She was jealous of Irene sometimes. Besides Edric, Nathan alone was so sweet that Kinsey had


    wanted to throw herself into his embrace at times.


    Irene shook her head unconsciously. "I don''t deserve him."


    With this reply, she ended any possibility of her being with Nathan.


    After hanging up the phone, Irene fell into a trance. Below Kinsey''s number, it was Edric''s number. Her


    fingers hurt from exerting too much force as she pressed down on his contact.


    After a long while, she still made the decision to press the call button. "Hello?" She felt the dryness in


    her mouth, her voice as soft as a whisper.


    "Irene, what''s wrong?" Edric was a little excited that she took the initiative to call him.


    She remained silent for a long time on the line. Suddenly, he was consumed by an unspeakable fear.


    He had a gut-wrenching feeling that something was wrong. "Irene, say something?" Edric urged in a


    hurry.


    "I''m leaving. I''m taking a flight back to Mencodia in ten minutes," Irene answered. This time, she didn''t


    want to hide anything again. She wanted both of them to have a clean break.


    Edric''s fingertips turned pale. "Why? Is it because of Nathan?" he asked.


    He mentioned Nathan''s name without even thinking. After all these years, Nathan was still involved in


    their rtionship.


    "Sort of," Irene didn''t want to exin too much as she put her hand on her belly unconsciously.


    "How can you treat me like this? You promised me! You said that we''ll start fresh again¡­" The pen in


    Edric''s hand pierced into his flesh. However, he could not feel the stabbing pain although blood had


    started oozing out from the wound.


    Irene sneered and she felt the emptiness in her heart growing. "Is that so? But I don''t believe you


    anymore... In fact, I had given you a chance... Unfortunately... we are still not meant for each other in


    the end."


    They had missed each other in the past. She didn''t want that to repeat again.


    After that, she hung up the phone, shut her eyes and swallowed the emptiness in her heart silently.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, good day. The flight to Mencodia is now boarding¡­" the speaker announced


    repeatedly.


    Irene stood up and proceeded to have her ticket checked. She could not wait to see Eden once again.


    When Rowane walked into the office, she saw Edric sit motionlessly in his seat. "Edric, what''s wrong


    with your hand?" she asked.


    She came to pass the documents to him. Since she was going abroad, she had been doing the


    handover work for the past few days.


    Edric looked up at her with a pale smile on his face. "We''re done."


    "Edric... what''s wrong with you?" Rowane asked nervously.


    Next thing she knew, he had fainted.


    In Mencodia.


    "Mom!" Eden cried out in joy as he ran towards Irene.


    The moment she saw Eden, all her worries had disappeared. She hugged Eden tightly in her arms.


    "Do you miss me?" she asked happily.


    Eden nodded desperately in her arms. "Mom, I am being good. I came to pick you up today with


    doctor''s consent."


    Irene let go of him and felt a twinge of pain in her heart. She almost forgot that he was still ill.


    "Yes, I have already consulted the doctor. Eden was allowed out with doctor''s consent," Nathan said.


    Nathan was still looking as handsome as ever. He walked over and had a refreshing smile on his face.


    Irene held Eden''s hand and stood up. "Nathan."


    It had been a long time since shest saw him!


    "Let''s go home!" Nathan spoke, his voice as clear as the whistles of hummingbirds, removing all her


    anxiousness.

 Chapter 148 Britney White No Longer Opposes Them

    Chapter 148 Britney White No Longer Opposes Them


    They drove back to the White family. When they entered the mansion, they saw Britney and Joanne


    sitting in the living room. Irene instantly felt a little awkward. In fact, she did not expect Nathan to bring


    her to the White family directly.


    "Hello, Madam Britney, Miss White," Irene greeted them and nced at Nathan rigidly.


    Britney stood up and sized Irene up. With a faint smile, she said, "Eden,e here and let me have a


    look at you."


    Just when Irene thought she would be nagged by Britney for meeting Nathan, Britney bent down and


    waved to Eden.


    "Nice meeting you, Grandma!" Eden called as he ran over happily.


    Joanne stood up and smiled, "Nathan, Grandma said that we have to wait for you all toe back and


    have dinner together. I''m famished!" Joanne giggled as she walked towards the dining table.


    After the meal, Britney brought Irene to her room.


    She took out a ss box and Irene opened it slowly. There was a fine-quality emerald ring in it.


    "What''s this?" Irene looked at Britney in confusion.


    Britney looked at the ring and said seriously, "This is an heirloom of our family. It''s a priceless item, and


    I have to pass it down to my daughter-inw."


    "But... I!" She finally understood what Britney meant. She looked at her in disbelief. She remembered


    that Britney opposed them being together so firmly at that time. Why did she change her mind now?


    Britney nodded and said, "Eden is a good boy. I hope that he can have aplete family and be


    happy. Previously, it was us who misunderstood you. Now that I have thought it through, it doesn''t


    matter who my granddaughter-inw is. What matters is that Eden is happy."


    Irene was rendered speechless. She remembered the pain she had endured in the past. After all these


    hassles and hardships, she was now a divorced woman with two children.


    Nathan was so perfect. Would she ever match him?


    "I''m sorry, Grandma. I''m pregnant with someone else''s child," Irene confessed. She did not know what


    to say except to be honest with Britney.


    Britney was dumbstruck for a moment before she understood what Irene meant at once. She sighed


    deeply and said, "I understand what you have experienced over the years. I was at fault too. If it wasn''t


    for..."


    "No, these have nothing to do with you. Therefore, you don''t have to do this." Irene handed the ss


    box back.


    A lot more had been said that night. Finally, Irene ended the conversation with Britney by saying that


    she would consider it.


    Walking out of Britney''s room, Irene bumped into Nathan at the door. He stood there with a refreshed


    outlook. Irene felt nervous looking at Nathan, which was a little unusual as she was normally quite


    "I''m pregnant, Nathan," she said. This was her first sentence to Nathan when she saw him. She did not


    know how to refuse him. The man before her eyes was so perfect. She could not tarnish his reputation


    because of her own selfishness.


    Nathan raised his head, his wless eyes more charming than ever. "You know I never care about it,"


    Nathan replied.


    "But I do. I can''t bring you such humiliation," she said firmly.


    "You don''t feel like being with me, are you? You still love Edric, right?" Nathan asked lightly, his smile


    remained stered on his face.


    Irene was stunned. She did not want to answer this question.


    The next day, she got up very early, because she couldn''t sleep at all.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Eden and Nathan were exercising early in the morning. She had already got used to making breakfast


    first thing in the morning.


    When Joanne got up, she received a phone call from Jordan. When she saw the name, every cell of


    hers screamed in excitement. She answered the call, "Jordan, why are you so early?"


    "Irene has returned to Mencodia, hasn''t she?" Jordan asked as soon as the phone was connected.


    Joanne''s face fell instantly.


    He never took the initiative to call her all this while. It turned out that this time, there was no


    difference; he was not calling for her, but for Irene.


    "Yes, she''s back!" Joanne answered gleefully in order to please Jordan. However, inwardly, anger was


    brewing inside her.


    After hanging up the phone, she went downstairs. It so happened that Britney came out of the room


    too. She ran up to Britney and greeted, "Grandma."


    She walked forward to Britney warmly but Britney only responded to her with a faint smile before she


    went downstairs.


    Joanne''s face froze and she med it all on Irene.


    During the nighttime, Nathan and Eden disappeared suddenly. They said they were going out to get


    some stuff. Irene didn''t think much about it either. When she returned to the room, she called the doctor


    to make an appointment to conduct aprehensive examination the next day.


    Everything was ready. She looked at the time and found that it was already seven o''clock in the


    evening. Eden should have a rest at this time. When she opened the door, she was astonished to see


    colorful lights hanging all over the walls. She walked to the fence and covered her mouth with her


    hands.


    The spacious living room was empty and countless candles were arranged in the shape of a heart on


    the floor. Nathan was dressed in an exquisite tuxedo, looking all noble and elegant. He had the most


    charming eyes, and Irene was drowned into them immediately.


    "Marry me, Irene!" Nathan confessed.


    Irene was moved to tears by this marriage proposal. If this scene had happened years ago, she would


    have said yes without hesitation.


    However now¡­ she covered her belly with her hands unconsciously. There was a life in her belly. It


    was a pity that its father was not Nathan.


    "Marry him, girl. You two should live happily ever after," Britney, who was on the side, smiled.


    Irene looked at Nathan. He was never a romantic person but he actually made such an effort for her.


    She understood his thoughts; he had indeed waited for her for a long time over the years.


    She walked down the stairs slowly and approached him. She asked, "Nathan, do you really not mind


    what happened in these years and the child in my belly?"


    Nathan shook his head without hesitation. He wasn''t in the right to judge her and her past since he was


    part of the reason she lived as such in the past. All he wanted to do now was to give her happiness,


    and he couldn''t wait any longer.


    Tears streamed down her face and she nodded in agreement.


    Nathan put the ring on her finger and then hugged her tightly. He felt as if his heart was filled in an


    instant.


    Joanne, who was at the back, was expressionless. Yet, deep down, she felt extremely uneasy. She had


    once plotted against Irene. Walls had ears. If Irene knew about it in the future, she would definitely not


    spare Joanne. Nathan would definitely take over the White Group in the future. Since he loved Irene so


    much, he would definitely listen to her words. How would Joanne''s life end up like then?


    The rtionship between her and Jordan was already in jeopardy. If even her family turned against


    her, not only her life would be more difficult in the future, but also her parents'' life.


    No way! She could not let Nathan marry Irene. She had to think of a way to stop them from marrying


    each other.


    "Irene, can we have a talk?" After cleaning up the scene, Joanne walked up to her.


    Irene raised her head and nodded, albeit a little embarrassed. The decision she made a while ago was


    indeed a little impulsive. Perhaps, it was because it had been too long since she felt so blissful.


    Nathan''s sincerity had managed to move her.


    Walking out of the White Mansion, there was a huge garden outside. Joanne went straight to the point


    and questioned, "Why did you agree to Nathan''s proposal? I thought you would know when to stop."


    Irene frowned and looked at Joanne, feeling puzzled. "What do you mean that I would know when to


    stop? I don''t quite get you."


    Joanne scoffed and said, "You don''t get me, huh? You clearly know that Jordan likes you. But now you


    show up in my house so openly and ept Nathan''s proposal. Don''t you think it''s awkward to have


    such a rtionship? How are you going to face Jordan in the future?!"


    Joanne was pampered like a princess since she was a child. Therefore, she had no idea that her words


    could hurt another individual.


    Irene listened quietly. Joanne was right. Although Irene felt sorry for Jordan, she would not give in this


    time. She did not want to give up this rare opportunity to finally live a blissful life.


    She wanted to bet, once and for all. She wanted to bet on her and Nathan''s happiness.


    Irene raised her head and replied confidently, "Miss White, I know what you are thinking, but Nathan


    and I really want to be together. I only hope that you can give us blessings. As for Jordan, I believe he


    will understand my choice."


    Joanne''s face froze. She did not understand why Irene, who had always been nice all the time, had


    suddenly be so firm and stubborn. With anger burning in her heart, her tone became harsh at


    once. "Give you my blessings? You are a divorcee! Besides, you still have a child in you! Do you think


    you''re worthy of being with Nathan? Irene, look at yourself! You were not worthy before, and now you


    worthed even less!"


    "Joanne, what are you talking about?!" Nathan''s voice rang out all of a sudden with a wave of


    unprecedented anger in his undertone.


    Seeing Nathan''s appearance, Joanne''s face turned a little pale. Nathan went straight to Irene''s side


    and held her hand. He looked at Joanne indifferently and criticized, "Mind your own business. Don''t


    poke your nose into mine!"


    After that, he pulled Irene back.


    Irene looked at his side profile curiously. She had never seen such a powerful Nathan before; she


    couldn''t help grinning.


    They disappeared at the corner. Joanne looked at them hatefully. She could not believe Nathan would


    talk to her in that tone, and it was all because of Irene.


    "It''s all that woman''s fault... We''ll wait and see!" Joanne cursed under her breath.


    In the hospital ward of San Fetillo.


    Edric opened his eyes slowly and looked around to confirm that it was the hospital.


    He sat up slowly before his fingers touched someone. His eyes lit up but dimmed at the next moment.


    It was not Irene!


    Lily was awakened in shock. She raised her head and looked at him happily. "You''re awake..."


    Edric nodded and looked at her indifferently, asking, "Why are you here?"


    "It was Rowane who told me. Wasn''t she busy with stuff going abroad? She didn''t have time to take


    care of you, thus I came," Lily exined. When Rowane told her about it, she was really frightened. But


    when she heard that it was because of Irene''s departure, she was both jealous yet happy.


    There was no problem with her body check-up and Marie said that the operation could be carried out


    immediately...


    She looked at Edric happily. Perhaps in the near future, he would be the father of her child.


    "What are youughing at?" Edric asked. His head hurt a little and he felt it hurt even more when he


    looked at the smirking Lily.


    Lily shook her head, stood up, and served him a cup of tea. At this time, Edric''s phone rang.


    When he saw the caller ID was from abroad, he picked it up instantly joyfully. "Irene..."


    "Why would you think it''s Irene?" Joanne''s voice, which sounded rather unfamiliar to Edric, rang out


    from the other end. Edric was stunned before he came to his senses.


    "May I know who this is?" Edric asked. He was a little disappointed that it was not Irene.


    The corners of Joanne''s mouth quirked upwards. "I''m Joanne White, Nathan''s younger sister. Mr.


    Myers, it seems that your memory is failing you."


    Edric was a little stunned and thought, "Joanne? That is to say, she is Jordan''s fiancee."


    "Is there anything?" Edric asked. Initially, he wanted to hang up the phone as he had nothing to say to


    Joanne.


    Joanne would certainly not let him hang up the phone. "Nathan proposed to your beloved woman


    today. Don''t you want to know the result? Irene has already agreed to his proposal," she said.


    Edric closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Irene surely couldn''t even wait for another second! She


    agreed to another man''s proposal right after she left him.


    "Irene did not even hesitate. But that''s not what I want to tell you," Joanne paused for a moment and


    continued, "Mr. Myers... Do you know whose child Eden is?" That was why she made the call.

 Chapter 149 He Is Your Child

    Chapter 149 He Is Your Child


    Edric did not speak. It did not matter whose child Eden was. What mattered to him most was Irene. She


    had agreed to Nathan''s marriage proposal after leaving him behind in San Fetillo! Edric was


    heartbroken.


    "Edric, Eden is your son!" Joanne said.


    "Nonsense!" Edric was stupefied. He had instructed John to investigate Eden''s identity in the past.


    Joanne must be talking nonsense.


    "I''m not! Eden is indeed your son." Joanne''s voice was very clear. "I heard Grandma and Nathan said


    that with my own ears. It can''t be wrong!"


    Edric almost dropped his phone. After a long pause, he finally asked, "How is it possible?"


    Joanne scoffed. She could imagine how surprised Edric must be right now.


    "Irene was already pregnant with your child when both of you underwent divorce. She hated you for


    being so cruel; hence, she didn''t tell you that. Eden was sick, that was why she came back to San


    Fetillo this time. Her purpose was to save him by having another child with you and treating him with


    the cord blood!" Joanne exined in detail, leaving Edric dumbfounded on the other side of the phone.


    His phone dropped to the ground and he sat there motionless. He, who had always been smart,


    couldn''t understand the logic of the matter.


    "What''s wrong?" Lily asked as she watched his expression. It seemed that something bad had


    happened. Edric ignored her questions and headed straight out of the room.


    Lily wanted to chase after him but he had disappeared. Her bad hunch was growing stronger. "Who


    was the person who called Edric just now?"


    "John, book a flight ticket to Mencodia for me as soon as possible. I am going to leave here right away,"


    Edric ordered. He went straight to the basement parking lot, started the car, and sped off.


    At the airport.


    "Mr. Myers, why do you want to go to Mencodia all of a sudden?" John asked with confusion.


    "Send me the specific location of the White Mansion. You must find it before I get off the ne." After


    that, he went straight to the ticket counter to check in.


    John shook his head and thought that this matter must have something to do with Irene.


    Early in the morning, Irene went to the hospital for an examination with Nathan and Eden by her side.


    Eden was in good health and so was Irene.


    "Should we celebrate such good news?" Nathan chirped happily as they walked out of the hospital.


    Eden couldn''t contain his excitement and said, "I want to eat something delicious."


    Irene chuckled, her heart ached a little. Eden was just a child yet he had too many restrictions on food.


    She was the one who brought him the disease. If it wasn''t for her, he would be a healthy boy and had a


    happy childhood.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Well, today''s an exception," Irene replied. It was rare for Nathan to be so happy. They should be


    happy, for it was a day worth celebration.


    However...


    Irene looked out of the window. He who was in the foreignnd should be happy too!


    After dinner, they went to the park. They had a whale of a time as a happy family. All their worries were


    left behind.


    When they returned to the White Mansion, Eden called out loudly, "Grandma, we''re back!"


    Edric, who was in the mansion, felt his back stiffened instantly. He turned his head slowly to look at


    Eden who was leaping cheerfully towards the door.


    That was his son! He approached Eden, bent down, and touched Eden''s face gently. At this moment,


    the surrounding noises seemed to quiet down. It was as if time had frozen. All he could hear was his


    throbbing heartbeat. It was as though his heart was about to leap out of his chest.


    Edric stroked Eden''s face with his hand tenderly. Looking at Eden''s delicate face, pallid skin, and his


    pair of ck bright eyes...


    His lips twitched unnaturally. Eden was his son¡ªIrene''s and his son.


    Britney let out a sigh. The biggest concern of hers had happened in the end.


    "Madam Britney..." Irene was about to greet Britney when she saw Edric, dressed in casual wear out of


    the corner of her eyes. Her face turned pale in an instant.


    Nathan noticed the arrival of this uninvited guest too. He stepped forward, nodded, and wrapped his


    arm around Irene''s shoulder. "It''s okay, I''m here," he whispered.


    She felt at ease instantly when she heard Nathan''s voice. She straightened her posture and looked at


    Edric. "Why are you here?"


    There were no emotions in her voice and it made Edric shudder.


    Edric stood up and looked at her with rage in his eyes. "Of course you wouldn''t want me toe. I am


    here today to have you rify with me about the truth that you have kept from me all these years," he


    said.


    Irene staggered back a few steps and Nathan held her up in time. Nathan''s gaze fell on Joanne, who


    was gloating aside.


    "Mr. Myers, nice to meet you," Shielding Irene behind him, Nathan stood calm and stretched out his


    hand to shake Edric''s.


    Joanne stopped smiling. She knew that Nathan seemed calmest when he was furious. She didn''t want


    to be involved in this, for Nathan''s wrath would surely burn her alive once he learned the truth.


    The two of them did not let go of each other''s hands after shaking. Both looked collected but all the


    people present could tell that a thunderstorm was about to happen.


    "Well, since Mr. Myers is here, let''s have a seat and talk!" Britney said, trying to break the fight that was


    about to happen. Then, she ordered the servant, "Serve the tea!"


    Nathan ushered Irene and Eden to their seats. Edric took his seat too. A servant came in with tea and


    served the tea to Edric politely. "Sir, please enjoy your tea!"


    Edric took the tea, ced it on the table next to him, and looked at Eden. Eden looked exactly like


    Irene. When he studied Eden''s face carefully, he could see that Eden did carry some of his features


    too. How could he be so foolish to believe Irene when she had lied that she had someone else''s child


    and not his?


    Eden felt very ufortable with Edric staring at him. He felt very foreign towards Edric, as if thetter


    had changed into another person over the years. Eden used to like Edric but when he learned that


    Edric had gotten engaged to someone else, he didn''t like Edric anymore.


    Eden remembered Irene had said that people should keep their promises. Edric had told Eden that he


    would take care of him and Irene. Eden liked Edric but Edric didn''t keep his promise. Eden hated


    people who didn''t keep their words.


    Seeing Eden snuggled up beside Nathan and Irene, Edric felt much resentful. He waved to Eden and


    said, "Eden,e here!"


    Eden shook his head and leaned closer to Nathan. He looked at Edric with his ck bright eyes and


    asked, "Edric, what are you doing here?"


    Edric was seething with anger but he couldn''t show it to Eden. He forced a smile and said, "I came to


    settle some issues and to visit you at the same time."


    "Thank you, Edric," Eden said. He was very polite. He grabbed Irene with one hand and Nathan with


    the other. "Mom and Nathan are getting married, and I''ll have a father soon!"


    Upon hearing this, Edric''s expression changed in an instant. He looked at Irene with bloodshot eyes


    and asked, "Irene, do tell me, who Eden''s father is."


    Irene did not answer. Edric must have known something judging from the tone of his questions.


    However, Eden''s identity had always been kept a secret. How did he find out?


    Little Eden didn''t understand such serious conversations between the adults. He answered innocently,


    "My father is dead!"


    "Dead?!" Edric sneered. She must have hated him very much to tell Eden that he was dead. "Irene, is


    Eden''s father really dead?" Edric questioned.


    Irene did not answer him. She just nodded her head.


    "Very well. I''ll go and have a DNA test with Eden tomorrow. The truth will be revealed based on the


    DNA results!" Edric said.


    "Who do you think you are to do so? Eden''s my child. Why should I let him do the DNA test with you?"


    Irene retorted.


    "Why not? Are you afraid that I will then learn the truth?" Edric simpered. "What are you afraid of?"


    "I''m not afraid of anything. Eden is sick and needs rest!" Irene rebuked.


    "Really? What about the child in your belly? As far as I know, you are pregnant now. Do you dare say


    that the child is not mine?" Edric barked, his tone bing increasingly harsh, "Irene, now that things


    have reached this point and I know what''s going on, it''s useless for you to hide the truth anymore!"


    "Mom, what does hide the truth mean?" Eden asked Irene.


    "It''s¡­" Irene did not know how to answer Eden''s question.


    Edric stared at her and asked, "Irene, can you tell Eden who I am to him without feeling guilty?"


    Who and what had caused such a day to arrive?


    Irene''s face paled at his question. Tongue-tied, she even started to experience breathing difficulty.


    "Mr. Myers, Eden is still sick. Do you think it''s appropriate to talk about this topic in front of him now?"


    Nathan hissed.


    Edric took a look at Eden and suppressed the anger in his heart. At this moment, Britney stood up and


    said, "Eden, follow me upstairs. Let''s y in the room."


    Although Eden was young, he was very sensitive; he could feel that the atmosphere was not right.


    Hence, he followed Britney upstairs obediently.


    Only Nathan, Irene, and Edric were left in the living room. Edric felt a sharp pain in his heart when he


    looked at the two of them sitting together. What Edric hated the most in his life was that Nathan knew


    Irene before him and Irene also had a special ce for Nathan in her heart. Seeing both of them sitting


    together like a perfect couple, he hated it even more.


    Nathan patted her hand in an attempt to inject her some reassurance. "Mr. Myers, since you already


    know the truth, we won''t hide it from you anymore. Eden is indeed your child. But he is sick now and it


    does not bring any benefits if youe to cause such a scene. I hope you can meet us halfway and


    discuss this matter after Eden recovers," Nathan said.


    "I''ll keep this matter aside first, but my son Eden is sick. As a father, I cannot sit by and do nothing. I''ll


    make a decision here. I''ll hire the best doctor for Eden. The Myers Group will direct all the financial


    resources to treat him," Edric said.


    "Eden''s condition has been well controlled. We just have to wait for Irene to give birth to this child and


    treat Eden with the child''s cord blood. Therefore, I hope you can think of Eden and let him continue to


    stay here for the treatment," Nathan replied.


    "There''s no problem with that! I''ll stay with him." Edric agreed to it right away.


    "What about yourpany?" Nathan asked.


    "Compared with Eden, thepany is nothing," Edric answered.


    "What I mean is you''d better go back to San Fetillo. I''ll report Eden''s condition to you from time to


    time..."


    "No!" Edric interrupted Nathan. "I must stay with Eden and take care of him! No one can change this


    decision, not even God!"


    "Edric, you really don''t need to do this. You can''t help even if you stay here. Eden has epted me as


    his father now. If you stay here, things will only be moreplicated," Nathan persuaded.


    "Mr. White, are you afraid that I will snatch Eden away from you? Don''t worry, I won''t do that nor


    badmouth you. Since both of you are so in love now, I can''t break you two up," Edric said with sarcasm.


    "But I will make it clear. Eden is my child, and the child in Irene''s belly is MINE too. I will never let my


    children call another man their father!"

 Chapter 150 What Rights Do You Have?

    Chapter 150 What Rights Do You Have?


    "Edric, can you use that little brain of yours and think?" Irene asked. "What rights do you have to make


    such a decision?"


    "Because I am Eden''s biological father!" Edric answered, nearly as loud as a bellow.


    "Father? How dare you say that? Don''t you remember that you were the one who kicked me out of the


    house that year? From the moment you divorced me and left me, Eden and I have severed all our ties


    with you!" Irene retorted.


    "Irene, I''ve already exined what happened that year to you. It was never my intention to leave you!"


    Edric yelled. He clenched his fists, the veins on his forearms visible. For him, what happened those


    years left nothing but pain. He hadn''t felt a moment of ease since what happened then.


    "Yes, you have your own reasons and excuses, but so what? Does it mean that I should forgive you?


    Does thew pardon a murderer if he has a valid reason tomit that crime?" Irene questioned, no


    longer controlling her emotions.


    "Irene, I know I''m wrong. I''m willing to change. I''m willing to spend the rest of my life to pay for my sins,


    okay?" Edric muttered.


    "No!" Irene roared. "Edric, not all mistakes can be forgiven!"


    "Don''t you force me anymore!" Edric red at Irene and added, "I''ve said that I won''t let my children


    call another man their father!"


    "Father? Besides bringing Eden into this world, what else have you done for Eden? Mr. Myers, ask


    yourself, do you really deserve to be his father?" Nathan reminded Edric.


    "I will make up for it! I will make up for it as much as I could!" Edric repeated.


    "But Eden won''t let you do that for him. You are just a stranger and he doesn''t care about you making


    up to him or not!" Irene hissed.


    "Irene, it''s you who do not care, not Eden. As Eden''s mother, what right do you have to stop me


    meeting my children?" Edric questioned.


    "By the fact that you kicked me out of the house and brought your pregnant mistress into our home! By


    the fact that your mom kicked and punched me when I was already pregnant! By the fact that you


    divorced me and left me with nothing! I could still remember vividly the day I had fallen from a mountain


    and broke my leg. Eden and I wandered aimlessly on the street, seeking shelter. When Eden fell sick, I


    called you but you refused to answer my calls. Edric Myers, I can go on with all the reasons why you do


    not deserve to be Eden''s father. So who do you think you are toe here and question my


    decisions?" Irene bombarded.


    "I¡­" Edric looked at her at a loss for words. He knew he had taken it too far and had hurt her just too


    much. Everything Irene mentioned was true, and he knew he would never be able to repay for his cruel


    deeds.


    Seeing that Edric was rendered speechless, Irene took a deep breath to calm herself down. Nathan


    didn''t feel sorry for Edric either as he had witnessed what kind of suffering Irene had gone through all


    those years.


    Britney, who was upstairs, had been paying attention to the conversations downstairs. Noticing that the


    situation hade to a deadlock, she came out of the room to mediate the dispute. "Irene, it''s getting


    Then, she looked at Edric and said, "Mr. Myers, you can stay here if you like to!"


    "Grandma!" Irene and Nathan shouted simultaneously. Obviously, they did not see eye to eye with


    Britney''s decision to invite Edric. Britney waved her hand, signaling Nathan and Irene to calm down.


    She then ordered the butler to prepare a room for Edric to stay over.


    The butler stepped forward politely and said, "Mr. Myers, pleasee with me!"


    Grateful to Britney''s invitation, Edric thanked her, "Thank you very much, Madam Britney!"


    Edric followed the butler and left. Nathan looked at Britney with displeasure in his eyes and asked,


    "Grandma, why did you let him stay?"


    "Since Edric hase all the way here to see us; we cannot force him out just like this, can


    we? Instead of letting him have more reasons to hate us, maybe we should show him some kindness


    so he would feel indebted to us. Then we can find a solution together," Britney said and looked at Irene.


    "We don''t wish for things to turn out in this way either. However, he is indeed Eden''s biological father. If


    Edric resorts towful means, the consequences will serve us no good," Britney exined.


    Irene was silent. Britney had gone through a lot in the past and what she said made sense. Indeed, if


    Edric were to fight Irene, the consequences would be disastrous.


    Irene walked into Eden''s room and found that he was already asleep. She sighed, walked to his


    bedside, and covered him with a nket gently. Then, she sat on the bed and looked at his little face.


    Edric would definitely not give up Eden since now he knew the truth. What should she do to make him


    leave them alone?


    The door was gently pushed open, and there Nathan was. Looking at Irene''s furrowed eyebrows, he


    Irene smiled at him. "Nathan, thank you! Fortunately, you''re here!"


    "Edric is not a wicked person. He just can''t ept it for the time being. When he has thought it through,


    everything will be fine," Nathan added.


    "I know, Nathan, you must be exhausted after being busy for the whole day. Go and rest. I''ll be


    okay." Looking at Nathan''s exhausted face, Irene felt extremely grateful to him. Nathan had to take


    care of hispany and Eden at the same time. He must be really tired during this period of time. Now


    that she was back, she would take care of Eden alone.


    "Okay, I''m going to rest then. You should rest early too!" Nathan said.


    Not long after Nathan left, Edric entered Eden''s room. When Irene saw hime in, she put on a


    defensive look on her face and barked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Irene, I''m here to see Eden," Edric answered. His attitude was surprisingly calm.


    With that, he sat down by the bed and looked at Eden tenderly. Irene wanted to drive him away but she


    found that she couldn''t bring herself to do it. No matter what had happened, Edric was indeed Eden''s


    father. She had no right to stop him from interacting with Eden.


    Edric had never dreamed that he would have a child with Irene after both of them had divorced. He


    didn''t believe Joanne''s words at first. He betted on hisst glimmer of hope and it turned out that Eden


    was indeed his child!


    Edric ced his hand gently on Eden''s forehead and kissed him. Eden, his son! His heart was bubbling


    with happiness and sorrow at the same time.


    Eden should have a father who loved him and live a carefree life. Never should he have experienced all


    these at such a young age. Unfortunately, he was forced into such situations because of him. On top of


    that, he had to endure such a catastrophic illness.


    He touched Eden''s face with his hands carefully again, as if he was touching his most precious


    treasure. Irene watched from the side, her heart cracked painfully. She stopped him. "Edric, don''t wake


    him up!"


    "I won''t wake him up. Irene, I will keep himpany here tonight," Edric requested in a low voice.


    "No way!" Irene shook her head.


    "Irene, I''m his father, his biological father! I''ll stay here, please!" Edric begged, choking with sobs. In the


    past, unbeknownst to him, Irene and Eden had been wandering aimlessly in the cold. Now that he


    knew the truth, how could he bear to see them in such a situation again? He understood and epted


    that Irene had every right to hate him; he had no reason to me her.


    What he had to do now was to make up for it as much as possible. Whether it was for Eden or Irene,


    he had to do whatever he could for them. He would never let anyone hurt them again!


    There was no way that Irene would agree to his demand. "Edric, I know how you feel now. But Eden is


    still sick. I don''t want him to go through such a shock, do you understand?" Irene asked.


    "I do. I''ll just by his side, I won''t do or say anything that might hurt him. Can I please just stay by him?"


    Edric asked.


    "No way. You are just an outsider to Eden. He will get scared when he wakes up and sees you." Irene


    paused for a moment and continued to ask, "How do you want me to exin to him about the current


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    situation?"


    Edric was a little annoyed and answered, "He''s still young. He won''t ask so many questions."


    "Although he is young, he is very sensitive. Now that he is sick, I don''t want him to know that you are


    his father. I am afraid that he can''t ept it," Irene said.


    Irene bit her lips. This was undoubtedly the best leverage she had at the moment. She hoped that Edric


    could buy it. "What I mean is you should not get close to him for the time being. When he recovers, I


    will tell him that you are his biological father and I won''t stop you from visiting him. What do you think?"


    Irene suggested.


    "This is indeed a good reason but I can''t ept it!" Edric looked up at Irene. He was no fool; he knew


    immediately that it was an excuse Irene made up to force him to leave Eden.


    "I won''t tell him that I am his father for the time being but I''ll stay here and take care of him. Since I


    have missed out on my time with him in the past; I don''t want to miss out any more time in the future


    with him," Edric retorted firmly.


    "You!" Irene''s voice changed. Edric was determined to stay. As she and Edric had been living under the


    same roof for a few years, she definitely knew his stubbornness. It seemed that things were unlikely to


    go with her ways.


    Since Edric insisted on apanying Eden, Irene had no choice but to go back to her room. She


    didn''t sleep well that night; thus, she woke up early the next morning. When she got up, she went to


    Eden''s room and found Edric helping Eden get dressed. To her surprise, Eden didn''t resist Edric.


    Instead, she heard him ask in an innocent tone, "Edric, will you keep mepany here in the future?"


    "Yes! I''ll be with you every day!" Edric promised.


    Eden could not believe it. "You aren''t lying to me again, are you?" he asked.


    "No! I will not lie to you again this time!" Edric answered guiltily. Eden found Irene at the door. "Mom,


    Edric said that he would apany me to the hospital for a check-up today!" he squealed happily.


    Irene walked in shakily and stered a smile on her face. "My dear boy, do you feel sick today?" she


    asked.


    "No," Eden answered.


    "Then let''s go have breakfast. We''ll go to the hospital after having breakfast."


    Edric insisted on following them to the hospital. Nathan drove the car while Edric sat in the back seat


    with Eden in his arms, having fun with him. Eden did not show any resistance nor difort towards


    Edric at all; he seemed to be on cloud nine all the way. Irene frowned a little and felt exceedingly


    restless.


    After Eden finished the checkups, Edric stayed to talk to the doctor for a long time. On the way back,


    Irene held Eden in his arms. It was still Nathan who drove the car. Eden fell asleep again when they got


    home.


    After putting Eden to bed, Irene walked out of the room and saw Nathan and Edric talking in the living


    room. Edric really was shameless. "Mr. White, thank you for taking care of my son, Eden, during this


    period of time. Thank you very much. If there''s anything you need my help in the future, just say it!"


    Nathan smiled slightly. "Oh c''mon, Mr. Myers. It''s my duty to take care of my fiancee and her child too!"


    Edric''s face changed a little. "It''s too early for you to im Irene as your fiancee. Mr. White, you''d better


    not jump to conclusions too early."


    "Mr. Myers, I forgot to tell you that Irene and I will be going for our marriage registration the day after


    tomorrow."


    As soon as Nathan finished his words, Edric stood up immediately. "I will never agree!"


    "Who are you to oppose it?" Nathan asked.


    "By the fact that the child in Irene''s womb is mine!" Edric shouted. He had finally lost hisposure.


    Nathan sniggered. "It doesn''t stop me from marrying Irene!"


    "Nathan, it''s so ungentlemanly of you to do this!" Edric chided.


    "Mr. Myers, this has nothing to do with being a gentleman, alright?" seethed Nathan.


    Anger rose in Edric like a tide before he howled, "No matter what, I will not allow you and Irene to get


    married. I will never agree to it!"


    "Let''s wait and see!" Nathan turned a blind eye to Edric''s fuming rage. "Mr. Myers, I''ll take my leave


    now. I have something to deal with in thepany!"

 Chapter 151 Dont Expect That Things Would Turn Out As You Wish

    Chapter 151 Don''t Expect That Things Would Turn Out As You Wish


    Edric watched Nathan leave with rage in his eyes. He muttered with frustration, "Nathan White, if it


    wasn''t for the fact that you''ve taken care of Irene and Eden, I would have beaten you up!"


    "Mr. Myers, I am so flustered to hear that!" Irene sneered. Edric turned his head and saw Irene. His


    face blushed instantly and he faked an awkward chuckle, asking, "Irene, is Eden asleep?"


    "If not?" Irene red at him and warned, "Edric, you can never change what''s between Nathan and me


    I. You''d better don''t expect things to turn out as you wish!"


    Edric''s face turned ashen again. Irene ignored him and went straight into the kitchen. She had to make


    some light meals for Eden so he could have it when he woke up.


    Edric stood in the living room for a moment and then followed her into the kitchen. "Irene, do you need


    my help?" he asked.


    "No!" Irene refused.


    "Let me cut the meat. I have excellent knife skills," Edric said when he saw Irene was about to slice the


    meat. He reached out to take the knife.


    "Mr. Myers, you''re such a kind person!" Irene remarked with sarcasm. Why hadn''t he made her any


    food in the past?


    Edric ignored the mockery in her tone. He took the knife and started to chop the meat. Irene watched


    for a moment and saw he wasn''t skilled at all. She pushed him away and stated, "Get out of the


    kitchen. Stop getting in my way!"


    Edric was taken by surprise and identally slit his finger. Blood gushed out from the wound in an


    instant. Irene ignored the incident and said, "There''s a band-aid in the living room. Go and bandage it


    yourself!"


    Edric remained rooted to the ground, looking dejected. The blood on his finger dripped onto the floor


    but he just stared at Irene. Irene didn''t even give him a nce and continued to focus on preparing


    ingredients. She had decided that she wouldn''t show any kindness to him anymore. Since Edric had a


    strong ego, she didn''t believe he could stand being disregarded.


    A servant heard the noise and came over. When she saw Edric standing in the kitchen with his finger


    bleeding, she screamed, "Ah, you''re bleeding. Hurry up and bandage it!"


    With that, she quickly went to get medicine and gauze. Irene continued to ignore Edric and proceeded


    with her own business. The servant came back with a first aid kit to attend to Edric''s wound. Edric fixed


    his gaze on Irene. He always thought that she was the most soft-hearted person in the world. He just


    found out that she could be crueler than anyone if she wanted to.


    However, he had brought all these on to himself. He owed her too much. He would never give up Irene


    no matter what happened next. As long as he persevered, he would win!


    After Edric''s wound was bandaged, he returned to the entrance of the kitchen. This time, he did not


    When did Edric be like this?


    Suddenly, Edric''s phone rang. He answered the phone and heard John reporting, "Mr. Myers, Lily


    hasn''t done anything unusual, except for visiting the hospital more frequently these days!"


    "Did you find out what she was doing in the hospital?" Edric asked.


    "I''ve investigated it. She went to have some gynecological tests," John answered.


    "Gynecological tests?" Edric was stunned for a moment and responded, "Keep an eye on her and let


    me know if you find any important information!"


    John obeyed and stated, "Rowane will be heading to Mencodia soon. Her flight is tomorrow."


    "Got it!" Edric answered.


    In San Fetillo.


    After packing up her luggage, Rowane looked at Marie, who came to see her off. She couldn''t bear to


    part with Marie. She didn''t know when she would be back from abroad this time. "Mom, I don''t want to


    leave you!"


    "Dear girl, I can''t bear to part with you too!" Marie replied, sadness and reluctance glistening in her


    eyes. Rowane was a pain in the a*s; and, Marie knew she shouldn''t be soft-hearted to this ticking


    bomb. She had to finish this y. "I wille and visit you some time. Even if I don''t have time to do


    so, we can always chat and video call. The technology is so advanced nowadays," Marieforted


    Rowane.


    Rowane held back her tears. They departed to the airport together. Marie drove the car. Along the way,


    she kept reminding Rowane of the things she should pay attention to when she was abroad. She


    looked exactly like an amiable mother. When they arrived at the airport, Marie apanied Rowane to


    Watching Rowane walk off, the reluctance on her face disappeared slowly. She headed out of the


    airport quickly. After getting into the car, she took out the phone and made a call, "She''sing soon.


    Get ready! Remember to leave no trace behind!"


    The ne arrived in Mencodia after more than ten hours. When Rowane marched out of the airport, a


    man looked at the photo in his hand and greeted her, "Are you Miss Wood?"


    "You are?" Rowane was confused.


    "I''m a friend of your mother, Marie. My name is Dickson Jones. She directed me to pick you up."


    Dickson''s face was full of smiles. Since he could tell Marie''s full name urately, Rowane naturally


    believed him without a shadow of a doubt and followed him out of the airport.


    Dickson carried her luggage and they shuffled out of the airport together. Soon, he drove Rowane to a


    private vi.


    There were a garden and a swimming pool surrounding the luxurious vi. Rowane felt rather


    emotional. She had to admit that Marie really treated her well. Marie was so thoughtful that she


    arranged all these basic necessities for her.


    Dickson pointed to the room upstairs on the left and told Rowane, "That is your room. You may go in


    and take a bath first. I''ll ask the servants to prepare dinner for you."


    Rowane thanked him and entered the room. She didn''t take a bath immediately. She took out her


    phone and was ready to call Marie when she realized that her phone was dead. She looked for the


    charger in her luggage but couldn''t find it. Vexed, Rowane patted her head, ming herself for being


    too careless.


    She opened the door and was going to borrow a charger from Dickson. The vi was brightly


    illuminated, but she couldn''t see a single soul on the second floor. She didn''t know where Dickson was;


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    thus, she had to look for him in each room. Finally, when she heard a voiceing from one of the


    rooms, she walked over to that particr door.


    The door was left ajar. Dickson was in the room, and he was making a phone call. He said, "She''s


    marvelous, Dunn. She''s extremely gorgeous. She''s even more beautiful than Marie in those days,"


    Dickson stated.


    "I am not lying to you. It''s true. The first time I saw her, I was stunned. I thought of you straight away.


    You must be bored of those foreign women these days; I''ll keep her for you to enjoy. With such a


    beauty by your side, you won''t feel lonely again."


    After a short pause, Dickson added, "That''s right! We can sell her to the brothel after we get bored of


    her. Anyway, Marie wouldn''t know if we did not follow her n. How fortunate of us! We can take


    Marie''s money and have such a beauty for free! It is such a waste to murder her!"


    Dickson''s chuckle reverberated off the wall. "You''reing over? Alright! Alright! We''ll make the


    decisions again after youe over! I''ll hang up first!"


    Rowane was not a fool. She heard every inch of wrong in that conversation. At this time, Dickson had


    hung up the phone and turned around. When he saw Rowane standing at the door, his face froze and


    his fake smile disappeared at once.


    "Who the hell are you?" Rowane questioned.


    "A man!" Dickson came over with a lewd smile and chirped, "Beautiful, since you''ve heard it, I do not


    need to put on an act any longer. I''m not Marie''s friend. I''m hired to kill you. Look at you! You''re so


    beautiful. My heart has been racing for you. With that, I decided to spare your life. In fact, you have to


    thank me."


    Rowane''s legs trembled. Completely shocked, she chirruped, "Why do they ask you to do this?"


    "How would I know?" Dickson sneered. "Dunn will being soon. You''d better behave yourself. If you


    make him happy, you can have a few more days of fun. Otherwise..."


    That was terrible! Before he could finish, Rowane turned on her heel and sprinted away. Dickson


    chased after her. Her fear took the better of her legs; and hence, she was soon caught by Dickson.


    "You ungrateful woman!" He pped Rowane across the face.


    Grimacing in pain, she struggled desperately and cried for help. Dickson reached out to cover her


    mouth and dragged her upstairs. She knew that she was in danger and decided to go all out. She


    reached out her hand to scratch his face and kicked him directly at his crotch.


    Dickson groaned in pain and let her go. Rowane seized the opportunity and rushed out of the vi. Out


    the gate she ran when she saw a car drive into the vi.


    Rowane continued to run wildly on the street. The streets at night were so chill and she couldn''t see


    anyone in sight. She was extremely terrified and despondent. All she wanted now was just to get out of


    this demon cave as soon as possible.


    Upon reaching the vi, Dunn stopped the car and raced in but only to see Dickson lying on the ground


    whimpering. Dunn''s heart sank. "Where is she?"


    "She just ran away! Dunn, chase after her!" Dickson yelled.


    Dunn turned around and left before Dickson could even finish his line. He started the car and trailed


    after Rowane. There were only a few neighbors near their residence, making it look all the


    more deserted at night. Rowane screamed for help while continuing to move like lightning. However,


    she didn''t see anyone in sight.


    Rowane kept running. Dunn drove around the area and did not find anyone. Reckoning that it was


    impossible for Rowane to run far, he turned around straight away and sped in the opposite direction.


    Soon, he found Rowane.


    Rowane was scampering on the street aimlessly. Suddenly, a beam of bright light shined on her. She


    turned back quickly in shock. Not far away from her, there was a car advancing towards her. Through


    the dazzling light, she could make out the driver clearly. It was a man with a grim smile and a scar on


    his face.


    The sudden appearance of the car caused Rowane''s brain to freeze. She did not dodge, for she did not


    have time to react. She just watched the car drive towards her. The next thing she knew was her body


    was thrown up into the sky before it fell heavily on the ground. The intense pain made her lose


    consciousness very soon before she fell into oblivion.


    Dunn got out of the car and checked if Rowane was still breathing. He couldn''t feet a hint of breath at


    her nostrils; thus, he quickly took out his phone and snapped a photo of her on the ground. Then, he


    got in the car and left.


    A few minutester, Marie received a text message. When she saw the bloody body on the screen, she


    deleted the photo immediately. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, her blood quickened with


    shock. She put her palms together and prayed silently, "I have no choice either. Please rest in peace!"


    After a while, most of her fear and uneasiness had already vanished. She turned on theputer and


    transferred a huge sum of money to an ount. All her troubles had been wiped off the face of the


    Earth without anyone noticing it.

 Chapter 152 Save Her

    Chapter 152 Save Her


    When Nathan finished his business and was about to go home, the phone rang. It was the manager of


    one of his factories. He told Nathan on the phone, "There was an ident in the factory. Mr. White,


    please head there right away!"


    Astonished, Nathan immediately leapt to his feet and rushed to the factory. Along the way, his anxiety


    eximed.


    "Sir, look."


    An emergency brake followed after the exmation. Nathan fixed his eyes in the direction the driver


    was pointing and was shocked at what he saw. On the road less than two meters away from their car


    when he realized what had happened.


    "It seems that she''s not breathing." The driver carefully turned over the injured woman''s head and tried


    checking for any sign of breathing with his finger. When he touched the injured woman''s face, Nathan


    was dumbstruck. "It''s her?"


    "Do you know her?" asked the driver.


    "Yes! Her body is still warm. Let''s send her to the hospital first and see how she turns out!" Nathan


    ordered.


    Not minding the bloodstains on Rowane''s body, Nathan moved her into the car together with the driver.


    The driver started the car and drove to a nearby hospital. As soon as they had reached, the doctor


    rushed to push Rowane into the operating room. Nathan nced at his watch and instructed the driver


    to wait in the hospital while he drove to the factory.


    Along the way, he had been feeling very uneasy. He did know Rowane, but he had met her only once.


    A few years ago, he had travelled to San Fetillo to attend a meeting. That day, he had been in a hurry


    but he was caught in a traffic jam. He''d arrivedte at the meeting point. As soon as he''d dashed out of


    the staff elevator, he saw a person standing outside. He''d knocked onto that person, resulting in the


    Stupefied, he''d stopped in his tracks. He''d found out that the person he''d bumped into was a woman.


    Nathan quickly went forward to help her, but he was amazed when he saw her face clearly, for it was a


    beautiful one. The most important thing was not that she was beautiful, but that she looked somewhat


    simr to Irene. He didn''t know that she was Rowane.


    And at this moment, Rowane, who was on the ground, began to cry in pain. Nathan was a little


    embarrassed. "Where are you feeling hurt? Should I take you to the hospital to check on it?"


    The staff member next to him hurriedly reminded him, "Mr. White, it''s gettingte. They''re all waiting for


    you. Leave this girl to me!" Once reminded, Nathan remembered why he came here. After a moment of


    hesitation, he handed the matter over to the staff.


    Later, after the meeting, he had inquired about the incident. The apanying staff member told him


    that Rowane ended up not going to the hospital, saying that she was fine and insisted on leaving.


    Since then, Nathan had thrown the incident to the back of his mind. But what he didn''t expect was that


    he would meet her again in Mencodia and of course, not in such a serious state.


    While he was recalling the past, he found himself already at the factory gate. He got out of the car and


    hurried into the factory.


    After Nathan dealt with the factory issues, he went to the hospital to visit Rowane. She had been sent


    to the intensive care unit right after the operation. The doctor imed that she was not in danger for the


    time being. Nathan ordered the driver to take care of her in the hospital, and he went home.


    It was already midnight when he got home. He was used to going to Eden''s room to check on him.


    When he pushed open the door, he saw Edric embracing Eden on his bed. Seeing that Eden snuggled


    up in Edric''s arms sleeping soundly, Nathan couldn''t help but feel touched.


    Edric''s love for Irene was genuine. Nathan could tell that if it was not for Margaret, he and Irene would


    certainly be living a happier life!


    Nathan gently closed the door and exited before he heard light footstepsing from behind. It was


    Irene; she came when she had heard the noise. "You''re back? I''ll prepare some midnight snacks for


    you."


    Nathan stopped her, "Go and have some rest. I''ll ask the servants to make them for me. You''re


    pregnant now, so you should have a good rest."


    "I know. Don''t worry. I''m not that fragile!" The two of them went downstairs gently.


    Edric also woke up by the noise outside the door. He carefully let go of Eden in his arms, got up and


    walked out of the room. When he saw Irene going to the kitchen to prepare a midnight snack for


    Nathan, he felt extremely distressed. Back in the days, when he hade backte from work, Irene


    would also prepare dinner for him.


    His heart stung. He turned back to Eden''s room in a heavy mood. Looking at Eden who was sleeping


    like a log on the bed, the mncholy in his heart slowly disappeared. As long as Eden was there with


    him, all would be well.


    He couldn''t help but lower his head and kiss Eden''s face again. "My son, you must stand on my side.


    Only when you stand on my side can your mother have a change of heart. I beg of you!"


    Back in San Fetillo, after night fell, Marie and Lily stealthily came to the hospital. The hospital was very


    quiet at this time as there were not too many staff members on duty. When they went to the operating


    room, Marie ran into a nurse on call. "Dr. Walker, what are you doing here?"


    Marie silently cursed the nurse in her own heart. Why would she bump into her? The purpose of


    choosing to perform the operation at night was to prevent others from gleaning the truth. Although she


    was rather irked, she still wore a smile on her face. "I forgot something in the hospital. I''m here to


    retrieve it."


    The nurse believed Marie and politely said goodbye to her. Marie quickly opened the door of the


    operating room and entered. A few minutester, Lily came to the operating room, apanied by


    Deborah. "Did you meet anyone on the way?"


    "No," Deborah replied.


    Marie was relieved. She then told Lily to lie down on the operating table. They had been preparing for


    this day for a long time. Lily had already been taking ovting medication two months ago; surely this


    time the operation would go smoothly. Marie first began to induce Lily''s ova, and then she proceeded to


    extract them. The operation was in sailing; as soon as the ovum was collected, it was ced in the


    culture fluid.


    Several hourster, Lily''s ovum was put into the dish together with Edric''s sperm. Marie told Lily that


    she could have the fertilized ovum imnted in her womb in three to five days. At the moment, she


    should go home first to wait for further news.


    When Jordan came to thepany early in the morning, David told him a piece of bad news. With


    surprise written on his face, Jordan eximed, "What did you say? Edric went to Mencodia?"


    David nodded. "Yes, he went on the ne the day before yesterday morning. He hasn''t returned yet."


    Jordan''s face fell. If Edric went to Mencodia at this time, it was obvious that he did this for Irene. Edric


    was such a shameless brat! Irene had already made it clear that she would no longer have anything to


    do with him, and she had also decided to marry Nathan. Yet, he still pestered her. What a despicable


    man Edric was!


    David could tell that Jordan was irate. Well, even he could also guess the purpose of Edric''s trip. Afraid


    that Jordan would worry about Irene and follow Edric to Mencodia, David said in a hurry, "The bidding


    of the sports tournament will be held soon. It''s a great thing for us that Edric left San Fetillo."


    Jordan red at David and hsissed, "What''s so good about that? Do you think I''ll be scared of him?


    Even if he stays in San Fetillo, so what? Isn''t he going to be defeated by me?"


    David replied, "Fair enough. He had lost to us too in our previous bidding. Now that we have the design


    given by Dave, we will definitely win this time round. However, we can''t let our guard down."


    "Alright, you may leave." Jordan''s face was still gloomy, and he couldn''t bring himself to feel at ease at


    all. Of course, he knew what Jordan had meant. However, regardless of how important this sports


    tournament was, Irene''s happiness was equally important to him. He had to quickly confirm whether


    Edric went to Mencodia to look for Irene. He waved his hand impatiently to gesture David out before he


    picked up the phone to call Irene.


    The day before, he had called Joanne and heard that Britney had agreed to let Nathan and Irene get


    married. His feelings at that time had been a welter.


    Although he was engaged to Joanne, in his heart, he still loved Irene deeply. Despite knowing he could


    never be with Irene, when he learned that she was getting married, he still couldn''t help feeling as if his


    heart was pricked by thousands of needles.


    Considering that Irene had suffered a great deal of hardships in the past few years, he was,


    nheless, thrilled for her. She could finally be taken care of and protected by a person who loved her


    as much as he did.


    However, Edric had the audacity to go after Irene even though thetter had gone all the way to


    Mencodia. He must have wanted to wreck the marriage between Irene and Nathan. Jordan must not


    stand by idly and allow Edric to have his way.


    At that moment, it was nine o''clock in the evening in Mencodia. Irene was bathing Eden in the


    bathroom.


    After dinner that evening, she took Eden for a stroll in the garden. Edric followed her and wanted to


    y hide-and-seek with Eden. Eden was much closer to him now after spending the past two days with


    Edric. He agreed immediately and invited Irene to join them.


    Seeing that Eden was full of beans, Irene could not bring herself to reject him, so she eded to


    Eden''s demand. Eden was ying so merrily that his shirts ended up drenching in his own sweat.


    Worried that he would catch a cold, Irene quickly took him back to the house to take a bath.


    Her phone was ced on the table outside. The bathroom door was closed. As both of them were


    singing loudly, they didn''t hear her phone ringing.


    Jordan dialled her number again, feeling rather suspicious. At this time, Edric came over to check on


    Eden. He knocked on Eden''s room, but no one responded to him. When he turned the knob and


    entered the room, he saw Irene''s phone on the table, shing. Irene and Eden were singing in the


    bathroom, obviously having a whale of a time.


    He walked over and picked up the phone. On the screen read two words: Jordan Reed. Edric frowned


    slightly.


    Jordan was already engaged, yet he was still clinging on to Irene. He was infuriated when he thought


    how Irene had stayed with this yboy for so long. On top of that, Jordan was reluctant to part with her,


    making things even all the more difficult for him.


    Even when Irene hade to Mencodia, Jordan still had the nerves to call her. It was too outrageous.


    Incandescent, Edric pressed the answer button without hesitation. He did not even care if it would be


    impolite to answer Irene''s call without her permission.


    On the phone, Jordan''s voice rang out, his tone tinged with urgency. "Hello, Irene? I''m Jordan. I heard


    that Edric went to Mencodia. Did hee and look for you again? He didn''t cause you any trouble, did


    he?"


    The corner of Edric''s mouth twitched before he replied grumpily, "Why do you assume that I''m here to


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    cause trouble?"


    Jordan was taken aback. He didn''t expect that Edric would pick up the phone. "Howe it''s you?


    Where''s Irene?"


    Edric nced at the bathroom door, and a mischievous thought came to his mind. Smirking, he


    answered, "She is taking a bath."


    "Impossible. Get Irene to answer the phone. NOW!" Jordan took a deep breath. Edric''s words had


    implied that he was with Irene, but there was no way he would buy it.


    Jordan knew very well that Irene had decided to cut all ties with Edric before she had gone to


    Mencodia. Moreover, she was going to marry Nathan. Why could she meet Edric? But then, why was


    her phone in Edric''s hands?


    "I told you, she is taking a shower, so she didn''t have time to answer your call." Edric''s voice kicked up


    a pitch. Frowning, he slowly walked to the window. This spot was a little farther from the bathroom. He


    didn''t want to disturb Irene and Eden; they were spending their precious time together. Edric didn''t want


    Jordan to hear Eden singing too, otherwise Jordan would know that he was lying. Jordan was a man


    worthy of his millions of wrath. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, Edric was going to seize it


    to get on his nerves.


    "I don''t believe all this crap from your mouth!" Jordan was consumed by rage. "Edric, don''t you have


    even a sliver of shame? Irene is going to marry Nathan, yet you go there, badgering and harassing her.


    When would it cost you to let go of her?"


    Chuckling, Edric barked, "Who said that Irene will marry Nathan? She is my wife, and Eden is my son.


    Why''d I let Irene marry another man and let Eden address him as his father?"


    "You... How did you know Eden is your son?" Jordan''s heart skipped a beat. Never did he expect that


    Edric would know about Eden. Jordan had been convinced that Edric had gone to Mencodia only to win


    Irene back. It had never urred to him that Eden would be the reason.


    Edric broke into a fit ofughter. "Speaking of this, I have to thank your fiancee, Joanne. She is such a


    kind-hearted woman. She can''t bear to see Nathan separate me and Irene, so she turned on you and


    revealed Eden''s identity to me."


    Edric tittered for a while and added, "You are just too freaking lucky to have such an understanding


    fiancee, isn''t it? Do treat her well in the future. Never betray her yeah. Well, my wife is going to finish


    her bath soon. This is all. Goodbye!"


    With that, Edric hung up the phone.

 Chapter 153 Interrogation

    Chapter 153 Interrogation


    Hearing Joanne''s name, Jordan was seething with fury. Unable to take in any of the sarcasm that Edric


    had thrown him, Jordan finally understood how Edric went to Mencodia. It turned out that Joanne had


    disclosed Eden''s identity to Edric. Edric went to Mencodia not only to get Irene back, but also to meet


    Eden.


    Jordan knew very well that the reason for the divorce between Irene and Edric was that Irene couldn''t


    give birth to the Myers family. Margaret had wanted a grandson so badly that she did not mind forcing


    Edric to divorce Irene.


    Now that Edric had realized that Eden was his son, he would definitely not allow Irene to marry Nathan.


    Certainly, he would make sure to have both Eden and Irene back. He might even go to great lengths to


    stop the marriage between Nathan and Irene.


    Even if Irene insisted on marrying Nathan, Edric would, too, fight with Irene for Eden''s custody. With the


    influence of the Myers family in San Fetillo, Irene stood no chance against Edric at all. If Eden was


    taken away by Edric, it would definitely devastate her.


    Thinking of Irene''s current situation, Jordan''s heart couldn''t help feeling aching. He had to hold Joanne


    ountable for everything. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to fly to Mencodia and teach


    her a lesson. Without a second thought, he dialled Joanne''s number.


    Joanne was lying on the sofa in her room, reading a magazine, wallowing in boredom. When she saw


    Jordan''s name on her phone, her heart almost leapt out of her chest in excitement.


    Jordan rarely took the initiative to call her. The day before, he had called her and inquired about Irene.


    Despite feeling sour inwardly, in order to show her generosity, she pretended to be sincere and


    reported the situation of Irene and Eden to him.


    She had also told him that Nathan wanted to marry Irene so Jordan would give up on Irene. At that


    time, Jordan sounded rather frigid on the phone, and she knew that he must be despondent to learn


    Irene''s marriage. However, time would water down everything. She strongly believed that he would


    soon forget about Irene and ept her whole-heartedly.


    At this time, Jordan should have just reached his workce when he called her. Had he given Irene up


    reminded of her? Did that mean that he was going to treat her well?


    Joanne couldn''t wait to press the answer button. With a voice as delicate as that of a hummingbird, she


    chirped, "Hello, Jordan, why are you calling me at this time?"


    "Joanne, why did you tell Edric about Eden? What''s exactly up your sleeve for telling Edric this?"


    Jordan''s roar had almost deafened Joanne''s ears. She did not expect that Jordan would call her at


    such an hour andshed out at her. He did all these because of that b*tch, Irene!


    Jordan had only had his eyes on Irene. At any time, he would only care about Irene and would never


    condescend to spare a thought at Joanne.


    All of a sudden, the joy in Joanne''s heart fizzled into thin air and she burst into tears. Joanne wanted to


    just scream at the phone, at Jordan.


    However, she knew that Jordan was a man who breathed ruthlessness. What if he changed his mind


    and refused to marry her because she got under his skin? Wouldn''t it be a waste of all her previous


    efforts?


    Taking a deep breath and suppressing the anger in her heart, she said, , "Jordan, why are you being


    such a savage? What do I gain from this? Why would I do this if not for Irene and Eden? Eden has


    leukemia, and Irene is worried to death in order to cure him. The doctor said in order to save Eden,


    Irene and Edric must have a child.


    With a tone underlying with dejection, she added, "I saw that Irene had been brooding with the fact that


    Edric had abandoned her. There''s no way she would go to find Edric, begging him to save Eden. I only


    wanted to help her, hence I told Edric the truth. As long as he provides his sperm to Irene, he will be


    able to save Eden. None of this will affect the marriage between Nathan and Irene anyway. Isn''t this


    perfect? Why do you me me?" In fact, Joanne had already known that Irene was pregnant.


    "Bullsh*t, do you think I will believe you? You just can''t stand seeing Irene living a good life, so you told


    Edric about Eden. You told him to stop Irene from marrying Nathan, and you also wanted him to rob


    Eden from Irene. Mark my words, if Irene and Eden get hurt because of this, I will not let you get away


    with this!"


    Jordan had grown up with Joanne, and he knew her character all too well. Aware that he had always


    loved Irene, her envy had grown malicious. She would never be so kind as to help Irene. The only


    reason why she did this was that she wanted to prevent Irene living a blissful life.


    Joanne was trembling with scorned wrath. Before she could continue her exnation, Jordan had


    already disconnected the call. Staring at the ck screen was her pale reflection.


    At that time, she had deliberately told Edric about Eden''s identity in order to impede Irene from


    marrying Nathan. She dreaded that Irene would never be able to cut all ties with Jordan after bing


    her sister-inw.


    Her concern was now vindicated. Just then, Jordan had been so nervous about Irene. If they became a


    family, they would definitely fraternize with each other.


    To say the least, even if Edric seeded in bringing Irene back to San Fetillo to remarry her, Irene


    would still be in the same city as Jordan. It would be difficult for Joanne to prevent them from seeing


    each other.


    The thought of Jordan missing Irene made Joanne awfully jealous. No matter what, she could not let


    Irene jeopardize her happiness. Now it seemed that unless Irene disappeared from this world, Jordan


    would never forget her.


    An evil idea knocked on her mind. She slowly clenched her fists, gnashed her teeth and said, "Irene,


    you b*tch, you are going to make my life miserable, aren''t you? I won''t let you have it your way! Just


    you wait and see!"


    On the other side, Jordan had hung up the phone. However, he still felt rather uneasy. Again, he called


    Nathan. He really didn''t understand why Irene''s phone would fall into Edric''s hands. Theoretically, Irene


    would not care about Edric unless she agreed to get back with him.


    As soon as the phone was connected, Jordan asked Nathan if Edric had gone to Mencodia to meet


    Eden.


    Nathan''s words injected Jordan with a dose of relief. He told him that Edric was only staying in the


    White family because of Britney''s invitation. Irene never wanted Eden to reconcile with Edric, nor did


    she agree to marry him.


    Jordan exhaled deeply. "d to hear that. I''m really afraid that Edric will hurt them. You must protect


    them."


    Nathan had always known Jordan''s affection for Irene. It was not strange for Jordan to be so edgy.


    Nathan replied, "Don''t worry! As long as I''m here, Edric can''t hurt them. However, in order to prevent


    Edric from fighting for Eden''s custody, I want Irene and Eden to migrate to Mencodia. Only then Edric


    won''t have his way easily."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Thomas has already told me about this. I am handling their


    migration documents, and they should be able to move to Mencodia soon. No matter how broad Edric''s


    connections are, he can''t do anything once they are at Mencodia." Jordan secretly admired Dave''s


    foresight. Thetter was indeed a prudent man.


    Nathan asked strangely, "Really? Why didn''t I hear about it from Irene?"


    "It''s Thomas'' idea. He wants Irene to focus on Eden''s treatment. He doesn''t want her to worry about


    the other issues, hence hees to me to help him with the migration."


    Of course, Jordan would not tell Nathan that Dave had revealed his real identity to him in order to seek


    his help. He also gave Jordan a design of the sports tournament.


    In fact, even if Jordan didn''t have that piece of drawing, he would still lend a helping hand to Irene. He


    had only himself to me for falling head over heels for Irene; he could never bring himself to turn


    away Irene.


    Pleased, Nathan smiled and said, "I didn''t expect him to be so thoughtful. I will tell Irene about this.


    Thank you."


    "Nah, drop the formality. Okay, now you listen to me. Treat Irene well. Don''t let her suffer any more."


    Jordan attempted to sound as unconcerned as possible, but his heart was replete with sorrow.


    Although he was d that Irene could find Nathan whom she could depend on, that did not eradicate


    his envy at Nathan.


    Nathan received Jordan''s hint at once. Nathan knew too well about the feeling of heartache. He was


    reminded of the time when he learned that Jordan had been pursuing Irene and Irene had also had a


    good impression of Jordan. Now that Irene was about to marry Nathan, she would never go back to


    Jordan.


    He answered very solemnly, "Don''t worry. I promise to make Irene happy for the rest of her life."


    Jordan chortled and said, "Okay, I''ll take you on your words. That''s it. I''m hanging up."


    "Wait a minute. How did you know that Edric came to Mencodia for Eden?" This question shed


    through Nathan''s mind. Based on his understanding of Irene, she should not have called Jordan to tell


    him about this matter. Hence, someone must have tipped him off.


    Hesitated for a moment, Jordan answered, "It''s your sister who snitches on us. After Edric talked to


    Joanne, he went straight to Mencodia."


    "What? Joanne? Why can''t she never learn her lesson?" Nathan had been finding it strange since the


    day Edric came to their house. Putting two and two together now, Nathan could finally wrap his head


    around it.


    When Irene had been kidnapped, Joanne had taken it upon herself to inform the police. Her action had


    almost gotten Irene killed. Thus, he was not surprised at all that Joanne would ry this secret to Edric.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But, how could she be so cruel? How could she hurt Irene again and again?


    On the other side of the phone, Jordan''s voice rang out, this time tinged with a hint of seriousness.


    "Nathan, I have to remind you. You have to be on guard against Joanne. She has always been jealous


    of Irene because I once saw Irene romantically. I am pretty sure that she contacted Edric purposely this


    time so Edric would go to Irene and give Irene a hard time again. I am afraid that she will plot against


    Irene in the future."


    Nathan was silent for a moment before he replied, "Alright, I''ll talk to her."


    After all, Joanne was his sister. No matter how angry Nathan was, he could not badmouth Joanne in


    front of Jordan. Besides, he also hoped that Joanne would live a happy life with Jordan. If he told


    Jordan that Irene had almost been killed by Joanne once, he believed that Jordan would cancel the


    engagement there and then. Jordan would never want to marry Joanne.


    In San Fetillo, at Myers family.


    Margaret leaned on the sofa alone and watched TV, heavy silence hanging in the air. If she had a


    grandchild to keep herpany, she wouldn''t feel so lonely either.


    At the thought of that, Margaret was reminded of Lily. She didn''t know whether Lily could get pregnant


    or not. Anyway, Margaret swore to protect Lily by all means if Lily could carry a child for Edric.


    Her train of thought now went to Edric. Edric had been abroad for a few days, and he hadn''t called


    back once. When she had checked with John, John refused to provide her any useful information.


    She had made countless phone calls, all of which had failed to get through. The rtionship between


    her and Edric had been rocky. Looking at the time, she reckoned that it should be possible for her call


    to get through if she made a call now. She took out her phone and dialled Edric''s number. But to no


    surprise, she still could not reach him.

 Chapter 154 Youre A Grandmother

    Chapter 154 You''re A Grandmother


    Right when Margaret called Edric, Edric was ringing her up as well.


    He was clearly aware of why Irene did not want him to meet Eden and why she was reluctant to


    remarry him. On one hand, it was because she misunderstood him and believed that there was still


    something going on between him and Lily. On other hand, it was because of Margaret''s attitude


    towards her.


    For the former, he could prove to Irene with his actions that he would never have any connection with


    Lily anymore. As for Margaret, he supposed that her attitude towards Irene could be changed.


    The main reason why Margaret treated Irene badly in the past was that Irene could not bear children.


    Now that Irene had given birth to Eden for the Myers family¡ªor in other words, she had brought them a


    sessor¡ªMargaret would probably stop giving Irene a hard time.


    With this thought in mind, Edric took out his phone and called Margaret. Unexpectedly, Margaret was


    also calling him at that moment; hence, he was unable to reach Margaret. Edric then called her again


    using thendline telephone, which was answered by Loraine.


    "Is this Mr. Myers speaking? You''ve finally called. Mrs. Myers was getting anxious for not being able to


    get in touch with you! Give me a moment please, I''ll ask her toe to speak on the phone."


    "Okay," came a curt reply from him. Edric knew that Margaret would be anxious since he didn''t inform


    her before leaving for Mencodia. Besides, he had been ignoring many calls from Margaret as he was in


    a bad mood for the past few days.


    After a short while, Margaret''s voice brimming with anxiety rang from the phone. "Edric, why have you


    been ignoring my phone calls? John told me that you went to Mencodia, but you didn''t tell me about it.


    So why did you even go there? You¡ª"


    "Mom, I have something to tell you." Edric didn''t want to listen to Margaret''s rambling anymore. He


    interrupted her and said straightforwardly, "Eden is my biological son, and that makes you a


    grandmother now."


    There was a few seconds of silence on the other side of the phone. Soon after, Margaret raised her


    voice. "What did you say? You are trying to lie to me just so you could remarry Irene, aren''t you?"


    Edric felt both exasperated and amused. It was not surprising that Margaret would doubt him. After all,


    she had always been unsupportive of the idea of him reconciling with Irene, and it was only natural for


    Margaret to think that he was making up a story.


    "Mom, I am not lying; this is absolutely true. If you don''t believe me, I can swear on my life for this. If I''d


    lied to you, when I go back, the ne I''m on will¡ª"


    "Alright, alright, I believe you!" Margaret hurriedly interjected. "What''s going on? Didn''t Irene say that


    the child belonged to some other man? How could that boy be your child?"


    "She lied to me on purpose. She didn''t want me to know that Eden was my son," Edric replied.


    "Then why did she tell you now?" Margaret questioned.


    Edric said, "Mom, it''s difficult to exin it on the phone. I''ll talk to you about it next time. There''s only


    one thing that I want to ask you for now. Since Eden is mine and Irene''s, do you still oppose me from


    remarrying Irene?"


    "Well..." Margaret was in a dilemma. Every time she recalled Irene''s bad attitude towards her, she felt


    rather reluctant to live under the same roof as Irene.


    Moreover, Lily was already with Edric now. If things worked out, she would have another grandson, and


    Edric would have no choice but to marry Lily. Between Lily and Irene, Margaret would rather choose


    Lily to be her daughter-inw.


    She mentioned, "Didn''t Irene leave for Mencodia and refuse to remarry you?"


    "As long as you promise to treat her well in the future, she will surelye back with me," came a reply


    from Edric.


    "Let''s talk about this another time. Bring Eden back first, will you? He is a descendant of the Myers


    family, and it''s only logical for him to join his own family as soon as possible," Margaret still had doubts


    in her heart. She knew Edric''s character well; he could do anything for Irene. If everything was a lie


    from him solely for the sake of remarrying Irene, she''d better not get too excited and exhrated about


    it first. Only if Eden was back in Havend and that they have gotten a paternity test could she be


    However, Edric was adamant to make things go his way. "I will definitely bring Eden back, but you must


    promise me that you will never make it for Irene again. Otherwise, Irene will never allow me to meet


    Eden, nor will she be willing to remarry me."


    "What? She won''t let Eden meet you?" Margaret was infuriated upon hearing this. "Eden is a part of us.


    Who does she think she is to not let Eden meet you? I''lle to Mencodia this instant and get Eden


    back for you!"


    "Mom, wouldn''t you be making things worse if you do so? I can handle this matter myself, so please


    don''te over. Otherwise, if you anger Irene, she''ll bring Eden to another ce, and I won''t be able


    to find them again. And when that happens, you would not be able to see your grandson ever again."


    "Fine, I will stay put here, happy now? However, it''s a must for you to bring Eden back to me. The


    grandson of the Myers family would never be allowed to have a different surname. Do you hear me?"


    "Fine, let''s not talk about this anymore. That''s all for now." After finishing his words, Edric ended the


    call adamantly. If he had known better, he wouldn''t have called Margaret. Margaret was simply


    unreasonable. Even at this point in time, she was still trying to force Irene and Eden into everything. It


    seemed like he had to rely on himself to persuade Irene!


    After ending the call, Margaret felt a lump in her throat. It was such shocking news! All of a sudden, she


    had a grandson. Moreover, he was given birth by Irene, whom Margaret always thought was infertile.


    What should she do with this information? She was at a loss.


    On second thought, she felt delighted. She had a grandson now! The Myers family had a sessor


    now...


    However, it was yet to be confirmed whether or not this child was truly a Myer.


    No! Margaret felt that it was better for her to go and witness everything with her own eyes, as she


    couldn''t just choose to listen to Irene''s words alone. Now that Edric was crazily in love with her, he


    might be cheated by her. Indeed, it was better to go and see for herself. If the child Irene brought with


    her was really her grandson, Margaret wouldn''t hesitate to bring him back and raise him on her own.


    But if everything was untrue, she could then prevent Edric from being taken advantage of.


    In Mencodia.


    Nathan was setting off to thepany. On the way there, he was reminded of Rowane who was now


    recuperating in the hospital; thus, he turned to the hospital instead. They had already lodged a police


    report for what happened that night. The police investigated the scene but had not found anything


    suspicious. The security cameras nearby were broken and no evidence could be gathered at all. The


    police then left after going to the hospital to understand the entire situation.


    When Nathan arrived at the hospital, Rowane who was in the intensive care unit, had not woken up


    yet. Nathan stood outside the ss door and looked at Rowane who had an oxygen mask on.


    Who on earth would think of harming this young woman? Was it for vengeance? Or was it a plotted


    murder?


    If her rtives knew about her current state, it was impossible to imagine how worried they would be.


    Taking in the simrities of her face to Irene''s, Nathan felt a heavy feeling deep in him. He then asked


    the driver to hire two nurses to take care of Rowane and left the hospital.


    "Hello. Where are you, my son?" Margaret couldn''t wait to meet Edric as soon as she got off the ne.


    "Mom, are you also in Mencodia right now?" Edric was surprised.


    "Of course, how could I note when such a serious matter happened? Quick, tell me where you


    are!"


    Edric smiled bitterly. Margaret was impatient as always. However, little did she know that everything


    was not as simple as she thought it was. "Mom, how about you settle down in the hotel first? I''ll meet


    you right away."


    When Edric arrived at the hotel, Margaret''s patience was already running thin. "Why did youe


    alone? Where is my grandson? Why didn''t you bring him here?"


    "Mom, it''s moreplicated than you could even understand. Eden does not know that he has us as


    his family. Irene didn''t tell him, and now, she is going to marry Nathan," Edric told Margaret everything


    with details.


    Margaret was outraged when she heard this. "This woman is trying to give my grandson to someone


    else! How could she do that? No, I will never allow my grandson to see someone else as his family!"


    "Mom, can''t you let me solve this matter by myself?" His rtionship with Irene was already greatly


    affected because of Margaret. He didn''t want Margaret to do anything extreme that could only make


    things worse.


    "You wouldn''t be able to solve this alone. I have to be the one who deals with it." Margaret certainly


    didn''t want to listen to him. "I have to meet my grandson first!"


    "Eden is sick. Besides, you shouldn''t be so rash with your decisions. Eden doesn''t know that I am his


    father and that you''re his grandmother. Stop trying to trigger him by addressing him as your grandson."


    Edric frowned disapprovingly.


    Margaret felt displeased with the thought of Edric defending Irene. It seemed that she had to take


    matters into her own hands; she certainly couldn''t count on Edric. First of all, she had to make sure


    whether Eden was actually Edric''s biological son, and that was the main thing that must be confirmed


    as of that moment. She came up with an idea.


    During the early hours of the following morning, Margaret arrived at White Mansion as an uninvited


    guest alone without Edric''s knowledge.


    "What made Mrs. Myerse all the way here, I wonder?" Britney asked the servant to serve Margaret


    tea. She had a smile on her face, but there was no sparkle of warmth in her eyes.


    Needless to say, she knew who Margaret was¡ªa bad-tempered and snobbish woman who was not


    easy to get along with. Now that Margaret visited them in person, it was as clear as daylight that she


    already knew what happened.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "I''m here to visit my grandson. Why don''t you let my grandsone meet me, Madam Britney?"


    Margaret said in an honest and frank manner.


    "I''m afraid you''ve made a mistake, Mrs. Myers." Britney faked a chuckle.


    "It''s no mistake. Irene''s child is my grandson. Didn''t you know?" Margaret sneered. "It''s impossible that


    such a secret could be hidden from someone as percipient as you, isn''t it?"


    Britney tittered and said, "I''m too old for that now, and I have long ignored those youngsters'' affairs."


    "You''d really just leave them alone? Are you telling me that you''re just going to stand there and watch


    as Nathan, the future heir of the White family hangs out with a divorced woman?" Margaret barked with


    a look of disdain. "Irene is just someone that Edric doesn''t want. Wouldn''t your family feel irksome with


    her entering your household?"


    "My opinion is different from yours, Mrs. Myers. I find Irene rather perfect!" Britney chortled as she


    continued, "Of course, it''s not an absurd matter that you dislike her. After all, what happened in the past


    certainly isn''t something to be proud of..."


    Margaret was visibly startled by her words, and she instantly felt mortified. Edric''s divorce and the fact


    that Lily, a mistress became hiswful wife was no longer a secret for Britney.


    "Madam Britney, sometimes I do wonder. Why does someone young and handsome like Nathan wish


    to be tied with a woman that has a child? Perhaps, was there some undisclosed problem with him, that


    he has to look for Irene who already has a readily born son?" In order to make her look less awkward,


    Margaret began humiliating Britney.


    Britney was ady with manners. She chose not to snap back, although her expression did be


    colder. Nevertheless, Joanne, who was beside Britney, was consumed by rage at once. "Mrs. Myers, I


    know you are notorious in San Fetillo and it turns out you certainly are! However, you''re here in the


    White family in Mencodia now, not in San Fetillo. My grandmother and I are not some pushovers like


    Irene either. If you wish to pitch a tantrum, you should''ve done it at the right ce. Am I right, Mrs.


    Myers?"


    Moltenva flowed through Margaret''s veins while she was being lectured by Joanne. With a cold


    smirk, Margaret said, "Who are you to butt in when the elders are speaking? It''s really eye-opening


    how the White family educates their people! Where''s your manner? How could a younger person


    interrupt the elders?!"


    "I wonder where your manner is too, Mrs. Myers!" Irene and Nathan appeared with Eden in their arms.


    As soon as they entered the door, they heard their conversation. A wave of inexplicable


    anger immediately rose inside them. Margaret was really arrogant. She used to treat Irene as such


    before; but now, she had the audacity to barge into the White family to make a scene. Who did


    Margaret think she was?!

 Chapter 155 A Fight

    Chapter 155 A Fight


    Margaret heard Irene''s voice and immediately turned her head around. She chuckled evilly. "Well, well,


    look who it is..."


    Her gaze intensified as she looked over to Eden who was sleeping in Nathan''s arms. Before Edric had


    mentioned it, she would never have imagined that Eden was rted to her. But after listening to what


    Edric had said, she realized the child in front of her looked just like a young Edric.


    She couldn''t help but walk over and reach out to stroke Eden''s head. Nathan dodged to one side and


    looked at her warily. "Mrs. Myers, what were you trying to do?"


    "Is this boy my grandson?" Margaret felt a twinge of upset that she had not managed to touch Eden,


    but her sadness was soon washed away, reced by excitement.


    "Mrs. Myers, you''re mistaken. This is my son, not your grandson!" Irene walked up to them, her face


    taut. She might be patient with Edric, but Margaret¡­ was thest person on earth that she wanted to


    see.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "You..." Margaret''s face changed. "Irene, is this how you should be talking to me? I used to be your


    mother-inw!"


    "Oh? I didn''t realize you were aware that you used to be my mother-inw?" Irene sniggered. "If that''s


    the case, you''d better keep yourself in check. This is not the Myers family. Your tactics won''t work


    here!"


    "You are the guest here. Please take a seat, and we can talk it out, Mrs. Myers!" Britney said


    diplomatically, defusing the tense situation. With all themotion, Eden roused from his sleep. He


    rubbed his eyes and drawled, "Mom, you''re home? Why didn''t you wake me?"


    "You were sleeping so soundly so she didn''t wake you," Nathan answered.


    Affection swirling in her eyes, Britney looked at Eden and said, "Come here."


    Eden went to Britney''s side obediently. Britney held him on herp and asked, "Did you get an injection


    today?"


    "Yes, but I didn''t cry!" Eden answered proudly.


    "Good boy!" Britney kissed Eden''s face. Meanwhile, Margaret''s eyes never left Eden. She just stared at


    Eden and watched as the White familyvished him with adoration. In her heart, a storm of anger was


    surging. This was HER grandson. As his grandmother, she had been kept in the dark while the White


    family took away her adorable little grandson. To sit back and watch as he was being hogged by


    others? Over her dead body!


    "Irene, I''m here for the child."


    Irene lifted her eyebrows slightly andughed mockingly. "Child? What child? Mrs. Myers, you don''t


    have dementia, do you?"


    "Stop with this act. I know that Eden is my grandson!" Margaret hissed, her tone without any room for


    negotiation.


    "Your grandson? What right do you make such a im?" Irene ridiculed. "Mrs. Myers, I gave birth to


    him after my divorce and therefore has nothing to do with you. I''m sure it''ll be easy for you to get a


    grandson. After all, you''re always scheming for one. Just get a mistress, or find a surrogate, and vo,


    you will soon have one. This is my son. Don''t you dare toy your hands on him!"


    Margaret''s face flushed red. She said after a long while, "Irene, let''s get a paternity test to see if he is


    truly my grandson. Your word doesn''t count for anything!"


    Irene couldn''t help but sh a scornful grin again. How could Margaret be so self-righteous?


    "A paternity test? Why would I subject my child to a paternity test? Who are you to demand this?" Irene


    was no longer the pushover she used to be. In front of these people, she had to protect those she


    loved.


    "I might not have the right, but Edric does. I''ll have you know, as long as Eden is my grandson, I have


    the right to take him away!" barked Margaret.


    "In your wildest dreams!" Irene did not give in. "If anyone dares toy so much as a finger on Eden, I''ll


    drag them into the depths of hell!"


    Margaret was stunned; she did not expect Irene to be so resolute.


    Their quarrel was in a deadlock. Eden stared at Irene with his eyes wide open before he darted them to


    look at Margaret. He said in a childish voice, "Don''t raise your voice to my mother, you baddy!"


    "You''re my grandson. Come to Grandma!" Looking at Eden''s flickering big eyes, Margaret''s heart


    softened, her tone turned gentler.


    Eden frowned slightly and shook her head at her. "You are not my grandma. You are a bad person.


    A bad person who argued with my mother!"


    Margaret was taken aback. She stood up and looked at Irene, hatred spilling from her gaze. It was all


    Irene''s fault! She deliberately concealed the fact that she gave birth to Eden and taught him toe to


    hate her and Edric. An evil incarnation Irene was!


    Irene felt sad looking at Eden''s expression as he tried to protect her. She had always wanted him to


    lead a peaceful life, but things didn''t go as nned. She no longer wanted Eden to be faced with


    Margaret''s obnoxious demeanor, so she went over and picked him up. "Good boy, let''s go upstairs to


    y!"


    "What are you doing? We haven''t finished discussing what to do about the child yet!" Seeing Irene


    carrying Eden upstairs, Margaret was anxious!


    "Mrs. Myers, do have some self-respect. If you don''t want to humiliate yourself further, please see


    yourself out. I''ve told you, this is my child. He has nothing to do with you. Don''t be mistaken!" With that,


    Irene turned on her heel and left.


    Margaret was unwilling to let them go. It had taken her so long to realize that she had such an adorable


    grandson. She really wanted to hold him in her arms and kiss him hard. When she saw Irene carrying


    Eden upstairs, she stood up and stopped Irene, reaching out to grab Eden in her arms.


    "What are you doing?" Irene reached out to push her.


    Margaret refused to let go and roared, "Give my grandson to me!"


    Eden had never seen such a scene before, and he cried out in fear.


    Nathan came over immediately. "Mrs. Myers, let go. You''re scaring the boy!"


    Margaret turned a deaf ear to Nathan, and naturally, Irene would not give in either. Britney started to


    be apprehensive as she urged, "Mrs. Myers, please let go right now. The child is young, and he''s


    sick. He isn''t going to be able to withstand you tugging at him like this!"


    "I won''t. This is my grandson. I''m going to take him away!" Margaret bellowed, her voice rising like a


    tornado.


    "What are you doing?" Edric suddenly appeared. He hadn''t been able to locate Margaret anywhere.


    Finally, he guessed that she must havee here; therefore, he rushed over in a hurry. When he


    entered the door, he saw the scene before him.


    "Edric,e and help me. Take Eden away immediately!"


    At the sight of Edric, Margaret felt like a savior had just walked through the door. She hadpletely


    lost her usual elegant image.


    "The child is in poor health. Mr. Myers, please take your mother away." Britney was most worried about


    Eden''s physical condition.


    Eden''s condition had just only stabilized. If this went on, he would definitely fall ill again.


    Fear possessing him, Eden clutched Irene tightly. Behind her, Margaret refused to listen to anything


    they were saying. She was bent on taking Eden away.


    Joanne was the only one of them who stood by and watched the show.


    "Mom, I told you I''ll solve this problem myself." Edric grabbed Margaret''s wrist.


    "No, you can''t solve it. By hook or by crook, I will take my grandson away!" Margaret insisted that she


    would notpromise on this matter.


    As she spoke, she strengthened her grip. Eden''s crying grew louder. Irene''s heart ached and tears


    flowed down her cheeks. She was his mother. How could she bear to see Eden suffer? But at the same


    time, she was unwilling to let Margaret touch Eden. Finally, after some contemtion, she loosened her


    hand and Margaret pulled Eden closely to her.


    But Eden didn''t want to be near Margaret. He squirmed and cried in her arms, and even hit her face


    with his hand. Margaret felt the pain, and thus she loosened her grip and Eden fell to the floor.


    A scream pierced the air as Nathan held Eden in his arms andforted him distressingly. Edric also


    stepped forward quickly. Irene looked at Eden, whose face was pale and writhed in pain as he cried


    loudly. Resentment rose from the bottom of her heart. With all the wrath in her, she pped Edric''s


    face. "Edric Myers, are you happy now?"


    Looking at the clear fingerprints on Edric''s face, Margaret felt her heart ache. She cursed inwardly that


    Irene was so vicious she even dared to p Edric''s face in front of everyone. "You vicious woman, you


    refused to let me see my grandson, and now you dare to p my son! I''ll put you in your ce!"


    Irene''s eyes were bloodshot as she approached Margaret. "If you make trouble here again, I swear I''ll


    kill you!"


    The coldness in her eyes sent shivers down Margaret''s spine. For some reason, she was trembling in


    fear. Irene had always been meek. This was the first time she exuded such a terrifying aura. Margaret


    felt like Irene would actually kill her, so she retreated frightfully.


    Nathan and Irene were anxious at Eden''s continual crying. They sent Eden back to the hospital. The


    doctor gave him a check-up and said that he was merely in shock. It would be better to let him stay in


    the hospital for the moment to be observed. In the ward, the faint beeping sound of the hospital


    equipment was the only noise heard. Irene stared at Eden''s pallid face and felt so dejected that tears


    started trickling again.


    "Eden... I''m so sorry..." she trailed off.


    Nathan reached out to hold her in his arms and patted her gently. "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine!"


    "Nathan..." she said with tears in her eyes. If it wasn''t for her, Nathan wouldn''t be sucked into this


    horrible situation. "I''m sorry!"


    "You silly girl, I want to do this for you. I''ll be happy as long as you''re happy!"


    Edric pushed the door open and saw the two of them hugging each other in the ward. Feeling as if his


    heart had cracked, he could no longer keep looking at them. He turned around and left. Standing in the


    empty corridor, he felt his heart sink all the way to his stomach!


    Irene walked out of the ward and saw a tall and lonely figure in the corridor at a nce. Edric was like a


    sculpture, standing there motionlessly. Looking at the red marks on his handsome side profile and his


    furrowed brows, she felt bad about her earlier action. But when she recalled Eden who was still lying in


    the ward, that feeling disappeared instantly. She walked over with an impassive face.


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t know it would turn out like this..." Edric apologized. This time, he was indeed tongue-


    tied.


    The problem between them seemed to always lie in Margaret. He naively thought that he could solve


    everything, but in the end, he was at the mercy of his own powerlessness.


    "If you really feel sorry, show me what you''d do! Actions speak louder than words! As long as you and


    your mother stay away from us, Eden and I will be safe and sound!" Irene responded coldly. She didn''t


    hate Edric, but she could never forgive Margaret.


    "It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have told her. I thought it would help¡ª"


    "Help? What sort of help? Don''t you know what kind of person your mother is?" Irene shouted at the


    top of her lungs.


    "She did it in the heat of the moment. She wants a grandson so badly that she lost her temper. She


    doesn''t really intend to hurt the child¡ª"


    "If she wants a grandson, why don''t you get together with some other woman and give birth to one?


    Doesn''t she keep a lot of tricks up her sleeve? This shouldn''t be a problem for her. So what is she


    pestering me for? She is a mother herself; how can she be so cruel?! Eden is still sick. Do you have


    any idea how all of this will affect him?" Irene bombarded him with questions mercilessly.


    "She... doesn''t know what''s going on with Eden... If she knew Eden was sick, she would never do that!"


    Edric replied firmly.


    "I do not want to listen to any of your apologies and excuses. If you really wish for Eden''s best, please


    leave, both of you. Don''t ever show up in his life again!" Irene retorted.


    "Irene, how could you ask me to leave at a time like this? How could I?" He was Eden''s father. It was


    fine before when he hadn''t known. But now that he had learned the truth, how could he abandon his ill


    son and leave?


    "What can you do if you stay?" Irene questioned, "Look at your mother. Do you think that if you stay, it


    will help the situation? Do you want to see her snatch my son away and have a repeat of what


    happened today?"


    "I..." Edric was speechless. It was indeed useless for Margaret to stay. The most urgent matter at hand


    was to persuade Margaret to go back. "Irene, I will persuade her to leave the country."


    "That''s your business, Mr. Myers. You and I have nothing to do with each other. Please stop bothering


    me. I beg you!" Irene looked at Edric.


    "Don''t you realize what kind of person your mother is? She treated me so horribly in the past, and yet


    she still hasn''t shown the slightest bit of remorse. All she wants is Eden. Can''t you see that?"


    Of course, Edric knew that Margaret hade for Eden. He also knew that Margaret and Irene had not


    got along well in the past. "Irene, I promise this won''t happen again! Please believe in me!"


    "No, I will not believe you. Edric, I know what you''re thinking. But it''s impossible between us. Your


    mother only came for Eden. I know that women all too well. A ssic case of a toxic mother-inw who


    covets only her descendants and gives zero care for the daughter-inw. She''s going toe to me


    and offer a sum of money right in my face in exchange for Eden. I willy it clear to you at this very


    moment. Eden is mine, and mine alone. He has nothing to do with either of you. Stop getting the wrong


    idea!"

 Chapter 156 She Didnt Want To Live Like That Anymore

    Chapter 156 She Didn''t Want To Live Like That Anymore


    Edric was speechless at Irene''s words. It was true¡ªMargaret was the kind of person who would do


    such a thing. He could not think of anything to refute her words.


    "Edric, we are finished. If you have even the tiniest bit of affection towards me, if you really want what''s


    best for Eden, then I beg you to let me go. Nathan and I will get married soon. I am imploring you not to


    pester us anymore! Please!" Edric''s eyes darkened when he heard that. In his mind, he thought, "Irene,


    are you so eager to marry Nathan? Don''t you feel anything for me?"


    Seeing that he was silent, Irene didn''t want to stay there any longer and walked right past him out the


    door.


    "You really aren''t going to give me a chance?" Edric asked pitifully.


    Tears began streaming down her face. Irene turned her head away to prevent Edric from seeing her


    cry. "Even if I give you a chance, so what? You have a mother who looks upon me so unkindly. We are


    destined to be unhappy if we live together. Edric, love is not everything. I can''t take this anymore. I


    suffered so much in the three years we were married. How much more of that do you want me to go


    through?"


    Her voice wasced with unspeakable sadness and destion. Edric felt his heart sink, his body


    rooted to the floor like a statue. Even as she disappeared from sight, he stood there, transfixed by her


    words.


    On the same night, Marie and Lily arrived at San Fetillo Hospital, both well-prepared to carry out the


    embryo imntation surgery. It was a routine procedure for Marie; after all, she was a skilled surgeon.


    During the procedure, she deftly imnted the embryo into Lily''s womb, her skillful hands making


    miraculous work. After the surgery went off without a hitch, they both sighed in relief. Marie instructed


    Lily to rest in the ward for a few hours and cautioned her not to move about too much or strain her body


    with exercise. This was to prevent the embryo from getting dislodged from her womb, which would


    cause the surgery to fail.


    After that, Marie left the hospital while Lily stayed in the ward with Deborah.


    Not long after Marie left, a man in a military jacket snuck into the hospital. He made a few rounds in the


    wards before heading to the parking lot. There, he took stock of his surroundings. At this hour, security


    was a littlex; hence, he watched and waited for a while before noticing an Audi parked in one corner.


    Walking quietly over to the car, he peeped inside.


    At a nce, his eyes lit up in delight. In the car was ady''s handbag. The man whipped out a ss


    cutter and cut a hole in the car window. In a sh, he grabbed the handbag, cleared out all of its


    valuables, and disappeared into After Dark.


    Meanwhile back in Mencodia, Margaret sensed that something was wrong when she noticed Eden


    being rushed to the hospital. Britney was normally courteous towards her, but after seeing how bad the


    condition Eden was in, her attitude hadpletely changed. Shemanded her servants to show


    Margaret out, and then retired to her study with a stormy expression on her face.


    Margaret thought herself worthy of more respect. Thus, being shooed out by Britney''s servants like this


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    was very insulting to her. But she had no excuse to linger there. After leaving the home of the White


    family, she huffily returned to her hotel. Along the way, she kept calling Edric, but he didn''t pick up.


    By now, her anger had reached its boiling point, and she needed to find someone tosh out on. When


    she was in San Fetillo, the first person she would look for was Loraine. But now that she was in


    Mencodia, she had no one around her.


    With no other solution, Margaret thought of Marie and called her up at once, even though it was sote


    at night at this moment. Marie had finished the surgery and had just returned home. Seeing Margaret


    calling at this hour, she assumed that something serious must have urred; therefore, she answered


    the call immediately. In a flurry of spluttering words, Margaret told her what had happened earlier that


    day. Upon hearing that Eden was Edric''s child, Marie was taken aback, saying, "Surely, you must be


    mistaken?"


    "No, it''s true! I thought the same at first; I refused to believe the child was Edric''s. But when we met


    and I took a closer look, I realized that he''s the spitting image of Edric when he was a young boy. He


    really is Edric''s child!" Margaret wasn''t doubting the child''s identity. She was more indignant at Irene''s


    attitude towards them. "That malicious woman secretly gave birth to a child and kept his existence from


    us. What is she ying here?"


    "She''s definitely up to no good," responded Marie. Naturally, Marie wanted to add fuel to the fire. "She


    is obviously using her son for selfish reasons."


    "Why didn''t she tell us that she was pregnant when she got divorced? If she had, I wouldn''t have made


    her divorce Edric." Margaret was the type of person to always push the me onto someone else.


    Clearly, she was the one who had forced Irene to divorce Edric, but now she somehow managed to


    twist the story around and put the me on Irene.


    "Who knows what she was thinking." But Marie knew, of course, why Irene had kept silent. She was


    just like Myra, a stubborn and prideful woman. She was convinced that Edric had betrayed her, so


    obviously she kept the news of her pregnancy to herself. For Marie, this was the perfect opportunity to


    gaslight Margaret so she could hate Irene more, thus paving the way for Marie''s own ns.


    "I think she is deliberately torturing both Edric and you. She knows you want grandchildren and that


    Edric feels sorry towards her. She is trying to upset the peace in your family!" barked Marie.


    Margaret was now convinced that this was indeed Irene''s motive. She was deliberately taking revenge


    on Margaret and Edric. Marie''s words had made a deep impression on her. "Yes, that''s it! She hates


    us, so she wants to take revenge on us. What a vile woman! I''ll put an end to her schemes!"


    "What are you going to do?" Marie asked tentatively.


    "That boy belongs to the Myers family, so of course I''ll take him back. As for Irene, if she even thinks


    about stepping into the Myers family again, she can dream on! Not while I''m still alive," Margaret spoke


    these words wholeheartedly and emphatically. She knew she must have Eden. She and Irene were


    enemies from the start. Really, how Irene could have ever been a good match for Edric? Margaret


    swore that she would never allow Irene to walk through those doors again.


    "She definitely isn''t going to agree to give the child to you," reminded Marie.


    "She won''t have a choice. Does she think she can beat us?" Margaret said arrogantly, "I''ll just throw


    some money her way. If she refuses, I''ll file awsuit against her. Let''s see who will win!"


    This was basically a deration of war. Perhaps Margaret really was too stupid to see where this would


    all lead. Irene wasn''t just some ordinary girl¡ªshe was Steven''s daughter. Margaret was convinced that


    she would win thewsuit, but Marie knew better. Steven wouldn''t sit idly by if Irene lost custody of


    Eden. Then again, perhaps it was better this way. A deration of war did have some upsides to


    everyone involved.


    Marie continued to egg Margeret on. "Yes, if she doesn''t agree, take her to court. With the financial


    backing of the Myers Group, there''s no way she''ll be able to keep the child!"


    Margaret''s mood lifted after hearing Marie''s persuasive words, but Marie was still pensive. She had to


    put in a few good words for Lily so Margaret would rally behind them in support. "Margaret, I''m telling


    you, you can''t give in to someone like Irene. The child belongs to the Myers family; you must take him


    back. With such a sh*tty person like Irene as his mother, you have to really take good care of him. Lily


    is way better for that boy than Irene. While Irene has been stirring things up between you and Edric,


    Lily has been running up and down, preparing for the sports tournament. I heard Deborah say that


    almost everything under the sports tournament will fall to the Myers Group."


    "Really?" Margaret was delighted.


    "It''s true. With a daughter-inw like Lily who works so hard for the Myers family, thepany will


    definitely soar to greater heights. You must be firm in your convictions; don''t let Edric convince you


    otherwise," Marie added.


    "I understand. By the way, has there been any news about Lily?"


    "I haven''t asked yet. I''ll do so tomorrow," Marie answered. Although she was confident in her own


    surgery skills, she still couldn''t guarantee that it would be a sess. She wanted to monitor the


    situation to make sure no potentialplications arose before bringing it up again.


    Marie knew Margaret was fond of children. Thus, during the surgery, she''d made sure to imnt two


    embryos. If it was a sess, then Lily would be pregnant with twins. The chances of having twins were


    so small that when that news broke, Margaret would certainly be over the moon!


    They chatted a bit longer and then ended the call.


    After hanging up the phone, Marie didn''t feelpletely at ease, and wanted to call Deborah to check


    on Lily. But since Lily had just had her surgery, Marie didn''t want to disturb her rest either.


    Therefore, she opted to wait until the next day to ring them up.


    After Margaret had poured her heart out to Marie, she felt a lot calmer. Thinking about recent events, it


    seemed that she had indeed gone too far. Eden was such a young child; what if he had been injured


    from his fall? She started getting anxious again so she called Edric, but still there was no answer.


    Margaret started overthinking things again. What if Eden was seriously injured from his fall? If that was


    the case then she had made things even worse than she thought. Even though she was haughty and


    snobbish, she wasn''t really an evil person. She had a sharp tongue, but she had never actually


    physically harmed anyone before.


    At nightfall, Edric finally appeared, his expression inconsble. Margaret was worried about Eden, but


    she was used to bossing people around, hence, her tone was rather unpleasant as she barked, "Irene


    spoils her child too much. It''s just a fall isn''t it? Is all that really necessary?"


    On hearing that, Edric turned to stare at Margaret. His eyes were filled with a gleam of unfamiliar


    darkness that Margaret had never seen before. She shivered unconsciously as he asked, "Mom, are


    you really my mother?"


    "What are you talking about?" Margaret felt extremely guilty under Edric''s gaze.


    "How can you say all these things? Even a healthy child wouldn''t have been able to withstand your


    force, let alone a sick one. He is your grandson! How can you be so indifferent and cold-blooded?"


    Edric suddenly grew furious. Irene was going to marry Nathan, and Eden was sick. He felt being pulled


    apart from the inside out.


    "Wait! Is the child sick? What''s wrong with the child?" Margaret asked nervously.


    "It''s leukemia!" Edric sat down with his head in his arms, his tone strapped with helplessness and


    sorrow.


    "What do you mean? How could my grandson have such a disease?! It''s all that woman''s fault. If she


    hadn''t had given birth to him in secret, would he have gotten this sick?" Margaret was both irate and


    remorseful. She was used to finding a scapegoat for every misfortune and mishap in life, therefore she


    immediately started pinning the me on Irene.


    "Even now you still have the nerve to find an excuse? How can you honestly keep ming Irene for


    everything? Other people might not know the truth, but I know you were the one who found a surrogate


    mother, you were the one who forced Irene and me to get divorced, and you were the one who kicked


    Irene and Eden out. Everything''s such a mess, and you''re the mastermind behind it all!" yelled Edric.


    "Edric, keep your voice down. This is a hotel. People can hear us! Have you no shame?" Margaret''s


    face turned red.


    "Shame? Do you know what shame even means? If you did, you wouldn''t have rushed over to the


    White family to make such a scene today. Look at what you have done!" Edric roared.


    "I was just... frustrated! Irene wouldn''t let me see my own grandson so I was upset. If she would just let


    me hug him, would I even have to do that?" Margaret tried to exin herself in a small voice.


    "What do you have to be upset about? The mother of your grandson is toiling and working hard to raise


    her own child; is that not the natural order of things? You''re also a mother yourself. If someone tried to


    take your son away, would you just sit back and do nothing?" Edric asked incredulously.


    "Of course, I wouldn''t! But I''m not some random stranger! I''m the boy''s grandmother. I just wanted to


    see him, that''s all. I had no bad intentions¡ª"


    "Since you want to see him, why didn''t you try your hardest to ask for Irene''s forgiveness and make


    amends for all the mistakes you had done in the past? But look at what you have done instead. You


    had thrown a hissy fit. All you know how to do is cause a scene and stir up more trouble. Do you


    honestly think that will change anything?"


    "I didn''t mean to cause that. I just love him so much. Edric, I''m your own mother. Why could I ever hurt


    my grandson?" Margaret felt that she''d been unfairly wronged.


    "But you''re not good to Irene! Mom, as long as you''re treating Irene badly, the issues between me and


    her will never be resolved!" Edric grabbed his head.


    "Doesn''t she also treat me badly? How could you put all the me on me?" Now Margaret was


    unhappy.


    "You''re the one who forced her hand! Think over it yourself. How well did Irene treat you when we were


    married? For goodness'' sake, think about it!" Edric''s eyes were bloodshot.


    "I treated her well at that time, didn''t I?" Margaret retorted.


    There was no way to get his point through to her. Edric had no choice but to vent his anger on the table


    beside him, violently mming his fist down, hard.

 Chapter 157 She Refused To Be Pushed Around

    Chapter 157 She Refused To Be Pushed Around


    Frightened, Margaret stopped talking at once. Edric mmed down his fist on the table a couple more


    times. At the sight of this, Margaret''s heart ached and she quickly went to his side to stop him. "Edric,


    don''t do this!"


    Edric looked at Margaret with bloodshot eyes. "Mom, if you really care about me, please return to


    Havend immediately. With Eden''s condition now, I don''t want you to disturb them. Irene and I will find


    a way to cure him!"


    "How do you n on doing so? Leukemia is no flu or fever. How can I not worry?" asked Margaret,


    unwilling to leave.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "I''ve already found a way. We could get him a bone marrow transnt. Irene is pregnant. When the


    child is born, we could transnt parts of his bone marrow to Eden."


    "Irene is pregnant again? Is it yours?" Margaret squealed, aghast. She was already surprised to find


    out about Eden; yet now, she was about to have another grandchild again. She didn''t know how to


    react to this shocking news.


    "Yes, it''s mine. Now go back home. You''ll only cause more trouble if you remain here." Edric softened


    his tone, trying to get Margaret to leave.


    "I won''t! My grandson is sick; how can I abandon him? I can''t leave. I''ll stay here to look after him,"


    Margaret insisted. Noticing that Edric was staring at her, she quickly added, "I promise I won''t be a


    nuisance. Don''t worry, I won''t bother Irene!"


    Edric let out a long sigh. What was he supposed to do? Margaret wasn''t an evil person; she had a


    heart of gold as well. But she had a short temper and would oftensh out at others with her mean


    words. With such a temper, it was bound to be difficult for her and Irene to get along with each other.


    Deborah apanied Lily in the hospital until dawn before leaving. When she walked to the parking


    lot, she was dumbfounded. Her car window had been smashed and her handbag was gone. Breathless


    with anger, Deborah immediately went looking for a security guard.


    The security guard examined the CCTV footage and saw that the break-in was carried out by a man


    wearing a military jacket. The director of the hospital was also in pure disbelief. Deborah was Steven''s


    wife and her car had been broken into at his hospital. Standing by and doing nothing was out of the


    question. He stepped forward and personally offered to bring her car to the workshop to be repaired.


    He also offered to pay for the damages inflicted.


    At first, Deborah was distraught, butter on, she realized that she should try not to make a big fuss


    over this. Up till now, Steven had no idea that she and Lily had visited the hospital for the operation.


    They''d lied to him and instead imed that they were going on vacation. If he were to find out the truth,


    they would be in deep trouble.


    Deborah eventually recaptured herposure and epted thepensation offered, asking the


    hospital director to keep this matter under wraps. Both Deborah and Lily were devastated, as their car


    was now out ofmission. They had no choice but to take a cab to a hotel and stay there for two


    days before returning home.


    After recuperating in the intensive care unit for two days, Rowane finally regained her consciousness.


    The nurse called Nathan over excitedly as soon as she woke up.


    Nathan rushed to the hospital. A Havend doctor was already attending to Rowane. "Are you alright?


    If you can hear me, please blink once." Rowane blinked her eyes once.


    "Do you have difficulty breathing? If not, please blink once." She blinked again.


    "She appears to have fully recovered, don''t you think?" whispered the nurse next to him.


    "Nurse, please help the patient take off her oxygen mask," the doctor ordered the nurse.


    "Who are you? What am I doing here?" These were the first words that tumbled out of Rowane''s


    mouth. Although her voice was soft, it was clear.


    "We are doctors, and you''re in a hospital. You were hit by a car, and you are receiving treatment right


    now," exined the doctor.


    "I was hit by a... car? Why... why can''t I remember anything?" stammered Rowane.


    "Look, this was the man who brought you here." The doctor gestured to Nathan next to him.


    "Did you bring me here?" Rowane shifted her focus to Nathan, who nodded. "Then you must know me!


    Can you tell me who I am?" She looked at Nathan expectantly.


    "Wait a minute, what''s going on?" Nathan thought. He was stunned. She didn''t know who she


    was?! How could she forget her own identity? How could something like this happen in this day and


    age?


    "Calm down." The doctor said soothingly, "Try to recall it slowly. Perhaps you''ll remember soon."


    "I can''t think of anything, and my head hurts. Not just my head, but my whole body hurts!"


    "That''s because you''re injured. Take plenty of rest. You''ll recover your memories soon enough." The


    doctor quietly tugged at Nathan''s shirt and gestured him to the door. Nathan followed the doctor out,


    his suspicion growing.


    "Is there something wrong about her?" Nathan asked urgently as he followed the doctor back to the


    office.


    "She is no longer in danger, but it''ll take some time for her to recover," answered the doctor truthfully.


    "Why can''t she remember who she is? Could it be that her brain is damaged?" Nathan hypothesized.


    "Pretty much! Judging from her injuries, I expect she''s suffering from amnesia." The doctor invited


    Nathan to take a seat.


    "Amnesia?" parroted Nathan.


    "Yes, as a result of her severe injuries, her brain has likely been damaged. In humans, memories are


    stored in the cerebral cortex. Hence, any brain injury can potentially cause people to lose their


    memories. Usually, less serious injuries will only cause temporary memory loss, but the severe ones


    may lead to permanent memory loss," the doctor rified.


    "So which group does she belong to?" Nathan asked, this time his voice as soft as a whisper.


    "It''s hard to tell. For her to be involved in such a serious ident, it''s a miracle that she survived..."


    Nathan interjected, "Are you implying that she might never regain her memories?"


    "I''m not very sure. But judging from her current situation, it''s not looking good. We can only wait and


    see until after she has recovered." The doctor shook his head.


    After this conversation ended, Nathan went to see Rowane. He stood outside the door and observed


    her being fed by a nurse. She looked so helpless and pitiful. He couldn''t help but feel sadness


    engulfing his entire being. If her rtives found out that she was in such a miserable state, they would


    be heartbroken!


    Meanwhile, Edric still did not have any idea how to deal with Margaret since she refused to leave


    Mencovia. Nevertheless, he managed to extract a promise from her not to harass Irene and Eden.


    Margaret agreed to his requests, but she couldn''t control her desires. When she had heard that Eden


    was in the hospital, she paid a visit there in secret.


    Since Irene was resting in the ward, Margaret was not allowed to enter. She could only watch from


    outside the door as Irene and Nathan chatted with Eden in the ward. The three of them looked so


    happy, which agitated her. Edric had mentioned that Irene was going to marry Nathan. While she was


    indeed d about that, what about Eden?


    Irene would certainly not give up Eden. With Nathan''s support and influence in Mencodia, it would be


    difficult for Margaret to get full custody of Eden. Furthermore, Irene was now pregnant. Was Margaret


    supposed to stand idly by as Irene whisked away two heirs of the Myers family to the White family?


    When Margaret returned to the hotel, she felt extremely apprehensive. Suddenly, Joanne appeared.


    The moment she caught sight of Joanne, Margaret shed her genial appearance. She was the type of


    person to hold a grudge, and she hadn''t forgotten what Joanne had said to her the other day at the


    White family. On the other hand, Joanne was a lot more friendly towards Margaret. She smiled and sat


    down without Margaret asking her to. "I''m here to help you solve your problems, Mrs. Myers."


    "Why are you being so nice?" Margaret snorted.


    "Mrs. Myers, please listen to me first before arriving at any hasty conclusions, alright?" Joanne


    ignored Margaret''s outward hostility. "I am on your side when ites to Irene."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Irene not only seduced my brother Nathan, but she is also involved romantically with my fiance. How


    could I be fond of her?" Joanne shrugged her shoulders.


    This was true. Margaret finally felt like she had found an ally. "What ideas do you have?"


    "I have a few, but it depends on whether you''re on board with them or not." Joanne tittered icily. "Tell


    Edric to warn Irene that if she were to marry my brother, he will fight for the custody of his children. But


    if she doesn''t marry Nathan, then he won''t raise any issues."


    "What kind of idea is that?" Margaret sneered. "Miss White, I''ve already thought of this before. It won''t


    work. Edric would never go against Irene."


    "If Edric doesn''t want to smear his reputation by suggesting this, then you should do it," Joanne


    suggested. "Tell her you are warning her on Edric''s behalf, and see how she takes it. If that doesn''t


    work, I have other ns as well."


    "What other ns?" asked Margaret.


    Joanne whispered a few words into Margaret''s ear. Margaret''s expression changed suddenly. "No! I


    can''t do that! My grandson is sick. This will affect him."


    "Mrs. Myers, when did you be so timid? I''m not suggesting that you harm him, but just helping you


    get a load off your mind." Joanne looked at Margaret with withering sarcasm. "Just hire a few doctors


    on standby. Then you''ll have nothing to fear, right?"


    Margaret was still hesitant.


    "This is n B. Try talking to Irene first. If she knows what''s good for her, then you won''t have to go


    through with that n. If not, then only will we put n B into action."


    Seeing Margaret''s face written with reluctance, Joanne chuckled coldly and said, "Think about it


    carefully. Once Irene marries my brother, you will no longer have any say over the child. This is


    Mencodia. In a situation like this, they would never separate the children from their mother."


    Margaret considered Joanne''s options before saying, "Alright, I''ll try talking to Irene first."


    So, Margaret met up with Irene. Upon seeing Margaret, Irene looked at thetter coldly. "What''s the


    matter?"


    "I went looking for you because I''m going to tell you something." Margaret''s tone was as arrogant as


    usual. "I''ve discussed it with Edric. We will not take away your guardianship rights over Eden, under


    one condition."


    "What''s the condition, then?" Irene simpered.


    "The condition is that you can''t marry Nathan," Margaret finished off.


    "Mrs. Myers, what right do you have to say this to me?!" Irene smirked haughtily. She was wondering


    why Edric had been so calm. It turned out that he had this under his sleeve all along. "I''ve already told


    you, I gave birth to Eden after I divorced Edric. His upbringing has nothing to do with the Myers family.


    You guys have no right to ask me to do this!"


    "It''s not that we don''t want to take responsibility, but you won''t let us. Irene, if I knew you were pregnant


    back then, I wouldn''t have forced Edric to divorce you..."


    Irene interjected, "It''s useless to say these things now, Mrs. Myers. Have some dignity. As I''ve said


    before, if you want a grandson, just get someone to have one with Edric. You don''t need Eden. But for


    me, Eden is all I have; I won''t let anyone take him away from me."


    "If Edric is willing to give birth to a grandson with someone else, would I being to you?" Margaret


    thought to herself. If Edric was going to listen to her, she would already have a grandson on herp


    right now. She wouldn''t be living this lonely life.


    However, under no circumstances would she let Irene know about it. If Irene knew that all Edric wanted


    was to have her back, then it would make matters worse. Irene would be even more


    unreasonable to talk to. "I didn''te here to negotiate with you, Irene. I am informing you that if you


    are really marrying Nathan, Edric and I will not just sit idly by. We will remove your guardianship rights


    over Eden. Neither I nor Edric will ept a Myers calling some other man his father!"


    "We shall see about that!" Irene stood up. She hated being threatened. Edric and Magaret could dream


    on if they thought their threats would work on her!

 Chapter 158 Sucking Up

    Chapter 158 Sucking Up


    When Irene returned to the hospital, she saw that Edric was ying with Eden in the ward. It was such


    a happy, blissful scene. Eden couldn''t help but get excited when he saw Irene had arrived. "Mom! Edric


    said that when I get discharged, he''ll take me boating at the park. Can youe with us?"


    "Sure." Irene didn''t want to disappoint Eden, hence she decided to y along with it.


    "Edric also said that he would give me a toy boat that can shoot water! Next time I''ll be able to y with


    my toy boat in the pool." Irene gazed at Edric with a nk expression. Edric was clearly trying to bribe


    Eden by giving him toys, but Irene would not let him get his way. "Eden, have you forgotten what I told


    you? If you like a toy, you can ask me to buy it for you. But you''re not allowed to take things from


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    strangers."


    "But Edric said that''s a limited edition toy, most people won''t be able to get it." Eden pouted.


    "If I can''t buy it, you can ask Nathan to buy it for you. Uncle Nathan is not like most people. He''s a


    superman!" Irene crouched down to meet Eden''s eye level.


    "That''s right! Nathan is a big CEO; he''s extraordinary." Eden''s eyes lit up. "Edric, I don''t want your toy


    boat anymore. My mom says I can''t ept gifts from strangers, so I''m sorry."


    Suddenly, Edric''s smile faded a little, and his eyes grew dark. Irene waspletely shutting him out!


    Irene was still fuming from her encounter with Margaret a while ago. She felt so vexed to see Edric''s


    face at this moment. If Eden wasn''t there with them, she would have kicked him out right there and


    then. For Eden''s sake, she had to suppress her anger. After she coaxed Eden into sleeping, her


    expression flipped to a serious one and she said, "Mr. Myers, please don''te here again, okay?"


    "Why? Didn''t you agree to let me stay with Eden until he recovered?" asked Edric.


    "Yes, at first. The circumstances have changed now." Irene looked at Edric coldly. "Nathan and I are


    getting married soon. Eden also sees Nathan as his father. You have no right to be here!"


    "Are you worried that I would be a hindrance to your marriage?" There was hurt in Edric''s eyes. "Irene,


    you said that you wouldn''t stop me and Eden from spending time together. What is going on?"


    "For someone like you who goes back on his word, there is no need for me to keep my word." Irene


    didn''t mince her words at all. "Edric, I know what you are up to. But I''m telling you now, I will never


    Edric was stupefied for a moment and immediately reacted, "Did my mother say something to you


    again?"


    Irene sneered. "Don''t pretend like you don''t know. Be a man and admit it. Don''t push everything to your


    mother like a child."


    Edric''s face turned pale and he left the hospital without saying a word. He needed to see Margaret and


    ask her what tricks she was up to again. In the face of his aggressive questioning, Margaret answered


    calmly, "Son, I am doing this for your own good. Irene is about to marry Nathan. I just want to stop her."


    Breathless with raging fury, Edric had nothing to say to Margaret. He called John and said, "Send a


    private jet to take Mrs. Myers away immediately!"


    "I''m not leaving!" Margaret started to panic when she saw his ferocity.


    Edric didn''t care. "Mom, you have to leave this time. There''s no room for discussion!"


    Margaret sat down dejectedly. It seemed that she had no choice but to return this time. It was Joanne''s


    horrible idea that got her in this mess. She called Joanne angrily and chastised her, but Joanne was far


    from bothered. "Congrattions, Mrs. Myers. You''ll soon be able to fulfill your wishes!"


    "What are you talking about? Don''t make flippant remarks!" hissed Margaret.


    "Have you forgotten about the n B I told you about? Isn''t this the perfect opportunity?" Margaret''s


    eyes lit up when she was reminded of the backup n. Her anger subsided at once. This was indeed a


    perfect opportunity for her!


    Eden stayed at the hospital to be treated for one more day. The next day, he was discharged and Irene


    brought him home. Coincidentally, it was his birthday that day. Hence, Nathan had already nned a


    small birthday celebration at home to cheer him up.


    Nathan had invited quite a few children from the neighborhood to join in. Eden had been bored out of


    his mind at the hospital. Thus, after receiving so many gifts and having so many people celebrate with


    him, he was extremely happy. As they sang a birthday song for him, Eden, Irene and Nathan blew out


    the candle together. Then Eden put his hands together and started to make a wish.


    After the wish, Nathan asked him curiously, "Tell me, what did you wish for?"


    Eden whispered a few words into Nathan''s ear. Nathan smiled and kissed Eden''s cheek a few times.


    Britney and Irene were very curious. "Well, what did Eden wish for?"


    "I can''t tell you guys, if I were to mention it, it won''te true," Eden refused.


    "You''ve already told Nathan, why can''t you tell me?" Irene became jealous.


    "Okay, I''ll tell you. My wish is for Nathan to be my father," Eden answered in a childish tone.


    Edric had just appeared at the door with a gift in his hand. He knew that it was Eden''s birthday;


    therefore, he came over to the White family. He had turned up right after selecting a gift for him. Just as


    he arrived, he saw Eden making a wish. He was curious as well as what Eden had wished for. But


    when he heard Eden say his wish out loud, Edric''s smile disappeared immediately.


    Joanne saw Edric at the door, and a cold grin appeared on her face. "Eden, since you like Nathan so


    much, why don''t you call him dad?"


    "No, I can''t call him dad yet. I have made a mistake before." Eden was talking about Jordan. He had


    always liked Nathan as his father; Jordan even told him that he was the man Irene liked and that Eden


    should call him dad. He felt that Jordan was a good man so he did as he was told. But in the end,


    Jordan left him and Irene. "I can only call him dad after Nathan and my mother get married!"


    Eden looked at Irene expectantly. "Mom, when will you marry Nathan?"


    Irene nced at Nathan without thinking. When her eyes met Nathan''s starry eyes, she lowered her


    head. Eden stared at them excitedly. "Mom, I really want a dad. Please get married to Nathan quickly,


    so I can call him dad!"


    Upon hearing Eden''s pleading voice, Irene felt a pain in her heart. She felt sorry for him. Then, a beam


    appeared on her face. "I will marry Nathan tomorrow!"


    "Great! I finally have a father!" Eden was extremely excited. He hugged Irene and kissed him a few


    times. Then he went over to kiss Nathan. Britney also broke into a smile when she saw how happy


    Eden was. "Go and register your marriage first tomorrow. I''ll get someone to start nning the wedding


    immediately. I will arrange a grand wedding for the two of you!"


    "Grandma, please don''t bother." Irene was embarrassed.


    "Yes! I must! Nathan is getting married! How could we keep this a discreet affair? I will invite everyone


    famous I know!" A chilly simper shed across Joanne''s face when she heard Britney''s words. In a


    sh, she picked up her wine ss and said, "Congrattions, Nathan! Congrattions, Irene! I wish


    you both a lifetime of happiness!"


    Irene was a little surprised at Joanne''s dramatic change in attitude. "Doesn''t she want me to stay away


    from Nathan?" Irene wondered. She picked up her ss and epted Joanne''s blessings together


    with Nathan.


    "Mom, I want to be the page boy!" Eden interrupted.


    "Sure, let Eden be our page boy!" Nathan chortled and looked at Irene, his eyes dripping with


    tenderness.


    Edric stood nkly at the door as the scene before him unfolded. When he heard everyone


    congratting the happy couple, he felt a sense of despair in his heart. For Irene and Eden, Nathan


    was family. Meanwhile, Edric was just an outsider. No matter what he did, he could not change Irene''s


    view of him. He could not stay there any longer. He gently ced the toy on the ground and turned to


    leave the White family.


    He didn''t know where to go. He walked aimlessly on the street for some time until he finally felt tired.


    He sat down on the side of the road. A lovey-dovey couple walked past him. The smiles on their faces


    were so beautiful and warm. He used to have something as beautiful as what they had; how could he


    have lost her?


    A gentle voice suddenly echoed in his ears. "Edric, I love you, forever and always!" The vow remained


    as vivid as if it was the day before when Irene made this promise. He sat at the edge of the street and


    stared at the colorful night sky. He tried to fight back his tears but it was futile. He was a business


    tycoon, but right now he was sitting at the edge of the street crying his heart out.


    As per Edric''s instructions, John immediately sent a private jet to collect Margaret. Worried that


    Margaret would not get on the jet, John personally came along. When he arrived in Mencodia, he


    couldn''t find Edric anywhere. John was anxious because Edric wasn''t answering his phone. Did


    something happen to him?


    He had no idea how to look for Edric; therefore, he headed to the White family home. Eden''s birthday


    party had already ended. Irene took Eden upstairs to have a rest while the servants were cleaning up


    the living room. When he saw a toy boat by the door, Eden was ecstatic. "What a cool toy boat! I


    wonder who gave this to me."


    Irene was dumbstruck. She recalled the other day Edric said that he wanted to give a toy boat to Eden.


    Was he the one who sent this? But why would he note in if he had dropped by? Did he overhear


    the news about her and Nathan getting married the next day?


    Eden didn''t know what Irene was thinking. He hugged the toy boat happily and said, "Edric said he


    would give me a toy boat that day, but he didn''te today." His words were tainted with


    disappointment.


    Irene came to her senses and patted his head. "Edric is the one who gave you this."


    "Where is he? Why didn''t hee to see me? I haven''t said thank you to him yet." Eden pouted. He


    really liked Edric.


    "You can thank him another time." Irene stroked Eden''s hair. Suddenly, Nathan came over and said,


    "Just now, Edric''s executive assistant, John dropped by. He said that Edric was missing and he couldn''t


    find him anywhere. Edric''s phone can''t be reached either. I''ll go with John to search for him."


    Irene was taken aback. She steeled herself and said, "He''s a fully grown adu

 Chapter 159 The Child Is Missing

    Chapter 159 The Child Is Missing


    Nathan agreed to her request and left. After tucking Eden to sleep, Irene stood by the door of the White


    family and nced around nervously, checking her phone every few minutes. Why hadn''t Nathan


    called her? Had something really happened to Edric?


    All of a sudden, the phone rang. Irene answered it immediately, "Nathan, have you found him?"


    "I''m not Nathan!" Edric said in a low voice.


    "It''s you. Where are you? John is looking for you everywhere..."


    "Irene, I have something to tell you," Edric interrupted her. "Can you not marry Nathan?"


    Irene was silent for a moment. "No!"


    "Are my mistakes really unforgivable? Can''t you just forgive me this once?"


    Irene let his question hang. Was Edric truly that unforgivable? She had loathed him before and thought


    him inexcusable. But after knowing the truth, her hatred for him had abated. She had considered


    getting back together with him for Eden''s sake; she really had. But with Margaret hovering around,


    Irene just didn''t see a future for them. With a calm voice, she said, "You knew that we did not hold a


    future together, yet you still refused to let us go. What are you if not a fool?"


    "We have no future together?" Edric let out a wretchedugh. "Irene, I''ve never forgotten my promise to


    you. Never. Did you know that?"


    "So what? We can''t go back!" she thought. Cold tears dripped down her face. She wiped them away.


    "Edric, I''m almost 30 years old. I''m no longer that girl who believed in fantasies and promises, you


    know? Whatever you had said is long gone, and I don''t remember any of it anymore!"


    What she meant was she had long dismissed his promise to her. Edric looked up at the sky, his heart


    coursed with bitterness. "Irene, I was all for my pretense to be generous. Though I do wish you


    abundant happiness, I just can''t bring myself to do it. I''m already a pile of garbage in your heart


    anyway, I suppose I could make myself look worse, no? I hope you and Nathan won''t be


    happy because only I can give you happiness!"


    Hearing what he had said, Irene was surprisingly not offended at all. "Edric, I don''t need your blessing.


    You''d better return to your hotel as soon as possible. John is everywhere looking for you. He is very


    anxious. Call him back! Or tell me where you are and I''ll ask him to go get you."


    Her indifferent voice spread in Edric''s ears and crushed his hope into smithereens. She was not the


    slightest bit unshaken. As expected, she didn''t care about him. He reached out his hand to sweep


    away the tears at the corner of his eyes. "I''ll go back right away!"


    The phone call ended abruptly...


    Irene stood in the living room in a daze, her phone still in her hand. Six years ago on a night like this,


    Edric had stood in front of her firmly and asked for her hand in marriage. He''d told her she would only


    be happy if she married him. But now, he was wishing for her the opposite, iming that he was the


    only one who could give her happiness!


    How ironic! "Edric, my life will not be controlled by you. I will show you that even without you, I can very


    well be happy!"


    It didn''t take long for Nathan toe back. He stated that Edric had returned to the hotel, and Irene felt


    relieved at it. They then called it a night.


    The next morning, Nathan and Irene drove to the marriage registration department. Because of their


    identities, they weren''t required to make an appointment like regr people. They just had to wait to be


    notified.


    The staff member informed them that all the procedures could bepleted immediately


    before handing them a form and asking them to fill it out. A marriage license application in Mencodia


    was equivalent to a form filled at that in Havend. The staff member noticed that they hadn''t brought a


    witness along and reminded Nathan that a witness needed to be present. Therefore, Nathan called


    Britney.


    After the form waspleted, they had to collect the wedding certificate. The procedure in Mencodia


    was slightly different than in Havend. Here they had to have a ceremony: the two parties had to


    make their vows in front of a minister and exchange wedding rings before the witness signed on their


    marriage license.


    Irene and Nathan were brought into a small room, and the ceremony was presided over by the staff


    member who registered the information. Seeing that Irene was a foreigner, he asked her if she spoke


    the localnguage; if not, they could get someone else to ordain the marriage.


    Irene said that she could understand thenguage; thus, the staff membermenced the ceremony.


    Irene and Nathan just repeated after what he said, which was basically not unlike a priest''s speech.


    Halfway through the oath, the housekeeper called, "Young Master Nathan, bad news, Eden is missing!"


    Irene and Nathan were shocked. They could care less about the ceremony as they excused


    themselves and ran out. Along the way, their anxiety was peaking. When they reached the White


    Mansion, the housekeeper was already waiting by the door. "What''s going on?" they asked


    simultaneously.


    "Young Master Nathan, I''m sorry! It''s my fault. I don''t know what happened too. Eden was ying in the


    house, so I went to make a cup of tea. When I returned, he had already disappeared. I thought he was


    just being naughty and went into hiding. I looked around but I couldn''t find him. So I called you,"


    answered the housekeeper truthfully.


    "Check the CCTV right now!" Nathan immediately ordered. On the monitor, it showed that while the


    housekeeper was making tea, Eden had picked up the phone in a living room. They had no idea who


    he was speaking to. But, after the call ended, he went out of the White Mansion alone. There was a car


    parked outside the gates. As soon as Eden left the house, someone jumped out, picked Eden up, and


    left in the car.


    "Who on earth is this person? Why did he take Eden away?" Nathan and Irene exchanged nces.


    "Edric? It must be him! Find him right away!"


    Wasting no time, Nathan took Irene to the hotel where Edric stayed. The front desk of the hotel stated


    that Edric was in the room. Nathan and Irene went straight to his room and pressed the doorbell for a


    long time. Finally, the door was opened, and a pungent smell of alcohol flooded their nostrils.


    Edric staggered over and leaned against the door. He asked without looking up, "What?"


    Irene frowned. "Edric, where is Eden?"


    Edric heard her voice and looked up at her drunkenly. "It''s you? I''m not dreaming, am I?"


    Then, when he caught a glimpse of Nathan standing behind Irene, he chuckled. "I''ve said that I''m not


    giving you any of my blessings. What are you guys doing here?"


    "Edric Myers, did you get someone to take Eden away?" Irene was enraged.


    "Isn''t your son mine too?" Edric was slurring his words. "Why would I take my son away?"


    "Edric Myers, stop pretending. Hand my son over, or I will never let you off!" screamed Irene.


    "What? What are you going to do again?" Edric reached out his hand to hold Irene''s shoulder. "Irene,


    you heartless woman! Do you know, it feels like you''re stabbing me with a knife? I''d rather die than to


    live!"


    "Get out of my way!" Irene pushed him aside. Edric wobbled and fell down, his head hit the floor with a


    thunk. He had injured his forehead and was bleeding, but he didn''t feel any pain. He just stared nkly


    at Irene. His eyes were twinkling with a thousand emotions: pity, resentment, and aggrievedness... In


    that split second, Irene was stumped by his gaze. Her words seemed to have gotten caught in her


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    throat.


    Nathan, who was behind him, interjected, "Edric, we should never drag the child into our affairs. Eden


    is sick. What if something happens to him?"


    "Nathan White, I have no idea what you are talking about, and I don''t want to see you. Get out of here


    right now!" Edric couldn''t vent his anger on Irene, but there was no way he was going to be courteous


    to Nathan. He was the one who took Irene away; without him, Edric would be living a blissful life with


    Irene and Eden right now.


    Hearing this, Nathan''s face turned bone-chillingly cold. Stripping the veil of politeness, he barked,


    "Edric, if you are a man, then don''t bring Eden into this."


    "What happened?" John had just returned and was shocked when he saw Edric lying on the ground.


    "What''s going on?"


    He reached out to help Edric up and looked at Irene and Nathan, his expression frigid. "Mr. White, what


    are you trying to do? Don''t you think you''re going too far?"


    "What do you know? Edric took Eden away. I''m here to reim him," Irene said furiously.


    "Miss Nelson, you must be mistaken. Mr. Myers has never left the hotel since he came backst night.


    How could he take your son away?" exined John.


    "If it''s not him, it must be his mother," Irene snarled. She was certain that they were the culprits.


    "That''s out of the question! I just sent her back to Havend, and I never saw her with Eden." John


    suddenly remembered something, his face changing. "Unless..."


    That day, John had been instructed to send Margaret to board the ne. He had been worried that she


    would not return to Havend. Besides, the night before, Edric had ordered him to take Margaret away


    with any means necessary. But Margaret was still Edric''s mother after all, and if John had done so,


    Edric and Margaret''s rtionship would grow even more strained than before.


    After Edric hade back and given John the order the previous night, he had stayed in his room and


    refused toe out to meet anyone. Before John went to send Margaret off, he had rapped on his


    door but Edric gave no response. John knew Edric was agonizing over Irene and Nathan''s marriage,


    thus he didn''t disturb him and went straight to Margaret''s room instead.


    He had been worried that Margaret would refuse to leave, but surprisingly she didn''t make things


    difficult for him at all. She agreed to go back, on the condition that she could bring a couple of friends


    with her.


    Needless to say, John epted her request. He''d then sent her to the airport where the private jet was


    parked. However, Margaret''s friends had not arrived yet. After waiting for a long time, he saw a car


    over him.


    Margaret saw the two of them and greeted them enthusiastically. She invited them to board the ne.


    John was still confused at that time. He had been with Edric for so long. How had he never seen these


    two men?


    However, he couldn''t care so much. As long as Margaret was willing to go back to Havend, his task


    would bepleted. After the two men carried the child on the ne, Margaret immediately boarded


    the ne and urged John to get on the ne too.


    John had wanted to go back with them, but he''d decided to stay because he was worried about


    Edric. Putting two and two together at this moment, he suddenly remembered the child in the arms of


    two men. Was that child Eden?


    Just as John was lost in his thoughts, Joanne rushed over. "Nathan, I''ve just received a call from Mrs.


    Myers. She asked me to let you know that she has brought Eden back to Havend!"


    "What did you say?" Nathan raised his voice. "When did this happen?"


    "Just now! After I received her call, I came over immediately. I thought she was joking," answered


    Joanne.


    Joanne looked at the crowd and sensed the belligerence in the air. "She said that she had boarded a


    private ne with a doctor. She told you not to worry..."


    "Godd*mn it! How can I not worry?" Seething, Nathan cursed. Then he looked at Edric and said, "Mr.


    Myers, you are such a brilliant actor!"


    Irene looked at Edric. She had originally found Edric a little pitiful since he was injured, but now her


    heart was as cold as steel. "Book a ticket right away. I''m returning to Havend. No one can ever take


    my son away from me!"

 Chapter 160 Show Her What Im Made Of

    Chapter 160 Show Her What I''m Made Of


    Originally, Nathan was going to apany Irene back to the country. However, the previous incident at


    the factory had disrupted his n; one of the disobliging workers had filed awsuit against him. As the


    defendant, he wasn''t allowed to leave the country. Nathan was distraught; he had no choice but to call


    Jordan.


    Jordan jumped up in anger when he heard Nathan tell him that Margaret had brought Eden back to the


    country secretly. "For God''s sake, what''s wrong with you? Didn''t you promise me that you would


    protect Irene and Eden? How could you let that crazy woman snatch Eden away?"


    "It''s my fault. I had never for the life of me expected Edric''s mother toe all the way here. I''m


    worried about Irene going back to the country alone. On top of that, Eden''s health is at stake. Please


    help Irene. After I''m done handling some work stuff, I''ll rush over immediately." Nathan felt culpable as


    well. Joanne was the one who had started all this. If she had not revealed to Edric about Eden''s


    identity, Margaret would never havee to Mencodia and taken Eden away. Now that Eden was in


    such a vulnerable state, if his condition worsened and something befell him, Irene would be devastated


    for sure, and Nathan would never be able to forgive himself.


    "Alright, I got it. I will keep an eye on Irene and help her get Eden back. The Myers are so


    despicable! This time, I will make sure to show them what I''m made of."


    Jordan knew that Nathan wasn''t solely to me for this matter. If anything, Joanne was the one to be


    held ountable. This fiancee of his had earned her way deeper into his contempt, and he deeply


    regretted how rash he had been with making that three-year promise to her. Right then, he wasn''t even


    aware of the fact that Joanne was the one who had spurred Margaret into abducting Eden back to


    Havend. If he did, his boiling blood would probably erupt in rage.


    Nathan thanked Jordan and hung up the phone. After thinking for a while, he called Kinsey. He asked


    her to pick up Irene at the airport if she was avable and apany her to find Eden.


    After everything was arranged, Nathan returned home. Britney was waiting restlessly at home. When


    she saw Nathan, she immediately asked, "How is it going? I heard from Joanne that Eden was taken


    away by Margaret. Is it true?"


    "It appears to be the case. John said that she brought two men and a child with her. The child''s face


    was covered by a coat so he didn''t manage to get a good look. It must be Eden. The two men are


    probably the doctors that she hired."


    "Margaret is really quite something. How can she be so audacious?" Britney sighed. "After all, Eden is


    her grandson. How could she be so cruel?"


    "Yes, she''s awful!" Nathan sighed. "I was going to follow along, but I haven''t settled the factory incident,


    so I had to ask Jordan for help. Once I''m done with that, I will go there immediately."


    "Well, that''s for the best. I''m really worried that Irene will not be able to deal with Margaret and Edric


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    alone."


    While they were busy discussing Irene and Eden, no one realized that Margaret''s aplice, Joanne


    was standing on the second floor, eavesdropping on their conversation.


    The day before, she was so d to see Edric and Irene leave the White family. She reckoned that she


    could finally heave a sigh of relief as Irene was finally getting what she deserved. She wanted Irene to


    tremble in fear; she knew what Eden meant to Irene. Now that Margaret had taken him away, Irene had


    no choice but to fight it out with Margaret to bring him back.


    However, the Myers family was rich and powerful. There was no way Irene would be able to beat them.


    Unless she went to Steven for help. Now that would be exciting. Anyway, she had already promised


    Margaret that they would keep in touch so she could be kept in the loop about what was happening.


    Just then, when she''d heard that Nathan had called Jordan to ask him to aid Irene, Joanne was


    smoldering with fury. She had been so close to rushing downstairs and taking her anger out on Nathan.


    Nathan knew how enamored Joanne was with Jordan, but he did not consider her feelings at all.


    Instead, he had repeatedly asked Jordan to go to Irene''s aids. Before this, she wasn''t engaged to him


    yet. But now that she and Jordan were engaged, Nathan was a bit too much by asking Jordan to help


    Irene.


    In addition, she had worked so hard to put this n into motion, and it was only halfway done right now.


    She wasn''t going to let Jordan ruin everything. She had to quickly book a ticket to return to Havend.


    There was no way she was allowing Jordan toe into contact with Irene.


    As her decision had crystallized in her mind, she turned around and walked back to the room.


    ......


    After ending his call with Nathan, Jordan consulted his watch for the time. He stood up, grabbed his


    coat, and stalked out of the office. Nathan had mentioned that Irene was flying back with Edric, and


    their journey would take at most another hour. He wanted to rush to the airport to pick Irene up. He


    couldn''t trust Edric with Irene; what if he treated her like he did before?


    Besides, the first thing Irene would do would be to search for Eden. Margaret was one crazydy who


    could not be reasoned with. If he didn''t go with her, Irene would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    Although Nathan had told him that Edric was equally angry at Margaret for taking the liberty of


    snatching Eden away and had promised to help Irene bring Eden back, Nathan would not give him the


    benefit of the doubt.


    He knew that Edric had never given up on Irene. Now that Margaret had brought Eden back into the


    Myers family, who knew whether or not Edric would take the chance to weasel his way back into


    demanding Irene to remarry him?


    Thinking of Irene''s current situation, Jordan''s uneasiness had reached a crescendo. He immediately


    ordered David to send some men to all main hospitals in San Fetillo to check if Margaret had admitted


    Eden. Then he ordered David to drive him quickly to the airport.


    When they arrived at the airport, Jordan locked the car and marched to the lobby. As soon as he


    reached the entrance, he heard someone calling out to him. He quickly turned his head and saw that


    Kinsey was heading his way.


    "Mr. Reed, are you also here to pick Irene up?" asked Kinsey, panting.


    Jordan said, "I am. You too?"


    Kinsey nodded. "Just now, Nathan called me and told me that Irene ising back to San Fetillo. He


    asked me toe to pick her up if I am free and go with her to the Myers family to look for Eden. He


    also informed me that you knew about this as well, and if I need anything I shoulde to you. So


    when I saw you here, I immediately knew that you are here to pick Irene up too."


    "Alright, let''s go!" Jordan praised Nathan inwardly. He was indeed a meticulous man. He knew Irene


    would need help from her friends at a time like this. With Kinsey''s feisty attitude, she would be great at


    standing up against that crazydy Margaret.


    Besides, he had engaged to Joanne. Maybe Nathan didn''t want him to follow Irene alone, for it would


    only bring unnecessary gossip. It would be more convenient to have Kinsey by his side.


    They arrived at the hall and saw that it was still early; thus, they found a ce to sit down and wait.


    At the sight of Jordan''s slightly furrowed brows, Kinsey felt a little emotional. He looked so anxious for


    Irene. Even though Irene was about to marry Nathan, and Jordan himself was also engaged, he still


    had Irene in his heart. Whenever Irene ran into trouble, Jordan would immediately offer his help. Kinsey


    wondered when she would be able to meet a man of this level of loyalty.


    Seemingly aware of Kinsey''s strange gaze, Jordan glimpsed at her and asked, "What''s with you?"


    Kinsey''s face turned red, her head lowered in an instant. "N-n-nothing. I''m just thinking about Irene. I''m


    wondering if she''ll go immediately to the Myers family to look for Eden."


    "Don''t doubt it, you know how impatient she is. She''s definitely going to go look for him at once." As he


    spoke, Jordan felt his fury rising again. Underneath his deep gaze, his rage was fanning.


    Kinsey sighed. "Speaking of which, Irene is really quite pitiful. After so many years of suffering, she


    could finally marry Nathan and settle down. But Margaret and Edric refuse to let her go. Now Eden has


    been taken away, Irene must be consumed with worries!"


    "You can rest assured at that. As long as I''m here, I will definitely get Eden back," hissed Jordan.


    "I''m afraid that Margaret will hide him somewhere and we won''t be able to find him." Kinsey exhaled


    deeply.


    Jordan said calmly, "Scratch that concern. If my guess is right, Eden is probably in a hospital now."


    Kinsey''s eyes brightened. "You''re right, I''m so muddle-headed. What was I thinking? Just now, Nathan


    told me that Eden hates Margaret. He never wants toe back here with her. She even made him fall


    and terrified him back in Mencodia."


    After a while, Kinsey added, "Now that Margaret has brought him back by force, he must be extremely


    scared. Most likely, he would not be able to withstand the repeated shock. His condition would


    inevitably worsen. Hence, Margaret would have to send him to the hospital. We should have split up.


    One of us can go search the hospitals for Eden and one of us can pick Irene up. Then we could save


    time."


    Jordan looked at her, surprised. Kinsey was not muddle-headed at all. She was obviously very smart. "I


    have already sent men to search the hospitals. Once there is any news, they will inform me."


    Kinsey couldn''t helpughing and mocked herself for being ignorant. How could she have forgotten


    who Jordan was? With his ability, even if Eden was hidden in some unknown back alley, he would be


    able to locate him.


    At this time, Jordan''s phone rang. Kinsey''s heart was brimming with joy when she heard that. "Did your


    men find Eden?"


    Jordan reached for his phone and looked at it. A smile appeared on his face. The phone call was from


    David; he should have found Eden.


    He pressed the answer button and asked, "How is it going? Is there any news about the child?"


    David said, "Yes, Mr. Reed, we have found Eden. He has been admitted to the Hematology


    Department in Wellcare Hospital of San Fetillo. The doctor said that his current situation is rtively


    stable, so you don''t have to worry."


    "Okay, got it."


    He hung up and told Kinsey that Eden had been found. Kinsey felt a weight off her chest. She had


    been so worried that Margaret might have hidden Eden somewhere they could not find. But now, after


    they picked up Irene, they could bring her directly to the hospital.


    The ne finallynded at the airport. Irene hurriedly unbuckled her seat belt and stood up to leave.


    Edric sat near the aisle and blocked Irene''s way with his legs. Impassive, she looked at his legs and


    spat, "Excuse me."


    Edric looked up at her pallid face and felt distressed. In the entire ten-hour ne ride, she had only


    talked to him once. No matter what he had said, she had given him the cold shoulder.


    When she''d learned that Margaret had taken Eden away, she was infuriated. She grabbed him by the


    cor and threatened him that if anything happened to Eden, she would be sure to impart her wrath on


    Edric.


    For countless times, he had apologized to her and promised that he would help her get Eden back and


    go back to Mencodia with her. But she still didn''t stop torturing him with her livid response.


    For more than ten hours, she had been half lying on her seat and staring out of the window nkly.


    Except for drinking a ss of juice, she hadn''t eaten anything.


    Looking at her haggard face, Edric felt rather anguished. He persuaded her to eat and to have a wee


    nap. She had ignored him as if he didn''t exist.


    He had never seen her in such a state. He knew that she hated him. She hated him foring to


    Mencodia to ask for a reunion with Eden. She hated him even more because he had told Margaret


    about Eden''s identity, which was what had prompted Margaret to take Eden away.


    At this moment, his regret started heaping on top of his conscience. He should have never gone to


    Mencodia, nor should he have told Margaret about Eden. If he hadn''t done any of this, they wouldn''t be


    mired in this situation right now.


    He had already made up his mind. After returning to San Fetillo, he would help her get Eden back and


    would make sure that Eden never left her side again.


    Before getting on the ne, he had called one of the employees from work. He''d told him that Margaret


    had taken Eden back to San Fetillo and instructed him to keep a close eye on her. He wanted to see


    where she would take Eden to.


    He believed that with their efficiency, they had most likely already sent him an update about Eden''s


    whereabouts to his phone. Once he got off the ne and turned on his phone, he would be able to


    know thetest news about Eden.


    He retracted his legs, allowing Irene to pass. Then he silently stood up and followed behind her, exiting


    the ne.

 Chapter 161 She Must Take Him Back

    Chapter 161 She Must Take Him Back


    No sooner had they alighted the ne than Edric turned on his phone, and as expected, they had


    already learned Eden''s whereabouts.


    After reading the message, he hurried to grab Irene''s hand, who was scurrying in front of him, and said,


    "Irene, Eden is in the Wellcare Hospital right now."


    Swiveling around, Irene asked eagerly, "How is his condition?"


    "Don''t worry. He was just slightly frightened. The doctor said that there''s nothing serious. He can be


    discharged from the hospital after staying for a few days," Edric answered.


    Irene lightened herself with a sigh of relief. She had been worrying about Eden''s safety the whole time


    she was on the ne. Although she also knew that Margaret would not harm Eden, he must have been


    disoriented since Margaret took him away by force, and it might even aggravate Eden''s condition too.


    However, right then after hearing Edric''s words, her heart, which had been tensed up for a long time,


    could finally beat steadily.


    Seeing that Irene was finally talking to him again, Edric said grovellingly, "My people are waiting for us


    at the entrance. Let''s go to the hospital to see Eden immediately."


    Irene red at him before she turned around and continued to move forward.


    Seeing that Irene did not refuse his suggestion, Edric secretly felt a trace of gratification in him. He had


    been afraid that Irene would no longer pay attention to him after that incident, and he would truly be at


    a loss if it was really that case. That time, he did not dare to forcibly bind her with a contract like before,


    for he would definitely lose her forever if he did so. She would also never tolerate Eden epting him


    as his father either.


    Nevertheless, it did not cross Edric''s mind that the real reason Irene didn''t reject his offer of sending


    her to the hospital was so she could see Eden as soon as possible.


    In addition, she was also worried that Margaret would never allow her to im Eden back. With Edric


    there, he could also be a good tool to persuade Margaret. Anyway, she had decided that once she took


    Eden back from Margaret''s hands, she would no longer care about Edric.


    After retrieving their luggage, the two of them walked out of the security check. At that moment, they


    heard someone shouting Irene''s name. Irene followed the sound and was greeted with the sight of


    Kinsey. She walked towards thetter with a smile as Jordan followed behind her, concern underlining


    his features.


    "Kinsey, Jordan, why are you guys here?" Irene was utterly touched to see her two friends there.


    Needless to say, Nathan must''ve been worried about her, so he had let them know that she was


    returning to Havend and had requested them to pick her up.


    Kinsey red at Edric who was tagging behind Irene and said, "We are afraid that a certain shameless


    person might harm you again, so we came to help you."


    "Why, indeed. Irene, I didn''t expect that that man was so thick-skinned that he even went to the


    Mencodia to look for you. Don''t worry. I will help you get Eden back," Jordan said.


    Jordan scowled at Edric as he moved forward to take Irene''s luggage for her. "Edric, I knew that you


    were a bad person from the beginning, but I didn''t expect that you are so despicable. How could you do


    such a thing?"


    "Give it a rest. Don''t bber about if you don''t know the situation." Edric had already been displeased


    to see Jordaning to pick Irene up. As it followed, he got even disgruntled after being subjected to


    such denigration.


    "bber about?" Jordan sneered. "Do you dare to own up to the reason you went to Mencodia? Wasn''t


    it because you wanted to ruin Irene and Nathan''s marriage? Do you really have it in you to say that


    your bonkers of a mother''s actions weren''t your idea?"


    Kinsey joined in to reproach Edric, "He''s right. How could you be so downright vicious? Back then, you


    drove Irene away because you assumed that she was infertile. And now, you want to steal Eden from


    Irene after knowing his identity. What a wonderful delusion you have there."


    At that time, John came over, and when he saw Edric being criticized by Jordan, he hurriedly spoke for


    Edric.


    "You''ve both misunderstood the entire situation. Mr. Myers has never thought of stealing Eden from


    Miss Nelson. It was all Madam Margaret''s doing. Now that we have found Eden, let''s hurry up and go


    there. I think Miss Nelson is waiting to see Eden as soon as possible too."


    Jordan snorted. "I don''t care who was the brain behind everything. Eden is veritably Irene''s son. No


    matter who it is, no one can take Eden away against her will. Edric, you''d better talk sense into your


    mother and get her to let go, or we''ll meet in court."


    "That''s enough, Jordan. Let''s go to Eden now!" Irene nced at Edric''s livid face and quickly dragged


    Jordan away. She knew that Edric was trying to please her right then; that was why he was trying to


    contain his anger. If Jordan had continued to say as much as a few more words, Edric might blow his


    fuse and assault him.


    Jordan shot another baleful re at Edric before he followed Irene to the entrance.


    As he stared at Irene''s back, Edric knew that she wasn''t going to take his car to the hospital. He had no


    choice but to say to John, "Let''s go."


    ¡­...


    In Wellcare Hospital, the exasperated Margaret was looking at the soup that was spilled all over the


    floor as she shouted at Loraine, who was standing beside her in a panic, "Make haste and clean up!"


    That was the third time that Eden had knocked over the soup she had cooked. Begrudgingly, Loraine


    nced at Eden, who was sitting on the bed while lowering her head to clean up the mess.


    In Mencodia, Margaret had tricked Eden out of the White family. They boarded a ne immediately,


    flying across to San Fetillo with Joanne''s cooperation.


    When Eden couldn''t get to see Irene when he woke up, he had begun to wail loudly. Margaret couldn''t


    coax him no matter what. Then, she immediately sent Eden to the hospital after getting off the ne as


    she was worried about Eden''s health.


    Margaret was relieved to hear that Eden''s condition was okay. Thus, she''d asked someone to buy a


    heap of toys for Eden, and she also nned to keep himpany.


    Eden had been distracted when he saw the toys, but only after a while, he had started to ask for Irene


    again. He wouldn''t drink the soup that Margaret had told Loraine to prepare. He even threw a tantrum


    and pushed the soup away, spilling it all over Margaret''s body.


    In the beginning, Margaret managed to hold back her anger. She even crooned Eden in a low voice.


    However, Eden refused to listen to her and kept speaking of her as a bad grandmother. She was so


    furious that she vented her anger on Loraine by roasting her that Eden refused to drink the soup


    because it was too awful. She even ordered Loraine to cook another portion.


    Loraine knew that Eden was sulking not because of her cooking skills. However, in the face of the


    furious Margaret, Loraine didn''t dare to raise any objections. Therefore, she had no choice but to go


    back and prepare another soup for Eden. Yet, the little Eden still refused to drink it. Helplessly, Loraine


    repeated the same task before Eden knocked it over as usual.


    That time, Margaret didn''t make things difficult for Loraine anymore. She knew that Eden wouldn''t eat


    anything she gave. Looking at Eden''s swollen eyes and his ashen face, Margaret felt sorry for him. His


    face had been worn away by his illness. In the end, she couldn''t help taking out her phone and went to


    the balcony to call Edric.


    Edric was rushing to the hospital in the car right then. When he saw Margaret''s number on his phone''s


    screen, he answered the phone in a heartbeat.


    Margaret yelled, "Edric, are you back? Hurry up ande to the Wellcare Hospital if you are. Eden


    keeps crying, and no matter how I coax him, he won''t listen to me. It''s been more than ten hours. He


    has only drunk a carton of milk and is not willing to take in anything. I am afraid that he will not be able


    to stand it if it stretches on like this."


    Edric''s heart trembled, his temper unleashed. "Mom, look at what you''ve done. I told you before not to


    meddle in my business, but you still want to poke your head in it. How does it feel to panic, huh?"


    "Why can''t I? You are my son, and your son is my grandson. How can I leave Eden alone? He is


    throwing a tantrum right now. Help me pacify him once you reach."


    "Fine. I''ll be there soon. Don''t rattle him anymore. Hurry up and ask Loraine to fix some delicious food.


    I''ll feed himter."


    Edric was aware that Eden might not listen to him either, but fortunately, Irene was heading to the


    hospital too. Eden would definitely eat something after seeing her. Nheless, he did not dare to


    disclose to Margaret that Irene was alsoing to the hospital. Otherwise, Margaret would definitely


    take Eden away again.


    "Loraine has already prepared everything. I''ll tell her to reheat everything right now." Margaret breathed


    a sigh of relief and went into the room to order Loraine to heat up the food quickly.


    Eden was in a luxury ward, replete with all the facilities possible. Loraine went to heat up the food.


    While Margaret was watching Eden, she quickly took out her phone and sent a message to Deborah,


    telling her that Edric had returned from Mencodia and it was very likely that Irene was with him.


    That afternoon, Margaret returned to San Fetillo with Eden. It was only then that Loraine knew Eden


    was Edric''s child. She then immediately ryed that information to Deborah. Deborah had instructed


    Loraine to keep an eye on Margaret and report anything that happened to her immediately. When she


    learned that Edric was back, of course, she had to report it to Deborah immediately.


    After Loraine had entered the kitchen, the door of the ward was pushed open. Margaret heard the


    noise and hurriedly turned her head. At that sight, she was stunned.


    "Eden!" When Irene saw Eden sobbing on the bed from the door of the ward, tears streamed down


    immediately. She then rushed to Eden''s bed quickly and held him in her arms.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mom, you''re finally here. I was so scared!" When Eden, who had been terrified for a long time, saw


    Irene, he felt happy and aggrieved at the same time. He cried and threw himself into Irene''s arms and


    hugged her tightly, afraid that she would disappear again.


    Feeling Eden''s little body quivering in her arms, Irene felt like her heart was sliced by a knife. He patted


    Eden''s back gently andforted him, "Eden, you don''t need to be afraid anymore. I am here to take


    you home. I''ll never leave you again."


    Incredulous, Margaret stared at Irene. She only expected Edric''s arrival, but she didn''t anticipate


    seeing Irene there. Needless to say, she must havee back with Edric, for that was the only reason


    she learned about Eden''s whereabouts so quickly. From the looks of it, she would definitely take Eden


    away.


    Fear sprouted from the bottom of her heart. Margaret stepped forward and hugged Eden. She said


    sternly to Irene, "Don''t even think of taking Eden away. He''s my grandson."


    Irene was caught off guard and Eden was almost carried over by Margaret. Then, Irene grabbed


    Eden''s arm in a panic and red at Margaret. "Let go. Didn''t you see that Eden is crying?"


    "You should be the one to let go! I finally took my grandson back after so much difficulty. I won''t let you


    take him away." Margaret didn''t let Eden go. Instead, she tried to hold Eden with all her strength.


    Eden was so scared that he desperately called for Irene. Irene felt both anxious and angry, but she


    wasn''t willing to yank Eden with such force. As soon as she loosened her hand, Margaret managed to


    carry Eden away.


    When Margaret turned her head and saw Loraineing out of the kitchen, she said to her, "Loraine,


    drive her away."


    Loraine looked at Margaret before she finally settled her gaze on Irene. She hesitated and dared not


    move.


    "Put Eden down, or you''ll scare him." Seeing Eden bawling his eyes out, Irene''s heart was in tatters.


    Yet, she didn''t dare to take Eden away from Margaret, as she was afraid that Eden would fall on the


    ground like that time in Mencodia.


    At that time, two more people rushed in from outside the door. They were Kinsey and Jordan.


    Observing the situation in the room, Kinsey went forward and pried Margaret''s hand away from Eden,


    cursing, "You psycho, put Eden down quickly."


    When Irene saw that her reinforcements were there, she quickly reached out to hold Eden. Margaret''s


    hand hurt so much because of Kinsey; she then released Eden due to the pain.


    Irene held Eden in her arms and flounced out. Without waiting for the elevator, she ran down the stairs.


    When Margaret saw that, she chased after her in a fit of rush. Disregarding her usual elegance, she


    shrieked and tugged at Irene.


    Irene was worried that she might hurt Eden; therefore, she shoved Margaret away. Margaret, an


    elderly, couldn''t stand Irene''s push and toppled backward. Shended heavily on the ground and rolled


    down the stairs.

 Chapter 162 Broken Leg

    Chapter 162 Broken Leg


    Edric arrived precisely at that time.


    rmed to see Margaret rolling down the stairs, he hurried forward and asked, "Mom, are you all


    right?"


    Margaret screamed, "My leg! My leg hurts so much!"


    Irene was also shocked to see Margaret fall down the stairs. However, seeing that Edric was there, she


    decided to pay no heed and continued to stride out with Eden in his arms.


    Jordan and Kinsey followed closely. After the three of them reached the front desk, Irene informed the


    nurse about her identity and asked her to discharge Eden.


    The nurse frowned. "Do you have any proof of you being the child''s mother?"


    "Yes, and I''ll show you my identity card and passport." Irene hurriedly reached for her identity card from


    her leather purse. She had just got off the ne, hence both her identity card and passport were still


    with her, which could be used to prove the rtionship between her and Eden.


    The nurse eyed her documents and said, "The child is not emotionally stable right now. I''d suggest you


    let him stay at the hospital. You''d better keep him here for two more days to observe his condition."


    "No, I have to get him discharged from the hospital immediately." Irene did not dare to let Eden stay


    there anymore. With Margaret around, Eden''s condition would only worsen.


    The nurse had no choice but to say, "If you insist, you''ll have to sign an AMA form. It means you insist


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    on discharging your child against medical advice."


    "Okay, I''ll sign it." Irene only hoped to leave as soon as possible. She would sign anything in order to


    achieve that goal.


    Edric was frightened to see Margaret on the floor, screaming in pain. He immediately sent for the


    doctor and nurse to treat her. Margaret was then pushed into the examination room. After a short while,


    the doctor told Edric that Margaret''s leg was broken and an operation was required at that instant.


    Margaret was then pushed into the operating room for surgery while Edric was waiting outside.


    Margaret was already quite old; she couldn''t possibly withstand any more fall. Looking at his worried


    face, John consoled him, "Everything''s going to be okay. Don''t worry!"


    Finally, after the operation, Edric and John went to see Margaret. Although Margaret had already


    undergone an operation, her leg still hurt a lot. As soon as she saw Edric, she cried and cursed at the


    same time, trying to force Edric to take Eden back.


    She also stated that she would not let Irene get away with it. Edric''s head was in a mush when he saw


    Margaret acting like that. Just then, his worries were all superseded by Margaret''s cursing. He ordered


    Loraine to look after Margaret before he turned around and left the ward.


    Seeing Edric leave, Margaret was so infuriated that she vented her anger at Loraine. Loraine took in all


    the anger silently and cussed Margaret in her heart.


    Edric went out of the hospital and called Irene to inquire about Eden. Originally, he''d thought that Irene


    would not answer his phone, but the call was soon connected. Coldly, Irene said to him on the other


    side of the phone, "Look, Edric. From now on, I hope you won''te to me and Eden anymore.


    Otherwise, you will never get to see Eden in your lifetime."


    With that, Irene hung up the phone. Edric fixed his eyes on the phone, feeling empty and grim.


    It waspletely beyond his expectations for things to turn out that way. Originally, he''d thought that


    as long as he worked hard and expressed his sincerity to Irene, Irene would be moved. She would then


    allow Eden to reconcile with him before she married him again. Right then, the family of three would


    rejoice in their reunion.


    However, he didn''t anticipate that all his previous efforts would regress into nothing with Margaret''s


    involvement. Right at that moment, let alone remarry Irene and let Eden recognize him as a father, it


    would already be an impossible feat just to obtain Irene''s forgiveness.


    Margaret had told Marie that Eden, whom she brought back from Mencodia, was Edric''s child. But, she


    kept the news from Lily and Deborah first. Since those were immutable facts, telling them would not


    change anything. Right then, Lily just had an operation, and she was afraid that the piece of news


    would affect Lily negatively. Thus, she nned to only tell them that after some days.


    Of course, Marie couldn''t lie around and do nothing either. She had to think of a way to persuade


    Margaret to steal Eden back. If Irene were to fight against Edric and Margaret, she could just reap the


    fruits without even exerting a finger.


    While Marie was thinking of a n, Margaret called and said that she was injured and was hospitalized.


    Marie immediately went to see her after hearing that. Margaret was lying on the hospital bed, gasping,


    for her fracture hurt a lot. When she saw her friend Marie, she immediately exined to Marie what had


    happened, "D*mn that wench Irene! I won''t let her go with this! I have already called the police to deal


    with it. This time, I won''t let her go scot-free."


    Marie was delighted to hear that. Fate was at her side; it seemed that she didn''t need to rack her brain


    for a way to persuade Margaret to strive for Eden''s custody. However, she reckoned that she still had to


    fuel Margaret''s wrath so thetter would not change her mind.


    "What a detestable thing to do. After all, you are an elder. How unbing of her to resort to this.


    Margaret, you should never let her off the hook, or she will do something worse to you in the future,"


    Marie said.


    "I think so too. I must teach her a lesson this time," Margaret replied.


    "But Edric won''t let you touch her, right?" Marie asked tentatively. Irene had rushed to the Myers family


    and pped Margaret in the face before. Yet, in the end, Edric decided to patch up the quarrel and


    forgive Irene. Would it be the same for this time around?


    "Don''t mention that heartless thing. After I called the police, he even persuaded me to write off the


    case, iming that we should just keep this in our family. A typical case of putting his love above his


    own mother. I will never give in this time!"


    Growing increasingly angry as Margaret brooded over it, she added, "Look at how I turned out after


    sacrificing so much for this family. He left me in the hospital alone, and I can''t even see a trace of his


    shadow. Hepletely ignores me and asks Loraine to tend to me. I''m utterly crestfallen at his


    behavior; I really have to raise a big fuss this time!"


    "Of course! Find awyer to sue Irene for battery immediately. Anyway, you are now seriously injured in


    the hospital. ording to thew, she could be charged with a crime!" Marie shrieked.


    With Marie''s instigation, Margaret became more determined to put Irene behind bars. Since Irene was


    so arrogant, Margaret had to parade her power so Irene knew her ce.


    Irene took Eden and left the hospital afterpleting the discharge procedure. After getting into the


    car, Eden finally quieted down in Irene''s arms.


    What happened just then had scared Eden. Still in horror, he clutched Irene''s neck tightly and looked in


    the direction of the hospital, fearing that Margaret would catch up and try to seize him away. It was only


    after Irene''s constant reassurance that Eden finally became relieved.


    "Irene, where do you want to go now?" Jordan, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, nced at Irene


    and slightly slowed down the car.


    Irene lowered his head to look at the exhausted Eden. She whispered, "Let''s go to Genuine Hospital."


    Eden twitched his body and suddenly opened his eyes, staring at Irene in panic. "No, Mom, I don''t want


    to go to the hospital. I want to go home."


    Irene felt her heart scrunch up andforted him in a hurry, "Okay, okay. We won''t go to the hospital.


    We''ll go home right now."


    Sitting next to them was Kinsey. As she coaxed Eden with Irene, thetter soon calmed down again.


    Kinsey sighed and gently tugged at the corner of Irene''s clothes. She gestured with her lips, asking


    Irene what they should do next.


    Irene frowned slightly. She was also pondering about that. Right then, Eden''s emotions were highly


    unstable. Besides, it was as clear as daylight that he did not like the idea of visiting the hospital. If Irene


    forced him to go to one, he would definitely burst into tears again. However, he was not in the best of


    condition, and she wouldn''t be put at ease if she did not send him to a hospital for further observation


    and examination.


    Jordan suddenly chimed, "Let''s take Eden to my house first. Immediately I will ask for a doctor and


    bodyguards to take care of Eden. With that, you don''t have to worry about Eden, and we won''t further


    traumatize him either. Besides, Edric won''t be able to locate you guys so easily too if you''re at my


    ce."


    Kinsey immediately agreed, "That''s a good idea. If we go to the hospital, Margaret will definitely be able


    to find you two, and it will only scare Eden if that happens."


    "No, I don''t want to trouble you that much. Why don''t we go to my home first?" Irene was cool with the


    part to invite a doctor and bodyguards to take care of Eden, but staying in Jordan''s house was very


    inconvenient and inappropriate in her opinion. She didn''t want to bring Jordan into her affairs again.


    Besides, he was already engaged. If she and Eden crashed in at his house, it would definitely cause a


    fuss.


    Jordan could entirely understand Irene''s concerns. He thought for a moment and said, "If you think it''s


    disturbing, you can go to my vi in the west of the city. It''s very close to the TV station. Kinsey can


    move in and live with you for a few days if she doesn''t mind. She can keep youpany too."


    Irene pondered for a moment and agreed.


    After Loraine had called Deborah to tip her off about Edric and Irene''s return, Deborah began to devise


    a scheme.


    The fact that Eden was Edric''s son was a troublesome one. It was possible that all the effort they had


    poured prior to that might go down the drain. A discussion with Marie was urgently needed. She called


    Marie, and Marie expressed the intent to meet her. Then, the two of them immediately set a cafe as the


    location for their rendezvous.


    As soon as they met, Deborah told Marie that Loraine had let her know that Eden was Edric''s son.


    Marie sighed and said, "I already knew about it. I was worried about Lily. She just finished the


    operation, and I''m afraid that it would affect her emotions. That was why I didn''t tell you guys. Since


    you already know it now, there is no point in hiding it anymore."


    "You should have told me earlier." Deborahined, "Edric already has deep affection towards


    Irene, to begin with. Now that he learns that he has a son, I say he will definitely convince Margaret to


    ept Irene. Margaret is someone who values an heir a lot. God, you should''ve told me earlier so that


    I can think of a n as soon as possible."


    "Come on, you don''t have to think about it. Right now, Margaret and Irene are fighting against each


    other," Marie answered.


    Marie spilled to Deborah about the dispute between Margaret and Irene. "Don''t worry. Margaret won''t


    acknowledge Irene no matter what. She is now looking for awyer to sue Irene. With Margaret there,


    Irene and Edric are bound to be enemies."


    When Deborah heard that, she felt a glimmer of relief. "But the child is still a nuisance."


    "The child has leukemia and his treatment is still a conundrum right now." Marie did not think that Eden


    was a problem. "Anyway, Margaret wants the child, not Irene. What are you afraid of?"


    "It''s hard to exin to Steven." Deborah reminded Marie, "If the child wasn''t there, Lily could bear


    Edric''s child and marry Edric in a justified matter. Now that we learn that they have a child, I have to


    expend more effort to think of an exnation for Steven. It''s such a pain in the a*s."


    "What''s there to think about? Just put the me on Edric. It was not Lily''s fault if Edric did those things


    when he was drunk." Marie sneered. "Since Rowane is abroad right now, let''s just put the me on


    her."


    "I guess this is the only way." For the time being, Deborah couldn''t conjure up any better idea too.


    Marie told Deborah her n and told her to discuss it with Lily. She even mentioned that Deborah


    should not let Steven know about it.


    After a discussion, the two of them went their separate ways.


    With Marie''s encouragement, Margaret could not wait to find a chance to embarrass Irene. After Marie


    left, Margaret immediately called thewyer to the hospital and asked what punishment Irene would get


    in such a situation.


    Thewyer analyzed the situation and exined that under that situation, Irene might be sentenced to


    under three years of imprisonment. Of course, Margaret could also ask forpensation. Basically,


    she had the final say.


    After listening to thewyer''s interpretation, Margaret was ecstatic. She reckoned that if Irene didn''t


    kneel down in front of her and plead for her forgiveness, she would definitely send Irene to jail.


    As soon as thewyer left the hospital, he called Edric and informed him that Margaret was going to


    sue Irene. Edric rushed to the hospital at once. "Mom, can you stop making trouble? It''s time to stop!


    Please!"


    "Making trouble? Me? Look at me now! You didn''t even do anything after seeing that woman pushed


    me down the stairs. Are you still my son?" Margaret asked.


    "Wasn''t it an ident?" Edric replied.


    "What are you talking about? She did it on purpose. She despises me so much that she wants me


    dead. That''s why she did this to me!" Margaret barked.


    "I can''t talk any sense in you, can I? If you didn''t snatch Eden back on your own ord, would Irene


    even do that to you?" Edric retorted.


    "Am I in the wrong for wanting to see my grandson?" Margaret shouted, "You ungrateful brat. I raised


    you up with all my heart, and yet you turn against me for that b*tchy woman! Where''s your conscience?


    I will definitely send her to jail this time!"

 Chapter 163 To Sue Her

    Chapter 163 To Sue Her


    Seeing how Margaret had closed herself off to any room for discussion, Edric mmed the door and


    left. Furious, Margaret panted, "You ungrateful brat, just you wait. I''ll surely sue Irene! I must let you


    know I am your mother and I am someone whom you two can trifle with."


    Margaret confirmed with thewyer that she wished to sue Irene. Soon, Irene received a letter from the


    hand over the surveince video to the court. The judge gathered that although Irene didn''t mean to


    hurt Margaret, she had indeed caused serious injury to Margaret. Hence, the judge concluded that


    Irene should pay marypensation to Margaret and go for detention.


    However, the judge still rmended letting them reach a consensus in private. Edric went to


    Margaret again. "Mom, Irene is pregnant. Even if you do not have the slightest care for her, please at


    least think about that unborn baby in her tummy."


    Only then Margaret remembered that very fact. Irene was pregnant now, i.e. another grandson of hers


    was in her belly. Margaret had never wanted Irene to go to jail to begin with; she just wanted to teach


    her a lesson. At Edric''s words, Margaret decided to find a justification for her own action. "I can let her


    go if you tell her toe to the hospital to kneel down and apologize to me!"


    "Aren''t you just being ridiculous?" Edric smiled bitterly. How could Irene kneel down and apologize to


    Margaret? It was impossible for him to even picture it.


    "I don''t care. I''m badly injured. What''s wrong with me asking her to kneel and apologize? This is what


    she owes me. I will never give in this time. Either she apologizes to me or goes behind bars; tell her to


    choose one!" Margaret snarled.


    Seeing that Margaret refused topromise, Edric left the hospital with a grave frown. Margaret


    assumed that she had caught Irene''s soft spot and could finally use that to force Irene to admit her


    mistake. However, she didn''t expect that the result was quite different from what she had imagined.


    Irene would rather bear criminal responsibility than apologize to Margaret. D*mn that Irene! How could


    she be so stubborn?! Margaret only wanted Irene''s apology, not asking for her life!


    Margaret muttered silently, "Do I really have to send Irene to jail? My grandchild is in her belly. If they


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    learn that I forced Irene to go to jail knowing that she is pregnant, they would definitely hate me."


    However, there was no turning back. If Margaret were to go back on her word, she must think of a way


    that would not embarrass herself. Edric never showed up again, and she couldn''t possibly call Edric


    and tell him her thoughts.


    Just as Margaret was caught in her own apprehension, thewyer she had hired came to the hospital.


    He told Margaret that Irene''swyer had applied for the abolishment of detention for Irene, which


    meant that Irene didn''t need to go to jail since she was pregnant.


    Although Margaret didn''t want Irene to go to jail, that result was still unbearably humiliating to Margaret.


    Her feathers were so wildly ruffled that she smashed almost everything in the ward.


    Then she vented all her anger on Loraine again. Although Loraine looked docile on the outside,


    inwardly she wasmbasting Margaret the whole time.


    After a while, Margaret went to discuss a counterattack with Marie. Marie didn''t expect that this matter


    would end so easily. Margaret was definitely irate and irked as things did not go as per her n. All of a


    sudden, she thought of kidnapping Eden again.


    Although Marie was not interested in Eden at all, she couldn''t possibly tell Margaret that. After all, even


    a fool could tell that Margaret was determined to win over Eden. Suddenly, an idea dawned on Marie.


    Irene would definitely cling to Eden, and that meant that she would definitely run to Steven for help.


    With Steven''s aid and Edric''sck of enthusiasm to fight for Eden''s custody, Margaret would definitely


    n to fail.


    Of course, deep down Marie didn''t want Margaret to take Eden back to the Myers family, too. Lily was


    in good condition after the operation. She could get married to Edric and give birth to two grandsons for


    Margaret immediately.


    After all, Lily would surely feel ufortable seeing Irene''s child in front of her. Marie had to take


    precautions against that matter first. Irene must win the case no matter what. As long as Irene took


    Eden away and left San Fetillo for the rest of her life, the marriage of Lily and Edric would surely go on


    smoothly.


    Marie suddenly had an idea. She nned to go to Steven and tell him about the truth, prompting him to


    make a choice.


    Needless to say, Steven knew that Irene had left San Fetillo previously. It was no secret that Edric


    followed her to Mencodia thereafter. Marie guessed that Steven did not get himself involved, for he


    assumed that Edric and Irene were merely having a lover''s spat.


    It was not until Margaret sued Irene that he learned about all those details. When he heard that Eden


    was Edric''s son, Steven just couldn''t believe it. With that knowledge, he hated Margaret even more.


    The reason why Margaret forced Irene to divorce Edric back then was that she judged that Irene


    couldn''t give birth to children. Hence, since she now had learned that Eden was her grandson, she


    should ept Irene with a smile instead of continuing pulling an attitude with Irene, right?


    Since Margaret was hell-bent on suing Irene, Steven decided that enough was enough. He immediately


    met with the judge and told him about that matter. The judge rmended to either let both parties


    make peace privately or that Steven should bail her out.


    Then, Steven called Edric and requested him to persuade Margaret to settle this matter outside the


    court. Edric let out a sigh while stating that he had already looked for Margaret and that she wouldn''t


    listen to him at all. Margaret insisted on making Irene kneel down and admitting her mistake. He was


    thinking of other ways right then...


    Steven was furious to hear that. What a hateful woman Margaret was! How dared she ask Irene to get


    down on her knees? What arrogance! He hung up the phone angrily.


    Irene was his daughter. Steven could not forgive Margaret since she acted so arrogantly despite


    knowing that fact. She was digging her own grave! Even a fool knew that ordinary people shouldn''t


    fight with him. He was a politician after all!


    Steven wanted Margaret to understand that his position was not for nothing. He immediately called the


    judge and asked him to find a way to let him bail Irene out. The judge naturally would not refuse


    Steven''s request; he immediately helped to bail Irene out.


    Irene was fine in the end. Just as Steven was about to see Irene and Eden, Marie called him, saying


    that she had something to fill him in.


    Therefore, Steven went to meet Marie first. He asked, "What do you want to talk about?"


    "About Irene," Marie replied.


    "Since when did you care so much about Irene?" Steven mocked. With Marie''s hatred for Myra, it was


    already good enough that Marie didn''t harm Irene. Steven wasn''t convinced that Marie would ever help


    Irene.


    "Do you know why Irene fell out with Edric?" Marie ignored his sarcasm.


    "Do you know about it?" Steven retorted.


    "I went to see Margaret today, and she told me everything." Marie sighed.


    "Edric once had a lover called Rowane, didn''t he? Seeing that Edric and Irene got back together,


    Rowane was seething with envy. Thus, she went to Irene and provoked her. Edric didn''t want to have


    any trouble; therefore, he broke up with that girl Rowane. Then, she decided to go abroad after that.


    But before going abroad, she wanted to have onest meal with Edric as a farewell. Certainly, Edric


    epted her invitation," Marie continued.


    "Did Irene get jealous over Edric having a meal with Rowane?" Steven asked.


    "No, Rowane was a vindictive girl. She got together with Edric knowing that Lily and Irene were sisters.


    She came up with a vicious idea. That night, she invited Edric to have dinner and drugged his wine.


    Then, she used Edric being drunk as an excuse to call Lily to pick him up. And since Edric was


    drugged, he slept with Lily..." Marie trailed off.


    "Is this true?" Steven''s face fell. If Lily really had a one-night stand with Edric, judging on Irene''s


    personality, she would certainly not forgive Edric. Steven also hoped that Irene and Edric could get


    together since they now had Eden. Yet, it seemed that the possibility of it happening was pathetically


    meager.


    Marie nodded. "I swear it''s true. Edric didn''t know what had happened after he was drugged, and Lily


    didn''t dare to tell others about it because she cared about Irene. She had only told Margaret about


    it. This matter could have passed without anything happening, but Rowane, being the detestable


    woman she is, called Irene and told her that before she left. So Irene went abroad in a fit of anger."


    As a matter of fact, it was Marie who had instructed Rowane to call Irene. Never did Rowane know that


    Irene had left San Fetillo because she was pregnant. Rowane presumed that it was because Irene was


    angry that Lily and Edric had sex. That was why Marie did not even bat an eyelid when she lied.


    "D*mn it!" Steven was furious.


    "Irene refused to forgive Edric because of this. When Margaret knew that Eden was Edric''s, she went


    straight to Mencodia. It turned out that she wanted Eden and also Edric to marry Irene again. However,


    she didn''t expect that Irene would refuse to forgive Edric. Irene wouldn''t let Eden recognize them as his


    father and grandmother. That was why Margaret took Eden back secretly. When Irene learned about it,


    she came back to San Fetillo immediately. They had an argument on the stairs and Margaret ended up


    falling down the stairs. You know Margaret''s temper. She won''t even let a small thing go. So she surely


    wouldn''t forgive Irene. This time, they might really despise each other for their entire life! Margaret


    would definitely not let Irene marry Edric as long as she''s alive."


    Marie sighed.


    "Did youe to meet me to talk about this?" Steven asked.


    "In addition to this, I also want to tell you that Margaret is dead set onpeting with Irene for Eden''s


    custody. You have to think of a way to help Irene," Marie added.


    "Isn''t Margaret your good friend? Aren''t you betraying your friend by doing this?" Steven didn''t believe


    that Marie would be so kind.


    "Why are you doubting me when I''m telling you this out of kindness?" Marie was offended. "Irene is my


    niece no matter what. I just can''t watch Margaret take Eden away."


    "Thank you then!" Steven shed a fake smile. "I will look into this. As long as I am here, no one can


    take my grandson away from my daughter!"


    Marie was relieved to hear that. Since she had fulfilled her goal, she got up and left the cafe.


    Marie walked out of the ce and bumped into a waiter who was holding a cup of tea. The waiter


    spilled the tea all over her. Marie''s clothes were soaked with the hot tea, and it scalded her. She then


    pped the waiter in the face and hissed, "Did you leave your eyeballs at home?"


    "I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" the waiter apologized repeatedly. Themotion attracted the attention of other


    customers. Seeing that everyone was looking over, Marie chose not to argue with the waiter further and


    left the tea house in a hurry, since Steven was still in the private room they met a while ago.


    After a few minutes, Steven followed suit and left the cafe.


    "Hey, isn''t that Mr. Cook?" A colleague who was having tea with Kinsey pointed at Steven who was


    leaving.


    Kinsey turned around to have a look. "Yeah."


    "Why do you think he''s here?" her colleague asked.


    "Mr. Cook is also a human; he has a life too. Himing here to drink tea ain''t that big of a deal,"


    Kinsey responded.


    "No, I think there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. The fierce woman who pped the waiter just


    now also came out from the same room."


    Kinsey had also witnessed the scene of Marie pping the waiter just then, but she did not pay much


    attention to it. Nheless, now that her colleague had brought it up, Kinsey was slightly stunned too.


    Why did Marie meet with Steven?

 Chapter 164 No Room For Mistakes

    Chapter 164 No Room For Mistakes


    Steven exited the cafe and returned home. At his arrival, Deborah weed him. "Why are you back


    so early today?"


    Steven snorted. "Where''s Lily?"


    "She''s sleeping upstairs."


    "It''s the middle of the day; why is she still asleep? Ask her toe down. I have something to ask her."


    Steven''s face darkened.


    Deborah immediately ascended the stairs and pushed open the door to Lily''s bedroom. She lowered


    her voice and spoke, "Hey, your dad wants to ask you about Edric. Do as Marie says. Don''t ever


    blunder, understand?"


    "Alright." After freshening up, Lily went out of the bedroom.


    Looking at Steven''s sullen face in the living room, Lily felt somewhat nervous. She didn''t even know


    why she was afraid of Steven. "Dad, you''re looking for me?" she asked, pretending to be nonchnt.


    Steven snorted and gestured to Lily to sit down opposite him. "What''s going on between you and


    Edric?"


    "Nothing special, Dad," Lily answered, looking innocent.


    "Really?" Steven just stared at Lily. "Let me ask you, have you met him in private?"


    "I did." Lily lowered her voice.


    "So are you the reason why Irene and Edric are in such a mess right now?" he demanded.


    "Dad, that has nothing to do with me." Lily shook her head.


    "Do you mean it?" Stoic, Steven looked at her. Lily was stunned by his scorching gaze. "Dad, I swear!


    It''s all Edric''s fault... He was drunk... And then... I didn''t tell anyone, not even Mom. It''s none of my


    business that Irene is in a row with him."


    It was a tant admission that she had slept with Edric. Steven had been hoping that Marie was just


    spouting nonsense, but now he was genuinely furious.


    He grabbed the ss in front of him and smashed it on the floor. "Didn''t I warn you not to go near


    Edric? So you''d justpletely ignored my words?!"


    "I didn''t mean it... Dad... I really didn''t know it would turn out like this." Lily sobbed.


    "That Rowane called me and told me that Edric was drunk. She asked me to take him home. I didn''t


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    think much about it, and I didn''t know... that Edric would pounce on me like a madman. It was useless


    for me to struggle; he was way stronger than me. Then... he fell asleep and I... I sent him home. Aunt


    Margaret is the only one who knows about this. I can vouch, no one else knows."


    "If you don''t want anyone to know about it, you shouldn''t have done it in the first ce. Can''t you


    understand such simple logic?" roared Steven.


    "What''s going on?" Disconcerted, Deborah came over.


    "You''ve done a very good job at raising your daughter!" Steven red at Deborah censoriously, as if he


    wanted to swallow her alive.


    "Dad, it''s my fault. It has nothing to do with Mom. She doesn''t know anything. I''ll take all of your anger!"


    Lily knelt on the ground and said, "I''ll go and exin to Irene... It''s not Edric''s fault!"


    "Exin what? Do you think your exnation will help Irene and Edric in getting back together?"


    Steven glimpsed at Lily who was crying bitterly. "From now on, you''d better be obedient. Stay at home


    and don''t go anywhere!"


    He shouted at her and mmed the door on the way into his study. Deborah reached out to help Lily


    up. The two of them shared a nce, both with a proud look on their face.


    After Kinsey had parted ways with her colleague, she went back to Jordan''s vi. On the way back, she


    bought some of Eden''s favorite snacks. Eden was full of beans to see Kinseying back. "Kinsey, did


    you bring me any yummy food?"


    "You cute little kitty, I knew you would be hungry. I''ve brought you some of your favorite snacks." As


    she spoke, she produced the snacks she''d bought on the way back and handed them to Eden.


    "Hey, you''re spoiling him." Irene reached out and rubbed Eden''s head. Looking at his joyful expression,


    she smiled and added, "Go on, say thank you to Kinsey."


    "Thank you, Kinsey!" Eden thanked her sweetly.


    "Be a good boy, go and eat over there. I need to talk with your mom." After Eden obediently stepped


    aside, Kinsey pulled Irene over. "I saw Marie and your father in a cafe just now. Why do you think she


    wanted to see your father?"


    "How would I know?" Irene shook her head.


    "Marie is so beautiful; besides, she''s single. Do you think something is going on between her and your


    father?" Kinsey scratched her chin.


    "No way." Irene shook her head again.


    "Why not? Marie looks so simr to your mother. Maybe he regards her as your mother''s stand-in."


    Kinsey chuckled at her own imagination.


    "Is that the kind of stuff you''ve been feeding your mind?" Irene paused for a while and continued,


    "Marie is Jordan''s father''s lover."


    "Bloody hell!" Kinsey was shocked. "Jordan''s father''s lover? Does Jordan know about it?"


    "Of course!" A sudden voice rang out, and Jordan appeared in front of them out of nowhere.


    "I..." Kinsey blushed. Although she wasn''t tattling about him, she still felt embarrassed that she got


    caught.


    "We weren''t talking bad about you..."


    "I know, I heard what you said," Jordan interjected indifferently. "It''s no secret anyway."


    Kinsey breathed a sigh of relief at how chill he was. She looked over to Irene. "This isn''t the first time


    I''ve seen your father meeting Marie. I saw them meet once before at a cafe. They looked kind of


    suspicious. I mean, they were scanning the surroundings before entering. I found it really strange. I had


    wanted to tell you but I forgot."


    "When was this?" Irene was surprised.


    "Give me a moment." Kinsey rubbed her temples. "I can''t remember the specific time, but I think it was


    around when you had just moved in with the Cook family."


    "Well, he does have a history of cheating. Perhaps he hasn''t changed out of his old ways?" Irene''s face


    suddenly darkened. Steven had cheated on Myra with Deborah, and now he was probably about to


    cheat on Deborah with Marie.


    "I hope he''s having an affair. Deborah deserves that karma." Kinsey snorted. "Deborah seduced a


    married man; now she will know what it feels like. Time for her to have a taste of her own medicine."


    "It better be so, then we can sit back and enjoy the show," Jordan echoed. He knew that Marie and


    Steven were brother and sister-inw. But Thomas had wanted to keep this secret from Irene, so


    naturally, Jordan would not let the cat out of the bag, at least not to Irene.


    But he wasn''t fond of Marie either. If he showed Deborah the picture of Steven meeting with Marie and


    misled her into believing that they were having an affair, Deborah and Marie would definitely get


    embroiled in a catfight.


    "Maybe we should follow them and take pictures of Mr. Cook and Marie. Then we can send them to


    Deborah. That will seriously piss her off," suggested Jordan.


    "Holy, that''s a marvelous idea. Why don''t we get someone to follow..."


    "You two can really make a good pair." Irene interrupted Kinsey, "I only care about Eden now. I have no


    care left for irrelevant characters."


    "I knew you''d be like that." Kinsey curled her lips. "You gave up on being the daughter of a politician


    and let some illegitimate daughter take your ce. Only you would do that. If it were me, I''d never let


    Deborah and Lily through the front door."


    "That''s because you''re a bystander, not one of the parties involved." Irene sighed.


    "After finding out that Steven had an affair, I was extremely disappointed in him. I looked up to him


    when I was younger, so I couldn''t ept the truth when I found out. If it happened to you, I''m willing to


    bet that you wouldn''t be able to either."


    Jordan nodded. "Truer words were never spoken. Only the people involved can understand it. But I''ve


    always been curious about something. Have you never even thought about taking revenge on Deborah


    and Lily?"


    Any normal person would have found it difficult to forgive Deborah. But Irene had never done anything


    to Deborah nor Lily. Did she not begrudge them even a tiny bit?


    "Why would I bother?" Irene retorted, "It takes two to tango. It''s not Deborah''s fault alone."


    "Why isn''t that her fault? If she hadn''t seduced Mr. Cook so shamelessly, would your mother have died


    in that car ident?" Kinsey rebuked.


    "Of course Steven''s affair is a factor in my mother''s ident. But in the end, it was still an ident.


    She fell in love with the wrong man. A tragedy ensued because she put everyst bit of her hope onto


    him. That''s exactly why I hate Steven. If it weren''t for him, none of this would have happened. I think


    my mother was too foolish. She gave up her life for a man that wasn''t worth it and left me alone..."


    Irene''s voice was tinged with sadness.


    "If, let''s assume, it was Deborah who seduced your father and separated your family, will you take


    revenge?" Jordan asked tentatively.


    "If your assumption is true, I will definitely avenge my mother!" Irene replied, "But I heard from Uncle


    Thomas that she got into a car ident when she was passing the zebra crossing. It was purely an


    ident."


    Jordan fell silent again. There was no way to uncover the truth from back then. But he was sure that


    Deborah must have somehow been involved.


    Should he tell Irene? At the sight of her frail expression, he couldn''t bear to. Indeed, Eden was the


    most important person to be concerned about at this moment. Perhaps Jordan would leave this matter


    to another time. When he gathered enough evidence, he would surely tell her.


    Jordan was about to leave, and Kinsey volunteered to see him off. After walking him to the door, she


    softened her voice and asked, "Jordan, what did you mean just now?"


    "Which of it?" Jordan asked.


    "That it was Deborah who separated Irene''s family. Have you found any evidence?" Since Irene had all


    her mind on Eden, she hadn''t really paid attention to what Jordan had said. But Kinsey was different.


    She sensed that there was something more to his words. When Irene was around earlier, she''d kept


    quiet. Now that the two of them were alone, she couldn''t pass up on the chance to ask him.


    "There is no evidence. I was just making a random statement." Of course, Jordan wasn''t going to tell


    Kinsey without concrete evidence.


    "Oh, I thought you had found something." Kinsey was a little disappointed.


    "Deborah used to be Irene''s mother''s best friend, but she shamelessly seduced her best friend''s


    husband. How awful. It pisses me off even more knowing that Lily tried to seduce Edric. I just want to


    beat them two up for Irene. Everything I told earlier was the truth. I really hope Steven is having an


    affair so that evil woman can get a taste of her own medicine."


    Kinsey was blistering with rage, for she too held a grudge against Deborah and Lily. In this sense, she


    and Jordan were simr.


    "I understand your anger for Irene, but we should take it one step at a time. Keep an eye on them,


    they''re bound to slip up one day," said Jordan.


    "Does that mean you''re watching them?" Kinsey became excited. She had always wanted to catch


    Deborah making a mistake, but she was too powerless to pull such a stunt. If Jordan was willing to


    help, it would be much better than her working alone.


    "Yes." Jordan nodded. "I don''t really care about Steven. After all, he is Irene''s father. He won''t do


    anything to her. But Deborah is different. I have to pay more attention to her."


    "Agree, I also think that we should pay more attention to Deborah. I have something else to tell


    you. Thest time when I went to dinner with Irene, we were stuck in the jam. Then we saw Deborah


    with another man in a car. They were holding hands," spoke Kinsey.


    "Are you serious?" Jordan''s interest was piqued.


    "I''m not too sure. At that time, we were a little far away, and the woman was wearing a hat and


    sunsses. Irene couldn''t say for certain either. But at the time, Irene called home and Maisy said that


    Deborah wasn''t home, iming Deborah had gone to the beauty salon. Maisy also told us that


    Deborah would only go visit that saloon when Steven was busy and that Deborah would always spend


    a long time at it. I thought it was a little off, so..."


    Jordan immediately interjected, "I see. I''ll keep an eye on Deborah. I''ll let you know should Ie


    across anything!"

 Chapter 165 Suspicions

    Chapter 165 Suspicions


    At noon the next day, Steven brought arge bag of gifts over to Jordan''s vi. Irene heard the doorbell


    and opened the door. When she discovered that it was Steven at the door, her expression immediately


    darkened. "Why are you here?" she asked.


    "I''m here to see my grandson!" Steven yelled. He had no concern over Irene''s indifferent attitude and


    went straight into the vi. Eden was upied with solving a puzzle in the living room when he heard


    Steven''s voice and looked up.


    This was the first time Steven had seen Eden. He instantly took a liking to him. Eden bore a


    resemnce to Irene. He ced the gift he bought in front of Eden and affectionately touched Eden''s


    head, saying, "You''re Eden, right? I''m your grandfather."


    "Grandfather? What''s that?" Eden asked curiously with his eyes wide open. Irene had never mentioned


    the word ''grandfather'' in front of him; hence, he didn''t know what it meant.


    Steven''s face turned a little red. "It means I''m your mother''s father, do you understand?"


    "Yeah," Eden replied. In fact, he didn''t actually understand Steven at all, but he was just pretending. He


    turned to look at Irene and said to her, "Mom, do you have a father?"


    Irene forced a smile. She didn''t want him to feel embarrassed. Thus, she simply nodded.


    "So you are my mom''s father. Why haven''t you been taking care of her? Why do you let bad men bully


    her?" Eden turned to look at Steven again, questioning him.


    "I was wrong of me. From now on, I will take good care of both you and your mom. I won''t let anyone


    bully the two of you," Steven said, feeling very guilty about it.


    "Really?" Eden lightened up. Margaret had given him a bad scare. If he had a father, Eden was certain


    that he would not be harmed by Margaret again. Now that he had discovered that Irene had a


    father, Steven would definitely protect him and Irene. Eden added, "There is one baddy who bullies


    me and Mom a lot. You must help us punish her. She is an evil witch!"


    "Well, the next time shees to you, just let me know and I promise to protect the two of you,"


    Steven assured Eden. Then he looked back at Irene. "Irene, since you''re back, why don''t you bring him


    home?"


    Although she knew that Steven was here without any ill intentions, Irene still was not on friendly terms


    with him. "There is no need for that. We are doing just fine here."


    "No matter how good it gets here, it is still someone else''s home. I''ll get Maisy to help set up a room for


    Eden. You must take him home, alright?" repeated Steven.


    "For me, I am more at home here than I am in your house," Irene insisted in such a carefree manner.


    Truth be told, she did not want to see Steven, but at the same time, she could not drive Steven away


    while Eden was here. Suddenly, Thomas appeared.


    Ever since Irene and Eden moved to Jordan''s vi, Thomas woulde over to help take care of


    them. When he caught sight of Steven, he was obviously surprised and his expression dropped at


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    once. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.


    Eden was ted to see Thomas; he immediately left Steven and ran to Thomas. "Uncle Thomas, I just


    ate some snacks so I''m not hungry yet. Can you cookter? Come y with me first."


    "Okay, I''ll y with you now and cookter," Thomas said as he prepared himself to go to the kitchen to


    set down the groceries he had just bought. Irene reached out and got hold of the groceries from him.


    "Uncle Thomas, why do you go and y with Eden? I''ll cook today."


    "That''s alright. Eden prefers my cooking. I''ll do it instead." Thomas shook his head.


    Right then, Eden chimed in, "Uncle Thomas'' cooking is better than Mom''s, I want Uncle Thomas to


    cook."


    "Eden, can''t Uncle Thomas catch a break once in a while?" Irene red at him.


    Eden hid in Thomas'' arms. "Uncle Thomas, Mom is being fierce to me!"


    "Don''t be afraid. I am right here." Thomas tittered.


    Seeing how close Eden and Irene were with Thomas, Steven was consumed with a wave of mixed


    feelings. Irene was his daughter, and Eden was his grandson. How could they be so amicable with an


    outsider, but not to their own blood rtive? He wondered, feeling perplexed.


    Eden made a face at Irene in Thomas'' arms. When he saw Steven just standing aside, he poked his


    head out and pointed at Steven. Then he said, "Uncle Thomas, Mom has a father now. From now on,


    the bad guys won''t dare to bully me and my mom anymore!"


    "Him?" Thomas scoffed. If it weren''t for the fact that Eden was here, Thomas would have already


    would have grown up with him and be close to him instead. She wouldn''t have suffered so much.


    Steven felt an inexplicable feeling of hatred towards Thomas.


    "Me what?" He stared at Thomas coldly. "From now on, I, Steven, will take care of my daughter and my


    grandson. I don''t need your help."


    "Don''t you think it''s toote to say that now?" Thomas jeered. "Irene and Eden don''t need your fake


    kindness."


    "You''re not even rted to them. You have no say in this." Steven smirked. He had always been patient


    with Thomas and never argued with him. Only he knew the reason why. But at this moment, he wasn''t


    going to put on a kind facade in front of Thomas anymore. "The next time you see me, you''d better act


    nicer to me, lest I reveal all your ugly truths," Steven warned.


    "Steven, how dare you say that?" Thomas became livid and his face was filled with rage. He was being


    threatened by Steven openly. Steven was implying that he was going to let Irene know about the fact


    that Thomas was actually Dave. Thomas didn''t want Irene to know about this.


    Looking at them, Irene felt an unpleasant feeling growing in her chest. Although Steven had hurt Irene


    and Myra because of his affair, it was undeniable that Steven had been very kind to her when she was


    a child. It was precisely because Steven had been kind to her that she couldn''t ept that Steven


    would havemitted such a sin.


    Despite Thomas only being her uncle, he had been taking care of her since she was ten years old. He


    had yed the role of being an uncle and a father in her life. She didn''t want to see their tit-for-tat fight.


    Therefore, to diffuse the situation, she simply said to Steven, "Why don''t you just head back first for


    today?"


    Irene requested him to leave. She was clearly siding with Thomas and was driving him away. Steven


    became even angrier. He shot a nce at Eden and chose to suppress his anger. "Eden, I will return


    tomorrow to see you. Be good and listen to your mother!"


    "Okay, Grandpa. Goodbye!"


    Steven did not leave immediately, but looked at Thomas coldly. "Thank you for taking care of Irene all


    these years. I''ll treat you to a drink some day."


    "The mighty politician asking me out for tea? I wouldn''t dare!" Thomas did not want to have anything to


    do with Steven.


    Steven forced a smile on his face and said, "I insist. I will personallye to meet you." Then, he


    strode to the door.


    After Steven left, Thomas'' face turned a little pale. Ireneforted him, "Uncle Thomas, don''t pay him


    any mind. Eden and I won''t have anything to do with him."


    Thomas gave a wry smile. If he were the real Thomas, Irene would certainly not turn to Steven.


    However, if Steven revealed to her his true identity, would Irene still treat him the same way?


    After lunch, Edric dropped by. His face was hollow and he looked skinnier. Seeing Edric decline to his


    current situation, Irene''s heart couldn''t help but ache. "Edric, please leave us be, okay? I promise I''ll let


    you see Eden after he''s recovered."


    Edric smiled bitterly. "Irene, I''m not here to see the child. I found a doctor for Eden. He is a famous


    doctor in Havend. He''s experienced in treating leukemia. Please let him have a look at Eden."


    "A doctor from Havend?" Irene asked, a little hesitant.


    "Mr. Myers heard that Donald Brown, an old professor, has a lot of experience in treating leukemia, so


    he expressly took the effort to invite him over. Please let him take a look at Eden," John interrupted.


    "Since he''s invited him already, we might as well let him," Thomas persuaded.


    Observing that Thomas did not object, Irene opened the door to allow Edric and the other two men to


    enter the room. Dr. Brown examined Eden and read Eden''s health report. He noted that he had treated


    a patient in a simr predicament as Eden before. After receiving treatment from him, the patient never


    had a rpse until this day. Hence, he suggested that Eden shouldmence treatment immediately.


    Naturally, Irene was cautious when it came to Eden. She eventually epted Donald''s suggestion.


    Donald prescribed Eden some medication. He told Eden to try these first and see how it went.


    Thomas made sure to ask if there were any dietary restrictions needed for Eden and Donald informed


    him that it would be best for Eden to avoid eating sour, cold, and spicy foods. Irene thanked Donald


    and took the prescription slip. She was about to leave in order to collect the medicine but Edric


    immediately offered to help. He could not pass up on the opportunity to spend more time with Irene.


    Irene did not reject and got into his car.


    This was the first time that they had been alone since returning to Havend. Edric looked carefully at


    Irene. "Irene, I''m sorry. I was wrong this time. I apologize for having caused you so much trouble."


    "Is ''sorry'' all you know how to say?" Irene snorted. "You''re always making mistakes and apologizing.


    What''s the point then?"


    "I won''t do it again next time," he said with caution.


    "Will there even be a next time?"


    Edric was so stung by her words that he did not know how to respond. After a while, he begged, "Irene,


    I wish to be able to visit Eden as much as possible. Would that be alright with you?"


    "Can I just say no to that?" She was in a foul mood.


    Edric was relieved that she didn''t outright refuse his request. With a smile on his face, he said, "Irene,


    thank you."


    "Thank me for what? Edric, I warn you, do not cross the line. I''m just letting you see Eden. Don''t get


    any wrong ideas."


    "I just want to see Eden, I will never hit on you," Edric promised.


    They arrived at the pharmacy and picked up the medicine. When they started the car, Edric nced at


    the figure in the rearview mirror and couldn''t help but make a sound of surprise. "Isn''t that Loraine?


    What is she doing here?"


    Irene followed his gaze and looked over. She saw Loraine standing by the door of the pharmacy. Edric


    looked at Irene and said, "Let me go ask her what she''s doing here."


    Irene knew what he meant. He must be worried about Margaret. She remained mute, as Edric''s


    matters had nothing to do with her. Seeing that Irene didn''t agree to his request, Edric immediately


    exined himself.


    "I''ve been running around looking for a doctor for Eden and I asked Loraine to take care of my mother,


    so..."


    It was normal for him to worry about Margaret. Seeing how cautious he looked, Irene couldn''t help but


    say, "Edric, when I was still seeing you, I have never stopped you from doing anything. We aren''t


    rted to each other anymore. You are pleased to do whatever you want, there is no need to exin to


    me."


    "I..." Edric looked at Irene with aplicated expression. While he was hesitating, a man walked over


    to Loraine. They greeted each other as if they had known each other for ages before entering the


    pharmacy together.


    "Isn''t that Tommy? How does he know Loraine?" Now it was Irene''s turn to be surprised. The man who


    entered the pharmacy with Loraine was none other than Steven''s driver, Tommy Lewis.


    "Yeah, how do they know each other?" Edric was also confused.


    "Edric, don''t you want to know about your mother''s condition? Why don''t you ask her now?" Irene


    urged.

 Chapter 166 Suspicions (II)

    Chapter 166 Suspicions (II)


    Edric got out of the car and went straight into the pharmacy. He saw Loraine and Tommy at the


    prescription counter. Although Tommy was standing beside Loraine, his eyes were darting around the


    store.


    Tommy saw Edric the moment he stepped off the elevator. When he saw Edric, he distanced himself


    from Loraine without thinking and took the initiative to approach Edric. "Mr. Myers!"


    Tommy''s greeting made Loraine, who had her back to Edric, turn her head. She was obviously shocked


    when she saw Edric. Fortunately, Tommy was now talking to Edric so Loraine could use some time to


    process the situation.


    After a moment, she went back to having a neutral expression on her face. After calming herself down,


    she marched over to Edric as if nothing had happened. "Mr. Myers, nice meeting you. When did you


    return to San Fetillo?"


    "I just came back today," Edric answered. "How is my mother?"


    "She has recovered well, but her mood isn''t doing too well. You could pay her a visit," Loraine


    answered truthfully.


    Seeing that Edric was discussing private affairs with Loraine, Tommy politely bid Edric goodbye.


    "Mr. Myers, I''ll be on my way then."


    Edric nodded, his gaze followed after Tommy. Why did he feel like Tommy seemed to be a little


    flustered? Was he overthinking? Seeing his eyes fixed upon Tommy, Loraine''s heart beat faster. She


    forced a smile and said, "Who is that man just now?"


    Edric was stunned by her question. What did Loraine mean? Was she not acquainted with Tommy


    already? However, the two of them had clearly chatted to each other at the entrance earlier before


    wondered suspiciously.


    Although he had doubts in his heart, he did not reveal them. "He is Mr. Cook''s driver."


    "Ah, so that''s who he is!" Loraine responded in a monotonous way and exined, "I''ve been feeling a


    little under the weather these days so I came to buy some flu medicine."


    "You must''ve worked very hardtely! Thank you for your good work!" Edric knew of Margaret''s temper.


    In his absence, she would have definitely vented her anger on Loraine. Surely, Loraine would not


    retaliate against Margaret; it was only expected for Loraine to be feeling a little ill. "I''ll find two more


    caretakers for her right away. So you can at least take a wee break in between."


    "There is no need for that. I can take care of Madam Margaret," Loraine quickly said. Edric was indeed


    one generous man. Although working for the Myers family meant she was often rebuked by Margaret,


    her sry was quite high. For the sake of money, Loraine never had anyints whatsoever, no


    matter how much Margaret berated her.


    Of course, apart from the money, she had another reason for working with the Myers family. Deborah


    paid her handsomely as well for the work she did. She was basically getting paid twice as much for one


    job. If Edric hired someone else to take care of Margaret, and that person gained Margaret''s good side,


    then that might jeopardize Loraine''s position in the family.


    Afraid that Edric might really hire a new maid, Loraine immediately stated, "I have stayed with Madam


    Margaret for a long time and know her preferences well enough. She''s morefortable with me as


    well. If you hire someone new, she might not like it."


    What she said made sense. Edric nodded and remarked, "If it gets too much to bear, do let me know."


    Irene waited in the car for a while before Edric came out of the pharmacy. Seeing him get in the car,


    Irene couldn''t help but ask him, "Is your mother alright?"


    "Loraine said there''s nothing worrying. She''s recovering quite well."


    "Go and pay her a visit." Irene looked out of the window.


    "I will," Edric answered and started the car. He then asked Irene, "Loraine and Tommy greeted each


    other at the door just now, didn''t they?"


    "Yes?" Irene felt a little strange. "Why?"


    "Nothing, I''m just trying to make sure I didn''t see anything wrongly."


    After sending Irene back, Edric and John left together. On the way, he told John what he saw earlier in


    the day. "The two of them clearly know each other but they pretended not to. There must be something


    fishy going on. Run some background checks on Tommy."


    John nodded after receiving the instruction.


    Although Steven had told Lily to stay at home, there was no way she would abide by Steven''s


    order. Margaret was being warded at the hospital; she had to find a way to visit her. She wanted to test


    and see for herself what Margaret''s attitude towards her was like now.


    Seeing that Steven was not at home, Lily went out to buy one of Margaret''s favorite snacks and


    headed to the hospital. When Margaret saw Lilying to see her, she was delighted and pulled at Lily


    to ask her all sorts of questions. Naturally, all of Lily''s answers were all that Margaret wanted to hear.


    They had a whale of a time chattering with each other. Margaret could not help feeling that Lily was


    much better than Irene. "Lily, don''t you have any good news for me?"


    Lily smiled coyly. "My period hasn''t arrived yet."


    "Really?" Margaret was on cloud nine to hear that. "Have you gotten tested yet?"


    "Not yet." Lily lowered her head, giggling.


    "Do it quickly. If there''s good news..." Margaret suddenly felt like she had hit the lottery. If Lily was


    pregnant, any hopes of Irene getting back together with Edric would bepletely crushed.


    Lily returned home after visiting Margaret. Lily told Deborah about Margaret''s reaction. While they were


    happily chatting away, Steven had reached home too. As soon as he entered through the door, he told


    Deborah to clean the spare room and set it up for a child.


    Deborah knew that it was meant for Eden to move in. Her hatred for Eden was growing inside her like a


    tumor, but she didn''t show it. "Is Irene moving back in with her son?"


    "Yes!" Steven replied curtly. "Decorate the room to make it a bit nicer."


    Maisy was very excited when she heard this. "Mr. Cook, leave the room to me. I''ll make sure it''s well-


    arranged."


    "Alright, thank you." Steven sat down while Lily brought him some tea. Steven sipped the tea and


    looked at Lily. "You''ve graduated for several years now. Do you have any ns?"


    Lily was stupefied by his question. Apart from marrying Edric and being admired by all, she really had


    no other ns. She hesitated and said, "I haven''t thought about it yet."


    Steven frowned. What kind of adult had no future ns? Was she really his daughter? Comparing Lily


    with Irene, Steven began to feel the edge of irritation returning. Lily was his daughter too, but how did


    they end up being so different?


    Irene had always kept a low profile. Even when she married Edric and became part of a rich and


    powerful family, Irene had remained humble. He had never seen her around in any posh areas.


    However, Lily was different. All she did was frequent high-end restaurants and mingle with other rich


    heiresses. It was as if all she knew what to do was to enjoy life. Feeling disgusted, Steven''s eyes went


    colder. "Since you have no thoughts on the matter, I''ve thought about it for you. Why don''t I send you to


    study abroad?"


    "Send me abroad?" Lily was shocked. She was waiting for the chance to marry Edric. Sending her


    abroad was obviously going to mess up her ns. "Dad, I don''t want to go abroad."


    "What do you want to do then if you don''t want to study abroad? People of your age have already


    started working for a living. Meanwhile, you do nothing all day, except eating and having fun. Is that


    how you want to live for the rest of your life? Does it seem like a meaningful life to you?"


    "I..." Lily was so dumbstruck by his question that she just looked at Deborah for help.


    "Lily hasn''t been doing nothing. She wanted to look for a job previously but she had to postpone it for


    Irene. After that, she''s been sick so she had to rest at home..." Deborah immediately stepped in to


    defend Lily.


    Steven said with a faint smile, "What happened before was our fault as parents. We have failed her.


    Now I want to make it up to her by sending her abroad to study. As long as she works hard, I believe


    that she can unleash a lot more of her potential."


    "Why do you have to send Lily to study abroad? She''s going to be all alone in a strangend. I can''t


    bear to see Lily suffer," said Deborah, rushedly.


    "Suffer? There are people who would give anything for a chance to study abroad, but you call that


    suffering?" It was unnatural for Steven to raise his voice.


    "Dad, I don''t want to go. I don''t want to leave you and Mom," Lily begged.


    "You don''t want to leave us? What are you talking about? Do you want to stay at home with us all your


    life?" Steven sneered. Lily bowed her head mutely. Deborah quickly interrupted, "Steven, if she doesn''t


    want to, don''t force her. I''ll ask her to get a job and start working some other day."


    "It''s not about work; it''s about Irene. Irene and Eden will move back soon, and Edric will eventually


    appropriate, so it''s preferable to send her abroad. It would be for everyone''s good."


    Lily bit her lip. "Dad, if that''s what you''re worried about, I''ll move out."


    "You still don''t get what I mean, don''t you? If you stay here, you will only make Irene and Edric feel


    ufortable. So the best solution is for you to go abroad." Steven was being very straightforward.


    Lily''s expression changed almost immediately. She glimpsed at Deborah and said, "Mom, I am not


    going. Over my dead body!"


    Deborah felt her heart aching. Nheless, there was still a smile stered on her face. "Since it''s for


    Irene, I''ll persuade Lily to follow your n. Steven, go ahead and make necessary arrangements. I will


    talk to Lily."


    Upon hearing that, Steven calmed down a bit more and his spirits were lifted. He ignored Lily, who was


    crying, and stated, "I''ll ask someone to get all the documents ready right away. You''d better prepare


    mentally over the next few days."


    After Steven entered the study, Deborah and Lily also returned to their room. Lily''s face was stained


    with tears. "Mom, Dad is forcing me to leave just so Irene won''t feel ufortable. I am also his


    daughter. How could he be so unfair?"


    Deborah didn''t say anything. Steven used to treat her and Lily quite well; why did he suddenly have a


    change in attitude? Was it because of Irene''s return or was it because he had begun to suspect them?


    Lily became more anxious when she noticed Deborah''s silence. "Mom, why did you promise him that I


    will leave San Fetillo just now? You should havee up with an excuse so I can stay."


    "Button your lips!" Deborah frowned. "You are still in San Fetillo right now, aren''t you? This is just a


    dying tactic. Don''t worry. I won''t let him send you abroad."


    "You sure? What can you do now?" Lily was worried sick. "Mom, why don''t we tell Dad that I''m


    pregnant so he won''t force me to go abroad?"


    "Idiot!" Deborah red at Lily. "If you tell him that now, you''ll be dead meat. I know him; he''ll definitely


    force you to go to the hospital and get rid of the unborn baby."


    "Then what should we do? We can''t only tell him that after the baby is born, can we?"


    "There''s no need to wait that long. I''ll find a way. Just stay at home for the next few days. Don''t go


    anywhere," said Deborah, her eyes glistening with a hint of vileness.


    Steven frowned as soon as he entered the study. Lily''s reaction to his suggestion was as clear as


    crystal. After all, she was already used to getting pampered; there was no easy way to convince her to


    ept his suggestion.


    Deborah had spoiled Lily so much. However, logically speaking, she should have opposed his idea.


    Yet, she agreed to him without much of a fuss. As a mother, her reaction was rather suspicious.


    Although Deborah had always put him first in their marriage, why did he feel like something was out of


    ce with her reaction?


    As he was lost in his thoughts, Maisy knocked on the door and came in to serve him tea. She noticed


    that Steven was scowling and chimed, "Mr. Cook, don''t worry. Miss Cook will definitely get over it after


    a while."C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Steven nodded. After pondering for a while, he suddenly asked, "Has everything been alright at home


    recently?"


    "I haven''t noticed anything strange," Maisy responded.


    Steven lowered his head slightly and spoke, "Do keep an eye on things."


    Maisy nodded and said, "I will."

 Chapter 167 Never Have I Ever Felt This Helpless

    Chapter 167 Never Have I Ever Felt This Helpless


    Seeing Edric leave, Loraine bought the honeysuckle she was looking for and left the pharmacy too. On


    the way back, she called her son. "Tommy, are you sure he doesn''t find anything suspicious?"


    "Don''t worry. We aren''t rted in any way. There''s no possibility that he''d put the two of us together,"


    Tommy answered.


    After hearing that, Loraine felt much relieved. The only people who knew that Tommy was her son were


    Deborah and herself.


    As a matter of fact, both Deborah and she were from the same vige. Back then, Loraine herself was


    also from Cat Alley. Moreover, she was only a few years older than Deborah; thus, it made sense if


    they were friends.


    There were all sorts of people who lived in Cat Alley. People who were born there found it hard to


    escape the clutches of it. Loraine''s family wasn''t rich, so naturally, her childhood wasn''t an easy one.


    Their family earned a living by setting up a food stall by the roadside. They would wake up in the wee


    hours of the morning, yet they barely earned enough to make ends meet. As her parents grew older,


    Loraine could no longer stand living in that disheveled house of theirs.


    Just as she was cracking her brain on how to support the family, a ruffian took advantage of her young


    age to prey on her. He would give her some money every now and then to win over her. Which young


    girl out there wouldn''t like the feeling of being pampered? Lured by his sugarcoated words and


    sumbed to her own materialistic mind, Lorraine soon moved in with that ruffian and even gave birth


    to Tommy before they got married.


    Loraine''s parents were old and frail; eventually, both of them passed on. After their passing, she and


    Tommy followed the ruffian everywhere, but the good times did notst. Soon after she gave birth, he


    was sent to prison. As a single mother, Lorraine had no means to raise Tommy. Later, she listened to


    the advice of others and gave him away to the Lewis family.


    After adopting the child, the Lewis family arrived at an agreement with Loraine. Their only condition


    was that Loraine would never look for Tommy. Afraid that the ruffian woulde to look for her, she


    agreed to their condition without a second thought. The Lewis family had a pretty decent background,


    thus, they could afford to pay her off.


    Failing to make a living in Cat Alley, Loraine was forced to look for a job somewhere else. While she


    was working her fingers to the bone, she got to know Duncan. When the time was right, they got


    married.


    In the beginning, they had their good days. Later, when Duncan heard about her previous pregnancy,


    he started to abuse her. Knowing that she was in the wrong, she epted his beatings. However, this


    further fueled his wrath. He married her thinking she was a virgin; but since she wasn''t, he felt


    deceived. To appease his own anger, he started seeing other women outside of their marriage.


    Feeling as if she had no choice, Loraine just gave in to his devious ways. However, Duncan took


    advantage of her silence to bring other women back home.


    That, of course, became thest straw that broke Loraine. When she finally voiced her fury and


    disapproval, Duncan turned a deaf ear to all her opinions. Instead, he proceeded to beat and bash her.


    He was so violent that he made Loraine''s facepletely ck and blue. Duncan did not put her in her


    eyes at all. However, little did he know that Lorraine was a fighter. With all the rage inside her, she


    grabbed the iron beside her and smashed it on his head, killing him while doing so.


    Because of this, she was sentenced to a lifetime in prison. After being in prison for ten years. Loraine


    was given parole for her exemry behavior. In order to survive, she began to look for a job


    everywhere. It was then that she met Deborah, who was already Steven''s wife. Seeing that they were


    from the same vige, Deborah took the initiative to help Lorainend a job as a servant.


    After working as a servant for many years, Deborah wanted her to work as the servant for the Myers


    family. Compared to her normal jobs, being the servant for a prestigious family was certainly a huge


    opportunity for Loraine.


    Although she was just a servant for the Myers family, the benefits and bonuses she received were


    much better than anyone else. In order for her to maintain a job in the Myers family, she went through


    all sorts of means to get on Margaret''s good side. No matter how many times Margaret lost her temper,


    Loraine would put up with it. Obviously, Margaret liked this characteristic of Loraine, and


    therefore, Loraine managed to secure her position in their family till this day.


    After working with the Myers family for about three years, she decided to return to San Fetillo one day


    to look for Tommy. What greeted her wasn''t good news. She soon learned that Tommy was going to be


    punished for a car ident he caused. Armed with desperation, she turned to Deborah for help. To her


    surprise, not only did Deborah manage to dispose of Tommy''s jail time, but she even sent him to


    driving school and appointed him as Steven''s driver.


    It wasn''t untilter on that she learned Deborah had her own intentions for inserting her into the Myers


    family. She was merely a pawn in Deborah''s game. Loraine was no fool, but she knew she owed


    Deborah a favor and Deborah was holding that against her. Little by little, she became Deborah''s


    aplice. Irene''s fertility problems were probably at least half of her doing.


    Originally, she nned to leave the Myers family after Irene and Edric got divorced. However, Deborah


    persuaded her to stay. Deborah told her that Lily would marry into the family very soon and would


    require her help. Therefore, Loraine had to continue working there.


    Although Margaret was snobbish, she never treated Loraine badly. Initially, Loraine''s n was to work


    for the Myers family for a few more years to save up enough money. Then, she''d move to some


    deste vige and live the rest of her life there. But recently, Margaret began to be more


    demanding. Perhaps, it was partly contributed by Margaret''s foul mood and hospitalization. Loraine


    ended up having to endure her verbal assaults.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Loraine turned to Tommy for help. After some discussion, she expressed


    her idea of wanting to leave the Myers family, but Tommy told her to hold on for a bit longer. When he


    learned that Margaret was going through a rough time, Tommy suggested for them to drug Margaret.


    That way she''d be asleep half the time and wouldn''t be able to scold anyone. With their gamen in


    mind, the two of them headed to the pharmacy to obtain some drugs. But, little did they know they''d run


    into Edric.


    Even though Tommy said that Edric wouldn''t suspect anything, Loraine was still a little terrified.


    Knowing that she hadmitted so many sins, it was practically improbable for Loraine not to feel


    guilty.


    When she returned to the hospital, Margaret was having a tantrum in the room. When she saw Loraine


    walking in, she scolded thetter, "And where the hell have you been?"


    "I just dropped by the pharmacy to get you some supplements." Loraine smiled apologetically. "I ran


    into Mr. Myers earlier; he said he would drop by sometime soon."


    Even though the doctor imed her injuries would take some time to recover, they weren''t that serious


    at all. After a few days of treatment, the doctor found no rmingplications. The only reason why


    she was still lying in the hospital was to gain Edric''s sympathy. However, instead, it had the opposite


    effect. Edric had already checked with the doctor about her condition. After learning that she wasn''t


    seriously injured, he decided not to visit her. Rather, he went to look for a doctor for Eden.


    Recently, there wasn''t even a trace of Edric''s shadow, not even a phone call. Seeing this, Margaret


    was blistering with rage all the time. But when she heard Loraine mention that he would drop byter,


    her mood lit up almost instantly.


    As expected, Edric came by to see Margaret in the afternoon. Magaret couldn''t help but break down


    into tears. "Edric, where the hell have you been? Do you know how long I''ve been lying in this hospital


    bed, barely alive? How could you treat me like this? How dare you abandon me for that woman?"


    "Mom, what are you talking about? I went to look for a doctor to treat Eden." Seeing Margaret upset


    made Edric feel guilty.


    "How is Eden?" Margaret wiped the tears off her face.


    "For the moment, there seems to be nothing worrying. The doctor has prescribed some medicine for


    Eden for the time being," Edric answered. Looking at her, he continued, "Mom, I just consulted the


    doctor. He said he could discharge you today so you can rest at home. I''ve hired two nurses to take


    care of you at home."


    Margaret had intended to put on an act in front of him. What she didn''t expect was that Edric had


    already talked to the doctor about her condition. Blushing, she didn''t know what to say. Noticing


    Margaret''s silence, Edric quickly beckoned for the two orderlies to bring her home.


    With Edric by her side, Margaret''s mood was a lot better. In the car, she kept asking about Eden. Edric


    knew that Margaret was a woman with a sharp tongue, but a soft heart inside. Therefore, he showed


    her the photos of him ying with Eden earlier in the day.


    Margaret couldn''t helpughing when she saw Eden''s adorable face. If Eden could be with her every


    day, she would be the happiest person on earth. With this in mind, she made the request to


    Edric, "Edric, can''t you bring Eden over so I can y with him too?"


    "I can''t," Edric rejected her proposal tly.


    "Why not? Eden''s my grandson. Why can''t I, his grandma, see him?" questioned Margaret.


    "Mom, do you think he would want to see you after how you treated him thest time?"


    Recalling how Eden had resisted her, Margaret felt a little defeated. She muttered, "It''s all Irene''s fault.


    If it weren''t for her, would I be separated from Eden?"


    "Don''t me Irene. She''s not as bad as you think. She promised me that as long as Eden gets better,


    she''ll allow him to spend some quality time with me. When that happens, wouldn''t it be easier for you to


    see Eden too?"


    "Did she really say that?" Margaret felt doubtful. "Edric, are you sure she didn''t just say that to please


    you?"


    "And why would she?" Edric''s eyes were now fixed on the photo too.


    "It''s hard to say. It might be her tactics. If it weren''t for the fact that I''d sued her, she would''ve brought


    Eden overseas and married Nathan by now." Margaret crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    Edric looked away, unspeaking. It was true that if the court hadn''t put a restraining order against Irene,


    she would''ve fled abroad with Eden and married Nathan. Thinking about this, Edric''s face fell too, his


    chest feeling heavy.


    "I don''t mind if she remarries Nathan, but the child has to stay behind. I won''t allow Eden to recognize


    someone else as his father," Margaret added.


    Edric was a little vexed at her statement. "The best way to prevent Eden from calling someone else his


    father is to let Irene marry me. Otherwise, you can never stop Irene."


    "Who said that? Wouldn''t it be easier if we fought for the custody of the child?" Margaret didn''t find her


    statement inappropriate at all.


    Edric couldn''t help sneering. "Mom, do you think you really can obtain Eden''s custody from Irene?"


    "Why not?" Margaret squealed.


    "Put aside the fact that Irene raised Eden alone for so many years, Eden has the choice in this too. You


    couldn''t even take on Mr. Cook, yet you think you can snatch Eden from Irene without him interfering?"


    Margaret was rendered speechless. How could she forget that Irene''s biological father was Steven?


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Edric did have a point. As long as she had Steven on her side, Margaret could continue dreaming


    about obtaining guardianship over Eden.


    But if she gave her blessings to Edric and Irene''s marriage, she knew she''d always feel unsettled


    underneath. Irene was no longer the submissive and obedient girl as she was before. If she did marry


    into the Myers family, their days would surely be filled with endless arguments and quarrels. There


    would never be peace in their household again.

 Chapter 168 Blueprints

    Chapter 168 Blueprints


    When Margaret was discharged from the hospital, Marie, being her best friend, came to see her. The


    two met and chatted about their daily lives, and of course, the topic gradually navigated itself to Lily.


    Marie told Margaret that Lily had visited the hospital for a check-up. It was confirmed that she was


    pregnant, thereby giving Margaret the greenlight to start foiling her n. Margaret was undoubtedly


    ted to hear this news. It was a good thing for the Myers family to have many descendants, but the


    only problem was that she''d need to deal with Edric. She realized that in that aspect, she couldn''t rush


    things and had to take her time.


    Margaret made Marie promise to keep it a secret for now. She needed Lily to take good care of herself


    for the time being. When the time was right, she would break this news to Edric. If everything between


    Lily and Edric were to unfold smoothly, Margaret would only need to think of a way to get rid of Irene.


    Marie felt so much relieved seeing how enthusiastic she was about Lily''s pregnancy. However, at this


    moment, Margaret brought up the bidding for the sports tournament again.


    Since the sports meeting was just a few days away, Margaret had been keeping a strict eye on it. She


    heard that Jordan''s design was abination of both eastern and western cultures. Although Edric


    had hired Sinir as the chief architect, Margaret still felt unsettled.


    Something would always go wrongst minute, just like the time when they had to design the city. They


    thought they''d scored the bag, but in the end, they lostpletely to Jordan. There was no way she


    was letting her guard down this time; they had to go for an all-kill.


    Although Edric had taken over thepany and reminded her not to interfere in its affairs, how could


    Margaret just sit back and watch? This was such a huge project, and if they could win the bid, the


    future would look blindingly bright for them.


    On the contrary, if this project was snatched away by the Golden Age Group, then it could potentially


    tarnish their reputation. Having their status and fame taken away wouldn''t do any good for the Myers


    Group''s development.


    When Margaret had brought up this problem before, Marie had promised that she''d get Deborah to


    figure out a n for Edric, hence the reason for Margaret bringing it up again now.


    Marie nodded and said, "I came today not just to talk about Lily, but also about this matter. Deborah


    managed to get a blueprint of the venue. With this design and the Myers Group''s proposal, we''ll


    definitely win the bid this time."


    As she said this, Marie opened her bag and pulled out the blueprints she''d got from Dave. Seeing this,


    Margaret was overjoyed. She thanked Marie and vowed that as long as they won the bid at the sports


    tournament, she would surely treat Lily well in the future.


    With Margaret''s assurance, Marie left happily. Margaret was equally delighted as Marie was. She


    immediately called Edric and asked him toe home quickly, saying that there was something


    important to discuss with him.


    When Edric returned home, Margaret handed him the blueprints Marie had given. After taking a look at


    them, Edric was positively surprised. He quickly brought the blueprints back to thepany,


    assembling all the architects in for a meeting. When Sinir saw the blueprints, he was as shocked as


    Edric. "Mr. Myers, where did you get these blueprints? This design is very simr to Dave''s style!"


    "I thought so too." Edric agreed with Sinir''s words. "I just couldn''t be sure of it!"


    "I can promise you, this is Dave''s work." Sinir took the blueprints from him and examined it carefully


    for a while before he confirmed, "I heard that he istes himself from the world and is now staying in


    San Fetillo. I never would''ve thought he''d bless us with such a generous gift. With this blueprint, the


    bidding is ours to win for sure!"


    Now that Edric had a winning streak at the sports tournament, Jordan wasn''t just going to idle


    around. With Dave''s design in Edric''s hands, Jordan already knew what the result of this bidding would


    be.


    On the day of the bidding, after receivingments from many experts, they came to the final


    conclusion that the design sent by the Myers Group was ingenious. Itpletely surpassed the design


    presented by the Golden Age Group.


    Although the design by the Golden Age Group was no match for the Myers Group''s, their design for the


    secondary venue and other facilities superseded the Myer Group''s. In the end, everyone unanimously


    decided to employ the design from the Myers Group for the main venue, while the secondary venue


    and other facilities would be built ording to the Golden Age Group''s design.


    The coboration between bothpanies was the best result they could ask for. Jordan had already


    seen thising. Edric didn''t have any objections too. The only person who was unsatisfied was


    Margaret. She didn''t want to share the win with the Golden Age Group, and she felt bothered doing so.


    Because of this, she gave Marie a ring. Marie was also puzzled when she discovered the results. The


    drawing she gave Margaret was her brother, Dave''s masterpiece. If everything went ording to her


    n, the Myers Group should''ve secured the bid. How could this have happened? Had Steven been


    manipting everything behind the scenes?


    Although this wasn''t confirmed, she had to assign the me to Steven in order to avoid Margaret''s


    naggings. After listening to Marie''s exnation, Margaret realized that there was no turning back for


    this decision. Hence, she hung up after ranting for a while.


    Since the project was a coboration between the twopanies, Jordan and Edric set up a joint


    constructionpany. On Edric''s side, Edric would be leading the team, while Jordan would obviously


    be leading the Golden Age Group.


    After working together for a few days, they held a press conference. Jordan and Edric, both coiffed


    smartly in suits, stood on the podium and answered the reporter''s questions one by one.


    The two rivals were standing in front of a crowd of reporters, shing wide smiles on their faces. Those


    who didn''t know any better would''ve thought that they shared a close bond.


    Watching the two of them on TV, Irene sighed in her heart. Who said only actors could act? These two


    right here would give any actor a run for their money.


    In the evening, bothpanies decided to throw a party to celebrate the asion. As usual, Jordan


    just showed up at the event for a while before he requested David to host everything else on his behalf.


    He immediately returned to Irene''s vi in the western suburbs right after.


    At the vi, with the help of Kinsey, Thomas had cooked up a table of scrumptious meals and was


    waiting for Jordan to join for dinner. Once Jordan walked through the door, he was greeted by a


    profusion of cheers and a pat on the back. Even Eden came to congratte him.


    Holding Eden in his hands, Jordan smothered him with kisses. While Kinsey and Thomas set the


    dishes on the table, Jordan opened the wine cer with a grin and took out the oldest bottle of wine he


    had. For a moment, the fragrance of wine infused the air while the room was blistering withughter.


    Since Irene was pregnant, alcohol was a no-no for her, so she could only sip on some juice. Not


    missing out on the expensive wine, Kinsey and Thomas joined Jordan as they downed several sses


    of wine. After a few rounds, the lot of them were slightly tipsy. In the end, Jordan decided to stay back


    because he was too drunk.


    Joanne had been back to San Fetillo for quite a while now. Since her return, Jordan had only dropped


    by once before he vanished without as much as a trace. On the contrary, Jordan would voluntarily go to


    Irene every single day.


    Joanne knew that Jordan had asked Irene to live in his vi in the western suburbs. With that


    knowledge in mind, she was downright mad. How could he have jilted her¡ªhis actual fiancee¡ªat


    some hotel room, but brought Irene to his vi? What the hell was going on?


    Although she was irate, she did not forget the three-year agreement that Jordan had made with her.


    Jordan had stated clearly that she couldn''t interfere in his affairs. The agreement rested solely on how


    much she could tolerate all of it. If she were to flip now, everything she had done before would''ve been


    in vain.


    Joanne, for one, felt ufortable on the inside, but she didn''t dare to show it, fearing she would


    invoke his wrath. However, now that the Golden Age Group had won the bidding, it was sort of a huge


    deal, wasn''t it? There were going to be many events that Jordan had to attend. Naturally, he would


    bring along her, who was in San Fetillo at the moment, as his plus one, right?


    However, she was wrong. Throughout the entire day, and until it turned dark, Jordan didn''t even deign


    to make a single phone call. Joanne was so pissed that she decided to gatecrash the venue where the


    only David and a few others helping to liven the event.


    It was a no-brainer to figure out where Jordan was. She drove angrily towards the vi in the western


    suburbs. As she drew closer, she saw the vi well-lighted and the sound ofughter floating from


    inside. All these further angered her. Irene was literally manipting these two men in her hands; one


    was her brother, Nathan, and the other was Jordan. There was no way she could take this in any


    longer. Joanne had to talk things out with Irene.


    The next day, Joanne visited Irene. Seeing that the visitor was Joanne, Jordan''s fiancee, Irene treated


    her with the utmost respect and politeness. But Joanne was theplete opposite. She stared at Irene


    coldly as thetter served the tea to her.


    "Irene, for some reason, you seem to be veryfortable living in my fianc¨¦''s house, don''t you? But I


    wonder, does my stupid brother know about this?"


    "Nathan knows about this. It was him who asked Jordan to take care of us," Irene replied.


    "Nathan''s just pretending to be the bigger person, but I don''t think he really approves of this." Joanne


    smiled yfully. "Irene, Jordan and you were once a couple. Did you really think Nathan would be okay


    with this?"


    "Miss White, I did date Jordan before, but since you and Jordan got engaged, we are now no more


    than friends. As for Nathan, I''ve known him for years; he understands my character very well. He


    knows I would never do something to betray him. And I, myself, know my ce."


    "I wonder if that''s true. I have but one reminder for you, Irene. You''re nobody to Jordan. I am his actual


    fiancee. Do you think it''s right for me to stay in a hotel and suffer the cold shoulder from him every


    day?"


    "I''m sorry. It''s my fault for overstaying the invite. I will move out as soon as possible." Irene finally


    caught on to what Joanne was hinting at her. She could tell that Joanne found her a pest for staying in


    Jordan''s vi, and that she wanted her gone for good.


    Joanne was now Jordan''s fiancee. Her position gave her the authority to throw Irene out of the house.


    Hence, Irene chose to give in.


    "Move out? Where are you going? For all I know, you could just be saying this to please me and snitch


    on me to Jordan. You''re merely turning your back on me." Joanne couldn''t believe what she heard.


    "Don''t worry, Miss White. I am not that despicable a woman." Irene thought for a moment and added,


    "I''ll move back to the ce where my uncle lives."


    "Irene, your uncle''s house is also Jordan''s house. Are you''re really ying dumb with me?" Joanne


    sneered.


    "Jordan really went all in for you, and he even hired people to y an act. But you''re a smart girl; I''m


    sure you would''ve figured it out."


    With those words, Joanne revealed that Jordan was indeed the owner of the house that Irene had


    rented.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Miss White, you''ve been reading too much into it. I honestly didn''t know that the house I rented


    belonged to Jordan. If that''s the case, I''ll find another ce." It was true that Irene had never expected


    Jordan would go to such extents for her. She felt as if she owed him a lot.


    "Irene, save it. You don''t need to find another ce to live. If you want to appease me, I have a better


    suggestion." Joanne crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    "And what''s that?"


    "Why not go to Edric? He owns so many houses in San Fetillo. Plus, Eden is his son. It''s only normal


    that he provides for Eden. If you move into Edric''s, everything will be settled. Jordan won''t pester you if


    you do that. Besides, I''ll finally believe that you do not want to have any sort of rtions with Jordan.


    The three of you can reunite too; isn''t that a good thing?"


    "That''s not going to happen!" Irene swatted off Joanne''s suggestion. "Edric and I are divorced, and I


    won''t have anything to do with him."


    "Irene, you truly puzzle me. Edric is your ex-husband and Eden''s father. ording to thew, the ex-


    husband would have to give his ex-wife alimony to support the child, so it''s only natural for you to stay


    with him. But why did you keep refusing him? I couldn''t figure it out for the longest time ever, but today


    my eyes are opened." Joanne waspletely thrown off.


    "And what great revtion did you have, my dear Miss White?"


    "Irene, you''re literally nning to keep all the men on earth in your bag, aren''t you? You''re ying with


    Edric, Nathan, and even Jordan. Does it delight you to see them fighting over for you?"


    "My, how could someone with a savoir faire like you utter such gibberish? I really doubt if your parents


    taught you any manners, Miss White!" Irene''s expression changed, as did the tone in her voice. She


    never did have a good impression of Joanne. The only reason she invited Joanne in was for Nathan.


    Now that Joanne was being so rude, Irene decided that enough was enough. She wasn''t going to y


    by the rules any longer.


    "In my defense, I don''t think there''s anything wrong with my manners, Miss Nelson. But if you have any,


    please don''t shamelessly live in my fiance''s house, and don''t expect Nathan to marry you when you''re


    bearing someone else''s child. He isn''t a dumba*s." Since they had already reached this point, Joanne


    decided to tear apart her facade and release all her anger on Irene.


    "You..." Irene was so infuriated that her face turned blue. "Get out!"

 Chapter 169 I Hate Him

    Chapter 169 I Hate Him


    "Irene, there''s no reason for you to be mad. Let me tell you, your best choice now is to marry Edric. You


    already have two children together anyways. I''m sure it''ll be easier for you to stay with their father than


    finding a stepfather for them."


    "Mom!" A childish, nasally voice suddenly came out of nowhere. Looking around, they saw Eden


    standing at the door with his eyes peered wide open. "Aren''t you going to marry Nathan? Why is it


    Edric now?"


    Shocked, Irene stared at Eden. Since when was Eden awake? Shouldn''t he be taking his nap? Judging


    by the look on his face, he must''ve heard their entire conversation. Joanne should be d*mned!


    "Because Edric is your biological father," Joanne answered Eden with a measure of spite.


    "Joanne White!" Irene raised her voice. At this moment, she really wanted to rip Joanne''s mouth apart.


    "Edric is my father? Is that true?" Eden''s eyes searched for Irene''s face, seeking confirmation. He only


    believed in Irene''s words, so he wanted her to testify to it.


    "Of course it''s true. The little baby in your mother''s belly is also Edric''s¡­ Edric is your father," Joanne


    said.


    "Joanne, you, leave right now! Otherwise, I won''t y nice any longer." Irene reached out and shoved


    Joanne. Seeing that Irene was enraged, Joanne didn''t dare to stay any longer and left obligingly. Eden


    stood at the door of the house, crying with his mouth puckered up.


    Irene rushed over to hug him, while coaxing, "Eden, fret not. I''m here. Don''t cry."


    "Mom, is Edric really my father?" Eden insisted on knowing the answer. Irene was left with no choice;


    she sighed and nodded as a reply. "Why doesn''t Dad want us? I saw on the TV that he got engaged to


    another woman. Why doesn''t he want us?"


    "It''s not that he doesn''t want us; it''s just that his hands are tied," Irene exined. But obviously, this


    made no sense to a child.


    Eden had seen with his own eyes when the news channels had announced the engagement between


    Edric and Lily. He had been disappointed, but back then Edric was just another man to him, so he had


    not been a great deal bothered by it.


    Now that he knew Edric was his father, Eden''s innocent mind couldn''tprehend the entire situation.


    He couldn''t understand why Edric didn''t want Irene and him when they were so nice?


    Refusing to ept the fact that Edric didn''t want them, Eden was positively upset. "Mom, Dad is a bad


    guy. He''s a bad guy!"


    "No... Dad isn''t," Irene exined.


    "He is! He is the big, bad guy! I hate him!" This was the first time Irene heard Eden express hatred, and


    the subject of his wrath was Edric, his biological father. She didn''t know what to say; she could only


    console him in her arms.


    And, right on the dot, Edric chose to show up at this moment. Normally, Edric would take this time off


    work to visit Eden and y with him. It wasn''t any different this day as he came bearing many of


    Eden''s favorite snacks and toys, looking forward to their ytime. Stepping into the yard, he


    immediately spotted Irene carrying a very upset Eden. Naturally, he rushed forward and asked in a very


    concerned manner, "What happened?"


    At the sight of Edric, Eden freed herself from Irene and ran to him. Edric spread his arms, anticipating a


    hug, but Eden wed at Edric''s hand and shouted fiercely, "Bad guy, you''re a bad guy! I don''t want to


    see you again!"


    Edric grimaced in pain as Eden turned around and ran back into the house. After a while, he rushed out


    with a toy gun in his hand. He pointed the gun at Edric with a face brimming with anger. "Liar, get out of


    my house, or I''ll beat you to death!"


    Staring at a very emotional Eden, Edric could sense his palpable anger. Children were straightforward


    creatures who had yet to learn how to hide their feelings. He knew that if that were a real gun in Eden''s


    hands, there would''ve been a bullet right through his chest already.


    "What happened?" Edric looked at Irene again, who was smiling bitterly. "Joanne was here a while ago.


    She just made a scene. She spilled everything about me, you, and Eden, and he heard all of it."


    Edric was rooted to the ground. He recalled the countless times he had met Eden, all the good times


    they had spent together. Little did he know that it would lead up to such animosity.


    He could see through Eden''s beautiful and clear eyes that the trust they had shared before was long


    gone. Instead, they were reced by anger. No matter how Irene tried to persuade Eden, he refused to


    put down his gun.


    He pointed the toy gun straight at Edric and shouted, "Liar, you big liar, get out of here! We don''t want


    to see you! Forever!"


    As Edric caught the despiteful look in Eden''s eyes apanied by his hurtful words, he felt as if his


    heart was being sliced apart with a knife. After all, this was his very own son.


    Half of his blood flowed in Eden''s vein. If life wasn''t so cruel with them, they would''ve lived happily


    together. Eden would''ve looked up to him as a proud father, and they would''ve had a close father-son


    bond, but now everything was shattered. They would never be the happy father and son they were


    supposed to be. Right now, he was nothing but a liar to Eden. A big, fat, liar!


    "Edric, I think you should leave." Seeing that Eden remained inconsble, Irene could only plead with


    Edric to leave. Surprisingly, Edric stood his ground and stared at Eden. He really wanted to apologize


    to Eden and beg for his forgiveness, but at this moment, he just couldn''t fumble for the words.


    How was he ever going to make up for all the pain he had caused Eden? How was he going to get


    Eden to forgive him? "God, help me! Please!" he screamed in his heart. At that moment, Edric was


    washed over by a sense of helplessness he had never experienced before.


    When Edric returned home trudging under the weight of his distraught heart, Margaret was enjoying the


    nutritious soup Loraine had made for her. She was happy to see him and quickly urged Loraine to also


    get a bowl of soup for Edric.


    But how could Edric be in the mood to drink anything at that time? He had just been thrown out of


    Jordan''s vi by Eden himself. Even the snacks and food he had brought along were rejected.


    Although Eden was still young, it was clear that he could grasp the line between good and evil. Edric


    knew that in Eden''s little heart, he was the devil itself. Anything associated with him was to be


    condemned.


    After the incident at the vi, Edric sat in the car,nguishing in a daze for a long time. The only thing


    teeming in his mind was the look of anger from Eden. He had no idea what to do to redeem himself.


    Seeing that his mind had not churned up any helpful solutions, he went home. At the dining table, he


    didn''t even touch the soup Loraine had ced in front of him. It wasn''t until Margaret had finished her


    soup and called a few times for him that he snapped back to his senses.


    "Edric, what has gone amiss with you today?" Margaret was bemused. Hearing this, Edric pushed


    Margaret into the study and closed the door behind him. Sighing, he exined, "Mom, Eden knows that


    I''m his father."


    "Well, isn''t that a fact to be celebrated?" Margaret was very happy to hear that. "When will you bring


    him home?"


    "Bring him home? Mom, why on earth would you think it is going to be a simple feat?" A bitter smile


    crossed Edric''s face. "Eden hates me now, he hates me for abandoning them. He used a toy gun to


    point at me and chased me out. He even called me a liar..." Edric couldn''t go on. Eden''s angry face


    once again crept back into his mind. No words could describe how he felt at this instance.


    "Irene is to be med for this. If she had told him the truth earlier, would he hate you now?" Margaret


    pinned all the me onto Irene when she saw how much agony Edric was in.


    "Mom, this has nothing to do with Irene. I finally get why Irene didn''t want Eden to know about me. She


    wasn''t selfish, she knew that Eden woulde to hate me." Edric shook his head.


    "What do you mean?" Margaret couldn''t put two and two together.


    "Because Eden saw the news of my engagement with Lily on TV. Although he was young, he


    understood the gist of it. He thinks that I''m abandoning him and Irene, and he refuses to forgive me for


    that," exined Edric.


    Margaret couldn''t formte a response to that. She had been the one responsible for the press


    conference of his engagement. Her intention was to force Irene to give in, but she didn''t expect Eden to


    stumble upon it.


    The air in the study hung quietness. After a while, Margaret broke the silence, "He is still young, so he


    doesn''t understand it right now. He''ll get it when he grows up. Just put on your apologetic face and


    coax him for now. I''m sure he''ll change his perception of you."


    "I can coax him, but him epting it is another matter." Edric sighed heavily. "Mom, look. The only


    reason I''m telling you this is because I don''t want you bothering Irene and Eden anymore. Eden is sick,


    he can''t stand all of this. And Irene, she''s been through a lot for the past few years because of Eden''s


    condition. I don''t want you causing her more anguish and putting her through more than she needs to."


    Margaret kept quiet. She had already made up her mind to fight against Irene for Eden''s custody. If she


    agreed to Edric''s request, it would mean that she had to give this up. Seeing that she was hesitant,


    Edric knelt down in front of her and pleaded, "Mom, I''m begging you!"


    With Edric looking like this, Margaret''s difort gnawed at her. Everything she did, she did for him.


    Yet it seemed like he didn''t appreciate it at all. Looking at his solemn face, she sighed. "Fine, I can


    promise you that I won''t disturb Irene, but you must also agree to my request."


    "What is it?"


    "Don''t pine for something that has long gone. There are plenty of women in the world, you should live


    your own life."


    Edric was not in the mood to think about this, but hearing that Margaret would leave Irene and Eden


    alone lifted his spirits. He nodded and said, "Let''s talk about it when Eden gets better."


    In fact, Margaret had her own objectives for agreeing to his request. First, Eden was sick, so it was


    better to let Irene care for him. The second reason being that Lily was already pregnant with Edric''s


    child, so Margaret''s desire to get her hands on Eden had been blunted. Her backing off at that moment


    would serve to help her scoot closer to her true goal.


    The next day, Edric bought some food and toys to see Eden, but Eden threw a ball at him as soon as


    he entered. Eden cursed, "Liar, bad guy, you are not allowed toe here. Go away!"


    Edric''s heart ached as he tried tofort Eden. "Eden, Dad brought you your favorite toy..."


    "You''re not my dad! I don''t want to see you here! I don''t want anything! Go away!"


    Hearing themotion, Thomas walked out, shaking his head at the spectacle. "Mr. Myers, you''d


    better note back. Eden won''t forgive you that easily."


    Edric looked at Eden''s irritated gaze and sighed. "Where''s Irene?"


    "She has gone out for groceries," Thomas replied.


    "Uncle Thomas, don''t talk to him. He''s a big liar, a bad guy. Hurry up and kick him out!" Eden pointed at


    Edric, his face fuming with anger.


    "Look, you''d better hurry up and leave. Don''t get Eden any angrier. He can''t stand all these raw


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    emotions!"


    Edric couldn''t bring himself to rattle Eden any further; hence, he turned around and walked out of the


    living room. Standing at the yard, he waited patiently for Irene to return. Suddenly, he heard a rustling


    noiseing from behind. Turning back, he saw Edening out holding the things that he had


    brought for him.


    Setting it down on the ground, Eden smashed the toys right before Edric. As he was still a frail, young


    child, he couldn''t carry all the toys and food in one go. Eden had to go back and forth for a good 3


    rounds before he managed to destroy all the stuff Edric had brought, right in front of Edric.

 Chapter 170 Lets Talk

    Chapter 170 Let''s Talk


    After finishing everything, Eden mmed the door shut. Edric smiled bitterly as he thought, "Really,


    Eden must have gotten that temper from Irene." Crouching, he picked up the things that Eden had


    thrown out, one by one. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. "Well! Isn''t this Mr. Myers? What are


    you doing outside my house?"


    Edric looked back and was met with Jordan standing behind him, arms crossed, his sinister-looking


    eyes filled with conceit. Edric remained silent as he continued to pick the things up and ced them in


    a bag. Only when he was done that he extended his hand at Jordan for a handshake, "Mr. Reed, what


    a pleasure to see you!"


    "Ah, please, don''t hold me in such high regard." Jordan didn''t have any intentions to shake hands with


    him. "Edric, I''m beginning to belittle you even more. Are you really in a hurry to fight with Irene for


    Eden''s custody? He is your son, and he''s sick right now. Don''t you think you''re being cruel by telling


    him all of that?"


    Jordan wasn''t actually aware of the full story. He had only heard from Kinsey that Eden had found out


    that Edric was his biological father. However, Irene did not tell Kinsey about Joanna''s provocation.


    Kinsey had a short temper, and she knew that it would not be good to let her know about Joanne''s


    provocation. Irene didn''t want to drive a wedge between Jordan and Joanne.


    "I didn''t say that!" Edric felt wronged. "I''ve never considered fighting with Irene over the child''s custody."


    "Quit it, you don''t have to exin yourself. Who else would''ve told him if it wasn''t you? Your mother?


    As far as I know, she hasn''t fully recovered yet. So, now isn''t the right time to scramble for an excuse


    for yourself," Jordan would never believe Edric''s efforts to justify himself.


    Edric smiled bitterly, "It''s not my mother, but your fianc¨¦ who told Eden."


    "Joanne? How''s that possible?" Jordan asked incredulously.


    "It''s the truth. She came here yesterday and told all of this to Eden."


    "D*mn it!" Jordan''s face darkened suddenly. How could he have overlooked a ticking bomb like


    Joanne? She was always scheming her next move, therefore it made sense that she was the only


    person who would do such a thing. Jordan was about to enter the house, but Edric''s words made him


    turn around and drive away.


    Jordan seemed to be on the way to confront Joanne. However, Edric didn''t have the heart to bother


    about such a matter.


    All of these issues arose because of Joanne. For the sake of her self-interests, she had deliberately


    revealed to Eden that he was Edric''s son. She was the one who had convinced Margaret to bring Eden


    back to the country, and the one who had told Eden about his rtionship with Edric. Now, the entire


    family was in a mess, and yet she was enjoying the show.


    After Irene returned from grocery shopping, she saw Edric standing outside the entrance with a few


    bags in his hands. The bags were filled with toys and food. At a nce, she knew what had transpired


    and said, "Eden is still pretty much shaken up. You shoulde back after a while."


    "Irene, I want to talk to you. Let''s have a talk," Edric requested.


    "About what?" Irene asked.


    "Let''s talk about Eden, about us."


    "Eden doesn''t want to see you now, and you''ve seen his reaction yourself too. As for us, there has


    been nothing between us since a long time ago," Irene answered tly.


    "Irene, you said before that you didn''t want to hear another word of sorry from me, and neither do I


    want to apologize to you anymore. This is what I want to say. For the sake of our child, let''s get back


    together. Let''s register our marriage now."


    "You''re out of your mind."


    "Not at all, I''ve thought this through very clearly. Eden is strongly rejecting me right now because he


    thought I had abandoned both of you. I want to change his impression of me."


    "So, you try to get back to me simply because you wanted to change Eden''s impression of you?" Irene


    sneered. "Edric, you don''t have to sacrifice yourself like this. Eden''s prejudice against you is because


    of his tender age. I''ll talk some sense into him and lessen his hatred for you. Although I am


    ipetent, I am a person of my word."


    "You dare say that you''re a person of your word? If your words meant anything, you shouldn''t have


    forgotten the promise you made to me in the beginning, right?" Edric asked in return. "You promised


    that, for Eden, you would give me a chance, but you''ve broken your promise."


    "You should very well know why I broke my promise, don''t you?" Irene replied smugly. "Edric, I was


    ready to give you a chance, but you''ve been so ridiculous. I don''t see the need to keep my promise to a


    man who constantly weaves lies out of his lips."


    "Irene, even a crimimal would be given a chance to appeal when he''s facing the death penalty. Just


    humor me, what was the real reason you left without a trace back then?"


    Irene stared at Edric for a moment before answering nonchntly, "Nothing big. Your lover, Rowan,


    had called me to tell me that she got together with you, and you guys were living happily together."


    "Impossible! I was never with Rowan. She was going to leave that night and wanted to treat me to a


    meal. I had a bit too much to drink, then I called myself a taxi. On the way home, I saw Lily''s car break


    down¡­" Edric revealed everything that happened that night.


    "Lily was the one to send you home?" Irene was taken aback.


    "I can''t quite remember. My mom told me that when I woke up the next morning," Edric replied. "Rowan


    and I never had any hanky-panky between us ever since we met, and till the day she left. I''d never


    intended to make her my lover, Irene. Ever since you left, I''d never touched any other women. I swear!"


    Irene let silence settle between them. That night, Margaret had picked up the call when she was trying


    to contact Edric. If Rowan and Edric were never together before, was everything Rowane''s set-up?


    She shook her head. "Edric, everything in the past is already over. There''s no need to investigate any


    further. I only care about my son''s condition now. Everything else is not germane."


    "Irene, think about his health. All the more reason for us to get back together. Eden needs a father.


    Let''s resolve our conflict now, start everything anew, and give the child a happy family to grow up with.


    This is the only way for him to get his health back."


    A wry smile on Irene''s face, she said, "Edric, it''s not that I''m denying you a chance, but rather, I can''t.


    Your mother won''t give us a chance either. I''ve fallen out with her. Stop thinking that we can get back


    together. It''s better to maintain our rtionship like this for now."


    "I''ve already told my mother. She promised that she wouldn''t bother us-"


    Irene interrupted him, "Edric, her words never amount to anything. You better not believe her too


    much."


    "Irene, it''s true this time. You don''t have to worry about her reactions. I won''t let her affect you," Edric


    confessed eagerly.


    "Irene, didn''t you say that we should let bygones be bygones just now? Don''t let the past haunt us. We


    should look ahead of us. You''re pregnant now, and Eden had never had a father since he was born.


    You wouldn''t want this child to not have a father the moment he''s born, right?"


    Irene went quiet for a moment before speaking. "Edric, I''ll think of a way tomunicate with Eden.


    He''s annoyed with you right now. I''ll talk to him, test the waters. The thing between us ¨C let''s hold it off


    first. There are too many unpredictable things in the future, it''s better to take one step at a time."


    Despite himself, Edricpsed into a silence at Irene''s words. The matter between him and Irene could


    not be rushed. She had been disheartened to the point that she had built walls around her. She would


    not be moved with just a few of his sentences. The matter at hand was getting Eden to not reject his


    efforts to be close with him.


    Jordan drove to the hotel where Joanne was staying. When she saw himing, she was exhrated,


    "Jordan, howe you''re free toe here now?"


    "Joanne!" Jordan red at her and said between his gritted teeth, "You''re incorrigible!"


    When Joanne saw Jordan rush towards her in a fury, she knew that he had found out about her


    seeking for Irene the day before. Irene really was two-faced. She held the fire in her and asked, "What


    did I do?"


    "Why did you tell Eden that Edric is his father? Why would you do this?"


    "I identally spilled the beans..." Joanne defended herself.


    "Fine, you don''t have to exin yourself anymore. Do you still remember what I said to you from the


    start?" Jordan sneered coldly. "I''d mentioned before that you have no rights to disturb my personal life


    although we are engaged. We would call off the engagement if you can''t control yourself. And since


    you can''t get a hold of yourself, let''s break the engagement!"


    "I won''t break the engagement. Jordan, you can''t behave ruthlessly to me. I didn''t mess up your life. I


    merely let the words slip out from me." Joanne wasn''t nning to give up. "It''s my fault this time. I won''t


    do this again."


    An overwhelming surge of irritation billowed in Jordan as he red at Joanne. "Joanne, I don''t love


    you. I don''t love you at all. There''s no need for you to persevere like this. Let''s end it here!"


    "Jordan Reed, I won''t give up on you. You''d said it before that if I could stay determined for three years,


    you would marry me. That was your promise to me. You can''t go back on your words!" Joanne knew


    that Jordan was a man of his words. So she deliberately recited Jordan''s words to stop him from


    babbling nonsense.


    Those words were indeed what he had said before. Jordan realized how utterly dumb he had been


    back then. He nced at Joanne and spat, "Since you''re irrationally headstrong, then I shall fulfill you!"


    He left without looking back.


    Joanne bit her lips tightly as she watched Jordan''s diminishing figure. She thought, "Irene Nelson, I''ve


    given in so much, yet you''re still testing the limit of my mercy. Don''t me me for my next move. You''d


    better not get anything you want, including Nathan and Edric!"


    She returned to her room and called Lily. "Miss Cook, it''s Joanne White. Let''s meet!"


    Lily was astonished to receive Joanne''s call. She had nevere in contact with Joanne before, so


    why would she want to meet her? She was pregnant now, so she took the precaution and decided to


    reject the offer. "I''m sorry, Miss White. I''m not avable to see you. If there''s anything, we can talk over


    the phone."


    "I can''t say it clearly over the phone. Let''s meet and talk about it," Joanne insisted.


    Although she would be able to tell Lily about Irene''s pregnancy over the phone, she would not be able


    to observe her reaction. Most importantly, she nned to discuss with Lily about her next move. She


    wanted any possibility between Irene and Edric to be nipped in the bud.


    "I really don''t have time." Lily still refused to meet her. Her mother said that she had to be careful and


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    not be involved in troubles during this period. So, it was better for her to err on the side of caution.


    Joanne chuckled. "Miss Cook, you need not be so wary of me. Let me tell you, I need to meet you


    because I have something important to tell you. I''ll make it clear with you that it would be a great loss to


    you if we don''t meet, because you may lose Edric forever."


    This sentence alone left Lily feeling uneasy. Were Joanne''s words true? If she did not meet her, she


    might forgo a piece of crucial news. Joanne''s suspicion began to grow as she realized Lily''s hesitation.


    What on earth was Lily afraid of?

 Chapter 171 Working Together

    Chapter 171 Working Together


    Finally, Lily decided to meet Joanne at a caf¨¦ near the Cook family home. Joanne rushed to the caf¨¦


    and found that Lily had yet to arrive. Slightly infuriated, she thought, "What''s wrong with her? I''d


    already agreed to meet her near her ce, and yet she''s making me wait?"


    While she was holding in her dissatisfaction, Lily walked in and urged her the moment she sat down,


    "Hurry up and speak, I''m in a rush."


    "Miss Cook, why are you so busy?" Joanne sneered. "If that''s the case, I''m not gonna talk about it.


    You''d better go and attend to your business."


    "Miss White, what do you mean? It was not easy for me to take the time to meet you. How can you fool


    me like this?" Lily was annoyed.


    "I''m not fooling around with you. The things I want to tell you, they''re crucial. You have to show your


    sincerity," Joanne said as she ordered the waiter to serve the drinks. She picked the cup and took a


    sip. However, Lily did not budge. Joanne found her acting even weirder. However, she wasn''t aware


    that Lily was feeling anxious as she watched Joanne sip her teanguidly. Not wanting to dilly-dally any


    further, she asked, "What kind of sincerity do you want me to prove?"


    "Miss Cook, you must answer a few questions of mine with honesty." Joanne stared at Lily. "Have you


    given up on Edric or not?"


    "I-" To Lily, Joanne was just an outsider. How could she tell an outsider that she still harbored feelings


    for Edric?


    Lily''s reaction was only natural. Although Joanne was young, she was cunning. She didn''t need Lily to


    answer this question but rather make use of the question to judge her sentiments. If Lily replied


    decisively, then her reaction proved that she had indeed moved on from Edric. However, Lily''s


    hesitation at that moment cleared the air for her.


    "Miss Cook, you don''t have to answer anymore. It''s clear to me now." Joanne set down the cup.


    "Miss Cook, you''re in a dither because you have yet to trust me. That''s understandable. Since that''s


    the case, allow me to be frank with you too. I dislike your half-sister, Irene, very much. I reckon you


    must have heard some rumors about that, Miss Cook. So, I won''t share the reasons, and I''ll be blunt


    with you. I''m here to seek your cooperation."


    "How are we going to have a cooperation?"


    "I want to face Irene head-on and make her stay away from Nathan and Jordan. I believe, Miss Cook,


    we share the same goals. It wouldn''t be easy to face her individually, so I purposely came to you to


    show my sincerity. So, I hope you would do the same for me, Miss Cook."


    Lily lowered her guard at this point. "Miss White, what ns do you have in mind?"


    This was an indication that she had agreed to cooperate with her, which was entirely within Joanne''s


    expectations. "I suppose you know that Irene''s son is Edric''s?"


    At Lily''s nod, Joanne probed further, "So, do you also know about Irene''s pregnancy, Miss Cook?"


    "Pregnant? Irene is pregnant?" Lily was stumped. Margaret hadn''t told Marie about this matter, so


    naturally, she wouldn''t know.


    Joanne had always thought that Lily knew about Irene''s pregnancy. When she saw how astonished she


    was, she knew that Lily had been kept in the dark. She lowered her voice.


    "To save her son, Irene is bearing Edric''s child again. If this child is born, she and Edric will have two


    children. By that time, it would be difficult for you to turn the tables, Miss Cook. Do you understand


    what I mean?"


    Lily could notprehend her meaning. Dumbfounded by the news, she failed to digest the


    information. Joanne added as she stared at her, "I think we shoulde up with a solid n together.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Miss Cook, are you still with me?"


    Seeing that Lily seemed to be lost in thought, Joanne waved her hand.


    Snapping back to her senses, Lily looked at the faint smile on Joanne''s face. She felt her face flush


    warm. She had just lost herposure. Her mother was right. She needed more experience to


    improve herself. She was much more old-fashionedpared to Joanne.


    The truth of Irene''s pregnancy was unverified. She couldn''t make this decision independently, and she


    wanted to discuss this with her mother. Lily controlled herself and tried to chuckle, as if she was


    shrugging off the matter. "Thank you for letting me know about this, Miss White. I''ve been out for too


    long, and I''m afraid that my mother would be worried about me. I''ll take my leave. We''ll stay in contact."


    Lily meant to go home first to discuss this matter with Deborah. Joanne knew her intentions and did not


    stop her. She passed Lily a name card and said, "This is my personal number. You can call me for


    anything, Miss Cook. I hope I can have more tea time with you in the future, Miss Cook."


    "Thank you very much, Miss White. I hope that we can be friends in the future." Lily received the name


    card and tried her best to maintain her elegance as she left the caf¨¦.


    Edric had never doubted Rowane. However, he felt stirred up after hearing that Rowane had made up


    a lie to provoke Irene.


    Rowane was a kind person in his eyes. He had never expected that she would do such a thing behind


    his back. If someone else were to do so, Edric would suspect that the person had ill intentions.


    However, Irene was the one who told him so. She would never tell lies.


    Edric was doubtful. He had to meet with Rowane to find out her intentions.


    However, Rowane had been uncontactable ever since she had gone abroad to study. Her previous


    number had been cut off a long time ago, and she never gave Edric her new number. Edric called John


    and was about to ask John to search for Rowane''s number. When the line was connected, John spoke


    first, "Mr. Myers, where are you? I have something important to tell you."


    If John said the matter was important, it would certainly be. Edric had a hunch that he must have


    discovered something after investigating and replied, "I''ll reach the office in twenty minutes. We''ll talk


    about it then."


    Twenty minutester, Edric entered the office. John followed from behind when he saw himing,


    and they went into the office. Edric''s mind was filled with Rowane''s whereabouts. He asked before


    John could say anything, "Is there any news about Rowane?"


    John shook his head. "Ever since Rowane left the country, her number had been unreachable. She


    hasn''t reached out to us as well. I''ve checked her institution overseas, but there''s no such person."


    It was strange that she went missing after studying abroad. "This is getting stranger." Edric frowned


    and thought, "Unless Rowane had been lying to me all this while and she had never gone abroad at


    all?"


    A sense of betrayal rose within Edric''s heart, and his face became stoic. "Go and find out who she has


    been in touch with during that time."


    "I checked. She had contacted Marie most of the time," John replied.


    "Marie?" Edric was bbergasted. He and Rowane used to suspect that Marie was Rowane''s mother.


    However, Rowane had denied it eventually. Since Marie was not Rowane''s mother, why did she contact


    Marie? Something was off.


    He recalled that Rowane had called Irene and lied to her. Edric felt a strong difort surge in his


    heart, but he controlled hisposure. Then, he recounted the whole story about Rowane treating him


    to a meal. "What do you think about this?"


    "Is Rowane such a person?" John staggered. He had been in contact with Rowane for some time, so


    he had a good impression of her. John was reeling in disbelief at the sudden revtion of her hidden


    side.


    "Irene wouldn''t lie. Rowane must have called her. Say, what ulterior motive do you think she had?"


    "Maybe she was bribed by Madam?" John asked tentatively.


    "My thoughts exactly. However, what was the purpose in getting me drunk? Just to provoke Irene and


    make her leave?" Edric thought that she would be blowing the situation out of its proportion by doing


    this.


    What had happened that night was not a simple matter. Although he was intolerant towards alcohol, he


    would not have passed out with a mere few drinks. Then, he recalled Lily''s sudden appearance.


    Edric could not help but flinch. In his memory, he had only drunk a few sses of wine that night and


    had not been drunk to the point ofpromising his consciousness. However, that night, he


    had unknowingly fallen asleep, and Lily had sent him home. This was a rather unusual matter.


    "Mr. Myers, do they want to recreate the birthday party scenario again?" John reminded.


    "What about the birthday party?" At John''s words, Edric dredged up the dirty things that had happened


    on Margaret''s birthday.


    Marie had a good rtionship with Margaret. Had they bribed Rowane? Had Rowane drugged him and


    staged him to be with Lily?


    If this spection was tenable, then there had to be something he did not know happened that night.


    Eric didn''t dare to think about what could have happened. He felt his heart m against his chest. "Lily


    hasn''t made any moves recently, right?"


    "She had gone to the hospital for a body checkup before this. I asked someone to tail her and saw her


    entering the Gynecology department. Later, I asked someone to inquire about what she did, but we


    found nothing."


    "What do you mean? She didn''t have a checkup?"


    "No, the person who followed her saw her getting her checkup. However, the hospital had none of her


    records, which meant that Lily used another person''s name for her checkup. I found it strange. Why did


    she have to be so sneaky? Was she plotting something?"


    "Stop beating around the bush." Edric was slightly impatient.


    "So, I went to investigate this matter personally. I asked the gynecologist to identify Lily from her photos


    and then examined all of her records. Then, I went to another hospital to find several gynecologists to


    cross examine those results. In conclusion, everyone deciphered that these inspections were done


    before someone went in for in-vitro fertilization."


    "Excuse me?" Edric raised his voice out of the ordinary. "Lily is going for IVF? This is unexpected. Why


    would she want to go for IVF?"


    "I found out that although Lily did all these tests, she didn''t undergo any operations, which just adds up


    to the strangeness. I couldn''t wrap my head around what she was nning to do, so I came to tell you."


    This situation was too sudden that it left Edric''s mind a jumble. His mind was in a mess, and he could


    not figure out his thoughts.


    John noticed the tight knot between his eyebrows and did not dare to add anything. After realizing that


    Edric was not speaking for a moment, he tested the waters by asking, "Is Madam Myers asking Lily to


    use surrogacy again?" John wasn''tpletely sure and his words were underlined with hesitation.


    Margaret had always been dissatisfied with the rtionship between him and Irene. What''s more, Lily


    had never given up on him. After a moment, Edric put two and two together and stood up abruptly.


    "This isn''t good. I might have been set up!"


    "Don''t panic, Mr. Myers. This matter may not be as serious as what we''re making it out to be. Let''s


    check what happened that night first. Didn''t we hire a designated driver that night? Let''s go to the hotel


    immediately to find out who the driver was and get a clear grasp about the situation."


    Edric and John rushed to Rotate Pce, wanting to find the designated driver that night to get to the


    bottom of things. However, the hotel told Edric that there was no such driver, and that Rowane was the


    one who had called the driver. Edric was sullen, knowing very well that he had been framed ever since


    the dinner invitation.


    Since someone had set up a trap for him to jump in, how would he find that driver so easily? It would


    be meaningless for them to look for that driver at that moment. Wearing a gloomy face, Edric left the


    hotel without saying a word.


    "Mr. Myers, what should we do now?" John also realized the seriousness of the matter.


    "Home!" Edric spat.


    "Madam is injured now..." John was worried that he would go back and argue with Margaret, so he


    reminded him about Margaret''s injury. Edric shook his head and said, "It''s meaningless to raise a row


    now. The only reason I want to go home is to know what happened that night."


    "If all this was all Madam Myer''s ns, she won''t tell you."


    "Someone is bound toe clean to me, even if it isn''t her," Edric sneered. "Have you forgotten about


    the surveince cameras at home? I''m going to see for myself what happened that night!"

 Chapter 172 – Surveillance

    Chapter 172 ¨C Surveince


    Lily came home to Deborah''s sullen face. Deborah scolded her, "Didn''t I tell you that you were


    grounded? You''ve turned a deaf ear to it?"


    "Mom, I have something important to tell you." Lily led Deborah into her room and closed the door.


    Lowering her voice, she said, "I just found out that Irene is pregnant."


    "Where did you hear that?" Deborah was taken aback. Lily told her everything that Joanne had said,


    making Deborah anxious. Joanne came to befriend Lily to deal with Irene together. However, she


    needed to verify this piece of news.


    She immediately called Marie. "Hey, I''ve heard that Irene is pregnant. Is that true?"


    Marie, who was at work, turned stunned when she heard that. She said, "No way, Margaret has never


    brought this up."


    "That''s what Joanne told Lily. She said that it''s to save Eden. I was still unconvinced, so here I am,


    asking you."


    Deborah noticed Marie''s ignorant state and calmed down. She thought that perhaps the news was


    false. From the bottom of her heart, she certainly hoped that Irene was not pregnant.


    Marie was hopeful that Irene was not pregnant too. However, as they say, there would be no smoke


    without fire. Joanne could not have possibly faked an entire rumor to tell Lily.


    With Margaret''s desire for grandchildren, she would be excited that Irene was pregnant. Why didn''t she


    share with her anything about it?


    However, it was indeed possible to cure leukemia with the baby''s cord blood. Marie pondered for a


    moment and said, "I''ll find time to visit Margaret and ask her about this."


    Marie was a person of her word. She immediately bought some fruits and went to visit the Myers family.


    Exhrated to meet her, Margaret and her chatted for a while. Later, Marie deliberately brought up


    Eden''s illness and asked Margaret about his treatment. Margaret sighed, "He is stable for now. Since


    he isn''t a terminal leukemia patient, Edric said it shouldn''t pose a huge problem. By the time Irene


    gives birth to the baby, they could use the baby''s cord blood for treatment and cure him."


    It was the first time for Margaret to mention Irene''s pregnancy. Resentful, Marie thought that this old


    Otherwise, Heaven knows how long it would have taken before they caught wind of this matter.


    In her heart was abomination towards Margaret, but she remained herposure. "This is a joyous


    asion for you. Not only will the child be cured, but you can also have another addition of


    grandchildren."


    "Of course, having more grandchildren is a good thing, but their mother isn''t such a good person. I''m


    having a headache just thinking about it! Do you know that Edric is bent on rekindling the me with


    Irene? Lily just happens to be pregnant at the moment. What should we do now? My head is killing me


    just thinking about it."


    There seemed to be something off in Margaret''s tone. Now that the cat was out of the bag, and


    Margaret was not someone who kept her promises, she might regret her decision. Once she did so, the


    matter would be hard to deal with. Worried, Marie said, "The sess rate of treating leukemia with the


    cord blood transfer is high, but it needs to bepatible to be sessful."


    Margaret naturally didn''t understand what she meant. "What do you mean?"


    "It''s just that it''s not certain that the child''s blood in Irene''s womb right now will match Eden''s," Marie


    exined.


    "What should we do? If Irene''s newborn child doesn''t match Eden, what would happen to Eden?"


    Margaret became nervous after hearing this.


    "You don''t have to worry about it. I''m just talking about the probability. Besides, if Irene''s newborn isn''t


    child might as well match Eden''s."


    "Right, Lily is pregnant with Edric''s baby. If Irene can''t do it, we can count on Lily." Margaret understood


    everything rather quickly.


    "Therefore, you don''t need to rack your brain now. Be patient and wait for them to pop the babies out. If


    treating Eden also gives you a few more grandchildren, you should be over the moon."


    Margaret nodded and said, "You''re right. We should see things from different perspectives."


    As she spoke, the sound of a car came from outside. Loraine entered the room and reported, "Mr.


    Myers is back."


    A cheerful smile on her face, Margaret rose to her feet. "Why did youe back so early today?"


    Edric strode into the living room when she asked the question, with John following closely behind.


    Seeing Marie in the living room, Edric frowned slightly.


    He used to have a good impression of Marie, but now he felt she was like an aplice when he saw


    her. Although he did not like her, he would not show it all over his face. He nodded politely to Marie and


    entered the study room.


    After closing the door, Edric switched on theputer and clicked on the surveince records. The


    Myers family had a few cameras outside and inside the vi. As long as he could open the surveince


    records from that night, he could get a clear understanding of what had actually happened.


    Edric adjusted timestamp of the records to the date of that night. Soon, the scene from that night


    unfolded before him. His car had arrived at the Myers family vi around eleven o''clock. When the car


    door had opened, Rowane had gotten out of the car first, followed by Lily. Then, together, they carried


    him out of the car.


    At that moment, both Margaret and Marie opened the door to wee them. They''d helped to carry


    him into the living room, and then upstairs.


    There was no surveince camera in the bedroom, so he could not see what had gone down inside.


    However, he could clearly see that the few people who''d helped him into the room leave the room one


    by one. Rowane had gone downstairs, leaving the Myers family home afterwards.


    However, Lily had not left. After Rowane was nowhere to be seen, she went back to his bedroom.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Edric''s face darkened when he saw Lily entering his bedroom again.


    John''s expression changed as well. The two exchanged nces and continued to stare at the monitor.


    Marie and Margaret was chatting in the living room. The surveince cameras had only captured the


    scene without recording the sound, so they failed to pick up what they had been talking about.


    Edric could feel his heart thumping vigorously, hoping that Lily had returned to his bedroom because


    she had dropped her things inside.


    However, that thought was undoubtedly a bit of a stretch. The clock ticked by, but Lily had been in his


    room for about an hour before she left.


    Then, Marie and Margaret both got up and greeted her. No one knew what they were saying to Lily.


    Finally, Lily and Marie bid their farewells and left the Myers family home.


    Why had Lily stayed in his bedroom for more than an hour? What had happened in the past hour?


    "Could it be-" He cut off his thoughts. For the life of him, Edric couldn''t imagine that he had had


    intercourse with Lily in that one hour. He had been unconscious at that time. How could an


    unconscious person manage to do that?


    One of the possibilities was that Lily had offered herself to him, but such a notion disgusted Edric. How


    unimaginable would that be, for a kind, demuredy like Lily to take advantage of him.


    What happened on this day hadpletely subverted his principles. Rowane, whom he had helped


    fund her studies, turned out to be an ingrate. Lily, who had pretended to be an elegant and gentledy,


    was a fake goody-two-shoes. Margaret had aided the evil deeds and put her self-interest above her


    own son. Not to forget, Marie was an aplice. They were all viins.


    Having been in the business world for so many years, he had operated under circumspect. However,


    he had never thought that such a day woulde when such a thing had happened within his family''s


    social circle.


    Edric felt sick to his stomach when he realized that he might have slept with Lily under their schemes.


    A strong wave of humiliation and fury threatened to break through Edric as John watched his face


    darken bit by bit.


    "Mr. Myers, things might not be as bad as they appeared." John tried to persuade him. "You were


    cked out at that time. It is a bit too unbelievable that an unconscious man would do that kind of


    thing."


    Edric didn''t say anything. If they all had plotted against him, it would be impossible for them to let him


    go unscathed. He was uncertain about what had happened, but he would be in muddy waters for long.


    The mystery would be unraveled eventually. It was only a matter of time.


    Lily wouldn''t have been able to do anything in his room all by herself. Edric forced himself to ponder


    this question deeply. Had he been stimted into sleeping with Lily while he was unconscious? Did Lily


    steal his sperm and went to perform a body checkup for an in-vitro fertilization procedure in order to


    impregnate herself?


    Why would she want to be willingly pregnant with his children? Had her parents forced her to do it to


    write off the debt? That was an excuse in the past. What about the present?


    No one had forced her that time. It had been clear to Lily that he would never leave Irene, and she had


    been keenly aware of his fragile rtionship with Irene. They would not be able to weather any form of


    hurdles, yet she had still done such shameful things. What was her intention?


    Lily was not as gentle and kind as she had appeared to be. That was but a front.


    Judging from what had happened in the past and present, what Lily had told him before had to be false.


    She had just made up a story to deceive him.


    Her exceptional pretense had driven him into believing her words. mming the table out of anger,


    Edric realized that he was such a joke for being fooled by a woman. How despicable!


    He would not let this matter slide. He would definitely show them that the consequences of framing him


    were terrible!


    In the evening, after Kinsey got off work and returned home, Eden ran over and grabbed her hand. He


    said to her, "Aunt Kinsey, that big liar came again today. I ignored him and threw away all the things he


    brought."


    "Good job!" Kinsey gave Eden a thumbs-up. "If hees again in the future, you''ll pour water on his


    head. He''ll learn to surrender by then."


    "What does it mean to surrender?" Eden asked.


    "It meant that he wouldn''t dare toe next time," Kinsey exined.


    "Okay, if he dares toe tomorrow, I will ssh water on him."


    Upon hearing this, Irene frowned and said, "Kinsey, don''t humor him."


    "I''m not humoring him. That man was shameless enough to abandon you and the kid. How dare he


    prevent that man from fighting with you over his custody in the future."


    "He wouldn''t be that brazen."


    "It''s hard to say for sure. Edric''s mother is not an easy person to deal with. With her plotting behind


    your back, anything could happen. It''ll do us well to be on guard."


    Irene smiled helplessly. As Kinsey was thinking for her sake, she could not me her for that.


    However, when she had seen Edric''s fallen face that day, she found it somewhat unbearable in her


    heart. To be honest, Edric was not that much of a detestable man.


    Moreover, Edric was Eden''s biological father, no matter the circumstances. She could not let Eden live


    his life shadowed in hatred. Edric was not a heinous man. During this period, she could see that he


    was sincerely trying his best.


    She could not just watch Eden hate him because that was unfair to him. While she put Eden to sleep


    that night, Irene mentioned to him about Edric, "Don''t be rude to Dad like that in the future."


    "Mom, he is a big liar and a bad guy. I don''t want such a person to be my dad," Eden insisted.

 Chapter 173 An Explanation

    Chapter 173 An Exnation


    Ever since he had memory, Eden had always longed for his father. It didn''t ur to him that his father


    would have left him and his mother to get engaged to some other woman. In Eden''s young mind, Edric


    was already dead to him. Eadric was a big liar, and Eden hated him!


    "Don''t scold your father like that. Eden, he had no choice back then."


    "What do you mean he had no choice?" Eden asked.


    "It means he had a reason to do so." Irene exined. "There''s a reason for your father''s engagement


    with that woman."


    "Wasn''t it because he wanted to marry another woman?" The scene of Edric and Lily''s engagement


    announcement was deeply embedded in Eden''s mind.


    "No, he didn''t want to get engaged to another woman. That was just for show."


    "But I saw it all. Mom, don''t lie to me."


    "I''m not lying to you. That woman fell ill. So, he got engaged to her to take care of her."


    Irene couldn''t find a reason to absolve Edric of his own actions. She remembered that Edric once told


    her he had gotten engaged to Lily because she was infertile. So, an idea popped into her head to use it


    as a justification to tell Eden.


    "Why didn''t dad take care of me and you? Why did he take care of someone else?" Eden asked.


    "Because he felt guilty towards her and he owed her." Irene continued to exin, "And it''s not that your


    father doesn''t love you. At the time, he didn''t know you existed."


    "Why didn''t he know about my existence?"


    "Because when I was carrying you in my belly, I didn''t tell him."


    "Was it because he made you unhappy, and that''s why you didn''t tell him?"


    Irene nodded. "He had broken my heart back then so I never told him I was pregnant with you. You


    were born after your father and I separated. So, your father never knew that you were his son."


    Eden felt a little better after listening to Irene''s exnation, but he was still unhappy. "Dad is a bad guy.


    He still hurt you, so I still can''t forgive him."


    "As a matter of fact, your dad is not to me. These are just adults'' matters. You''ll understand when


    you grow up. Now, you just need to remember that your dad and I both love you."


    "No, I don''t believe that dad loves me. If dad loved me, he wouldn''t have abandoned you and gotten


    engaged with someone else." Eden was very adamant.


    Irene sighed. "He has already called that engagement off. He is now single."


    "Mom, have you forgiven dad?"


    Irene nodded. "Yes I have, so you should too. We must lead a life full of love and not full of hatred. That


    is the only way we can be happy."


    After saying this, Irene suddenly thought of herself. She had been reluctant to forgive Steven simply out


    of hatred. Clearly, it was easier said than done. She herself could not do it, so how could she expect a


    four-year-old child to do the same? She could not influence Eden to change his mind towards Edric


    immediately.


    Margaret called out to him from outside the door several times, but Edric ignored her. He was utterly


    disappointed in his mother. Any love and respect he had for her had beenpletely shattered.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had no choice, Edric would rather not have such a mother. He remained


    in the study for a long time before getting up and opening the door.


    Seeing Edricing out of the study, Margaretined, "Edric, what were you doing in there? You


    have to eat no matter how busy you are. What time is it already?" Then, she ordered Loraine, "Get his


    meal ready now!"


    Loraine quickly ced the dishes on the table. How could Edric be in any mood to eat at all? He


    assumed John may be hungry since he had been apanying him all this while, so he called him


    over to eat.


    The two of them ate silently. Edric couldn''t taste the food at all as he chewed each bite absentmindedly.


    Finally, when he saw John put his cutlery down, he also did the same.


    Margaret sat in the wheelchair and nagged about how her son had lost weight recently. Edric looked at


    his mother with a sarcastic smile. He stood up from the dining table and went straight out of the door.


    Seeing that he immediately left after eating, Margaret shouted behind him, "Edric, where are you


    going?"


    "I''m really full so I''m going for a walk." Edric said impatiently and walked out of the door. John knew


    that he was disheartened and followed him diligently. Edric looked back at him and said, "Go home


    first, John. There''s no need for you to follow me."


    John was unwilling to listen. Edric said, "This minor issue won''t knock me down. I want to be alone in


    the garden for a while. Go home and rest. I need your help with something after you get some rest."


    John wasn''t convinced until he heard Edric''s words. When John took his leave, Edric went to the


    garden alone.


    Although he had been thinking about it in the study for a long time, he still could not control his anger.


    He was afraid that he would not be able to hold himself back and start questioning and argue with his


    mother. However, it was not something that could be fixed by squabbling. He needed to be calm and


    slowly digest it. He needed toe up with countermeasures.


    Edric''s mother was still as stubborn as ever. When he recalled how he had kneeled on the floor to beg


    her to help him and Irene, Edric felt that he had been too na?ve.


    What''s more, Lily''s shamelessness turned out to be beyond his imagination. Thinking of the way she


    had acted so pitifully in front of him so that he would believe her, Edric couldn''t help butugh coldly.


    He really had been blinded by love. How could he have been duped by such an unsophisticated ruse?


    Fortunately, he had always loved Irene and that fact had not changed since the beginning. It still was


    not toote to make amends.


    Edric lit up a cigarette. The cigarette burned brightly, but his expression was shrouded in darkness.


    After Marie left the Myers home, she immediately called Deborah to confirm the news of Irene''s


    pregnancy. Deborah was very anxious upon hearing the news. "Things just keep happening all at once.


    Now she''s pregnant as well! How troublesome. Why don''t we get rid of the child in her belly?"


    "That won''t work. The child in Irene''s belly is to save Eden''s life. If you kill it, Irene and Edric would just


    have another child. They''re willing to do anything for Eden."


    "What should we do? Should we just sit by idly while they give birth to another baby? What should we


    do with Lily? What about the baby in Lily''s belly?"


    "Currently, I don''t have any good ideas. Anyway, it''s not like the child will be born anytime soon. Let''s


    think about it carefully. There has to be another way," Marie was clueless too.


    "That''s true, but I still have a huge problem on my end. Steven has been forcing Lily to go abroad, and I


    can''t keep dying his ns." Deborah grew anxious.


    "What''s the problem? Just tell Lily to pretend to be sick so she can avoid him for now." Marie said,


    dismissing it as a no-brainer.


    "It''s easy for you to say, but Steven isn''t that gullible. Right now there''s no way he''ll believe that she''s


    sick. He would want her to get a check-up at the hospital. Then Lily''s cover will be blown. Plus, if he


    identally finds out about Lily''s pregnancy, knowing how prejudiced he is, he will surely force her to


    get rid of the baby. All our previous efforts will be wasted by then," Deborah retorted.


    Marie was silent for a moment. "If nothing else works, then you''ll have to let Steven know about Lily''s


    pregnancy."


    "No! Absolutely not!" Deborah refused that idea point-nk.


    "When the timees, tell Steven that if Lily gets rid of the baby, she will never have any children ever


    again. No matter how cruel he is, he wouldn''t wish such suffering upon his own daughter."


    "He wouldn''t believe this lie!"


    "It''s not a lie. It''s the truth."


    Marie let out a long sigh. "There''s something I haven''t told you. Lily can''t get pregnant easily, that''s why


    I suggested the IVF method. This time with her surgery, I honestly didn''t have much hope. However,


    Lady Luck was on our side and she got pregnant. However, if anything goes wrong, it''s possible that


    she will never be able to conceive again."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Deborah was also stunned. "Why didn''t you tell me this earlier?"


    "So what if I had told you earlier?" Marie smiled bitterly. "It''s not like you didn''t know of her situation


    back when she was pregnant with Edric''s child. If that child could have been saved, I would have done


    everything to let her give birth to him, instead of framing Irene."


    "Wasn''t the reason that Lily couldn''t save the child because she ate something she shouldn''t have?"


    Deborah really didn''t want to believe that there would be problems with her daughter''s health.


    "That''s only one aspect of it. In order to convince Margaret that her child was killed by Irene, we


    nned to let her provoke Irene, didn''t we? That time when Irene pushed her to the ground, she was


    injured."


    "Additionally, the doctor who had operated on her at the time was a rookie. He made some mistakes in


    the surgery procedures which caused further harm to her body."


    Marie exined, "Although I nursed her body back to health as best I could, Lily''s body couldn''t return


    to what it used to be."


    Deborah was both vengeful and angry. She had never dreamed that her daughter''s health would be


    She started swearing vehemently, "Lily''s health was damaged this badly because of Edric. So, no


    matter what, we must find a way to get Edric to marry Lily this time. We must!"


    Meanwhile, Steven had just asked someone to make arrangements for Lily''s departure. On the other


    hand, he hadn''t forgotten to visit Irene and Eden either. During the day, he bought gifts again and went


    to Jordan''s vi. Irene was apanying Eden on a walk outside. When he saw Steven appear, Eden


    pointed at him and said, "Mom, Grandpa is here again."


    "Eden,e see what nice things I''ve bought for you!" Steven waved to Eden with a big bag in his


    hand, a big smile on his face.


    Eden nced at Irene and saw that there were no signs of displeasure on her expression, so he


    walked over to Steven. When he saw that Steven had bought all the things he liked, he smiled happily,


    "Grandpa, you''re so great!"


    Steven put the things down on the ground and reached out to hold Eden in his arms. He kissed Eden


    on the cheek a few times. Eden held out his arms and pushed him away, "Your beard is so prickly."


    Irene felt a pang of emotion in her heart. This scene before her reminded her of when she was a child.


    Back then, when Steven got home after work, the first thing he would do was to pull her into his arms


    and kiss her. Simrly, she would push him away and say "Dad, your beard is so prickly." Myra, her


    mother, had stood by and smiled gently.


    How beautiful life was back then! After some consideration, Steven lifted Eden over his head and


    began to spin him around while Eden giggled happily.


    Steven felt a little breathless after a few spins. He couldn''t help sighing, "I''m old now. I had never felt


    tired at all when I was holding your mother. Now I struggle to hold you, how useless I am."


    His words made Irene look over. Seeing the white hair growing on top of his head, Irene felt a pang of


    sympathy in her heart. She walked over and picked up the gifts that Steven had bought for Eden and


    walked towards the house, "Let''s talk inside."


    Irene''s invitation made Steven feel weed. He hurriedly carried Eden into the vi with Irene.


    Thomas was not around. Irene made a cup of tea for Steven and ced it in front of him. She then told


    Eden, "Why don''t you be a good boy and y over there!"


    Eden nodded, holding the toy that Steven had just bought as he went to y at the side. Steven took a


    sip of the tea. He sighed slightly and said, "The tea you make really is delicious."


    Irene was silent. Steven was still her father after all. Was it too much for her to treat him like this?

 Chapter 174 Give Him Another Chance

    Chapter 174 Give Him Another Chance


    Steven said after thinking for a while, "Irene, I''ve asked Maisy to arrange a children''s room for Eden.


    It''s next to your room. You can move back in with Eden! It''ll be easier for all of us to look after each


    other that way."


    Irene shook her head. It was only natural for Steven to be fond of Eden. However, Deborah and Lily


    were a different story. The mother and daughter duo were bad news. If they tried anything, the


    consequences would be unimaginable. "You know what, I believe that you have good intentions. If you


    want to see Eden, you cane by any time. I''ll pass on the offer to move back."


    "Are you worried about Lily? I''ve decided to send her to study abroad. We''re making arrangements now


    and it''ll be done soon..." Steven started filling her in with the details of Lily''s move abroad. "After she


    leaves, she won''t trouble you and Edric anymore."


    Irene hadn''t expected Steven to do all this for her. She shook her head. "Lily and her mother are just


    one reason why I don''t want to move back. The other reason is that I won''t be staying here for long


    anyways. I''m nning to move abroad, and bring Eden with me."


    "You''re not going to remarry Edric?" Steven was surprised.


    "So far, I have no ns to."


    "Irene, Edric isn''t a bad person. What happened was my fault back then. Please forgive him, just this


    once." Steven pleaded on Edric''s behalf.


    "This has nothing to do with the past..." Irene did not know how to exin her rtionship with Edric.


    "Then is it because of Lily? Irene, Edric never intended to be together with Lily. He was set up by that


    spiteful Rowane."


    Steven told Irene what Marie had told him. "Irene, Edric is not irredeemably wicked. He is also a victim


    here. You should give him a chance, at least for the sake of the child."


    Irene looked at Steven in surprise. She didn''t know that Lily and Edric had gotten drunk and slept


    together. Steven''s news came as a huge surprise to her.


    Regardless of whether Edric had been tricked or not, it was a fact that he had rtions with Lily. Irene


    smiled bitterly. Previously, she might have thought of giving Edric a chance, but how could she do so


    now when such a thing had happened?


    Steven had no idea what was going through Irene''s mind. He bowed his head and said, "Irene, I''m an


    old-timer. I can understand Edric''s helplessness."


    Irene interrupted him, "You mean as the two of you havemitted adultery before, therefore you can


    rte to him?"


    "No! I haven''t cheated at all," Steven defended himself.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "Back then, I had gotten drunk and done something that I shouldn''t have with Deborah. My feelings for


    your mother ran extremely deep. I had always med myself for what happened. I didn''t dare to face


    your mother for a long time because I was afraid that she would find out. I carried that me and


    remorse with me wherever I went."


    "But you were the one who invited your mistress into the household, didn''t you?" Irene pointed out


    bitterly. If Steven had just married Deborah after her mother died, she would have supported Steven''s


    decision. However, she had stayed a mistress and he had brought her into his home as such. To Irene,


    this was uneptable.


    "I wasn''t thinking straight back then." Steven smiled bitterly. "Irene, I know what I''ve done is


    unforgivable. I know that I am a b*stard, and I''ve regretted it for half of my living years. It''s because I''ve


    experienced it before, and that''s why I''m here to persuade you. You and Edric still love each other, you


    can''t allow the two of you to be separated just because other people are trying to break the two of you


    apart. Rowane deliberately wanted to keep you away from Edric to achieve her own selfish goals. If


    you leave Edric for good, then she will have gotten her way. I really hope you wouldn''t let the instigator


    get away with this, especially since you''re suffering."


    Irene stayed quiet. Steven continued to persuade her earnestly, "There will always be many


    unexpected events in a person''s life. What you are facing now is just a sliver of time in your long life. I


    hope that you won''t step aside and instead face it head on together with Edric. Think about it. If you


    hadn''t ran away back then and had listened to Edric''s exnation, both of you would not be in this


    mess today. So Irene please, give Edric another chance."


    Irene''s mind was in a state of confusion, because Steven''s words were actually making some sense.


    However, she was too shocked to hear about Rowane setting Edric and Lily up. She could not make up


    her mind in such a short amount of time. "Let me think about it!"


    After Steven left and Eden had been put to sleep, Irene sat at the bedside in a daze. Did Rowane


    entrap Edric to sleep with Lily? It even happened on the day she left?


    On that fateful night, Edric had not returned to her. She had called Edric, but Margaret had picked up


    and said that he was sleeping at home that night.


    The next morning, she had gone to the hospital to check on her pregnancy. After leaving the hospital,


    she had received a phone call from Rowane. Rowane arrogantly boasted that she and Edric had slept


    together the previous night.


    At that time, she had been full of joy and excitement from the news of her pregnancy, so she had not


    been particrly bothered by Rowane''s provocation. Now that she thought about it, it was rather


    strange. If Rowane had set Lily and Edric up, why would she want to lie to her?


    Hold on! She suddenly remembered something. At that time, she had overheard a conversation


    between Lily and Deborah in the garden of the hospital, and they had been talking about a checkup. At


    that time, Lily was having her period. Since she was on her period, how could she have been pregnant


    with Edric''s child?


    This was a fishy affair. Which of the two was lying, Rowane or Lily?


    Steven had just left Irene''s ce and was about to return to the City Hall when he received a call from


    Deborah on the way there. "Steven,e back quickly. Something major has happened!"


    "What''s the big deal?" Steven was impatient.


    "L-Lily, s-she''s pregnant!" Deborah stammered.


    Steven just sat up straight and looked at Tommy, who was driving. "Take me home right away!"


    When Steven arrived home, Deborah was pacing back and forth in the living room. Lily was sitting on


    the sofa with her face covered and crying. He barged in and Deborah rushed up to talk to him. "What


    should we do now?"


    "Go to the hospital right away!" Steven ordered briefly.


    Without even allowing an opportunity for an exnation, he wanted to get rid of the unborn child.


    Deborah and Lily felt a pang of chill in their hearts. Lily continued to cry with her face in her hands,


    while Deborah had a pained expression. "I''ve already taken Lily to the hospital when I found out.."


    "So is the unborn child gone?" Steven let out a sigh of relief.


    "No."


    "Why didn''t you get rid of it?" Steven''s face suddenly darkened.


    "Lily''s health won''t allow it!" Deborah handed Steven a report. "The doctor said Lily''s health is weak. If


    this unborn child is to be rid of, she will never be able to have a child ever again, so..."


    Steven did not look at the report that Deborah handed him. He nced at Deborah and Lily coldly. He


    knew very clearly what Lily''s intentions were with Edric. Now since she was pregnant with Edric''s child,


    she would definitely try her best to keep the child. This so-called ''poor health'' excuse was obviously


    just to prevent him from going against their schemes.


    Steven groaned inwardly. Although they were both his daughters, inparison to Lily, Steven owed


    Irene more. He was the reason why she was in her current situation. He would never allow such a thing


    to happen again.


    Steven tried his best to make his voice sound indifferent, "Lily, don''t cry. I''ll bring you to have another


    checkup."


    These words seemed to be from a ce of concern, but Deborah was well aware of what he meant.


    Steven was implying that he did not believe there was anything wrong with Lily''s health. She reached


    out to hold Lily up and said, "Don''t cry. Dad has many connections. Let''s go with him to have a check-


    up. Maybe it''s a misdiagnosis."


    She emphasised the word ''misdiagnosis''. Steven''s face bore a meaningful smile and took the lead to


    leave the home. Deborah helped Lily up and got in the car. Steven told Tommy, "Take us to Caulford


    City."


    Deborah had not expected him to go that far. He did not want her to get checked in San Fetillo. Instead,


    he would rather go all the way to Caulford City which was hundreds of miles away from San Fetillo. No


    matter how many connections she had, Deborah could not pull any strings there. Clearly, Steven no


    longer trusted her. A cold sweat broke out on Deborah''s forehead. As luck would have it, Lily actually


    was weak, or else their n would be impossible to execute.


    How could Steven, who had been a public official for so many years, not know what Deborah was


    thinking? He said lightly, "There are too many people in San Fetillo. We don''t want this matter to be


    leaked out to the public. No one will know us in Caulford City."


    That was a fake exnation as to why he wanted to go that far. Since Steven wanted to act coy,


    Deborah yed along. She deliberately showed a flustered look. "I didn''t think that far. This morning


    when I realized something was wrong, I just brought her to the hospital. What do we do now? We won''t


    be discovered, will we?"


    "I don''t think so!" Steven was reluctant to discuss the topic. He took out his phone to make a call. The


    phone was soon connected, and a friendly voice could be heard, "Mr. Secretary, you must be very free


    today to be calling amoner like me!"


    "I have something to ask of you." Steven had a smile on his face.


    "Anything for you, ask away!"


    "Then I will put it bluntly. I''m asking for help to get rid of a baby."


    "Get rid of a baby?" The other party was surprised. "Who did you knock up this time?"


    "It''s a bit shameful to talk about this matter. However, I won''t hide this from an old friend. My daughter


    is pregnant, but there''s a problem. We can''t keep the child, so I''m here to ask for your help."


    "No problem, I''ll wait for you in the hospital." The other party was very frank and straightforward.


    Several hourster, the car stopped at the gate of arge hospital in Caulford City. Steven, Deborah


    and their daughter went into the hospital together. Upon entering, Steven brought Lily over to the


    obstetrics and gynecology department. His old ssmate, Chris was the director of the gynecology


    department. When Chris saw Steven, he immediately led Lily into an examination room. After a check-


    up, he solemnly told Steven, "She has done this procedure before. It seems that there was an issue


    with her surgery and it had adverse effects on her body."


    "What kind of effects?"


    "Let me put it this way. In her situation, she shouldn''t have been able to get pregnant. It''s truly a miracle


    that she managed to get pregnant this time. If she undergoes this procedure again, she may not be


    able to get pregnant again for the rest of her life."


    Steven was surprised to discover that what Deborah said was true. He was stunned for a moment.


    "Furthermore, I have something important to tell you. From the ultrasound images, she''s having twins."


    Steven did not care whether there were twins or not. He was worried about what to do now. If Lily could


    never get pregnant again, it would be too cruel of him to ask her to go through the procedure again.


    However, if he didn''t, then this would definitely affect Irene and Edric. What could be done now? He


    racked his brain frantically.


    Deborah lightly pinched Lily''s wrist, but Lily didn''t react. She just stared at her mother nkly. Deborah


    pinched even harder, and cried out sorrowfully. "What should I do? Lily, my poor child!"

 Chapter 175 An Act Put On By The Mother And Daughter Duo

    Chapter 175 An Act Put On By The Mother And Daughter Duo


    Lily came back to her senses and immediately knelt down in front of Steven. "Dad, I beg you to let me


    keep my children! If I get rid of them, I will never be able to have a child again in my life!"


    "Lily, it''s not that I don''t want you to keep your babies. But rather these children... Sigh!" If it was


    another man''s children, Steven definitely would have let her keep them. However, the unborn twins


    belonged to Edric. He had just gone to Irene to persuade her to get back together with Edric. Now that


    this had urred, how could he face Irene?


    Deborah stretched out her hand to wipe her tears. "My child, this is your fate. Just ept it!"


    "Dad, it''s so cruel for a woman to be infertile forever. Someone set me up to this. It''s not my fault. You


    can''t do this to me!"


    Lily was not pretending this time. If Steven really wanted her to get rid of her children, then her life


    would really be done for. Edric would not have anything to do with her and she would never be able to


    get pregnant. She did not even dare to imagine what her future would be like after that.


    "Dad, I know you''re afraid that I''lle in between Irene and Edric. I swear! I won''t trouble them. I''ll go


    somewhere far. Don''t you want me to go abroad? I''ll go right away. I won''t stay here!"


    Steven felt ufortable as he watched his daughter kneeling on the ground and crying, broken to


    pieces. He reached out to help Lily up, "Get up. Let''s talk about it when we get back."


    That was a concession. Visibly relieved, Deborah helped Lily up. The family returned to San Fetillo in


    silence. On the way back, Steven rested with his eyes closed without saying a word.


    Deborah and Lily were both uncharacteristically quiet, but they had both finally calmed down. As they


    predicted, Steven was too soft-hearted, after all, he was a parent. They had finally won this round.


    A few hourster, they returned to San Fetillo. The car stopped outside the vi. Steven opened the


    door and got out of the car while Deborah and Lily followed close behind.


    Steven entered the study and motioned Deborah and their daughter to follow him. He closed the door


    and said, "I''ve been thinking about it in the car. Since this has already happened, we must find a way to


    deal with it. Since Irene and Edric are not aware of this yet, we must keep this from blowing up. So in


    everyone''s best interests, Lily, you will go abroad soon, and the children will be born abroad. Don''t


    "Whatever you say, daddy." Lily looked agreeable. As long as Steven agreed to let her give birth, it was


    her victory. As for whether she would nevere back, was it possible? She may not even go abroad


    at all. Even if she did, with how advanced technology was, the news of her pregnancy would eventually


    reach Irene.


    Her pregnancy was essentially a ticking time bomb. Irene and Edric would never remarry, not under her


    watch.


    Lily had these thoughts inwardly. Steven spoke again, "I''m not done yet. I''ve agreed to let you give birth


    only because of your health. There is no other reason. Don''t get any ideas thinking that you can use


    your children as an opportunity. Edric is not someone you can dream of getting back!"


    "Dad, don''t worry. I''ve already lost feelings for Edric." Lily promised.


    "You''d better. I''m warning you both, this better be kept a secret. If I find out that either of you let Irene


    know about this, I won''t hesitate to take action!"


    Both mother and daughter promised that they would never let the secret out. Meanwhile, Maisy had set


    up dinner on the table. Since they had been running around all day, the three of them were pretty


    hungry. They ate silently with Maisy serving them on the side.


    After the meal, Steven went into the study, while Maisy was busy cleaning up. Lily said that she was


    tired and went upstairs to rest. Deborah served Steven a cup of tea and then went to her daughter''s


    room.


    "Mom, what should we do now?" Lily asked in a low voice.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Now the most urgent thing is to reveal the news of your pregnancy to Irene."


    "I know, but with dad''s attitude, if we disclose the news of my pregnancy now, he''ll definitely think that


    we did it. What should we do?"


    "Don''t we have someone we can use?" Deborah said.


    "Are you talking about Maisy?"


    "Yes, she is very good to that little b*tch. Just act nauseous in front her, Maisy will definitely suspect


    something. Then, she''ll let it slip to Irene about your pregnancy."


    Lily nodded, "That''s a good idea!"


    The mother and daughter duo then discussed the scheme to get Maisy to tell Irene about this matter.


    Meanwhile, Steven called Maisy into his study and told her about Lily''s pregnancy. "You must keep this


    a secret from Irene. If Irene finds out, she will definitely never forgive Edric."


    Maisy nodded, "Okay. I won''t tell Irene."


    Back then, Deborah had used Lily to snatch away Myra''s man. Now, her own daughter was using the


    exact same tactic to snatch away Irene''s man. Maisy struggled to hold her indignation in check. She


    wished she could just destroy the children in Lily''s belly.


    Steven had said that the children could not be touched because of Lily''s health. If the children were


    gotten rid of, she might never have a child again. Then, Maisy had a malicious thought. "It''s better to let


    them die, so Lily can receive the karma she deserves."


    There was no light in the room. Edric stood by the window and quietly looked outside. From downstairs,


    came the sharp voice of his mother, Margaret. Most likely, Loraine had made her angry again. His


    mother''s temper had always been so short that any little thing could set her off. An average person


    probably would not be able to stand her.


    Edric remembered that they often changed nannies until Loraine came to work for them.


    Loraine had a mild temperament. No matter how badly his mother berated her, she could take it. He


    also felt bad for Loraine, so he gave her a decently high sry. That was probably why Loraine had


    never left.


    The scolding downstairs was getting louder and louder. Edric frowned and wondered what his mother


    was fussing about.


    It seemed that recently, her dissatisfaction with Loraine had increased a lot. Edric didn''t want to bother


    himself with it, but he finally couldn''t stand it anymore. He opened the door and went out.


    Looking down from the second floor, he saw Margaret sitting in the wheelchair, yelling at Loraine


    hysterically. Loraine, with her back to his mother, lowered her head. She knelt down silently and wiped


    the floor with a cloth. Edric stood upstairs and was ready to open his mouth to calm his mother down,


    but when he saw the anger and hatred on Loraine''s face, he swallowed back his words.


    It never urred to him that Loraine, who usually endured the humiliation without saying a word, would


    disy that kind of expression. He coughed gently. Upon hearing that, the anger on Loraine''s face


    suddenly disappeared and was instantly reced by her usual meekness and modesty. Edric even


    suspected that his eyes had seen wrongly just now.


    He suddenly thought of something and walked downstairs, "Mom, what are you fussing about again?"


    "I asked her to make me some dessert, but she put in so much sugar! Is she trying to kill me?"


    Margaret said angrily.


    "It''s just a small issue, isn''t it?" Edric frowned.


    "It''s not a small issue. She has been in our house for more than nine years yet she still doesn''t even


    know how I like my food. It proves that she doesn''t work hard at all. Don''t you think she deserves a


    scolding?"


    The mention of ''nine years'' made Edric frown. He and Irene had met and gotten married nine years


    ago too. He thought about how Loraine had only entered their family after he and Irene got married.


    Seeing his mother still babbling on about how to scold Loraine, Edric signaled Loraine to leave and


    ignore his mother''s nagging. He pushed his mother into the recreation room.


    Edric closed the door and said catingly, "Mom, everyone makes mistakes. You don''t have to make


    such a fuss over it. Think about what others usually do for you. Not everyone is willing to work so hard


    to make sacrifices for you."


    "What sacrifices? I pay her, don''t I? Think about it yourself. Which nanny''s sry is this high? She has


    been in our house for nine years, she''s earned at least a couple million dors from us."


    "That''s why we have to cherish her even more. She''s already umted so much money over the


    years, she doesn''t need to be ving for us. She could have used her money to open a small business


    and enjoy herter years if she wanted to."


    Edric continued to persuade her, "The fact that she still works for us shows that it''s because of


    sentiment. Mom, we are all human beings. Even if we had a pet for nine years, we would be reluctant


    to see it go, let alone a human being. You can''t treat her like this."


    "Do you think she really wants to stay in our house?" Margaret snorted. "I''m telling you, it has nothing


    to do with sentiment. She only cares about money."


    "She can''t work for free. It''s only natural for her to want to earn money by working hard."


    "I hadn''t nned on exposing her but since you keep defending her, I''ll show you the kind of person


    she really is."


    Margaret started getting angry, "Let me tell you, Loraine is not a good person at all. She''s paying for a


    male sugar baby outside. Do you know who that man is? It''s Steven''s driver. I''ve seen him before, he''s


    at least ten years or more younger than her. Don''t you think she''s shameless? Can''t she find a man


    around her own age? She found such a young guy, and she could practically be his mother..."


    "She''s just a nanny for our family, not a captive. Her personal affairs are none of our business," Edric


    interrupted Margaret.


    He had seen Steven''s driver and Loraine in the pharmacy that day, and found it unusual so he had


    asked John to investigate. There were no results yet, but he did not expect to hear all this news from


    his mother. So, that''s what the rtionship between Loraine and Steven was.


    "What''s more, I should select employees with good morals. Why should I have such an immoral person


    working in our house?" Margaret asked.


    Edric sneered, "Mom, you''re right. Since you hate immoral people, why do you want me to marry a


    mistress'' daughter?"


    Margaret was struck speechless from his question. Edric continued to ask, "Didn''t you say you hated


    immoral people? But your best friend, Marie, is a mistress. Before you talk about others, maybe take a


    look at yourself."


    Margaret became angry from embarrassment, "The reason we''re close is not even because of that. I


    don''t forget a person''s kindness. Marie used to treat me well, so naturally I should treat her well too. As


    for Lily, she is a kind person and has never done anything unscrupulous. Although her mother is a


    mistress, Lily can''t help that. You can''t me Lily."


    There was neither reason nor logic to love and hate. Edric had expected Margaret to be protective of


    Lily, neither did he expect to change her view of Lily so quickly.


    At this moment, he didn''t want to expose his real motives too soon. Lily had put on such an excellent


    act, that even he himself had been duped, let alone his mother. He nned to slowly strip away her act


    and let his mother see her true colors.

 Chapter 176 Petrified

    Chapter 176 Petrified


    After persuading Margaret to go back to her room to sleep, Edric also went back to his own room. After


    taking a shower, John called him, "Mr. Myers, Steven had just taken Lily and Deborah to the hospital in


    Caulford City today."


    "They went to a hospital so far away?" Edric was confused.


    "Yes. I had asked people to follow him, but all I could find out was that Steven had just met up with his


    old ssmate, Chris Cassady. Due to the fact that the meeting was held in private, we could not


    confirm what they were doing. However, this Chris Cassady is a well-known gynecologist in Caulford


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    City," John answered.


    "Is that so?" Edric was stunned. At that time, why was Steven finding a gynecologist expert for Deborah


    and Lily?


    Did Steven know that Lily had colluded with Deborah to plot against him? No, he had to talk to Steven


    and tell him that he had nothing to do with Lily at all.


    After thinking for a while, John added, "I had asked someone to investigate Loraine and Tommy. We


    found that the rtionship between them was very suspicious as they seemed to be very intimate with


    each other."


    Edric nodded. "I''ve just heard about it. Let''s put this matter aside for now. You just keep an eye on Lily."


    The following day, Lily deliberately acted sick in front of Maisy. She wanted Maisy to know that she was


    pregnant, but Maisy did not even look at her. When they were having dinner, Lily covered her mouth


    and went into the bathroom again.


    After going back and forth three times, Maisy finally said, "Miss, you don''t have to pretend to be


    pregnant at home. You should do a better job faking it outside instead. It''s not a good thing to let others


    know that you are pregnant."


    It turned out that she knew that Lily was pregnant. Lily and Deborah were petrified.


    Maisy added, "Mr. Cook has said that you''d better not go out in this state to prevent any trouble from


    happening. Once he finishes preparing your documents to study abroad, I will apany you there for


    the birth. So, it is best if you do not go out during this period."


    Lily hated her situation very much. Maisy had refused to pass the news to Irene. What should she do?


    Should they let Marie spread the news? No, Steven was already suspicious of them. It was impossible


    to let Marie do anything at all. Steven had made it very clear that if Irene knew about her pregnancy, he


    would not hold back.


    This matter hade to this point. With Steven''s maliciousness, he would definitely get rid her child


    without hesitation if she angered him. Was she really going to give birth to a child abroad like what


    Maisy had said? Was she going to retaliate only after giving birth to the child as Deborah did?


    Deborah''s situation waspletely different from what was happening now. Steven had just been an


    officialst time. He was afraid that this kind of thing would affect his career, so he was forced to marry


    Deborah. However, Edric was different. He was a businessman, so he didn''t care about these frivolous


    things. She thought that Deborah''s way of retaliating would not work at all. The only way left was to


    make Irene give up on Edricpletely.


    As Lily thought of this, hatred began to pool in her heart again. If Joanne hadn''t told Edric about Irene''s


    child, Irene and Edric would not have been together.


    Thinking of Joanne, she thought of the business card that Joanne gave her. Could she take advantage


    of Joanne and have her tell Irene about her pregnancy?


    Lily called Joanne and told her that she was pregnant. Joanne was thrilled when she heard this. She


    was just plotting against Irene, and now this news had been served on a silver tter to her.


    Edric went to see Steven. Steven was a politician and also Irene''s father, so Edric had to give Steven


    some respect. He didn''t directly say that Lily and Margaret had done dirty things together, but he had


    gently implied so.


    "I want to make it clear to you that I don''t have any interest in Lily. Irene is the only one in my heart. In


    the past, I had promised to get engaged to Lily because she couldn''t have any children. Now that Eden


    is sick, I''m putting all my focus on Irene and Eden now. I don''t want to have any rtionship with her


    any further. Please help me keep an eye on Miss Cook. I don''t want her to appear in my house again


    and have any rtions with my mother."


    Steven''s face flushed a little hotly. Of course, he knew that Edric was respecting him by not mentioning


    that Lily had s*x with him.


    He did not believe Lily when she told him that she had slept with Edric. How could it be that Rowane


    framed her? It must''ve been that Lily herself had nned it. He had thought that Lily was being


    unreasonable, so he tried to send her abroad to get rid of her.


    Now, Edric had asked him to deal with her. Steven also knew that Edric hated her to the extreme. It


    was too sad for a woman to be hated by a man while she remained clueless to it.


    In Steven''s heart, he hated Lily for being such a disappointment and Deborah for not teaching her well.


    So he said, "I will handle this matter. I have been working on the immigration documents. I will send her


    abroad immediately. She won''t bother you anymore in the future."


    Edric had no objection to Steven''s course of action. Only Lily herself knew what had happened that


    night. Thinking of what John had said about Steven and Lily going to the hospital, Edric couldn''t help


    but ask, "I heard that you went to the hospital in Caulford City yesterday. Are you sick?"


    Steven just wanted to hide the fact that Lily was pregnant, but when he saw that Edric began to notice,


    he smiled bitterly and answered, "Lily is pregnant."


    "What did you say?" Edric jumped up and sat down again, only realizing that he was overreacting a


    little. "How are you going to deal with this?"


    "I was going to have her get rid of the child, but Lily''s body can''t handle such a procedure. The doctor


    said that if we continued the operation on her, she may be infertile for the rest of her life," Steven


    replied truthfully.


    "What do you mean? Are you going to let her give birth to the baby?" Edric got anxious after hearing


    this.


    "I''m sorry! I don''t want to do this, either. However, if I don''t let her give birth to the baby, she will never


    get pregnant anymore. I really can''t do that to her, " Steven pleaded.


    "No! This child cannot be born!" Edric refused tly. "I''ve never intended to let other women give birth


    to my children, be it past or present. I won''t let this child be born!"


    "Just think of Lily." Steven just begged, "Edric, just let her give birth to the baby. I will send her abroad


    and never let here back."


    "She is a human being, not a cat or dog. Mr. Cook, are you certain that sending her abroad would be


    enough to sweep everything under the rug?" Edric sneered. "If she brought the child back, how can I


    face her in the future?"


    "But the doctor said that Lily became like this because of the injury of the miscarriage that year..."


    Edric rudely interrupted Steven. "At the end of the day, it was you who had wronged her. This has


    nothing to do with me. I have given her so much money aspensation over the years. If she had a


    conscience, she should have known to stop instead of continuing to pester me shamelessly. Let me tell


    you! Lily must''ve done something to get that child. Her purpose is to move up thedder using the


    child! I will never sympathize with such a shameless person! Mr. Cook, I am warning you now that I


    won''t ept this child. Lily ending up infertile has nothing to do with me. I will leave you with two


    options, either you have her get rid of the child, or I will use everything in my power to do it myself!"


    Seeing that Edric''s aggressive attitude, Steven knew he had no choice, and he understood Edric''s


    worries well. However, no matter how cold-hearted he was, he could never do that to his daughter. He


    would not leave his daughter to rot alone for the rest of her life without any support. Edric had gone too


    far with this.


    The two of them unhappily parted that day. Steven was angry in his heart, and so was Edric. To think


    back that he unknowingly slept with Lily, and now she even was bearing his baby. This was too unfair.


    Before this, Edric still held on to whatever little hope was left and thought he would start over with


    Irene. However, after such a mess, Edric clearly realized that it was impossible for him and Irene to


    start over again.


    He was depressed. Lily wanted to give birth to the child. Let her dream on. No matter what, he would


    get rid that child even if it killed him.


    While Edric was feeling dispirited, Joanne came to find Irene. "Irene, you''re so pitiful. You''re here taking


    care of Edric''s child and saving his son, but he and Lily already had a secret affair."


    "Miss White, you''re wrong. Me saving my son has nothing to do with Edric. I''m just a mother doing what


    I can. As for Edric, we have already divorced. It''s natural for him to be with another woman. There''s no


    need for secrecy at all."


    "You are really generous, but I don''t think you are being sincere. I don''t believe that you are not sad at


    all." Joanne sneered, "Let me tell you, Lily is pregnant."


    Irene was stunned. Didn''t Edric say that Lily could not have children? What''s this about her being


    pregnant then?


    Seeing that Irene''s shocked expression, Joanne knew that she had her attention, and she put on an


    even more sinister smile. "I heard that she''s pregnant with twins. If she were to give Edric two sons,


    your child would be worthless. As a mother of the child, shouldn''t you think of a way to let your child


    fight for the rights he deserves?"


    "Miss White need not worry about this. My child is a priceless treasure in my heart. As for the rights you


    mentioned, it is only important to those useless parasites. My child can do whatever he wants, and he


    can create his own happiness."


    "Just keep on pretending. I don''t believe that you really don''t care about money. If that''s the case, you


    wouldn''t have kept on pestering my brother and Jordan. Instead, you''d have found some poor guy to


    marry."


    "That''s just Miss White''s wishful thinking. As long as I know the truth, I don''t need anyone else to


    understand it. We are not fools. The reason why youe here today is to see how sad I am. Are you


    satisfied with what you''re seeing now?" Irene stared at Joanne with a mocking smile.


    As Joanne''s intention had been exposed, her face immediately flushed red. "Irene, I was just feeling


    sorry for you, so I came here to tell you. Don''t be so brash!"


    "Then, I have to apologize. I really couldn''t tell that Miss White was being kind at all!" Irene sniped


    back. "I still have some matters to attend to, Miss White. Please leave. I won''t be seeing you off!"


    Joanne left angrily with a flushed face. When she met Edric at the door, Edric felt ufortable upon


    seeing her. "Miss White, why are youing here so frequently? What are you trying to do?"


    "This is my fianc¨¦''s vi. It''s none of your business, and I cane and go as I please." Joanne was


    full of anger.


    "Of course, it''s none of my business that you came to your fianc¨¦''s vi. However, I''m warning you that


    my wife and children live in this vi. Don''t try anything to them. I won''t be this nice to you if you


    provoke me!"


    "What wife? She''s just an ex-wife. Do you think I''ll be afraid of you?" Joanne retorted.


    "I know you are not afraid, but I''m willing to make a bet with you. Would you believe me if I said that I


    would have someone strip you naked and throw you on the street tonight? Can you even imagine the


    media sensation that would cause?"


    Joanne looked at Edric''s gloomy face and did not dare to refute. This was San Fetillo, which was


    Edric''s territory. The consequences would not be good if she provoked him.


    Seeing Edric, Irene controlled the disgust in her heart and tried to talk to him as calmly as possible.


    "Eden has just fallen asleep. If you want to see him, you can go in and take a look. Leave when he


    wakes up. I don''t want him to be upset when he sees you."


    Edric shook his head. "Irene, I''m not here to see Eden. I have something to talk to you about."


    Irene nodded and invited Edric to sit on the sofa and poured him a ss of water. Edric lowered his


    head and did not dare to look at her.


    After he had left Steven, Edric was both angry and desperate. He was furious because Lily was too


    shameless. He felt that he and Irene could never be together for the rest of his life. In the past, Edric


    had been waiting for Irene as he thought that if he did not have an affair, there was still a reason for


    Irene to forgive him. However, he had lost any possible chance for Irene to forgive him now.


    Edric had contemted his decision for a long time before he dared toe here. He wanted toe


    clean to Irene. Thus, he said, "Irene, Lily is pregnant."

 Chapter 177 Important Information

    Chapter 177 Important Information


    Edric told Irene everything that happened without hiding anything. He didn''t know what kind of


    judgment he would face. He did not expect Irene to forgive him. He only hoped that Irene would not


    stop him from seeing Eden.


    "Are you saying that she worked with Rowane to drug you and then took advantage of you and got


    pregnant that way?"


    Irene looked at Edric in surprise. She never thought that Edric would talk to her about this matter. She


    believed that Edric would try his best to hide this matter instead ofing clean.


    Edric nodded. "I can''tpletely remember what happened that night, so only Lily knows what really


    happened. I guess she must have done something to me when I was unconscious, and that''s how she


    got pregnant."


    Thinking of Lily being so brazen to do such a thing to Edric, Irene felt ufortable.


    "Edric has nothing to do with you anymore. It''s natural for him to be with another woman," She told


    herself, then shook her head and tried to drive away from the difort in her heart as much as


    possible. "Isn''t it obvious already? She must''ve taken advantage of you..."


    After saying this, Irene suddenly paused. She remembered that she heard Lily and Deborah talking


    about her menstrual cycle checkup in the hospital the day after the incident. If Lily had been on her


    period, how could she have had s*x with Edric?


    Even if she was that desperate and did have s*x with Edric, the possibility of pregnancy during her


    menstruation should have been low, right?


    Seeing that Edric was so troubled that he did not dare to look up at her, Irene felt sympathetic towards


    Edric, "Edric, I want to tell you one thing. Lily had her period that night, so she couldn''t have done


    anything to you."


    "How do you know that?" Edric couldn''t believe that such a piece of unexpected information would


    appear.


    "I happened to overhear the conversation between Deborah and Lily when I went for


    a pregnancy checkup in the hospital the other day. They seemed to be doing some kind of


    examination, and she happened to need to have her period for it," Irene exined.


    "She was undergoing artificial insemination." Edric was stunned after he said that. Lily was on her


    period, so she would not do that kind of thing with him. In that case, was the child artificially


    inseminated? That night, did she steal his sperm? This matter had to be investigated.


    "What are you going to do now?" Irene saw that Edric was frowning and he was not saying a word, so


    she asked him curiously. She and Edric had already divorced. The fact that Edric came to her to tell her


    about this was a little strange.


    "I want her to stop the pregnancy!" Edric answered.


    "Edric, don''t be rash. That''s your child, and your mother likes Lily so much. Now that she''s pregnant,


    why not get married? That way, I can finally be rest assured." Ireneforted sincerely.


    It was no wonder that people liked to say that ''misfortune might be a blessing in disguise''. Although she


    did not like the idea of Edric and Lily having a child, it had already happened, and there was no need to


    cry over spilled milk. On the contrary, as long as Edric had his own child, he and Magaret would not


    have to fight for Eden''s custody, so it was rtively a good thing.


    Edric suddenly became aggravated, "Irene, I don''t want any woman to give birth to my babies except


    for you with Eden. I won''t let Lily keep her baby."


    "Edric, it''s your business whether you keep it or not. There''s no need to tell me." Irene sighed. "I just


    want to take good care of my child now. I don''t want to care about anything else, and I don''t have the


    energy to do so either."


    "I know. I''m letting you know so that you won''t be upset. Since Lily has done such a shameless thing,


    she will definitelye to disturb you. I am afraid that she''ll make trouble for you," Edric exhaled


    deeply.


    "Irene, I used to crave for your forgiveness and wanted to be with you again. However, after


    experiencing such a thing, I know that it''s impossible for anything to happen between us anymore. I


    won''t dream of starting over again with you. I just hope that you won''t stop me from seeing my child


    because of this," Edric begged from the bottom of his heart.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. As long as Eden is willing to ept you, I won''t stop him!"


    In the evening, when Kinsey and Thomas came back, Irene told them about Lily''s plot of getting


    pregnant with Edric''s child. Kinsey was furious, "I have never heard of such shamelessness before.


    How can there be such an audacious person in this world?"


    "Sure enough, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. Deborah schemed against your mother in the


    very beginning too. Now, her special skills have been passed on to her daughter," Thomas was also


    outraged.


    "Yeah, when I think of this, I am angry. Deborah had stolen away your mother''s man, and now the little


    b*tch ising to rob your man. Motherf*ckers. Do they think that we''re so easy to bully?" Kinsey


    listened to Thomas''s words and became angry and couldn''t help swearing.


    "Mind your image!" Ireneughed. Kinsey stuck out his tongue. "I''m sorry, I was just too angry."


    Thomas sighed, "Edric must''ve run out of luck. He had such a mother and met such a disgusting


    woman. There''s no way for him to get away from this now. In fact, I think Edric is quite the man. If I had


    encountered such a thing, I would not have the courage to tell anyone about it."


    "Yeah, Edric is really pitiful. He is actually very innocent." Kinsey previously had no sympathy for Edric


    at all, but this time, she stood on Edric''s side. "But Edric''s mother must be delighted. She used to like


    the little b*tch so much, and now that the little b*tch is pregnant, she must''ve fainted from excitement,


    right?"


    "Maybe, but Edric said he would stop her from having the baby," Irene told them what Edric had told


    her today.


    "If it were me, I would also get rid the child. Who would want a child born out of schemes and tricks!"


    Kinsey nodded. "This time, I support Edric. I hope that he will dispose of the child in the little b*tch''s


    belly immediately and let the little b*tch cry."


    "I doubt things would go so smoothly." Irene shook her head. "Margaret would definitely stop that."


    "You''re right. With Margaret here, it won''t be easy for Edric to deal with Lily''s child." Kinsey was a little


    discouraged. "Do we have to let that little b*tch have her way?"


    "What else can we do?"


    "I feel so disheartened. Why are we letting that little b*tch win? Those two have had enough fun these


    years. No, we must find a way to punish them," Kinsey''s eyes suddenly lit up after she said that.


    "Irene, that little b*tch wants to marry Edric, right? Why don''t we y with her? You and Edric will get


    married again, and the little b*tch will get nothing in the end."


    "What a lousy idea!" Irene red at her.


    "In my life, what I believe is that I will not offend others unless I have been attacked first. If I were you, I


    would definitely unite with Edric. On the condition that Edric will give all the property to Eden and your


    unborn baby so that even if that b*tch gives birth to a baby under Margaret''s protection, she would


    have nothing in the future. That b*tch is scheming against Edric for the sake of money, so this would be


    a great blow to her."


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Kinsey was getting more excited as she spoke, but when she saw Irene and Thomas staring at her, she


    had to stop talking, "Forget it. I shouldn''t hope to rely on you two. I''ll just continue fantasizing in my


    head."


    The next day, when Kinsey told Jordan that Lily was pregnant, Jordan was also surprised. "To think


    such a shameless person would exist in this world!"


    "Yeah, this mother and daughter really defines the word ''shameless'' to the extreme. I don''t think Irene


    deserves this." Kinsey echoed, "I have to think of a way to retaliate back."


    "Isn''t Edric trying to get rid of the child? This is the best way to retaliate." Jordan sneered. "How painful


    it is to kill a person''s hopes in an instant."


    "Margaret would never allow that." Kinsey sighed.


    "If Edric insists on doing so, Margaret can''t stop him, " Jordan imed.


    "You''re right." Kinsey nodded. "By the way, how is the investigation on Deborah going?"


    "I''ve found something. The beauty salon was run by a man named Heather Wheeler. Heather and


    Deborah would go out using the Cat Alley, nothing unusual. Moreover, Deborah has never been back


    there recently., Jordan recalled some of the findings he had.


    "How could this be?" Kinsey sighed disappointedly. "I thought I could find the old b*tch''s weakness and


    destroy her, but I didn''t expect that there would be no progress."


    "It''s not that there''s no progress at all. As long as we pay attention to her, we will definitely get hold of


    her weakness, so you don''t have to worry too much." Jordan tried to encourage her.


    After leaving Jordan, Kinsey went back to the TV station. When she got off work, she was unexpectedly


    stopped by Joanne at the TV station''s gate. "You are Kinsey, right? I have something to talk to you


    about."


    "What''s the matter?" Naturally, Kinsey also knew Jordan''s fiancee.


    "Miss Miller, do you think it is appropriate to talk about these things here?" Joanne looked down on


    Kinsey. Recently, when she heard that Jordan had met Kinsey several times, she began to feel


    ufortable.


    Although Kinsey was not as beautiful as Irene, she was still quite a beauty herself. Could it be that she


    had a rtionship with Jordan? She had to beat Kinsey.


    ording to Joanne, Kinsey was just a small director at the TV station. She would definitely be


    intimidated upon seeing her, so defeating her would be easy.


    Unexpectedly, Joanne was wrong. In Kinsey''s eyes, she was nothing at all. "It''s not some important


    secret anyway. Why can''t you say it here? I''m very busy. If Miss White has something to say, then spit it


    out. If not, then I''ll just go home now."


    Seeing that Kinsey was disregarding her, Joanne felt embarrassed. "Miss Miller, I heard that you live in


    my fiance''s vi?" Joanne asked.


    "That''s right. Miss White should have known about this earlier, right?" Kinsey answered.


    "Do you think it''s reasonable to live in my fianc¨¦''s vi?" Joanne pushed on further.


    "What''s wrong with that?" Kinsey asked. "I don''t live alone, and it''s your fianc¨¦ who had invited me. If


    you are not satisfied with that, you can talk to him. What''s the point in looking for me?"


    "Jordan is handsome and rich. Many women want to hook up with him. Additionally, Jordan has been


    addicted to fooling around with women since he was a child. The Reed Family is not an ordinary family,


    and not many people are qualified even to get close to him. I hope Miss Miller knows this as well."


    "So you do know how handsome Jordan is? It''s normal for other women to have feelings for a man like


    him." Kinsey smiled at Joanne. "To tell you the truth, I like Jordan very much. Originally, it was just an


    innocent crush. However, since you''ve said so, I might just give it a try."


    "You..." Joanne did not expect Kinsey and Irene to be so starkly different. After being stunned a while,


    she immediatelyposed herself, "Jordan likes Irene, and you know that, don''t you? You are Irene''s


    friend..."


    "Do you want to tell Irene that I like Jordan?" Kinsey interrupted her, "Let me tell you, a few words can''t


    ruin the friendship between Irene and I. If you don''t believe me, you can go ahead and give it a try."

 Chapter 178 Inheritance

    Chapter 178 Inheritance


    Finishing her sentence, Kinsey left, leaving only the sound of her high heels click-cking. She got in


    the car and started the engine. In the rearview mirror, she saw Joanne remaining still in ce and


    staring in her direction. Kinsey snorted inwardly. Everyone''s sweetheart? She was nothing but a show-


    off. It was Irene who did not fight with others. It was also her bad luck to have bumped into Joanne.


    Kinsey started the car and drove away, humming. On the way, she pondered a while before calling


    Jordan, "Your fianc¨¦ was at the entrance of the TV station and she stopped me. She didn''t want me to


    have any ulterior motives towards you."


    "Really?" Jordanughed. Joanne had gone to look for Kinsey? With Kinsey''s temper, Joanne must


    have been devastated. He was very interested in what Kinsey had done to Joanne, so he asked, "How


    did you deal with her?"


    "What are you talking about? I was so terrified of her, that I burst into tears on the spot. I''m immediately


    calling you right after toin," Kinsey acted pitifully.


    "Humph! Are you the kind of person who would be so easily terrified?" Jordan wasn''t convinced at all.


    "Haha, you don''t believe me? Who am I kidding? I wouldn''t believe myself either. I just told her that I


    like how handsome you are. She got so angry that she grew dumbfounded. You should''ve seen her.


    She was probably surprised by my boldness."


    After hanging up the phone, Jordan frowned. Joanne really was not someone who would change her


    character so easily. It seems that he could not let her stay any longer. He had to send her back."


    After thinking about it, Jordan called Nathan and told him about Joanne''s situation. He wanted Nathan


    to find a way and send Joanne back.


    After hearing the news, Nathan was also horrified and told Old Mrs. White immediately. She was


    outraged, she knew that this granddaughter of hers was not easy to deal with, but she did not expect


    her to be so troublesome. She immediately called Joanne and asked her to return quickly.


    Joanne did not dare to disobey Old Mrs. White''s request, so she had no choice but to pack up and go


    back to Mencodia.


    After seeing Irene, Edric went home in confusion. He went and got the security footage of that night


    and watched it again. Lily was wearing a skirt that day. When she helped him upstairs, she did not


    bring anything along with her. When she came out, she was empty-handed too. In that case, how was


    his sperm stolen?


    Edric was afraid that he had missed something, so he took the security footage to thepany and


    checked it with his Technology Department staff. The staff also verified that Lily came out empty-


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    handed.


    How on earth did Lily get pregnant with the child? Edric couldn''t figure it out.


    However, Edric thoroughly understood that the reason why Lily was trying so hard to have rtions


    with him was not that because she loved him but that he had hundreds of millions of property.


    Edric sneered. Lily, who only wanted his family property, had made a fatal mistake. He would not give


    her a penny of his family''s property.


    In order to eliminate any hope of her getting anything, he would leave all the property under his name


    to Eden, Irene, and the baby in Irene''s belly. He wanted to see if Lily would still pester him if he were a


    broke man.


    Edric was a man of his word, and he immediately called awyer to draft the documents needed to


    transfer his property. Margaret soon caught wind of this matter. She immediately called Edric toe


    home, but Edric ignored her. Margaret didn''t favor Loraine very much during this period, so she asked


    the guards to send her to thepany instead.


    Seeing Edric, Margaret got teary-eyed and began to question, "What on earth are you doing, giving all


    your property to others without my permission?"


    "Do I need to have your permission to give my children my property?" Edric asked.


    "They''re still so young. If you give them your property, they won''t be able to manage it." Margaret


    reasoned with Edric.


    "Aren''t I in charge? As long as I''m here, what are you afraid of?" Edric stood his ground.


    "That won''t work either. If that woman, Irene, does something and steals your shares, what will you


    do?" Margaret tried to nt some doubts into Edric.


    "I don''t know whether Irene will y tricks on me or not, but I know why you are so agitated. Don''t


    worry, as I won''t touch your shares," Edric sneered.


    "Are you kidding me? I''m not doing this for the property. Isn''t all my property yours anyway?" Margaret


    got mad at his words.


    "I wouldn''t dare to take your property. If I could, I would rather be born into another family. At least I


    wouldn''t feel the pain of being tricked by my own mother."


    "What did I do to you?" Margaret was getting a little guilty. What did Edric mean? Did he know


    something? Thinking that Lily wouldn''t be so stupid as to tell her son the truth about the pregnancy at


    this time, she got confident enough and refuted his bravado.


    "I''m asking you now, how did Lily get pregnant with that child?" Edric was angry when he saw that his


    mother still wanted to be perfunctory.


    "You know all of that now? Lily is pregnant not because you got drunk with her, but..." Margaret had


    nned to tell Edric about Lily''s pregnancy for a while, but she didn''t expect Edric to know about it in


    advance. Since that was the case, she wanted to pretend to not know, just to see what her son would


    do.


    "I got drunk? Do you still want to deny it now?" Edric interrupted Margaret. He had no words for


    Margaret anymore.


    "Let me ask you, what did you and Marie want to achieve by sitting in the living room and letting Lily in


    my room?"


    "I..." Margaret now knew that she couldn''t deny it any longer. "If you had listened to me and hadn''t


    insisted on dating Irene, would I have done this?"


    "What have I done to deserve a mother like you? Everything I have ever loved, you''ve destroyed. And


    everything I''ve hated, you do your best to stuff it to me. Are you even my mother?" Edric was furious at


    Margaret.


    "It''s my fault for letting that happen, but Lily is pregnant now, and the boat has already sailed. Don''t


    "In your dreams!" Edric mocked. "I''m not afraid to tell you that the idea of Lily and I getting married is


    nothing but a fantasy in your head! I won''t marry such a disgusting woman even if I had to die. Give it


    up."


    "This has nothing to do with Lily. It''s all my scheming." Margaret put in a good word for Lily. "Lily doesn''t


    want to do this either. It''s me who begged her." Margaret cried out.


    "A lie can onlyst for so long, but it can''t deceive everyone forever. I know what kind of person Lily,


    clearer than you. I advise you to open your eyes. You''ll regret it if you don''t," Edric imed.


    "Edric, it''s all my fault. It''s understandable that you''re angry with me, but you have to think of Lily too.


    She''s pregnant with your child." Margaret begged.


    "My child? Do you think that I will let such a disgusting woman give birth to my child?" Edric refuted.


    "Mark my words, that child in Lily''s belly, I will find a way to get rid of it."


    "How dare you!" Margaret was anxious. "Whoever dares to hurt my grandson, I''ll fight to the death with


    him!"


    "You can give it a try!" Edric didn''t buy her words at all.


    Margaret went home in a fit of rage. It seemed that this matter was brought to a standstill as of now.


    Edric was furious now. Thus, he might resort to some extreme measures. She had to hide Lily first.


    Only once he had calmed down would she then bring it up once more.


    Lily was not staying idle either. After hearing Joanne say that she would reveal the news to Irene, she


    had been waiting for Irene and Edric to argue. However, there was no sign of someoneing at all,


    and Irene''s life seemed to go on as usual.


    On the other side, Joanne had gone back to Mencodia. Steven had warned Lily to not to go out if it was


    not necessary. He also notified her that Edric might hurt her and stop her pregnancy.


    Lily didn''t expect that Edric''s reaction would be so strong, so she had to turn her sights towards


    Margaret for help. Unexpectedly, Margaret called her at that time and informed her to be careful, which


    was the same as Steven''s advice.


    Lily was scared. She didn''t expect that Edric would ignore Margaret''s orders. Without thest line of


    defense, she could not escape.


    "No, I can''t keep on being like this," Lily thought to herself. Edric had already found out about the truth


    anyways. Since Steven had not found out who leaked it, she did not have to worry about Steven''s


    punishment. Lily then decided to see Irene.


    Irene took Eden outside for a walk. A woman, who was hiding her face with a pair of sunsses and a


    hat, came over to her and Eden. When she walked in front of Eden, the woman suddenly stopped her


    and called her. Irene realized that the woman was Lily.


    Irene red at Lily, "Miss Cook, why are you blocking my way?"


    "I have something to discuss with you. Let''s go somewhere private to talk." Lily said furtively.


    "I don''t have the time," Irene immediately rejected Lily''s suggestion.


    "Irene, I''m pregnant! Please help me! I''m really at my wits'' end!" Lily pleaded in a quiet voice.


    Irene looked at Lily''s expression and felt only disgust, "What does you being pregnant have to do with


    me? Miss Cook must''ve gotten the wrong person."


    "I know you hate me intensely, but that time I really was framed by Rowane. That woman was too


    vicious. I had nned to go to the hospital to stop the pregnancy, but the doctor had said something


    was wrong with my body. If I did it, I would never have another child in my life," Lily handed Irene a


    report. "Look, this is the proof from the doctor''s."


    Irene did not take it. Instead, she just looked at her coldly, "What does this have to do with me? I''m not


    the one who is stopping your pregnancy."


    "But Edric won''t allow me to keep this child. Irene, could you help persuade Edric?" Lily wiped her


    tears. "It''s not just a single baby in my belly. They''re twins. They are Edric''s children. Isn''t Eden sick?


    Maybe there will be a time when they would be useful in the future."


    "I''m amazed that Miss Cook is so kind. But I will take care of my own child''s illness by myself. You, as


    an outsider, don''t need to worry about it."


    "Irene, I beg you. Please let me give birth to my children. Don''t worry. I will be far away from you and


    Edric. What you are worried about will never happen!" Lily knelt in front of Irene.


    "Miss Cook, stop acting. I''m not a fool. I know enough not to trust a wolf in sheep''s clothing. Besides,


    what happened between you and Edric has nothing to do with me. You''ve really gotten the wrong


    person!"


    "Irene, how can you be so cruel? No matter what, the blood flowing in my veins is the same as yours.


    No matter what, you are also a mother with a child. How can you be so cruel?" Lily saw that Irene


    refused to help her, so she stood up angrily.


    Irene had long known that Lily was nothing but a devious person, yet she was still enraged, "Miss


    Cook, you''vee to the wrong ce to seek for kindness. When you had decided to plot against


    Edric, you should have thought of what would happen today. I don''t understand. How can you stille


    to me after what you''ve done?"


    "Irene, I admit it. I''m shameless, but you''re not much better than me. On the one hand, you said that


    you had nothing to do with Edric, and on the other, you''ve strung him along with a child. If it weren''t for


    you, we wouldn''t be separated. And you know better than me how you got that baby in your belly."


    Lily never expected that Irene would sympathize with her when she came to Irene. Since Irene did not


    hold back when they met, she failed to see the point of acting anymore.


    "You are not much better than me. At least I didn''t covet a married man. You and your mother,


    Deborah, are a couple of freaks. Both of you are so disgusting, scheming to steal men away from


    others," Irene was furious.


    Although they were both pregnant, Edric had treated Irene like a treasure while he treated Lily as dust.


    Even though Deborah had instructed Lily to not harm Irene''s baby, yet there was no one around now. If


    she pushed Irene and made her infertile, just like what happened that year, what would Edric do?


    Lily thought of this and immediately nced at the car behind her from the corner of her eye. When she


    saw Tommy was in the car recording her and Irene, she was relieved and immediately attacked Irene


    viciously.

 Chapter 179 A Violent Beating

    Chapter 179 A Violent Beating


    "Don''t you hate me because of my mother? Irene, have somemon sense. It was your good-for-


    nothing mother who could not hold onto her man. So why are you directing your hate towards me? As


    for Edric, there''s no smoke without fire. If he was that innocent, do you think someone would be


    scheming against him? You''re so ruthless over a man. One day, karma will get you," Lily knew what


    Irene''s soft spots were and she was purposely provoking her.


    Irene was so angry that she couldn''t help but p Lily across her face. Lily covered her face and didn''t


    fight back, but she stared fiercely at Irene''s stomach. She couldn''t make the first move against Irene


    right now. She had to provoke Irene first so that she could push Irene down in the name of self-


    defense.


    "Look at your son. He''s got such a serious illness at such a young age. It''s all because of you, his


    mother..."


    Before she could finish her words, a voice suddenly rang out, "B*tch, you''ve got some nerve. How dare


    Kinsey did not see Irene when she returned home so she guessed that Irene had brought Eden here


    for a walk. She came over and saw Lily attacking Irene. She could not bear it and pped Lily hard.


    "This b*tch has already been so shameless. She should just go into seclusion somewhere!" Kinsey


    thought to herself. She hated the fact that Lily had the nerve to show up here to provoke Irene.


    Her anger didn''t stop there, after the p, she kicked Lily hard, "Don''t you like to kneel? Kneel down


    and ask for forgiveness!"


    With the kick, Lily immediately knelt down. Kinsey grabbed her hair and gave her another p. Lily


    covered her belly with her hands and kept cursing Irene and Kinsey. Kinsey was shouting furiously,


    "You best believe I''m going to knock that baby right out of you, you b*tch!"


    Irene was shocked. Kinsey''s temper was no joke. She could actually lose control and caused Lily to


    have a miscarriage. That wouldn''t be good. She hurriedly stopped her, "Kinsey, take it easy. Don''t hurt


    her belly."


    Kinsey was not stupid. Naturally, she knew what Irene meant. Lily was the secretary''s daughter. If she


    were to lose her baby, she would definitely be in trouble. So she avoided her stomach and instead


    continued to p Lily in the face.


    Lily was being pped so hard that she screamed. Finally, she couldn''t bear the pain anymore and


    began to scream, "Tommy, you''re dead! I''m being beaten but you''re noting to my rescue?" As she


    scolded, a man hurriedly got out of the car and pulled them away.


    With backup, Lily pointed at Kinsey and said confidently, "Kill this b*tch!"


    Irene sneered, "You''d better think about it carefully. If you dare to make a move, I will let you get a taste


    of what prison is like!"


    Tommy was not stupid. Irene was not someone he could mess with. If he dared to make a move today,


    Jordan, Edric, and even Steven would kill him.


    He and Lily were there that day not to fight. He lowered his voice and reminded her, "Miss Cook, be


    careful of your health. We''d better go to the hospital to have a checkup!"


    Lily knew why Tommy didn''t dare to make a move. Her face was swollen and burning with pain, but


    under Tommy''s reminder, she covered her stomach and cried, "Oh, my stomach, send me to the


    hospital!"


    Tommy hurriedly helped Lily into the car and started the car to leave. Kinsey spat at them, "B*tch, count


    yourself lucky that that''s all you got!"


    Lily was sent to the hospital. After the examination, the doctor said that she had suffered mild injuries


    and told her to rest in bed. Deborah rushed to the hospital when she heard the news, "Are you trying to


    die? Why would you go looking for Irene?"


    "She''s been too quiet. I went to provoke her a little. I didn''t expect that b*tch Kinsey toe and help


    her," Lily touched her swollen, numb face and said hatefully, "If I had the chance, I would definitely kill


    that b*tch Kinsey."


    "Take care of your body and the children in your belly first," Deborah felt distressed upon seeing her


    daughter getting beaten up, "I will send someone to deal with Kinsey."


    "Mom, why don''t you just get your men to deal with Irene too? Then, I''ll have one less thing to worry


    about!"


    "We can''t touch her now or we''ll be in trouble. Kinsey, on the other hand, has no special background


    nor does she have a lot of money. It''ll be easy to get rid of her!" Deborah''s face was full of resentment.


    "I knew you would say that," Lily took out her mobile phone and handed it to Deborah, "What do you


    think?"


    Deborah turned on the video and showed a smirk on her face, "Yes, you''ve acted well. However, don''t


    take such risks again. If Irene really had hit your stomach, you would have lost more than you had to


    gain."


    "I know. I was afraid that Irene would hurt my belly so I tied a few sponges all around it," Lily was quite


    proud. "When the timees, I''ll show this video to Dad. I want him to watch how Irene viciously hit


    me and listen to what he has to say."


    Steven heard that Lily was beaten until she had been hospitalised so he also went to the hospital.


    When he saw how swollen her face was, he was shocked. "Who hit her?"


    "Irene hit her," Deborah saw Steven starting to cry soundlessly and added, "Lily had iting, and I


    don''t me her."


    "Irene did this?" Steven was shocked. It really surprised him that Irene hit her. He looked at Lily


    suspiciously and said, "Didn''t I warn you to not look for her?"


    "I didn''t go looking for her. She was the one who asked me to meet her," Lily grimaced in pain.


    "She already knew that I was pregnant. I didn''t want to see her at first, but I felt guilty and wanted


    myself to her. I wanted to beg her to let me go since we''re sisters. But then Irene refused, she scolded


    me for being shameless and even scolded Mom. Then she beat me, and even asked her friend to


    Steven just frowned. Although he was very distressed by Lily''s bruised face, he still did not believe that


    Irene would hit someone, "Irene is not that unreasonable. You must have provoked her."


    Lily knew that Steven would defend Irene. Fortunately, she had prepared for it. She handed the phone


    to Steven and said, "Dad, I was afraid that you would suspect me, so I asked the driver to go with me


    and to record it on the spot. Look at this."


    Steven took the phone and watched the video. He saw Lily kneeling in front of Irene and Irene pping


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Lily in the face. Lily did not fight back. Then, Kinsey jumped out, kicking and punching Lily. She had


    purposely turned the sound off so that he could not hear her scolding, all he could see was the fighting.


    Steven frowned. It was normal for Irene to be angry. He had been so worried to tell Irene before this.


    Now that she already knew, he decided to go to see Irene and tell her what happened to Lily. He


    wanted Irene to understand that Lily and her shared the same blood. Perhaps Irene would soften her


    heart.


    Thinking of this, Steven just put the mobile phone on the table, "Lily, take care of yourself. I''ll talk to


    Irene!"


    After Steven left, Lily was so angry that she smashed the phone on the ground, "Dad is too biased. I


    was beaten up so badly but he didn''t even say a single bad word about her. It''s so infuriating!"


    Deborah picked up the mobile phone, "It''s normal for him to defend her, that''s why I told you not to


    provoke her. When dealing with the enemy, you either defeat him with one move or lurk and wait for the


    right time. Now, you''re pregnant. As long as Margaret wants the child in your belly, you won''t lose."


    As she spoke, the door of the ward was pushed open, and Marie entered the ward. The first thing she


    saw was Lily''s bruised nose and swollen face. When she heard that it was Irene who had beaten her


    up, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth, "How can that b*tch be so cruel?"


    "She has been cruel for a long time. Are you only realizing this now?" Deborah sneered, "Back then,


    she was such a young child, yet she went through such lengths to force me and Lily away. Let alone


    now. Irene is the most vicious of us all. She either stays quiet or she goes all out ruthlessly."


    "Ruthlessly, huh? Let''s see who''s more cruel then!" Marie left angrily. She had always regarded Lily as


    her daughter. Now seeing her injured, her heart ached, and she vowed inwardly, "Irene, just you wait. I


    won''t let you go this time!"


    With her injuries, Lily was recuperating in the hospital. However, Edric asked John to conduct another


    investigation due to his suspicions. John hadn''t paid attention to her period calendar when he


    investigated the matter. However, after some questioning, he confirmed that Lily needed to be in her


    period to carry out the examination. Hence, the likelihood of Edric and Lily having s*x was practically


    zero.


    What Edric needed to know, was how Lily got pregnant.


    If they didn''t have s*x, that meant that she must have used IVF. However, she could not have done it


    right away. They must have had to store his sperm, and the safest ce for that would be the hospital.


    However, that night, Lily had left in a car after exiting his house. He went to the Traffic Bureau to double


    check her route, but she had indeed returned home.


    Edric was worried that Lily might have given the stolen sperm to Marie, so he also investigated Marie.


    However, he also found that Marie had never even been to the hospital.


    Strange, since they had not been to the hospital to preserve the sperm, where did the sperme


    from?


    What surprised Edric and John the most was that there was no record of Lily''s surgery. Did the baby


    just drop out of the sky?


    Just as John was investigating the hospital again, a nurse told John that she had seen Marie in the


    operating room of the hospital that night. At that time, she asked what Marie was doing. Marie


    answered that she was here to take some stuff and the nurse had not paid much attention to it.


    ording to the timeline, that night Marie must have carried out the surgery on Lily. Howewver, Edric


    still failed to figure out where they got the sperm from.


    "Could it be that they used someone else''s sperm?" Edric was shocked by this idea. It seemed that he


    had to check carefully where the sperm had originated from.


    Irene and Kinsey went home. Kinsey told Thomas angrily what Lily had done today, which shocked


    Thomas. He reminded Irene, "Don''t go so far from home alone in the future. What if they had bad


    intentions and tried to do something to you? What will you do then?"


    Kinsey also agreed, "It''s a good thing that I got there in time today. If not, who knows what that b*tch


    would have tried. Irene, you must be more careful."


    Irene nodded, "I''ll be more careful from now on."


    In the evening, Jordan came over to eat and Kinsey repeated her story again. Jordanughed and


    gave Kinsey a thumbs up, "Well done!"


    Then, he said to Irene, "Be careful next time. It seems that they won''t stop harassing you. I''ll get two


    bodyguards to follow you in case of any idents in future."


    "There''s no need to hire bodyguards. I''ll just try not to go out in the future."


    As they chatted, Steven called. He said he had wanted to see Irene and he was waiting for her at a tea


    room outside the vi.


    "It seems that that b*tch hasined, so he''s here to question you," Kinsey guessed.


    "So what? Let''s see what he ns to do," Irene went to see Steven angrily.


    Seeing Irene approaching him, Steven took out a key out from his pocket and handed it to her with a


    smile, "I have something for you."

 Chapter 180 Her Plan Was Backfiring

    Chapter 180 Her n Was Backfiring


    "What''s this?" Irene did not take it.


    "This is the key to the bank''s safe. There''s some jewelry and gold bars inside. I''m handing them over to


    you today," Steven replied.


    "Why are you giving this to me?" Irene thought that Steven was just here to denounce her, but


    surprisingly he was gifting her assets. However, why was he giving the key to her right now? He had


    been here a few times before, so why not then?


    "Irene, I have something to ask of you," Steven didn''t dare to look at Irene.


    "About Lily?" Irene sneered. She should have known Steven could not be so kind.


    "You know about Lily''s condition. There''s something wrong with her body. If she gets rid of the baby,


    she won''t be able to have a child ever again, so I''vee to you to ask you..."


    "Mr. Cook, don''t you think you''re looking for the wrong person?" Irene interrupted him. "Lily is pregnant


    with Edric''s child. You should go look for Edric and Margaret instead."


    "Edric is very angry and determined to kill this child...This whole incident isn''t Lily''s fault. She''s


    innocent. I don''t want to see her live the rest of her life alone."


    "Even more the reason for you to seek Edric, no?"


    "Irene, Edric will listen to you. If you persuade him, he will listen to you," Steven saw that Irene did not


    buy that at all and had to spit out frankly, "You and Lily are sisters after all. Just help her out this one


    time."


    "Mr. Cook, how many times have I told you that my mother gave birth to only me? I have nothing to do


    with your disgusting affair. It''s your business if you want to help your illegitimate daughter. Please don''t


    bother me anymore!"


    Irene got up. Steven was being too despicable. He knew that she hated Lily, but yet he was asking her


    to help Lily. It chilled her to the bone.


    "Irene!"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "I used to sympathize with you, but now looking at you, I can see that my feelings were in vain. Mr.


    Cook, I don''t want to have anything to do with you. I don''t need your so-called assets. You''d better


    leave them to your illegitimate daughter!"


    Steven just looked at Irene''s resolute figure and sighed. Was he wrong? They were both his daughters,


    so what else was he supposed to do?


    Edric ordered John to investigate the sperm bank in San Fetillo Hospital. Sure enough, he found traces


    of Marie there. On the day the nurse ran into her, Marie did go to the hospital to take the sperm.


    However, it was sperm that Marie herself had stored, and it had not been recorded in the hospital''s


    records.


    The staff at the sperm bank told John that the sperm was stored here four years ago by Marie. When


    John reported this news to Edric, they both thought of the same thing. Could it be that this was the


    sperm that Edric had given Margaret four years ago? Marie didn''t use it all back then so she had


    chosen to store it and use it on Lily?


    If this was the case, then there was about to be an exciting show.


    Edric felt that he should be more humane and remind Lily of her ce. So, he called her, but Lily did


    not dare to answer for a long time. After some consideration, she picked up and Edric''s cold voice


    sounded out.


    "Miss Cook, I advise you to go to the hospital to get rid of the baby in your belly, so that you won''t be in


    trouble."


    Lily was unwilling to listen, "Edric, I had no choice. If I lose the child, I will never have a baby again. I


    beg you, let me give birth to the child. I promise I won''t disturb you and Irene!"


    "Miss Cook, I am asking you to undergo the procedure for your own good. You don''t have to listen to


    me, but you''ll have to bear the consequences on your own when the timees."


    Edric didn''t want to say any more words to Lily. That woman was too disgusting. If she insisted on


    giving birth, that was up to her.


    Edric went to see Irene again and told her everything he had found out. Irene was extremely surprised


    by his revtion.


    If that was the case, that would meant that Lily would give birth to another man''s child. With all the


    effort she had put into her scheming, she would go crazy if she found out that she was pregnant with


    another man''s child.


    However, Irene did not feel sorry for her at all. Lily''s n was backfiring on herself.


    Edric proposed to get married again, "Irene, let''s go register our marriage and give Eden and the child


    in your stomach aplete family."


    Irene shook her head, "This is not the right time to talk about this. Eden is about to wake up from his


    afternoon nap. You should go!"


    Edric sighed softly. Irene was still rejecting him. He also knew that this was not the time to force her. He


    had to go settle the matter that hade between them for so long.


    He would never let those people go. They had tried to create misunderstandings between him and


    Irene to ruin their happiness! He would not let a single one of them off the hook!


    Marie''s heart ached upon seeing Lily badly beaten up. She regarded Lily as her own daughter. She had


    no idea that Deborah had already seen through her ploy and was outwitting her. She did not know that


    Lily was not her daughter, but instead her daughter was Rowane, who she had hired people to kill.


    Marie was a malicious person. For her own interests, she would not hesitate to kill Myra, let alone


    Irene. After all, Irene had beaten Lily up. Marie left the hospital with her teeth clenched. She swore that


    she would take revenge on Irene.


    Marie thought hard but she had no idea how to deal with Irene. In the end, she had no choice but to tell


    Margaret about what was going on. Margaret was looking forward to the arrival of her grandsons, and


    she was not on good terms with Irene anyway. If she heard that Irene had beaten Lily up, she would


    hate her even more.


    With Margaret in the way, Irene and Edric being together would be close to impossible.


    Thinking of this, Marie went to find Margaret. She first asked about Margaret''s physical condition, and


    then told her what Irene had done to Lily.


    She exaggerated Lily''s injury and described it in a horrifying way, "It''s horrible. Lily''s face was so


    swollen that I couldn''t even recognize her. If the driver hadn''t been there to send her to the hospital, Lily


    would definitely have suffered a miscarriage!"


    Margaret was shocked, "Are my grandchildren all right?"


    "The doctor said she might be at risk of a miscarriage, so she should rest in bed."


    Hearing this, Margaret was very worried. Lily had two babies in her. If anything went wrong, she would


    be heartbroken. She was so angry that she shouted, "How could Irene be so vicious? Lily is her sister,


    no matter the circumstances. She can''t even forgive her own sister?"


    "For someone as evil as her, she doesn''t care about family," Marie was full of hatred. "If she had even


    an ounce of kindness in her, she would sympathise with Lily. Lily is pregnant with twins. The chances of


    that are miniscule. She knows this, so she''s jealous. I''m just worried that she might try to take the


    children away once Lily gives birth."


    Margaret cursed fiercely, "It''s too much. No, I have to tell Edric and expose her true colors."


    Margaret immediately called Edric and told him about Lily''s miserable condition based on what she


    heard from Marie. Edric sneered and said, "She is lucky that she didn''t lose her babies. Next time, if


    she provokes Irene again, I will make sure she has a miscarriage."


    Upon hearing her son''s ruthless words, Margaret scolded him harshly. However, Edric did not care at


    all and simply hung up on the phone.


    Usually, it was a big thing to be pregnant with twins, that was why Marie had inseminated two sperms


    into Lily''s ovum. At that time, she thought that they would have a better chance of Edric changing his


    attitude towards Lily once he knew about the twins. However, she did not expect that Edric would not


    buy it at all.


    Edric''s ruthlessness chilled Marie''s heart. She was an experienced woman. She had seen Ma''s


    attitude towards Lydia before.


    In the past, she had been hoping that Margaret could suppress Edric so that Lily could marry into the


    family sessfully. Now, seeing how helpless Margaret was, Marie faintly realized that it was not a


    wise choice to let Lily get pregnant at this time.


    Margaret couldn''t live forever. In the future, Edric would be the head of the family. Edric did not like Lily,


    so it wasn''t hard to guess what would happen.


    Although she hade to this realisation, it was toote to turn back now. Lily''s children must be born,


    otherwise, the rest of her life would be nothing but misery. Marie had tofort herself in her heart.


    Even if Lily couldn''t get what she wanted, she could at least get some money. After all, Edric was their


    father. He would not treat his children badly with all the money he had.


    Marie didn''t know that Edric had already signed his property over to Irene and his two children.


    Although Margaret had already found out, she certainly would not tell Marie about something like that.


    After a bit more chit chat, Marie left angrily.


    Walking out of the Myers family home, Marie didn''t feel the least bit soothed. On the contrary, she was


    even more upset. Things were no longer under her control now. She had to find a way to stop Irene


    from staying in San Fetillo if she wanted to secure Lily''s future.


    She had no way to control Irene. Fortunately, Irene still had Thomas by her side. Marie decided to go


    and find Thomas. She would persuade and threaten him again. Then, Thomas would eventually think


    of a way to get Irene to leave San Fetillo.


    After Marie left, Edric came back. His and Marie''s car passed each other. Marie was an aplice to


    Lily''s pregnancy. Seeing Marieing out from his house again, Edric felt extremely disgusted.


    Marie definitely did not go to his house with any good intentions. Margaret''s leg had not recovered so


    she had been resting at home. Due to this, she was not very updated with what was going on. It


    seemed like Marie had gone to tell her about Lily''s injury. Why was Marie helping Lily so much? What


    was Lily giving back to her in return?


    His car pulled up to the front of the house and he strode in. Margaret heard the sound of the door


    opening and turned towards him, "You''re back?"


    Edric walked over and asked bluntly, "Why was Marie here?"


    "She was worried about my health, so she came to visit me and have a chat..."


    "Worried about your health? Why is she being so kind?" Edric sneered, "It seems to me like she had


    other motives."


    "She''s my best friend, isn''t it normal for her to care about me?"


    "Don''t hide it anymore. Marie must have told you that Lily was beaten up, right?" Edric smiled


    mockingly, "Apart from gossiping about nonsense, what evil scheme is she up to now?"


    "What are you on about? Isn''t she speaking the truth? It''s true that Irene beat Lily up isn''t it?"


    Margaret''s temper was rising.


    "Yes it is, but she brought it upon herself!" Edric sneered, "She was so shameless that she had the


    nerve to plot a pregnancy. How dare she provoke Irene? She deserves it!"


    "Edric, Lily is pregnant with your twins. You''ve got to be less biased. Fortunately, Lily was sent to the


    hospital in time, otherwise, my two grandsons..." Margaret dared not imagine what might have


    happened.


    "It''s for the best if she had faced a miscarriage. A vicious woman like her doesn''t deserve to be a


    mother," Edric had never attacked anyone like that before. His hatred for Lily had reached its peak.


    "How can you be so ruthless?" Margaret''s temper rose even more, "Just because you like Irene, you''re


    blinded from her viciousness. All you see is how good she is. She won''t even let her own sister go.


    How much more vile can one be? My grandsons will not be raised by her, for she will ruin them."

 Chapter 181 Make Sure She Doesnt Regret

    Chapter 181 Make Sure She Doesn''t Regret


    "Irene is vicious? Mom, if she was, she wouldn''t have tolerated so much bullying from you. If she was


    so cruel, would she have moved out with nothing to her name? Would she have endured a mistress


    and an illegitimate daughter taking her ce? Mom, use your brain. The truth is right in front of you, so


    why can''t you tell who''s the evil person here?"


    "How dare you speak to me that way?" Margaret was so angry that she grabbed the teacup in front of


    her and threw it on the ground.


    Edric looked at her coldly, "I''m not scolding you. I just want you to face the truth. Since you''re so free


    nowadays, you''d better take the time to think about it. Perhaps the person you think is evil is actually a


    good person, and vice versa."


    "I have my own eyes, and I can tell for myself. I don''t need your advice!" Margaret shouted at her son.


    "I had hoped for that, but let me remind you. Don''t hold too much hope for the children in Lily''s


    stomach, I don''t want you to end up even more disappointed!" Edric reminded her.


    "What do you mean? Do you n to get rid of the babies in Lily''s belly?" Margaret straightened her


    neck and shouted, "You unfilial son! If you dare touch the babies in Lily''s belly, I''ll kill you!"


    Edric frowned, "I won''t touch them. If she wants to give birth, that''s up to her, just make sure that she


    doesn''t regret doing so."


    Seeing Edric admit he wouldn''t touch Lily''s babies, Margaret was so happy that she had no time to


    care about her son''s unreasonable behavior just now.


    Although Irene had said that there was no need to hire bodyguards, Kinsey and Jordan were still


    worried about her safety. They both hated Lily. The only reason Lily could act this way was because


    Lily was pregnant with Edric''s children. Plus, she was good at putting on an act in front of Margaret, so


    Margaret always supported her without any hesitation. Jordan would love to see how brazen she could


    be without Margaret''s support. He frowned as a n began to form in his head.


    He had to find a way to let Margaret see that Lily wasn''t as obedient and kind as she seemed. As long


    as Margaret disliked Lily, Lily would never dare to act so boldly.


    Since Lily was still in the hospital recuperating, Jordan bribed the nurse and asked her to purposely


    provoke Lily to make her angry.


    Lily was always kind and considerate in front of Margaret, but she did not need to pretend in the


    hospital. Since she was already in a bad mood, she would naturally vent her anger out.


    So, Lily had scolded the nurse harshly in the ward. The video of her cursing was sent to Margaret, who


    stared at Lily in the video for a long time before returning to her senses.


    Was this the same Lily who was always so gentle and obedient in front of her? Margaret herself was no


    push over. When it came to making a scene, she was very experienced herself. However, she was not


    one to spout foulnguage. Lily, on the other hand, was apletely different story.


    She had learned a lot of swear words from Cat Alley since she was a child. Although Deborah had sent


    her to a disciplinary school to change her attitude, that only changed her physical appearance. Inside,


    she was still the same timid Lily from Cat Alley.


    Her gentleness, kindness, and generosity were only aimed at the nobledies and daughters of the


    upper ss. She saw no need to be polite to the people who were below her.


    For Lily, the nurse was someone who had no power, yet she dared to provoke her. Lily was not


    courteous to her at all, and she showed her real personality. Ady and a shrew, one kind, one vicious.


    These two extremes of Lily''s personalities made Margaret dumbfounded.


    Margaret was not a fool. She suddenly realized that Lily might have been pretending this entire time,


    and that she actually was not the gentle and kind person she knew after all.


    Being aware of this, Margaret began to feel ufortable. However, Lily still had her two grandsons in


    her belly, so no matter how ufortable she was with her, she would wait until after Lily gave birth to


    think about it.


    Marie decided to go to find Thomas for Lily''s sake. Thomas was now living in Jordan''s vi, and she did


    not have Thomas'' phone number. It would not be easy for her to meet him. In the end, Marie decided to


    wait for a few days near Jordan''s vi. Finally, one day while he was on his way out to run errands,


    Marie blocked his way and said, "Thomas, I have something to tell you."


    "Didn''t you say that we have nothing to do with each other anymore?" As soon as he saw Marie,


    Thomas realized that what he had feared wasing true. Marie was not a trustworthy person at all.


    "We share the same blood after all, so we''re siblings. How could we not have anything to do with each


    other?" Marie said with a smile.


    Thomas looked at her disgustedly, "Why don''t you cut to the chase?"


    "It''s not convenient for us to talk here. Let''s find a ce to sit down and talk," Marie pointed to the tea


    room next to her and said, "Let''s talk there."


    Thomas knew that he could not avoid this, so he followed her into the tea room silently.


    "Thomas, what do you want to drink? Earl grey or english breakfast?"


    Thomas sneered, "Just tell me what you want, I still have errands to run."


    Marie took no notice of his annoyance. She ordered a cup of earl grey tea for him, "I wouldn''t be here if


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I had a choice. I''vee to you because of Irene. Can you take her away?"


    "Is Irene getting in your way?"


    "It''s not that she''s in my way. It''s because I''m worried about her safety," Marie pretended to be


    innocent. "You know what kind of person Deborah is. Now that Irene is blocking her daughter''s bright


    future, I''m worried that she''ll do something to Irene."


    "Why are you being so kind?" Thomas knew that Marie wasn''t being genuine, she had to have some


    kind of ulterior motive.


    "I''m really just trying to be nice. Anyway, Irene is my niece. I can''t bear to see her in danger. Thomas,


    just listen to me and take Irene and the child away."


    "You think I don''t want to? I had wanted to move abroad with Irene, and I''d even handled all the visas.


    However, there was an unexpected issue. If Margaret hadn''t sued Irene, Irene would not be restricted


    to leave the country now," Thomas sighed, "Now we have to wait for a year."


    Marie had not expected this. If she had known that there would be this much trouble, she would have


    stopped Margaret from suing Irene earlier. Now, it was toote. However, she was still unwilling to


    ept it, "Thomas, have you ever thought about bringing Irene somewhere else, just so she can hide


    from Deborah for a while?"


    "Are you that vicious that you can''t even wait a year?" Thomas red at Marie, "I know how you are.


    Talking about Deborah being after Irene, as if you don''t want her gone too? If not for you, would


    Margaret hate Irene so much? To tell you the truth, I want to take Irene away because I don''t want to


    be entangled with you. Don''t push my limits. If you piss me off, I will take everyone down with you!"


    Thomas had always been gentle and kind. He had never been so fierce. Marie was shocked and did


    not dare push his buttons any further.


    After leaving Thomas, Marie went home. On the way back, she received a phone call from Deborah, "I


    have some good news. Edric doesn''t intend to do anything to Lily''s babies."


    "Really?" Marie was very happy to hear that, but she still could not believe it, "Are you sure you aren''t


    mistaken?"


    "I''m not. Margaret was the one who called me. Tell Lily to not worry and take good care of herself,"


    Deborah couldn''t hide her joy. "Maybe Edric has finally thought it through. After all, Lily is pregnant with


    twins. Many people dream of having twins."


    Marie could not figure out why Edric would suddenly change his mind. However, it was a good thing


    that he did so. Lily did not have to be so afraid anymore, although Irene still remained an issue.


    Kinsey had nothing to do at the TV station today so she went home earlier than usual. Not far from the


    vi, she suddenly saw Thomas walking in front, followed by Marie. The two of them entered the tea


    room, one after another. Kinsey was shocked. Why were the two of them meeting up for?


    Kinsey wasn''t the type to be able to keep quiet. As soon as she returned home, she told Irene about


    what she saw. Irene did not believe her and said that she must be mistaken. Kinsey was adamant that


    she was right so she brought Irene to the tea room to wait for them. After a while, they saw Marie and


    Thomasing out.


    Irene had no choice but to believe what Kinsey had said. Why were Marie and Thomas meeting up?


    Deborah didn''t dare touch Irene for beating Lily up, but she did not feel the same way towards Kinsey.


    Kinsey had beaten up her daughter so badly, so no matter what, she had to return the favor.


    Deborah also knew that things were getting heated. If she did anything to Kinsey, it might bring about


    unnecessary trouble, so she had to find a suitable opportunity to carry out her n smoothly.


    Deborah took time out to visit the beauty salon. When Heather saw her, she immediately called Logan


    over. Logan was also very excited to see Deborah. He came up to hug her and kissed her, "Why


    haven''t youe to see me in such a long time? I miss you so much."


    Deborah pushed him away, "We need to talk."


    "What''s the matter?" Logan did not intend to let go of her as he held onto her hands.


    "Dumba*s, are you trying to die?" Deborah was angry and pushed Logan away, "Your daughter has


    been beaten half to death. How can you still be in the mood to have fun?"


    "Who dared to touch Lily?" Logan acted anxious on the surface, but he really was not taking the matter


    seriously. He knew in his heart that Lily wasn''t his daughter. However, since Deborah liked to act, he


    would y along.


    "Who else could it be? Steven''s biological daughter, Irene!" Deborah said unhappily. She told Logan


    what had happened to Lily.


    Logan frowned and said, "This isn''t as simple as it seems. You''d better just let it go for now."


    "Why isn''t it simple? You know so many people. Isn''t it a piece of cake for you to do something like


    this?"


    "That''s easy for you to say. It''s not the right time to take action. If they find out about us, what are you


    going to do?" Logan shook his head.


    "I know that. Isn''t that why I''m here, discussing with you?" Deborah poked Logan''s head with her hand,


    "Do you think I would hurt you? Don''t worry, I''ve thought of a way. You just need to implement it."


    "So tell me," Logan said with a look of disbelief.


    "I heard that Kinsey has a bad temper, and she''s loyal. She likes to stand up and fight for justice. You


    get someone to act out a scene in front of her, she''ll take charge for sure. Then, take the opportunity to


    teach her a lesson. She made our Lily so bruised and swollen, so make sure her face is ruined. Later


    on, if anyone investigates, just let them rule it as an ident. At most, we''ll pay for some damages,"


    Deborah exined her n.


    Logan nodded repeatedly, "Your n is very thorough. I will get someone to do it."


    After Deborah left, Heather came in, "Logan, what did shee to see you for?"


    Logan told Heather what Deborah wanted to do. Heather frowned and shook her head repeatedly,


    "Logan, you better not do it. That woman is not a good person. Every time shees to you, she takes


    advantage of you. Lily doesn''t even look like you. Every time she says that she is your daughter, she


    just wants to make use of your affection for her. We have been living a peaceful life these couple of


    years, I don''t want anything to happen now."


    "I know, but this time she has a good n. No one would be able to see through it," Logan tried to


    persuade her.


    "As they say, if you don''t want people to know your sins, then don''tmit them in the first ce. You


    shouldn''t get yourself involved. No matter how good the n is, one day the truth will stille out. I''m


    worried. My sixth sense is telling me this isn''t right. I keep feeling like something will go wrong,"


    Heather was not at ease at all.


    "Logan, Deborah is nning to take advantage of you for the rest of her life. She''s never going to stop


    asking you to do things for her. Like I said before, let''s just leave. We should stay away from her and


    make sure she can never find us anymore."


    "Heather, it''s not that I don''t want to leave. It''s that I can''t leave. She has something on me," Logan


    sighed. This was the first time he was revealing this to Heather, "If I leave, knowing how vicious


    Deborah is, she''ll definitely expose me, then I''ll be doomed."


    "What does she have over you?" Heather was starting to panic. All she knew was that Deborah had


    been using Logan, she had not known Deborah had something over him. Since it could be used as


    ckmail, it surely was not something small. What could they do?


    "Heather, don''t ask," Logan refused to say.


    "Logan, don''t keep it in your heart. If you tell me, we can think of a solution together."


    "There''s no other way. It''s a matter of life and death, and I had no choice back then, s..."


    Heather was stunned by Logan''s words. What could they do at that time? Was Logan destined to be


    controlled by Deborah forever?

 Chapter 182 Fight For Justice

    Chapter 182 Fight For Justice


    Kinsey went to a nearby restaurant for lunch at noon. After ordering, she took a sip of water. Suddenly,


    a discordant voice could be heard next to her, "How could you do this to me? I gave birth to you and


    even came out to work to support our family. Yet, you took my money to spend on your mistress. How


    can you be so shameless?"


    Kinsey looked over and saw a woman in overalls angrily pointing at a couple who was eating. The


    woman''s face was full of anger and despair.


    The woman next to the man was dressed fabulously, and she did not appear to be scared after being


    caught. Instead, she sneered at the wife, "Look at yourself, your skin is sallow, and your eyes are dull.


    It''s no wonder no man likes you."


    "You''re going too far!" The woman in overalls was so angry that she was trembling. She grabbed a


    te on the table and dumped it over the fashionably dresseddy''s head.


    The woman screamed, her face covered in sauce and oil. She was so angry that she got up and


    grabbed the woman in overalls to fight her. Naturally, the mistress was no match for the wife. She


    shouted at the man, "What are you standing there for? Aren''t you going to help me?"


    The man stood up, raised his hand and pped the woman in overalls. The woman in overalls had


    originally gained the upper hand, but was stunned by her husband''s actions, "You dare hit me? I''ll fight


    you to death!"


    When she came to her senses, she reached out to grab the man''s face. In return, he grabbed her hair


    and pped her a few more times. How could a woman be a match for a man? She was soon beaten


    to the ground. The mistress beside saw that the wife had been beaten and had no more strength to


    fight back. She arrogantly went up and pulled her hair upwards to p her in the face, scolding her at


    the same time. Kinsey was so angry watching the scene unfold and she rushed over.


    "What are you doing? Let go!" She reached out to pull the fashionably dresseddy off.


    Of course thatdy would not listen to her advice. She opened her mouth and scolded, "B*tch, don''t


    meddle in other people''s business. Believe it or not, I''ll p you to death!"


    Kinsey''s eyes widened, "It''s the 21st century and yet you dare to be so brazen as a mistress? What is


    going on with the world?" As she spoke, she pped her hard. Thedy hadn''t expected to actually be


    hit. She squealed loudly like a pig, "Honey, what are you still standing there for? This b*tch hit me, kill


    her!"


    The man grabbed Kinsey''s cor and raised his fist right in front of Kinsey''s face. Right before his fist


    Kinsey could understand what was going on, the man''s broad body fell down beside her.


    Kinsey looked at the man who could not get up from the ground and screamed in surprise. Then, she


    saw Jordan and David who had suddenly appeared in front of her. It took her a long time to react, "Y-


    you two, w-why are you guys here?"


    "Have you been scared silly?" Jordanughed yfully. "Even if you want to fight for justice, you have


    to know your strength. If I didn''t happen to be here today, you would have been in big trouble."


    Kinsey didn''t care about what he was saying, she just stared at the man lying on the ground who was


    screaming miserably. Her eyes were full of horror, "W-where did you hurt him? Why did he scream so


    loudly?"


    "I just kicked him in the waist," Jordan answered indifferently.


    "Did you break his waist?" Kinsey''s eyes widened.


    "This kind of man with no conscience should be punished. He doesn''t have a spine anyway. How he


    got two women to date him, I will never know," Jordan sneered.


    "Aren''t you worried?" Kinsey had just stepped forward to help because she was angry. Now, seeing the


    man screaming on the ground, she realized that things had be moreplicated. Would Jordan


    go to jail? If that happened, then her actions would have been for the worse than the better.


    "What should I be worried about?" Jordan asked.


    "The police will look for you, won''t they?"


    "Don''t worry, someone will settle this small matter. Let''s go to another restaurant to eat," Seeing that


    Kinsey was not moving, Jordan reached his hand out to pull her, "Let''s go."


    Kinsey was dragged by Jordan as she stumbled out of the restaurant. When she got into Jordan''s car,


    she was still a little shocked, "Jordan, will you really not get into trouble?"


    "No, I won''t," Jordan replied.


    "But I''m worried. Assault can be punished by imprisonment."


    "Don''t worry, nothing will happen," Jordan started the car, "You on the other hand, don''t be so rash next


    time. If I wasn''t here today, you would have been in trouble. What if you ruin your face and no one


    wants to marry you, then what will you do?"


    Kinsey smiled bitterly, "With my temper, I won''t be able to marry anyone anyway. It''s not a big deal for


    me to ruin my face."


    "Why are you so pessimistic? I think you''re pretty cool," Jordanforted her.


    "Do you really think so?"


    "Of course, you''re beautiful, talented, and independent. The most important thing is that many women


    nowadays like to put on an act, but you don''t. Plus you''ve got a nice personality going¡­," Jordan


    paused halfway. He had never praised a woman like this before. Why was he able to praise her so


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    naturally? It didn''t feel awkward at all. He subconsciously looked at the rearview mirror and saw that


    Kinsey''s face was a little red.


    For some reason, he suddenly said, "You look cute when you blush."


    After saying this, he realized that he sounded a little flirty, so he immediately exined, "I don''t have


    any other intentions. Don''t take it the wrong way, okay?"


    Kinsey was initially a little shy because of Jordan''s praise. However, after hearing Jordan''s exnation,


    her mood immediately fell.


    After eating with Kinsey, Jordan left. On the way back, he received a phone call from David, "It''s all


    settled. He agreed to settle after I gave him some money. I''ve sent him to the hospital for treatment. I


    went back to the hospital againter and guess what I saw?"


    "Don''t tease me! What did you find?"


    "The mistress and the wife were acting like close friends. Something weird is going on!"


    "Indeed. Send someone to keep an eye on them," Jordan ordered. David responded, "There''s one


    more thing I want to tell you. Recently, there have been some negative rumors surfacing about Lily and


    Deborah amongst the upper ss."


    "What rumors?" Jordan asked curiously.


    "That Deborah used to be a mistress, and Lily is a vicious, scheming woman. I suspect that someone


    has deliberately released such a rumor at this time..."


    "Even a fool knows that someone released this on purpose," Jordan interrupted him.


    "No, I haven''t finished my words yet. I suspect that this news was released by Edric."


    "Really? Looks like things are getting exciting!" Jordanughed, "Since Edric has found his way back, I


    will help him. You should take action as soon as possible too. Director Lewis'' wife isn''t on good terms


    with Deborah right? Let her go to Margaret and tell her about Deborah and Lily''s scandal."


    "I''ve already sent someone to handle this matter. If I''m right, Amanda will tell Margaret about it soon."


    "Well done. Margaret likes Lily right? I want to make sure that she''s disgusted with her!" Jordan


    Edric went to see Eden again. Eden''s attitude towards him had not changed much, and he was still


    pretty distant. Edric was so depressed that he went home, dejected after visiting him.


    He pushed the door open and saw that his mother was also sitting unhappily on the sofa. He did not


    have the energy to pay attention to his mother and went straight upstairs. Margaret''s mood got worse


    when she saw her son''s looking so downcast.


    Today, the wife of Director Lewis, hade to see her. They were quite close so she was quite excited


    at first. However, when they started to talk about Deborah and Lily, everything went south from there.


    Amanda had heard a rumour and found out that Deborah had given birth to Lily before getting married,


    "Did Edric and Lily break off the engagement because Deborah was a mistress?"


    Margaret had always thought she was the only one who knew about Deborah''s past as a mistress. She


    didn''t expect Amanda to know as well.


    Amanda was famous for her big mouth. If she knew, that meant other nobledies in the circle would


    definitely know as well. Upon hearing Amanda''s words, Margaret''s mood immediately fell. Of course,


    she would not admit to it. So she asked, "What do you mean?"


    "You don''t need to hide it anymore, everyone knows now."


    "Everyone knows? Who told you that?" Margaret was surprised. Due to her leg, she had not really


    been able to go outtely. After hearing Amanda''s words, her heart grew confused. Has everyone


    found out about it?


    "My daughter came back and told me," Amanda replied, "Their entire friend group knows about this.


    Now, Lily doesn''t even dare toe out anymore because of this."


    Margaret knew that the real reason why Lily had not been out was because she was pregnant.


    However, who had spread the news that Deborah was a mistress? "Who spread this news?" she


    asked.


    "I don''t know, but you must know better than me. I thought we were good friends. How could you keep


    this secret from me?"


    Amanda and Deborah bore grudges towards each other and took pleasure in each other''s misfortunes,


    "I always knew something was fishy about Deborah, the way she acted as Steven''s wife. Fortunately,


    Edric has broken off the engagement with her daughter. Otherwise, I''m sure you''d be upset, having to


    face a mistress'' daughter everyday."


    Margaret smiled bitterly. That wasn''t the reason Edric had broken off his engagement with Lily. Since


    the news had already spread, it was not wise to let Lily marry into their family. Margaret felt a headache


    word?


    Amanda was unaware of Margaret''s distress and continued to tell her what she heard, "By the way, do


    you know what Deborah did before she married Mr. Cook?"


    "I don''t."


    "She used to live in Cat Alley. It''s the messiest, poorest ce in San Fetillo," said Amanda.


    "It''s said that she was nicknamed ''Sugar'' back then. Iughed so hard when I heard it. It sounds like a


    prostitute''s name," Amanda thought it was hrious.


    Margaret, of course, knew about Cat Alley. She had never dreamt that the wife of a politician would


    However, one could not judge a person based on their background. Although Deborah didn''te


    from a good background, she was capable of bing the wife of a politician, disregarding her role as


    a mistress of course. Looking at Amanda''s gloating look, she felt a little ufortable, so she said,


    "Deborah is a sweet person, so that''s probably why she was called that."


    However, Amanda was dismissive, "What''s so great about being sweet? There are thousands of sweet


    women out there. If all of them became mistresses like her, the world would be in chaos."


    "Maybe she had her own troubles," It was the first time Margaret was speaking up for a mistress, and


    her face felt hot.


    "Troubles? What kind of troubles would require you to break up someone else''s family? Margaret, why


    are you acting so strangely today? I thought you hated mistresses? Why are you standing up for her?"


    Amanda was very dissatisfied with how Margaret was defending Deborah.


    "I am not defending her. I just think it must not have been easy for her," Margaret rified immediately.


    "I''m telling you, this woman is no ordinary mistress. Others might have their reasons for bing a


    mistress, but Deborah is more vile than all of them. I heard that she used to be best friends with


    Steven''s wife. She stole her best friend''s husband away. Clearly she''s of bad character. More


    importantly, I heard she still has a lot of connections in Cat Alley. How much dirtier can a person be?"

 Chapter 183 Upset

    Chapter 183 Upset


    "Are you serious?" Margaret''s face suddenly changed. Her own father had previously been seduced by


    her mother''s best friend, hence her strong hatred for mistresses. Although she knew Deborah had


    been a mistress, for the sake of dealing with Irene, Margaret had kept one eye closed to the matter.


    Now that this matter had been exposed by her friends, she could not y dumb anymore even if she


    wanted to.


    "Yes I''m serious. Apparently Mr. Cook''s ex-wife used to be very good to her, she even asked him to pay


    her a visit while he was on a business trip. Unexpectedly, that shameless creature seduced her best


    friend''s husband and gave birth to a daughter. Anyone would break down if this happened to them,


    after that, Mr. Cook''s ex-wife died in a car ident. From this, Deborah rose up to the official title of his


    wife and she even forced her stepdaughter out of the house. After that, Mr. Cook got transferred, so no


    one found out about this. Everyone just assumed that she had been his wife all along. Who knew that


    he actually had a wife before her?"


    Margaret was really upset. Hadn''t Irene going through the exact same fate as she did back then?


    She was in the same position a long time ago. Her father''s mistress had forced her to leave her life as


    a rich heiress behind and instead live outside alone. Luckily she had a good husband, and she didn''t


    have a mother-inw to bully her.


    She led a very sweet life after marrying Edric''s father. If her husband had not fallen ill and passed


    away, her life would have been perfect.


    However, Irene was different. She was so pitiful. Irene had fallen in love with her son, but she had


    broken them up. Even worse, she was going to let Deborah''s daughter marry into the family. No


    wonder Irene was not on good terms with her.


    Margaret was not born wicked. Once she had this realization, she started feeling a sense of guilt.


    Amanda changed the subject and started talking about Lily, "Not only is Deborah disgusting, but so is


    her daughter, Lily. I''m telling you, she is not as simple and kind as she looks. She is even more vicious


    than her mother. Her friends could tell she was fake so they stopped hanging out with her. She had no


    friends so she had no choice but to befriend a girl called Freya who didn''te from a good


    background. She says they are friends but Freya is really just apdog that helps her do things. Do you


    still remember previously when you and Edric were targeted and criticised?"


    How could Margaret not remember? That was Irene''s doing, wasn''t it? What did Lily have to do with it?


    Amanda continued, "At that time, Edric was still with his ex-wife right? Lily was feeling resentful, so she


    got the paparazzi to follow Edric and purposely told them to make up stories about him. She even


    asked Freya to hire someone to stir up trouble at Edric''s ex-wife''spany, and to scold her for being


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    a mistress. After the matter was investigated, Lily pushed the me onto Freya and let her be the


    scapegoat."


    "Really?" Margaret had no idea that Lily was capable of something like this, and she was inplete


    disbelief.


    "Really! I''ll tell you all of this in detail. I heard that she was the one who had brought up the matters


    regarding Edric''s ex-wife. Her purpose was to make you hate Edric''s ex-wife. Luckily in the end, Edric


    was smart and he did that interview on TV to suppress the issue..."


    "Who on earth told you these things?" Margaret couldn''t bear to listen any longer and interrupted her.


    "Freya. In order to please her, Freya has done so many things for her, but guess what? She didn''t show


    any mercy at all. She promised to give Freya a sum of money and a good job after she took the me


    for her. Unexpectedly, both those promises have yet to be fulfilled. Freya was so angry that she


    exposed the truth."


    "There''s no credibility to her words. Maybe it''s revenge."


    "As the saying goes, there can be no smoke without fire. There must be some truth to it," Amanda


    could tell that Margaret did not believe her so she said, "Lily is not as gentle as you think. She is simply


    a shrew. I saw her swearing at a nurse in the hospital that day, that look she had on her face? Tut tut..."


    Margaret had seen the video she mentioned, and her heart sank. Indeed, there would be no smoke


    without fire. Lily wasn''t as simple as she seemed.


    Thinking of how she used to think so highly of her and trusted her so much, Margaret felt unsettled.


    After Amanda left, Margaret still could not get over the ufortable feeling in her heart. Why had she


    been so stubborn at the beginning? Thinking about her past with Irene, Margaret felt that she had gone


    too far.


    Last time, when Lily plotted against Irene and failed, she had forced Freya to take the me. Freya


    had swallowed her pride and became her scapegoat.


    Of course, since Freya had sacrificed herself to be Lily''s scapegoat, she had to expect something in


    return.


    However, she had not thought things through thoroughly. She thought that she would just be detained


    for a couple days. However, Jordan and Edric refused to let her go. In the end, Freya was sentenced to


    three years of prison for charges of nder.


    The highest punishment for nder was three years. Jordan and Edric both knew that the real culprit


    was not Freya, but they wanted to send a warning to Lily. Hence, they did not go easy on Freya at all


    and they insisted on her receiving the maximum punishment.


    The sentence of imprisonment she received waspletely beyond Freya''s expectations. Lily had


    asked someone to pass on a message to her, telling her to not be afraid. She had promised to help and


    get her out before the three years ended. She told her to wait until things had blown over.


    At that point, Freya had no choice but to sumb to them. Deborah did not break her promise, and in


    order to keep her mouth shut, she sent her a sum of money. She also helped to arrange jobs for


    Freya''s family and even took care of her boyfriend for a while.


    Naturally, Deborah had kept the matter quiet. Freya had finally been settled, after half a year, no one


    was paying attention to her anymore. Deborah got someone to reduce her sentence and Freya was


    released in half a year.


    Since she had been to jail, Freya had trouble finding a job. Deborah asked someone to find a job for


    her. The job was very easygoing and the sry was good. The only condition was that she could never


    appear in front of Lily again so that it would not affect her.


    Freya had endured through so much just because of the potential benefits. She had been with Lily for


    so many years, and she had suffered too many losses. Now that she was away from Lily, she could


    finally be free, so she agreed without hesitation.


    She thought she could live afortable life, but reality was often different from fantasy. After she was


    released from prison, her life waspletely different from what she had imagined. She did not know


    who had leaked the information that she had been in jail. People in the department began whispering to


    each other when they saw her, and talked about her behind her back.


    Having stayed by Lily''s side for a long time, Freya had picked up the habit of being bossy. Right then


    was the time for her to be humble and follow others. However, she was not sensible and still regarded


    herself as someone powerful because she knew Lily.


    When she saw someone talking about her, she would talk back about them. In time, she had managed


    to offend everyone in the office. No one in the office liked her and they all began to alienate her. Even


    her supervisors went out of their way to avoid her.


    Her job was not going well, and she also began having rtionship problems. Her boyfriend had been


    seeing another woman behind her back. Freya was having problems in her life, both personally and


    professionally.


    Freya began to miss the days when she was Lily''sckey. At that time, because of her good


    rtionship with Lily, everyone looked upon her highly. After some consideration, she decided to go


    back to Lily, in hopes that things could go back to the way they used to be.


    However, Lily refused to acknowledge her and asked her to stay away. Lily told her that she had given


    her what she owed, and that she should know her ce.


    Only then did Freya realize that she hadn''t been tossed aside temporarily, for it was permanent.


    When she thought of how she had followed Lily and worked for her over the years, and yet Lily had


    treated her like so, hatred began to form in her heart. She thought to herself that if a chance appeared,


    she would take it to take revenge on Lily.


    Just as Freya had this thought, a pretty girl named Thea Luther hade looking for her. She gave


    Freya a sum of money to spread word of Lily''s ugly scandal.


    Freya was a little worried that Lily would take revenge on her, but she had agreed for the sake of


    money. Thea, who was young and beautiful, was also a socialite. Her car was of limited edition, and


    her clothing was luxurious from top to bottom.


    The most important thing was that Thea was modest and polite to her, unlike Lily who was only polite in


    front of others. When there was no one around, Lily did not treat Freya like a human at all.


    Thea was generous, unlike Lily who was stingy. When she brought her along for parties, she would


    bring her to get her hair done at high-end salons. She also bought new clothes for her. When Lily


    brought her to parties, she never brought her to any salons, and all the clothes she wore were clothes


    that Lily did not want.


    Comparing the two of them, Freya was way more impressed with Thea. If Freya followed Thea, she


    would definitely be much better off.


    However, Freya was a little confused about Thea''s identity. She had been with Lily for a long time, so


    how could she have never heard of Thea from San Fetillo?


    However, her doubts were quickly dispelled. When Thea took her to a party, she heard the people


    around her discussing and finally found out about her identity.


    It turned out that Thea had juste back from abroad and her family owned arge business. Freya


    also heard that Thea liked Edric. She immediately knew why Freya hade looking for her, for Thea


    regarded Lily as her love rival.


    Freya naturally took the initiative to show off in order to win Thea''s favor, so she told Thea all about Lily,


    her hypocrisy, her viciousness, how sinister she was. Basically, Freya told her everything that she


    knew.


    Of course, Freya did not know that Thea was not a rich youngdy, but actually a secretary from one of


    Edric''s overseaspanies. Edric had asked her to approach Freya to find out what Lily was really


    like.


    Thea recorded everything Freya said with a recording pen and gave it to Edric. After listening to


    Freya''s words, Edric felt extremely disgusted with Lily.


    Wasn''t Lily a master of disguise? He would tear off her mask and expose her ugly face for everyone to


    see.


    He had ordered Thea to take Freya to party with all the other nobledies and let Freya tell them all


    about Lily''s ugly past.


    Freya used to be one of Lily''s close friends, so what she said was credible. After hearing her speak, all


    thedies started to detest Lily to the extreme.


    Due to Lily, Deborah had also been isted. In the past, because Deborah was a politician''s wife,


    many people were always kissing up to her. After this scandal broke out, those people who used to


    tter her began to alienate her.


    Nowadays, being a mistress was nothing good. Due to their positions, nobledies would more or less


    have some encounter with mistresses. Hence, it was easy to imagine how much they hated mistresses.


    Deborah had no idea about any of this at all. She attended a party with Steven and realized that


    everyone was looking at her weirdly. She found it strange, and wondered why they were looking at her


    like that.


    She felt like something was off, but she still walked over with a smile and was ready to say hello to the


    people she knew. Then, the strangest thing happened. The people who usually rushed up to greet her


    were acting as if they had not seen her. Instead, they continued chatting away merrily by themselves...

 Chapter 184 Had She Been Set Up All Along?

    Chapter 184 Had She Been Set Up All Along?


    Deborah felt ufortable, so she only greeted the wife of Director Zachary, Diana, who she had a


    good rtionship with. Diane reluctantly said a few words to her and then made an excuse to leave.


    Usually when Diane saw her, she would be talking with her non-stop. What was going on? Deborah


    realized that something had gone awry, and so did Steven. On the way back, he asked her, "Aren''t you


    quite close to Mrs. Zachary? Why is she ignoring you? "


    Deborah didn''t know, "I don''t know why either. Maybe she''s going through menopause."


    Steven just snorted, "What menopause? You must have offended her. Didn''t I tell you that you should


    pay as much attention as possible when you''re dealing with these people? Director Zachary will be


    promoted soon. We can''t afford to offend him."


    Deborah felt upset after being nagged by Steven, but she did not dare to refute him. She returned


    home in a fit of anger, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn''t figure out the reason


    everyone had ignored her.


    Over the next few days, the more Margaret thought about her situation at home, the more unsettled


    she felt. In the past few years, had she been living in a bed of lies? To be honest, she did not have a


    good impression of Lily in the beginning. It was her good friend, Marie who had repeatedly praised Lily


    and said that she was beautiful and gentle. As a result, she began to like Lily.


    Although she liked Lily, she had not nned on matchmaking her with her son, not until Edric met


    Irene.


    The ideal daughter-inw in Margaret''s eyes not only needed to be beautiful, but she had toe from


    a good background as well. Irene did note from a good background, so she instinctively disliked


    her. However, her son did not listen to her and treated Irene like she was his entire world.


    She had been unhappy so she had gone to talk to Marie. Naturally, Marie had agreed with her and told


    her that Irene wasn''t even worthy of being Lily''s maid. She told Margaret that rather than marrying


    someone with no background or identity, Edric would be better off marrying a politician''s daughter. That


    would be better for his career too.


    Margaret thought about it and agreed. She could tell that Lily''s feelings for her son were sincere. So, in


    order to make Irene back down, Margaret chose to stick closely to Lily.


    As they got close to each other, she started to feel that Lily really was a good person. Lily knew her


    preferences well and everything she said made her happy. With such an understanding daughter-inw


    by her side, her life would definitely be well.


    After Edric and Irene got married, she still felt ufortable in her heart, and still could not bring


    herself to like Irene. No matter how nicely Irene treated her, she felt the same. Meanwhile, Lily clearly


    knew that Edric was married but she still came to see her every now and then. She imed she was


    visiting to keep herpany and make her happy.


    She used to believe Lily firmly, but now, after hearing all this bad news about Lily, she suddenly felt like


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    she had been cheated. Had Lily been ying tricks on her all these years?


    Lily must have been trying to gain something from this. Thinking about how Deborah had shamelessly


    seduced her best friend''s husband to gain such a position, Margaret began to suspect that Lily had


    been nning something from the start just like her mother.


    This idea made Margaret very ufortable. When she thought about how brazen Lily had been


    about wanting to get pregnant with Edric''s child, Margaret became more and more suspicious, and


    thought, "Had it been a plot all along?"


    Being set up by someone was no simple matter. Margaret felt extremely unsettled, so she called Marie


    to discuss about it. When they met, she asked, "Marie, have you heard of any gossip about Lily


    recently?"


    It was an odd question to ask, and Marie could tell something was wrong. However, she couldn''t read


    Margaret''s thoughts, so she asked with a smile, "Why would you ask this all of a sudden? What


    happened?"


    "Recently, I''ve heard some negativements about her. So I wanted to ask you about them,"


    Margaret told Marie about what Amanda said about Lily, "I don''t feel good about it. My leg has been


    bad, so I haven''t been out. I don''t know what''s going on outside, so I called you here to ask you."


    "I didn''t hear anything of the sort," Marie was surprised when she heard that. She tried to persuade her,


    "Isn''t Amanda rivals with Deborah? Maybe she deliberately ndered Lily because she hates Deborah.


    I don''t think her words are trustworthy."


    "Amanda and Deborah have been rivals for a long time. If she was doing this out of resentment, why


    didn''t she nder Lily earlier on? Why did she have to wait until now to talk about this?" Margaret had


    no clue of course that the woman in front of her whom she regarded as a friend had actually yed a


    role in the matter. She also thought that Marie had been deceived by Lily like herself, so she showed


    the video to Marie, "Before Amanda told me all of this, I had also received this. Take a look."


    Marie was shocked to see the video. Who on earth wanted to mess with Lily? She was surprised, but


    she didn''t show it on her face. She just tried her best to persuade Margaret to dispel her doubts.


    "Wasn''t Lily in a bad mood because of Irene? The doctor said that she seemed to have been


    traumatised. Deborah also said that Lily has not been her usual selftely. She seemed to be a little


    manic and often lost her temper. When she was questioned after returning to normal, her answers were


    a little delusional. It was probably because she doesn''t have control over her hallucinations."


    "Hallucinations and panic? Aren''t those symptoms of mental illness?" Margaret was anxious, "Is Lily


    mentally ill? If that''s the case, will her children be abnormal as well?"


    "She is not mentally ill," Marieforted, "She only reacts like so when she is triggered. Think about it,


    she has been spoiled since she was a child. Her parents have treated her like a princess. How could


    she ept the reality of being beaten by Irene? She will be fine after a while."


    Speaking of Lily, Margaret thought of Irene. If it weren''t for Deborah''s shameless interference, Irene


    would be the apple of Steven''s eyes. If Irene truly was Steven''s only daughter, she herself would not


    object to Irene dating Edric, and none of this would have happened.


    Thinking of this, she snorted, "What princess? The thought of it angers me. Before this, I only knew that


    Deborah was a mistress, but I didn''t know that what she had done was even more disgusting than


    that."


    "What do you mean?" Marie had a bad feeling. What did Amanda say to Margaret?


    "Let me tell you, Deborah is not only a mistress, she''s a thousand times worse. She snatched her best


    friend''s husband away. If I had known that Deborah was such a disgusting person, I would never have


    let Lily have anything to do with Edric," Margaret was angry.


    "You can''t judge a book by its cover. People can change. What''s more, Lily is Lily, and Deborah is


    Deborah. They are different people," Marie was starting to get a little anxious, but she had to try her


    best to persuade her with a smile.


    "It''s not like that. I used to have no impression of Lily until I heard you say that she''s a good person, so


    I also started to think she was good. Now thinking about it carefully, it''s so odd. She knew that Edric


    was married, yet she came everyday to please me. Do you think she wants to be a mistress like her


    shameless mother?"


    "No! You''re thinking too much."


    "I also hope that I''m overthinking, but now I can''t help but think that way," Margaret had been keeping


    all of this in her heart for so long. She naturally regarded Marie as her best friend, so she told her all


    her worries, "At that time, she clearly knew that Irene was her sister, but she pretended to not know her


    when she came to my house and deliberately found a chance to get close to Edric. It''s clear that her


    motives aren''t as simple as they seem."


    "Was she not doing all that for Irene''s good? You''re really thinking too much. Think about it. With


    Steven''s status, Lily has no need to be a mistress. Many rich families are dying to marry her into


    the family."


    "What you said makes sense, but I still feel that something is off. I invited you out here today not just to


    tell you all this, I was also hoping you''d help me take note of this and see if these rumors were true."


    After Marie left the Myers family''s home, she immediately called Deborah and told her everything


    Margaret had said. Deborah was very surprised to hear all of this, "Didn''t we do all of those things in


    secret? How did word get out?"


    "I don''t know. Think about it carefully, where did we go wrong? We have to find a way to remedy it.


    Margaret has begun to suspect, but her legs are in bad shape so she can''t go out to confirm the


    suspicions personally. Once her legs have recovered, we''re doomed."


    "I got it," After hanging up on the call, Deborah''s face suddenly darkened. Lily, who was beside her,


    saw that her mother''s expression was not looking too good so she asked, "Mom, what happened?"


    "Margaret heard some rumours about us from Amanda. She asked Marie to verify them," Deborah


    briefly told her the whole story.


    Lily didn''t know that she had be the object of everyone''s criticisms. She was pregnant now and


    did not have the energy to go to those parties. Every day, she just stayed at home and dreamed about


    her life with her twins.


    Hearing her mother''s words, she was dumbfounded, "What should I do? If even Margaret hates me,


    how do I stand a chance anymore?"


    "You''re pregnant, aren''t you?" Deborahforted her, "Right now we have to focus on finding out who


    had hurt us behind our backs."


    Deborah frowned, "Back then, only a few of us had teamed together to plot against Irene, and only a


    few people knew about you. Marie won''t tell anyone, so that leaves Freya. Could it be her?"


    Hearing her mother''s words, Lily also remembered that Freya had paid her a visit only to be rejected,


    "Mom, it must be that b*tch Freya. She came to mest time but I ignored her. She must be taking


    revenge because she harbors hatred towards me."


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this?" Deborah couldn''t help butin, "If you had told me earlier, we


    wouldn''t have reached this point."


    "At that time, I was afraid that her presence would upset Edric. I had cut her off after that incident with


    Irene. If I had rekindled the rtionship with her then, Edric would definitely have gotten suspicious. So


    I rejected her when she came to me."


    "You''re too soft. Like they say, if you don''t train your dog well, it''ll turn into a wolf. Even if you don''t want


    to have anything to do with her, you have to take control over her," Deborahined.


    "Mom, now is not the time to be ming me. Make that b*tch disappear as soon as possible, or she will


    stop at nothing to hurt me."


    "I know. Let me think about how to send this b*tch away."

 Chapter 185 An Apology

    Chapter 185 An Apology


    The only way that Deborah could think of in order to shut Freya up was to not let Freya go out. She had


    issues dealing with Kinsey, but managing Freya would not be too much of a hassle. She called Logan


    to settle the matter immediately.


    Logan called his men to break Freya''s legs. Edric knew instantly when Freya was admitted into the


    hospital. Although Freya did not have a good character, there was no need to hurt her to the brink of


    death. Naturally, Edric thought that it was Lily and her mother''s doing. It seemed that this mother-


    daughter duo was not alone and had gotten help from someone else. So, the n now was to identify


    who had helped them.


    Edric ordered John to investigate this matter carefully. His task was to find out who was the aplice


    working with Deborah and her daughter.


    Deborah grew up in the Cat Alley and was friends with the Cat Alley gangsters. It was rather likely that


    this gang was also from the Cat Alley.


    John began to scrutinize gangsters around the Cat Alley and investigated those that were particrly


    on good terms with Deborah. This discovery had an unexpected gain. He had stumbled upon Bert, who


    was the one who hadid his hands on Irene during the match-making television program.


    Bert hadmitted plenty of crimes previously, and he was wanted by the police. He had stayed


    hidden for a long time, like a stray dog without a peaceful home. Dunn, who had initially hired him to do


    some work, had already gone abroad. He had spent most of his money and had no choice but to hide


    in a dangerous ce. So, he sneaked back to Cat Alley and decided to hide for some time while finding


    a solution.


    However, his luck was really rotten to be discovered by John. Although Bert was dressed in a cassock


    with unkempt hair and a dirty face, John still recognized him. His efforts were not in vain, indeed. John


    was exhrated and immediately got his men to catch Bert.


    John quickly brought Bert to Edric. Without a doubt, Edric treated Bert coldly and instructed his men to


    teach him a lesson as he interrogated him about his actions on Irene.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Bert was just a pawn used to hurt Irene, but he did not know who was behind the instructions. After


    numerous beatings, he finally confessed that Dunn had yed a part.


    Since Dunn had migrated abroad, it wouldn''t be easy to search for him. Edric sent Bert to the police


    station for the police to file a case against Dunn.


    Although Bert did not know who the real mastermind behind the scenes was, Edric guessed that the


    person was Deborah. He despised Deborah and her daughter to the very core of his heart. He had to


    make them pay for what they had done.


    Margaret had asked Marie to verify whether the rumor about Lily, but of course Marie was not the right


    person for the job. After a few days, there were no updates from Marie, but Amanda hade to visit


    her.


    Amanda told her that she saw Edric being friendly with a girl named Thea Luther recently and asked


    her about that girl''s background.


    Margaret wasn''t aware of her son''s activities and thought, "Did my son decide to look for a new


    woman? That''s impossible."


    Not to mention that her son held deep affection for Irene, and Eden was also sick. How could her son


    have the heart to find another woman?


    Amanda also told Margaret that Thea and Lily''s former good friend, Freya was involved in a fight. She


    implied to Margaret that Thea was probably the person who had spread the rumors about Lily.


    Amanda also told Margaret the real reason behind her visit. Amanda confessed that her daughter had


    always held feelings for Edric, but Lily had always been in the way. Thus, her daughter never had the


    chance to meet Edric. Now that Lily''s rumors were going around, she had hoped that Margaret would


    consider matching Edric with her daughter.


    However, her daughter, who was hopeful at first, ended up feeling disappointed due to Thea''s sudden


    appearance beside Edric. Hence, she shared this issue with her mother and said that Lily''s former


    friend used to be best friends with Thea.


    Her daughter suspected that Thea deliberately bribed Freya to spread the rumors about Lily.


    Amanda was overjoyed to hear this. Margaret hated people who yed tricks and games. So, it would


    be beneficial for her to tell Margaret about this news to get rid of Thea.


    Margaret was infuriated upon hearing this. Her intuition told her that her son had purposely tarnished


    Lily''s name so that she would despise Lily and then he would use the opportunity to be with Irene.


    Therefore, that evening, Margaret went into the study room to question Edric regarding the matter.


    Edric did not n on telling Margaret about his ns at first. However, when Margaret confronted him,


    his anger rose. He threw the recording pen that held the recording of Freya''s confessions about Lily to


    Margaret.


    Edric sneered and exined that someone had taken their revenge on Freya by breaking her legs after


    telling the truth. He also told Margaret that before Deborah was married to Steven, she used to hang


    out with the gangsters in the Cat Alley. She wasn''t a good person at all.


    Margaret was shocked upon hearing the recording. She knew very well that the person talking was


    someone that had been waiting for a chance to take their revenge. If what Freya said was false, then


    Deborah and her daughter could have protected themselves via thew instead of engaging with


    gangsters.


    This meant that Freya must have been telling the truth. Both Deborah and her daughter were not only


    vicious but also ruthless. Margaret finally felt strong hatred towards Lily.


    One did not need a reason to love a person, and the same thing applied for hating a person. Margaret


    was disgusted with Lily and felt guilty towards Irene instead. She recalled how she had treated Irene in


    the past and regretted her actions. Hence, she decided to speak to Irene.


    Irene was taken aback to see Margaret knocking on her door. At first, she did not want to let Margaret


    in. However, upon seeing that she was in a wheelchair and that her leg was still injured, she had no


    choice but to let Margaret into Jordan''s vi.


    Eden was frightened at the sight of Margaret and quickly hid in Thomas''s embrace, "Uncle Thomas, the


    mean grandma is here. Hurry up and kick her out!"


    Seeing her grandson''s terrified face, Margaret felt sad. Irene beckoned Thomas to bring Eden to his


    room and poured Margaret a cup of tea, "Why are you here?"


    "Irene, I-I''m here to apologize today!" Margaret had been snobbish all her life. She had never been so


    humble to others. Her apology sounded like it was forced out.


    Irene was also dumbfounded by her apology. Why was she being so unusual today?


    Margaret was slightly flustered and held her cup up, "It was my fault, and I''ve misunderstood you in the


    past. Now, please allow me to apologize to you formally. I hope you can forgive me for what I''ve done."


    Irene failed to figure out why Margaret had decided to apologize out of a sudden. She hesitated for a


    while and concluded that Eden was probably her hidden motive. Her guard was raised and she asked,


    "Mrs. Myers, apart from apologizing, I suppose that you have something else to say."


    "Yes, besides apologizing to you, I do have something else in mind to tell you," It was grueling for


    Margaret to say those words.


    She had forced her son to divorce Irene at first. Back then, she would''ve never thought that she would


    ever need to push for Irene and Edric to remarry. She paused for a moment before saying, "I was


    wrong in the past for breaking you and Edric apart. This time, I came to apologize, and I hope that you


    will get back with Edric."


    Irene was shocked and thought, "How could Margaret push Edric and me to get back together? Did I


    mishear it, or is Margaret babbling nonsense?" She asked, "Mrs. Myers, are you okay?"


    Margaret was not as embarrassed as before after hearing that. She added, "I''m telling the truth. You''re


    pregnant, and the child should have a father. So does Eden. Edric has always kept you dearly in his


    heart, so I wish that the both of you will get back together. Don''t worry, I won''t bother both of you


    anymore. You guys should live your life your way."


    Irene could not understand why Margaret became kind all of a sudden. She replied ufortably,


    "Mrs. Myers, let''s talk this matter step-by-step."


    "We can''t talk it out step-by-step anymore. You''ve been pregnant for several months already, so it''s


    better if you get married to Edric as soon as possible. This would be good for the both you and the


    children."


    "Speaking about the children, I have a question to ask you, Mrs. Myers. Isn''t Lily pregnant with Edric''s


    child too? Why are you not taking into ount her child?" Irene asked. Margaret was taken aback by


    the sudden question, so Irene became wary.


    Margaret flustered and replied with hesitation, "I didn''t know how she was really like before, but I know


    my mistake now¡­ I will never let Lily step foot into the Myers family anymore."


    Listening to what Margaret''s words, Irene still could not guess what Margaret''s actual ns were. "Mrs.


    Myers, I understand your goodwill. Me remarrying with Edric will be up to fate, so rest assured that I will


    bring Eden to meet you guys when the child has recovered. Don''t worry about not being able to meet


    the child."


    Upon hearing Irene''s words, Margaret started to reflect on her actions and thought that she had truly


    been too narrow-minded. She apologized to Irene again, "I know what I didst time was wrong.


    Please forgive me and get back together with Edric. I''m begging you to!"


    Irene felt ufortable with Margaret using the word ''beg'' because at the end of the day, Margaret


    was still much older than she was. Since she was willing to apologize sincerely, then Irene would


    forgive her. "Mrs. Myers, your words are overly serious. I''ve offended you in many ways in the past. I


    apologize for hurting you toost time," Irene said.


    Margaret could sense the politeness in Irene''s tone and knew that her actions in the past had made


    Irene deeply wary of her. It would take more than just a day or two to fully break down Irene''s walls that


    had been built in the past, and Margaret understood her. So, she had a short chat with Irene before


    bidding her farewell.


    Not long after returning home, Edric came back. When he entered the door, he asked her with a


    gloomy face, "Mom, why did you meet Irene? Can''t you calm down? You''d save me a lot of trouble that


    way."


    If her son had questioned her like this in the past, Margaret would have be furious. However,


    today, she was in a good temper and asked her son to sit down, "Why don''t you ask me the reason I


    went to meet her?"


    "Do I still need to guess why you went to meet her? You must have tried to persuade Irene to return the


    children and get her to stay away from me," Edric said in frustration.


    "Did Irene tell you that?"


    "No, I guessed."


    "You''ve guessed wrong. I went to Irene today to beg for her forgiveness," Edric stared at Margaret with


    wide eyes. He could not believe that his mother would say such a thing at all.

 Chapter 186 To Bring Disaster Upon Oneself

    Chapter 186 To Bring Disaster Upon Oneself


    "Don''t look at me that way. I had many thoughts and almost couldn''t sleep all night. It''s all my fault that


    you and Irene are in this situation. All I wanted was to find you a woman who could match your status,


    so I couldn''t help but ask for more. I was also a lot more harsher towards Irene. In fact, I didn''t have


    any bad intentions. I now know that I''m in the wrong, so I looked for Irene to apologize and asked her


    to remarry you."


    Edric couldn''t believe that his mother would be so reasonable, "Mom, are you joking?"


    "What do you mean by joking? I''m telling the truth. Irene is so pitiful. She didn''t have a mother from


    when she was young and had lived through so many hardships. She even met a pestering mother-in-


    Irene from being together in the future. You can be rest assured and plead her to change her mind."


    "Mom, why did you change so much?" Edric was really surprised.


    "Edric, why do you have so many questions? Last time, you were unhappy that I had stopped you and


    Irene but now that I''ve agreed, why do you still have doubts?"


    "I just can''t believe it. Mom, you won''t change your mind overnight, will you?"


    "No, you can be rest assured and please go and bring her back. I can''t wait to see my grandson once


    again."


    "Thank you so much, Mom!" Edric left home excitedly. Margaret looked at the smile on her son''s face


    and suddenly realized that this was the first time in these years that she saw such a relieved smile on


    his face. She sighed inwardly. Why had she been so pedantic in the past? If she had thought it through


    earlier, her son would not have suffered for so many years.


    Margaret and Edric were in a good mood, but Loraine began to grow nervous. Margaret became less


    dependent on her after employing a nurse. She did not even bring her along when she went out today,


    so she did not know why Margaret had gone out.


    After Margaret came back, she wanted to find out what happened. Coincidently, Edric hade back


    as well. She was even more curious so she had hidden at the side to hear their conversation clearly.


    Since Margaret had gone and pleaded Irene so that they could get back together, what would happen


    to Lily?


    Loraine knew the purpose of her staying at the Myers family. She had to tell Deborah about this and let


    her find a way to solve it.


    Deborah panicked after hearing Loraine''s news. She immediately called Marie and asked her to go to


    Margaret''s ce to find out why Margaret had changed her mind and had gone to plead Irene.


    Marie immediately bought some fruits that Margaret liked and visited the Myers family. Margaret was


    overjoyed to see her and said, "Juste as you do, why do you always have to bring things with


    you?"


    As she spoke, Loraine quickly poured tea. Marie took a sip of tea and deliberately mentioned Lily, "Lily


    went to the hospital for a check-up today. I heard that everything was fine."


    "Don''t mention her! It''ll affect my mood!" Hearing about Lily, Margaret frowned.


    "What''s the matter? Is it because of what happenedst time?" Marie pretended to be a good person


    and continued, "You''ve wrongfully med Lily. I heard that Freya made up all the lies. She ckmailed


    Lily but she ignored her, so Freya tried to retaliate."


    "Really? I''ve heard that Freya''s leg is broken and she''s staying in the hospital now. Why did her leg


    break all of a sudden?"


    "Her leg broke? I have no idea that happened," Marie pretended to be surprised and said, "Freya is just


    so stubborn, so she must have offended someone."


    "Don''t you think it''s too much of a coincidence?" Margaret asked, "She had just talked bad about Lily


    earlier and then her legs got broken by someone. It seems that someone had deliberately taken


    revenge on her."


    "I don''t think it was Lily. She''s just a youngdy from a rich family, well-educated and she has a soft


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    personality. How could she have known those kinds of people?"


    "She doesn''t but Deborah does. I heard that Deborah had a good rtionship with some hooligans


    before," Margaret felt unhappy that Marie was helping Lily and Deborah, "Marie, why are you taking


    Lily''s side?"


    "I''m not, I just think that Lily seems soft-hearted and she doesn''t look like that kind of person."


    "That''s just because she''s good at pretending!" Margaret sighed. "I''ve seen so many people in my life,


    but I didn''t expect to be tricked so miserably, how shameful! Lily and Deborah are not the simple-


    minded characters I thought. I was blinded by them in the beginning and just realized it today.


    Fortunately, Edric had always stood his ground. If he had gotten married with such a disgusting person,


    wouldn''t it be punishing myself? Besides, she''s the daughter of a mistress, and so vicious as well...If


    she had gotten married to Edric, wouldn''t I be bringing disaster to myself?"


    "Do you mean that you don''t intend to let Lily and Edric be together?"


    "Of course, how can I let such a vicious woman marry my son? I''d rather have her stay as far away as


    she can."


    "But isn''t she pregnant with Edric''s baby?" Marie reminded her.


    "Speaking of the child, I have something to tell you. Edric has always disliked Lily, whether she was


    pregnant or not. Edric insisted on getting rid of the child. I wasn''t in my right mind and forced Edric


    to not do it. Now that I think about it, this child would be a disaster to the family. I already have two


    grandchildren. There''s always a chance that Irene may give birth to more children in the future. Why


    should such a vicious woman like Lily give birth to a child? Lily can''t keep the child, as that would affect


    the rtionship between Edric and Irene."


    Marie didn''t expect that Margaret would change so much, so she had no idea what to do at that


    moment, "But Lily has a problem with her health now. She can''t undergo the procedure. If she did, she


    cannot get pregnant anymore."


    "That is a problem," Margaret sighed, "Why is Lily so shameless and wants to be pregnant with Edric''s


    child so badly? She clearly knows that Edric doesn''t like her, why does she still want to give birth to his


    baby?"


    "She loves him very much!"


    "No! I don''t believe that she loves Edric. If Edric was poor, would she choose to be with him? Irene on


    the other hand, is different. When she was pregnant, she didn''t choose to stay. Instead, she chose to


    give birth to her child on her own and raise the child, look at how brave she was? That''s why Irene and


    Edric would be a better match. No matter if he was poor or rich, she would still be with Edric."


    Hearing Margaret praising Irene, Marie was really upset. In the past, she had always lost to Myra, but


    now even her daughter was at a disadvantagepared with Myra''s. How could she not be angry?


    However, now was not the time to get angry. She had to see how Margaret nned to deal with Lily,


    "Now that Lily can''t go through with the procedure, how are you going to settle her?"


    "What else can we do? If she must give birth to the baby then let her do it. However, she will not use


    the baby as a threat under any circumstances. I won''t fall for it, neither will Edric."


    "What if she asks you for alimony?"


    "There''s no way I''ll give that to her. I''ll have to make it clear to her and find awyer to make an


    agreement. She''s the one who insisted on giving birth to the child. It has nothing to do with us. Either


    we raise the child without asking for any of her support, or she gets rid of it. If she doesn''t want to listen


    to us and chooses to give birth to the child, we will not give her a penny."


    Marie did not expect Margaret to say that. Margaret''s previous ruthlessness towards Irene was now


    diverted to Lily. Marie secretly despised her, but she was afraid that Margaret would find out so she


    dared not to stand up for Lily anymore, and had no choice but to leave.


    Marie was upset as she left the Myers family home. She used to think that although Margaret changed


    her mind often, it was always towards others and it would never happen to her.


    Margaret''s change of attitude at this time was like a huge blow towards them. If Lily did not have a


    baby, and if Lily had no problem with her health, they could still take a step back, but now they had no


    way to retreat.


    Lily''s child had to be born and recognised by Edric. However, Marie knew Margaret''s personality very


    well. When she liked someone, she would like them unconditionally and the same applied to when she


    hated someone.


    Due to the fact that she knew her personality very well, she had never forgotten to belittle Irene and


    perception towards her at all.


    Marie did not expect that the tricks she had used on Irene would be used on Lily now. What could she


    do now?


    She had to discuss it with Deborah and figure out a way to deal with it as soon as possible.


    Deborah had been having a hard time. After Edric had sent Bert to the police station, the police


    interrogated him again and made a statement.


    Due to the fact that Steven had given instructions to cause Bert''s incident, people in the police station


    specifically called for Steven after the interrogation and reported this matter.


    Steven, hearing that the person who had harmed Irene had been caught, immediately went to the


    police station in person. After reading the interrogation report, Steven''s expression began to look


    abnormal.


    The person who directed Bert to harm Irene turned out to be Dunn from the Cat Alley. Dunn and Irene


    did not know each other. Why would he think of harming Irene?


    Dunn was definitely not the real mastermind behind this. The real mastermind must have been


    someone else. However, who could it be?


    Irene was kind and never caused trouble on her own volition. Steven was sure that Irene did not offend


    anyone. Then, who was the one who had wanted to harm Irene?


    Hearing that Edric was the one who had sent Bert to the police station, Steven went to see Edric and


    asked him what he thought about the matter. Edric smiled faintly and said, "Bert said that it was Dunn


    who had ordered him. Since the culprit has been disclosed, let''s talk about this after the police have


    caught Dunn."


    "Do you think the mastermind behind this is Dunn?" Steven asked.


    "Who else could it be?" Edric smiled politely, but did not look too happy. What did Steven mean by


    mastermind behind this?


    Edric used to have some respect for Steven, but recently he despised him very much. Steven slept with


    his wife''s best friend, made the mistress his legal wife, and left his own daughter alone outside for so


    many years. Was he even human?


    He did not believe that Steven was treating Irene sincerely. For Steven, his reputation was more


    important than anything else. If he knew that it was Deborah who harmed Irene, he would


    not sincerely help Irene. Instead, he would find a way to suppress this matter to protect his reputation


    and name. What Edric needed to do now was to not let Deborah get away unpunished. He wanted


    Deborah to receive the punishment she deserved.


    "I don''t think it''s that simple. Dunn is just a gangster, he had no animosity towards Irene. Why would he


    think of killing Irene? There must be someone behind all this," Steven told his worries to Edric, "I


    suspect that someone else is ying tricks."


    "Who do you suspect?" Edric asked.


    "I¡­," Steven suspected that the mastermind was Deborah. Deborah was from the Cat Alley, so of


    course she knew Dunn and the others. However, there was no proof for this matter. Moreover, Deborah


    was Steven''s wife. How embarrassing would it be to say that his wife had schemed against his


    daughter?


    Steven suddenly realized that if this matter was true, it would turn out real bad for him. His reputation


    would be ruined and there would not be any hope for a promotion.


    Steven kept quiet. The incident could not be known to the public and he had to investigate it slowly. If it


    was Deborah who did it, he would arrange for a thousand ways to kill her.


    Looking at Steven who was stuttering, a mocking glint appeared in Edric''s eyes. Steven was acting just


    as he had expected, but fortunately, Edric had been on his guard since the beginning.

 Chapter 187 Tremble With Fear

    Chapter 187 Tremble With Fear


    After the conversation with Edric, he left and Steven began to suspect something, Was Edric really not


    suspicious of anyone, or had he been unwilling to say so? He had to find out the truth as soon as


    possible and get rid of it before others found out.


    Steven held uncertainties towards Deborah. When he went back, he looked at Deborah with a


    suspicious look.


    Although Steven did not say anything, Deborah, who had always observed him, felt that something was


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    amiss. So, Deborah went to ask the driver, Tommy.


    Tommy had been following Steven every day. Naturally, he would know Steven''s schedule very well.


    He immediately reported to Deborah about Steven''s visit to the police station.


    Deborah was frightened upon hearing that Bert had been caught. It seemed that Bert had confessed


    something to make Steven suspect her.


    Since Deborah really had done horrible things, she trembled with fear. However, when she was


    scheming against Irene, she did not contact Bert personally. Instead, she did it through Dunn. As long


    as they did not catch him, she would be safe.


    Deborah was d that Dunn had migrated. Otherwise, she would be in so much trouble. Although


    Steven was suspecting her, there was no evidence against her. Hence, she calmed down.


    However, it wasn''t a good idea to keep things this way. She had to find a way to save herself, and she


    could not let Steven suspect her more.


    Deborah thought of Marie and decided to discuss the matter with her.


    Just as she was about to pick up her phone to call Marie, Marie called her instead. Marie said that she


    had something very important to discuss with her and needed Deborah to meet her outside


    immediately.


    Marie''s voice sounded very abnormal. Something bad had to have happened. Deborah started to panic


    when she recalled that she had asked Marie to see what Margaret had to say. So, did something


    happen with Margaret?


    Deborah soon arrived at their usual location. As soon as she entered the private room, she saw Marie''s


    upset expression.


    Marie was also a scheming person, so she never disclosed her thoughts easily. Looking at her


    expression, Deborah''s heart sank. She put aside her own issues and asked, "You look so upset, what


    happened?"


    "I just came back from the Myers family, and Margaret has made it clear that she has changed her


    mind!" Marie sighed.


    "No way, how could this old woman have changed her mind so easily?! She''s not that trustworthy at all,


    is she?"


    "Trustworthy? What''s that?" Marie asked with a sneer, "For Margaret, there was only to like or dislike a


    person, trustworthy was never in her personality."


    "What can we do now?"


    "How would I know?" Marie replied angrily. When she figured out that everything had happened


    because of Deborah, she grew full of anger. She had the urge to p Deborah across the face.


    However, she could only think so in her heart, and did not dare to take any action. She knew very well


    that it was not the right time for her to fight with Deborah. Deborah was the one who had helped her


    daughter gain her current status. She had to think about her daughter''s situation.


    Realizing her rude attitude, Marie raised her cup and took a sip of tea. This helped ease her


    dissatisfaction towards Deborah, and she had no choice but to suppress her anger in her heart for the


    time being.


    Deborah knew what Marie''s temper was like. She was frustrated as well, but was not in the mood to


    argue with Marie. At this critical time, she still had to rely on Marie, this evil woman. She had to bear


    with it for her daughter''s sake.


    After calming herself down, she tried to speak as if nothing had happened, "Margaret listens to you the


    most, doesn''t she? Why didn''t you persuade her?"


    "If that worked, will I still be here discussing this with you? I wonder which b*stard told everyone about


    what you didst time. Margaret hates mistresses the most. When she heard that you and Myra were


    friends, she became even more furious. She clearly said that she would not let any mistress'' daughter


    marry Edric. She also suspected that Lily had other motives when she approached her."


    Marie sighed, "The most terrible thing is that she began to feel ufortable with me taking Lily''s side.


    I was afraid that she would grow even more suspicious, so I didn''t dare to speak for Lily anymore."


    "Margaret likes children, doesn''t she? You can use the child to persuade her. I don''t believe that she''ll


    dislike Lily''s two children. She''ll bear with it for the sake of the children, wouldn''t she?"


    "Don''t mention the child. It made her more furious. Margaret had said that she already has two


    grandchildren. Irene can have as many children she wants in the future, and she mentioned that she


    would only ept Irene''s children as her grandchildren," Marie ryed Margaret''s words to Deborah.


    "Now Margaret thinks that only Irene is the best. She now hates Lily as much as she hated Irene. In the


    past, Irene had Edric to back her up, but now Lily doesn''t have anyone to help her. I think it''s


    impossible for Lily to be with Edric ever again."


    "That old woman is really annoying. D*mn it, if she wanted to change her mind, she could''ve said so


    earlier. Now that we''re in such a situation, what can we do?" Deborah was so angry that she cursed.


    "Yes, if Lily was not pregnant and in good health instead, we would still have a way out. Now, what can


    we do?" Marie also felt a headache.


    "Worstes to worst, we''ll try to get money. Edric is so rich, and he used to be so generous with Lily.


    Since they have a child, he''ll definitely treat Lily well. Besides, it''s his child after all, and he will have the


    inheritance rights in the future. If we can obtain some shares of the Myers Group, Lily will gain some


    advantages as well."


    "Forget it. Margaret said that she won''t give even a penny to Lily. All the inheritance will go to Irene''s


    children. It''s fine if Lily insists on giving birth to the child, but it''s either that Margaret will raise the child


    herself or she''ll find awyer to im that the child belongs to Lily and they won''t pay her alimony."


    "How vicious!" Deborah was furious, "Last time, wasn''t she the one who wanted a grandchild so badly


    that she agreed to Lily undergoing artificial insemination? Otherwise, why would a good girl like Lily


    have to suffer and get pregnant even before marriage just to help the Myers family have a child to carry


    on their family name? Because of her, Lily did the insemination twice, but now that her health is in such


    a condition, she couldn''t care less. There is nothing that easy in this world. No, I have to ask her to give


    me an exnation," Deborah insisted and stood up immediately.


    Marie hurriedly reached out her hand to stop her, "Calm down. What''s the use of asking her? It''ll only


    make things worse."


    Deborah gritted her teeth and said, "But how can I stand for this?"


    "For Lily, you have to endure it anyhow. Now that things have be like this, anger won''t change


    anything. We have to find a way to deal with this,"


    Marie persuaded. In her mind, Deborah had always been able to calm herself down. Why did she


    suddenly lose her temper? Looking at Deborah''s expression then, she really was afraid that Deborah


    would lose her mind and look for Margaret.


    Margaret already hated Deborah. If Deborah went to cause trouble again, she would definitely


    aggravate Margaret even more. If that happened, Lily would no longer have the chance to marry Edric.


    "What do we do? Now that Margaret has made such a statement, it''s impossible to change her mind."


    "There''s always a way out. There has to be a way," Marieforted, "Calm down. We''ve endured so


    much already, what''s more to endure just a little bit longer now?"


    Deborah nodded, picked up the cup and took a sip of tea. She did lose her temper just now. It was not


    only Lily who she was worried about, but also Steven who had started to suspect her. These two things


    together, had made her anxious and she had lost her mind. Marie was right. There was no point in her


    being anxious since it could not change anything, so she had to think of a way to face it head-on.


    Last time, she had nothing and no advantage at all but still she had defeated Myra and became


    Steven''s legal wife. Now, she had so many more advantages to her. She did not believe that she could


    not find a way to solve this problem.


    Seeing Deborah calm down, Marie was relieved and asked tentatively, "You''re usually not this short-


    tempered. What''s wrong with you today? Why did you lose your temper all of a sudden?"


    Deborah sighed and said, "Bert was caught."


    "Ah! When did this happen?" Marie was shocked. She knew everything about Bert. If Bert told the


    police about Deborah, Steven would definitely be furious. No wonder Deborah had lost her temper. She


    asked, "Steven found out?"


    "Yes, he went to the police station. When he came back, he looked off. I felt that something was wrong,


    so I asked the driver. The driver said that Bert had told them about Dunn. I thought that Steven must be


    suspecting me, so I came to discuss this with you."


    "This is getting out of hand!" Marie also panicked. Irene and Dunn did not know each other at all.


    Steven was definitely suspecting Deborah.


    Steven was cunning and scheming. If he suspected Deborah and began to investigate, he would find


    out about what happened that year. So, she asked, "How much information does Bert know?"


    "Bert doesn''t know much. I''ve been contacting Dunn and Bert was the one he employed. Now, even


    though Steven has started to suspect me, there''s no evidence. After all, Dunn has migrated," Deborah


    exined.


    "Fortunately, Dunn has migrated, but we can''t take this matter lightly. We must find a way to distract


    Steven, so he won''t have time to pay attention to this."


    "That''s what I thought too. The only thing that can distract Steven''s attention is his status and Irene. We


    can''t attack his status, nor do we have the ability. However, Irene is different. We can attack Irene..."


    Marie nodded, "Yes, we start with Irene. However, there are so many people around Irene now, so we


    have to think of a perfect n."


    The private room became quiet. The two of them began to think about different ns. After a while,


    Marie suddenly said, "I have a solution."


    "What is it?"


    "To create a rift between Irene and Margaret, and to find a way to create estrangement between them


    so that they''ll hate each other again likest time."


    "That''s going to be a little difficult. I heard from Loraine that Margaret even put down her ego


    and personally apologized to Irene. Irene is not the kind of person who is ruthless and holds grudges.


    They''ll definitely develop a good rtionship," Deborah felt that it was unrealistic for Irene and


    Margaret to hate each other.


    Marie thought differently, "You can''t build trust within a day as that takes a long time. Irene won''t


    believe Margaret''s apology and she''ll suspect that Margaret has other motives. People are most afraid


    of distrust. As long as Irene doesn''t trust Margaret, this n could still work."


    "Isn''t Edric with them too, though? He won''t just sit back and watch this unfold," Deborah still thought it


    was impossible.


    "Don''t worry, I will trap all of them this time¡­" Marie lowered her voice and began to exin her n to


    Deborah.


    "That''s great, no doubt that you''re the powerful one. I''m amazed that you could even think of this n."


    After hearing Marie''s words, Deborah grew excited, "This way, not only will Edric lose his trust in Irene,


    but we can also take Margaret out of the equation and let Lily gain a chance. It''s indeed a wonderful


    n! Killing three birds with one stone."


    Deborah praised Marie so much, but she did not feel proud at all, "We''ll definitely need Loraine''s help


    in this matter. You have to tell her the n and get her ready. Make sure that she won''t drag us down


    when the timees."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll tell her."

 Chapter 188 The Spy

    Chapter 188 The Spy


    Not only was Irene surprised that Margaret came to apologize, but Thomas was too. Margaret used to


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    be arrogant and had always acted like a snob. Why did she suddenly put down her ego and apologize?


    Irene had broken Margaret''s leg. At that time, Margaret hated Irene so much that she had even sued


    her for assault and sent her to prison. However, now, why was she so kind and willing to ept her


    again and she even felt regretful for what she did? It was just unbelievable.


    After Margaret left, Thomas and Irene talked about it. Thomas felt that Margaret''s changing of her mind


    was strange. She must have had other motives and Irene should be wary of her.


    Irene also agreed and felt that Margaret was acting abnormal. She could not believe her words. While


    they were talking, Edric entered in a hurry. As he came through the door, he asked, "Irene, did my


    mothere to apologize just now?"


    Irene nodded, "Yes, Uncle Thomas and I were just talking about this matter. Why did your mother


    suddenly change her mind?"


    "She saw Lily and Deborah''s true colors, so she feels very regretful. She said that it was her fault in the


    past, but now, she will no longer stop us from being together." Edric told Irene, "Irene, in the past,


    you''ve been worried that my mother would stop us, but now she has changed her mind. For the sake of


    our child, let''s get back together."


    She had clearly seen Edric''s sincerity during this period of time, but she was terrified of Margaret. She


    had a child and could not bear to be tortured anymore. They should not rush into things especially


    regarding that matter. As Irene was about to speak, Thomas spoke first, "Edric, your mother changes


    her mind all the time. You can''t just believe what she said. Irene can''t bear to be tortured. Let''s talk


    about this after Eden recovers from his illness."


    "Irene!" Edric looked at Irene and said with a pleading voice. Irene smiled faintly and said, "Edric, Uncle


    Thomas is right. Eden is still sick, so let''s talk about thister."


    Edric went home in disappointment. Margaret saw her son, who had gone out happily,ing back


    with a gloomy face. She knew that Irene must have rejected him.


    Sheforted her son, "It''s all my fault. It''s my fault that Irene''s heart has gone cold. Don''t worry. From


    now on, I''ll take the initiative to care for her and the child. All humans are soft at heart. Take it slow. I''m


    sure she''ll change her mind after some time."


    Edric had no choice but to say, "Mom, you should be more concerned about Irene in the future. If she


    treats you coldly, just try to tolerate her. For the sake of your grandson, can you?"


    "Okay, I''ll definitely tolerate her," Margaret promised.


    Loraine had been secretly paying attention to the conversation between Edric and Margaret. She


    immediately told Deborah about the conversation between them. Deborah was ted to hear that Irene


    did not acknowledge Margaret''s kindness.


    There was no doubt that Marie was indeed smarter than her. She knew that the feud between Margaret


    and Irene would not be easily resolved. This was great news for them. It seemed that they had to hurry


    up and proceed with the n. She had already figured the n out and exined it to Loraine.


    During that period of time, Loraine had been scolded by Margaret many times. Seeing that Margaret


    was starting to alienate her, Loraine hated Margaret so badly and eventually agreed to Deborah''s n.


    Deborah asked her to pay more attention to Margaret and Irene''s current situation. She should be alert


    of everything, whether it was something significant or insignificant and find their weaknesses as it


    would aid them in their n. Loraine then promised to do it.


    Although the police wanted to arrest Dunn, Edric knew that this matter would not have much progress


    so soon. Recently, the police had be less efficient. Dunn''s crime was not considered as a big


    criminal case, and his case was nothing new in the international criminal police organization. They


    would not be able to close the case any time soon.


    He had to find another way to catch Dunn. Then, Edric thought of Jordan. The Reed family had


    connections with the police and also gangsters in countries abroad. It would be much more effective to


    ask them for help instead of relying on the police.


    While he was thinking about it, John came to report that he had seen Jordan''s men following Deborah


    as well. It seemed that Jordan had also found out that something was wrong.


    What John meant was that it was better to be friends with Jordan instead of enemies. There had not


    been conflict between Edric and Jordan. It was because of Irene that they had be like this.


    Since both of them were devoted to Irene, it would be better for them to be friends and make peace


    with each other.


    Edric and Jordan were both proud and arrogant people. In the past, it had been impossible for either of


    them to take the initiative andpromise. However, this time the situation was different. Edric was


    ready to go all out for Irene, so he listened to John''s advice and took the initiative to call Jordan out for


    a meal.


    Jordan did not refuse Edric''s invitation. He knew that Edric most probably had asked to meet him


    because of Irene. Edric''s recent sincere attitude was apparent. Margaret had also began to make


    peace with her, but Irene did not say anything. He guessed that Edric must want him to try to persuade


    Irene.


    When Jordan came in, Edric had been waiting for him for some time already. When he saw Jordan


    help you, Mr. Myers?"


    "Let''s talk while we eat." While speaking, the waiter came in and served the dishes. Seeing that Edric


    had ordered all his favorite dishes, Jordan narrowed his eyes and said, "Mr. Myers, you''ve tried so hard


    to find out my preferences. It seems that this meal will not be as simple as it appears?"


    "For you, Mr. Reed, it would just be a matter of saying a few words," Edric smiled and poured some


    wine for Jordan personally, "Mr. Reed, let''s have a drink!"


    Jordan did not raise his ss, "Edric, I want to make myself clear that I will not help you persuade


    Irene to change her mind. Don''t even think about it. Compared to an unfaithful person like you, I would


    rather let Irene be together with Nathan."


    Edric did not get angry, "Mr. Reed, you worry too much. Honestly, it''s nobody else''s business to change


    Irene''s mind. I''ve never expected someone else to help me. I''m here today for something else."


    Hearing that he was not asking him to persuade Irene, Jordan picked his ss up and clinked it with


    Edric''s. They drank it all up in one go. Edric''s attitude was excellent and he took the initiative to serve


    Jordan, "Mr. Reed, you should try this dish. This is wild salmon and it was just delivered here by air. It''s


    very fresh. Mr. Reed, go ahead and try it."


    Jordan tasted the salmon. Sure enough, it was tender and delicious. Seeing that Edric had put in quite


    a lot of effort to find this fish, especially during this season, he put down his cutlery and said, "Mr.


    Myers, please stop beating around the bush."


    "I want you to help me investigate a person."


    "Is this person abroad?" Jordan immediately understood his meaning as Edric would not have needed


    his help at all if he wanted to investigate someone local. Since he had asked him for help, it had to be


    someone abroad that was beyond his territory.


    "Yes."


    "This is just a small matter. Give me the information, I''ll send it to my grandfather and ask him to send


    someone to deal with it," Jordan was very straightforward, "Thank you, Mr. Reed!" He didn''t expect


    Jordan to be so easy-going. Edric was overjoyed and immediately took out the information on Dunn


    and handed it to Jordan, "This person''s nickname is Dunn. This is his information."


    "Can I ask what this is about?" Jordan took the information and skimmed over it. Then, he put it aside.


    "Sure, do you remember the person who schemed against Irene when we were getting married? He


    was the mastermind," Edric told Jordan about Bert''s arrest.


    Jordan shook his head, "This person has no connection with Irene. Why would he think of killing her?


    I''m sure that Dunn is not the mastermind. The real one is someone else."


    Edric nodded, "I think so, too. That''s why I need to look for Dunn and find out the real mastermind


    behind this!"


    "Alright, I''ll handle this matter, and I promise you will get a satisfactory answer. However, let me ask


    you one more thing. I''m sure that you have a suspect in mind regarding the real mastermind, right?"


    Edric nodded, "Yes, I suspect that it was Lily and her mother who did this."


    "Just as what I thought. If so, why didn''t you tell Mr. Cook about your suspicions?"


    "To tell you the truth, Steven hase to see me before and he asked if I had a suspect in mind. I


    didn''t tell him."


    "Why didn''t you? If you told Steven about your suspicions, with his help, Deborah would soon be


    caught."


    "I''ve thought about telling Steven, but I''m very suspicious of his personality."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "I''m sure you know the rtionship between Deborah and Irene''s mother. Steven had betrayed his wife


    using her friend, married her and then abandoned his own daughter to Thomas for so many years. Do


    you think that such a father would really care for his daughter?" Edric asked.


    "Well, that makes sense. Telling Steven was indeed a bad idea. It would be more reliable to look into


    this on your own."


    "I''m afraid that after telling him, he''ll choose to cover up for Deborah because he''s afraid of ruining his


    reputation. That way, we wouldn''t be able to catch Deborah anymore. We need to find the right timing.


    When there''s no evidence, no matter what we say will be useless. That''s why I''m trying to find Dunn, to


    dig out the truth from him. When the timees, the evidence will be ced in front of Steven. At that


    time, even if he wants to protect Deborah, there''s nothing he can do," Edric did not hide anything from


    Jordan.


    Jordan nodded, "In fact, I''ve been investigating Deborah recently but have not made any progress."


    "Why are you investigating Deborah?" Edric was confused.


    "I suspect that Deborah was the mastermind behind the murder of Irene''s mother, but I don''t have any


    evidence," Jordan ryed to Edric his mother''s words.


    Edric''s face became serious, "If what your mother has said is true, Irene''s mother''s death must not


    have been an ident. This matter must be investigated carefully."


    After parting ways with Edric, Jordan immediately passed the information that Edric had given him to


    his grandfather and asked him to help find out this person''s tracks and to catch him.


    Mr. Pedro eventually answered his grandson''s request. He promised to ask someone to look for Dunn


    immediately, but he also mentioned that it would be difficult and could take a long time. Jordan knew


    that it was not so easy to find a person. After hanging up on the call, he called Nathan and asked him


    to keep an eye on that person.


    Margaret truly regretted her actions and sincerely wanted to make things up to Irene. Now that Irene


    was pregnant, she felt that she should do something. So, she bought many children''s clothes, toys, and


    pregnant women''s supplies and sent them to Irene.


    Irene saw that Margaret''s attitude was just as polite as thest time. Seeing Margaret who had bought


    so many gifts and was being so friendly, Eden was no longer afraid of her. When he saw Margaret, he


    did not hide anymore. Instead, he stood beside Irene and watched as Irene talked to Margaret.


    The more Margaret looked at Eden''s lovely appearance, the more she liked him. Due to his illness,


    Eden didn''t look as healthy as the other children, but he was a little thin and pale instead. When


    Margaret saw her grandson like so, she felt forlorn. It was all her fault. If she had not treated Irene that


    way, Irene would not have suffered so much, and her grandson would not be sick now.


    She really wanted to hug her grandson in her arms and kiss him, but she was afraid of scaring Eden


    likest time. So, she tried to pass Eden the toys that she had bought. Eden hesitated and looked at


    Irene. Once Irene nodded, only then did Eden reach out to take them.


    Seeing Eden who was willing to take her toys, Margaret was overjoyed, so she tried to touch Eden''s


    small hand. Eden did not refuse the gesture either, and Margaret grew ecstatic.

 Chapter 189 Gifting Birds Nest

    Chapter 189 Gifting Bird''s Nest


    Margaret saw that Irene''s figure was very thin. She knew that she was worried about Eden''s health, so


    sheforted and gave Irene some advice. Irene''s priority was to take care of herself to ensure the


    baby in her stomach developed healthily, and Eden''s illness would also be cured in time.


    After talking for a while, Margaret bid them goodbye and left. On the way back, Margaret was still


    worried. Irene was so slim and weak, so would her baby be healthy? She had to find a way to make


    Irene gain more weight. Margaret thought about buying some nutritious food to nourish Irene''s body.


    After returning home, Margaret specifically looked into recipes for pregnant women and found out that


    pregnant women in Singapore and Hong Kong had begun to eat bird''s nests during the first two or


    three months. It not only made the mother strong, but would also make the future newborn child


    stronger, more fair, beautiful, and have a stronger immune system.


    The bird''s nest was a nourishing product. Margaret''s eyes lit up and she decided to send Irene some


    bird''s nest to nourish her body.


    Margaret had eaten a lot of bird''s nests during the past few years, so she had plenty of it in the house.


    She asked Loraine to find them to be gifted to Irene.


    Deborah had asked Loraine to keep an eye on Margaret''s every move. Of course, Loraine would listen


    to her. She literally watched Margaret''s every single move unwaveringly. She had even looked carefully


    at the gifts Margaret bought for Irene and the child. She reported to Deborah about everything, and


    Deborah praised her for being so careful. Seeing that Margaret was going to send Irene the bird''s


    nests, she immediately told Deborah in secret.


    Hearing this, Deborah came up with a n. She gave Loraine an order, and Loraine nodded


    repeatedly.


    During dinner in the evening, Loraine took the initiative to tell Margaret that she was best at cooking


    bird''s nest. It would be better for her to make the dish and then let Margaret send it to Irene, as it would


    be more sincere.


    Margaret reckoned that what she said made sense. The bird''s nest was not only for Irene''s health, but


    was also a token of appreciation towards Irene. She decided to send it to Irene personally after it was


    done.


    She had lived afortable life all these years and rarely cooked. If she cooked the bird''s nest for


    Irene, Irene would be so moved by her sincerity and might even decide to start over with Edric again,


    which would be wonderful.


    After Margaret had left, Irene was very confused. Margaret had bought so many gifts, and it was


    obvious that she had put so much effort into it. Looking at how careful she was with Eden, she felt a


    little touched.


    Thomas also said that Margaret was actingpletely differently from before. While they were talking,


    Irene''s phone rang. She picked up and heard Lily''s voice, "Irene, how have you been?"


    Irene frowned, "What can I do for you, Miss Cook?"


    "Did you receive gifts today?" Lily asked.


    "How did you know?"


    "Because I''ve also received them. I wonder if Aunt Margaret treats us equally?" Lily continued, saying


    that Aunt Margaret had sent her some pregnancy supplies that day. She even mentioned the same


    items. Irene looked at the gifts near her. Weren''t those the same as hers?


    Lily was ted as she said, "You have Eden so Aunt Margaret said that she should buy more toys and


    asked me not to think too much about it. But why would I? We''re sisters and we won''t butt heads at


    things like this."


    "You''re shameless!" Irene was furious.


    "Irene, why are you losing your temper?" Lily said with a smile, "Aunt Margaret said that she would


    send me bird''s nest tomorrow and it would be the premium ones. She told me to nourish my body and


    give birth to two healthy grandchildren for her. She said that you''ll also have some. Why do you think


    Aunt Margaret is being so kind to us? Do you think she wants both of us to be her daughters-inw?"


    "Shut up!"


    "Irene, don''t be angry. Just let me finish my words. We''re sisters. Although you have always held


    grudges against me, I haven''t. I''d better make myself clear. Irene, don''t even dream of getting back


    with Edric. Aunt Margaret has always liked me. She won''t let you into the family. So, you''d better be


    mentally prepared and don''t think too highly of yourself. You''ll regret itter."


    "Miss Cook, I don''t need you to worry about this, but I have to remind you that you should know very


    well about what happened with your baby. idents will happen to shameless people like you who


    you''ll be giving birth to?"


    "Irene, I''m being kind enough to tell you to be careful of Margaret. It''s okay if you don''t appreciate it, but


    how could you curse my child?" Lily''s voice also changed, "Irene, I don''t care if you believe me or not,


    but I''m warning you in advance. For your child, you must not eat the bird''s nest that Margaret will be


    giving you, or you will suffer the consequences!" Lily dropped this sentence and hung up the phone.


    Although she was very clear about Lily''s character, Irene was still aggravated. Didn''t Margaret say that


    she disliked Lily? How did Lily know that Margaret had bought gifts for her? Had Margaret really gotten


    the same gifts for her and Lily at the same time?


    That possibility remained. The fact that the child that Lily was pregnant with was not Edric''s had not


    been confirmed yet. Edric said that he did not tell Margaret about the matter. Since Margaret did not


    know, with her love for children, it was very likely that she would buy two sets of gifts for both her and


    Lily at the same time.


    If that was the case, then her kindness could be exined. She did not want to let go of both sides.


    Margaret''s target was Eden and the baby she was pregnant with.


    Although it was just a guess and she did not dare to be certain of it, Irene began to grow


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ufortable.


    After getting up early in the morning, Margaret began to soak the bird''s nest in water and prepared to


    cook for Irene. Loraine proposed to help, but was rejected. This was a matter of effort and sincerity.


    Margaret felt that she had to show her appreciation towards Irene.


    Speaking of cooking bird''s nest, Margaret was the one who had taught Loraine. Although Margaret was


    born into a rich family, she was not the kind of girl who could do nothing. She was a person who could


    cook and knew how to do housework. During her time with Edric''s father, she often cooked bird''s nest


    soup for her husband.


    She cleaned the bird''s nest by herself, put it in the water and soaked it until it became soft. Then, she


    cleaned the dirt and put it in the water again to make it expand. Finally, she put the bird''s nest together


    with the water into a stewing pot and added sugar, letting it simmer over a small me.


    While the bird''s nest was simmering, Margaret sat by it the whole time. When the bird''s nest was done,


    Margaret packed it up. She was ready to go out and give it to Irene.


    At that moment, Marie suddenly came to the Myers family home. When she saw Marie walking over,


    Margaret had no choice but to return to the house. Loraine reminded her that the bird''s nest should not


    be left cold. It was better to send it to Irene immediately.


    Margaret looked at Marie and hesitated. She could not just leave Marie alone. Then, Loraine


    volunteered to help Margaret to send the bird''s nest to Irene.


    Margaret thought for a moment and agreed, so Loraine took the bird''s nest and left the house.


    Irene and Thomas were ying with Eden in the living room. The doorbell rang, and Irene got up to


    open the door. She saw Loraine standing at the door with a thermos sk, looking at her with a smile.


    "What are you doing here?" When Irene had married Edric, Loraine had helped Margaret to bully her


    several times. She had never held a good impression of Loraine, this loyal henchman. Now seeing


    Loraine who had suddenlye to her, she was on guard and her tone was not very pleasant.


    Loraine did not seem to care about Irene''s attitude at all. She handed the sk over and said with a


    smile, "Mrs. Myers wants me to send you this bird''s nest."


    "Bird''s nest?" Irene stared at the sk incredulously. The night before, Lily had just reminded her that


    Margaret was going to send her bird''s nest. Now, Loraine was here, sending it. What was Margaret


    nning to do?


    Loraine nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Myers mentioned that since you''re pregnant now and you''ve been taking


    care of Eden as well, it''s been too harsh on you, so she personally cooked bird''s nest to nourish your


    body. This is a premium bird''s nest. It has high nutritious value and is most suitable for pregnant


    women. The most important thing is that Mrs. Myers has made the bird''s nest herself. I haven''t seen


    her cooking in the kitchen these few years. It''s really touching to see that although her legs are


    ufortable, she still insisted on cooking for you!"


    Irene tried her best to let out a chuckle, "It''s rare for Mrs. Myers being so enthusiastic. She even


    cooked the bird''s nest for me when her legs are unwell? How can I ept this?"


    "Why can''t you? Eden and your baby are both children of the Myers family. You''re getting married to


    Mr. Myers soon as well. We''ll be aplete family very soon," Loraine looked at the thermal sk and


    she said enthusiastically, "Eat it while it''s still hot!"


    Irene thought of Lily''s warning, "You''d better not eat those bird''s nests, or you''ll have to bear the


    consequences!"


    She smiled faintly, "I just ate something, and now I''m not hungry. I''ll eat the bird''s nest a whileter."


    "When the bird''s nest bes cold, it won''t taste as good. It''s better to eat it while it''s still hot. This is


    Mrs. Myers'' gesture of kindness towards you. You have to ept it no matter what, right?" Loraine


    persuaded.


    "I''ve epted Mrs. Myers'' kindness. You can go back and tell her that I''ll eat the bird''s nest so that


    she''ll be at ease."


    "This¡­" Loraine frowned a little, "Miss Nelson, you know Mrs. Myer''s temper. She hates people who


    lie. If she finds out that I lied to her, she''ll definitely punish me. It''s better if you eat it now, even if it''s


    just a bite."


    Her words alerted Irene even more. Why did Loraine want to watch her eat? Was there really


    something weird in the bird''s nest?

 Chapter 190 Clarifying In Person

    Chapter 190 rifying In Person


    Irene already had doubts about Margaret''s sudden kindness, and now the suspicion in her heart was


    growing bigger and bigger. Was Margaret deliberately trying to confuse her so that she would be less


    on her guard and then she would find a chance to harm her?


    Although the idea was a little unbelievable, she did not dare to risk her baby''s life. She smiled faintly


    and said, "Alright, I like to add some milk into the bird''s nest. I''ll go add some and then eat it."


    As she spoke, she turned around and entered the room as Loraine followed behind her. After only just


    a few steps, Irene turned around and stopped her, "Oh, I''ve forgotten one thing. Last time, when Mrs.


    Myers brought Eden back, he was greatly frightened. He was always afraid to see you two. You''d better


    not go in and let him see you. Otherwise, he would cry."


    Loraine stopped walking and asked awkwardly, "He''s even afraid of me?"


    "Yes, ever since he came back from the hospital that day, he has been saying that the two women are


    so mean. If they dare to bully him again in the future, I''ll have to call the police toe and arrest


    them."


    Those words were partly true. Eden had just said that the police would have to arrest Margaret, but he


    did not mention Loraine. However, when Irene saw Loraine''s embarrassed expression, she eased her


    hatred and just lied to her.


    Loraine felt even more embarrassed, "Alright, I''ll wait for you here."


    Irene smiled at her and turned around to walk into the house.


    When she returned into the house, Thomas looked at the thermos in her hand and asked, "What is it?


    Who sent it?"


    "Uncle, this is the bird''s nest that Margaret asked Loraine to send me," Irene put the thermos on the tea


    table.


    Thomas was shocked, "She really did send you the bird''s nest? How could Lily have guessed so


    urately? Could there really be something wrong with the bird''s nest?"


    Irene nced at Eden, who was sitting on the ground and ying with the toy car. She motioned for


    Thomas to follow her into the kitchen and told him about Loraine''s strange attitude earlier.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Thomas''s face darkened, "If that''s the case, then there must be something wrong with it. You''d better


    not eat it."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t," Irene said as she opened the lid of the thermos. She nced inside and bore a


    strange expression on her face.


    More than half of the thermos was filled with the bird''s nest. The color of the soup was orange red, and


    there was a fragrance that was different from the ones she had eaten before.


    "Weird, why is the bird''s nest so red? It''s impossible for it to be in this color!" After marrying Edric, Irene


    had eaten a lot of nutritious food in order to have children. Moreover, the Myers family was rich, so


    those premium foods were like daily meals. Although the bird''s nest was precious, Irene had eaten it


    many times, and she knew that something was wrong with it at first nce.


    Thomas leaned forward to take a look. Then, he picked up the thermos and sniffed it. His expression


    changed drastically, "There''s a smell of saffron in this bird''s nest."


    "What?! Saffron?!"


    "That''s right," Thomas took a fork and stirred the contents. He picked up a thin, orange object and said


    solemnly, "Look, this must be the saffron. The person who cooked the bird''s nest was not careful


    enough, and she did not pick out all the saffron and left one behind."


    Irene took a deep breath. She knew that Thomas often read medical books for Eden''s illness. These


    days especially, he even studied Chinese herbal medicine every day. It was not surprising that he knew


    about saffron. She had suspected that Margaret would do something to the bird''s nest, but she did not


    expect that she would put saffron in it. It was known that saffron would cause miscarriage. If Margaret


    had done so, wouldn''t it be harmful to the child in her stomach?


    Thinking of the consequences of eating the bird''s nest, Irene trembled, "This old witch is so vicious!


    She even tries to harm my child."


    "I think there''s something wrong here. She clearly knows that your baby is Edric''s, and Eden is waiting


    for the baby''s umbilical cord blood to save his life. Why should she harm you?" Thomas was calmer


    than Irene and immediately sensed that something was amiss.


    Irene gritted her teeth and said, "She must hate me for breaking her leg, and Edric had refused to listen


    to her as well. That''s why she wants to harm me."


    Thomas shook his head, "I don''t think she would do that. Eden and the child in your stomach are both


    her grandchildren. No matter how vicious she is, she won''t do anything to hurt them."


    However, Irene disagreed, "For Margaret, the baby in Lily that b*tch, is also her grandchild She has


    always liked her. Now, the b*tch is even pregnant with twins. To her, they are more important than Eden


    and my baby."


    "No, she loves having grandchildren so much. No matter who gives birth to her grandchildren, as long


    as they are rted to her family, she would still care for them. I think there''s something wrong here.


    You just said that she sent someone to bring it here. Who is it?"


    "It''s her caretaker, Loraine. I told her to wait in the garden."


    Thomas raised his eyebrows, "Could it be the caretaker who did this?"


    "No way, I have nothing against Loraine. Why would she want to harm me? Even if she did, it would


    definitely be Margaret who gave her the orders."


    In the past few years in the Myers family, Irene had always been polite to Loraine. She thought that she


    had never offended her and that Loraine would not harm her back. However, Loraine had been a


    caretaker in the Myers family for many years and had always been obedient towards Margaret. If


    Margaret had ordered her to do this, she would not dare to disobey.


    Thomas pondered for a moment and said, "Why don''t you poke around Loraine and see what she has


    to say?"


    "Okay, I''ll go ask her now," Irene thought that Thomas''s words were reasonable. She quickly packed up


    the thermos and held onto it, wanting to leave, but then Thomas stopped her.


    "Wait a minute. Pour some out and keep it as evidence. Take out the piece of saffron and show it to


    her."


    Irene understood that Thomas was afraid that Margaret would not admit it when they confronted her.


    She hurriedly took a bowl, poured some bird''s nest into it, and kept it before leaving.


    Walking out of the living room door, Irene saw Loraine looking anxiously into the room. She became


    even more annoyed. She walked up to her in a few steps and put the thermos in her arms. She said


    sternly, "Loraine, take a good look at what''s inside. How dare you bring it for me to eat."


    Loraine looked at the thermos in confusion, "Isn''t this just bird''s nest?" Then she opened the lid and


    looked inside.


    Irene pointed to the thermos and said, "Have you seen it clearly? Is this the color of bird''s nest after it''s


    cooked? Would it smell so fragrant? You have been in the Myers family for so many years, and you


    often cook bird''s nest. You should know better than me, right?"


    Loraine stared at the bird''s nest in the thermos and eximed, "Oh, why is the bird''s nest in this color?


    Mrs. Myers clearly mentioned that this is a premium bird''s nest and specially asked someone to buy it


    from overseas. It is absolutely an authentic product. Why does it look like a defective product from


    artificial dying?"


    "What do you mean by defective product? It''s obvious that there''s saffron inside. What is this?" Irene


    said as she picked up the saffron that was mixed in the bird''s nest and showed it to Loraine.


    "Saffron? No way?" Loraine widened her eyes and looked at the saffron in Irene''s hand incredulously.


    "Stop pretending!" Irene sneered, "No wonder you asked me to eat it right away. It turns out that you


    were afraid that if I didn''t eat it, your n would be ruined. Tell me honestly. Did Margaret ask you to do


    this?"


    Loraine waved her hand vigorously, "No, no, from soaking, cooking till putting it into the thermos, it was


    all done by Mrs. Myers herself. I''m only responsible for sending it to you. I really don''t know what''s


    going on. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Mrs. Myers."


    "In that case, let''s go to the Myers family and ask Margaret in person to find out who did this exactly,"


    Irene took the thermos and dragged Loraine out.


    Loraine only struggled a little and followed her out of the vi''s gates. She did not look panicked, but


    puzzled instead.


    Irene saw her face and felt that Loraine really had no idea about the situation. Otherwise, she would


    definitely be terrified.


    Margaret was known to be bad-tempered. If she was even a little dissatisfied, she would be furious at


    Loraine. If Loraine really had received orders from Margaret to harm Irene and now that her conspiracy


    was revealed, she would definitely me it on Loraine and rain curses upon Loraine after that.


    It seemed Margaret was the only one behind this. She did not expect the old witch to be so cruel that


    she did not even think about Eden at all.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. When the driver of the Myers family, Hodge,


    saw theming out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the door. Irene paid him no mind


    and she opened the door, directly getting into the car. Loraine also followed.


    On the way, Loraine defended Margaret, saying that Margaret would definitely not be so malicious as to


    harm Irene''s baby. She must have made a mistake on ident.


    Irene red at Loraine, "Are you telling me that she''s blind and can''t even differentiate between bird''s


    nest and saffron?"


    Loraine hurriedly exined, "No, I mean, Mrs. Myers may have needed saffron for herself and while


    making the bird''s nest, she identally mixed these two things up."


    Irene sneered, "Hmph, she needs saffron? Is she having an irregr menstruation or does she not


    have a clean lochia after delivering a baby? I didn''t know that she still needed saffron at her age."


    Loraine paused for a moment before she realized that Irene was criticizing Margaret as an old woman


    who had menopause and she had no need to eat saffron at all. After pausing for a few seconds, she


    smiled apologetically and said, "I thought saffron is good for skin care as well? Maybe that''s why Mrs.


    Myers is consuming it?"


    "Alright, you don''t have to speak for her anymore," Irene interrupted her. How ridiculous! Even if


    Margaret really wanted to use the saffron for skin care, she still wouldn''t have cooked it herself, let


    alone pour the saffron soup into the bird''s nest.


    Loraine shut her mouth and looked at Irene''s gloomy face. She did not dare say a word.


    ......


    The car drove into the Myers family home and stopped. Irene opened the door and got out of the car.


    Loraine followed closely behind her.


    Walking into the living room, Irene put the thermos on the tea table, sat down on the sofa and asked


    Loraine,


    "Where''s Margaret?"


    "When I left, Mrs. Myers was taking a nap upstairs. She should still be sleeping there now," Loraine


    answered.


    "Why aren''t you calling her down?"


    "Mrs. Myers doesn''t like to be disturbed when she''s asleep. Miss Nelson, I think you''d better wait here


    for a while. Let''s talk about this when Mrs. Myers wakes up."


    "Who would take a nap at this hour? Did she hear that I wasing, so she''s afraid toe out to see


    me because she feels guilty?" Irene sneered, "Well, if she won''te see me, I''ll go up and see her


    instead."


    As she spoke, she walked upstairs. Loraine stopped her, "Miss Nelson, you can''t go upstairs."


    "What are you doing? I asked for you to call her down, but you didn''t. Why are you stopping me from


    going upstairs?" After that, she shook Loraine''s hand off and went upstairs.


    Loraine followed her for two steps, and the phone at the corner of the sofa suddenly rang. She had no


    choice but to turn around to answer the phone.


    Irene had lived here before for many years and knew where Margaret''s bedroom was. She went


    upstairs without waiting for Loraine.


    Margaret''s bedroom was thest room on the right of the second floor and Irene walked towards her


    door. She raised her hand and knocked on it. She waited and did not hear any sound. She knocked


    again, but still no one answered. She grew a little impatient. She pushed the door open and walked in,


    caring less about being polite anymore.


    When she entered the room, Irene was stunned. On the wooden floor near the bed, Margaret was lying


    down on the ground, motionless, as though she had fainted.

 Chapter 191 Unexplainable

    Chapter 191 Unexinable


    She hurriedly approached Margaret and kneeled at her side. Irene saw that both Margaret''s eyes were


    tightly closed, and her face was pale. There was a palm print on her face, and the right side of her


    forehead was red and swollen. It was as if she had been hit by something.


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    Her heart sank as she patted Margaret''s shoulders lightly while she called,"Mrs. Myers..Mrs. Myers.."


    repeatedly. Margaret was still unconscious, so she quickly checked her pulse and breathing. They were


    weak, and she could not help but feel even more anxious. She called for Loraine as she dug out her


    phone from her handbag and dialed the emergency line.


    While she was on the line, Loraine came up to her. She jumped at the sight of the situation in the room,


    "Oh no, Miss Nelson! What did you do to Madam? Did you hit her?"


    Irene hung up on the call and frowned, "What are you talking about? I saw her lying on the ground as


    soon as I came in. I don''t know what happened."


    Loraine red at her suspiciously, "That''s impossible. Mrs. Myers was still in good condition when I left


    the house. How can she be unconscious on the floor without any reason? Look at the palm print on her


    face. You must have pped her just now when you came in. You even pushed her to the ground. How


    could you do something like this?"


    "I didn''t. Stop talking nonsense!" Irene was infuriated and worried. She could not understand how she


    was being misunderstood. She nced at Margaret, who was lying unconscious and knew that there


    was no time to argue. She had to save Margaret first.


    She asked Loraine to carefully turn over Margaret''s body and her head to one side. Then, she covered


    her with the quilt to prevent her from getting cold and worsening her injury.


    However, while she was doing all that, Loraine ran and called for help from the people downstairs,


    "Help! Mrs. Myers has fainted! Help!"


    Irene ignored her. She picked up her phone and called Edric.


    "Irene, what''s the matter?" Edric''s voice was full of joy. It was rare for Irene to call him. So, it was only


    natural for him to be ted.


    Irene bit her lips and said, "Edric, I''m at your house now. Your mother has fainted. Come back quickly."


    Edric took a sharp breath, "What did you say? What happened to my mother?"


    "I don''t know what happened either. You''d bettere back quickly, and we''ll talk about itter!" She


    couldn''t exin the whole situation clearly on the line. It would be better for her to exin it to Edric in


    person.


    Edric replied hurriedly, "Okay, I''ll go back right away. Have you called the ambnce?"


    "Yes, the ambnce should be arriving soon."


    She hung up on the call as footsteps and noises outside were heard. Loraine rushed back in, followed


    by the Myers Family''s designated driver, Hodge, and Levin Brown.


    Loraine pointed at Margaret and said to Hodge and the other, "Bring Mrs. Myers to the hospital."


    Irene quickly stopped her, "She has suffered a head injury, so we can''t move her however we want. We


    have to wait for a doctor toe."


    "The hospital is a little far from here. We don''t know how long it''ll take for them toe. Why don''t we


    send her by ourselves?" Loraine cried as she nudged Hodge''s arm, "What are you still standing there


    for? Hurry up and lift Madam up."


    "I''ve said that we have to wait for the doctor toe. Why aren''t you listening to me?" Irene urged.


    "It''s her who caused Madam to be like this. We shouldn''t listen to her. Hurry up and send her to the


    hospital. Quick!" Loraine was being stubborn.


    "Loraine, are you going to be responsible for the consequences?" Irene was angry.


    After saying this, Loraine shut up. Then, she picked up the phone and called Edric, "Mr. Myers, please


    The ambnce arrived about ten minutester. The medical staff did a preliminary examination on


    Margaret before carrying her carefully in a stretcher into the ambnce. Then, they gave her the


    oxygen bag.


    Irene and Loraine followed the ambnce as it drove to Wellcare Hospital. On the way, Irene called


    Edric to update him about their location.


    When they arrived at the Wellcare Hospital. Margaret was sent to the emergency room for further


    examination. At this moment, both Edric and John arrived. He had good connections  with the Wellcare


    Hospital''s director and had given him a call on his way there. The director immediately instructed the


    most experienced doctor to treat Margaret. He would also be in charge of the rescuing process.


    After thorough examination, Margaret was reported to have a severe concussion to the head. The


    internal hemorrhage was likely due to a heavy blow or a fall. So, surgery was needed as soon as


    possible.


    Edric was called by the doctor to sign the operation consent form in the office. Thus, Irene stood


    outside the door. She was worried about Margaret.


    Soon, Margaret was pushed into the operating room. Edric, John, Irene, and Loraine waited outside the


    operating room together.


    While Edric was busy with Margaret''s operation procedures, he didn''t have the time to ask about the


    cause of Margaret''s injury. Now that he had calmed down, he asked Irene, "Irene, how did my mother


    get hurt?"


    Before Irene could speak, Loraine, who was sitting next to her, snapped, "Mr. Myers, it was definitely


    because of Miss Nelson! She pushed Mrs. Myers to the ground and injured her."


    Irene stared at Loraine in shock, "Nonsense! I didn''t push her."


    Edric nced at Loraine and then at Irene. He frowned and asked, "What happened? Irene, tell me."


    Irene red at Loraine before replying to Edric, "Loraine brought me a thermos sk this afternoon.


    She said that it was from Mrs. Myers and she had prepared some bird''s nest for my health. She


    insisted that I had to finish it up in front of her. But when I opened it up, there was saffron in the bird''s


    nest. You should know that saffron will cause miscarriage, right? I didn''t eat it, so I brought the bird''s


    nest to your house to ask Mrs. Myers why she was trying to harm my baby. However, when I entered


    your mother''s bedroom, she was already unconscious on the floor. So, I called the emergency line for


    the ambnce before calling you."


    "It''s not like that, Mr. Myers," Loraine argued hastily. "How could Madam put something like saffron in


    the bird''s nest? Eden and Miss Nelson''s baby are her grandchildren. How could she hurt her


    grandchildren?"


    Irene sneered, "I don''t know that. You saw the saffron in the bird''s nest just now. I didn''t use her


    without proof. I also didn''t expect her to be so vicious that she would want to hurt her own grandson."


    Edric''s face darkened. He red sharply at Loraine and asked in a deep voice, "Loraine, is that so?


    Was there really saffron in the bird''s nest?"


    Loraine hesitated for a moment and answered, "The bird''s nest was prepared by Mrs. Myers herself. I


    don''t know if there was anything else in it. After she made it, she put it in the thermos sk and asked


    me to send it to Miss Nelson. I was tasked to watch her finish it. I didn''t check at that time and sent it to


    her right away. Miss Nelson told me that she was full at that moment, so I wanted her to pour out the


    bird''s nest into a sk so that she could return the it to me. After a while, she said that there was


    something wrong with it and there was saffron. So I opened it to check it and confirmed that there was


    saffron. I don''t think that Madam would do such a thing. Mr. Myers, you must check this thoroughly and


    not let Mrs. Myers be harmed."


    Loraine''s words clearly implied something. Irene was aggravated upon listening to what Loraine was


    saying. She rolled her eyes at her and roared, "What are you trying to imply here? Are you saying that I


    framed Mrs. Myers for putting saffron into the bird''s nest?"


    Loraine curled her lips, "I didn''t say that. No matter what, I believe that Madam will never harm anyone.


    I can''t figure out why saffron would somehow appear out of nowhere. It is simply unexinable."


    Irene snapped, "What do you mean by ''somehow'' appearing out of nowhere? You''re the one who gave


    it to me."


    "Alright, stop arguing," Edric raised his hand to stop them from quarreling. He had already understood


    what was going on.


    He only felt that this was too unexpected. As Margaret''s son, he knew his mother very well.


    Although Margaret was irritable, powerful, and dominant, she was not a vicious person. She would


    never put saffron in the bird''s nest to harm Irene. Moreover, the child in Irene''s womb was her


    grandson. If the child was gone, Eden could not be saved. How could she hurt her grandson if she


    wanted one so much?


    As for Irene, Edric knew her well. She was kind-hearted and magnanimous, so she would not


    deliberately put saffron in the bird''s nest to frame Margaret. However, now that they were in this


    situation, how could he not suspect something?


    He had to investigate this matter carefully, but now the most important thing was to figure out the cause


    of Margaret''s injury. He asked Irene in a soft tone, "Irene, you said just now that when you walked into


    my mother''s bedroom, you saw her lying on the ground unconscious, right?"


    Irene replied, "Yes, I came to your house with Loraine. Initially, I wanted Loraine to call Mrs. Myers to


    taking a nap upstairs and told me not to disturb her. I didn''t listen to her, so I went upstairs. I knocked


    on the door, and no one answered it. So I pushed the door open and saw Mrs. Myers on the floor."


    Edric nodded and asked Loraine, "Loraine, you just said that Irene pushed my mother to the ground.


    Did you witness it with your own eyes?"


    Loraine said, "I didn''t see that. She was fiercely seeking for Mrs. Myers to ask her about all that. I was


    afraid that she would hurt her, so I told her that Mrs. Myers was taking a nap upstairs. However, she


    rushed upstairs to question her. At this moment, the phone rang, and I went to answer it. When I was


    done, I went up and saw Mrs. Myers on the floor while Irene was calling the emergency line. There was


    a palm print on Madam''s face too. She must have hit Madam and pushed her to the ground, causing


    her to be injured and unconscious."


    Irene retorted angrily, "You are babbling nonsense! I didn''t hit her nor did I push her. When I went in


    and saw her lying on the ground, I tried calling out to her a few times. When she had no reaction, I


    called for you toe up. I didn''t quarrel with her at all!"


    "Mrs. Myers was fine in her room. Why would she fall to the ground for no reason and hit her head?


    How can you exin this? It must be you who did it."


    "How should I know why she was injured and fell to the ground? It really wasn''t me who did it."


    The two of them started arguing again, and Edric''s face darkened even more. John noticed the scene


    and hurriedly said, "Miss Nelson, Loraine, we are in the hospital. It''s not appropriate to quarrel loudly


    here. I think we should talk about this matterter when Mrs. Myers is conscious after her surgery. We''ll


    find out what had happened by then."


    "Yes, everything will be rified when my mother wakes up," Edric stared at the door of the operating


    room. He observed the light at the bottom of the door and felt his heart sunk. What happened today


    was bizarre. Now his mind was in a mess, and he didn''t want to think about anything. He only hoped


    that his mother coulde out from the operating room safe and sound.

 Chapter 192 She Was A Suspect

    Chapter 192 She Was A Suspect


    Irene noticed Edric''s tightly knitted brows and gloomy face. She knew at that instant that he was feeling


    solemn.


    His father had passed away early, and Margaret had taken care of him all by herself. Hence, both the


    mother and son had a strong bond with each other. Today, Margaret was given a notice of her


    having critical illness, and the doctors said the surgery was overly risky. If she did not survive the


    operation, then she would likely remain in a vegetative state.


    Irene hadpletely forgotten all of Margaret''s insults and bullying in the past. She prayed that


    Margaret''s surgery would be sessful. Then, Edric would not need to be depressed. In that instant,


    she realized that she was still deeply in love with Edric, and that was the only reason that caused her to


    be sad and worried for him.


    She gently touched Edric''s hand and said softly, "Edric, don''t worry too much. Mrs. Myers is a good


    person, so the heavens will protect her."


    Edric looked up at her and replied, "I hope so." Then, he turned his head away and did not face her


    anymore.


    Irene''s heart sank. She knew that this matter was moreplicated than she thought. Edric''s sudden


    coldness towards her would mean that he believed Loraine''s words that she injured Margaret. If that


    was the case, then the situation would not be good. If Margaret remained in a vegetative state, then no


    one could prove her innocence.


    Just as she was about to exin herself further, Loraine, who was sitting on her right, suddenly


    mumbled, "You made your words sound nice, but you''re probably happy about this incident."


    Irene turned to re at her fiercely and asked, "What did you say?"


    "I said I''m going to the washroom," Loraine pursed her lips and stood up. Then, she turned around and


    walked to the washroom by the corridor.


    Loraine took a long, deep breath once she stepped into the washroom. She checked the cubicles one


    by one to ensure that they were all empty before taking out a phone from her pocket and dialing a


    number.


    After a while, the line connected, and she whispered, "Job''s done. Margaret is undergoing surgery now,


    and the doctors aren''t optimistic about the situation. She might end up in a life-threatening state, so


    even if she survives, she''ll likely have dementia. Edric is doubtful of Irene now, and he''s behaving cold


    towards her...Alright, I''ll call again if there are any updates."


    After hanging up, she nced at her reflection in the mirror. She seemed pale from the nervousness


    just now and heaved a long sigh. The scene that happened in the Myers Family this afternoon yed


    back in her mind.


    After Marie came to the Myers family home, she took the initiative to send the bird''s nest to Irene on


    Margaret''s behalf. Margaret agreed due to Marie''s arrival.


    She had pretended to carry the bird''s nest out of the door as if nothing happened. Suddenly, there had


    been a ckout in the vi. She had shouted and called for the security guards from the security room


    to check what went wrong. As the security guards were busy checking the issue, she let Deborah in


    while everyone was distracted.


    Deborah had quickly sneaked into the living room. Margaret''s nurse was not working that day, so only


    the guards and the driver were present at the vi. The driver, Hodge, had been on the phone with his


    wife since half an hour ago and had left in a rush. While the security guards were trying to repair the


    sudden ckout, the surveince cameras were pitch ck due to no electricity. Hence, their ns


    hadmenced.


    Margaret was chatting with Marie in the living room. When she heard the noise, she turned around and


    saw Deborah, who was all dressed up.


    "Why are you here?" Margaret stared at Deborah in surprise. Behind her was Loraine, "Aren''t you


    supposed to send the bird''s nest? Why are you back?"


    "The driver is not here, so I''ll send itter," she answered and closed the door behind her casually.


    "Just call Hodge. Why isn''t he working at this hour?" Margaret frowned.


    "Mrs. Myers, don''t be so cruel. The driver is a human too, and he has his own business to attend to. It''s


    really disappointing for you to treat people like this," Deborah sneered.


    "You have no rights to meddle in my family''s affairs," Margaret said upon hearing Deborah''s insult.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "I''m going to do it anyway," Deborah sat down. "Don''t you want to know why I''m here?"


    "Why are you here?"


    "I''m here to take revenge," Deborah red fiercely at Margaret.


    "You vicious old witch, my daughter was deceived by you and has wasted her youth all these years.


    Her health has been heavily affected. How could you change your mind just like that? Are you even


    human?"


    Deborah had always been polite to Margaret. The sudden scolding made Margaret gasp in anger, "You


    shameless mistress, how dare youe to my house and speak to me this way? Get out of here!"


    "I won''t leave until I get to witness your downfall," Deborah said slowly. "To tell you the truth, I came


    here today just to see you die."


    "You have no awareness of thew anymore! Call the security guards and get her out!" Margaret


    ordered Loraine, but Loraine just stood still. Margaret stared at her and asked, "Why are you not


    listening to me? Are you nning to rebel too?"


    "Can''t I?" Loraine sneered. "Mrs. Myers, since I came to Myers family, you''ve always given me a hard


    time. If you don''t like something the slightest bit, you''ll scold me horribly. I''ve always wanted to ask you,


    what is your heart made of? Why are you so vicious?"


    "Listen to her! Listen!" Margaret didn''t expect that Loraine, who had always held back, would suddenly


    challenge her. She turned to Marie, who had been silent all the time.


    "Have you ever seen such a wild servant? I''m going to teach you a lesson today. You useless sh*t!"


    As she spoke, she grabbed the teacup and threw it at Loraine. Loraine managed to dodge it and


    pointed at Margaret, "You old witch, how can you be so fierce when you''re about to die? Do you really


    think that no one is going to punish you?" She raised her hand and gave Margaret a harsh p across


    the face.


    Margaret had always gotten everything she wanted her entire life. She had never dreamt that she


    would be pped by her servant. She panted in madness and snapped, "J-just you wait! Let''s see how


    I''ll deal with you!"


    "You want to deal with me? Are you dreaming?" Loraine challenged her. Marie, who had been silent all


    this while, reached out to stop her. "One p is enough! If you overdo it, you''ll cause a bigger


    problem."


    Margaret turned to Marie and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "I really wanted to hit you too, to be frank. However, I can''t do it now," Marie exined slowly.


    "Margaret, do you know how much I hate you? You''re snobbish, selfish, sinister, and unreasonable like


    a shrew. I, Marie Walker, had indeed been blinded to befriend you."


    "You-"


    "What?" Marie said scornfully, "You think you''re smart, but you''re as dumb as a pig. Do you not


    understand what you''re going to go through next?"


    "You''re on the same team?"


    "It''s toote for you to realize it now, isn''t it?" Deborah added. "I want tough at the thought of a stupid


    woman like you. You think that you''re smart, but you''re not. Do you know why my daughter was willing


    to be pregnant with your son''s child? Did you really think that it was because of Irene? Let me tell you,


    that was a plot that I had nned all along. My daughter had taken an interest in your son. At that time,


    I thought your family was decently wealthy. So, I fulfilled my daughter''s dream. However, a witch like


    you didn''t never kept your word and now, you''ve wasted my daughter''s youth. I really hate you!"


    "So, Lily had a hidden agenda for approaching me. You shameless b*tch! How could you make your


    daughter a mistress like yourself? Do you n to pass down the mistress legacy in your family?"


    "Anyways, you don''t have much time left, so I''ll let you say whatever you want. But before that, let me


    tell you one thing. Do you know why Irene was infertile when she had been married to Edric for three


    years?" Deborah taunted smugly. "Let me tell you, Irene wasn''t infertile. We made her infertile,


    understand?"


    "She''s actually not ill. I forged the so-called illness. As for whether she''ll give birth or not, it''s up to her,"


    Marie added further as she pointed at Loraine.


    "I gave Irene the contraceptive pills. If she took the pills, how could she be pregnant if she didn''t


    ovte?" Loraine sneered along. "Then, we made her unconscious and did a tubectomy on her. Of


    course, she couldn''t get pregnant!"


    "How could all of you be so brutal!" Margaret was trembling with anger. Looking at the three women''s


    malicious faces, she struggled to shout out loud, "Security! Security!"


    "Don''t waste your energy. I''ve taken the security guards away, so they can''t hear you screaming for


    help," Loraine leered, "Mrs. Myers, you better be obedient. Maybe you can die painlessly after all."


    "What do you guys want to do?"


    "We won''t do anything. We''ve added some chemicals that can result in miscarriage into the bird''s nest


    that you''d prepared for Irene. We''ll make Irene drink it, and she''ll suffer a miscarriage from the


    chemicals. Then, your sick grandchild will die due to no treatment. The Myers Family will then have no


    more children to continue the family."


    "I''ll kill you all!" Margaret was so furious and screamed till her voice was hoarse. She stood up from the


    wheelchair with all her strength and struggled to pounce on Marie.


    Loraine reached out to push her down. Margaret''s leg had not recovered yet, so she instantly wobbled


    from the push. She suddenly tumbled down, and her head hit the tea table heavily, fainting on the spot.


    Loraine reached out to check her breathing, "She''s still breathing."


    "Help her to the wheelchair first and wait for the security guard toe back," Under Marie''s


    instructions, the three of them helped Margaret on the wheelchair and turned her back to the door.


    "Hodge ising back soon. We better leave first. By the time the security guards are back, you


    should show them Margaret still sitting in the living room. After the guards leave, throw her on the


    ground and send the bird''s nest to Irene to lead her here."


    "Will Irenee?"


    "Yes, we''ve already made the arrangements. Don''t worry."


    "Will she wake up all of a sudden?"


    "No, she was already ill before this. Didn''t you change her medication during this period? When her


    sickness is not under control, she''ll fall into aa. Since she had fallen so down badly like that, it''d be


    difficult for her to survive. By the time you bring Irene here, I think she''ll be dead by then," Marie put in


    extreme details in her n.


    Loraine nodded and went out to have a look. The security guards on duty had not returned yet. She


    asked Deborah and Marie to leave first. After Deborah and Marie had left for a few minutes, the


    security guards came back. One of the security guards went to the living room and reported, "It was the


    environmental workers who were chopping the branches and had identally cut off one of the wires.


    This caused a ckout on our side. We have already called to fix it. Someone wille to repair it


    soon."


    "I see. You all can go back to your work," Loraine ordered.


    The security guards acknowledged her order and left. Loraine quickly helped Margaret to the second


    floor, threw her on the floor, set the scene, and left with the bird''s nest.


    Just as she was about to go out, she told the security guards, "Be careful of any noises. Madam is


    taking a nap upstairs."


    Next, she had sent the bird''s nest to Irene, which led her to the Myers family home. The bird''s nest


    given to her wasn''t the batch that Margaret had prepared. Instead, it was the bird''s nest that had been


    thrown away that contained saffron. However, to prevent Irene from actually consuming the bird''s nest


    and resulting in a miscarriage. Deborah made Lily call Loraine to remind her to act ufortable when


    she was sending over the bird''s nest. She had even purposely left a piece of saffron to make it look as


    if the bird''s nest was not prepared properly so that Irene could spot the problem in an instant and then


    question Loraine. Then, Lorraine would take the opportunity to make her question Margaret instead


    and sessfully frame Irene for causing Margaret to fall into aa.


    Judging from Edric''s attitude towards Irene just now, he must have been suspecting Irene. However,


    she needed to wait and watch the progress of the situation. She hoped that Margaret would remain


    unconscious, or better, just remain in the vegetative state. That way, Irene would be unable to exin


    anything.


    Loraine took another deep breath in front of the mirror. After calming down, she walked out of the


    washroom.


    In the corridor, she watched from a distance as Edric was waving his hands at Irene. He seemed to be


    triggered by something, while John was trying to calm him down.


    Loraine''s heart was filled with joy. Things were beginning to go ording to their n.

 Chapter 193 Showing Ones True Colors

    Chapter 193 Showing One''s True Colors


    Loraine jogged towards Irene and Edric''s side and saw that a paper cup had fallen on the ground.


    Water was sshed everywhere. She acted surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    "Mrs. Myers is in poor health, and Mr. Myers is in a bad mood," John exined.


    Loraine was a professional in reading situations. Since John was trying to dissuade Edric, she knew in


    an instant what just happened. Irene must have tried to pass a cup of water to Edric, but he did not


    appreciate it and had knocked over the cup. She was secretly pleased.


    Irene''s face was flustered. She had noticed that Edric''s lips were dry and cracked, so she poured him a


    cup of water. Who would have thought that Edric wouldn''t have appreciated it and instead knocked it


    over with a wave? He even spat out that she was pretending to be kind.


    Edric had always treated Irene well. Even when he divorced her years ago, he had never snapped at


    her like that. Irene felt somewhat aggrieved. If she had not been worried about Margaret, she would


    have left a long time ago.


    She did not stay at the sides to wait for the results anymore. Her pregnant body was sore after standing


    for such a long time. So, she massaged her waist while Edric glued his eyes on the operating room. His


    expression was gloomy, and she had no idea what was on his mind.


    John noticed Irene''s actions and knew that it was because she had stood for a long time. Hence, he


    spoke to Irene kindly, "Miss Nelson, you''re still pregnant. You must be tired from standing after such a


    long time. It''s better to go home and rest. I''ll inform you once there''s any news."


    Edric looked at Irene after hearing John''s words. His face remained indifferent and cold as he snapped,


    "Why are you still here? Are you waiting to see how miserable my mother would be?"


    Irene did not speak. She knew that Edric was sorrowful, so she did not bother about him.


    Loraine was excited upon hearing this and she added, "Miss Nelson, you''d better go back. It''s useless


    to stay here, and it''s annoying for Mr. Myers."


    Irene red at Loraine. That woman was the cause of it all. If it weren''t for what she had said, Edric


    would not treat her like this. Why did this woman say all those words? What was she plotting?


    She really wanted to question Loraine, but when she thought of Margaret''s ongoing operation, she held


    her temper. At that moment, her phone rang.


    Irene had not gone home since she came out. Thomas called to ask about her as he was worried. So,


    Irene exined to him about Margaret''s injuries in a soft voice. She also told him that she was still in


    the hospital and would go hometer that day.


    Finally, the door of the operating room opened, and the nurse was pushing Margaret out.


    "How did it go?" The few people who were waiting outside suddenly gathered around.


    The doctor appeared from behind and answered, "The patient has suffered a severe intracranial


    hemorrhage and is in a deepa. She may never wake up again. You all have to be mentally


    prepared."


    Edric''s face darkened significantly, "Is there no other way?"


    "The best-case scenario might be this, while the worst.." The doctor did not finish his sentence. He


    indirectly meant that the worst-case scenario would be that Margaret was never wake up again.


    Edric''s body trembled for a moment. Irene reached out to hold him, but he pushed her away, "What


    kind of good person are you pretending to be?"


    Loraine did not witness the scene of Edric knocking over the cup with her own eyes, but she saw this


    scene clearly. Edric''s face was filled with anger, and he red at Irene coldly with hatred.


    John reached out his hand to hold Edric, "Calm down, Mr. Myers. We don''t know what happened. Do


    you know how heart-wrenching your actions are?"


    Loraine scolded John in her heart, "D*mn it, John. What are you doing at this time?" However, she did


    not dare to add more fuel to the fire. Both Edric and John were not fools. She needed to describe what


    she had witnessed objectively so that Edric would me it on Irene.


    After sending Margaret to the intensive care unit, Edric asked John to find two professional guards to


    take care of Margaret. Then, he spat coldly, "Let''s go home!"


    Loraine knew that he was heading home for an investigation. She was slightly nervous, but she knew


    that there was no loophole in what she had done, so she caught up with Edric. Seeing Edric striding


    away, John immediately followed him. Irene was stunned for a moment, before following them.


    They quickly drove back to the Myers Family. Edric opened the door and strode into the living room.


    The living room was still the same as before. Edric nced around and told John, "Call in all the staff in


    the vi today."


    John agreed. Soon, the security guards and the driver were called in.


    Edric looked at the security guards, "Did anyone elsee here today?"


    "Yes," The security guard returned, "Dr. Walker was here before."


    "Dr. Walker said that he had brought some beauty products from abroad for Mrs. Myers," Loraine


    pointed to the things in the living room that Marie had brought.


    Edric picked up the stuff sent by Marie and looked at it. Then, he put it down and asked, "When did Dr.


    Walker leave?"


    "Dr. Walker left at noon," Loraine answered.


    Edric nodded and looked at the security guards, "Well, show me the surveince records outside."


    "Today''s surveince records are notplete, and the power was cut off for a few hours," the security


    guard replied.


    "There was a ckout? When did it start?"


    "It stopped after Dr. Walker had arrived for some time. The ckoutsted for around two hours," The


    security guard answered.


    Edric frowned all of a sudden. He had nned to observe the surveince records to see the specific


    situation during Marie''s arrival. Still, the power had been cut off at that time. How would there be


    surveince without electricity?


    "Wait, the security guard said that it was a ckout when Marie came. Does Marie have something to


    do with my mother''sa?" Edric thought and nced at the people in the room. He said, "When did


    youst see Mrs. Myers? Tell me the details."


    "Mrs. Myers didn''t look for me for anything today, so I''ve been staying in the driver''s seat, until I heard


    that something had happened to Madam," the driver answered.


    Levin, the security guard, thought for a moment and answered, "Mrs. Myers didn''t go out today, nor did


    she take a walk. Thest time I saw Mrs. Myers was when she was unconscious."


    Another security guard added, "I saw Mrs. Myers when I reported the power supply situation. At that


    time, she was sitting with Loraine in the living room. I left after reporting the situation."


    At that moment, the security guard was standing by the living room''s entrance when he reported. He


    only saw Margaret''s back, so he could not have known that Margaret was already unconscious at that


    time.


    Edric frowned. That was to say, when Marie left, Margaret was still in good condition.


    Loraine replied, "Thest time I saw Mrs. Myers was when she fell to the floor. There was a palm print


    on her face, and Miss Nelson was giving her first aid..."


    "Wait a minute!" Edric interrupted her, "Didn''t Mrs. Myers ask you to send the bird''s nest?"


    "Yes, Madam requested me to find the bird''s nestst night. She exined that she wanted to brew


    some for Miss Nelson. So, Mrs. Myers got up early in the morning to prepare the bird''s nest herself and


    refused my assistance."


    "Since Madam brewed the bird''s nest herself, why did she ask you to send it over?" Edric probed


    further.


    "Madam wanted to deliver it personally at first, but Dr. Walker dropped by unexpectedly. Her


    conversation with Dr. Walker dyed her ns, and Madam tends to have the habit of napping in the


    afternoon. So, it was already afternoon by the time they were done chatting. Hence, she tasked me to


    deliver the bird''s nest," Loraine exined.


    Naturally, Edric knew about Margaret''s stubborn habit of napping in the afternoon. Edric faced the


    security guard and asked, "Was there anything else that happened afterwards?"


    "No. Later, the two of us stayed in the security room, and no one came. We didn''t notice any


    movements until Loraine and Miss Nelson arrived."


    "You can leave now," Edric instructed Loraine, the security guards, and the driver to leave. Only John,


    Edric, and Irene were left in the living room. He was silent for a moment before looking at Irene, "I want


    to hear your side of the story."


    "I''ve said everything. When I found the saffron in the bird''s nest, I wanted to ask Mrs. Myers about it


    with Loraine. While she went to answer a phone call, I went upstairs to find Mrs. Myers. I shouted a few


    times, but no one answered. When I opened the door, I saw her body on the ground..."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Irene, do you think your words are enough to convince people?" Edric interrupted her fiercely. "My


    mother was fine before you came, and you were the only person who saw her in this condition. You


    better tell the truth. What did you do to my mother to make her be in aa now?"


    "Edric, you''re not being reasonable," Irene''s face was red from anger, "Didn''t I just say that she was


    already lying on the floor when I went in?"


    "Do you think that someone will believe what you just said?" Edric''s eyes glowered with coldness.


    "Irene, just admit what you''ve done. Since you''ve done it, you should admit your mistake. Tell me, did


    you identally push her?"


    "Edric, how many times do I have to exin myself until you''re willing to believe me? I didn''t push her!"


    Irene was infuriated. The feeling of being wronged was frustrating indeed.


    "Who can prove your innocence?" Edric asked. "There was a clear palm print on my mother''s face.


    How dare you say that you didn''t hit her out of anger?"


    "I didn''t hit her. Edric, I really didn''t hit her," Irene realized that she could not prove her innocence at this


    point.


    "Don''t deny it. I saw you hitting her with my own eyesst time. Just because of the fact that I loved


    you, I chose to tolerate it. However, why didn''t you learn from your mistake at all? Irene, just admit your


    actions. Did you beat my mother and push her to the ground, causing her injury? I know your purpose


    wasn''t to hurt her like this. It''s just an ident, so it''s okay. As long as you admit it, I''ll forgive you for


    the sake of your pregnancy."


    "How can I admit something that I didn''t do? Edric, how can you doubt me like this?" Irene shouted.


    "It''s not that I suspect you, but the facts are all in front of me now. Irene, I''m really disappointed in you!


    My mother has taken the initiative to apologize to you. Why did you do this to her? I know that my


    mother used to mistreat you. You must have done something to her because you hate her."


    "You''re being unreasonable!" Irene was infuriated. "Edric, let me tell you, ndering someone is a


    crime. You''ve said that I had pushed your mother down, so you have to bring out the evidence! Edric, if


    you suspect me, call the police immediately and let the police deal with it. Give me some justice."


    "Do you think that I won''t do anything to you? Irene, the heavens are watching, and there''s a limit to my


    patience!" Edric bellowed.


    "As I had said, if you really doubt me, you can call the police," Irene could not bear it anymore.


    "Good! You win! Irene, this matter will not be settled like this. Just you wait and see. I''ll never let you


    go!"

 Chapter 194 Pretending To Persuade

    Chapter 194 Pretending To Persuade


    Listening to the heated argument between Irene and Edric in the living room, Lorraine smiled wryly.


    Judging from the situation, Edric had fallen for the lie. He believed that Irene was responsible for


    Margaret''s condition. She anticipated how things would unfold.


    The door mmed open and Irene dashed out of the living room, fuming mad as she left the house.


    "How can she be so ruthless and act so indignant despite what she has done? Does she really think


    that I won''t call the police? John, call the police immediately! I want to how she''ll act this innocent!"


    Edric was steaming with anger. He seized a cup and smashed it on the ground as he yelled.


    Fear clutched at Loraine''s throat when she heard what he said. Would Edric really call the police? If he


    really called the police, things would beplicated. The police had be more experienced in


    cracking crimes. Things would turn ugly if they discovered that Deborah hade over.


    Loraine panicked as the thought crossed her mind. She immediately entered the living room and


    squatted down to clean up the mess Edric had made as she eavesdropped on their conversation.


    "Mr. Myers, please calm down! This is not the time to act recklessly!" John advised, "Although the


    witness says that Irene is the culprit, we have no other evidence to prove her point. Besides, I don''t


    think Irene is such a heartless person."


    John took Irene''s side as usual. Although it made Loraine smolder with resentment, she hoped that


    John could talk even more to help her understand what Edric was thinking.


    "Calm down? How can I calm down? She is not showing even the slightest bit of remorse. Look at my


    mother. As a son, should I just sit back and do nothing?" Edric bellowed, "I want her to go to jail! She


    has gone too far!"


    "Miss Nelson is currently pregnant. You can''t treat her like that."


    "Yes, Miss Nelson is pregnant. Sending her to jail would be bad for her health," Lorraine chimed in.


    "I don''t care. So what if she threatens me with the child? So many women out there are willing to marry


    me and bear my child. Why should I tolerate her actions? You guys have seen how ruthless she is,


    right? There''s no reason for me to go easy on her. Marrying her was a mistake!" he snapped as molten


    anger rolled through him.


    "I understand your concern but you must think of the child. Eden is still ill. He is innocent. Miss Nelson


    is no longer the only person concerned here, as she is rted to three other people as well." John was


    panicking. He was afraid that Edric would really do harm to Irene. Therefore, he mentioned Eden,


    hoping that Edric would gain some rationality. Although he did not know the truth, he instinctively


    believed Irene when he saw the anguish in her eyes. He believed without a doubt that Irene was not


    the culprit.


    "I agree. I think Miss Nelson did not do it on purpose. She probably regrets her actions now." Loraine


    added, "Or maybe she still doesn''t," Although she wanted to persuade Edric to give up on the notion of


    calling the police, she wanted him to continue ming Irene for his mother''s condition.


    "So, I should just let the matter slide?" Edric mmed his fist against the table in frustration.


    "Impossible! I can''t let this slide so easily!"


    "What about we wait for a while and see how things unfold? Mrs. Myers is still undergoing treatment


    and perhaps, she will recover soon. We''ll wait and see how her condition is. For the time being, just be


    patient." Seeing that rage nearly consumed Edric, John tried to persuade him.


    "Recover? How? The doctor already said that this was the best case scenario we can hope for. My


    mother¡­.will never regain consciousness ever again," Edric choked back a sob.


    Loraine was startled at first when John mentioned that Mrs. Myers might recover. She heaved a sigh of


    relief upon hearing Edric''s words. "Even if the situation is bleak, you should not give up. Endure it for


    the time being for the sake of Eden and the baby. Let''s wait till she has given birth and Eden has


    recovered."


    Edric clenched his fists, "You''re right. Let''s wait till the child is born, then I''ll make her pay for her sins.


    Such a ruthless woman! Look how she has treated my mother. There''s no way I''ll allow her to take care


    of the children. I will give her a taste of her own medicine."


    Edric and John went to the hospital again. Loraine heaved a sigh of relief and went back to her room to


    give Deborah a call. Upon hearing what had happened, Deborah was delighted and reminded her to be


    careful so that the n would proceed smoothly.


    Thomas was ying with Eden when Irene reached home. Noticing that something was amiss, he


    asked anxiously, "How''s Margaret?"


    "Not good. The doctor said that she might not wake up forever," Irene sighed.


    Although he did not have a good impression of Margaret, he still sympathized as no one deserved to


    be in such a state. He asked, "What happened? Why did she be like this?"


    "I have no idea. She had already fainted when I reached her house," Irene exined. Recalling how


    Loraine framed her, rage coursed through her veins and she snapped, "How dare Loraine tell Edric that


    I was responsible for Margaret''s injury? She framed me and said that I was the one who pushed


    Margaret. What''s more, Edric believed her. That was so frustrating until I got into a fight with him."


    "You guys got into a fight?" Thomas was surprised.


    "Yes, I was so furious and I lost my temper. Uncle Thomas, why did Loraine frame me? I''ve never


    offended her in any manner."


    "Maybe it was unintentional?"


    "No, I think she did it on purpose. She wanted Edric to suspect me."


    Thomasforted her. "Irene, it''s irresponsible of Edric to suspect you without any evidence but he''s


    in a bad mood now and Loraine keeps misleading him. It''s only natural for him to make a wrong


    judgement. Everything will be resolved once he calms down."


    "I hope so, but I really didn''t push Margaret. I''m not afraid since I''ve done nothing wrong. He can think


    whatever he wants."


    Meanwhile, the car pulled out of Myers family''s vi and headed towards the hospital. John said


    anxiously, "Mr. Myers, I still think that Miss Nelson wouldn''t do something like that. I believe that she is


    innocent."


    "I also don''t believe that Irene would do such a thing," Edric answered.


    "Then, what was the fuss just now?" Startled, John shifted his gaze to Edric''s face.


    "It was just an act," Edric sneered, his gaze was cold.


    "An act? For who?" John was confused. There had been no outsiders in the Myers family vi just now.


    Who did Edric suspect?


    "Did you listen carefully to what Loraine and Irene had said?" Edric asked.


    "Of course I did. Is there anything fishy about it?"


    "You did not listen properly, but I did. There were many loopholes in their conversations. First, Loraine


    mentioned that Irene had been steaming with fury when she discovered the saffron in the bird''s nest


    and wanted to question my mother. If you were a servant, what would you do?"


    "I would definitely stop Irene," John replied.


    "Yes, that is what a normal person would do. Lorraine should have stopped Irene from seeing my


    mother and instead she should have called me when Irene still insisted on meeting her so that I would


    be able toe back and stop her. However, she had brought Irene back to the house and when Irene


    asked her to bring my mother downstairs, she responded with an excuse that my mother was taking a


    nap. Other than that, she let Irene go upstairs alone, saying that the phone had rung at the moment. All


    of that sounded fishy."


    "Perhaps it was just a coincidence?"


    "There''s something else I''m suspicious about. My mother never naps for more than an hour. That''s a


    habit of hers. For Loraine to be able to deliver the bird''s nest to Irene and return with her to the house


    again, that would take at least two hours. My mother would already be awake. Although she can''t move


    around easily as she used to, she could still support herself with the furniture around. She would not


    have remained in her room when she heard Irene calling her. Besides, Irene mentioned that she had


    called her a few times before she entered, which means my mother had already fainted before Irene


    arrived."


    A look of surprise crossed John''s face when he heard what Edric said. Edric continued, "Lastly, my


    mother loves her grandchildren. No matter how much she resented Irene, she would nevery a finger


    on the baby. There''s no way she would add saffron in the bird''s nest and Irene would never frame my


    mother out of the blue. Hence, the only possibility is that Loraine did something to the bird''s nest.


    Lorraine must be involved in this incident." Edric sneered.


    "Your theory sounds logical but what''s her motive?"


    John looked skeptical. Loraine had been working for the Myers family for so many years. She had


    always been loyal and the Myers family had never mistreated her. There was no reason for her to do


    something like this.


    "Don''t you think that it''s weird she''s iming that Irene is the culprit although she didn''t witness the


    incident herself? If she didn''t witness Irene pushing my mother with her own eyes, she should not have


    med Irene in that manner. After all, this is a matter of life or death. A careless remark would make


    me suspect Irene."


    "Maybe she''s just worried about Mrs. Myers. After all, she has been working for her for nine years. She


    must care about your mother."


    "If my mother had treated her well, I''d believe that she would care about her. However, you know that


    my mother has a bad temper and likes to belittle others. Lorraine must not have an easy time with her.


    Her life would be better if my mother was gone."


    Edric sighed, recalling the day he had caught a glimpse of the resentment in Loraine''s eyes. Lorraine


    definitely loathed his mother.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Even so, it''s not necessary for her to do such a thing to Mrs. Myers, right? She could always resign."


    "There are some things that cannot be exined with logic. Irene has never offended either you or


    Loraine. Hence, when I suspected Irene, you tried to advise me instead of motivating me to hate Irene.


    Loraine has been in the Myers family for nine years. She knows my feelings towards Irene but she did


    not describe the incident objectively. Instead, all her statements seem to suggest to me that Irene is the


    culprit. She''s definitely guilty."


    Edric was sure that he was right. He continued, "Therefore, I deliberately blew a fuse to observe her


    reaction. However, she acted very strangely. She was very insistent that Irene was the culprit but once I


    had mentioned the police, she suddenly changed her attitude and tried to persuade me not to call the


    police. She was acting very strange indeed!"


    John recalled Loraine''s reaction when Edric wanted to call the police. Indeed, something was amiss. "If


    that''s the case, let''s keep an eye on her. If she''s guilty, she''ll definitely expose herself."


    "Not only should we keep an eye on her, but we should also watch out for Marie. A ckout urred


    just after Marie came to the house. Don''t you think that''s weird? Go and investigate who caused the


    ckout. Although the surveince cameras in the vi weren''t working due to the short circuit, we can


    still investigate which route Marie took to reach the house. Don''t miss out on any suspicious details."


    John nodded, "I''ll do it right away."


    "Go and investigate who had caused the ckout first. Marie''s matter can wait. We do not want her to


    realize that we''re suspecting her. Be careful," Edric warned.

 Chapter 195 Relief Finally Washed Over Her

    Chapter 195 Relief Finally Washed Over Her


    They arrived at the hospital and bumped into Marie who hade over to visit Margaret. She wiped


    away his tears as she approached him, "Edric, what happened? She was still fine when I visited her


    this morning. We had even nned to go on a vacation once she had recovered. What on earth


    happened to her?"


    Tears trickled down her cheeks as she spoke, seeming devastated. Edric hid the disgust towards the


    woman in his eyes and pretended to be furious, "It''s all because of Irene. She came over to question


    my mother today regarding something and pushed her. She''s the culprit."


    "Irene pushed her? Are you sure?!" Marie eximed in disbelief.


    "It can''t be a mistake. It has to be her. She once pped my mother in front of me. Just now I was


    away, and it was the perfect opportunity for her to treat my mother as harshly as she wanted." Edric


    clenched his fist, "If she wasn''t pregnant, I would...she really is too vicious!"


    Seeing that he was simmering with anger, Marie heaved a sigh of relief. It really did seem that Edric


    was furious and exasperated, and if it was not for the fact that Irene was pregnant, Edric would have


    irrationally done something to her at that point. Their n had worked!


    She had still been skeptical when she heard from Deborah that Edric had quarreled with Irene. Hence,


    she came over to observe Edric''s reaction. Now that she had witnessed his wrath in person, she was


    finally relieved. Everything would be perfect as long as Margaret remained in aa.


    Marie left after reassuring him that everything would be all right with her eyes bloodshot. Once she


    disappeared from sight, Edric scowled. "Don''t let anyone approach my mother alone. Not even the


    doctors," he instructed the caregivers he had hired specifically to protect Margaret.


    They nodded, "Mr. Myers, rest assured, we will constantly be watching her."


    Edric left the hospital with a heavy heart. He wanted to see Irene and exin to her about the


    circumstances but he felt that it was not the right time. Hence, he changed his mind and went home.


    Lorraine dashed out immediately when they reached home and she asked, "Mr. Myers, how''s Mrs.


    Myers?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "No improvement," Edric answered.


    "I''ve packed my stuff up. I''ll go over and take care of Mrs. Myers tomorrow morning."


    "There''s no need. I''ve already hired caregivers to take care of her." He knew that Loraine was


    expressing her loyalty towards the family but there was no way he would let her near his mother again.


    "I''ve worked for Mrs. Myers for so many years. She is used to my care. To be honest, I''ll be worried if


    someone else looks after her. Just let me go," Lorraine pleaded.


    "I know that you care about my mother but she is currently unconscious. The doctor has said that she


    needs to be taken care of by professionals. I have already hired caregivers to look after her." Edric


    replied, "Besides, now that my mother isn''t at home, everything is in a mess. I do not have time to take


    care of the house. I need you to stay here and manage the household''s matters."


    That meant that she would be in charge of the household. Lorraine did not expect such luck to befall


    her. She knew exactly how precious this chance was. She was gleeful and prayed that Margaret would


    never wake up.


    Kinsey had gone overseas for a business trip for the past few days. Upon returning home, the scent of


    food greeted her. She was delighted, "I''m so lucky that I get to smell some good food upon returning."


    Irene turned around and shed her a smile. "It''s not that you''re lucky, but that Uncle Thomas knew


    that you''reing home today. Hence, he prepared them specifically for you."


    "Really? Oh, Uncle Thomas, you''re so good to me!" Kinsey looked around and asked, "Where''s Eden?"


    "I''m here!" Eden dashed out from the room.


    "Good boy. Come here, and let me hug you!" Kinsey spread her arms in an embrace and Eden threw


    himself upon her. He gave her a peck on the cheek and asked, "Kinsey, where''s my present?"


    "What''s the magic word? I won''t give you your present if you don''t say the magic word," Kinsey


    pretended to be angry.


    "Please," Eden said sweetly.


    "Good Boy!"


    "By the way, Jordan also pesters me to say the magic word. Are you two a couple?" he teased.


    Kinsey and Irene nced at one another. Eden added, "Jordan is single. Kinsey, you''re single too. Why


    don''t you consider Jordan as a partner? You guys would make a sweet couple, and you can both


    pester me to say the magic word."


    "You little fool, what are you bbering about?" Kinsey blushed.


    "Eden, that is a wonderful suggestion!" Thoma chimed in as brought out the dishes from the kitchen.


    Kinsey''s face flushed crimson.


    "Eden, I''m here!" A booming, jovial voice rang.


    Jordan was beaming from ear to ear as he entered with a bag full of goodies. Eden was ecstatic,


    "Jordan, you''re here!"


    "Yes, it''s me," Jordan responded. He ced the things on the table and sniffed, "It smells so good! I''ll


    go and have a look at what''s for dinner."


    "You sure love food so much. Your nose is sharper than that of a cat''s," Irene teased.


    "He sure does," Kinseyughed.


    Jordan disregarded their remarks and spun Eden around twice before he entered the kitchen. He


    grinned upon seeing the dishes, "Wow, they look good! I''m going to have such a good meal tonight."


    "Kinsey said the same just a moment ago. You guys are so alike," Eden butted in.


    Jordan burst outughing, "Kinsey loves food much more than I do."


    "Are you sure?" Eden asked. He shook his head in disbelief.


    "Cross my heart."


    Kinsey snorted in indignation.


    Thomas brought out thest dish. "It''s time to eat!" he announced.


    Thomas'' culinary skills were remarkable. After a fruitful dinner, they sat in the living room and began


    chatting.


    Jordan asked, "Edric''s mother was admitted to the hospital. Are you aware of this?"


    Irene nodded and told them what had happened. Kinsey was furious when she heard that Edric was


    suspecting Irene as the culprit.


    "Edric is such a scoundrel. Look how he had treated you in the past. How dare he suspect you. Irene,


    we should pay no heed to him in the future."


    Irene was indeed indignant before but once she had calmed down, she thought it through. She


    defended Edric, "I understand his distress. Although I was angry at that time, I admit that I would also


    blow a fuse if the same thing happened to my mother."


    "You''re still taking his side?" Kinsey was flustered, "Why are you so foolish? How could you be so kind?


    He has treated you so unfairly. You don''t seem to learn your lesson."


    "Kinsey, this is no small matter. This concerns his mother''s life," Irene reminded her. "It would not be a


    big deal if she had fallen by herself but something seems amiss."


    "I agree with you. Something sounds fishy," Jordan chimed in. "I can''t say that I''m certain about other


    matters, but I definitely don''t believe that Margaret would send a bird''s nest with saffron in it for Irene to


    eat. That''s impossible!"


    "Maybe the old hag wanted Irene to break up with Edric for good?" Kinsey was insistent that she was


    right.


    "No way. Margaret has been anticipating the baby for a very long time. She might fight for the child''s


    custody but she would never hurt the child directly. She has no motive to do so." Jordan pondered the


    matter, "It seems fishy that Margaret had already fainted when Irene arrived at her house. It''s a scheme


    to make Edric and Irene turn against each other."


    "Who would be so ruthless?" Kinsey felt that this was a serious matter after hearing Jordan''s words.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Jordan sneered, "Who wishes more than anything else for Irene and Edric to break


    up?"


    "Lily?" Kinsey was stunned. "She may be the possible culprit, but why would she go so far?"


    "The day when Loraine brought the bird''s nest over, Lily gave me a call¡­" Irene repeated what Lily had


    said. "I thought Margaret was trying to please the both of us but apparently that was not the case.


    Someone from the Myers Family must have told Lily that Margaret had prepared presents for me.


    Recalling how Loraine framed me, it must be her."


    Jordan nodded in agreement, "I also think that Loraine seems suspicious. Lily must have bribed her


    and she is now working for her. All that''s left is whether Edric is smart enough to think things through."


    A car came to a halt in front of the house and the doorbell rang. Kinsey answered the door and Edric


    entered.


    "I can''t believe that you still have the audacity toe over," Kinsey rolled her eyes.


    Edric disregarded her and walked towards Irene, "Irene, I have something to tell you."


    Irene was startled to see him, but she said, "You came just at the right time. I also have something to


    say to you. Let''s talk outside."


    They headed towards the garden. Just as Irene was about to sit on the bench, Edric stopped her.


    "Wait, it''s too cold." He took off his coat and ced it on the bench. Irene felt a mix of emotions at his


    actions, and she sat down. Edric sat down beside her and ced his hand on hers, "Irene, I''m sorry!"


    Upon hearing him apologizing, tears welled up in her eyes. She scolded, "Edric, you b*stard!"


    "It''s my fault. Irene, please forgive me." Edric reached his arms out to hug her but she pushed him


    away, saying, "Let go of me."


    "Irene, please. Let me hug you for a while. A few minutes will suffice." Irene''s heart went out to him


    when she heard the sorrow in his voice. Therefore, she did not push him away any longer. Instead, she


    said, "Edric, I am not the culprit. I believe that someone is plotting against us."


    "I know. I wasn''t blowing up on you that day. I never doubted you, not even once. My mother would


    never send you a bird''s nest with saffron and you would never hurt her till she wouldnd in aa. I


    suspected that someone was trying to trick us, and Loraine is helping that person. Hence, I had


    purposely shouted at you so that we would be able to blind the culprit. I hadn''te over earlier before


    this because I was afraid that someone would be keeping an eye on you, which would ruin the n.


    Once I was sure that the coast was clear today, I came right away."


    "I had also felt that Loraine was acting strangely. She deliberately framed me after being ordered from


    someone else to do so. I suspect that the person who had ordered her is Lily," Irene repeated what Lily


    had said to her that day.


    "It has to be her. Marie is definitely involved as well." Edric sneered, "I''ve instructed John to look into


    the matter and I believe that we''ll achieve some results soon. However, you will be forced to take the


    me for now."


    "It''s alright. As long as we can get to the bottom of this, I''ll be fine with anything."


    John took Edric''s words to heart, and realized that the situation was precarious. To avoid alerting the


    enemy that they were on them, he personally investigated the gardener who had cut the wires that led


    to the ckout.


    The gardener was a man called Luther Weil. He had been doing gardening work for more than 20


    years and loved to gamble and drink. A few days ago, he had lost 20 million dors from gambling.


    20 million dors was no small amount for a mere gardener but to everyone''s surprise, Luther had not


    shown any signs of distress a debt-loaded person would normally exhibit, and was instead acting as he


    usually did.


    John felt that something was amiss once he received the news. Luther was definitely involved in the


    incident.

 Chapter 196 Evidence of the Affair

    Chapter 196 Evidence of the Affair


    John immediately arranged for someone to follow Luther. He also went to the police station and asked


    a contact to show him CCTV footage of the route that Marie had taken to go to Edric''s vi. He found


    that while Marie was on the way to the vi, there had been someone sitting at the back of her car. The


    person was covered up so well so their face could not be seen clearly.


    On the way back, the same person was still in Marie''s car. This time however, Marie had taken a turn


    into a small alley, and after she came back out, the person in her car was gone.


    Although they could not see the person''s appearance clearly, it was a meaningful discovery. When


    Marie had gone to the Myers home, the ckout had not happened yet, which meant that the


    surveince cameras in the vi were still working. Perhaps they would be able to uncover something.


    John hurried back to get the surveince footage of the vi. He saw that while Marie''s car had entered


    the property, the person was still in the backseat. However, when she reached the vi, her passenger


    had mysteriously disappeared.


    John immediately told Edric about his discovery. After Edric seriously watched the tapes, he sneered


    and said, "This person is still in the car."


    Seeing that John was confused by his exnation, he continued, "Marie''s car has tinted ss all


    around except for her front windshield. That means you can''t see the inside of her car from the sides or


    the back of her car. Earlier, when you had seen a passenger in the backseat, you were looking in from


    the front. That''s why you were able to see them. However, after entering my house, that person must


    have ducked down orid down in the car to stay hidden. That way, the front camera would not be able


    to detect them. Our vi''s security guard knows Marie well, so he probably didn''t pay that much


    attention to her and had overlooked that there was a person hiding in her car."


    "That makes sense," John understood the situation after hearing Edric''s exnation, "That means that


    the person had been hiding in the car, and they only came out after the security had left and there were


    no surveince cameras around. It seems that this person must have something to do with Mrs. Myer''s


    fainting."


    Edric nodded, "Before this, I already had my suspicions about Marie being at my house. However, I


    didn''t expect such a huge discovery. I guess you never really know a person''s true colors."


    "Marie and Mrs. Myer are friends, and there was no conflict between them. Why would she want to hurt


    Mrs. Myers?" John felt that the situation was too shocking.


    "I''m trying to figure that out too. As long as you keep an eye on Marie, the truth will be revealed," Edric


    smirked coldly.


    Although she had personally tested Edric, Marie was still worried. She asked Deborah to tell Steven


    about Margaret fainting and her injury.


    Hearing that Margaret had gotten injured because of Irene, Steven was shocked. He could not believe


    that Irene would do such a thing, so he personally went to Edric to rify the matter.


    Edric and Steven were not on good terms. Edric told Steven clearly that him and Irene were over. Now


    that Irene was pregnant and Eden was sick, Edric temporarily had no ns to investigate further.


    However, it was really only temporary. Once the child was born and Eden got better, he would definitely


    find a way to obtain custody of the two children. Edric even criticised that with such a vile mother, it


    would be detrimental to the children''s growth.


    Steven tried to put in some good words for Irene, but Edric stood firm in his position. Seeing him like


    this, there was nothing Steven could do. He had no choice but to go home upsettingly.


    The child was Irene''s entire world. How could she let Edric take the child away? However, with


    Margaret''s current condition, Edric would not let this go so easily.


    What should he do?


    After he returned home, Steven was in a bad mood. Deborah deliberately asked him what Edric said


    and Steven said angrily, "The Myers family is being too unreasonable. Even if Irene had made


    Margaret faint, so what? Margaret is such an evil woman, she deserves it."


    He had said this because he was really at his wit''s end with Edric. Edric had always been polite when


    he met Steven, but now that they had butted heads, his true colours were showing.


    Deborah was secretly delighted and quickly told all of this to Marie. Marie finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    It seemed like Edric really did think that Irene was the one who injured Margaret this time. Her n was


    perfect. The only w was that Margaret had not died yet as they had nned and instead she was still


    breathing.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Marie had confirmed that the chances of Margaret waking up were slim, it was still a loose


    end. She had to think of a way to settle it once and for all.


    Marie went to the hospital several times to visit Margaret to see if she could get a chance to end her


    life. However, she had no chance to be alone with Margaret at all, for the caretaker that Edric had


    hired was always there watching over her.


    Hearing that Marie had gone to the hospital to visit her mother several times, Edric sneered. It seemed


    that Marie still had a traitor''s heart. She had been friends with his mother for so long, so why did she


    treat Margaret like that? Additionally, who was the other person in the car that day? Once he found out


    who that person was, she would be done for. By then, he would take back an eye for an eye, a tooth for


    a tooth. He would be sure to bury those people who hurt his mother alive.


    John had asked someone to follow Luther. At first, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, as he would


    go to work and go home and he didn''t really interact much with anyone either. However, one night, he


    had gone out.


    He got on a bus and got off after taking about a dozen stops. Then, he took a taxi to arge shopping


    mall. After wandering in the shopping mall for a while, Luther had answered a phone call and went to


    the bathroom.


    A few minutester, Luther hade out of the bathroom with a bag in his hand. The people following


    him had seen him go in empty-handed. Immediately, they had called John and he rushed over to the


    shopping mall.


    He went to look for the manager of the mall and asked him for the surveince footage. Through the


    records, he noticed a man, who was wearing sunsses and holding a bag in his hand, entering the


    bathroom right before Luther did.


    John looked through all the footage to track down the man in the sunsses. Not long after, he saw the


    man get into a car in the parking lot. The number te ended with the numbers ''465''.


    After some inquiries, the owner of the car was found to be Cecilia Weil, andy who owned a bunch


    of bars. John turned his attention over to her.


    Cecilia Weil was not her real name, as she used to be known as Rosa Skinner. She changed her name


    because she did not like how her old name sounded. Cecilia had been rebellious since young. At


    around the age of 14 or 15, she got pregnant. That man eventually abandoned her, and she had


    searched high and low for him, but to no avail. This led to her adopting a terrible lifestyle, and she


    became a prostitute.


    Prostitutes who were over 30 naturally had less clientele. Ever since Cecilia got older, not many men


    wanted her anymore. So, she had decided to be a procurer. Of course, she did more than that.


    For those old male clients that were not picky and did not want to spend too much for a young


    prostitute, she would still offer her services and apany them.


    Besides procuring girls and sleeping with old men, Cecilia did not have many hobbies. After that, some


    meet more men online, so Rosa decided to try it out too. In the app, she gave herself the name of


    ''Lovely Rose''. She was happy with the name, as it sounded artistic and it had her name incorporated in


    it. She felt like she was a genius to have thought of it. Although she was a procurer, she liked to act like


    she was smarter than everyone else.


    Rosa used the nickname ''Lovely Rose'' for a while but she did not manage to get any men. She was


    rather frustrated and so she brought it up with the otherdies. They allughed at her name, and they


    told her nowadays people wanted something thrilling. Who would be attracted to such an artistic name?


    Rosa thought about it for a while but she could not think of a nice name. She realized that all the other


    think of a name. Thedy thought about it, and told her that since she liked her previous nickname, she


    could just add an adjective to it. Rosa felt like it did not sound nice at all. However, she couldn''t think of


    anything better, so she epted her suggestion and changed her name on Twitter to ''Lovely Skinny


    Rose''.


    She had no idea that the youngdy was actually duping her. Rosa was a very fierce and mean


    procurer. She was petty and often charged highmission fees from them. The youngdies all


    hated her. So, the youngdy who had given Rosa that suggestion was actually trying to embarrass her


    on purpose.


    However, the name change turned out to be really effective. Immediately, someone had hit her up. With


    her new nickname, Rosa managed to pick up quite a lot of guys. Although most of them were turned off


    after meeting her in person, some of the men had a unique taste for older women. With the app, she


    had managed to find quite a few partners.


    Later on, Rosa met a man called Bruce. Bruce was tanned and buff. He was good in bed and so when


    they first slept together, Rosa had fallen in love with him.


    Rosa had not slept with a younger man who was so skilled in bed for a long time. So, she took quite a


    fancy to Bruce. After their one night stand, they exchanged numbers and eventually started living


    together.


    Although Rosa was cruel to the girls working under her, she was not the same towards men. Perhaps


    because she was older, she treated Bruce extremely well. She often brought him home and always


    covered all his expenses.


    In the blink of an eye, she had been together with Bruce for a few months. One night, Rosa came back


    home from the club. However, Bruce was not home and he was not answering his phone either


    Rosa felt like something strange was going on. What the hell was going on with Bruce? This had never


    happened to her before.


    After Bruce did not show up for two days, Rosa grew even more puzzled. Did that heartless boy grow


    tired of her so he left?


    Prostitutes were usually not one for emotions, but Rosa was different. She had really treated Bruce as


    her partner. His two-day disappearance made Rosa start to panic. She quickly went to check her bank


    ount via an ATM machine. At the sight of her bank bnce, she was furious. All her savings were


    gone.


    Rosa was about to blow a fuse. Her ATM card was linked to her phone number, so how could he have


    transferred all the money without her being notified? She angrily went to the bank to ask the


    receptionist. That was when she realized that the phone number linked to her bank ount had been


    changed. She had been living with Bruce those past few months like husband and wife, so she had


    hidden nothing from him. Bruce was the only person who could have made her let down her walls like


    that.


    Rosa was boiling with anger and she quickly filed a police report. Once she made that report, John


    caught wind of it immediately. He was keeping an eye on Rosa just to find out about Bruce''s


    whereabouts. Originally he had thought that he would be able to uncover the truth soon, but Rosa was


    actually much more clueless than he expected. However, this was a good chance for John to get near


    her.

 Chapter 197 A Clue

    Chapter 197 A Clue


    He went with the police to take Rosa''s statement. Rosa did not know much about Bruce''s situation at


    all, but she did give one clue, and that was that Bruce would often call a man named Logan behind her


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    back.


    Back then she was still a bit wary of Bruce, so she would often secretly listen to his conversations with


    Logan. Back then she had wondered if Bruce was seeing other women outside. So while he was in the


    shower, Rosa had secretly looked through his phone and recorded Logan''s phone number down.


    The police asked Rosa to give them the phone number that she had recorded. With the number, John


    found out that his full name was Logan Wheeler.


    After some investigation, John found that Logan owned quite a few shops. In order to exert his power,


    he had quite a few underlings under him. Bruce had indeed worked for him before.


    Although they had found a connection to Logan, it did not mean anything. Right now, they had to find


    Bruce. Edric did not want to let anyone know about their findings in fear that they would scare the


    enemies away. Now with Rosa''s police report, they could publicly search for Bruce. The police marked


    Bruce as a wanted man.


    When Logan caught wind that the police were out to arrest Bruce, he was furious. Bruce had long been


    nning to start out a new life. That had been hisst time doing a job for Logan.


    Logan was a very meticulous person. Even when he wanted to transfer money to Bruce, he used


    through many different vessels to do so. After Brucepleted his job, Logan had given him a sum of


    money to leave San Fetillo and start a new life somewhere else. However, he had not expected Bruce


    to have been so greedy that he even took away all of Cecilia''s money.


    Logan cursed Bruce in his heart. He hired someone to get information about the police investigation


    ongoing for Bruce and confirmed that it had started due to Cecilia''s report. Logan felt a little more


    relieved. This issue was nothing too big. After all, the police might not even be able to find Bruce. If


    they did, he could just return the money and maybe spend a year and a half in jail and that would be it.


    Of course, Logan was still notpletely at ease. Bruce was a wanted man now. He had to think of a


    way to get Cecilia to drop the case. That would be the best solution.


    Logan had previously heard Bruce boasting about Cecilia. He would talk about how she was a procurer


    and how well she treated him. Logan had never really paid much attention to his words before.


    However, perhaps he should pay this Cecilia a visit.


    Logan visited Cecilia''s nightclub where she procured. When he entered, a woman with heavy makeup


    came over and took the initiative to pull his arm, "Sir, are you alone? Are you in need of service?"


    Logan got a whiff of the pungent perfume from her body and almost threw up. He held it in and pushed


    her away before walking in, but the woman did not take the hint. She followed him and began to


    introduce him to all thedies inside. It was only then Logan realized that she had to be Cecilia.


    He found a seat and sat down. Cecilia sat next to him and continued to promote her youngdies.


    Logan had originally been repulsed by her scent, but after suspecting that she was Cecilia, he did not


    show his disgust, but instead began to size her up.


    The lighting in the nightclub was dim, so he was unable see her face clearly. All he knew was that she


    bore heavy makeup. Now after taking a closer look at her face, Logan was shocked.


    "Why does this woman look so familiar?" After thinking for a moment, he suddenly felt a shiver, "Isn''t


    she Rosa Skinner?"


    Logan realized things were not looking good. He had to get out of there before Rosa recognized him.


    Thinking of that, he immediately stood up and left. When Rosa had seen Logan sit down and listen to


    her talk, she thought that she would be getting some business. Unexpectedly, he stood up


    and abruptly ran out. Rosa felt that she was really unlucky, and she spat in his direction as he ran


    away, "Pooh! What the hell is wrong with this guy?"


    Logan hurried out of the nightclub and returned to his car. His heart was still beating fast. Cecilia was


    Rosa? He could not believe it.


    She didn''t recognize him, did she? Thinking about it, she probably did not. If she had, knowing her


    temper, she definitely would have caused a scene.


    He wiped away the sweat on his forehead. He was the one who had taken Rosa''s virginity. She had still


    been in her teens back then and she had ended up pregnant, but she did not want the baby. Her


    brother, Jackson, had searched high and low for the man who had gotten Rosa pregnant. Rosa had


    been loyal to Logan so she never told her brother. If it wasn''t for the fact that Jackson got imprisoned,


    Logan would definitely be dead.


    Most importantly, the reason why he was so afraid of Rosa was not because he had taken her virginity


    and gotten her pregnant, but because he had done another thing that Rosa had witnessed with her


    own two eyes.


    If Rosa decided to tell the world about what he did, he would be doomed!


    Logan reached home filled with uneasiness. When Heather saw his flustered expression, she felt that


    he was being abnormal, so she asked, "Logan, what''s wrong with you?"


    "N-Nothing," Logan faltered.


    Although Heather was puzzled, there was nothing she could do if Logan did not want to tell her. She


    poured him a ss of water, "Logan, Deborah said she''ll being to the beauty salon tomorrow."


    "Did she call you to tell you?"


    "Yes, she said that she wanted you to go early. She has something important to discuss with you,"


    Heather looked at Logan worriedly, "Logan, I''m sure that she''s up to no good. If you can hide, just


    hide."


    "I can''t hide forever," Logan sighed.


    When Logan asked someone to get information about Bruce''s police investigation, John was notified


    immediately. Seeing how anxious he was, he definitely had something to do with Bruce. Edric told John


    to keep a close eye on Logan and see what he nned to do next.


    Due to the fact that she was afraid of arousing Edric''s suspicion, Deborah did not dare to meet with


    Marie. They could only use the phone to contact each other in private. Both of them were smart enough


    to avoid being discovered by others, and they used a different SIM card to call each other. They were


    afraid of leaving behind any clues that could get them in trouble.


    Margaret was lying in bed in aa now, the doctor had said that the chances of her waking up were


    slim, unless a miracle happened. However, Marie herself had a medical background too. The doctor did


    not confirm with certainty that Margaret would definitely stay in aa, so she could not feel at ease. A


    up, that would mean big trouble.


    Marie had gone to the hospital several times to see if there was a chance to pull off Margaret''s oxygen


    tube, but her efforts were to no avail. Seeing the two dutiful caretakers keeping away everyone from


    getting too near, Marie was afraid. She was very aware that Margaret was like a ticking time bomb to


    her and Deborah that could explode at any second. If she woke up, her and Deborah would not be able


    to escape.


    She told Deborah about her worries, and Deborah was on the same page as her. After some


    discussion, they decided they could not sit idly by. They had to think of a way to end Margaret''s life.


    Just because Marie did not have the chance to act, did not mean that other people did not. Deborah


    suggested hiring someone else to do it instead. Right now, Deborah trusted Logan more than anyone


    to do her bidding. So, naturally he was the first person thate to mind. She made a call to Heather


    and asked her to pass along a message to tell Logan to wait for her at the beauty salon. She had


    something to discuss with him.


    Although Logan knew that Deborah would definitely not being to him with anything good, he had


    no way to escape it. So he went to the beauty salon to wait as per her message. Deborah cut straight


    to the chase and told him about Margaret. She wanted him to think of a way to make sure she never


    woke up again.


    Of course, since it was much easier to deal with a sick person who wasn''t even conscious. Logan


    agreed to her n immediately. Deborah was ted. She had not met up with Logan in a while, so the


    two of them went for a round before they part ways.


    Edric had ordered his men to keep an eye on Logan this entire time, so they had followed Logan to the


    beauty salon as well.


    The beauty salon operated by Heather had an area especially to cater to male guests. When Edric''s


    men saw Logan enter, they followed suit and saw him enter into a VIP room.


    After a short while, Deborah also entered the beauty salon. She familiarly walked straight into the VIP


    room that Logan had entered. Even a fool would know that one man and one woman being alone in a


    room was unusual. Edric''s men took some pictures of Deborah and sent them to John.


    When John saw the photo, he was shocked and immediately reported it to Edric. When Edric heard


    that Logan and Deborah had met in the beauty salon, he immediately knew what it meant.


    Deborah must be the mastermind behind his mother''sa, while Marie and Loraine were her


    aplices.


    Edric had never expected Deborah and Marie to be crazy enough to do this to his mother. It seemed


    like the reason behind the attack was his mother''s shift in attitude towards Irene. Deborah wanted to


    me the incident all on Irene so that it would cause a rift between Edric and her. However, Deborah


    had miscalcted.


    His mother would never give Irene saffron to sabotage her own grandson, and Irene was not so vile


    that she would do such a thing to his mother. More importantly, Edric trusted Irene''s character. If she


    was really the one who had caused Margaret to fall into aa, she would definitely own up to it and


    try to make up for it. She would not push the me onto someone else.


    Edric treated Margaret''s enemies as his own. Ever since Margaret had been in aa, the only thing


    Edric had been thinking about was how to take revenge. Truth be told, he had suspected Deborah and


    Lily. However, he did not act on his thoughts because he didn''t want to alert them of his suspicions nor


    did he want to frame them if they were innocent. Now that Deborah had met with Logan, however, it


    had confirmed his suspicions once and for all.


    Jordan had also sent some men to tail Deborah. When he heard that Deborah was visiting the beauty


    salon once again, he sent his men in as well. He came to the same conclusion as John did.


    The pictures of Deborah having a private meeting with a man in the VIP room of a beauty salon and of


    Logan were taken by Jordan''s men and sent to him. He smiled contemptuously when he saw the


    pictures. So, Deborah was cheating on Steven? My my, what a turn of events.


    He had to let Irene know about this to let her make a decision about her actions.

 Chapter 198 Keep It To Yourself

    Chapter 198 Keep It To Yourself


    Deborah''s ruthlessness made Edric extremely worried for Irene''s safety. Since she could be so cruel to


    his own mother, she would definitely stop at nothing to harm Irene. He had to inform Irene as soon as


    possible so that she could be more careful.


    Edric paid a visit to Irene and told her about Deborah and Logan. Irene was taken aback. When


    Deborah had first seduced Steven and gave birth to Lily, Irene had just seen her as a horrible person


    who had no morals. She had never thought that Deborah was actually this vicious and evil.


    "She''s way too evil. Call the police and arrest her immediately," Irene felt both angry and worried.


    Edric shook his head, "We can''t call the police! That would be going too easy on them."


    "What are you nning to do then?"


    "An eye for an eye!" Edric sneered, "They''ve plotted against us for so long. If we just report them and


    get them thrown in jail, that would be too lenient towards them. I want them to have a taste of their own


    medicine."


    Margaret''s life was still hanging by a thread in the hospital. He was mentally and physically exhausted,


    yet the culprits were living freely. Edric knew in his heart that throwing them into jail would not change


    anything. He felt like them truly suffering could not be achieved by death, but rather by destroying their


    hopes. He wanted them to suffer both mentally and physically, to feel that they were better off dead


    than alive.


    He wanted to use his own means to make those sinners suffer, so he chose not to send them to jail.


    Irene understood Edric''s pain, and she asked, "What do you need me to help you with?"


    "Just by taking good care of yourself and Eden will be the best help you can give me. In case they


    be desperate, I''ve arranged several bodyguards for you. Someone will protect you when you go


    out in the future."


    "No, that would make me ufortable," Irene shook her head. She would feel ufortable having


    someone following her and watching her every move, so she did not want to go through that.


    "No, you must listen to me this time. Deborah is a vicious person. If she tries to do anything to you, the


    consequences will be unimaginable." Edric insisted, "I will ask them to not get in the way. I''m telling you


    my ns, just in case you notice them and misunderstand why there are men following you."


    "Alright," Seeing that he was insisting Irene had to agree. She was pregnant now, so she hardly went


    out anyways. Except for taking Eden to the hospital, she mostly stayed at home. It seemed that the


    existence of bodyguards would not really affect her life.


    "Don''t tell anyone about Deborah and the others, lest they ruin my n," Edric warned her again.


    "I can''t tell Uncle Thomas either?"


    "No, keep this matter to yourself."


    Meanwhile, just as Jordan was nning to tell Irene about Deborah''s affair, David came over. The past


    few days, he had been investigating the man that Jordan had beat up in the restaurant the other day.


    He told Jordan that he had found out all three of their identities. The man was the owner of a bar,


    Gordan Cassady. The two women were respectively his wife and his mistress.


    "So they really had an affair. However, didn''t you say that they seemed really close? It''s rare for a wife


    to be good friends with her husband''s mistress. Additionally, if they were close, why would they want to


    cause a scene like that at the restaurant?" Jordan was puzzled.


    "I also found it to be strange, so I carefully investigated Gordan. I found something. Gordan used to be


    a gangster. He was involved in a lot of illegal activity and it was only recently in the past two years that


    he started going on the right track. He opened up a shop in the Western District and has been aw


    abiding citizen ever since."


    "Are we wrongly suspecting him then?" Jordan frowned, "Forget it, take it slow. Keep an eye on him."


    He gave Logan''s photo to David, "This man has something going on with Mr. Cook''s wife. You''d better


    keep an eye on him. Get a picture of them together if you can."


    David took the photo and looked at it in surprise, "This man?"


    "Do you know this person?"


    "His name is Logan. He and Gordan used to work together. Now the two of them have apparently


    turned over a new leaf to start a business..."


    "What did you say?" Jordan suddenly stood up. He had figured out the connection between Deborah


    and Logan''s rtionship and the incident. The answer was obvious.


    That night, Jordan went over to Irene''s ce for dinner. He told her about Deborah and Logan but


    since she had already heard it all from Edric, she wasn''t surprised. The only thing she found odd was


    that Edric had said Deborah and Logan were conspiring tomit crimes, but Jordan was telling her


    that Deborah was having an affair with him. Irene had to tell Edric about this.


    Irene was calm but Kinsey was very excited, "I knew that b*tch was up to no good. Going to the beauty


    salon all the time. Hah! It''s exactly what I suspected. We should tell Mr. Cook about this immediately


    and let him know what kind of woman he has by his side!"


    "No!" Irene stopped her. Edric said that they should not alert the enemy. Wasn''t this going to ruin his


    n? She added, "We don''t have any hard evidence that Deborah is with that man. Who is going to


    believe us?"


    "Are you worried that Steven won''t believe it?" Kinsley smiled coldly, "No man can stand being cheated


    on. When Steven hears of this, even if Deborah turns out to be innocent, he won''t believe her."


    "I''m not worried about him believing us. I just don''t want him to suffer in regret! After all, this would be


    hard for anyone to ept," Irene shook her head. Steven would definitely not be able to ept his wife


    having an affair, but Deborah was no pushover either.


    If she heard about the matter, she would definitely think of a way to try and fix it. If they did not handle


    this well, they might rm her. Besides not wanting to ruin Edric''s n, Irene genuinely wanted to keep


    this hidden from Steven.


    After all, Steven was her father. He had given her a life. She had no reason to make him suffer such


    humiliation at this old age.


    "Everyone should be responsible for their own actions.This is retribution. Deborah shamelessly


    seduced her best friend''s husband, so she should be punished," Kinsey insisted.


    "Kinsey, I don''t want to have anything to do with them. I have my own life, and there is no need for me


    to get caught up with them. I wouldn''t be happy either."


    "I knew that you would be like this. You''re giving up such a good opportunity," Kinsey pouted. Beside


    her, Thomas interrupted, "People can''t live in hatred. It''ll wear you out and make you unhappy. I think


    Irene is right, so I support her!"


    "Uncle Thomas!" Kinsey stomped her feet. She had been hoping that Thomas would help her persuade


    Irene, but unexpectedly he did just the opposite.


    "Life is short. There is no reason for us to suffer from other people''s mistakes. Steven''s life has nothing


    to do with ours. Whether Deborah is having an affair or not, we shouldn''t butt our noses into their


    business. We should not meddle and instead focus on our own lives."


    Seeing that both Irene and Thomas were against the idea of taking revenge on Deborah, Kinsey and


    Jordan had no choice but to give in to them.


    After dinner, Jordan said that he felt like getting some drinks at the bar. He asked Kinsey if she wanted


    to join. He had never invited her out to drink before, so Kinsey suspected that he had something he


    wanted to say to her. She agreed and they left together.


    However, Jordan didn''t have anything to say to her at all. Instead, he really did take her to a bar.


    The bar was not a high-end bar, and the atmosphere was horrible. Kinsey found it to be odd. Jordan


    was the type of person who often frequented high-end ces. Why would he suddenly want toe


    here?


    After drinking a few mouthfuls of wine, Kinsey was not in a good mood, so sheined to Jordan,


    "I''m so angry! Why is Irene so stupid? This is the perfect opportunity to mess with Deborah, so why


    won''t she take it? And Uncle Thomas, is he really Irene''s uncle? What kind of uncle is he even? How


    can he be so calm when he is watching his own niece and sister being plotted against!"


    Jordan smiled and said, "Calm down. They all have their reasons. Thomas isn''t wrong, and he just


    wants Irene to live a happier, simpler life. It''s a good mindset to have. If all this while, he kept


    whispering bad things about Steven and Deborah into Irene''s ear, she would not be the woman she is


    today. She would be filled with hatred for Steven, and she would definitely be extremely vengeful.


    However, she''s not like that. Rather, she''s full of life and hope. That''s undeniably all thanks to Thomas."


    "Have you changed your mind too? So you don''t intend to deal those two b*tches anymore?" Kinsey


    was very disappointed.


    "If Deborah had regretted her mistake from the past, if it was just a one time slip up, I would consider


    letting her off. However, that''s obviously not the case," Jordan sneered, "Do you still remember what


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    happened in the restaurant that day?"


    "I remember." When he mentioned that, she felt a little embarrassed, "Sorry for troubling you that day."


    "No, that''s not what I''m talking about. Look over there, do they look familiar?"


    "Isn''t that woman the mistress from that day?" Kinsey recognized the woman.


    "You have a good memory. Look over there," Jordan pointed to the other side. Kinsey looked over and


    saw the man who had got beaten up and also his wife. They were huddled together and seemed to be


    discussing something.


    "What''s going on? Have they made up?" Kinsey was confused and looked back at the mistress. Even if


    they did, why would they appear in front of the mistress?


    "This man is the owner of this bar, and the woman is the boss'' wife. The mistress is a waitress here,"


    Jordan exined.


    Kinsey looked around and was utterly confused. The three people in front of her were actingpletely


    differently from the scenario she saw that day. The boss'' wife already knew about her husband hooking


    up with one of their workers. That day she had even mentioned that she worked her a*s off just to feed


    the family. However, it seemed like there was no such thing.


    "Next time, use your brain before acting. Not everything is worth standing up for¡­," Before Jordan


    could finish speaking, Kinsey stood up. Jordan grabbed onto her hand and asked, "What are you going


    to do?"

 Chapter 199 Another Plot

    Chapter 199 Another Plot


    "I have to ask them what''s going on. I won''t stand being fooled like this."


    "Sit down. I haven''t finished talking yet," Jordan pulled Kinsey back to the seat, "Do you know why they


    lied to you?"


    "I was going to find out why, wasn''t I?"


    "They won''t tell you even if you ask. Let me tell you why instead," Jordan sneered, "That man is a


    friend of Deborah''s lover. Didn''t you hit Lily? I think they were trying to set you up as a form of


    revenge."


    "They acted all that out just to set me up?" Kinsey had an incredulous look on her face. If they really


    wanted to harm her, they could have just gotten someone to beat her up. Why go through so much


    trouble?


    "I just figured it out too," Jordan smirked, "You beat Lily until her face was swollen, so Deborah must


    hate you. However, now with everything that''s been going on, she doesn''t dare to deal with you openly,


    so she set up such a scene. If you got injured because you were trying to stand up for justice, no one


    will investigate further into the matter. Do you understand?"


    Kinsey was not a fool and immediately understood. Indeed, getting caught up in a fight that she was


    trying to stop was different from an innocent individual getting beaten. If she was beaten up in a normal


    situation, the police would have to open an investigation. Then, they would have to ask her who her


    potential enemies were.


    The only person she had beaten up was Lily, thus Deborah would be exposed. However, if she got


    beaten up in the act of standing up for justice, the police would only charge the person who had beaten


    her up. They would assume she got caught up in the crossfire, and not that there was someone else


    behind the scenes. Kinsey broke out in a cold sweat. If it wasn''t for Jordan, she did not dare to imagine


    what might have happened that day. She gritted her teeth and said, "What a cunning woman!"


    "Yes, her cruelty is beyond our imagination. I''m very worried about Irene." Jordan looked around and


    stood up, "In addition to telling you this, I want to tell you something more important. There are too


    many people here. Let''s go out and talk about it."


    When the two of them got in the car, Kinsey grew anxious and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "It''s about Irene''s mother, Myra, and her ident," Jordan told her what Lydia had told him, "I suspect


    that Myra''s death has something to do with Deborah. I was uncertain about it before, but now I can


    confirm that Deborah was behind Margaret''s injuries. Now, I find that she''s also plotting against you.


    Deborah is so evil, and she''s willing to do anything for Lily. One can only imagine what she was willing


    to do to Myra for her own gain. There is no way she isn''t rted to the incident."


    "Really?" Kinsey was also shocked, "If Deborah was really the one behind Myra''s car ident, Irene


    would be affected really harshly. She had always thought that her mother''s death was an ident."


    "That''s right. Deborah had asked to meet Myra outside in secret, so things couldn''t have been that


    simple. I think she must have purposely provoked Myra, which led to her losing her sanity and getting


    into a car ident."


    "It must be so! That b*tch is so vile. We have to punish her. We can''t let her go on like this. There must


    be a way to deal with her."


    "I agree but that woman is so vicious and scheming. We can''t deal with her schemes with ordinary


    solutions anymore. Now that we''ve found out about her affair, I originally had the same thoughts as you


    did. I wanted Irene to expose her ugly truths to Steven. However, now that I think about it, it''s


    inappropriate. What if she gets desperate and does something to Irene? We have to think about things


    in the long run."


    "I think we have to tell Irene the truth now. We can''t keep her in the dark forever."


    "I thought about telling Irene but I didn''t have any evidence before this, so I didn''t say anything. Now


    that Irene is pregnant, I''m worried that the news will affect her wellbeing."


    Naturally, Kinsey knew how much of an effect this would have on Irene, "What should we do now?


    Should we just wait?"


    "We''ll decide what to do after Irene gives birth," Jordan sighed, "Now that Irene is still pregnant and


    Eden is sick, we can''t distract her anymore. Just both of us knowing is good enough. You should keep


    an eye out in the future. I''ll ask someone to protect Irene from anything that Deborah might try. We''ll


    talk about it after she gives birth."


    Kinsey couldn''t think of a better idea either. She understood Jordan''s worries. Irene was mentally


    exhausted over Eden now, so it was true that she did not need more on her te. However, Kinsey still


    felt a little reluctant to let Deborah run free for now.


    Margaret was in aa in the hospital while Edric and Irene had cut each other off. Lily''s mood had


    never been better. She had been pregnant for more than four months now, and the chances of having a


    miscarriage were small. Lily no longer wanted to hide in the house. She had to act first and make Edric


    change her mind about her using her pregnancy.


    However, Steven had forbidden her from having any contact with Edric. She had no valid reason to see


    him either. Lily eventually decided to use the hospital as an excuse.


    She was pregnant and often went to the hospital for checkups. Lily purposely chose the same hospital


    Margaret was at. So after her checkups, she would always go pay Margaret a visit. However, in the few


    times she had been there, she never managed to run into Edric. Lily refused to give up. She asked


    around about the timing that Edric usually came to visit his mother and tried to go to the hospital


    around the same time.


    Like before, the two caretakers did not allow her to enter the ward. She had note to visit Margaret


    anyway so she did not care that they would not let her in. She had found out that Edric came to visit his


    mother at this hour everyday. Hence, she wanted to run into him and see what attitude he would have


    towards her.


    Sure enough, after standing outside the ward for a while, Edric appeared. It had been several months


    since they hadst seen each other. When he saw how big Lily''s stomach had gotten, he was visibly


    shocked. His gaze fell onto her stomach.


    Due to the fact that she was pregnant with twins, Lily''s stomach was bigger than average. She noticed


    that Edric was staring at her stomach and she secretly jumped in joy, purposely sticking out her


    stomach more.


    Edric naturally noticed even the tiniest of her actions. This b*tch''s stomach had already grown so


    much!


    Edric sneered in his heart. Lily was probably dreaming about giving birth to his children. Fine, he would


    let her live out her perfect dream and let her give birth to the twins. He wanted to let her know what the


    price of plotting against others was!


    When Edric walked over, Lily gently called out to him. She put on a sad and pitiful look. He stopped and


    asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "I came here to see Aunt Margaret. She used to be so kind to me.." Lily''s voice choked. "Life is so


    unexpected. She was in perfect health. How could this happen? How could the heavens do this to


    her?"


    "Yeah, the heavens really must be blind," Edric answered meaningfully. Looking at the tears in Lily''s


    eyes, he felt disgusted. He used to believe that she was kind and innocent, but he had been too na?ve.


    Fortunately, he had already discovered Lily''s true colors. Didn''t Lily like to act? He decided to y


    along. He took out a handkerchief and passed it to her.


    Lily was pleasantly surprised by Edric''s kind gesture. She hurriedly took the handkerchief to wipe her


    tears. She sobbed andforted him, "Edric, don''t worry too much. Good things will happen to good


    people. Aunt Margaret will definitely be alright."


    "How can I not worry? The doctor told me that this was the best case scenario she could have," Edric


    sighed. Ever since Margaret had fallen into aa, Marie, Deborah and the others had been


    constantlying to the hospital to check up on her. Edric knew they were afraid she would wake up,


    so naturally he had to dramatize his mother''s condition.


    "It''ll be okay. Aunt Margaret is strong. She''ll be fine," Lily repeated.


    "Thanks for your blessings," Edric sighed and stared at Lily''s belly for a few seconds. His voice


    suddenly softened, "How long has it been?"


    "About five months."


    "It must be very tiring, carrying such a big stomach, right?"


    "Not at all." After thinking for a while, she added, "They''ve started to move around in my belly."


    A sh ofplicated emotions washed through Edric. He seemed to want to reach out and touch her


    belly, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, he retracted it back pitifully, "Take care! If my mother


    saw you like this, she would be very happy."


    Lily was a little disappointed when he retracted his hand from touching her belly. However, when she


    heard that Edric seemed to be looking forward to the babies in her belly, she became happy again.


    Edric''s attitude towards her waspletely different from before. Lily could feel that if things went on


    like this, she would definitely be able to catch his attention with the babies in her stomach.


    Ever since Margaret had to stay in the hospital, Edric often went back and forth between the hospital


    and hispany. He hardly ever went home. With no one to order her around, Lorraine felt like her life


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    was incrediblyfortable.


    She secretly met up with her son several times and nned out their future together. Loraine had


    originally wanted to take the money and leave with her son. However, now that she was living life so


    days.


    In the past few years, he hadn''t earned much from being Steven''s driver. Most of his ie came from


    Loraine.


    Edric paid Loraine extremely handsomely. If she left the Myers family, she would lose that source of


    ie. Hence, Tommy never really supported the idea of Loraine resigning from the Myers family.


    Everytime Loraine wouldin to him about how badly Margaret bullied her, he would try his best to


    Now that Loraine herself had said that she did not want to leave, Tommy naturally showed his full


    support.


    After knowing that Loraine was an aplice, Edric had never stopped watching and investigating her.


    Edric knew about Loraine meeting with Tommy. Before, Margaret had mentioned that Tommy was


    Loraine''s lover. Back then he had not really believed her, but seeing how often the two of them met, he


    was starting to have his own suspicions.


    "Is Loraine really in that kind of rtionship with Tommy?" Edric wondered. He sent some men to


    investigate Loraine and soon uncovered her past.


    They found out that Loraine had a man who was in prison, and that Steven''s driver, Tommy, was


    actually Loraine and that man''s son. Edric sneered when he heard about all this.


    Edric had deliberately allowed Loraine to run freely and enjoy her life in order to enable her to get used


    to it. He wanted her to experience what it was like to fall from heaven to hell. Now that he had gotten so


    much information, it was time for him to add some spice into her life.

 Chapter 200 A Price To Be Paid

    Chapter 200 A Price To Be Paid


    Tommy had always been an ignorant person. All he knew how to do was eat, drink, gamble, and y


    with women. Before, he had gotten into a fight over a woman and almost gone to prison. He only


    managed to escape imprisonment with Deborah''s help.


    Deborah wasn''t helping him out of kindness, rather she wanted to use Loraine. As expected, she did


    not let Deborah down.


    Tommy did nothing all day. Loraine was worried that her son would go down the wrong path again so


    she asked Deborah to help him find a job.


    It took Deborah a lot of time to find a job for Tommy. He was uneducated yet he picky with his work. He


    wanted an easy yet high paying job.


    Deborah sessively found several jobs for him but he would always mess them up. In the end, she


    had no choice but to hire him as Steven''s driver.


    Tommy had always been on the lower end of society. He was so happy when he heard from his mother


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    that he had been hired to serve a high-end figure.


    Although he was merely a driver, it was rare for an ordinary person to be in such close contact with a


    high-end figure. When people who knew Tommy heard that he was going to be Mr. Cook''s driver, they


    all admired him and looked up to him. Due to that, Tommy felt arrogant and only then did he start to put


    in a lot of effort into doing his job well.


    With Tommy''s character, kissing up to someone was nothing new to him. Steven had a good


    impression of him due to his wits.


    However, recently, Steven had started to dislike Tommy. The other day Director Lewis hade to talk


    to Steven about business. In their conversation, he brought up Tommy.


    "Is Tommy Lewis your driver?"


    "Yes. Why?" Steven asked. His intuition told him that Tommy must have done something to be under


    the police''s radar.


    "The other day, we held a raid and arrested quite a few prostitutes. One of the clients who frequented


    that ce had the same name."


    "What did you say?" Steven''s expression changed. Although Tommy was just his driver, it would not be


    good for his reputation if word got out. People would assume that Steven himself was involved in those


    kinds of matters too.


    "The police officers had wanted to arrest him, but he brought up your name and said that he was your


    driver. The officers checked and found that he was telling the truth. They didn''t want to drag your name


    into the mud so they let him go. A couple dayster, he was caught again in another nightclub with


    drugs. It''s happened twice in a row so I thought I had bettere give you a heads up. As they say, a


    leopard can never change its spots. If he really is your driver, you''d better be more cautious. Try not to


    be seen with him anymore and save yourself the trouble."


    Steven nodded, "I see. Thank you for the heads up."


    After Director Lewis left, Steven frowned. As the saying went, ''a rotten apple spoils the barrel'', Tommy


    could not work under him anymore.


    Naturally, Steven was not one to drag things on. He quickly fired Tommy. After that, Tommy told Loraine


    about it, who immediately called Deborah.


    Deborah was taken aback too. She wondered if Steven had be suspicious of anything. Could it be


    that he had found out that Tommy had been carrying out her bidding? She had not asked him to do


    much, apart from keeping an eye on Steven and having him throw Eden into the ditch near the hospital


    previously. The likelihood of Steven knowing about those incidents was rather low.


    That evening, Steven came back with a new driver. Naturally, Deborah asked him, "Why have you


    changed your driver? What happened to Tommy?"


    "Don''t even bring him up. He can''t work for me anymore," Steven told her about Tommy''s indulgences


    in prostitutes and drugs. Deborah was relieved, as there were no suspicions about her. She told


    Loraine about what he said and asked her to rx.


    When Loraine heard that her son''s dismissal had nothing to do with him helping Deborah, she was


    relieved too. She had managed to rue quite a lot of money from working for the Myers family over


    the years. Since her son had nothing else to do now, she intended to let him run a business.


    Tommy knew nothing about running a business, and he did not know what kind of business he wanted


    to run. Lorraine suggested opening a supermarket. Tommy originally agreed but after discussing with


    his friend, his friend said that a supermarket was too small of a n. Considering his background,


    Tommy''s friend suggested that he open something more thrilling, like a bar or a nightclub.


    Tommy''s eyes lit up when he heard how much bars and nightclubs could earn. He thought about how


    much he usually spent on drinks when he frequented those ces and felt like that line of business


    was indeed very profitable.


    He told Loraine about his idea. When Loraine heard about how much profit they could earn, she got


    carried away as well and asked him how much they would need to open a bar or a nightclub.


    Tommy actually had no idea, but he told Loraine it would take about a million dors. Loraine was


    shocked and asked, "Why does it take so much money?"


    "This is just for a standard, mediocre nightclub. If we were to open a high-end one, we would need


    even more." Tommy exined, "I''ve asked my friend. He told me that one of his friends has opened a


    medium-end night club, and they earn hundreds and thousands of dors in profits in one night alone.


    We will make all the money back in a year."


    "Is it really that profitable?" Loraine was a little disbelieving, "Let''s leave that aside for now. I''ll ask


    around before deciding."


    Loraine meant to ask Edric. His business was booming and he was a genius in the field. She wanted to


    see what he would say.


    That night when Edric returned home, Loraine purposely asked him about nightclubs. She told him that


    her friend wanted to open one but she was not sure if it would be profitable. Edric smiled faintly, "This


    line of business is quite profitable. I often bring clients there. It''s not unusual to spend tens of


    thousands in a night. Their profits are all very high."


    When Loraine heard Edric mention that he often spent up to tens of thousands of dors, her eyes lit


    up. She had gotten confirmation that this business was profitable, so she agreed to her son''s request.


    However, she couldn''t withdraw such a huge sum in one go. She asked her son to look for a suitable


    location first. Tommy and a bunch of friends immediately went to hunt around and they just so


    happened to have met someone who was looking to sell his nightclub. The nightclub was already


    furnished and it was in a strategic location. The owner said that with good management, they could


    earn millions in a year easily. The owner was leaving the country, so he wanted to sell his nightclub off


    at a cheap price.


    Tommy was very tempted by his offer. The owner sincerely wanted to let the nightclub go. He even let


    Tommy visit it to see how business was doing. Tommy stayed at the nightclub for an entire night and


    saw that business was indeed booming. He grew even more tempted.


    The owner offered to sell it for 1.2 million dors. However, Tommy did not have that much money.


    Loraine had been working for the Myers family for nine years, with her bonus and Deborah''s additional


    sry, she only had about five hundred thousand dors in total.


    Five hundred thousand dors was miles away from 1.2 million dors. They did not have the funds so


    Loraine could only persuade Tommy to give it up. However, the prospect of obtaining the high earnings


    was overly tempting to Tommy so he refused to listen to her. He asked Loraine to borrow some money


    from Edric. However Loraine did not dare to ask. Then, Tommy asked her to borrow some from


    Deborah. After all, they had both done so much for Deborah. She should at least reward a little. They


    were only borrowing the money, and once they started earning, they would definitely pay Deborah


    back.


    Loraine had no choice but to go talk to Deborah. Deborah was fuming when she heard the amount


    Loraine was asking for. How dare the b*tch ask for such a huge amount? Borrowing her that much


    money? As if she had the ability to pay Deborah back! More importantly, Deborah had no idea where to


    get such a huge sum of money from in such a short amount of time.


    Anger rose in her heart but she dared not show it to Loraine. After all, she had used Loraine many


    times before. If she did not return the favor now, Loraine might turn against her. Loraine held a lot of


    secrets against her. She would be in big trouble if Loraine ever spilled any of them out.


    Deborah did not agree nor disagree. She merely told Loraine that she did not have that much money at


    the moment, so she had to go borrow some from her friends.


    Seeing that Deborah did not reject nor suspect her, Loraine left. Deborah went home angrily. She told


    Lily about what happened, "That old b*tch, she''s so greedy. What is she talking about, opening a


    nightclub? As if she knows how to run one."


    Lily saw Deborah was angry and consoled her repeatedly. However, she was shocked when she asked


    Deborah for the name of the nightclub, "Mom, I''ve been to that nightclub before. Their business really is


    excellent! If she really managed to take over sessfully, she could earn millions in a year."


    "Really?" Deborah herself did not frequent nightclubs so naturally, she had no idea. Upon hearing Lily''s


    words, she started to change her views. The past few years she had Logan to open up stores here and


    there. Business was not bad but they were not doing super well either. If this nightclub was really that


    profitable, why not ask Logan to pitch in some money? That way, everyone could share the profits and


    Loraine would benefit too. Furthermore, they would not have to worry about Tommy borrowing their


    money without returning it.


    At the thought of this, Deborah immediately made a call to Heather and told her that she needed to talk


    to Logan. She asked Heather to tell him to meet her at the beauty salon immediately.


    When they met, Deborah told Logan about the nightclub. Likewise, he too was startled. He had heard


    of the nightclub before as well. Of course, he wanted to take over such a cash cow.


    Logan did not have that much money on hand too, but the nightclub was too tempting. After discussing


    with Deborah, they decided to sell off a few of their stores so that they could use that money in return to


    buy the nightclub.


    While Logan was nning what to do with the stores, Deborah went to look for Loraine. She told


    Loraine that she had not managed to borrow any money, but she knew a friend that did business. That


    friend had money and he also wanted to open a nightclub. Since they both had the same goal,


    Deborah suggested they be business partners to minimize their risks.


    Loraine went back and told Tommy about Deborah''s idea. Tommy agreed and met up with Logan. They


    went over the details and the way to split their earnings. They agreed to pay half of the selling price


    each. After selling the stores, Logan had managed to gather roughly 600 thousand dors. However,


    Tommy still needed an additional 100 thousand dors. In the end, he mortgaged his house to make up


    for the remaining funds. After receiving the money, the owner of the nightclub happily transferred the


    property over to their names.


    After the transfer, they kept all the old employees so they did not need to worry about anything else.


    Tommy and Deborah just sat there and waited for the money toe rolling in.


    As expected, the nightclub''s business boomed. For a week, their profits were sky high. Tommy was


    practically swimming in money until he could lose count of their profits. However, on the eighth day of


    business, something happened.

 Chapter 201 Trouble

    Chapter 201 Trouble


    A group of policemen and members of the Business Association showed up at the nightclub, locking it


    down and putting it under investigation due to a report that was lodged against them for allegedly


    selling illegal liquor. The liquor, costing up to millions, was then discovered in the warehouse of the


    club.


    Not only were the fake goods confiscated, a fine was also imposed upon the nightclub by the Business


    Association, as per ordance to thew. It was not a small number, ranging up from more than 50%


    to less than three times the market price of the authentic goods. Due to the huge amount of the


    confiscated goods, the operating license of nightclub was also suspended.


    It was hell of a day for Tommy. His club was locked down, his cash ran dry and he almost got himself a


    court case. If Deborah had not sought Steven''s help, things would have turned out even worse.


    Compared to Tommy, who had lost all money, Logan and Deborah fared better, but they still lost all of


    their shops that they had worked so hard to build. They only had onest beauty salon under them


    before they would gopletely broke.


    Loraine gave her son a good scolding for not having proper savings for the house, but even she knew


    that it was futile. The money they had lost would nevere back.


    The mother and son were restless for the next few days. Tommy did not even have a ce to stay,


    opting to rent a room for the time being.


    At the same time, Edric closed his eyes as he rested on a sofa of the luxurious lounge of After Dark. He


    delighted at the thought of how things had progressed at a promising pace and how ugly things had


    turned out for Loraine, her son and Deborah.


    He wondered how they felt now that they had lost all of their investments. Did they regret it although it


    was already toote? If he could see their faces at that moment, he would have asked them to be rest


    assured. He had plenty of ns to let them experience a life worse than death.


    At first, Edric''s n only involved Loraine and her son. Edric was the one who had asked Director


    Lewis to ensure Tommy was fired from his job, enabling a jobless Tommy to seek his old friends out for


    somefort. He held nothing back and told them everything about his ns to start a business.


    Edric had then told Tommy''s friends to encourage him to open up a nightclub. He knew that Tommy


    was penniless and that he would ask Loraine to seek help from Deborah. It turned out that Deborah


    alsocked sufficient funds and was hesitant to lend such a huge sum of money to Loraine.


    The nightclub business had always been generating a steady stream of ie and coupled with


    Deborah''s greed, she would never let the opportunity go. Edric would first let those greedy people pay


    the price after they got entangled in his trap.


    Edric owed his thanks to Irene to be able toe up with such a meticulous n against Deborah. The


    shock to him.


    He immediately began his investigation and found out the truth about Logan. The man owned several


    shops and they were doing pretty well. It was clear as day that he had immense support behind him


    and Edric guessed that the supporter had to be Deborah herself.


    He had to admit how cunning and sinister Deborah was. On one hand, she had coaxed Steven, while


    on the other, she had an affair with another man. Edric had been looking for ways to bring her down


    and now he finally possessed one. Dealing with her in the future would be a lot easier with the news of


    her affair.


    However, Edric would sit back and enjoy the show for now. He would watch as those people lost their


    hard-earned cash. Humans would usually lose their rationality once they were tempted. Deborah was


    going to suffer for quite some time.


    Edric also had help from Director Lewis. Had the director not asked him to oversee the change of


    hands of the After Dark nightclub, he would have failed toe up with such a brilliant n.


    Edric was still deep in his thoughts when the door was pushed open. A man came in, "Thank you, Mr.


    Myers! You''ve helped me out of this crisis!"


    "Don''t mention it, Director Lewis. It was just a small matter."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Maybe it''s a small matter to you, Mr. Myers, but to me, it means the world!" Director Lewis did not stop


    thanking Edric for what thetter had done for him. The true owner of the After Dark nightclub was


    none other than Director Lewis. Since he was an officer, it was only wise for him to register the After


    Dark nightclub under another person''s name. Under his supervision, After Dark brought in considerable


    ie, earning millions of dors in the span of just a few years. Just the month prior, he had received


    news about San Fetillo''s intention to audit their officers'' assets.


    He was terrified upon hearing the news and of losing everything when everything was exposed. During


    that time, his new batch of liquor had been reced with fake ones too, which posed another problem.


    The fake liquor did little to worry him as After Dark had brought him more than enough money. He still


    had to think of a way to deal with the problem and that was when Edric, who he had a rtionship with,


    came into y. After thinking for a while, thetter had sessfully found a scapegoat to bear the


    me. All was well in the end.


    When ownership of After Dark was changed to Tommy, authentic liquor was stored in its warehouse. It


    was moved there by none other than the Golden Age Group, apany owned by Jordan. He had


    made sure to switch the liquor with fakes once the transfer deal had been sealed.


    Edric made sure to let Tommy celebrate his so-called sess before he made a certain phone call to


    the authorities. With that, he had thrown Tommy into living hell.


    Director Lewis did not lose a single penny as After Dark had been transferred over to Tommy. In fact,


    he only felt thankful towards Edric," Remember to look for me if you need any help."


    Edric''s face revealed a faint smile, "Thanks. I will do so in the future!"


    And seeked help from Director Lewis he did. Tommy''s father, or Loraine''s man, was currently serving


    his sentence and he was a few months shy from being released. Edric wanted to secure an early


    release for him as he did not want to wait anymore, and had many tasks for that man to carry out. That


    was when Director Lewis came into the picture.


    Naturally, Director Lewis agreed. He even assured Edric to wait for his good news.


    Edric drove to the hospital after meeting up with Director Lewis. Separated by ayer of ss, he


    observed hisatose mother from outside her room. Uneasiness stirred inside him.


    Beside him, a nurse reported, "Dr. Walker visited your mother again today."


    Edric pursed his lips. It dawned upon him that Marie was refusing to give up!


    Deborah had wanted her daughter, Lily, to marry into the Myers family and ended up hurting Edric''s


    mother and Irene. She even took Loraine in as her aplice. What was Marie hoping to achieve by


    treating Edric''s mother like this?


    Edric was in the dark as to what Marie was trying to achieve. Margaret had always treated her like a


    soulmate, not forgetting to share with her everything that she considered good. It was clear that


    Margaret had nothing but good intentions towards Marie, so Edric failed to think of any possible


    reasons as to why Marie would harm his mother.


    Marie was an aplished doctor. She was rich and required no help from Deborah, so why had she


    agreed to help Deborah? Edric made a silent pact to find out the truth in order to devise the perfect


    n to punish her in return.


    For Rowane''s sake, Edric had investigated Marie''s background before. It had been to identify if she


    really was Rowane''s biological mother. However, since Rowane denied it not long after, he had


    stopped looking into the matter.


    His freshly-opened investigation, however, yielded surprising results. He found out that Marie, or Qiana


    and Dave, or currently known to be Thomas, were actually half-siblings from different mothers. Marie


    was also Myra''s half-sister from a different father, making Irene her niece.


    Edric''s deductions told him if Myra was the only sister Marie ever had, then they must have been really


    close to each other. The truth, however, was far from that. Irene had never known she had an aunt to


    begin with.


    Judging from the fact that Irene did not know Marie''s rtionship with her, Myra must have never told


    her daughter about Marie. The question was, why didn''t Myra mention Marie to Irene before?


    Marie must have known Irene''s real identity, but she still helped Deborah with her n to make her


    daughter receive artificial insemination. That fact alone was enough to prove how much Marie hated


    Irene.


    How could there be any hatred among Marie and Irene if they had nevermunicated before? The


    only reasonable answer would be Myra. Marie hated Irene because of Myra.


    Although Marie was Myra''s half-sister, they were still born from the same mother. How could she bear


    such hatred for Myra?


    When Rowane had lied to Edric about her not having any rtions with Marie, Edric


    hadpletely believed her. Now, however, he was sure that Rowane and Marie were indeed mother


    and daughter. That was the only exnation to why she had helped Marie in setting him up.


    No news hade from Rowane after she had left the country. At first, Edric wondered if she did not


    leave, but was just hiding in another ce in the country, but his reliable sources confirmed her


    departure overseas. She was untraceable at the moment.


    Edric wondered what had happened to her. Was she using some kind of invisibility spell? Or had she


    met some kind of unfortunate event?


    Edric''s in-depth investigation yielded even more eye-opening facts. The reason why Marie had fought


    with Myra was because of a man. That man was Ma, Jordan''s father.


    Edric was unable to wrap his head around how the two sisters got involved with Ma, but he was


    sure who the winner was. Myra was dead and Marie was now living under the same roof with Ma.


    The winner of the love triangle was obvious.


    If that was the case, then why did Marie still hate Myra so much? Now that Myra had passed on, why


    did Marie direct her hatred to Irene?


    Edric thought of Rowane. Who was Rowane''s biological father, as Marie had gotten pregnant before


    she was married? Could it be Ma? Edric dismissed the idea. If that was the case, then Marie had


    no need to hide at Cat Alley just to give birth to her child.


    No other man came to Edric''s mind when he tried to think of a man who Marie liked. Since she was


    good-looking, many men fancied her. Even during her university years, while she had been residing in


    Cat Alley, she still managed to attract a huge following. Among them was Deborah''s cousin, who was a


    ssic example.


    The rtionship between Marie and Deborah started in Cat Alley. Deborah''s cousin had liked Marie


    ever since she stayed there and he often went to Deborah''s house. Rumor began circting around


    the alley regarding their rtionship. It was said that Deborah''s cousin had slept with Marie one day


    after he got drunk.


    The rumors were often debunked by some who believed that it was just a story made up by Deborah''s


    cousin. It was a sorry excuse from him for not being able to make her fall for him.


    Deborah''s cousin was not good-natured nor was he well-educated. How could Marie, who was a


    university student at the time, fall for him? It would be impossible for that to happen.


    Not everything about the rumors were false, though. It turned out to be true that Deborah''s cousin had


    immensely liked Marie and he had taken proper care of her in Cat Alley even when she was pregnant,


    and he listened to her every word. Unfortunately, at one point, he had broken thew and was sent to


    serve his sentence behind the bars.


    Did Marie help Deborah and her daughter because Deborah had let her stay at her home? Edric


    frowned upon thinking at the fact that Marie had to hide at Cat Alley just to give birth to her daughter.


    Why didn''t she ask for help like what Dave had done when she needed it the most?


    The real Thomas Nelson had been dead for a very long time. The current one was actually a man


    named Dave Walker. Why would he pretend to be Thomas in the first ce? Were there any secrets


    behind all these events? These questions danced stubbornly in Edric''s mind. He failed to get any


    satisfying answers no matter how hard he tried.


    No, this would not do. He would get nowhere if he kept on thinking. He had to talk to Thomas!

 Chapter 202 Prenatal Check-up

    Chapter 202 Prenatal Check-up


    Edric had made an appointment to meet with Thomas. He made no effort to hide his true intentions


    either as he said, "I''m going to ask you questions about your past. I hope you will be honest and tell me


    only the truth."


    It then dawned on Thomas that Edric had found out the truth about his identity. He remained calm,


    "What do you want to know?"


    "I have a lot of things I want to know. First of all, why are you pretending to be Thomas? Secondly, tell


    me more about Marie."


    "Pretending to be Thomas wasn''t exactly my intention," Dave sighed and told Edric about how his


    wallet had been robbed because of a famous painting.


    "When the real Thomas had passed away in an ident, I had returned to San Fetillo in a sorry state,


    and had nowhere to go. Irene''s mother took me in and since then I''ve been using Thomas'' identity to


    avoid unnecessary trouble."


    "Do Steven and Deborah know about your true identity as a famous designer?"


    Dave shook his head, "Not many people know that I''m a famous designer. Steven and Deborah only


    know that I''m Marie''s sibling and nothing else."


    "I beg to differ. I think Steven knows your true identity. Remember the famous painting you just


    mentioned? It''s with me now."


    "Why is the painting in your hands?" Dave was surprised.


    "Steven gave it to me," Edric told Dave about how he had obtained the famous painting. Dave smiled


    bitterly, "So it was him all along! Irene told me about Steve having a prized painting among his


    collection and the idea of him being the one who had switched my painting never crossed my mind! I-I


    can''t believe this!"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "We really shouldn''t judge a book by its cover. I never expected Mr. Cook to do something outrageous


    like this! I feel sorry for you for being framed after all these years!" Edric sighed. It was really a pity for a


    famous designer to be harmed by some like Steven.


    "It''s all in the past. Fame and wealth are nothing but temporary things in this world. My current


    secluded life at San Fetilo has been in, but at least I felt happy." Dave was not as angry as Edric


    would have thought he would be.


    "Nice to hear that you''re coping well with everything that has happened." Edric admired Dave. Life


    must have been really hard for him. His glory days had been cut short, robbed from him and that turned


    him into a nobody. In the face of such torture, he could still live his life without any kind of resentment.


    Dave smiled faintly, "Irene doesn''t know that I''m not actually her biological uncle and I hope it stays that


    way and you don''t tell her anything. I don''t want to affect her emotions."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to tell her," Edric assured Dave. It was obvious that Dave cared for Irene


    therefore Edric found no need to tell her the truth to destroy the peace. "I need to know more about


    Marie. I''m sure you know her well since you''re her brother, right? What kind of person do you think she


    is?"


    Dave went quiet for a moment before saying, "Selfish, self-indulgent and wicked."


    "I''m pretty sure Irene has told you about what happened to my mother. I think Marie had her share in


    causing my mother to end up in her current condition."


    The image of hisatose mother upset Edric. He gritted his teeth as he recounted how Marie had


    helped Deborah and her daughter plot against him and his mother.


    "To be honest, I''ve always been afraid to use her since she''s my mother''s best friend. I will never


    frame a good person, nor will I let a bad person go. I''m here today because I can''t figure out what


    Marie has against my mother. Why did she help Deborah in going against her own niece?"


    "I don''t know why she has done what she did to your mother, but I know that she''s someone who will


    do anything to get what she wants. The reason she helped Deborah was because she hated Myra. It''s


    only natural for her to hate Myra''s daughter as well."


    "Why would Marie hate Irene''s mother? Wasn''t she her one and only sister? Is it because of Ma? I


    thought she already had Ma in her hands."


    "No! Ma has never loved her and that''s why she hated Myra!"


    "Do you know if Marie had any men besides Ma?" asked Edric again.


    "No, I don''t think so. If she did, then she wouldn''t have hated Myra so much."


    "But I''ve found out about Marie''s child..."


    "A child? Marie has a child? What nonsense is that? Are you sure about this?" Dave was stunned.


    "You don''t know about this?" Edric was also taken aback. Just one moment ago, he had thought Dave


    knew everything about Marie, but it turned out that he knew nothing about her. Nothing at all.


    "No," Dave shook his head. The unfortunate events that had befallen him, coupled with the passing of


    his father and stepmother made him shut himself off from the world. He knew nothing about Marie.


    It was a huge letdown for Edric, but he reiterated his thoughts and asked, "Do you think Ma is the


    father of Marie''s child?"


    "That''s impossible!" Dave shook his head. "Although I don''t know much about what had happenedter


    on, Marie and I are still siblings. I know what kind of person she is. If her child really is Ma''s, then


    she would have made a fuss about it."


    "Who else could be the father, if it''s not Ma?" Edric frowned. Did Marie really have rtions with


    Deborah''s cousin? Was that cousin the father to her child?


    Simon used to be the closest person to Deborah and Marie. He had to be the person who knew


    everything about what had taken ce that year. Edric had initially decided to look for him, but thought


    better of it. Simon was Deborah''s rtive and he might not be willing to share everything Edric wanted


    to know. That was also the reason why Edric had looked for Dave instead.


    Since Dave knew nothing that could help him, Edric had to get his answers from Simon. He would have


    to do some investigating on Simon before actually meeting him.


    Edric handed the task over to John, suggesting to him that the sooner it was done, the better.


    The meeting with Dave had angered Edric even more. He knew Marie was not a good person, but he


    had not expected she would have gone that far. Dave was a kind person and although Marie had done


    questionable things to Myra in the past, he still chose to forgive her. In the end, she was still his little


    sister to him, and he had thought of giving her another chance.


    In the past few years, he had always thought that Marie would repent, only to be disappointed to find


    out that she had not changed at all. She had done things that could cost lives just to tear Irene and


    Edric apart. Dave had to admit that his silent tolerance for his sister would not change her, only fuel her


    arrogance.


    Marie had been using Dave''s true identity to threaten him so that he would keep his mouth shut. Dave


    had conceded for Irene''s sake. He could also live peacefully, knowing that his secret was safe. Now,


    however, he would tolerate no more. He would talk to Irene about him not being the real Thomas


    Nelson.


    Ever since Lily met Edric during herst visit to the hospital, she had been making frequent visits to the


    hospital. Of course, it was not because she was sincerely concerned about Margaret, but because she


    was seeking Edric''s attention.


    After Edric had given Lily his handkerchief so that she could wipe her teas, she went home and told


    everything to Deborah. Thetter was surprised at this sudden turn of events. She figured the reason


    why Edric had acted that way was due to the baby Lily was carrying. The Myers family had never


    stopped looking for heirs.


    Edric had failed to notice Lily in the past due to Irene, but Margaret''s current condition changed that.


    Lily was having a pair of twins, so Deborah thought it was impossible for Edric not to like Lily.


    Deborah knew she had to y her cards properly and asked Lily to linger in Edric''s sight so that he


    would not forget about her.


    Of course, getting Edric''s attention was never the sole reason behind her wanting Lily to continue her


    hospital visits. She wanted to know Margaret''s condition through Lily''s visits. She had previously asked


    Logan to get rid of Margaret, only to be told that it was almost impossible to pull that kind of move in a


    hospital after observation.


    Margaret''s ward was the best in the hospital. It even had its own guards and the security was tight.


    Logan''s response had worried Deborah as she feared that she would never be able to get rid of


    Margaret. Yes, Margaret was now in aa, but she had to be taken out of the picture no matter what.


    Marie had mentioned before that people could wake up fromas. Deborah had to be the first person


    to know if Margaret ever woke up from her deep slumber.


    Sure enough, the rtionship between Edric and Lily blossomed. Starting from simple questions about


    her condition and the baby''s, their interactions now had Edric making the first move to ask Lily if she


    neededpany during her prenatal check-ups.


    Edric''s move excited Lily as she had never dreamed of such a thing would happen to her. She had no


    need for a prenatal check-up, but since it was a rare chance to interact with Edric, she nodded


    frantically and tedly went with Eric to the obstetrics department


    The obstetrician was surprised upon seeing Lily and Edric. If she recalled correctly, didn''t Lily just visit


    her a few hours ago?


    Lily''s prenatal check-ups had always been done at the hospital Marie worked at. Lily then changed her


    preferred hospital to the one where Margaret was being treated in order to get close to Edric. As Marie


    was worried about Lily, she had instructed an obstetrician she personally knew to do Lily''s check-ups.

 Chapter 203 Two Sons

    Chapter 203 Two Sons


    Although she was surprised by Lily''s behavior, the obstetrician was smart too. She immediately took


    Lily''s weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and acted busy.


    Edric had been standing aside and watching Lily while she did the examinations. After the doctor''s


    checkup hade to an end, he began to ask the doctor about Lily''s condition in detail.


    The doctor told Edric that the baby was in good condition and healthy. Edric was joyful when he heard


    this, "She looked so slim so I was worried about her health. I''m feel totally relieved now after hearing


    your words."


    When Lily heard that Edric cared about her, she felt warmth in her heart. Edric then asked the doctor if


    he could know the babies'' gender at that moment.


    There was a rule in the hospital saying that they were not allowed to reveal the baby''s gender.


    However, Edric''s status was not like others. The obstetrician did an ultrasound for Lily. She said that


    because of the babies'' position, it was not clear enough to see, but they should be two boys. Edric was


    ted upon hearing this, "Are they really two boys? You''re not kidding me, right? Even if they aren''t


    both boys, they have to at least be fraternal twins. There are only a few males in the Myers family. I


    was hoping that my son could lead the family."


    This was the first time that Edric had so formally talked about the gender of the babies in front of Lily.


    She had never cared much about her child''s gender before. However, now that she saw that Edric


    valued their babies'' gender, she began to care about it as well.


    The Myers family only had one male descendent every generation, and they naturally preferred boys


    more than girls. That was why Margaret liked Eden so much. As for Lily, she had also hoped that she


    was pregnant with either two sons or at least one son and one daughter. That way, she would have an


    advantage in both her status and in the family''s inheritance. If she was pregnant with two daughters, it


    would be totally different. With Irene''s son standing in the way, even if she could win Edric''s affection,


    she might not necessarily be able to take control over the Myers Group.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Lily kept this in her mind. When Edric went out to answer a call, she lowered her voice and asked the


    doctor, "Are they really two boys?"


    "No, the ultrasound is not clear enough because of the babies'' positions. I assumed that he liked boys,


    so I said that they had to be two boys," the doctor replied.


    Lily was very disappointed upon hearing that. The doctor lowered her voice and said, "Let''s wait for


    some time and do it again."


    "Is there any way to urately determine the babies'' gender?" Lily asked again.


    "Yes, your current situation is suitable for amniocentesis and a blood test. The uracy rate is 99%,"


    the doctor peered outside.


    Lily nodded and nned to go back and discuss with her mother regarding the amniocentesis and the


    blood test to confirm the babies'' gender. It would be best if they were two boys or at least one of them


    would be, but if they were two daughters, she had to find a way to make up for it as soon as possible.


    With such a n in mind, she warned the doctor in a low voice, "Don''t forget to tell himter that it''s not


    easy for me to have a baby. Let him be worried so that he''ll apany me more often to check ups in


    the future."


    Naturally, the doctor promised. After a while, Edric ended his call and came in. The doctor remembered


    Lily''s instructions and told Edric that although the children looked healthy, the mother, on the other


    hand, was not in good health, so he had to pay more attention to Lily.


    After listening to Lily''s words, the doctor''s words were intended to make Edric care more about Lily due


    to her babies. However, she did not expect that Edric would be anxious after hearing this, and he


    asked, "Will her health affect the babies?"


    The doctor did not expect that her words would make Edric worry about the babies. She immediately


    answered, "No, the babies are in good condition. You don''t have to worry."


    "How can I not be worried?" Edric retorted, "Didn''t you say that her health was not good? Her poor


    health will definitely affect the babies. Lily is now pregnant with two children. Also, I remember that


    during her previous checkup, she was ill as well. No, this is too risky. I have to ensure that there is


    nothing wrong with my children''s health."


    "Edric, I don''t think there will be a problem with the children," Lily said.


    "Can''t I worry? We must exclude all the unfavorable factors. One of the female employees in our


    her check ups properly¡­" Speaking of this, Edric paused, turned his head and asked the doctor in a


    strict tone, "You are Lily''s doctor. Let me ask you, can you guarantee that the children in her stomach


    will not be mentally or physically disabled?"


    Edric''s face was serious and his tone was cold. The doctor felt a little nervous. Although the chances of


    disability were not usible, there was still a chance of it urring. If anything happened to the


    children in the future, she would be in deep trouble. She could not guarantee anything.


    "I can''t be sure of that. It''s just that in general, disabilities are usually because of gics that are


    hereditary in the family, or when a pregnant womanes in contact with something poisonous. In this


    case, Miss Miller and you don''t have any family history of having disabilities, so the chances of the


    babies having disabilities are low."


    "That''s hard to say. Lily has always been in poor health. She has taken so much medicine. Won''t the


    medicine have any bad effects on the children? I''m still worried, so we have to approach this carefully,"


    Edric still insisted, "Do you have any way to examine the chances of disability?"


    When Lily realized that Edric was being serious, she grew afraid. She hinted at the doctor, but under


    Edric''s threatening gaze, the doctor dared not y any tricks. She said, "If you are worried, I can


    arrange an amniocentesis for her, but since she is pregnant with twins, there will be a certain risk. I


    think we should be cautious."


    "Edric, the children are fine. I think it''s better to not do it," Lily looked pitiful, and her heart was beating


    fast. Was Edric nning something against her?


    Edric looked at Lily gently and said, "I know the chances may not be huge, but aren''t you in poor


    health? I''m very worried about you. For our children, it''d better to check it out, and it would make me


    feel more at ease."


    For the first time, Edric was so gentle and said that he was worried about her. Not only that, he even


    referred to the babies as ''our children''. Lily felt sweetness piling in her heart, so her objection was not


    so strong anymore.


    Edric then instructed the doctor, "Arrange for the amniocentesis immediately!"


    The doctor hesitated for a moment and looked at Lily, she said, "The amniocentesis needs to be


    scheduled in advance, and there are many people who are doing it..."


    Before she could even finish her words, Edric made a phone call, "Director Casady, is it you? I''m Edric


    Myers. I''d like to do an amniocentesis for my child''s mother. Please arrange one for me, and ensure


    that the doctor has great surgical experience."


    Naturally, Director Casady fulfilled Edric''s request. He immediately arranged for Dr. Chilton, the


    hospital''s expert, to perform an operation for Lily. Before the amniocentesis, one had to do a blood test


    for Hepatitis B, syphilis, AIDS and some other blood examinations. One also needed to do an


    ultrasound to check on the baby''s development. Lily had done those blood tests before, so she was


    brought to the operating room directly by Dr. Chilton.


    Dr. Chilton first did an ultrasound check on Lily''s babies. The two babies were in good condition, so Dr.


    Chilton told the nurse to start the preparations. The nurse took the transducer andid it on top of the


    uterus to monitor the babies'' condition, and then disinfected Lily''s stomach. Dr. Chilton prepared the


    needle for the operation and told Lily to close her eyes and not watch.


    Lily secretly nced down. The needle was more than ten centimeters long. She was so scared that


    she closed her eyes immediately. Dr. Chilton was a master in the field. He touched Lily''s stomach and


    inserted the needle into it without hesitation.


    As he was afraid that Lily would not feel the pain, around a minuteter, Dr. Chilton took 20 millimeters


    of amniotic fluid and the whole operation was over.


    After taking the amniotic fluid, Dr. Chilton did another ultrasound. He also let Lily take a look at the


    babies'' heartbeat, which was beating vigorously, proving that there was no problem with them. Dr.


    Chilton told Lily to take care of herself and to rest more in bed. She was not allowed to take a bath on


    that day as well, and helped Lily stand up.


    After Lily got up, Edric came in. With tears in her eyes, Lily rushed to Edric and said, "The needle was


    so long. I was so scared just now!"


    Edric held her and said in a gentle voice, "You''ve suffered for the sake of our children."


    Lily originally wanted to continue rubbing into Edric''s arms, but Edric helped her sit on the chair instead


    and turned to Dr. Chilton to ask about the operation. Dr. Chilton said that there would only be results in


    about two weeks. He would call Edric to inform him once the results were ready. Edric thanked Dr.


    Chilton and left the hospital with Lily.


    Edric had never been so caring. He even personally opened the car door for Lily and asked the driver


    who drove Lily to the hospital to drive slowly. All his actions made Lily very moved.


    After Lily left, Edric turned around and got into his car. After getting in the car, his face suddenly turned


    frigid.


    Although he had suspected that the babies in Lily''s stomach were not his, he was notpletely


    certain. As the saying went, it is always wise to y safe. He had to figure out the matter before he


    could be at ease.


    Edric naturally knew that it was part of Lily''s n toe to the hospital, so he had deliberately


    changed his attitude to apany her to the checkup. He had investigated the doctor before and


    knew that she was under Marie''s arrangement, so he had purposely asked about the babies'' gender


    and pretended that he wanted a son.


    Truth be told, he was not interested in the babies'' gender at all. The purpose of doing so was just to let


    Lily think that he cared about the children and that she had a chance.


    Edric had looked into some information. Lily was pregnant for more than four months, so he could


    check their DNA by taking some amniotic fluid. He had treated Lily coldly before. In order to not let her


    suspect him, he pretended to apany her for the check up to get Lily''s trust so that he could carry


    out his own n.


    Originally, Edric had thought that it would have taken a few more days for her to take the


    amniocentesis, but he did not expect that Lily''s doctor would say that she was in poor health. Edric had


    the sudden idea to take the opportunity to arrange the test with the excuse of checking for the chances


    of disabilities.


    Over the years in San Fetillo, Edric had been in touch with people from all walks of life. The dean of the


    hospital had a good rtionship with him, so he would definitely meet all of his requests.


    When Dr. Chilton was doing the operation for Lily, Edric had greeted the dean and asked him to keep


    some of Lily''s amniotic fluid for him. He had already obtained it, and now he was waiting topare it


    with the samples he had provided.


    Edric''s heart was notpletely at ease. He had to get someone to keep an eye on the situation, so


    he called John and asked him to supervise the matter personally.


    A few dayster, Edric received the DNA results and it turned out the children that Lily was carrying


    were not his. Seeing this result, Edric breathed a long sigh of relief. He took the results. At least the


    truth hade out. He went to look for Irene. Irene saw the results and was silent for a moment, "What


    are you going to do now? Are you going to tell Lily about this result?"


    Edric shook his head, "These are the children she had schemed to give birth to. I have to let her


    seed anyhow. Even if I tell her now that these children aren''t mine, she may not believe it. Have you


    forgotten Lily''s current situation as well? If she got rid of these two children, she''ll lose the chance of


    bing a mother for the rest of her life."


    "But isn''t this too¡­" Irene did not continue. If Lily knew that everything she had schemed was in vain,


    how disappointed would she be? Would she copse because of this?


    "Irene, I know what you''re trying to say. This is karma. If you keep on being kind to your enemies, you''ll


    be cruel to yourself too," Edric sneered, "My mother has be like this because of them. I won''t let


    any of them get away with this! Just you wait and watch!"

 Chapter 204 She Has To Give Birth

    Chapter 204 She Has To Give Birth


    Edric was determined to let Lily give birth to the babies. He told Irene all of this because he was afraid


    that she would misunderstood his attitude towards Lily. He had to gain Lily, Deborah and the others''


    trust and make them believe that he would change his mind towards Lily''s children. Not long after Lily


    got home from the hospital after the surgery, Edric ordered John to prepare gifts to send to the Cook


    family.


    Lily was lying on the bed and talking to Deborah about Edric''s words in the hospital that day. After


    hearing that Edric had apanied her to the check up and asked Lily to do the amniocentesis,


    Deborah had a bad feeling in her heart.


    Edric''s attitude towards Lily had changed a lot. When Lily first got pregnant, Edric had stood his ground


    and said that he would kill Lily''s children. Would he take this opportunity to get rid of them this time?


    Deborah called and told Marie her worries. She nned to send Lily to Marie to have a check-up.


    Marie was also anxious upon hearing it and suggested Deborah to send Lily over immediately. The


    doorbell rang. John was at the door with a few boxes of gifts, "Mr. Myers asked me to send them over.


    He said that Miss Cook''s health isn''t good and needs to be taken care of."


    Deborah was very surprised when she saw the premium foods that had been sent over. What was


    Edric trying to do? John was Edric''s most capable assistant. If he had personallye to deliver these


    foods, it was like he was representing Edric. Deborah''s heart was slightly at ease. Perhaps she was


    just being too cautious , but to be safe, she had to send Lily to Marie for a check-up.


    Marie hung up the phone and immediately called Lily''s doctor and asked her to do some investigation.


    The doctor checked with her close colleague and learned that Lily''s amniotic fluid had indeed been


    sent to theb for a test.


    Despite this, Marie was still not at ease. She had to personally check up on Lily before she could be


    rest assured. Deborah sent Lily to Marie''s hospital, and Marie immediately examined Lily. The result


    showed that her babies were all normal. Only then did Marie and Deborah be relieved.


    When Marie did an ultrasound, Lily asked Marie to help check the babies'' gender. Marie''s words were


    the same as her previous doctor. The babies'' position was not suitable to see the gender clearly.


    "It''s good to know that your children are healthy. Don''t worry about their gender," Marieforted her.


    "How can I not worry? Edric said today that it would be best to have two boys or at least one boy, so


    that someone can inherit his business."


    "Did he really say that?" Marie and Deborah looked at each other with surprise in their eyes.


    "Yes, so I''m worried. What if they aren''t boys?" Lily frowned bitterly, "Irene is pregnant now, and she


    already has a son. It would be bad if she gives birth to another son. If I gave birth to daughters, my


    children will definitely not be able topete with hers."


    "I don''t think they''ll be daughters," Marie said with uncertainty.


    Hearing this, Deborah grew extremely anxious. If Lily was pregnant with two daughters, they would


    have no right to interfere with Edric''s property. She asked, "Is there any other way to examine the


    gender?"


    "Yes, the doctor said that we can do an amniocentesis and blood test," Lily replied.


    "Then, let''s just wait for a few days. Aren''t they doing tests on your amniotic fluid? I''ll ask your doctor to


    pay attention to the results."


    "No, you don''t understand what I mean. Edric will definitely know the test results before me. What


    should I do if the result shows that they are both daughters?" Lily said her worries, "I have to know the


    results before he does."


    "Then, let''s take a blood test and see the results first. In about two days, we will get the results and it


    will be faster than the amniotic fluid test." Marie also knew that this was a big deal, and immediately


    arranged a blood test for Lily.


    Two dayster, the results came out. Lily''s babies were both male. When Lily heard this result, she was


    her.


    Lily was relieved but Marie was not. Although Edric and Irene were in a fight, after all, Irene''s child was


    Edric''s. The child''s existence would always be a trouble. In order to avoid more trouble in the future,


    she had to find a way to let Irene leave quietly like before and hide in a ce where Edric could never


    find her.


    Marie went to look for Dave again, and she exaggerated by telling him that Edric had apanied Lily


    for her checkup and he had also bought gifts for Lily.


    "Edric now values Lily very much and has no more feelings for Irene. I''m worried that he''ll take Irene''s


    child away, so I came here to tell you. We are all Irene''s rtives, so we have to think for her. If Edric


    really takes the child away from Irene after curing Eden''s illness, how sad will she be? To prevent this


    from happening, I suggest you think of a way as soon as possible."


    "Do you have any good ideas?" Dave asked.


    "I think you''d better leave San Fetillo with Irene and the child. As long as you leave and hide in a ce


    where Edric can''t find her, you can avoid these things from happening."


    Looking at Marie''s face, Dave really wanted to p her. Marie was treating him like a fool. If not for the


    fact that he was afraid of ruining Edric''s n, he would want to ask Marie face-to-face about what kind


    of agreement she and Deborah had made and why she was trying so hard to help Deborah and her


    daughter to harm Irene.


    Dave finally suppressed his anger and replied faintly, "Thank you for your reminder. However, it''s none


    of our business who Edric likes. As for the children''s custody, the San Fetillo''s court is not run by


    Edric''s family, so I don''t believe that he can control them with his power!"


    "Dave, why don''t you think about Irene? How can you bear to watch her fight Edric with all her strength


    for the child''s custody?"


    "As the saying goes, misfortune can''t be avoided. If Edric really wants to cause awsuit, we can''t


    avoid it even if we hide."


    "What I mean is that you both can hide for a while. When the charges on Irene are lifted, you can go


    abroad. By then, Edric will not be able to find you."


    "Go abroad?" Dave chuckled, "How can we go abroad if we don''t have money?"


    "Um...if you really don''t have money, I can give you some," Marie was being generous.


    "How much can you give us?" Dave really couldn''t help but ask, "Do you have tens of millions or


    hundreds of millions of dors?"


    "Dave, I''m just trying to help. Why are you..."


    "Thank you for your kindness." Dave interrupted Marie, "To be honest, I really can''t see any reason to


    leave. Edric is so rich, and it''s much better for the child to follow him than to follow Irene. The Myers


    family is so rich, and Edric could just give a little of the shares to the child. By then, Irene and I can also


    enjoy life with that bit of money. Only fools would leave."


    "You..." Marie''s expression changed. Dave had always been uninterested in money. What was wrong


    with him now? She added, "Don''t forget about Margaret. When the child is born, Edric will definitely get


    even with Irene."


    "If one hasn''t done anything wrong, they need not be afraid. Irene didn''t do anything to Margaret, so


    why would she be afraid of Edric?" Dave sneered, "You, on the other hand, I''ve never seen you care so


    much about Irene before. Why do I feel like you have ulterior motives for saying these words?"


    "I''m just trying my best to help but it turns out that you''re suspicious of me. What motives can I have?"


    Marie retorted in reply. She did not have any confidence at all.


    Dave looked at Marie and said, "Only you know your own motives, but what I want to tell you is that


    Irene will never leave San Fetillo, and I don''t want to have any contact with you. Last time, I''d made


    myself clear to you that we wouldn''t interfere with each other''s lives. Please don''t look for me ever


    again!"


    Marie and Dave eventually parted ways unhappily. On the way back, Marie had a face full of


    resentment. Now that Dave was so stubborn, her ns would not work on him. If that was the case,


    then she had to use the hard way. It seemed that she would have to tell Irene about the fact that Dave


    was not Thomas Nelson, her biological uncle. As long as she told Irene about this and that he had a


    special rtionship with Myra, then an interesting scene would soon appear.


    By then, Dave would not be able to clear his name ever again. Irene would look down on him because


    of the rtionship between him and Myra. Naturally, she would be reluctant to stay in San Fetillo, let


    alone by Dave''s side.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Marie became more and more excited as she thought, "This is what I should do! I will do it right now!"


    After parting ways with Marie, Dave returned home. When he entered the house, he saw Irene sitting


    on the sofa with a serious look on her face.


    Irene saw that her uncle looked upset. Irene had taken Eden to the hospital for a check up today. When


    she came back, she saw Thomas and Marie entering a caf¨¦ one after the other. She was very puzzled.


    Last time, Kinsey had told her before that Thomas and Marie met there. At that time, she had also


    asked Thomas about the meeting, and he had looked a bit abnormal and said that he went in alone to


    have a drink.


    She did not want to suspect her uncle, so she chose to believe him. This time, she saw the same


    situation again. It was not strange that Thomas went to the caf¨¦ for drinks. However, the strange thing


    was that both times he appeared at the same time, he was with Marie. Irene really did not want to


    suspect Thomas. However, too many things had happened around her recently. She did not want to


    think too much about it and decided to ask Thomas.


    "Uncle Thomas, where did you go just now?"


    "I went to see someone," Dave replied.


    "Who was it?"


    Dave wanted to find a chance to tell Irene about his true identity, but he didn''t know how to start. That


    day, he felt that he could not hold it in any longer after meeting with Marie. Since Irene had asked him


    so, it was a good opportunity, "I went to see Marie."


    Irene breathed a sigh of relief. Since her uncle did not hide anything from her, she grew relieved. Then,


    Dave added, "Irene, I have something important to tell you."


    Irene looked at him. In her perspective, her uncle had always been gentle and harmless. He had never


    had a temper, but now his face was stern. She had a feeling that something bad would happen. Sure


    enough, Thomas said something that surprised her, "I am not the real Thomas. The real Thomas is


    dead. My real name is Dave Walker..."


    Dave told Irene his true identity. Irene just could not imagine that her serious uncle was actually a


    famous designer. Seeing that Irene was shocked, Dave was a little worried, "Irene, I didn''t mean to lie


    to you, but I have my own difficulties. Don''t me me and please forgive me for doing this."


    It took Irene quite a while to recover from the shock. Seeing that Dave was looking at her worriedly as


    he kept apologizing to her, she smiled bitterly.


    Whether or not Dave was her biological uncle, he had no reason to apologize to her after the care he


    had given her over the years. She said, "I don''t me you. Without you, I don''t even know what will


    happen to me in these few years. I just want to know why you''ve decided to tell me your true identity


    now?"

 Chapter 205 The Real Reason

    Chapter 205 The Real Reason


    "Because of Marie," Dave sighed. He told Irene about Marie threatening him, and continued, "If Marie


    wasn''t so vicious, I would have buried this in my heart for the rest of my life, but now I don''t think I can


    do it anymore. Since Marie can do such harmful things to Margaret, she could do it to someone else. I


    am worried that she''ll harm others again."


    "What does Marie have on you?" Irene asked back. Dave had always been peaceful and never


    offended anyone. The only thing that Marie could threaten him with was his real identity.


    However, in recent years, Dave had been really good to her. Her grandmother had married Dave''s


    father. Although she wasn''t rted to Dave by blood, he was indeed her uncle. This reason wouldn''t be


    a threat to him at all.


    Dave stayed silent after Irene''s question. After a while, he opened his mouth and said, "Because she


    knew that I liked your mother."


    "What did you say?" Irene''s voice changed.


    "I''ve always liked your mother, but I couldn''t express my love for her because of my identity. That year, I


    hid in San Fetillo not just because of the fact that the famous painting was stolen, but also because I


    knew that no one would reciprocate my love..."


    Dave didn''t know what to say. Although he and Myra were not rted, from a moral aspect, they were


    indeed siblings. He liked Myra, which was difficult for most people to understand and ept.


    The living room was dead silent. Irene didn''t know what to say. This matter had already exceeded her


    imagination.


    For as long as she could remember, Dave had appeared in her life as her uncle. Later, after her mother


    passed away, she had left Steven and lived with him.


    It was her uncle who had taken care of her. He was not just her uncle, but he had also yed the role


    as her parents. He was her family whom she trusted the most in the world.


    Now her most trusted family member had suddenly changed his identity. He was not Thomas Nelson,


    but the talented designer, Dave Walker instead. Although Irene was shocked, she could ept it. After


    all, she had never seen her real uncle, Thomas who had passed away, and she had no feelings for


    him. For her, Dave was Thomas. They were the same person, and they were both her uncle.


    However, her uncle had mentioned that he liked her mother. Irene was confused. How could her uncle


    like her mother? They were siblings. Even if they were not biologically rted, they could not have


    other feelings for each other. Wasn''t this what the people called incest?


    "Irene, it''s all my fault. Your mother didn''t know that I like her. My feelings were just my desires alone. It


    had nothing to do with her. You must not have any bad thoughts about your mother. If you want to hate


    someone in this scenario, just hate me instead," Dave was a little flustered when he saw that Irene was


    not uttering a word.


    Irene came to her senses and forced a smile when she saw the nervous expression on Dave''s face,


    "Please let me have a moment of silence so that I can think properly."


    She really needed to think about it properly. In front of Thomas''s worried eyes, she got up and walked


    into her bedroom. She closed the door and sat by the bedside in a daze thinking, "How could this


    happen?"


    Seeing that Irene had closed the door and there was no movement for a long time, Dave could not sit


    still. He knocked on the door and called for Irene, but she ignored him. Dave reached out to push the


    door and realized that the door was locked from the inside. He panicked. Irene was pregnant. Did


    telling Irene everything cause a bad effect on her? He immediately called Kinsey, "Kinsey,e back


    now!"


    "What happened?" Kinsey was very surprised.


    "It''s about Irene. It''s hard to exin on the phone. You''ll know when youe back." Hearing his


    panicked tone, Kinsey did not ask any more questions and immediately took a leave to rush back to the


    house.


    After thinking for a while, Dave was still worried and he called Jordan to ask him toe back as soon


    as possible.


    The TV station was close to the vi, and about half an hourter, Kinsey hade back. When she


    entered the door, she saw Dave walking back and forth in the living room. There was no trace of Irene


    in the living room, so Kinsey asked, "Uncle, where is Irene?"


    "Irene is in the room," Dave pointed at Irene''s room, "Kinsey, please help me get Irene to open the


    door."


    "What happened?" Kinsey asked. She and Irene were best friends. Kinsey knew how close Irene''s


    rtionship with her uncle was. Now that Irene had locked the door, and Thomas could not open it,


    something important must have happened.


    "I..." Dave smiled wryly, "It''s not the right time to talk about this now. Go and open the door for me."


    Kinsey walked to Irene''s room and knocked on the door, "Irene, open the door!"


    There was no sound from the other side. She knocked on the door and shouted a few times, but there


    was still no response. Jordan came back and asked, "What happened?"


    Dave looked at Jordan, "Irene knows already."


    "What do you mean?" Jordan didn''t react for a moment.


    "She knows about my identity."


    "Who told her?" Jordan was stunned. Dave pointed at himself. Jordan let out a cry and said, "Why did


    you tell her now?"


    It was actually not a good time toin. He rushed to Irene''s room and knocked on the door, "Irene,


    open the door."


    Irene closed the door and sat on the bed, her mind in a mess. It was like there were two voices in her


    head, asking her to choose. One voice said to her, "Love cannot be controlled. Dave and Myra were


    not biologically rted. It''s not wrong for him to love Myra."


    Another voice was reminding her that although they were not biologically rted, they were still


    considered as siblings. That kind of rtionship could not be epted.


    Dave had only liked Myra and did not do anything else. Was it wrong to like someone?


    It was not wrong, but the person he liked was his sister. That was wrong!


    The two voices defended each other repeatedly. Irene did not know what to do. At that time, her phone


    rang. After a while, Irene picked up and answered it. A female voice was heard, "Irene, It''s Marie. Let''s


    meet up!"


    Why did Marie want to see her? Irene recalled that someone once said that she looked like Marie and


    that they were mother and daughter. At that time, she paid it no mind. Now, she knew that Marie and


    her mother were sisters. If she had known that she had a family member like Marie in the past, Irene


    would be ted. However, now, after knowing that Marie was one of the culprits who had harmed


    Margaret, she could not be happy anymore.


    She knew very well about Margaret''s kindness towards Marie, but instead Marie acted evil and tried to


    frame her. It could be imagined how disgusting this person''s character was. Marie had just met Dave


    and now she had called her. Something was definitely amiss. Irene was pregnant and her safety came


    first. How could she meet such a dangerous person?


    She replied faintly, "I don''t have time to meet up with you. If you have something to say, just tell me


    over the phone."


    "It''s not convenient to talk about it on the phone. Why don''t youe out and have a chat?"


    "I''ve told you that I don''t have time!" Irene emphasized. She did not want to talk to Marie anymore, "If


    you got nothing to say, I''m going to hang up."


    "Well, in that case, I have something to tell you, Thomas is not your biological uncle..."


    "You are toote, Dr. Walker. I already know," Irene interrupted Marie. This woman was not a good


    person. Fortunately, Dave had told her first, otherwise, she would have definitely been stunned by her


    words.


    Marie was startled. She did not expect Dave to reveal his identity to Irene so quickly. No wonder he


    was not polite at all when he had met her. It turned out that Irene already knew who he was. Marie felt


    burning hatred in her heart, "What I want to say is about Dave and your mother."


    "Dave has also told me about this. Dr. Walker, you don''t have to worry about all this anymore," Irene


    sneered.


    "He told you?" Marie couldn''t believe that Dave would tell that to Irene, "What did he say?"


    "What he said has nothing to do with you. Is there anything else?"


    Irene''s tone made Marie angry with embarrassment. She had a perfect n in mind, but she had not


    expected it to turn out to be useless. She gritted her teeth and said, "I didn''t expect that you would


    ept the truth of their incestual rtionship so calmly."


    "Marie, watch what you say." The word ''incestual'' made Irene angry, "Uncle said that he had fallen in


    love with my mother, but she didn''t know."


    "He''s lying to you, Irene, there''s a lot more that you don''t know about. Do you know why your mother


    had married your father back then? It was because the scandal between her and Dave got exposed. In


    order to stop people from humiliating them, she hurriedly chose to marry Steven."


    "Bullsh*t!" Irene shouted.


    "Don''t be so aggravated! If your mother and Dave were innocent, why didn''t she tell you about Dave''s


    identity? When your mother died, you had already grown up. If they weren''t guilty, they didn''t have to lie


    to you."


    "Marie, I know very well what kind of person you are. You''d better stop here. Your provocation doesn''t


    have any effect on me."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Irene, I''m just telling you everything I know. It''s up to you whether to believe it or not. Let me tell you,


    Dave hid his real identity and used Thomas''s name to live in San Fetillo in order to maintain a long-


    term rtionship with your mother! If you don''t believe me, you can go and ask Steven. He knows very


    well what happened between Dave and your mother. It was him who had caught Myra and Dave in bed


    back then!"


    "B*stard!" Irene was trembling with anger. She threw her phone away.


    The phone fell to the ground and broke into pieces. Marie''s voice disappeared, but her words¡ªhe


    knows very well what happened between Dave and your mother. It was him who had caught Myra and


    Dave in bed back then!¡ªlingered.


    Marie''s words were looping in Irene''s ears over and over as if they had been imnted inside. There


    was no way she could wave them away no matter how hard she tried. Irene''s arms wrapped around


    her head in pain.


    In her impression, her mother had always been so gentle and kind. No matter what, she did not seem


    to be that kind of person. It had to be Marie who had framed her! It was impossible for her mother to


    have an affair with Dave! It had to be Marie who had framed her mother. It had to be!

 Chapter 206 A Lot On My Mind

    Chapter 206 A Lot On My Mind


    Jordan knocked hard on the door outside and asked Irene to open it, but no matter how hard they tried,


    there was no reply. Worried that something would happen to Irene, Jordan turned to look at Dave and


    Kinsey, "It seems that the only way now is to break the door down!"


    Dave and Kinsey had no other way, so they just nodded. Jordan took a few steps back and crashed the


    door open with force. As the door opened, they saw Irene holding her head and sitting on the bed. The


    three of them breathed a sigh of relief.


    Upon seeing the door suddenly opened, Irene was shocked. She stared at the three of them who were


    at the door with her eyes wide open and her face bore a shocked expression. Kinsey closed the door


    and walked to her side, "Irene, you''ve scared us to death!"


    Irene gave her a bitter smile, "Why did youe back?"


    "Uncle Thomas called us toe back. What happened?" Kinsey sat down beside Irene and looked at


    her with concern.


    Irene didn''t know how to tell Kinsey about the matter. She clenched her fingers and kept silent. Kinsey


    did not force her as well and she saw her phone that had been smashed into pieces on the ground.


    She walked over and picked it up, "Who called you just now?"


    "Marie."


    "Marie?" Kinsey was stunned. What did Marie say to Irene that would make her throw her phone to the


    ground? "Marie is just an evil and mean person. You don''t have to take her words seriously."


    Marie was such a vicious woman. She must have exaggerated with her words. Irene should not believe


    her words. However, Dave had personally admitted that he liked her mother. What if there really had


    been some kind of rtionship between Dave and her mother? Irene did not dare to think about it.


    Even though it was highly possible that it was not true, there was still an inkling that it might be!


    Kinsey picked up the phone and put it on her bedside table. She walked to Irene and sat beside her.


    She reached out and held on to Irene''s hand, "Irene, you''re pregnant now. Don''t think too much. It''s not


    good for you and your child."


    Irene still stayed silent. Kinsey held her hand and said, "No matter what happens, I will always be there


    to support you! I''ll be your strongest supporter forever!"


    Looking at Kinsey''s sincere eyes, Irene said with a bitter smile, "Kinsey, I have a lot on my mind."


    "I know, so I''m telling you to not keep all of it in your heart. It''s better for you to speak up."


    "It''s really embarrassing to talk about," Irene took a deep breath and told Kinsey about what happened


    with Dave.


    Kinsey listened to Irene''s words andforted her, "Irene, why don''t you think about it more? Although


    Dave is not your biological uncle, he has been treating you so well just like how a real uncle would for


    all these years. I don''t think you should worry about this."


    "Kinsey, I''m not worried about that. It''s something else. Dave actually liked my mother." Irene smiled


    bitterly, "Although they''re not biologically rted, I still feel ufortable with it."


    Kinsey was shocked. The thing that Irene was worried about was somewhat uneptable for other


    people. She thought for a moment and said, "Irene, Dave isn''t rted to your mother by blood. Our


    country''sws forbid the marriage between blood-rted rtives and coteral rtives within three


    generations. Even if Dave and your mother were together, they did not break thew, even more so


    they did not have an actual rtionship that progressed. It''s just that Dave liked your mother. Love is


    not something that can be controlled by any human. That has happened a long time ago. You should


    just let it go."


    "Kinsey, do you know what Marie said to me?" Irene bit her lips, "She said that Dave was having an


    incestuous rtionship with my mother and Steven caught them in bed together. I-I really can''t


    imagine."


    "Marie is such a vicious woman. What she said must be false." Kinsey shook her head, "Irene, that


    woman must be trying to provoke you. You mustn''t fall into her trap."


    "I don''t believe her either. I''m just afraid. What if it''s true?"


    "Irene, even if it was true, it has nothing to do with you. Again, Dave was not rted by blood to your


    mother. Even if they were together, it wouldn''t be called incest."


    "Kinsey, I know that you''re saying this for my own good, and I also know that I shouldn''t be too worried


    about this. However, I really didn''t want things to be like this, my mom, s-she holds a special


    position in my heart. Steven has already disappointed me immensely. I don''t want my mom to be


    like him, do you understand?"


    Steven had been involved in an affair during his marriage and had caused a huge trauma in Irene''s life.


    If her mother had also been involved with Dave during her marriage, Irene would not be able to ept


    that.


    "Irene, in that case, then you should believe in your mother more. She was definitely not that kind of


    person and she would never let you down." Kinseyforted, "Also, I think you should believe in Dave.


    Since he had dared to say those things to you, it proves that he''s not hiding anything anymore."


    "If he had told me those things earlier, I would have believed him. However, I now know that he had no


    choice but to tell me. If Marie hadn''t threatened him, he would have kept these things in his heart for


    the rest of his life."


    "I think you''ve misunderstood Dave. He didn''t tell you because he didn''t want to bring trouble to you


    and was afraid that you would get hurt. Dave is a person who thinks about you all the time, so you


    should believe him."


    Kinsey was telling the truth. Dave had been very kind to Irene over the years. She should believe in


    him and her mother.


    Kinsey stayed in the room tofort Irene, while Jordan and Dave were sitting on the sofa in the living


    room waiting anxiously. Jordan was impatient and couldn''t help ming Dave, "Why did you tell her


    now? Aren''t you just making things worse?"


    "I didn''t intend to tell Irene about this, but Edric hade to me and talked about Marie. Irene and


    Edric are separated from each other and a big part of it is because of Marie. So, I didn''t feel good,"


    Dave told Jordan what Edric had said to him when they met.


    "Marie has always been more devious than the average person ever since she was a child.


    Additionally, she has done many bad things over the years. I was worried that she would harm Irene,


    so I told her what had happened in the past. At that time, it was just a thought and I had no intention to


    actually tell her. That is, until today, Marie came to see me again. She treated me like I was a fool. She


    suggested strongly that I should take Irene away from here. I was furious, so I said something bad to


    her. Later, I thought that since Marie couldn''t turn over a new leaf anymore, she really would do


    anything to achieve her purpose. I was afraid that she would say ridiculous things to Irene so I thought


    that it would be better for me to tell her myself instead, but I didn''t expect Irene to have such a strong


    reaction."


    "Marie and Myra were like sisters. As the saying goes, once a man dies, the hatred will vanish as well.


    The hatred in Marie should have disappeared after Myra''s death, but it turns out she still keeps it in her


    heart. She even helped Deborah and her daughter to harm Irene several times. That''s so vicious of


    her!" Jordan was very angry, "What benefits did Deborah and her daughter give her so she would help


    them so much?"


    Dave smiled wryly, "She and Deborah share the same thoughts and personality. They''ve done a lot of


    bad things all these years. There must be some unspeakable secrets they share."


    Upon mentioning Deborah, Jordan thought about Myra''s death and he asked, "Do you know anything


    about Deborah?"


    "No," Dave replied, "I used to think that she was a good person, butter I found out that she had an


    affair with Steven behind Myra''s back. You can imagine how bad her character is."


    "For Deborah to be a politician''s wife from just a normal person, she''s not all that simple." Jordan


    sneered, "By the way, have you ever had suspicions about Myra''s death?"


    Dave shook his head, "Myra''s death was an ident. It was a hit and run. Later, he was arrested and


    sentenced to 10 years of prison. At that time, he was initially sentenced to only three years. It was


    Steven who had used his connections and the driver got the heaviest sentence."


    Jordan sneered, "Steven is such a hypocrite. If he hadn''t cheated on her with Deborah, and if Deborah


    hadn''t told Myra about their scandal, Myra wouldn''t have gotten into that ident. He and Deborah are


    the culprits of all this. He did that to the driver just to make himself feel better."


    "What did you say? Deborah had looked for Myra before the ident? How do you know that?" Dave


    was very surprised.


    "My mother told me so," Jordan told Dave everything Lydia told him. "I showed Deborah''s photo to my


    mother. She said that the person who had met Myra at that time was Deborah. I suspect that Myra''s


    death has a lot to do with Deborah."


    Dave could not believe it at all, "Did your mother mistake her for someone else? Deborah might be


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    cruel, but she wouldn''t be that vicious and hurt others until that point, would she?"


    "No, my mother recognized Deborah as the person who had met Myra when she saw the photo.


    Talking about being cruel, which of Deborah''s actions aren''t cruel? She has seduced her good friend''s


    husband, harmed Margaret till the brink of death for Lily''s sake and now she even wants to frame Irene.


    Plus, thest time when Kinsey beat Lily up, it appeared like she didn''t make any moves, but she


    secretly asked someone to get revenge on Kinsey. Fortunately, I was there at that time, or the


    consequences would be unimaginable."


    Jordan sneered, "Last time, I was just being suspicious of her, but coupled with what she has done


    recently and the fact that Myra had a car ident after meeting her, I''m almost certain that she must


    have said something to Myra in order to gain the upper hand. She indirectly caused Myra''s death."


    Dave''s face turned pale, "I never knew that Deborah had secretly met Myra. No wonder Myra told me


    on the phone that Steven had cheated on her and he had a child. So Myra''s ident wasn''t a


    coincidence, but it happened because of what Deborah said?"


    He muttered to himself, raising his head. His expression instantly changed, "Irene! You..."


    Nobody knew when Irene''s room door had been opened. Kinsey and Irene stood at the door and


    looked at them motionlessly. It seemed that she had heard everything Jordan just said.


    In front of Dave''s surprised face, Irene walked to Jordan step-by-step and said, "Can you repeat what


    you just said?"

 Chapter 207 Calm Down

    Chapter 207 Calm Down


    Jordan stood up and held Irene, "Have a seat. I''ve been trying to tell you about this, but I was afraid


    that you wouldn''t ept it. Since you''ve heard everything, there''s no need for me to hide it anymore. I


    suspect that Deborah caused your mother''s death."


    Jordan repeated what he just said. Irene''s face paled and her body kept trembling. She wanted to grab


    something, but there was nothing to hold on to, so she tightly clenched onto the sofa. Due to using too


    much strength, her fingertips turned white. Seeing her like this, Kinsey was frightened, "Irene, Irene,


    are you okay?"


    Irene did not speak. When her mother had died, she was still in school. When she had heard the bad


    news and rushed to the hospital, she had only seen her mother''s cold body. She remembered what her


    mother had looked like at that time. She had been covered in blood and her face was pale.


    Her mother had stayed in the hospital morgue for two days. Later, the driver, who had caused the


    ident, came and reported himself, and everything was filed as a traffic ident.


    When her mother died, Steven had been in a meeting somewhere abroad. Thomas did not inform


    Steven and had instantly arranged for her mother''s funeral. When Steven came back, he only saw her


    mother''s ashes. The two of them had a big fight.


    While Steven wasining, he had questioned Thomas'' rights to cremate her mother before he


    came back. Thomas, who had always been calm and peaceful, had suddenly beat Steven up in anger


    and shouted fiercely at him.


    "Steven, where is your conscience? Don''t you know what you''ve done behind her back? Let me tell


    you, she knew about your scandal. This is what she wanted and she told me to do so before she died!"


    Steven had initially been furious, but he suddenly became embarrassed due to Thomas'' words. At that


    time, she did not know why Steven had been afraid of her uncle.


    It was not until three months after her mother''s death, Deborah took Lily into her house and saw the girl


    who was only three or four years younger than her. When she heard the girl timidly call Steven her


    father, she was so disappointed in Steven. Later, she did not hesitate to leave the house to look for


    Thomas.


    In the past few years, she had always believed that her mother''s death had been an ident. She had


    never thought that there would be a side that no one knew about.


    If it weren''t for Lydia, no one would have known that her mother had met Deborah before her death.


    Her mother died in a car ident after seeing Deborah. Lydia said that her mother had looked upset


    and distressed. What had Deborah said to her mother that made her look like that?


    Although Irene did not know what Deborah had said to her mother, she was sure that her mother''s


    death definitely had something to do with Deborah. Thinking of how she had been patient with Deborah


    and her daughter over the years, Irene detested herself.


    She had been patient with the murderer who had killed her mother, and she had let them live a free and


    easy life. She was unworthy of being a daughter! Irene gritted her teeth and uttered, "They will never


    get away with this!"


    Seeing that Irene was being overly emotional, Kinsey grew worried, "Irene, this is just a theory. Don''t


    be so aggravated. We have to calm down. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, it''s just a theory. It might not be the truth," Dave alsoforted her by the side. "Don''t be too


    agitated. You''re pregnant with a baby."


    "I''m not that weak," Irene''s hands let go of the sofa. Her nails had been broken because of her


    strength, but she could not feel the pain at all, "I must investigate this!"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve been looking into it. Just get more rest and take care of the baby. I''ll find out the truth


    and let you know," Jordan said.


    "No! I can''t let other people handle this. I''m going to investigate it myself!" Irene''s face was full of


    determination.


    "You are pregnant. How are you going to investigate? Just let Jordan do it," Kinseyforted her.


    "People who are guilty will show their true colors one day. If my mother''s death really had something to


    do with Deborah, she wouldn''t be able to hide so well. I will return to the Cook family and expose her!"


    "Deborah is so vicious, so she won''t let you catch her so easily. Most importantly, you''re still pregnant.


    If she does anything bad to you, things would get serious. For the sake of the child, you should not take


    this risk," Kinsey firmly disagreed with Irene''s idea to personally investigate the truth.


    "The most dangerous ce is also the safest. Deborah would never dare to do anything to me. Her


    daughter is also pregnant now. If something ever happened to my child, she would be the first suspect.


    She''s not that stupid," Irene said with a sneer.


    "I always thought that it was the right thing to not fight. Now, I''ve realized that not fighting would just be


    stupid. From now on, I''ll fight with them. I''ll fight to take away whatever they desire. I want them to see


    me as the enemy they can''t get rid off!"


    "I know that you''re angry. However, if you suddenly go back to the Cook family like this, they''ll definitely


    be suspicious. I think it would be better if we think of a n," Jordan saw that Irene was stubborn


    on returning and there was no way to stop her. He understood Irene''s feelings. However, Irene''s


    sudden return would definitely make Deborah and her daughter suspicious. That would definitely be


    detrimental to the investigation.


    "Steven has always wanted me to move back, but I had refused because I didn''t want to see those ugly


    faces. It wouldn''t be surprising if I moved back. Moreover, it''ll be Steven''s birthday in a few days. I can


    just use that as a reason to go back. They won''t suspect a thing."


    Edric asked John to investigate Deborah''s cousin, Simon. Simon had robbed and taken advantage of


    the victim, causing the victim to have miscarriage. He was then sentenced to ten years of prison.


    During his imprisonment, he had escaped from prison when security wasx.


    After escaping from prison, Simon had gone and stabbed Eunice, who was the victim who sent him to


    jail, three times. Although Eunice had not been stabbed to death, his crimes of murder and escaping


    prison were too serious, so he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He was still in prison until


    now.


    John told Edric that when the police had caught Simon, he felt no remorse at all. Instead, he imed


    that he was innocent and said that he did not kill Eunice. He just wanted to ask Eunice why she had


    pretended to be pregnant and used him, which had caused him to be sentenced for a few more


    years. He said that Eunice was already lying down and covered in blood when he had arrived at her


    house.


    Edric frowned. Why was Simon so unrepentant? Was there really something behind the situation?


    Edric decided to meet Simon. Simon had been in prison for many years. He looked slim and pale, and


    his eyes looked dim. He looked like the ssic example of not having any more hope in life.


    The prison authorities told Edric that generally, people who were sentenced to life imprisonment could


    be released earlier if they behaved well. Many people were released from prison after less than 20


    years. However, Simon was different. He did not change at all and was always crying out for justice.


    They gave him work to do in prison but he was always down and unmotivated. Due to his stubborn


    behavior, his sentence had not been reduced. He had maintained that behavior for more than 20 years.


    It was not until recently that he began to calm down. He did not shout nor cry out for justice anymore.


    John tried tomunicate with Simon. When faced with John''s questions, Simon kept silent the whole


    time, looking incredibly unmotivated. John saw Simon looking at Edric while shaking his head.


    Edric lit a cigarette and handed it to Simon. Simon looked up at him, and then at John. Finally, he took


    the cigarette. After Simon took a few puffs, Edric suddenly said, "Simon, do you still remember Qiana?"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Qiana''s name made Simon''s hand tremble. Edric continued, "Qiana is now a famous gynecologist


    expert in San Fetillo. She has a very good rtionship with a politician''s wife. Do you know who the


    politician''s wife is?"


    Simon silently smoked his cigarette and ignored Edric''s words.


    "The politician''s wife is Deborah." Edric smiled faintly, "I remember you also have a cousin named


    Deborah, right?"


    Simon still did not speak. Edric continued, "Oh, I forgot to tell you the politician''s name. His name is


    Steven Cook. Does it sound familiar to you?"


    "It does sound a little familiar," Simon finally spoke.


    "Let me add one more thing. The politician''s wife is from Cat Alley, and her nickname was Sugar. Your


    cousin, Deborah, used to have this nickname too, am I right?"


    "How is that possible?" Simon looked at Edric in surprise. If his cousin Deborah was a politician''s wife,


    why did she leave him alone? He had been in prison for so many years, and his cousin had always had


    a good rtionship with him and knew his grievances. If she was really the politician''s wife, she would


    definitely help him seek justice.


    Edric smiled faintly, "I''ve brought you a photo of the politician and his wife. Have a look." He handed the


    photo of Steven and Deborah to Simon.


    Simon took it and looked, his expression changed. Edric noticed the change and continued, "I''ve asked


    thewyer and judge. Crimes like yours would normally only be sentenced to a maximum of ten years


    and you could leave after reducing your sentence. However, you''ve stayed here for so long without any


    reductions. Do you know why?"


    "Why?"


    "Because someone doesn''t want you to get out," Edric looked at him with pity, "You know too much.


    There are only two ways for you to shut up. One is to kill you so you can''t even speak, and the other is


    to make you lose your freedom for a lifetime, and the person couldn''t bear to kill you so he chose to


    take away your freedom forever."


    "That''s impossible!" Simon cried out. He was not a fool and he knew what Edric meant.


    "Why is it impossible? A punk like you is just like a sticky candy. They can''t get rid of you no matter how


    hard they try. Who would want to have connections with you? Besides, you knew what happened that


    year more than anyone else. Let me tell you something else, your cousin Deborah has been the


    politician''s wife for more than ten years. It shouldn''t be difficult for a politician''s wife to take care of this.


    However, why has no one paid attention to you for so many years? You''re a smart person. You don''t


    need me to analyze such a simple thing for you, do you?"


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    "Because I want to make a deal with you. You''ll tell me what I want to know, and I''ll find a way to help


    you obtain justice and allow you to get out of here. How does that sound?"


    Simon smoked his cigarette in silence, and Edric continued, "I''m only giving you one chance, and it


    depends on whether you can provide me with something valuable in return. Let me remind you that this


    is the only chance you''ll ever get. If you miss this chance, you''ll never get another one again! I hope


    you''ll think this over carefully. Once you''ve decided, you can tell the authorities to pass on the


    message."


    After saying this, he motioned for John to leave and walked out of the prison gates. John asked Edric


    curiously, "Mr. Myers, how did you know that someone didn''t want him to get out?"


    "It''s just a guess," Edric replied, "Simon is Deborah''s only cousin. Whether Simon was wronged or not,


    naturally, Deborah would definitely find a way to help her cousin and reduce his sentence. However,


    the fact was that she didn''t care about him at all, and everyone in Cat Alley knew that they had a close


    rtionship. So what else could that mean?"


    John somewhat understood Edric''s exnation, "So you suspect that Deborah deliberately does not


    want Simon out of prison."


    "Plus, how did Simon escape from prison to kill Eunice? It doesn''t make sense. There has to be a


    reason."


    "Mr. Myers, you''re so attentive and observant," John admired Edric immensely. "But will he be willing to


    cooperate with us?"


    "He''ll see the light eventually!" Edric replied.

 Chapter 208 Getting Sick From Rage

    Chapter 208 Getting Sick From Rage


    Irene was nning to move back to the Cook family. However, she did not expect Edric to call her that


    night. He told her that he witnessed Steven being hospitalized and asked if she nned to visit him.


    Irene had happened to watch Steven on the TV regarding news of his meeting in the province the day


    before. Steven seemed energetic then. He did not look sick. Why would he suddenly be admitted to the


    hospital?


    She recalled the time when Steven had pretended to be sick and hospitalized. Irene had a hunch that


    something must have happened to Steven during his meeting at the province, so he pretended to be


    sick again. So, she didn''t take it to heart.


    Not long after dinner, Maisy called to inform Irene that Steven had been admitted into the hospital


    because he had passed out. She requested Irene to head over to the hospital to visit him.


    When Irene rushed to the hospital, there were only Steven and Maisy in the ward. Irene felt skeptical


    over Deborah and Lily''s absence. She thought, "Why isn''t Deborah and her daughter here to suck up to


    Steven? I wonder why they''re unwilling toe by."


    Maisy stood up when Irene entered and pointed at Steven, who was lying on the bed, "He hasn''t woken


    up yet."


    Irene whispered, "What happened?"


    "I don''t know either," she answered. Steven left the morning two days ago to attend a meeting in the


    province. He said he would return after three days, which meant he was scheduled to return the next


    day. However, while preparing dinner on the evening before Steven''s supposed return, she received a


    phone call from Steven''s driver. He informed her that Steven had been hospitalized and that she


    should not tell anyone about it.


    Maisy knew that she should not let Deborah and her daughter hear about this matter. Deborah did not


    stay at home, knowing that her husband Steven was out for a meeting. Since Lily was the only person


    at home, she found an excuse to visit the ward. When she reached, she learned that Steven had been


    unconscious all this while. She was anxious and called Irene to get her toe and have a look.


    "Where''s the driver?" Irene asked Maisy.


    "He has been staying here all this while. When I arrived, I told him to go and get his dinner."


    "Why did he get sick all of a sudden? What did the doctor say?"


    "The doctor said that it was due to hypertension. He should be fine if he stays for further observation."


    The driver entered while they chatted. As the driver was newly employed, he was taken aback to see


    an unfamiliar face in the ward due to him not seeing Irene before. Maisy hurriedly introduced Irene to


    him. Irene asked the driver, "What happened before he fainted?"


    The driver shook his head and replied, "I drove Mr. Cook to the meeting in the province. ording to


    the itinerary, we were supposed to reach home tomorrow. However, after the meeting, we rushed here


    instead. On the way home, Mr. Cook suddenly grew pale and said his chest felt ufortable. So, I


    sent him to the hospital. The doctor did a checkup on Mr. Cook when we were at the hospital and said


    that Mr. Cook was suffering from hypertension that required further observation. Initially I wanted to call


    his wife, but he stopped me. He only allowed me to contact Maisy and reminded me to tell Maisy to not


    share this piece of news with anyone."


    Irene nced at Maisy and asked, "Is his hypertension that serious?".


    Maisy nodded and said, "He has been on medicine all this time, but an incident like this have never


    happened before."


    Irene always had the impression that Mr. Cook was in good health, but she didn''t expect that he was


    already on medication. She began to feel concerned, so she went to the doctor.


    After Irene left for a while, Steven woke up. Maisy was joyful and said, "Mr. Cook, you''re awake! Do


    you feel any better?"


    Steven nodded as he struggled to sit up. The driver quickly helped him up while Maisy asked Steven


    caringly, "Mr. Cook, what do you feel like eating? I''ll go buy it for you."


    Steven nced at the driver and said, "Get me some congee." The driver acknowledged his request


    and left. Once his figure disappeared from the door, Steven looked at Maisy and asked, "She wasn''t


    home, right?"


    He was obviously referring to Deborah. Maisy nodded and replied, "She left early this morning, saying


    that she had an appointment with someone to shop for beauty products. She hadn''t reached home


    when I left."


    Steven''s face darkened, "What was she wearing when she went out?"


    Maisy recalled Deborah''s outfit for the day to Steven, "What''s wrong, Mr. Cook?"


    Steven remained quiet. On his way home, he subconsciously looked beside him and saw a couple


    kissing inside a car parked by the roadside. Thatdy''s figure looked simr to Deborah''s. At that


    moment, he felt his heart drop, and fury began to surge within him.


    When he saw that thedy looked like Deborah, molten anger filled him. He instantly felt dizzy and had


    trouble breathing. If he had not have experienced any adverse symptoms at that moment, he would


    have surely gotten the driver to stop the car to observe what was going on.


    Although the woman who had kissed the man in the car looked like Deborah, her clothes were different


    from what Maisy had described. Did he mistake her for someone else?


    While Steven was deep in thought, Maisey spoke again, "Irene came to see you. She saw that you


    hadn''t woken up, so she went to look for the doctor because she was worried about you."


    "She''s pregnant. Why did you worry her?" Stevenined.


    "I was scared when I saw you were unconscious."


    At that moment, Irene came back. She was followed by the doctor. When she saw that Steven was


    awake, she let out a sigh of relief. The doctor did a checkup on Steven and noted that his condition was


    stable and he had nothing to worry about.


    After the doctor left, the driver came back with the congee that Steven had ordered. Irene opened the


    takeaway and shook her head, "This is seafood congee. Mr. Cook is allergic to seafood, so you need to


    get a new one."


    "I''m sorry!" The driver had not worked long enough with Steven to know his diet restrictions, "I''ll go buy


    a new one."


    "It''s okay, I''ll just go with you," Maisey said, "Irene, you stay here to chat with Mr. Cook. I''ll be back


    soon."


    After Maisy and the driver left, only Irene and Steven were left in the room. At that moment, Steven''s


    eyes were slightly damp. He had never thought that Irene would remember that he was allergic to


    seafood.


    Although Lily and Irene were his daughters, both of their characters were at extreme ends of the


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    spectrum. Lily was with him for many years and knew he was allergic to seafood, but she had never


    bothered about it.


    Lily would often insist Maisy to stock some seafood at home since Edric liked it. She would indulge


    herself in pleasing Edric andpletely ignored his feelings.


    Although he had felt rather unhappy about it, he talked himself out of it. Young people nowadays tend


    to care about themselves only. However, when he saw that Irene remembered his allergy, he finally


    realized that he had made a big mistake, "Irene, I was in the wrong! I owe you an apology!"


    In the past, Steven had apologized to Irene many times. However, this time, his apology felt different


    Irene noticed his change of mood and poured Steven a ss of water, "You don''t have to apologize to


    me. I was narrow-minded when I was younger. I''ve thought it through. You gave me a life. To me, that


    is the greatest gift I could ever receive. I do not have any right to ask anything from you, nor can I hate


    you."


    The more Irene said, the more upset Steven felt. He replied, "Irene, I feel the most sorry towards you


    and your mother. I can still repair our rtionship, whereas for your mother, I know that I can never


    make it up to her in this lifetime. I hope that I can beg for her forgiveness in my next life."


    Irene gazed at Steven and thought of what Marie had said previously. She suppressed her emotions


    and asked, "Can I ask something? Did my mother ever wrong you while she was alive?"


    "No! Your mother is a good woman. She had worked hard after marrying me, and she had never done


    anything to hurt me. I''m the one who had failed her," Steven replied unwaveringly.


    Irene felt relieved. So, her mother was not that kind of person after all. She had been too gullible to


    believe Marie''s hurtful words. She should not have done that.


    Maisy and the driver returned with another pack of congee for Steven not long after. After Steven


    finished the congee, he noticed that it was gettingte and was worried about Irene''s health. Hence, he


    asked Irene to go home and rest. After making sure Steven''s condition was stable, Irene did not insist


    on staying either. She gave Steven''s driver a few reminders before leaving the ward. When she was


    about to leave, Steven suddenly called out to her, "Irene, it''s my birthday the day after tomorrow. Could


    you bring Eden home for dinner?"


    Irene nodded, "I''ll bring Eden back."


    Steven had not been hoping for much at first. When he saw Irene agreeing to his idea, he grew excited


    and tried to convince Irene to move back home, "Maisy has already decorated Eden''s room. You can


    Irene did not object to him, "I''ll see how it goes."


    After Irene went back, she told Dave and Kinsey about her moving back to Steven''s ce. Kinsey


    wasn''t assured, so she told Edric that matter. She hoped that he would advise Irene not to go. When


    Edric heard her words, he got anxious too. Deborah was such a ruthless woman, so she might do


    something mean to Irene. He could not allow Irene to be at such a risk.


    Edric came to speak to Irene that night, "Irene, it''d be better for you to consider this matter. Deborah is


    just too vicious. Even if you''re not concerned about your safety, do think about the baby too. We


    mustn''t take risks."


    "I know. I''ll be careful."


    "No matter how careful you are, you can''t avoid any sudden idents. As the saying goes, it''s better


    baby''s born? We can take our revenge when Eden recovers, right?"


    Edric persuaded, "Besides, so many years have passed since the incident. You must be wary of


    Deborah''s cunning behavior. It''s not easy for you to find any evidence that puts her in the wrong. We''ve


    already gotten some leads in the investigation, so the results will be out soon. Just wait patiently for a


    few more days!"


    Irene had no choice but to relent as Edric seemed so worried about her, "Alright, I won''t move back to


    the Cook family. I''ll wait till your investigation is over. However, it''s Steven''s birthday in a few days. I''ve


    already promised to bring Eden over for dinner."


    "Since you''ve promised him, you should go back. Remember to be careful while you''re there," Edric


    warned.


    This was Irene''s first time celebrating Steven''s birthday since she had left home. Steven was excited.


    Although it was his birthday, he instructed Maisy to prepare all of Irene''s favorite dishes. He went to


    pick Irene and Eden up for the asion.

 Chapter 209 A Horrible Scream In The Middle Of The Night

    Chapter 209 A Horrible Scream In The Middle Of The Night


    Both Deborah and Lily were taken aback to see Irene and Edening home to celebrate Steven''s


    birthday. They exchanged nces and knew what this entailed. Didn''t Marie say that Irene would leave


    San Fetillo soon? However, why did the situation turn out to be the opposite of what she had said?


    They knew it was time to have a chat with Marie about what was happening.


    Both the mother and daughter forced a smile as they faced Irene and Eden. Deborah even praised


    Eden, "Eden has grown up so handsomely! You''ll definitely be a handsome man when you''re


    older!"


    Lily hurriedlyplemented her mother''s actions. Eden asked Irene, "Mom, who are they?"


    Irene pointed at Deborah and Lily before exining, "She is Mrs. Cook, and she is Mrs. Cook''s


    daughter. You may call her Miss Cook."


    Eden nodded, "Hello, Mrs. Cook and Miss Cook!"


    The way he had greeted both Deborah and her daughter disgusted them. Eden was shocked to see


    Lily''s pregnant belly and asked Irene, "Mom, Miss Cook''s tummy is bigger than yours."


    "Yeah, that''s because Miss Cook is pregnant with twins. So, it''s only natural that her belly is bigger than


    mine," Irene said cheekily.


    They initially thought that Irene would take this opportunity to sneer at Lily''s pregnancy and be


    upset and angry. However, Irene was acting the total opposite by behaving unconcernedly. Both Lily


    and Deborah knew that something was amiss, but they could not spot where the w was.


    Steven was anxious that Irene would say something nasty upon seeing Lily''s pregnancy. However, he


    heaved a sigh of relief after watching Irene''s reaction. He pulled on Eden''s hand and said, "Eden and I


    are going upstairs to see the rooms."


    Irene followed behind them as Steven brought Eden upstairs. Deborah and Lily felt rather unpleasant to


    see Steven and Maisy behaving friendly to Irene and Eden.


    Lily whispered to Deborah, "Mom, why is she so unbothered?"


    "How would I know?" Deborah was impatient, "Please don''t act so rashly tonight. I don''t think this


    matter is that simple. Irene is not a good person to cross paths with either, so we must be careful."


    Both Deborah and her daughter felt uneasy the entire time. They were afraid that Irene


    would suddenly have ill intentions. However, they were mistaken. Dinner was pleasant and friendly, and


    Irene did not create any trouble. They even chatted during dinner, and she told Lily some pregnancy


    tips without any hostility.


    The more Irene behaved like that, the more the mother-daughter duo felt ufortable. Later that


    evening, Eden and Irene stayed over at the Cook family''s house. Eden did not dare to sleep alone, and


    Irene would not be assured of leaving him alone. Hence, both of them slept in the same bedroom.


    Lily went back to her bedroom after watching both Irene and Eden enter their bedroom. After a while,


    Deborah brought over a ss of milk for her. She closed the door behind her as Lily muttered, "Mom, I


    honestly feel that Irene was behaving abnormally."


    "I feel the same way too. She has never had a good impression of you, but she even shared some


    good tips with you. If she behaved snappy towards us, I would be more at ease. The more she


    behaves like this, the more anxious I feel. I''m worried that she might do something to your baby since


    she hase over out of the blue."


    "Will she really do anything?" Lily was taken aback.


    "It''s possible. You can''t get pregnant anymore if you have a miscarriage now. If she wants to attack


    you, the consequences would be unimaginable. We have to find a way to deal with her."


    "How, though?" Deborah''s word held some truth in them. If she lost this child, there would not be any


    future for her. So, she had better be on guard against Irene.


    "You should stay outside for a few days and onlye back when she''s gone," Deborah had no other


    choice but to persuade her daughter to stay away from the house.


    Lily was frightened too, so she agreed with her mother''s proposal.


    Deborah was sleepless that night as sheid on the bed. Her heart was busy guessing what Irene''s


    real intentions were. It was not until midnight that she could finally fall asleep in a daze.


    Deborah had a dream. The dream was a shback of the scene in front of the caf¨¦ by the roadside that


    day. Myra''s body was oozing with blood as sheid in a pool of blood. Meanwhile, she stood at the


    cafe''s entrance as she witnessed her painful death. She observed her blood draining out of her body


    bit by bit as happiness trickled in her with every passing minute.


    However, that joyful feeling onlysted for a few minutes. Suddenly, Myra jumped up and pounced on


    her. She screamed, "Deborah Jones, I''ll kill you!" Deborah was scared out of her wits. She wanted to


    run, but her legs were paralyzed.


    The moment Myra''s bloodied hands went to strangle her neck, Deborah''s eyes were wide-open.


    She immediately sat up in fear and felt cold sweat all over her back. Steven woke up from her sudden


    movements. He groaned, "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing. I feel thirsty, so I''m going to get some water to drink," Deborah got out of bed lightly. She did


    not have any intention to drink water, but her heart was thumping rapidly. She could only choose to


    hide from Steven so that he would not notice her unusual behavior.


    After pouring a ss of water at the kitchen, Deborah sat down at the dining table and gulped down the


    water. Then, she felt slightly more at ease. She had experienced this nightmare a few times after


    Myra''s death, but that was a few days after Myra''s funeral. Myra''s death had happened long ago, so


    what was wrong with her now? Why did she have this nightmare all of a sudden?


    She felt ufortable. She did not believe in spirits, so she was not certain of the reason. She had


    been feeling uneasy and frantic the whole day. Was something bad going to happen?


    She recalled the scene of Myra''s death. She had an appointment with Myra that day. When Myra


    arrived at the cafe, she was smiling from cheek to cheek as she said, "Deborah, didn''t I say that we


    should meet up at home straight away? Why didn''t youe to my ce?"


    Deborah did not smile when she saw Myra''s cheerful expression, "It wouldn''t fit for me to speak of this


    matter at your home!"


    "What''s going on?"


    She opened her bag and took out a photo. She handed it to Myra and said, "Look at this!"


    Myra took the photo over and stared at it before returning it to her, "Who''s child is this? She''s pretty!"


    "Beautiful, right? Don''t you spot any differences?" she asked coldly.


    "Differences?" Myra took the photo back and gazed at it, "This child looks like you."


    "You think she looks like me? It''s said that the daughters will look like their father. This child doesn''t


    look like me, but she''s quite alike to her father," she sneered.


    "Who is her father? Do I know him?"


    "Of course you do. How could you not know him? You two cross paths with each other day and night."


    "What nonsense are you spouting?" Myra''s face was filled with shock.


    "I''m not talking nonsense. This is really your husband''s child, born from another woman!" Myra''s


    expression darkened instantly as she said this. She snatched the photo back and observed it carefully


    for some time.


    The more she stared at it, the darker Myra''s facial expression became. Deborah was ecstatic to


    witness Myra''s face paling as the seconds passed, "Are you not curious who her mother is?"


    "Who is it?" Myra''s voice trembled when she put down the photo.


    "I am the mother!" She scoffed as she whispered the two words to Myra. Myra''s expression changed,


    and she red at her in shock, "That''s impossible! How could that be?"


    "Why is it impossible? Everything else can be used to deceive people, but do you think that such


    matters can be used to trick other people?" She red at Myra''s pale face, "Do you remember when


    Steven had gone on that business trip to San Fertile? As his wife, you should know that he had


    misced one of his underwear that he brought, right? That underwear is still in my house."


    Deborah''s reminder triggered Myra''s memory. She had always packed for Steven''s business trips and


    did theundry herself. When he came back that day, one of his underwear had indeed been missing.


    At that time, she felt that it was strange and had asked him about it. However, Steven''s expression had


    seemed ufortable at that moment when he answered that he lost it. It did not ur to him that he


    was having an affair.


    However, she did not expect that his underwear would be left in her best friend''s house. She was


    unable to exin how she felt at that moment. Myra glowered at her, "Deborah, I''ve always treated you


    as my best friend. There are so many men out there. Why must you choose Steven? Why?"


    Deborah sneered as she replied to Myra''s question, "You should ask your husband this question


    instead, not me. He was the one who wanted to have an affair with me. How could I have refused


    him?"


    "I did not expect you to be such a shameless person. Well, I''m blind. Deborah Jones, our bridges are


    burned from now on!"


    Myra scowled at her with disdain, but she did not lose control of her temper as Deborah had imagined.


    She spat out the final sentence and left.


    When she got up and was ready to leave, Deborah called out to her, "Hold on, there''s one more thing I


    need to tell you!"


    However, Myra ignored her and continued to leave. Deborah stopped her and said, "Actually, I''m not


    Steven''s only lover. He has had other women that he had a few children with too."


    "Get lost!" Myra spat.


    "You don''t believe me? I''ll make you believe me," Deborah sneered. She ignored Myra''s angry


    reactions and whispered three words in her ears. After she muttered those words, Myra''s face turned


    grave and shrieked, "You''re lying!"


    "You can go see for yourself if I''m lying or not. You took her husband away, and based on her hatred for


    you, is there nothing that she wouldn''t do?" Deborah reminded her coldly, "I''ve forgotten to tell you that


    both her child and my child were born on the same day."


    "How could this be? Why would you two do this to me?" Reality hit Myra like a truck. Her eyes lost their


    spark, and her hand pped Debora''s cheeks uncontrobly before stumbling her way out.


    Not longter, Myra was run over by a truck, her body left on the roadside. Deborah witnessed the


    whole process. There was blood all over the ground, and she had been gasping in a pool of blood.


    Since it was nighttime, the house was quiet. That piece of memory chilled Deborah to her bones. She


    did not dare to stay downstairs any longer and stood up. When she was about to go upstairs, she saw


    a white figure with long hair. She could not help screaming.


    Her horrifying scream was sharp, and everyone in the vi was alerted. Steven, Lily, and Maisy all


    rubbed their eyes as they walked out of their bedroom to check what had happened.


    "What happened?" Steven asked with a frown. He saw Deborah standing at the corner of the stairs and


    Irene, who was about to go downstairs.


    "I don''t know," Irene raised her hands innocently, "I was thirsty, so I wanted to get some water. When I


    was about to go downstairs, Mrs. Cook was just about toe up. Suddenly, she screamed, like she


    had been possessed."


    Deborah held her chest. She was the best at adapting to situations, "I just saw a ck cat with green


    eyes. I''m most afraid of cats!"


    "What''s there to be surprised about? It was just a cat," Steven frowned, "Moreover, there are no cats in


    the vi. How did you see a cat?"


    "There had to be something wrong with her eyes," Lily immediately spoke on behalf of her mother.


    Irene remained quiet. She had witnessed everything clearly. Deborah had screamed when she saw


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    her. If she did not feel guilty, what was there to be frightened of?

 Chapter 210 The Truth

    Chapter 210 The Truth


    Irene had returned to the country for a few months already. Nathan initially thought that his factory''s


    affairs would be resolved within a few days, and he could keep herpany back in Havend.


    However, the factory affairs became even more severe than he expected. Later, he was sued to court


    by one of his factory workers and could not go abroad at all. So, he had no choice but to stay in


    Mencodia.


    Irene had suffered loads of troubles during her days ofing back to her country. Jordan was kind


    enough to call Nathan to update him about Irene daily. Nathan missed Irene every day and med


    himself for not being able to split himself into two selves to apany her. Fortunately, Jordan took


    care of Irene for him, so he felt somewhat relieved.


    Now that the factory''s affairs were basically handled, he nned to return to the country in a few days.


    After work that day, Nathan did not return home. Instead, he went to a vi at the countryside.


    Nathan had bought that vist year. He intended to let Irene and Eden stay here since it was situated


    at the countryside. The air was clean and refreshing at the vi, so it was suitable for Eden to


    recuperate here.


    When Nathan had initially bought the vi, Britney had not agreed to his marriage with Irene. He had


    thought that Irene and him could never be together, so he had purchased this vi solely for Irene and


    Eden to settle down. Now that Britney had agreed to their wedding, he was ecstatic and immediately


    renovated the vi as their future home.


    Now, the vi had already been renovated. There were many flowers in the garden and there was a


    The purpose of Nathan''s visit was to look at the roses. He had also nned to bid farewell to Tammy


    Wood, who took care of the garden for him.


    A few months ago, Nathan had rescued Rowane. She was hospitalized for almost a month. The


    wounds on her body were healed, but her memories were still lost in the wind.


    As Rowane''s purses and personal documents had been stolen when she was unconscious from the


    ident, no one could confirm her identity. She could not remember her name, so Nathan had no


    choice but to temporarily put her in hispany''s staff dormitory.


    After a casual chat, Nathan came to know that Rowane was fond of nature. He remembered that his


    vi had grown plenty of flowers and trees, so he wished to let Rowane move there for a short stay. He


    hoped that she could hang out with the gardener and watch over the garden. A beautiful ce like that


    could help to regain her memories back.


    When Nathan arrived at the vi, he saw Rowane watering the flowers in the garden.


    The sunset shone on thend and filled the sky with a beautiful multi-hued glow. Rowane was wearing


    a long, peach dress. She stood in the middle of the flower garden as the sunshine reflected on her silky


    ck hair and dress, appearing as a golden glow. The scene was breathtaking, like she was an elegant


    fairy in the paintings.


    Nathan was stunned to witness everything as he stood by the fence. He was star-struck and didn''t


    recover for a solid one minute.


    If it weren''t because he knew that Irene was not in the country, he would have reckoned that beautiful


    fairy in the flower garden was her.


    This woman who had lost her memory really resembled Irene!


    Just as he was in a daze, Rowane raised her head towards him and smiled, "Nathan, you''re here!"


    "Yes, I came here to take a look," Nathan came back to his senses and pushed the door open before


    entering.


    Rowane put down the watering can and approached him. She pointed at a rose nt and chuckled,


    "You came just in time. The rainbow roses are blooming. Look at how beautiful they are!"


    Nathan looked in the direction of where her finger was pointing and saw two flowers blooming on the


    rose nt. The flower''s colors were unique, consisting of a mix of the seven colors on the rainbow.


    The species of this rose was called the rainbow rose, it was also known as the seven-colored rose, or


    the rose of happiness. The flower held romantic intent in thenguage of flowers, dreams, happiness,


    joy, beauty, and elegance. Besides its gorgeous color, it also emitted a sweet fragrant. This species


    of rose was rare, and Nathan had specially requested the gardener to cultivate it well. He nned to


    use it to express his affection to Irene and wanted to show her his sincerity.


    Seeing the peculiar color of the rainbow rose, Nathan walked over excitedly and bent down to smell it.


    He sighed and said, "It really lives up to its reputation. This rose is lovely."


    Rowane smiled as she looked at Nathan''s handsome face. She suddenly felt a little downcast because


    she remembered what the gardener had told her before. Nathan had a fianc¨¦e, so he grew this rose


    nt as a gift to his fianc¨¦e to show his affection. She really admired this woman. Nathan was manly,


    intelligent, and kind. It would be a blessing to be able to marry him!


    "Jodie, thank you," Nathan stood up and thanked Rowane with gratitude. Nathan gave Rowane the


    nickname, ''Jodie'' for convenience''s sake. He chose this nickname because she was wearing a jade


    pendant, so Nathan conveniently gave her said name.


    "Nathan, you''re too nice. This flower was cultivated by Gentro. I was just helping him to water it,"


    Rowane blushed slightly. She felt embarrassed for her loss ofposure just now.


    How would Nathan know what Rowane was thinking? He thought that she was a shy person for


    blushing upon hispliment, so he developed a better impression of her. It was rare to find girls who


    blushed easily.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help saying, "Jodie, you really look like someone."


    "Really? Who is she?"


    "My fianc¨¦e," Nathan felt happy upon mentioning Irene. His face was filled with tion.


    Rowane was somewhat taken aback, "Your fianc¨¦e?"


    Nathanughed and said, "Yes, her name is Irene Nelson. Your eyes and lips look a lot like hers, but


    she''s a few years older than you."


    "Irene Nelson?" Rowane frowned. She felt that she had heard of the name somewhere.


    Nathan noticed Rowane''s abnormal behavior and asked, "Jodie, what''s wrong with you?"


    Rowane hesitated for a moment and said, "I seem to be very familiar with this name."


    "It''s not surprising. Gentro must have told you about her before!" Nathan did not expect Rowane to


    know Irene personally. He thought that one of the vi''s servants had told her since they had been


    transferred from the White Mansion. Everyone knew Irene, so it would not be strange for them to tell


    Rowane about her.


    "Perhaps," Rowane knew that the people here had never mentioned Nathan''s fianc¨¦e''s name to her.


    However, she did not think that it would be possible for her to know Nathan''s fianc¨¦e on a personal


    level for it would be too big of a coincidence, and she did not bother about it.


    Nathan admired the roses again for a while. He watered the nts together with Rowane for a while


    before entering the vi with her. They sat on the sofa together in the living room. Nathan told Rowane


    about his ns to return to Havend and took his phone out. He said to her, "Jodie, sit properly. I''ll


    take a photo of you."


    Rowane felt that he was being weird, "Why do you want to take a photo of me for no reason?"


    "I n to share your photo with my friend and get his help to check around to see if he can identify you.


    Also, I''m going back to Havend, and it''d be convenient for me to take a look around," Nathan had


    been busy with the factory''s affairs these days, so he could not help investigate Rowane''s identity.


    Since he was going back to the country, he nned to share Rowane''s photo with Jordan to get him to


    find out real identity.


    Rowane was overjoyed. She quickly groomed her hair and clothes and sat up straight for Nathan to


    take photos of her.


    Nathan raised his phone and took two close shots of her. After chatting with her for a while, he went


    back to the White Mansion.


    After returning home, Nathan decided to make a phone call to Irene and tell her that he was going back


    to the country.


    Irene''s voice sounded slightly tired from the other end of the line. Nathan felt his heart race and picked


    up on it immediately, "Irene, are you feeling unwell?"


    Irene chuckled, "No, I''mpletely fine."


    "You have to pay more attention to your health. Now that you''re pregnant and you have to take care of


    Eden, you mustn''t tire yourself out," Nathan''s heart ached when he thought of the hardships that Irene


    was going through now. He gave her a few reminders before hanging up.


    Nathan did not feel assured from his phone call with Irene and hurriedly called Jordan to ask about


    Irene''s situation.


    "I was just about to call and report to you!" Jordan shared in a serious tone about Margaret''s ident


    and that she was in aa. He added that Loraine had also used Irene of the culprit.


    Nathan was shocked, "How could this happen? Irene couldn''t have done that."


    Jordan replied, "I believe Irene too. She''s kind-hearted, and no matter how much she hates someone,


    she would nevery a finger on them. She must have been framed."


    "Does Edric trust her?" Nathan was somewhat anxious that Edric would vent his anger on Irene as


    Edric was a filial son in his impression.


    "Edric and Irene used to be husband and wife, so he understands Irene better than any of us. It''s only


    natural that he trusts her," Although he never had a good impression of Edric, he had seen how much


    trust Edric had in Irene. Jordan was impressed with him and no longer despised Edric as much as


    before.


    Nathan thought that Jordan''s words made sense. If Edric did not know Irene well, then those years as


    her husband would go to waste.


    Jordan added, "Edric is getting people to investigate this matter. I''m assisting in the investigation too,


    and things are getting interesting."


    Nathan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That''s good. I''ll be back in Havend in a few days, and I''ll


    look into it with you. We must prove Irene''s innocence."


    "Okay, we''ll talk about it when youe back."


    Nathan shared his decision to return to Havend with Britney over dinner. He also told her about


    Margaret''s injuries andatose state. However, he did not tell her about Irene being set up because


    he was afraid that Britney would overly worry.


    "Sigh, what a pity," Britney had always been merciful. Although she disliked Margaret foring to


    Mencodia to bring Eden away, she immediately forgot about her wrongdoings in the past the moment


    she heard that Margaret''s life was in danger. She sympathized with Margaret deeply.


    Instead, Joanne grew angry as she listened from the side, "There is no need to pity someone like that.


    This is karma since she had mistreated Irene and snatched Eden away despite his poor health. She


    deserves this."


    Britney red at her discontentedly, "What are you talking about? She''s already in such a terrible state,


    yet you''re still taking pleasure in her misfortune."


    "Madam Britney, I''m just trying to defend Irene!" Joanne pursed her lips and did not dare to say


    anything more.


    She had already heard about the matter from Lily and knew that Edric was suspecting Irene as the


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    culprit. She also knew that he despised Irene for her actions. So, Nathan''s urgency to return to the


    country was definitely because of this matter.


    Previously, she had heard from Lily that Edric and Irene had an argument. Joanne was over the clouds


    upon knowing that both of them could not ever get back together. She hoped that Edric would never


    forgive Irene. However, she felt slightly worried amidst her ecstasy.


    She hated Irene to the core and wanted Irene to be gone from the Earth''s surface. So, she naturally did


    not want her to have a happy ending with Edric. However, if Irene and Edric were quarrelling, Irene


    would more likely return to Nathan''s side. That would be even harder for her to ept.


    Nathan was going back to Havend to visit Irene this time. She felt even more anxious thinking about


    it. Dinner was tasteless as her mind kept thinking of ways to stop him from returning.

 Chapter 211 Finding Out About Her Identity

    Chapter 211 Finding Out About Her Identity


    Joanne lost her appetite due to her busy thoughts. She only finished half of her meal before resting on


    the sofa in the living room to brainstorming.


    While she was deep in thought, Nathan''s phone rang in the living room. Joanne nced at it and saw


    the name ''Jodie'' on the screen. Just as she was about to ask Nathan who ''Jodie'' was, he stood up to


    pick up the call.


    Joanne''s curiosity sparked. She pricked her ears and listened carefully. She heard Nathan speaking


    gently and whispered the name ''Jodie'' softly. After the other side said something, Nathan replied with


    an ''Oh no!'' and he added, "Look at my poor memory. Please keep it for me. I''ll collect it before I return


    to Havend. Thank you."


    Joanne asked deliberately, "Nathan, who called you? Why did I hear a woman''s voice? Are you having


    an affair with anotherdy behind Irene''s back?"


    Nathan rushed to exin, "What nonsense are you spluttering? I went to the vi on the outskirts to do


    some gardening for the roses, and I had misced my watch. The gardener-in-charge found my watch


    and gave me a call to tell me."


    "Don''t lie to me, Nathan." Joanneughed, "I just saw the name of the person on your phone screen.


    Why did you save a servant''s phone number as well?"


    "Jodie isn''t a servant of our family. However, now she''s helping to take care of the vi''s garden, so I


    referred to her as the gardener."


    Britney stopped in her meal and put down her cutleries. She walked over and asked, "Who''s Jodie?"


    Her interest was piqued by Nathan''s exnation.


    Nathan had no choice but to tell her everything that had happened to Rowane.


    Britney smiled with relief and said, "My grandson is so kind to lend a helping hand to a stranger.


    Speaking of which, this girl is really pitiful. You should help find out her identity as soon as possible so


    that it will be helpful for her to restore her memory."


    Nathan chuckled, "Grandmother, that''s indeed my n."


    Britney had been hostile towards Joanne recently. She was trying her best to impress Britney. Upon


    hearing what Britney said, she hurriedly added, "Nathan, send Jodie''s photo to me. I''ll ask my friends to


    inquire around and see if anyone knows her."


    Britney nced at Joanne approvingly, "Not bad. Joanne has plenty of followers. You should get her to


    help spread the news."


    Nathan''s face darkened, "No, I can''t upload Jodie''s photo online. Otherwise, I would''ve done it a long


    time ago."


    "Why not? The Inte is the fastest and most convenient way to find people," Joanne asked curiously.


    Nathan answered, "You''ve forgotten what I said just now. When I found Jodie, there were scars on her


    body. Plus, judging from the scene that time, someone seemed to be after her life. If I posted her


    photos on the Inte, wouldn''t it be terrible if her enemy discovered her? I can only ask someone to


    investigate it secretly, not via the public."


    Joanne nodded, "You''re right. We really can''t do that. How about this? My good friend, Linda''s


    husband, is a private detective. Send me Jodie''s photo, and I''ll get him to help investigate quietly."


    "Yes, this is a good idea. I thank you on Jodie''s behalf," Nathan said as he took his phone out and sent


    Rowane''s photo to Joanne.


    Joanne nced at her phone and couldn''t help eximing in shock, "Nathan, why does Jodie look so


    simr to Irene?"


    Nathanughed, "Yes, I agree that they both do slightly look alike. If I didn''t know that Irene doesn''t


    have a sister, I would have thought that Jodie was her sister."


    "Really? Let me see," Britney went forward to take Joanne''s phone to take a careful look at the photo.


    She was astonished and said, "She looks simr to Irene indeed. She seems younger and prettier than


    her. She must have a gentle personality."


    Nathan chortled, "You''re amazing, Grandma. You can tell someone''s personality just by looking at their


    photo. Jodie is indeed a docile and diligent girl. Hodge and the others fancy her a lot."


    Joanne suddenly had an idea when she noticed Nathan''s face to be full of approval as he mentioned


    Jodie. She suggested, "Nathan, why not invite her over to our house for a meal? It''s rather pitiful that


    she has to suffer like this in a foreign ce. Plus, Grandma likes crowds. So, having a guest over for a


    meal would be nice too."


    Britney agreed and added, "She has a point. Our house is big, but we don''t have many people staying


    here. It would be livelier if friends came over, so why not you bring Jodie home for us to get to know


    each other?"


    "Okay, I''ll send someone to fetch her here for you guys to get to know each other," Nathan thought


    about it and agreed with the idea. Rowane was a gentle and obedient girl, so Britney would love her a


    lot. If she coulde over to apany Britney often, then Britney would be joyful. After all, he would


    be returning to the country soon and would not be back for some time. Britney was rather annoyed with


    Joanne''s presence right now, and she could not apany her as often asst time anymore. If


    Rowane could rece Joanne in attending to Britney, then he could leave with a peace of mind.


    After making up his mind, Nathan decided to go to the vi in person tomorrow and discuss the matter


    with Rowane. If she was willing to, he would ask her to move into the White Mansion. However, he


    never thought that his decision would change his rtionship with Irene and his life.


    ¡­...


    After the dream of having a business was shattered, Loraine and her son had hard time in life. They


    used to have a few million dors of savings but Tommy''s rebellious personality had caused it to be


    spent in clubs with his useless friends in the clubs every now and then.


    At that time, he would be called as ''Mr. Lewis'', and girls would rush over to him for attention. Now that


    he was poor, even his friends no longer contact him. Sometimes, they would even meet on the streets,


    but they would pretend to look away and not know each other. Tommy had finally understood what a


    dog eat dog world felt like.


    Fortunately, not everyone had abandoned him. Sam Hayes, who had encouraged him to build his


    business before, still treated him the same as before. Speaking of Sam, Tommy found him to be an


    interesting person.


    In the past, Tommy used to tease him a lot. However, Sam had always faced his teasing with a smile


    and never lost his temper. He followed him by his side all the time and addressed him as Mr. Tommy.


    Tommy looked down on Sam a lot. He was short and stumpy and could not fight anyone. He was a


    coward and had poormunication skills. That type of person was destined to be followers and could


    never achieve great things in life.


    Although he disrespected Sam, Tommy enjoyed his presence. After all, people like Sam gave him a


    sense of aplishment and superiority.


    Of course, Sam was not a good-for-nothing. He had actually found a beautiful woman to be his


    girlfriend, which was also Sam''s only advantage.


    Everyone at the party would stare at his girlfriend, and her bust really was alluring. Tommy had no


    interest in women with big breasts. However, he didn''t know why he had ended up falling in love with


    an older woman. Due to theck of parental care when he was young, he had a different feeling when


    making love with older women.


    So, Tommy''s preference for women was only mature women. Although mature women could satisfy his


    demands, he felt ashamed to bring them out. Hence, Tommy only spent time with older women


    privately to meet his needs while telling everyone that he was single.


    He had been rich at that time and often bragged that he had connections to a politician. During


    gatherings, everyone, including men and women, would fawn over him. Of course, Sam''s big-breasted


    girlfriend was one of them.


    Sam was protective over his girlfriend. However, that woman did not love him back and only had her


    eyes set on Tommy because of his wealth and bachelor status.


    One of Tommy''s friends said that the woman had taken a fancy to him. Initially, Tommy had not


    bothered about it. Eventually, he realized his friend was right and noticed that she often eyed him with


    intentions.


    Everyone was interested in Sam''s girlfriend, but her eyes were only on Tommy. Men were hypocritical.


    Although Tommy had no interest in the woman, he eventually had an affair with her under her


    seduction and the influence of alcohol.


    The woman wanted to get rid of Sam after seducing Tommy. However, Sam loved her so much and


    refused to break up with her.


    So, the woman schemed about having an affair with Tommy and made Sam catch them in bed to make


    Sam give up on her. When he saw his girlfriend and Tommy naked on the bed, Sam''s face darkened,


    and his fists clenched.


    Tommy felt a shiver run down his spine. Although Sam was bad atbat, he could do something


    miraculous for the sake of love.


    However, it was a fact that Sam was indeed hopeless. After a moment of anger, he chortled loudly and


    said to Tommy, "Mr. Tommy, if you like her so much, then you can have her."


    It was said that no one should bully another friend''s woman, and the gangsters were people with


    integrity too. Tommy knew that he was in the wrong, so he gave Sam plenty of benefits after that


    incident.


    Probably due to the fact that he managed to make up for it, their friendship did not grow distant due to


    a woman. This time, when Tommy was downcast, only Sam stayed by his side. He never looked down


    on Tommy, who was penniless with no status. He even gave him some money and food to help him.


    Later, Tommy realized that Sam was a friend to keep close,pared to everyone else for one''s true


    colors only showed during the darkest times.


    Sam had his own business to take care of and could not apany him every day. Tommy found his


    days to be challenging as a jobless person, so he would scroll through the Inte to pass time. Soon,


    he met Lovely Skinny Rose, who was Rosa''s identity to catch men, online. The conversation started


    out about women and money but when they began to talk about their sad feelings, both of them found


    a connection. Rosa had been cheated by greedy and lustful men before, while Tommy had a failed


    business. Soon, they began to chat.


    They had to meet up since they could rte to each other. Rosa knew that she was older and was


    afraid that Tommy would reject her. So, she put on makeup and ended up realizing that she had been


    worried for nothing. Tommy did not mind the fact that she was almost older than him by ten years. It


    was love at first sight when they first met, and they quickly made love.


    With Cecilia''spany, Tommy felt that his life got much better. However, financial issues were always


    a thorn in the rose. He had to find a way to immediately make money.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Cecilia proposed to bring Tommy to the nightclub she worked in. However, Tommy felt ashamed and


    disagreed with her suggestion.


    Cecilia noticed that he was reluctant to do so and did not force him. Initially, she had been on guard


    against men after being deceived by Bruce. However, she had let her guard down entirely after meeting


    Tommy. Instead, she felt somewhat intimate with him. She told Tommy that she could earn money to


    support him, then he could rest first and recover his strength before finding another way.


    Cecilia''s consideration warmed Tommy''s heart. Good things had not wholly abandoned him.


    It really was a blessing for him to meet such a confidante at this time of crisis.


    As time went by, the rtionship between Tommy and Cecilia became closer and closer. He even


    nned to spend the rest of his life with Cecilia.

 Chapter 212 Receiving An Anonymous Letter

    Chapter 212 Receiving An Anonymous Letter


    The only thing he was worried about was his mother, Loraine, rejecting his decision. Not only was


    Cecilia a prostitute, but she was also much older than him as well, so his mother would definitely


    disagree with their rtionship. He still depended on his mother, so he had to reveal the matterter


    on.


    One night, Sam brought a few bottles of wine and some dishes to Tommy''s ce for a hangout


    session. As they were drinking, Sam suddenly brought up a matter about his business, "Mr. Tommy, I


    heard a small piece of news about why your nightclub had been closed down. I''m just not sure if it''s


    true or not."


    "Tell me about it," Tommy felt embarrassed to not have any money with him. He stayed home to scroll


    the Inte every day and had no idea about what was happening outside.


    "I heard that your nightclub was closed down because of your partner. Your partner had offended


    someone he shouldn''t, so they deliberately chose to shut down the nightclub."


    "No way. Who told you that?" Tommy was in disbelief. His partner was Deborah''s friend. Who would


    dare to offend a friend of Steven Cook of San Fetillo?


    "I heard it from Mr. Brendon''s subordinates," Sam replied.


    "Mr. Brendon? Why haven''t I heard of this name?"


    "You hadn''t been out recently, so of course you don''t know who Mr. Brendon is. Mr. Brendon is


    someone who came to San Fetillo from the capital city recently. He works in an important department,


    but he identally created some trouble and came here to hide," Sam exined. "Mr. Brendon was


    extravagant. Every time he went out, he would be apanied by a dozen bodyguards and he would


    only spend money at the Golden Age Group. Edric Myers and the security head, Director Lewis, are full


    of smiles whenever they see him."


    He must be someone that both Edric and Director Lewis respected. Tommy believed him and asked,


    "How did you get to know his subordinates?"


    "They needed some contacts when they came to San Fetillo. Eugene from the Golden Age Group was


    looking for people, and I''m on good terms with his nephew. That was how I got introduced."


    Sam exined further, "Mr. Brendon said that San Fetillo was a good ce. He wanted to set up a


    stronghold here, and he happened to be interested in your closed down nightclub. Then, he nned to


    clear it and rebuild the shop. Since he was nning to do so, he asked around why your shop was


    sealed up in the first ce. People from the capital city really are a different breed. They have so many


    connections!"


    "D*mn it, I was wondering why I was so unlucky. It turns out to be because of this. Do you know who


    the culprit is?"


    "They didn''t say so. However, they''re saying that Logan Wheeler wasn''t the real owner. The true


    investor was Mr. Cook''s wife. After the nightclub was closed down, Mr. Cook went to find someone and


    found out that his wife had invested in it. In the end, the investment funds by Mr. Cook''s wife were


    returned to him. You can only consider yourself unlucky for not getting a penny back."


    "Are you serious?" Molten anger filled Tommy.


    "That''s what they said. I think ny percent of it is true. Think about it yourself. Mr. Cook has been an


    official for so many years. It''s not an exaggeration to say that he might be corrupted."


    "So I''m the only one who has nothing to lose here?" Tommy was furious, "We can''t just let it go like


    this!"


    "What do you want to do?"


    "I have to get my money back."


    "What can you do? Mr. Cook has more power than you do. What status do you have? How do you n


    to get back this money?"


    Tommy was stumped by Sam''s question. Indeed, what ability did he have now? He had had plenty of


    money because of his mother. If it were not his mother, he would not amount to anything himself. It


    seemed that the matter had to be discussed with his mother.


    Tommy went to speak to Loraine and told her everything that Sam had shared with him. Loraine was


    unsatisfied upon hearing the matter, but she was afraid that her son would act arrogantly because he


    was young. She shook her head and said, "Deborah helped me when I was at my lowest. I owe her, so


    I don''t think she would do something like this. We mustn''t give in to the rumors."


    "That rumor is everywhere right now. After all, we are the only one at a disadvantage in this matter.


    Since she has half of the money, she should divide the half with us. She can''t take all the money all by


    herself."


    "Are you stupid?" Loraine red at her son, "If Deborah wanted to share the money, she would have


    already given the money to you. Why did you wait until now? How can you ask the money from her


    without evidence now?"


    "Don''t we have something against her?" Tommy asked.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Idiot! Although those secrets are harmful to her, they are also a bad thing for us. If Edric finds out that


    we''ve helped Deborah in her ns before, he would be the first to kill us. You''d better give up that


    idea!"


    His mother''s warning made Tommy break out in a cold sweat. Indeed, his mother was Deborah''s


    aplice. If that matter got out, they would be in even more trouble. However, should they just let it


    go? No matter how he thought about it, he was not willing to let it go.


    When Cecilia came home that evening, Tommy told Cecilia about the matter. Naturally, he did not


    mention anything about Deborah scheming with his mother to do horrible things. He only told Cecilia


    everything that Sam had shared with him.


    Cecilia replied, "I heard about this from two guests in the nightclub today. I was about toe home to


    tell you."


    "It seems that''s more or less the truth?" Tommy was infuriated, "D*mn it. The store got closed down


    because of them, but I''m the unlucky victim. The more I think about this, the angrier I get!"


    "Yes, they were immoral. No matter what, they should give you half of the money." Since the amount


    was in millions of dors, Cecilia was naturally tempted as well. If they could get the money back, her


    rtionship with Tommy would bring her benefits, "We have to find a way to get the money back."


    "What can we do? We''re just normal citizens, and they''re officials. We don''t have the ability to fight


    them!" Tommy sighed.


    "We certainly don''t have the ability to fight them directly, but we can think of a way, right?" Cecilia


    snickered. She had heard about Tommy being lied to, but she had received another shocking news.


    Apparently, Mr. Cook''s wife was Sugar from Cat Alley!


    She had known Sugar since young. Back then, she was only fourteen or fifteen years old, and Sugar


    had been in her peak at Cat Alley. Many gangsters fawned over her andplimented her beauty as


    they would think of ways to impress her. She used to admire and envy Sugar and she tried to follow


    how she talked and walked. She had hoped that she could be as pretty as her when she grew


    older and attract attention from many men.


    The man she had liked at that time was a gangster in Cat Alley called Logan. Logan was five years


    older than her and was a loyal fan of Sugar. He always thought of ways of getting Sugar''s attention by


    waiting outside of her house. Sugar had no feelings for Logan. However, Sugar had been brought


    home by one of the gangsters one night, and Logan came along. He heard sounds from Sugar and the


    gangster in the house, so Logan had uncontrobly thrown stones into the gangster''s window. At that


    time, Rosa had saved Logan.


    At that time, her brother, Jackson, also yed a significant role in the Cat Alley. The gangster who had


    gone out with Sugar did not dare to offend her brother because she had saved Logan. Naturally, Logan


    was grateful for her, and she even deliberately seduced him. Eventually, they had a sexual affair.


    Rosa was pregnant by fourteen. Jackson was furious at that time and went to search for the man who


    had impregnated his sister. She refused to say, and the matter was then swept under the carpet.


    However, Logan had to go into hiding for some time because he was afraid of her brother.


    Later, Logan returned to her after her brother got arrested. For that reason, Logan still treated her


    nicely, and he still kept in touch with her after he went to another city to be a lorry driver.


    She had gone to visit Logan once. Logan had been somewhat drunk and spilled a secret to her that


    Sugar had hired him to knock someone down with a car. He said that he was afraid and never wanted


    to do such things. Naturally, Rosa supported Logan''s decision, so she persuaded Logan not to.


    At that time, Logan had agreed to not do such things. However, the next time she went back to that city,


    she witnessed Logan crashing into someone on the road.


    The woman had lost a lot of blood. It was said that she had died after being sent to the hospital.


    Logan had gone home after crashing into someone. Upon seeing Rosa, he lost his wits. Rosa had


    witnessed everything and interrogated Logan if he was under Sugar''s instructions. However, he


    refused to admit it until she threatened to report it to the police. Logan finally spilled the beans and


    begged her on his knees to keep the matter a secret.


    Rosa had chosen to keep silent because she had feelings for Logan. Later, Logan surrendered himself


    to the police and was sent to Jensville for reform throughbor. There had been no news about him


    until now.


    Why should she keep this secret for Sugar? Rosa told this matter to Tommy and nned to use it to


    threaten Deborah.


    It would be a direct strike to Deborah and they would not be involved in the matter themselves. Tommy


    immediately agreed upon hearing her idea. They had a discussion and decided to write an anonymous


    letter to send to Deborah.


    Irene nned to stay for only two days before leaving. However, Steven refused. He insisted Eden and


    her to stay for a few more days. However, Deborah was afraid that Irene would do something mean to


    Lily. Hence, she found an excuse that Lily had to be sent to a private hospital because she was not


    feeling well and left with her. Of course, Tommy did not know that Deborah and her daughter had


    moved out. So, the letter ended up in Steven''s hands.


    When Steven saw no address on the letter, he felt suspicious and tore the letter open. He initially


    nned to seal the letter back after reading it. However, he did not expect the contents of it to be such


    mind-blowing information. He passed out from rage.


    Steven was immediately sent to the hospital for treatment. When he woke up, he stared at the ceiling in


    a daze as he could not believe that Myra''s death had been plotted by Deborah. Steven''s


    hatred instantly rose. He wished to skin Deborah alive to vent his hatred.


    However, he could not share this matter out in the open nor tell it to the public. If others knew that


    Steven had cheated in marriage and his mistress was the one who had killed his wife, he would be


    terribly ashamed.


    Most importantly, it wasn''t just about his reputation, but also that his job would be affected as well.


    He had been working so diligently, and he was enjoying the limelight until now. How could he step


    down because of this matter? However, it needed to be handled one way or the other. Deborah was


    such a vicious woman. He could not forgive her at all! He had to think of a way to get revenge for Myra


    so Deborah would feel like she''d rather be dead than alive.

 Chapter 213 Her Real Identity

    Chapter 213 Her Real Identity


    After getting the photo from Nathan, Joanne returned to her room. She closed the door and observed


    Rowane''s picture carefully again. Her lips stretched into a smile. Just as she was racking her brains on


    how to stop Nathan from returning to the country, a girl who looked like Irene appeared. Hence,


    she immediately thought of a n and decided use this unknown girl as leverage to keep Nathan


    around.


    Therefore, she pretended to pity Rowane''s situation and managed to get Nathan to bring Rowane


    home. Then, she would find an opportunity to carry out her n. However, before she could execute


    her agenda, she had to ensure to fulfill the promise she had made. She sent Rowane''s picture to her


    best friend, Linda, and asked to get her husband to investigate Rowane''s identity.


    Britney and Nathan were furious with Joanne because of the incident with Irene. They were not as


    loving towards her as they had been in the past. Instead, they treated her coldly.


    She was anxious because of that and had tried many ways to please Britney, but she had failed all the


    time. Both Britney and Nathan behaved rtively neutral with her.


    She clearly noticed how Britney had looked at her with approval when she mentioned that she would


    share Rowane''s photo with Linda''s husband to get his help in the investigation. Nathan was pleased to


    hear that too, so she had to take the opportunity to change their impression of her.


    One knew that both Britney and Nathan were kind-hearted people. They loved people who were caring


    and sentimental. If she showed her kindness and enthusiasm in front of them, they would definitely like


    her again.


    Moreover, she was rather curious about Rowane''s identity. Finding out about Rowane''s identity would


    be of great help to her n of using Rowane to stop Nathan from returning to Havend.


    Joanne dialed Linda''s number and told her everything about Rowane. Linda was a Mecodian-born


    Chinese and was Joanne''s schoolmate. They were close to each other, so naturally, she agreed to


    Joanne''s request and requested her to send Rowane''s photo over immediately.


    After hanging up on the call, Joanne opened her WhatsApp and opened her chat with Linda. She sent


    Rowane''s photo and scrolled through her social media for a while. Then, she put the phone down and


    got ready to take a bath.


    Just as she was about to enter the bathroom, her phone rang. Joanne nced at the screen and saw


    that it was Linda calling her. She couldn''t help but feel confused. Was Linda''s husband so efficient? He


    had managed to find her identity within half an hour?


    She picked up the call and asked, "Dear, is there really news so soon?"


    Linda said, "What news? Why haven''t you sent me the girl''s photo? I''ve already told William, and he''s


    waiting for you to send him the photo!"


    Joanne was shocked, "I''ve just sent you the photo. Didn''t you receive it?"


    "What app did you use to send it?"


    "I used Whatsapp. Aren''t you online?"


    "I''ve been online this whole time. I didn''t receive it at all. Did you send it to the wrong person?"


    "No way, let me check," Joanne hurriedly hung up on the call and opened her Whatsapp. At a nce,


    she realized she really had sent the photo to the wrong person. She had identally sent Rowane''s


    photo to Lily. Lily''s name was simr to Linda''s, and they had the same profile picture . So, she had


    sent the image to the wrong person without checking.


    She scolded herself for being careless. She hurriedly dug through her album for Rowane''s photo.


    When she was about to send it to Linda, Lily called her.


    It seemed that Lily was curious about Rowane''s photo and called to ask what her photo was about.


    Joanne answered the call and nned to exin to her about her ident. However, before she could


    even say anything, Lily asked her first, "Miss White, why did you send Rowane Wood''s photo to me?


    Do you know her too?"


    Joanne''s heart skipped a beat, "What did you say? You know that girl?"


    Lily said, "Yes, she''s a student from the University of San Fetillo. She''s been studying abroad in


    Mencodia for a few months. I didn''t expect you to know her."


    "Oh, yes, there was this one time that she got lost on the street, so she had asked me for directions.


    After chatting for a while, I came to know that we were from the same hometown. So that was how we


    knew each other. However, she had never mentioned you before, so I didn''t expect you to know her,"


    Joanne subconsciously didn''t want to tell Lily about Rowane''s amnesia, so she made up an excuse.


    Lily believed her, because why would Joanne lie to her? She chuckled, "What a small world. Who


    would have expected that you guys would know each other like that? By the way, why did you send me


    her photos?"


    "Um," Joanne did not know how to exin her mishap to Lily.


    However, Lily jumped the gun and said, "Oh, I know. You must''ve thought that she looked like Irene, so


    you sent it to me to check, right?"


    Joanne quickly regained herposure and said, "Yes, she looks so simr to Irene. That''s why I sent


    it to you. What do you think?"


    "That''s right. I was shocked from the first time I saw Rowane too. I didn''t expect that she would look so


    simr to Irene. Due to that fact, Edric took notice of her and kept her under his wing."


    Lily felt ufortable after mentioning that. Although nothing had happened between Rowane and


    Edric, the thought of her bearing a face alike to Irene''s that attracted Edric pissed her off. Plus, Rowena


    had managed to spend quite a long time by Edric''s side and Edric had taken care of her quite well. Lily


    was incredibly jealous of her.


    "What did you say? Edric knew her? Do Rowane and Irene know each other? Can you exin their


    rtionship in detail?"


    The news excited Joanne. She would never have thought her mistake would not only reveal Rowane''s


    identity, but also vital information to help her n seed. So, she decided to ask Lily about


    everything rted to Rowane.


    "Well¡­" Lily stuttered in hesitation. She had blurted out Rowane''s rtionship with Edric out of anger


    just now.


    Joanne was merely her scheming partner and nothing more. She was not even her best friend, so she


    did not intend to tell Joanne so many details. After all, some matters should not be shared with


    outsiders. For instance, she had used Rowane to widen the gap between Edric and Irene. Also,


    Rowane had helped her to drug Edric to create the illusion that Edric and her slept together.


    Although those were the things in the past, those were all dirty schemes. Even if Joanne kept the


    secret dearly, she did not intend to let Joanne know about them at all.


    Joanne could sense Lily''s worries instantly. She did not like Lily and was clear that Lily did not like


    being stepsisters with Irene at all. Otherwise, she would not have been at Irene''s neck and caused the


    divorce between Edric and Irene.


    Now, she desperately needed Lily''s cooperation to perfect her battle against Irene. She could


    only temporarily suppress the disgust in her heart and pretended to speak affectionately.


    "Miss Cook, have you forgotten about our deal? If we need to handle Irene well, we need to grab every


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    possible opportunity. Since Edric used to be close with Rowane, why don''t we seize this opportunity to


    ruin Edric''s rtionship with Irene?"


    Lily replied, "Oh, I know what you mean. However, Rowane is in Mencodia now, and Edric has never


    been in touch with her ever since. She seems to be useless, right?"


    "You can''t say that. Although Rowane is in Mencodia now, her heart may still remain in San Fetillo with


    Edric. You would be clear about that too. A love interest like Edric would be hard for Rowane to move


    on from. I''ll just add some fuel to the fire so her passion for Edric would be reignited. By then, we can


    use her to deal with Irene."


    "What if Rowane refuses to let go of Edric? Won''t that affect my rtionship with Edric? After all, Edric


    and Irene have bad blood now, so there isn''t a need for us to cause any more trouble, right?"


    Joanne was on the brink of swearing. How could Lily be so sly? She could not persuade her at all? Her


    tone became impolite as she started to feel impatient.


    "Miss Cook, why can''t you understand what I mean? I''m just saying that we can take advantage of


    Rowane''s feelings on Edric to ruin Irene and Edric''s rtionship. I didn''t say that she could obtain


    Edric''s heart, so why are you so worried? Plus, do you think that Edric will despise Irene for the rest of


    his life just because of Margaret''sa? Do you realize that Edric and Irene''s rtionship is deep


    enough for him to forgive Irene in no time? What if Margaret wakes up? By then, it would be easier for


    Edric to forgive Irene."


    Lily was startled by her words. She was indeed worried that Margaret would wake up, and then Edric


    would find out that the culprit had not been Irene but Marie and Deborah. Subsequently, he would not


    me Irene anymore and would feel frustrated because it would be hard for him to get back to Irene''s


    side.


    After digesting her point, she realized that Joanne''s idea might work. So, she told everything about


    Rowane to Joanne. Of course, she left out the details about how she had used Rowane. She did not


    talk about Rowane''s rtionship with Marie or about Marie had sent Rowane out of the country and


    hired an assassin to murder her. Otherwise, she wouldn''t even spill the beans to Joanne that she knew


    Rowane.


    Joanne was only interested in rifying Rowane''s identity, her rtionship with Edric in San Fetillo, and


    Irene''splications. She did not care about whether Lily had taken advantage of Rowane before. All


    she bothered about was using Rowane to destroy Nathan''s rtionship with Irene, not the rtionship


    between Irene and Edric.


    Lily finally concluded, "That''s all I know. Rowane is na?ve and she trusts people easily. As long as you


    give her slightly more attention, she would treat you as her best friend."


    Joanne was overjoyed, "Great, I understand now. Wait for good news from me. I''ll definitely do my best


    to pull Rowane in. I''ll make her the stumbling block between Irene and Edric."


    Lily smiled and said, "Miss White, then I''ll have to give you my thanks first!"


    "Miss Cook, you don''t have to be so polite with me. I''ve already said that we''re partners. Remember to


    let me know if there''s any news from San Fetillo in the future. Also, for insurance''s sake, don''t mention


    about me to Rowane in case she gets suspicious."


    "No, I don''t keep in contact with her. Even if I did, I wouldn''t be so stupid to tell her."


    Both of them chatted for a while and ended the call. Joanne realized that she had yet to reply to Linda''s


    message. Since she knew about Rowane''s identity already, there wasn''t a need for Linda''s help to


    proceed with the investigation. Hence, she called Linda and exined that someone had identified


    Rowane. There was no need for Linda''s assistance anymore. Linda believed her and did not ask for


    the photo anymore.


    For now, she had to not let Nathan know about Rowane''s real identity yet. Otherwise, her n would


    be ruined. Since Nathan had just begun the investigation, he wouldn''t get any results anytime soon.


    So, she still had time to execute her n.


    She took out Rowane''s photo again. She sneered as she red at that beautiful face, "Don''t me me


    for using you. It''s just unfortunate for you to look simr to a brat like Irene!"

 Chapter 214 The Cat Has Gotten Out Of The Bag

    Chapter 214 The Cat Has Gotten Out Of The Bag


    While Joanne was feeling joyful looking at Rowane''s photo, Lily was also looking at the same image of


    Rowane. However, she wasn''t looking at it alone. Deborah was beside her as well.


    The mother and daughter had moved out from the Cook family. They stayedfortably in the


    premium ward in a private hospital. Deborah had been taking a shower when Joanne called Lily. When


    she came out from the bathroom, she noticed Lily''s solemn expression and asked who had called her


    just now.


    Lily once brought up to Deborah about Joanne wanting to cooperate with her before. So, she wouldn''t


    hide the call from her and immediately shared her phone conversation with Joanne to Deborah.


    "What a coincidence that Joanne met Rowane in Mencodia," Deborah knew that Marie had sent


    Rowane overseas, but she did not realize that Marie had hired an assassin to kill Rowane. Marie sent


    her to Mencodia because she was afraid that Rowane would spill the truth about their scheme involving


    Edric and Lily. She did not want her to contact Edric in any way. She failed to know that Marie would


    think Lily was her own biological daughter, and that Rowane was her daughter instead. Marie was


    afraid that she would be caught for swapping the babies out years ago. Hence, she wanted to kill


    Rowane.


    Lily said, "Yeah, I did not expect that too. However, it''s a good thing. Since Joanne is nning to defeat


    Irene, she ns to use Rowane as leverage to help us, which could save us a lot of trouble."


    Deborah frowned, "Is Joanne reliable? I feel rather anxious about her since she''s also Nathan''s


    younger sister. If she tells Nathan about this, won''t we be in trouble once he tells Irene?"


    "Mom, you don''t have to worry about this. Joanne is Jordan''s fianc¨¦e, and she hates Irene. Otherwise,


    she wouldn''t have told me about Irene getting pregnant with Edric''s child and helped me toe out


    with ideas to deal with Irene. Although Edric has already misunderstood Irene and refuses to forgive


    her because of his mother''s case, their rtionship had initially run deep. Both Eden and the child in


    Irene now are his flesh. What if he forgives Irene one day? It''s better if we keep on acting offensive so


    that Irene will leave Edric once and for all."


    Deborah thought for a moment and agreed, "You''re right. We should prepare another helping hand, but


    you need to remind Joanne to never let Nathan contact Rowane. Otherwise, something bad might


    happen."


    Lilu chuckled, "Don''t worry, Mom. Joanne clearly knows about Nathan''s feelings for Irene. She wouldn''t


    be so stupid to let Nathan ruin our ns."


    Deborah nodded, but she intended to find some time to talk to Marie about the matter. She wanted to


    know her opinion about it. With Marie''s help, they were getting closer and closer to their goal. Hence,


    she admired Marie and wanted to discuss everything with her.


    Steven was hospitalized from his sudden ckout. At that moment of chaos, no one had found the


    letter he had thrown on the ground until Maisy did while cleaning the study room. When she read the


    contents of the letter, Maisy was taken aback and understood why Steven had fainted.


    Maisy sealed her lips and waited for Irene to not be present before asking Steven. Maisy had served


    the Cook family for many years, and she was loyal to Steven. So, Steven did not bother hiding it from


    her either. He instructed Maisy to not mention it to anyone, especially Irene. He wanted to think of his


    n to punish Deborah.


    Maisy sensed Steven''s anxiety. If Irene knew about this matter, she would not let Deborah go and


    instead make the matter public. If that ever happened, Steven''s career would be affected. So, the


    matter needed to be carried out in secret.


    Maisy asked Steven about his n to punish Deborah, so Steven shared it with her. Firstly, he needed


    to lock Deborah up and interrogate her before punishing her.


    Just as Steven was telling Maisy about how he was going to deal with Deborah, Deborah and Lily both


    started to feel ufortable at the private hospital. Was something terrible going to happen?


    Just as they were thinking about it, Steven''s driver arrived. He reported that Steven had fainted


    suddenly and wanted Deborah to visit him.


    Deborah hurriedly left with the driver after hearing that Steven had fainted. However, the driver did not


    send her to the hospital and brought her to Steven''s vi in the outskirts instead.


    Deborah noticed that the route he took was wrong and asked the driver what was going on. The driver


    answered that Mr. Cook did not want to stay in the hospital and preferred the outskirts because of the


    fresh air. So, he had nned to rest there for a few days.


    Deborah did not know that Steven had a vi in the outskirts. She thought, "Steven must have


    something up his sleeve. I''ve been married to him for many years, and I knew every single one of his


    assets. If it wasn''t for his sickness this time, I wonder how long Steven would hide this from me?"


    Steven had plenty of properties under him since he had been an official for many years. It seemed that


    she needed to find a way to get all his assets.


    The driver drove the car into the vi as she was busy with her thoughts. Deborah got out of the car


    and saw Maisy standing in the living room. Maisy pointed at the study room when Deborah entered and


    said, "Mr. Cook is waiting for you at the study room on the second floor."


    Deborah pushed open the study room door and was instantly weed with Steven ring at her. She


    asked caringly, "Aren''t you unwell? Why are you not lying down to rest?"


    "I can''t sleep," Steven let out a long sigh.


    "Even if you can''t sleep, you should still lie down. I''ll help you to your bedroom," Deborah approached


    him and was about to help him up. However, Steven grabbed Deborah''s hand and asked, "How many


    years have we known each other?"


    "More than twenty years."


    "It''s been that long?" Steven''s voice became gentler, "Say, how did I end up on your bed that year? It''s


    incredible when you think about it."


    "Weren''t you drunk?" Deborah forced a smile. What was Steven referring to? He had never spoken


    about that topic, so why was he mentioning it all of a sudden? Did he suspect something?


    "I panicked and was afraid at that time. My instincts had told me that I had done something wrong with


    you while I was drunk. However,e to think of it, I realized that it all happened quite strangely. Why


    did you still give birth to this child even though you knew it was the wrong thing to do? What were you


    thinking?"


    Deborah nced at Steven and noticed that he remained a poker face. However, she could not help


    feeling guarded. Steven had asked her the same question a long time ago, but the old Deborah had


    replied that it was because she had fallen in love with Steven at first sight.


    If Steven wasn''t Myra''s husband, then she would have gone all out to pursue him. However, she


    suppressed her feelings until that night when he had gotten drunk. She had never med Steven for


    that unexpected incident. Instead, she had given him all of her willingly. After finding out that she was


    pregnant, she felt conflicted. However, in the end, she really did not want to get rid of the child.


    Although she knew that her actions were wrong and that they would hurt Myra, her love for Steven had


    motivated her to give birth to the child. She had nned to not tell that to Steven for her entire life. If it


    wasn''t for Myra''s incident, she would have secretly raised the child on her own. However, Myra had


    gotten into an ident, and she couldn''t control her thoughts for Steven. Her daughter was constantly


    asking for a father too, so she had to bring the child to Steven.


    Now that Steven had asked such a question, Deborah could not understand what Steven''s real


    intentions were. So, she repeated the exact words she had said to him in the past.


    Steven suddenly chuckled after hearing her reply. At that time, he had not believed in Deborah''s words.


    If it weren''t for him being reported, he would not have brought Deborah into the family in the first ce.


    Later, he gradually forgot about that matter after seeing Deborah. If it weren''t for that anonymous letter,


    he never would have suspected her. He thought about his foolishness for keeping a snake as his wife


    all these years and asked, "Myra has passed away for all these years. Have you never felt uneasy


    since then?"


    His words made Deborah''s heart skip a beat. She forced a smile and answered, "Yes, I''ve always been


    uneasy about what happened that year."


    "Just feeling uneasy? Do you experience sleepless nights and nightmares?" Steven''s voice rose.


    "What do you mean?" Deborah stammered in shock.


    "Deborah Jones! What is this?!!" Steven threw the anonymous letter towards Deborah.


    Deborah picked up the letter that had fallen to the ground. When she read the contents, she grew


    flustered, but she managed to pretend to be calm. Who did this? Only she and Logan knew what had


    happened that year. Logan would definitely not expose the incident. Then, who was the sender of the


    letter?


    However, now was not the time to figure out the identity of this anonymous writer. She had to make


    sure that Steven believed in her instead. She pleaded, "Steven, don''t trust this preson. Someone must


    be framing me on purpose to ruin our rtionship."


    "As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. Why would others frame you and not someone


    else? I can''t wrap my head around that night when I was drunk. Your reputation in Cat Alley was bad,


    you wicked woman. So, you had to have some ill intentions to plot against me. If you knew that that


    incident was a shameful act, why didn''t you get rid of the child? Why did you raise her secretly and


    then bring her down to hell with you? Why did you have to find me? Don''t tell me that it was because


    you couldn''t bear the child not having a father. When you gave birth to this child, you should have


    known that I would never admit her as my daughter!"


    "I really couldn''t bear to see my child without a father, so I came to you," Deborah exined.


    "You wicked woman. Tell me honestly, did you find Myra to tell her about the fact that you had given


    birth to an illegitimate child? Otherwise, she would not have let Dave settle her funeral and documents


    before her death nor would she have passed Irene to Dave. It must be you who did all of that to cause


    her death!"


    Steven was not a fool. He had always known that something was wrong in the past. After he had read


    the anonymous letter and thought carefully, Myra must have told Thomas to settle everything for her


    after she was gone. The only person who would have disclosed that information to her would have to


    be Deborah. As he watched Deborah continue to try deceiving him, he could no longer bear it.


    "You wicked woman! Your daughter got herself a father, but Myra''s own daughter had lost hers. My


    dear Irene had to leave the house because of this."


    Steven choked on his words. Deborah had schemed Myra''s death, and Irene had been forced to leave


    the house when she was young. He had ended up marrying a wicked woman and had let her live an


    extravagant life for so many years. He was a fool!


    "I didn''t! Steven, don''t you see how good I''ve treated you all these years? You can''t use me of


    this!" Deborah eximed and panicked.


    Deborah eximed and panicked. Steven had begun to suspect her, so he would never let Lily and she


    live a good life in the future.


    "Since you feel that Irene has been wronged, then you should give her all of your assets. Lily and I


    don''t need anything from you, so you don''t have to worry about that. If it''ll ease your mind, then Lily and


    I will move out so that you''ll know that we harbor no ill-intention against you!"


    "Move out?" Steven chuckled, "Are you really willing to withdraw from your position as Mrs. Cook? A


    title that you''ve worked so hard to earn?"


    "Steven, I had never wanted to ascend to the throne. If you really insist that I had evil intentions, it was


    because I really love you. I love you so much that I had wished to stay by your side day and night¡­"


    "Shut up!" Steven bellowed, "You b*tch, do you take me as a fool? How can a vicious person like you


    talk about love?"


    "Steven! I know that you''re angry, and you won''t believe anything I say. That''s fine. I''ll make you


    believe it. I''ll take Lily and move out now. I''m leaving!"


    After Deborah said so, she walked out of the study. Steven''s current behavior scared her. She could


    not help trembling as she left the ce.


    Steven coldly watched her leave. Deborah could not care less about anything else and rushed out of


    the door. However, the moment she stepped out, she saw the driver and Maisy standing at the


    stairway, watching her. Both of them had sinister smiles on their faces.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 215 Broken Leg

    Chapter 215 Broken Leg


    "You fool! Do you think you can leave here unharmed?"


    The grin on Maisy''s face only made Deborah feel worse. She had done a lot of bad things and her


    instincts were telling her that something horrible was going to happen. She reached inside her bag for


    her phone, nning to tell Lily about her being trapped, but secondster, all blood drained from her


    face. Her call was greeted by a pre-recorded message informing her that she had run out of credit.


    With his eyes fixed on Deborah, Steven sneered, "Oh, don''t bother. My men have made sure that you


    won''t be able to use your phone. The only help you can call is the police! Go on! Call the police! I''ll be


    waiting right here!"


    How could Deborah make the call? Her hesitation confirmed her involvement in Myra''s death. He took


    a thick metal bat from a corner of the study and slowly made his way towards Deborah. Thetter knew


    she had to get away, but the driver and Maisy were blocking the entrance to the stairway, so she could


    not escape from there. At the corners of her eye, she could see Steven grinning and waving his metal


    bar. Seeing that he was approaching her at a very steady speed, she jumped from the second floor


    without any hesitation, only wanting to survive.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Deborah''s screams filled the air as she copsed onto the ground beneath. Pain shot over her body.


    She tried to stand up, but her legs gave in. It dawned upon her that her legs might have


    been badly injured. Three heads appeared on the second floor. Their merciless eyes observed as


    Deborah wailed in pain.


    Momentster, Steven finally stood beside Deborah. Watching her wail in pain, he raised the metal bar


    in his grasp and smashed it down on her head.


    Deborah''s shrieks continued, but Steven showed no sign of stopping. Deborah''s disfigured face was


    soaked with blood. As the exhausted Steven continued to bring down the metal bar, he was pulled back


    by Maisy, "That''s enough, Mr. Cook. She''ll die if you go on."


    Steven cast the metal bar aside and said, "Send this mad woman to the asylum and lock her up. Make


    sure to never give her treatment! I want her to spend the rest of her life in there!"


    Soon, Deborah was sent to the asylum. She begged the nurses, iming she was Steven Cook''s wife,


    only to fall on deaf ears.


    They all thought it was impossible for a disfigured woman to be Mrs. Cook. It seemed that her mental


    illness had taken over herpletely.


    The doctors and nurses all looked at her with disgust and contempt, and that caused her to be sent to


    the intensive care ward, which was reserved to those who had the most serious illnesses. The nurses


    threw her onto a bed located at the deepest part of the ward and left.


    All the other patients gathered around Deborah, scaring her to no end. Upon seeing their distorted


    faces and zed over eyes, she screamed, "Stop! Don''te near me!"


    However, no one listened to her. To the patients, she, who was covered in blood, was the most


    interesting subject in the ward at the moment. Some of them raised their hands to touch her face, while


    others pulled her hair. One even kicked her injured leg forcefully. She screamed until she felt her voice


    waspletely gone, and she passed out.


    It was the evening when Deborah woke up. Near her, a few well-built nurses were distributing dinner.


    Unable to bear the pain from all the wounds on her body, she tried asking for painkillers from the


    nurses. They ignored and left after they put down her dinner.


    The other patients began grabbing the food, and they even took Deborah''s share. The pain in her body


    was apanied by the fact that she had not eaten or drank anything. There was nothing she could


    do about it, and she could only bear with it and fall asleep.


    In the middle of the night, she heard a trickling sound, followed by a chilly feeling. She shot her eyes


    open to find a patient relieving himself in her direction and wetting her nket. She was so disgusted


    that she immediately moved away from her bed. A far more disgusting matter awaited her as soon as


    she had left her bed. Another patient was defecating on the ground.


    A stinking smell shot into her nostrils, but the horror did not end there. When the patient was done


    relieving himself, other patients took up whatever was on the ground and yed it with their hands.


    One of them smeared it onto Deborah''s body, offering her to eat it.


    At that very instant, Deborah experienced a fate worse than death. She would rather die than to spend


    another day in the ward. To her disappointment, though, it was hard for her to even die!


    After sending out letters to threaten Deborah, Tommy and Cecilia waited for her reply. It had been one


    week and there was still no news of it. He decided to keep watch around the Cook family home, but he


    failed to find any traces of Deborah.


    Confused, Tommy asked Loraine about Deborah. ording to her, Deborah had gone overseas and


    she had not spoken to her for quite some time. Tommy sighed. He wondered why Deborah had chosen


    to go overseas before he could ckmail her. How unlucky he was!


    Did Deborah run away after reading the letters? The idea was supported by Cecilia after Tommy had


    told her about it. However, they were not deterred. If Deborah had really gone into hiding, that only


    meant that she was feeling guilty. She could not continue hiding for the rest of her life.


    The couple began nning on how to deal with Deborah when she came back. Their feelings for each


    other blossomed even more during the time they spent together to plot against Deborah due to their


    nned to tell Loraine about her. He would care less even if his mother was against the rtionship.


    Cecilia''s menstruation had note for sometime. She had always gone to great lengths to avoid


    herself from getting pregnant as she was a prostitute. However, she met Tommy, who she thought was


    her soulmate. Thus, she no longer used protection. After she had missed her periods a couple of times,


    she went for a checkup and was confirmed to be pregnant.


    She told Tommy about the news of her getting pregnant, making him ted. He believed Loraine would


    finally ept Cecilia for the baby''s sake.


    Initially, when Loraine found out about Tommy having a rtionship with a woman who was older than


    him by a decade, she reckoned that the rtionship would notst, so she wanted to disapprove.


    However, Tommy mentioned that the woman was pregnant already, and he wanted to marry her to start


    a family.


    Tommy had never excelled in his studies and Loraine had never seen her son to be this invested in a


    woman. With Tommy''s announcement, Lorraine realized that he really loved Cecilia. She was still


    upset, but she no longer objected. She told him that she would reconsider her decision after meeting


    the woman who had made her son head over heels.


    After she knew that her son was living with Cecilia, Lorraine went to Tommy''s ce to keep watch,


    desiring to know just what kind of a woman Cecilia was. When she finally saw Cecilia who was dressed


    handsomely from a distance, Loraine grew uneasy upon seeing her mannerisms. No matter how she


    looked, Cecilia did not look like someone her son could spend the rest of her life with. She had to


    intervene and make sure her son did not do whatever he wanted.


    With that thought in mind, Loraine hid in the corner as she was not prepared to meet her son. With his


    hand around Cecilia''s waist, Tommy poked and teased her, not knowing that his mother was hiding


    right there. When the couple was close enough, Lorraine focused her eyes on Cecilia and was


    immediately shocked!


    How could it be? Cecilia was actually Rosa? Rosa Skinner? How did Tommy get involved with her?


    Goodness! Loraine wondered what she had done to deserve such punishment!


    After listening to Joanne''s suggestion, Nathan decided to take Rowane back in order to let her take


    care of Britney, but before he could do that, he had to let Britney meet and know her more. If she hated


    Rowane, then Nathan would dismiss that thought. He would not have someone who Britney hated to


    take care of her.


    The next day, Nathan got off work a little earlier than usual. He nned to pick up Rowane to go have


    dinner at the White Mansion.


    During their days spent together, Nathan came to understand more about Rowane. He knew she was a


    gentle person and was a little shy. He was worried that he would scare off Rowane if he told her directly


    about having dinner at the White Mansion. He then came up with an excuse to bring her to the White


    Mansion. If Britney liked Rowane when they met, then naturally she would love to have her around.


    Things would not seem too deliberate that way.


    As long as Britney liked Rowane, Nathan would immediately suggest her move into the White Mansion.


    She would then stay there to take care of and apany Britney. Judging from Rowane''s kind


    personality, Nathan believed that she would be willing to take care of Britney. She would even do it very


    well.


    In order to make his ne true, he did not drive to the vi, but took a taxi instead.


    "Why is Nathan here? Didn''t he say he woulde get his watch after he came back from his home


    country?" Rowane asked herself when she saw Nathan appear at the vi.


    She greeted Nathan awkwardly and said, "Nathan, please give me a moment. I''ll go get your watch."


    Nathan''s intention behind his visit was to bring Rowane over to the White Mansion and he paid little


    attention to the anxiety on Rowane''s face. He scanned her casual wear and said, "Okay! While you''re


    at it, why don''t you change your clothes? Let''s go to the shopping mall!"


    "Shopping mall?" Rowane was confused.


    "Yes. I''m going back to Havend in a couple of days and I would like to buy my fianc¨¦e a nice dress.


    This is actually my first time buying something for her to wear, so I''m a little inexperienced here and I''m


    scared that I''ll buy something unsuitable. Why don''t you help me? Your looks and figure are alike to


    hers. I think you''d do great trying on the dress."


    Rowane was a little upset. Nathan had note to fetch his watch, but instead wanted her to model for


    his fianc¨¦e''s dress. She nodded, agreed in a low voice, turned and went upstairs.


    Inside her bedroom, Rowane reached for something she had hidden under her pillow. She observed


    the item as reluctance began showing on her face, before she pressed it against her heart.

 Chapter 216 Fallen In Love With Him

    Chapter 216 Fallen In Love With Him


    The thing in Rowane''s hands was actually Nathan''s watch. After she had picked it the night before, she


    cleaned it thoroughly before putting it beside her pillow while she slept.


    While doing so, Rowane kept telling herself it was because she was worried that Nathan''s watch would


    go missing and she meant nothing more. However, when she had woken up earlier that day, she had


    been so frightened that she had broken out in cold sweat due to a dream.


    In the dream, Nathan had walked towards her with a smile. He took her hand and asked her in his


    gentle voice if she would like to rece Irene as his girlfriend. When she agreed without much


    hesitation, Nathan''s expression changed abruptly. He pushed her aside, pointed at her and scolded her


    that she was not worthy of being his woman, and that she looked too highly of herself.


    It all became clear to her. Deep inside her heart, she had fallen for Nathan, thus she craved for his


    attention. So, she quickly realized that she was letting her imagination run wild as she remembered


    Nathan''s fianc¨¦e. Even if the man was not engaged, she was not worthy of him at all, since she did not


    even have a clear family background.


    When she saw Nathan a few minutes ago, she was immediately reminded of her childish behavior on


    the day prior. She felt both ashamed and insecure and was afraid that Nathan would think badly of her.


    When he invited her to go pick a dress for his fianc¨¦e, she was devastated. The string ofplicated


    emotions made her extremely upset.


    With the cold metal of Nathan''s watch pressed against her chest, Rowane''s heart trembled a little. She


    furiously shook her head, "Jodie, stop! Nathan is just your savior! He''s so nice to treat you like he does


    now, so how could you think of him like that? What you should do is wish him all the best with his


    fianc¨¦e, and that he would forever be happy and grow old with her.


    After taking a few deep breaths, she cast away the sadness on her face and quickly changed her


    clothes. She put on a smile before going out.


    When she was out of the vi, Nathan exined to Rowane that his car had broken down and it had


    been sent for repairs. He did not want to have another car from his home as it would be very


    troublesome and decided to take a taxi instead.


    The taxi carrying them dropped them off at the mall. Nathan brought Rowane to the women''s clothing


    department, pointed at the colorful clothes around them and said, "You''re also a woman, so I''m sure


    your taste will be better than mine. Help me pick a few that you think are nice. I''ll pick again from


    there."


    Although Rowane came from an average family, she had been showered with all kinds of clothes


    during her rtionship with Edric, setting her standards to a new level. She now knew what she should


    wear to entuate her beauty.


    Although she had now lost her memory, her taste was not affected. After just one turn around the


    department, her eyes had already caught four dresses that would suit her. However, Nathan wanted to


    buy a dress for his fianc¨¦e, not her. Would Nathan be disappointed if his fianc¨¦e did not like her


    choices?


    Thinking of that, Rowane asked him, "Nathan, do you have a photo of your fianc¨¦e on your phone? If


    you do, could you let me take a look at her? I want to see how she looks so that I can choose a chest


    that will suit her aura."


    "You''re right. I think I have a recent picture of her. Here, have a look,"Truth be told, when Nathan had


    first started dating Irene, he had always apanied to buy her dresses. He knew all of her


    measurements and styles that she liked. The reason he was at the mall with Rowane at the moment


    was just an excuse for him to bring Rowane to the White Mansion for dinner. Of course, he did want to


    buy a dress for Irene and since Rowane wanted to look at a picture of her, he would show it to her.


    Nathan showed Rowane a picture of Irene and Eden. Rowane took the phone over and looked at it


    carefully. Upon seeing that Irene shared an uncanny resemnce to her own face, her heart skipped a


    beat, just like that the previous day when she first heard her name. An awfully familiar feeling surfaced.


    How could it be? Why was she having weird feelings upon seeing Nathan''s fianc¨¦e? Was it because


    both she and Nathan''s fianc¨¦e fell for the same person or simply because they looked the same? Was


    that the reason why she was sensitive towards Irene?


    "Jodie, are you okay?" Nathan was worried when he saw Rowane''s sudden change of expression. She


    had be absent-minded all of a sudden.


    Rowane regained herposure and forced a smile, "Yes, I''m fine. I was just taken aback by how


    Irene and I look so simr."


    "Yes, I''ve told you that before."


    "Who is this little boy?" Rowane pointed at Eden.


    "That''s Irene''s son."


    Rowane was shocked as she did not expect Irene to already have a son. She wanted to ask Nathan


    why he would fall for a woman who was already a mother, but she held back. She knew that it would


    make her sound rude.


    Naturally, Nathan would not exin anything by himself. He took back his phone and said, "Can you


    choose the clothes now?"


    "Yes," Rowane smiled and walked around the department again. In the end, she selected a few new


    sets of clothing.


    From the photo she saw just now, Irene looked like a mature woman with a strong personality, a far cry


    from her own. The clothes she had chosen earlier suddenly looked childish to her and she thought they


    would not be suitable for Irene. She decided to reconsider her choices.


    Nathan eyed the clothes and a grin spread on his face, "Jodie, you''ve got good taste! Irene loves these


    kinds of designs. Why don''t you try this on yourself?" He took one dress from the stack of clothes and


    gave it to Rowane.


    Rowane took the dress over and went into the changing room. Aftering out, she saw Nathan''s look


    of surprise. Her heart skipped a beat and her face flushed.


    "Jodie, you look so gorgeous in this dress!" It was Nathan''s first time seeing Rowane in a dress ever


    since knowing her. The clothes that she usually wore were the ones bought by Nathan''s secretary and


    they were more for providingfort rather than disying the person''s beauty. The faint purple dress


    that Rowane was wearingpletely entuated her beauty, making her look even more like Irene.


    Rowane stood in front of the fitting room mirror and looked at her beautiful reflection. When she heard


    Nathan''s praise, her heart filled with happiness. Just as she was feeling self-indulgent, she heard


    Nathan say from behind her, "Jodie, try this other dress."


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Rowane turned around and saw a light yellow knee-length skirt in Nathan''s hand. The style of the dress


    was a little bit more youthful than the one she wore, which suited her age and style.


    The dress had not been selected by Rowane. It should have been selected by Nathan. She took the


    dress over and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Nathan, I don''t think this dress suits Irene. It


    would be more suitable for me to wear."


    Nathanughed and said, "Try it on first!"


    Rowane felt helpless and could only bring the dress into the fitting room. After she changed into the


    dress, Nathan looked at her and sang praises again. Rowane also felt that it was nice. The dress


    seemed to be tailored for her and fit her perfectly. It also fully showed her pure and delicate aura.


    "This dress suits you very well. You don''t have to take it off. Just wear it like this," Rowane was going to


    change out of the dress in the fitting room, but was stopped by Nathan. Then, he said to the shopping


    attendant, "Excuse me, I''ll buy these two sets of clothes. Please pack the purple dress up."


    Rowane was well-versed in English. Upon hearing Nathan''s words, she immediately reacted. Nathan


    was nning to give her the yellow dress, while the purple on was for Irene.


    She was surprised. She had not expected Nathan to give her such expensive clothing. Although she


    did not look at the price, she had heard of the brand of the clothing before. She knew that it was


    expensive. Any piece of clothing chosen from the stack would already cost tens of thousands dors,


    including the dress.


    She asked tentatively, "Nathan, why can''t I change out of it first? Isn''t it a gift for Irene?"


    Nathanughed and said, "That one is for her. This dress is for you."


    "No, no, I can''t take it," Rowane hurriedly waved her hand and turned to go into the fitting room.


    Nathan stood in front of her and said, "Jodie, listen to me. I haven''t paid you anything when you took


    care of those roses. Please ept this dress as reimbursement, okay?"


    Rowane said, "Nathan, you''ve saved my life and even given me a ce to stay. You''ve also given me


    so much allowance before this. I haven''t thanked you yet, so how can I ask for a sry? Besides


    watering flowers, watering, and loosening the soil, I haven''t done anything else. How can I be qualified


    to receive a sry?"


    Nathan advised, "Alright, let''s not talk about sry. The clothes that Karen has bought for you are all


    casual clothes. As a girl, it''s not right for you to not have a proper formal dress. Just ept this dress,


    and you can wear it to any asion in the future."


    Rowane''s heart was moved by his words. She had not expected Nathan to be so thoughtful and even


    thought of that for her. However, she already owed him too much, so how could she ept his


    kindness?


    Her nose twitched and she said with tears in her eyes, "Nathan, thank you. I really can''t let you spend


    money anymore. After all, I have nowhere else to go. I don''t have a chance to wear this dress at all. I''d


    better change out of it." After that, she walked past Nathan and went into the fitting room.


    Nathan did not expect Rowane to be so stubborn. He had never thought of buying clothes for Rowane.


    He had just wanted to buy a few sets of clothes for Irene and Eden. Then, he would use the excuse of


    having bought too many clothes to ask Rowane to help send them to the White Mansion and then ask


    her to stay for dinner. However, he saw Rowane change into those clothes and be so beautiful


    and alluring. He could not help but feel a jolt in his heart. He wanted to buy another one for her but got


    rejected by her instead.


    Nathan had always liked Rowane''s gentle personality. Seeing that she wasn''t interested in vanity and


    wasn''t willing to take advantage of him, Nathan''s impression of her grew even better. He decided to


    buy the dress and find a chance to give it to her in the future.

 Chapter 217 Pregnant

    Chapter 217 Pregnant


    Rowane changed out of her clothes. Nathan still bought the dress regardless, but he no longer insisted


    on giving it to her. Rather, he held it in his hands together with the purple one. She couldn''t help but


    ask, "Nathan, why did you buy it even though I don''t want it?"


    Nathanughed and said, "Since you don''t like it, I won''t force you. I have a younger sister at home.


    I''ve bought it for her."


    Rowane did not think much into it and she immediately believed him. She breathed a sigh of relief and


    said, "Then, what else do you want to buy?"


    Nathan looked around and walked towards the more matured clothing aisle. He said, "I want to buy a


    set of clothes for my grandmother."


    "Nathan, you''re so filial," Rowane knew that Nathan had a grandma. She had heard from the maids


    who worked in the vi mention before that Nathan treated Britney very well. Clearly that seemed to be


    the case.


    Nathan took the opportunity to say, "My parents passed away early, and it was my grandmother who


    raised me and my sister. So I should be filial to her. Do you have any elderly people in your home? Do


    you have any memories of spending time with them?"


    Rowane thought about it carefully with a frown and said, "I can''t remember anything, but when I see old


    people, I feel very warm inside. Perhaps I used to stay with my grandparents before as well!"


    In fact, Rowane''s foster grandparents had died very early, and she had not spent much time with them.


    The reason why she felt warm towards the elderly was because she had a kind heart. She often visited


    the old folks home to visit the lonely older citizens there. Although she had lost her memory, her nature


    of caring for the elderly would not change. Hence, she would naturally feel a sense of affection when


    she saw them.


    Nathan was overjoyed. He had hoped that Rowane would be more caring for the old. It would be better


    if she had experience of taking care of them. That way he would be more at ease to let her keep


    Britneypany.


    After buying a set of clothes for Britney, Nathan went to the kids'' section and bought a set of boy


    clothes. Rowane guessed that he was buying it for Irene''s son. She wanted to ask him, but since he


    didn''t say, she took the hint to keep quiet about it. She didn''t want him to think that she was too nosy.


    Since there were so many things, Rowane naturally had to help him hold some. Nathan pretended to


    be regretful and said, "I should have called my driver over to pick me. How will I carry all these things


    home?"


    Rowane thought for a moment and said, "I can help you carry some stuff over on a taxi. Then, I''ll take


    the train back to the vi."


    "Why don''t you take a taxi with me back to the house? I won''t be able to carry so many things down


    when I reach my house anyway. Taxis aren''t allowed to go past the gate of my neighborhood area. So


    we still have to walk quite a bit from the gate to my house!" Of course, this was a lie. Nathan wanted to


    use this as an excuse to invite her home. The White Mansion was a private bungalow, not some


    shopping mall. There was no ''gate'' that the taxis couldn''t go past. After all, he was the owner of the


    "Is that so? Alright then! I''ll send you home first, and then I''ll take the train back to the vi," Rowane


    naively believed in his lie. She thought that Nathan had to be staying in a high-end neighborhood. All


    the residents there had to be very rich, therefore the management of the grounds would be stricter.


    Hence to her, it made sense that taxis would not be able to go past a certain point of the neighborhood.


    However, she never thought about the fact that Nathan could easily call his driver or his maids toe


    out to help him carry all his things even if he had to get off at the gate.


    "Thank you so much. You don''t have to take the trainter. I''ll get the driver to send you back to your


    vi," Nathan was touched. This girl was so frugal. She would rather save money by taking the train


    instead of a cab.


    Rowane smiled and said, "There''s no need for that. I can just take the train myself. Just let me know


    which line I need to take."


    Nathan shook his head and said, "That won''t do. If you take the train, you''ll also have to take the bus.


    And after that you also have to go through a fair bit of a walk. Since I''m troubling you so much, how


    could I let you go back alone?"


    Rowane knew that since Nathan was being a gentleman, and there was no way he would agree to her


    suggestion. So, she just gave in to his idea.


    The two of them left the shopping mall. Nathan hailed a cab and told the driver his address. Then off


    they headed to White Mansion.


    Cecilia was pregnant! Although they had not been together that long, Tommy was ted beyond belief.


    After all, Cecilia was not young anymore and worked as a prostitute. It was a miracle that she was able


    to get pregnant.


    Tommy felt like the child had been bestowed upon them by God. God had sent a child to them to


    strengthen their rtionship. With the child, his mother would definitely not object to them being


    together. Tommy was looking forward to this child. He went online and read up on what to do during a


    pregnancy and how to help. For example, he found out that it was good for the mother to get some light


    exercise after meals to improve blood cirction. That would in turn improve the mother and the child''s


    health. With that in mind, he volunteered to apany Cecilia on a walk.


    They strolled around like a young couple in their neighborhood. They did not care about all the staring


    eyes. Naturally, they did not notice that some distance away, Loraine was watching them with her


    mouth open in shock.


    Loraine was totally stunned by her discovery! She watched as Rosa coyly called Tommy her ''darling''.


    She watched as Tommy kissed Rosa on the cheek and how brazen they were with disying public


    affection.


    Even after Tommy and Rosa had long disappeared from her sight, she still stood there, stunned.


    Loraine went back defeatedly to the Myers home. She felt really upset! She had never dreamed that


    the old woman her son had impregnated was Rosa.


    Why did Rosa change her name? If it wasn''t for her name change, no matter who she was, Loraine


    would never agree to her getting together with her son!


    It was incest. It was against the naturalws of the world!


    It was a long story. Loraine had been impregnated with Tommy after sleeping together with a gangster


    from Cat Alley. That man was Rosa''s brother, Jackson.


    Jackson had been arrested and sent to prison. Since Loraine had no way to survive, she had sent her


    son to the Lewis family and left San Fetillo on her own.


    For so many years, she had never thought she would have anything to do with them again. What a


    small world. Her own son had actually gotten together with his aunt, and had even impregnated her.


    "I can''t let my son get together with Rosa! But how do I tell him? I can''t tell him Cecilia is his aunt Rosa.


    What if he can''t ept the reality of it?" She thought.


    Her son was so deeply in love with Cecilia. There was no way he would listen to her and break up with


    Rosa. What should she do?


    Loraine was breaking out in a cold sweat. It was impossible for her to break her son and Rosa apart.


    The most important matter at hand was to get rid of the monster in Rosa''s stomach, as it was a product


    of incest. The probability of the child being born abnormal was high. Who knew what sort of monster


    woulde out of her? Loraine shuddered at the thought. She had to quickly sort this thing out.


    Meanwhile, after so long, Margaret''s condition was finally improving. The doctor said that based on her


    current progress, it was likely that Margaret would regain her consciousness. Edric was overjoyed at


    the idea. In order to prevent Marie and the rest knowing about Margaret''s news, he gave strict orders to


    seal off all news from the hospital. Marie and the others only knew that Margaret was never waking up.


    After Deborah was taken away from the hospital, she had yet to return. Her phone line had been cut off


    as well. Lily was worried so she called Steven and asked what happened to Deborah. Steven hated Lily


    as well. The only reason he had not abandoned her was because she was half his flesh and bones. On


    the call, Steven annoyedly told her to just focus on resting well in the hospital, and that he would hire


    two caretakers just to look after her.


    He also told her that Deborah was busy and not to worry about her. Lily wasn''t a fool of course, when it


    came to Deborah, nothing else was more important. Her gut told her that something was off and she


    began to feel afraid. Could it be that Steven had uncovered their ns and was punishing them?


    Lily told Marie about her worries. When Marie heard what was going on, she got a huge shock. Why


    would Deborah cut off her phone line just because she was busy? Something was not right, she had to


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    find out what was going on.


    Marie and Deborah had always been a team in doing all their nasty things together, so Marie never had


    to fight alone. Now that Deborah had suddenly disappeared, Marie was very worried. She started to


    ask around about Deborah, but Steven had kept the secret well. No news was leaked at all so Marie


    had no choice but to hire a private detective.


    Right as the investigation started, Marie heard that Deborah had died in a car crash!


    Apart from Steven and Lily, Deborah had no other close rtives. Hence, her death had not reached


    anyone''s ears. Apparently, Deborah had gotten into an ident overseas. Steven had acted quickly.


    After confirming the body was hers, he had the body cremated. The funeral was also very lowkey.


    It was Steven''s personal affairs so naturally no one really cared. However, Marie could not let the


    matter slide. Something was very fishy about how Steven was handling the matter. There had to be


    something else going on that she had to find out about.


    Deborah''s death also surprised Edric and Irene. Irene was actually furious, because Deborah had died


    before Irene got the chance to take revenge. Of all the times to die, why now? Death was too easy of a


    punishment to her.


    Edric felt the same way. That b*tch had really died in a timely manner. He was just about to set her up


    but she managed to escape through death.


    On the other hand, Kinsey pped her hands gleefully. Karma was indeed a b*tch. Deborah''s karma


    hade right when she deserved it. Without Deborah''s vicious nning and constant stirring up of


    trouble, Irene''s life would be a lot better from now on. Lily would be a lot weaker on her own, especially


    since she was pregnant. She could notpare to her mother in terms of messing with Irene.


    However, Jordan did not share the same views. He instinctively felt like there was more to the matter.


    Deborah''s ident was too sudden. Jordan told Edric about his suspicions and Edric agreed with him.


    The timing of Deborah''s death was too coincidental. Steven had to be hiding something.


    Edric sent some men to observe Steven. Apart from his driver and Maisy, Steven had no one else


    close to him. Edric''s men followed the two of them closely. At first, they found nothing, but after some


    observation, they caught the driver visiting a mental asylum.


    Edric''s men investigated further into the mental asylum and found out what was going on immediately.


    Deborah was currently being locked up inside.

 Chapter 218 Released From Prison

    Chapter 218 Released From Prison


    Steven must have found something out for him to suddenly attack Deborah. After hearing that Deborah


    had been hospitalized, Edric was in full admiration for Steven. He was indeed a politician after all, he


    was vicious enough to think of such a way to deal with her.


    Edric had originally nned for Deborah to live a life worse than death. However now that Steven had


    already done what he wanted to do, he decided to just let it happen. He would let Deborah live out the


    rest of her life in an asylum. Edric also told Jordan about what happened and instructed him not to let


    Irene find out. They would talk about it once she had given birth. Naturally, Jordan agreed.


    For the past few days, Loraine had been thinking hard for a solution. Finally she thought of one. She


    wanted to attempt to mix a n B pill into Rosa''s water and let her drink it. That way she would


    definitely have a miscarriage.


    However, how would she get Rosa to drink the drugged water? She had to find a way to do it


    inconspicuously so that no one would get suspicious.


    Her son was broke so Loraine paid for all their essential needs. After some thought, Loraine decided to


    send her son some essential items, such as her son''s favorite drink. She would then mix the pill into it.


    However, she was also worried that the pill might have an adverse effect on her son if he drank it, so


    she called up Marie. Marie told her that the pill would have no effect on men. Loraine was relieved and


    went ahead with her n.


    She bought quite a few different pills and used a syringe to insert them into the drinks that she bought


    for her son. Besides that, she also bought him some food and some daily necessities. She made sure


    Rosa was not around when she personally delivered all the items to her son.


    Of course, Tommy had no idea that Loraine was trying to set them up. When he saw that his mother


    had brought so many things over, he was overjoyed. Even when he brought Cecilia up, Loraine did not


    object. All she said was that they could not reveal her identity for now so she asked him not to tell


    others about the rtionship between them.


    Seeing that his mother was not opposed to the idea of their rtionship, he was thrilled. His mother''s


    identity was indeed a problem though. They definitely could not reveal her identity now, but perhaps


    they could after he had officially married Cecilia. So, Tommy epted her request.


    At night, when Rosa returned, she drank the drinks that Loraine had sent over. The next morning, she


    suddenly felt contractions in her abdominal area and she started bleeding. Tommy and her started to


    panic and he immediately called Loraine for help. Naturally, Loraine did not dare to send her to any


    other hospital so she told her son to take her to the hospital that Marie worked at.


    She called Marie and asked her to hide the real reason that Rosa had a miscarriage. Marie agreed


    without hesitation.


    Rosa was quickly sent to be treated at the hospital. Not everyone was suited to miscarry from a n B


    pill. Rosa was not young anymore, and it had been an idental miscarriage. The remaining cells


    inside her had formed a blood clot and she had started bleeding heavily. If she had not reached the


    hospital in time, she might have lost her life.


    Hearing this, Loraine felt like it was such a shame. She should have asked her son to send her to the


    hospital a littleter. Then, perhaps Rosa could have just died like that and Loraine would have saved


    herself the trouble.


    Marie had hired a private detective to investigate Deborah. As expected, the private detective did not


    let her down. He quickly informed Marie about the fact that Deborah was now contained in a mental


    asylum.


    Marie was very surprised. She never expected Steven to pull such a move. Since he had been so


    harsh on Deborah, he must have found out about the past. Marie started to feel a little afraid. She did


    not know if Deborah had exposed what Marie herself had done as well. If Steven found out about what


    she had done to Irene all those years ago, he definitely would not let her go.


    Steven was no saint. Just because he had not done anything to her so far did not mean that he would


    not do so in the future. She had to quickly think of a way to resolve the situation.


    Marie was not worried about herself, rather she was more worried about her daughter, Lily. Knowing


    how cruel Steven was, and how he treated Deborah, there was no way he would go easy on Lily either.


    Marie had to make sure she was safe.


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    Marie went to the private hospital to pay Lily a visit. She was doing well there, Steven had kept


    Deborah''s matter a secret from Lily. When Marie saw that Lily was staying in the most expensive suite


    at the hotel as well as how good she was being treated, Marie was relieved. If Steven knew about all


    the crimes they hadmitted, he definitely would not have let Lily go. From that perspective, it


    seemed like Deborah had not ratted them out after all.


    If so, she had to find a way to get Deborah out. She had to make sure Steven never had the chance to


    go ask Deborah what happened or else she would be doomed.


    Marie hired a bunch of gangsters and paid them to set the asylum on fire. While the hospital was busy


    transferring patients out to safety, Marie sneaked Deborah out.


    Deborah was covered in dirt and she had lost a significant amount of weight. Her legs were broken too.


    She had originally thought she would be spending the rest of her life in that mental asylum. Now that


    she had been rescued, she was ecstatic. Right now, hiding from Steven was the most important thing.


    She was a dead woman now. If Steven caught wind of her whereabouts, she would be dead meat.


    Deborah no longer cared about keeping Logan secret from Marie anymore, so she told Marie to drop


    her off at Logan''s house.


    Steven quickly found out that the mental asylum had caught fire. Apart from Deborah''s disappearance,


    no other patient was injured. He immediately understood that the fire was part of a n to rescue


    Deborah out. Steven arranged for Deborah''s death so as to not draw suspicions to her sudden


    disappearance.


    Of course he also wanted Deborah to live a life worse than death. He had done so to make sure that


    she had no prospects of living a normal life again. However, he had not expected anyone to be so loyal


    to her and rescue her out.


    It seemed that he had underestimated this b*tch. She clearly had other aplices outside. He had to


    think of a way to figure out who they were. The only problem was he could not do so openly, instead,


    he had to carry out everything in secret.


    Likewise, when Edric heard about the fire at the asylum, he knew immediately that Deborah had been


    rescued. Right now, there was nowhere she could hide, and the only person she could go to was


    Logan.


    When Steven had put her into the asylum, he had no intentions of ever touching her again. However,


    now that Deborah had broken free and stirred up all these problems, there was no choice but to make


    the entire thing into a scene.


    Deborah had been suffering for so many days. Marie rescuing was like going from hell to heaven. She


    took a bath and ate a nice meal. Then, she told Logan the entire story about why Steven was after her.


    Logan turned pale with fright upon hearing this. Since Steven already knew that Myra''s ident was


    nned, that meant that he was in danger as well. He could not stay in this ce any longer. He had to


    quickly leave San Fetillo and hide somewhere else.


    Deborah knew as well as he did that San Fetillo was not safe anymore, but she could not leave Lily


    behind. Besides, she had to find out who the anonymous person who wrote that threat letter to her


    was.


    Logan and her were the only people who knew about Myra''s actual cause of death. Deborah herself


    had never told anyone, so that meant that it must have somehowe from Logan.


    Deborah asked Logan if he had told anyone about what happened that year. At that point, Logan knew


    there was no point in denying it anymore, so he told Deborah about Rosa.


    Deborah was furious and scolded him fiercely. In the face of her fury, Logan could only keep silent.


    After Deborah vented out all her anger, she started to think about how to take revenge.


    She knew that the anonymous letter must had something to do with that b*tch Rosa. She had to be the


    one who had exposed the matter. Deborah was full of injuries now, and her legs were crippled, all


    because of Rosa. How could she let Rosa just roam around freely? She had to take her revenge before


    leaving the city.


    Edric went to look for Director Lewis and got him to release Loraine''s partner, Jackson, from jail. After


    his release, he returned to Cat Alley. Although back then he had been a infamous gangster there, his


    glory days had long passed. Most of the gangsters he used to hang out with were no longer in Cat


    Alley. The gangsters that hung around there now were no longer the people he was familiar with.


    Jackson''s return did not draw much attention from anyone. All he had with him was a simple bag of


    luggage. As he drew up the gate of his house, he saw that it had been overrun by grass and looked


    shabby.


    His parents had passed away more than ten years ago and his sister was nowhere to be found. This


    house had been vacant for at least ten years. Jackson''s heart was filled with sadness at the sight of the


    dpidated and deste scene before his eyes. He had once been a man filled with lofty aspirations.


    Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would end up where he was right now.


    When he was released, he had thought it would cause amotion. He had thought all the big shot


    gangsters would invite him out to drink and celebrate. Then, he would eventually be able to rise up and


    rule the streets again like he used to.


    Unfortunately, the sight before him shattered Jackson''s dreams. The house was inhabitable. He had no


    choice but to take his luggage and head to a nearby hotel. He decided to fix the house up once he


    settled down more.


    Jackson did not have much money on him. He only had what he had earned while working in prison.


    The amount was only enough tost him a couple of days, so he had to find another way to make a


    living.


    After settling down in the hotel, Jackson headed out to buy a cheap meal. Unexpectedly, he was


    stopped on his way out. The man looked at him up and down and asked him with friendliness,


    "Jackson?"

 Chapter 219 Awaken From A Coma

    Chapter 219 Awaken From A Coma


    "You are?" Jackson looked at that person doubtfully. Hebed through his memory but could not


    recognise the man in front of him.


    "It''s me, Larry! You don''t recognize me anymore?" The man introduced himself. Jackson had no idea


    who Larry or Leslie or whatever name he had. From his name, he assumed that Larry had to be one of


    the less noticeable small fry gangsters that he used to hang out with.


    "Jackson, when did youe back?" Larry asked him.


    "I just came back today!"


    "Oh, howe no one knew about your return? My bad. Since I''ve run into you, let me wee you


    back," Larry said as he reached out his hand and dragged Jackson over to his car beside him.


    Even a small gangster like him owned a car. Jackson himself did not even have a home. The


    However, having someone care about him was better than nothing. Jackson wanted to find someone to


    catch him up on what was going on anyway. So, he decided to follow Larry to a restaurant nearby.


    Larry ordered a variety of dishes as well as a nice bottle of wine. Him and Jackson enjoyed their feast


    as they chatted away. ording to Larry, some of the gangsters that Jackson used to know had gone


    overseas, some had retired in wealth, while some were in prison. In short, not many of them were


    around anymore.


    After the discussion, Jackson realized that he could no longer rekindle his old profession. The


    gangsters around were all new now, and they definitely would not ept him as their leader. He started


    to be anxious.


    How would he survive if no one would listen to him? Apart from fighting and taking advantage of others,


    he did not really know how to do anything else.


    Jackson thought of his only sister, Rosa. He asked Larry if he knew anything about her and Larry told


    him that she had left town to work, he had no idea where she had gone.


    Then, Jackson thought of Loraine. Speaking of her, he felt so ashamed. That b*tch was really


    something. When he was in his prime, she stuck by him easily and lived off his glory. However, when


    he got into trouble, she immediately turned around and acted as if she didn''t know him at all. She did


    not wait at home for him and even sent his son off to someone else. If he ever found out about her


    whereabouts, he would definitely skin her alive.


    At present, he had nowhere to go, so he had to ask about Loraine''s whereabouts. Considering what


    that b*tch had done, she was most likely afraid of him. If he could find her and exploit her, he would be


    able to livefortably for a while.


    Larry had no idea about Loraine either. When he heard that Jackson had nowhere to stay and no


    money to live, he patted his chest and suggested, "Jackson, if you don''t mind, you can stay with me. I


    won''t let you starve on the streets."


    Jackson was ted. What he needed most right now was a ce to stay. He was extremely grateful to


    Larry. Larry wasn''t joking around either, and after dinner, he immediately brought Jackson over to his


    ce.


    Larry''s ce was pretty decent. Jackson asked him what he was up to nowadays and Larry told him he


    helped oversee a nightclub. Jackson''s eyes lit up at the mention of this. A nightclub was the perfect


    ce for him to work, so he asked Larry to help him find a simr job. Naturally, Larry was very


    agreeable. He told Jackson to rest a couple days. Once he was well rested, Larry would bring him to go


    look for a job.


    If it wasn''t obvious by now, Larry was not some gangster from Cat Alley, instead he was working for


    Edric. Loraine had betrayed the Myers family and done such a horrible thing to his mother despite how


    well they had treated her. Edric naturally could not let this pass. It would be going too easy on Loraine


    to just throw her in jail. He wanted her to suffer, and as Loraine''s ex-partner, Jackson was the perfect


    man for the job.


    Knowing Jackson''s temper, the fact that Loraine had given birth to his son meant that she gotbelled


    as his woman for life. Without his permission, there was no way she could be with any other man.


    However, not only did Loraine remarry, she had also sent Jackson''s son away.


    That was a huge insult to Jackson. If he knew where Loraine was, there was no way he would not


    torture her.


    Hence, Edric purposely arranged for his men to wait at Cat Alley for the down-hearted Jackson. First,


    he wanted to settle Jackson somewhere else, and then let him in on Loraine''s whereabouts. After that,


    all Edric had to do was to let the show unfold.


    After spending a couple days at Larry''s, Jackson asked him again about getting a job. Larry asked


    John for help and John told him to bring Jackson to the nightclub for a couple days and wait for his


    orders. After receiving his orders, Larry immediately arranged for Jackson to work at the nightclub.


    While that was going on, Loraine had already carried out her n with Cecilia. Cecilia''s miscarriage


    became known to Edric, who found the incident weird. Although Loraine was ruthless, Rosa''s baby was


    her grandchild after all, so how could she do that to her own family?


    Was there something behind Cecilia''s identity? He ordered John to investigate her and ended up


    getting a huge surprise. It turned out that Cecilia was Jackson''s younger sister Rosa. That meant that


    she was Tommy''s aunt and they hadmitted incest. It was no wonder Loraine would act so cruelly.


    Edric sneered in his heart. It seemed like he had better tell Tommy what Loraine had done to the child


    in Rosa''s belly. That would definitely cause a rift between them.


    By then, Loraine would have to deal with both father and son at the same time. Edric wanted to see just


    how that b*tch nned to get by.


    While Edric was busy nning out how to deal with Loraine, he received a call from the hospital. The


    doctor had called him to tell him that Margaret was recovering well and she might wake up in the next


    few days. Edric was overjoyed by the news. His mother had always been his biggest worry. If she woke


    up, he would definitely feel a lot more relieved.


    Edric called her caretakers and told them to keep a close eye on her. He instructed them to give him a


    call as soon as his mother woke up and they naturally agreed.


    In thetter half of the night, Margaret finally woke up from hera. Her mind was still in a mess. She


    looked at the strange environment in confusion. It took quite some time for her to regain her senses.


    This was the hospital. She was in the hospital. What was going on? Why was she here? She tried her


    best to recall what had happened but her memories were fuzzy. She could recall Marie''s ferocious


    expression, Deborah''s harsh words and Loraine, that demure woman...She had actually dared to hit


    her!


    Several evil faces shed before her eyes. They had wanted to give saffron to Irene under her name!


    Her grandson! Irene! How were they now? Fear made Margaret squirm in her bed. She could not let


    those evil women hurt her grandson. She pulled off her oxygen mask forcefully and tried to sit up.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The sudden sounds woke up the caretakers who were on night shift. Seeing that Margaret was awake


    and that she had ripped off her oxygen mask, the two caretakers quickly rushed over. One of them


    pressed the bell to ring for the doctor and then called Edric to inform him that Margaret had woken up.


    Meanwhile the other went up tofort Margaret, "Mrs. Myers, please calm down. The doctor will be


    here soon!"


    "Edric! Quick! H-help me c-call Edric!" Margaret told the caretaker. Meanwhile, the doctor who was on


    duty hurriedly came in. He rushed forward to check on Margaret. Seeing that her vitals were stable, he


    told the caretakers not to panic as heforted Margaret, "Mrs. Myers, calm down. Mr. Myers will be


    here shortly!"


    "The soup, it''s p-poisonous! My grandson...Irene¡­" Margaret''s words were incoherent. The caretaker


    How could Margaret believe her? She remembered clearly that that evil woman, Loraine had put a n


    B pill into the soup that she had sent to Irene. If Irene drank that, she would definitely have a


    miscarriage, then Margaret''s grandson...


    Margaret did not dare to think of what would happen next. She was terrified. She struggled to get off


    the bed but because she had been in aa for so long, her body was too weak. So, she was unable


    to get down.


    Edric was awakened by the caretaker''s call. He grabbed a coat and drove to the hospital in a hurry.


    When Margaret saw Edric, she grabbed his hand, "Edric...My grandson...How is he?"


    "Mom, the child is fine. Don''t worry," Edric took her hand andforted her.


    "What about Irene? Is she okay?"


    "Irene is fine as well. Take care of yourself. I''ll ask her to bring Eden to see you soon," Edric helped


    Margaret lie back down. As long as her grandson and Irene were fine, Margaret felt relieved.


    She had justid down and sighed when she suddenly sat straight up again, "Edric, is that b*tch


    Loraine still working in our house?"


    Edric nodded. Margaret was extremely worried, "Be careful around that b*tch. She''s too vicious! She


    colluded with someone on the outside to do this. You have to trap her quickly, if not once she realises


    what''s going on, she''ll escape!"


    "Don''t worry. After you fainted, I had already suspected that she had colluded with an outsider to harm


    you. I''ve already been on my guard against her! She can''t run away now!" Edric answered. Sure


    enough, he was right, Loraine was not innocent after all. "Now that you''re awake, I can take my time to


    deal with her."


    "Edric, Loraine is too wicked. She''s like a poisonous snake. She caused our family to be like this.


    I must deal with her myself. I must ruin her to vent my anger!" Margaret gritted her teeth. If it was not


    for her body, she would definitely rush home instantly to give Loraine a harsh scolding.


    "Mom, don''t get too aggravated. You must take good care of yourself first. I''ll take care of the matters


    outside. I''ll make sure you''ll be satisfied!"


    "No! Edric, listen to me. It''s not just Loraine we have to deal with, there''s also Marie and Deborah.


    These people have been plotting against us all this while. They single-handedly did this to our family."


    "I know, Mom. Don''t worry. I''m nning to deal with them. None of them will escape!"


    "No! Edric, you don''t know everything! Those b*tches thought I would die for sure, so before my


    demise, they told me everything," Margaret''s expression was full of resentment.


    "Do you know why Irene couldn''t get pregnant in the three years of marriage with you? Loraine, that


    despicable woman, had given birth control pills to her. And Marie, that foul woman, it turns out that


    there was nothing wrong with Irene at all. However, she betrayed my trust and told me some nonsense


    about Irene being infertile. She purposely created a rift between Irene and I. As for Deborah, in order to


    marry her daughter into our family, not only did she drug Irene, she also performed a vasectomy on


    Irene. Edric, all these years, we''ve been manipted by these people time and time again. We must


    take back an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! None of them can walk away from this!"


    Margaret was out of breath from having said so much in one go. Edric quickly used his hand to help


    soothe her breathing. He was taken aback by his mother''s outburst. He had no idea what there were


    still so many secrets unbeknownst to them. It was a good thing his mother had woken up. Otherwise,


    he might never have found out just how far that horrid group of people had actually gone.


    Margaret slowly calmed down and said, "Edric! Those b*tches are so vicious. We can''t just deal with


    them normally. We must take our revenge on them tenfold!"

 Chapter 220 Beaten Up On Sight

    Chapter 220 Beaten Up On Sight


    Edric nodded. Those b*tches were indeed so vicious that no words could be used to describe his anger


    at the moment. He really wanted to skin Marie, Loraine and Lily all alive.


    His mother was right! He had to take his revenge on them tenfold! Loraine had drugged Irene for three


    years to make her infertile. They had even secretly performed a tubal ligation on her. How abhorrent


    could one be! No matter what, he had to show her what he was made of.


    Previously, he had just nned to take back all the assets Loraine had earned from the Myers family.


    He just wanted her to suffer a little. However, now he realized he had been too generous. He had to let


    her have a taste of her own medicine!


    Jackson had already been released. At first, Edric was still hesitant. Now it seemed like he had been


    worried for nothing. He had to make Tommy see the truth!


    Deborah detested Rosa''s guts. She immediately got Logan to go find out about what had happened to


    Rosa. Deborah was prepared to take back what she had lost in tenfold over from Rosa. Since Logan


    had already known where Rosa stayed, it was rtively easy for him to find out about her situation.


    After her miscarriage, Rosa was weak. Due to her health, Tommy had moved into her house to take


    care of her. When Logan went to investigate, he coincidentally saw Tommy at Rosa''s home. When


    Deborah heard that Tommy and Rosa were together, her heart dropped.


    Deborah was very surprised that Rose had gotten together with Loraine''s son, Tommy. She wondered if


    the ckmail she had received had anything to do with him.


    Rosa had known for so long that Deborah was the one behind Myra''s death. Why would she only


    threaten her now? Why not before?


    After learning that Tommy and Rosa had not known each other that long, Deborah was certain that


    Tommy definitely had something to do with the threats.


    Right now, Deborah was worried that Loraine was rted to the ckmailing. After all, Loraine knew so


    much about her, so if she was plotting something against her, it would be no joke.


    Deborah was a little anxious. If Loraine and Tommy were both in on the n to threaten her, that meant


    that not only did she have to deal with Tommy and Rosa, she had to take care of Loraine as well.


    While Deborah was busy scheming, Jackson had already been assigned to work at the same nightclub


    that Rosa worked at. At the club, someone had been arranged to let Jackson see a picture of Rosa.


    Jackson was shocked to see a picture of his sister. After some questioning, he found out that his sister


    was actually the procurer of the nightclub. Nevertheless, he was happy that he had found his sister''s


    whereabouts. He got her address and happily went off to visit her. However, the person who opened


    the door was Tommy.


    Naturally, Tommy had no idea who Jackson was. Ever since he had moved here with Rosa, he realized


    how colorful her past had actually been. Every few days, some old goon woulde knocking on the


    door asking for Cecilia. They would always tease, "Cecilia has found such a young handsome man. No


    wonder she doesn''t give us anymore attention!"


    Of course, Tommy was furious. His feelings for Cecilia were sincere, and he wasn''t as flighty as all her


    old customers. Due to that, he argued with Cecilia quite a bit.


    When Jackson came knocking, Tommy''s gut told him that he was just another man from Cecilia''s past.


    Tommy asked in a crude tone, "Why are you here?"


    Since Jackson knew what profession his sister was in, when he saw how young Tommy was, his


    thoughts naturally only led to one conclusion. So he asked back rudely, "Who are you?"


    The atmosphere started getting tense. Tommy was used to having his way so he reached out and


    shoved Jackson, "If you know what''s best for you, you''d better get out of my sight. Or else I''ll beat you


    to a pulp!"


    In the past, Jackson was the one who would threaten others. No one would dare to go against him.


    Now, he was faced with this young kid who was acting so boldly and even threatening to hit him.


    Jackson was fuming. He immediately grabbed Tommy by the cor and threw a heavy punch. The


    punch was so strong that Tommy''s nose started to bleed and he was immediately dazed.


    It was embarrassing for Tommy to get beaten up by some man at his girlfriend''s house. So, although


    he was dazed, he refused to admit defeat. He cursed as he fought back.


    Although Tommy was young, he had spent most of his dayszing around, unlike Jackson who was


    experienced inbat. Tommy''s fists were nothingpared to Jackson''s and they made little to no


    impact at all on him.


    Seeing him curse, Jackson started getting even more riled up. He no longer cared about anything and


    he swung a few more punches at Tommy until Tommy started wailing. He roared, "When I was out on


    the streets, you were probably still drinking your mother''s milk. Who do you think you are to take on


    me? I''ll beat you to death!"


    Jackson hit him and cursed at the same time. Tommy got beaten up so badly that he had lost all his


    energy to fight back. All themotion by the door woke up Rosa who was sleeping. She put on her


    slippers and rushed out. When she saw her brother punching Tommy, she quickly went forward to stop


    him, "Jackson, stop beating him up!"


    Seeing his sistere out, Jackson let Tommy go, "Who''s this kid?"


    "He''s my boyfriend!" Rosa''s heart ached at the sight of Tommy''s bruised and swollen face. She hurried


    forward to help him up. Then, she grumbled to Jackson, "Why did you hit him without knowing who he


    was?"


    Jackson was unhappy to see that his sister was not caring about him at all and was instead only caring


    about who he presumed to be a mere pretty face. However, since they had not met in so long, he


    suppressed his anger in his heart.


    Seeing that Tommy was looking almost unrecognizable, Rosa treated his injuries. She totally forgot


    about greeting her brother whom she had not seen in a long time.


    By right, as his sister, she should be asking Jackson about how he was. However, it was not like


    Jackson had expected at all. Rosa''s only focus was on Tommy, and she had no heart to pay any mind


    to her brother. Jackson was really feeling upset. So, he sat down for a few minutes, and eventually he


    told her he woulde back after a few days to see her. Then, he reluctantly left.


    It was only after Jackson left that Tommy dared to ask Rosa, "That was your brother? Howe I''ve


    never heard you mention him before?"


    "My brother was in jail. I didn''t know he came out," Rosa exined.


    "No wonder. I was wondering why he was so fierce."


    Rosa smiled bitterly. If she had not stopped Jackson earlier, Tommy would be ten times worse now.


    Just now when she saw Tommy''s injuries, she was upied with treating him so she had forgotten to


    greet her brother. Seeing how angrily he left, he had to have a bad impression of Tommy. What should


    she do?


    Jackson angrily left Rosa''s home and returned to the nightclub where he worked. Larry hade to


    see him. Seeing his annoyed expression, Larry asked him what had happened.


    Jackson treated Larry as one of his own and told him what just happened. Larry was very surprised,


    "Rosa works at a nightclub? How did I not know?"


    "She didn''t use her full name. Plus, you don''t go to the club she works at, so it''s not weird for you not to


    know," Jackson did not suspect Larry at all. He had nothing now, so Larry could not obtain anything


    from him anyway. All he was thinking about was how mad he felt. He had treated his sister so well


    since they were young, but she had chosen to abandon him over some pretty face. How depressing.


    Larry naturally understood his sadness. Heforted him and told him that Rosa must be infatuated


    by that pretty face. There were many scammers nowadays who would scam money off women. They


    were typically undetectable by the average person. It was likely that the young man Rosa was dating


    was someone like that too. Jackson knew he had to find a way to expose his true intentions.


    The two of them discussed investigating Tommy in order to reveal his true intentions to Rosa. Larry had


    a lot of connections, so naturally he took the task on.


    Sure enough, Larry told some pieces of information about Tommy to Jackson. He told him that Tommy


    was unemployed and was an expert scammer who was in it for the money. He also imed that before


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    this, Tommy had scammed many other older women and that Rosa was his new target.


    It was true that Tommy was unemployed. After hearing this, Jackson''s temper rose. He immediately


    went to Rosa to tell her about Tommy and persuaded her to leave him. However, Rosa was firm in her


    decision and told him that Tommy was sincere towards her. Tommy always treated her so well and he


    was so gentle to her. She would never be able to find another man like that in her life.


    When Rosa heard that Tommy was useless and unemployed, she defended him and said that he was


    not unemployed. It was just that he had to stay home to take care of her due to her miscarriage.


    When Jackson heard that Rosa had a miscarriage because of Tommy, Jackson''s temper rose even


    more. However, he could not help it if his sister was so faithful to him. He felt very agitated, as his sister


    was clearly blinded by love. Tommy had her wrapped around his finger.


    He had no way to persuade his sister, so he pushed all the me onto Tommy. He felt like Tommy had


    seduced his sister and that was why she had be like this. He had to think of a way to deal with


    Tommy and end Rosa''s feelings for him.


    While he was thinking about how to deal with Tommy, Larry told him about Loraine''s whereabouts.


    When he heard that Loraine was working as a nanny for the Myers family, his eyes lit up. The Myers


    family was no ordinary family after all. Loraine must have umted quite a fortune from them. He


    had to force that dreaded woman to hand over all her money and tell him where his son was. After


    thinking of a n, he went to wait outside the Myers home. He got prepared to run into Loraine.


    Unexpectedly, the person he saw was Tommy. After being beaten up by Jackson, Tommy had not


    dared to leave the house for a couple days. However, after tossing and turning in bed, he just could not


    live it down. Jackson had called him a mere pretty face, and although he did not like it, Tommy had


    nothing to refute.


    After being with Cecilia for so long, he had not spent much money. Cecilia was the one who paid for


    most of their expenses. When he thought about the fact that he was looked down upon because of his


    financial status, he decided toe to see Loraine. He nned to beg Loraine for some money and to


    help him look for a job.


    When Loraine received her son''s phone call, she hurried out. She brought him over to a quiet corner,


    "What happened? Why do you look like this?"


    "I got beaten up!" Tommyined.


    "By who?"


    Tommy did not dare to admit that Cecilia''s brother was the one who had beaten him up. After all, his


    mother already did not wholly approve of his rtionship with her. If he told her that Cecilia''s brother


    was the one behind his injuries, this matter would blow up. So he mumbled, "Gang fight."


    "You useless bum!" Loraine poked her son''s forehead and said, "I don''t even know what to say


    anymore."


    Jackson, who was hiding in the corner, saw everything clearly. Loraine was poking his forehead like a


    mother disciplining her son. However, to Jackson, he misconstrued the action as a lover''s fight,


    "Tommy is dating that b*tch Loraine too?!" Jackson was about to go ballistic. This man had slept with


    his sister and his ex-wife! There was no way he was going to let Tommy go!

 Chapter 221 Blind In One Eye

    Chapter 221 Blind In One Eye


    Of course Tommy and his mother had no idea that Jackson was spying on them. Tommy grabbed


    Loraine''s hand and begged, "Mom, I''m out of money. Please give me some allowance!"


    "I don''t have any money," Loraine said frustratedly.


    "What about your sry this month? Haven''t you gotten it yet?" Tommy had Loraine''s sry in mind.


    "Edric hasn''t been home in awhile. He called and said he''lle pay me my sry over the next few


    days." In the past, Edric had always deposited her sry right into her bank ount. However, recently


    he had changed to paying her in cash. Since he was busy, he had not been able toe back and had


    instructed her to wait for a bit.


    The Myers family ran arge conglomerate so Loraine wasn''t worried at all that Edric would not pay


    her. However Tommy was impatient, "Mom, give me some of your backup savings then."


    "I already gave you a portion of thatst time. I''m not going to take out anymore. If I take too much out,


    nothing will end well," Loraine shook her head. After thest time she had given Tommy a part of her


    savings, she no longer dared to take out anymore.


    "Are you even my mother? You abandoned mest time and made me the person I am today. Now, you


    have the ability to support me yet you refuse to do so. Why did you give birth to me in the first ce


    then?" Tommy started to lose his temper.


    "Stop screaming your head off. Are you trying to die?" Loraine reached out to cover his mouth, "Just


    wait a couple more days. After a few days, when Edric sends me my sry, I''ll send some to you."


    "I don''t have money now. Not even a single cent."


    Loraine took out some bank notes from her pocket and handed them over to Tommy, "This is all I have,


    take it."


    Seeing his mother like that, Tommy knew that he couldn''t squeeze out anymore from her, so he took


    the money and left.


    Meanwhile, Jackson was fuming from his nostrils as the scene unravelled before him. That b*tch, she


    was being so affectionate with that b*stard in public. Who knew what they did when nobody was


    around? He had to teach that b*tch a lesson!


    After Tommy left, Loraine was preparing to go back into the house when Jackson leapt out and stopped


    her. Loraine got a huge fright and took a step back. When she saw it was Jackson, her expression fell,


    "You...When did you get out?"


    "You wished for me to be locked up in jail forever, huh?" Jackson sneered.


    "N-no," Loraine was tripping over her own words. She knew very well what kind of person Jackson


    was. There was no way he would forgive her for sending his son away after he got thrown into jail.


    More importantly, Rosa and Tommy had gotten together. If Jackson found out about that, he would


    most definitely kill her.


    "You b*tch!" Jackson stared at Loraine fiercely. Back then he had poured his heart out to her, and he


    did try wholeheartedly to give her the best. However, this b*tch was too heartless. The moment he had


    stepped foot in jail, she had given his son away, "A wh*re really has no heart I guess."


    In the past few years, he had suffered a lot in prison, but she had been livingvishly outside. She even


    had a young boy toy on her arm now. Looking at Loraine''s well maintained face, he thought of how she


    must have used her looks to seduce the pretty face. Hatred rose from his heart and he swung a punch


    right at Loraine''s face, "You ungrateful b*tch!"


    He had suppressed his anger for a long time. One could imagine how severe his blow was. He only


    heard a scream. Loraine''s delicate face immediately swelled up and started to bruise. However,


    Jackson had no intentions of stopping. He swung another harsh punch towards her, yelling, "You dare


    to seduce a pretty face?!"


    With his punch, Loraine''s two teeth were sent flying and her nose started bleeding heavily. Loraine


    grimaced from the pain as she called out for help. This was an upper ss neighborhood after all, and


    there were always security guards making their rounds. Whenever there was any sort ofmotion,


    the guards would definitelye rushing over. However, oddly, no matter how loud she shouted, no


    guards came forward.


    At first, Jackson was a little worried when he heard Loraine''s shouting. However, when he saw all the


    security guards hiding in their guardhouse with no intentions of taking actions whatsoever, his worry


    was quickly diminished, "You wh*re. How dare you shout for help? I''ll kill you today!"


    Loraine had thought for sure that someone woulde over to help her after hearing her screams.


    Who knew that no one would pay any mind to her at all? She knew how violent Jackson could be,


    better than anyone. So she quickly begged, "I know that I''m in the wrong! Please forgive me!"


    Jackson did not bother listening to her exnation. He kicked her hard and sent her flying to one side.


    Then, he walked over and kicked her a couple more times again. As he kicked he asked, "Where the


    f*ck did you send my son to?"


    Originally, Loraine had never nned to tell Jackson about Tommy. However, seeing how he was


    acting now, if she did not tell him where his son was, he would definitely take her life. So, she had no


    choice but to tell Jackson about Tommy, "I''ve found our son. He''s been staying safely by my side. If you


    let go of me, I''ll take you to him!"


    When he heard that his son was safe and sound, Jackson''s anger diminished slightly. He grabbed


    Loraine by the hair and lifted her up from the ground, "Take me to see my son right now!"


    Tommy was living with Rosa now. If Loraine brought Tommy over, she would be doomed. How could


    she dare to bring him over? Her only solution now was to drag time out. She had toe up with a


    solution after lying to him this time around, and said, "Look at the state I''m in, how am I supposed to


    take you to him?"


    Jackson let go of her when he saw her bloodied face, "It''s fine if you can''t take me to him. I have no


    money now. Give me whatever you have and maybe I''ll be more patient with you."


    "I don''t have money!" She had just given all the remaining money she had to Tommy. What was she


    supposed to give Jackson?


    Jackson immediately lost his temper, "You b*tch. I saw you generously give your money to your little


    pet earlier. When ites to me, then you''re suddenly poor again? Are you going to give me your


    money or not? Do you want to die?"


    "He''s not my little pet!" Loraine denied.


    "You''re still trying to deny it? I saw it with my own eyes," Jackson snorted, "You sl*t. Aren''t you


    ashamed of dating someone so young with your age? I''m asking you onest time, are you going to


    hand your money over or not? If not, I''m going to break your legs off!"


    Loraine groaned in her heart. She had no other choice now, "He''s not my little pet, he''s your son,


    Tommy..." Loraine had no choice but toe clean.


    Jackson was stunned. The man that his younger sister was dating was his own son? He wondered for


    a moment if he had misheard and he asked Loraine to repeat herself. Loraine had no idea that Jackson


    already knew about Tommy and Rosa dating. She thought that since he had juste out of prison, he


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    wouldn''t know anything. So, she willingly repeated what she had said.


    Jackson waspletely dumbfounded! His son and his sister weremitting incest, and she had


    even gotten pregnant! If that child had not passed on, wouldn''t it have turned out to be some monster?


    This was all Loraine''s fault. If she hadn''t given their son away, Tommy would not have gotten together


    with Rosa. It was all this b*tch''s fault!


    That was thest straw for Jackson. He grabbed Loraine''s hair and started beating her up again.


    Loraine had not expected Jackson to be even more violent after telling him about Tommy.


    Previously, she had reserved her strength to not aggravate Jackson, who was ruthless when he was


    mad, and he did not care where they were or what would happen. The whole reason he had gotten


    thrown in jail was because he had beaten someone up to death.


    However, now, since Jackson was beating her up relentlessly, Loraine knew that if she didn''t defend


    herself, she would be dead. She started fighting back and shouting for help. Her resistance made


    Jackson explode in anger like a volcano. How dare this b*tch fight back?


    She must want to die! Jackson had totally lost all control now and was grasping at Loraine''s face to


    scratch her. He aimed for her eyes and directly stabbed his fingers down. Loraine reacted quickly and


    dodged. One of Jackson''s fingers missed, but the other did not.


    Blood sprayed all over Jackson''s face. Her eyes were covered with blood so he couldn''t see anything.


    The pain made Loraine scream out in anguish. Her scream was so terrifying that it could be heard from


    miles away.


    Jackson stretched his hand out and wiped away the blood that was covering his eyes. All of a sudden,


    he realized that there was something ck in his hand. When he took a closer look, he saw that it was


    an eyeball. He jumped up in fright. He looked down to see Loraine with her hands over her face and


    rolling on the ground. She was still howling from the pain and blood was gushing out of her face. It


    dawned on Jackson that he had poked her eyeball out. He could go to jail for this. The shock suddenly


    made him realize that the situation was not looking good. His anger had dissipated a little and he could


    not stay here for much longer!


    He threw the eyeball in his hand down and ignored Loraine who was squirming on the ground. He spat


    at her and then strode off.


    Loraine continued screeching for quite a while before eventually the pain took over her, and she


    fainted. Seeing her pass out, an onlooker made a call to John and asked him for further instructions.


    John then proceeded to ask Edric what to do. When Edric heard that Jackson had poked Loraine''s


    eyeballs out, heughed out loud. He had only hoped for Jackson to give her a good beating but


    Jackson was more ruthless than he had expected. Edric gave out an order to take her to the hospital.


    John was puzzled, "Why bother saving such an evil woman?"


    Edric sneered, "I''m saving her just to torture her more. Tell the doctors and nurses to not be merciful to


    this wicked woman. Carry out all the surgeries while she''s conscious. Don''t give her any anesthesia. I


    want her to wish that she was dead!"


    Loraine was sent to the hospital. As per Edric''s orders, the doctors operated on her while she was


    awake. Loraine screamed all the way from the start of the surgery till the end. She finally knew now,


    what it meant to live a life worse than death. She would rather be beaten to death by Jackson than live


    through this torture.


    Although the doctors had operated on her, they did not treat her eyes. Their only goal was to elongate


    her pain. When the surgery was over, the doctors told her expressionlessly that she was now blind in


    one eye.

 Chapter 222 Self-Inflicted

    Chapter 222 Self-Inflicted


    After Loraine came out from the operating room, Hodge, the driver of the Myers family, came up to see


    her and said, "Who did you offend? Why have you be like this?"


    Hodge was very surprised to see her like this.


    "I have no idea as well! I got held up by someone and got beaten up. No one came to save me,"


    Loraine felt immense hatred upon exining herself. The security guards around the vi were usually


    pretty ruthless people. However, they had not even bothered to show up when she was getting beaten


    up. If they had shown up, then she would not have been beaten up to this degree.


    "How unexpected. How did you even get involved in such incidents?" Hodge sighed. "I''ve called Mr.


    Myers about your injury. He affirms that you rest well and that he''ll never let off the person who had


    beaten you up. He has already asked the police to investigate. I believe we will get results soon."


    Loraine''s heart was filled with hatred. She really wanted to cut that b*stard Jackson to pieces to vent


    her anger. However, it was not the time for her to get even with Jackson. How could she ever exin


    the rtionship between Jackson and her? If word ever got out, Edric would realize her crimes and


    make her suffer.


    Compared to seeking revenge on Jackson, she was more afraid that Edric would find out about her


    background. She had to find a way to solve this problem. She would never let Jackson, that


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    b*stard, off. She would let him go free and unfettered for a few days first. When she recovered, she


    would think of a way to deal with him. She said, "I feel that the man who had hit me could be a lunatic.


    Otherwise, why would he suddenly apprehend me when I had nothing to do with him?"


    "I feel that way too. There''s no grudge between you and that stranger. Why would there be a fight


    then? He must be a mentally ill person," Hodge echoed.


    Edric''s executive assistant, John Davis, came over as Hodge was talking. Seeing Loraine''s reaction, he


    felt sorry for her. He told her someforting words to put her in ease, saying that they were


    investigating the person who had hurt her, and he would be found eventually to be brought to justice.


    Upon hearing John''s words, Loraine panicked even more. What if they caught Jackson? That way, her


    background would bepletely exposed. By then, Edric would definitely kill her. She told John


    everything she had told Hodge out of the fear in her heart, including the part where she said the person


    who had beaten her up had to be a lunatic. John sighed and said, "If he turns out to really be a lunatic,


    then you will have suffered for nothing. Even Mr. Myers won''t be able to help you. Let''s see how the


    investigation goes first."


    After saying a few more empty words offort, John left the ward. Before he left, he specially


    instructed the nurse to take good care of her and to not let her eyes be infected and so on.


    The nurse affirmed his orders responsibly, "In order to prevent Loraine''s eyes from infection, we''ll


    disinfect Loraine eyes from time to time." The nurse also showed John the alcohol and iodine to be


    used for disinfection and said that she would carry out the disinfection and treatment for Loraine


    immediately.


    John nodded his head and praised the nurse before leaving. John and Hodge then left as well. The two


    of them had just walked to the side of the lift when they heard Loraine''s blood-curdling scream from the


    ward. Hodge was shocked, "What''s going on?"


    John smiled slightly, "The nurse is most probably cleaning her wound!"


    "Why does she sound like being ughtered instead?" Hodge shivered, hearing the endless screams


    in the ward.


    John let out a sinisterugh, "How can the wound not hurt if it gets tainted by alcohol and iodine?"


    Hodge remembered that he had once had a hand injury and had it disinfected with iodine. At that time,


    he had identally stained the wound with iodine. The pain that he had experienced was now


    urring at Loraine''s wound on her eye. One could only imagine how painful it was.


    He touched his hand in fear and followed closely behind John into the elevator. Even when the door of


    the elevator closed, he could still hear the blood-curdling screamsing from outside.


    John''s face was painted with a cold smile. From now on, Loraine would experience pain unbeknownst


    to her before, over the course of a few days. It was estimated that she would have to wait until her


    wounds werepletely healed before that kind of torture ended. However,pared to the vicious


    things that the wicked woman had done, that kind of punishment was simply too light.


    After Jackson had hurt Loraine, he fled all the way back to the ce where Larry lived. Larry had long


    received the news. Upon seeing how anxious Jackson looked, he asked on purpose, "Jackson, what


    happened to you?"


    "Larry, I''ve made a mistake!" Jackson told Larry the whole process of him blinding Lorraine, "Larry, I


    don''t want to go to jail anymore. I''ve juste out from there. It''s horrible there. In order to not get you


    into trouble as well, I have to run away."


    Larry stopped him, "Don''t panic. Let''s look at the news first. If that b*tch has really alerted the police,


    you won''t be able to run too far away. It''s better to stay here and see if you can hide until the danger


    passes."


    "I''ll drag you into this mess if I do that though," Jackson, who emphasized justice, said.


    "Don''t worry. You can stay here first. I''ll go and see what''s going on," Larryforted him.


    Jackson had nowhere to go indeed. The reason why he wanted leave was so that he would not cause


    any more trouble for Larry. Seeing that Larry viewed their friendship seriously, he was overwhelmed


    with gratitude. Tears began to fill his eyes as he said, "I will forever remember your kindness. I owe you


    big time. Anytime you need help, just say the word and I will definitely be there!" Jackson vowed.


    "Jackson, please don''t treat me like an outsider. We are of the same kind. Of course, I''ll definitely run


    into trouble in the future. Just assist me if I need help in the future."


    Loraine was in pain in the hospital every day. She could not help but call her son to see her. Tommy left


    for the hospital. People were gathered in groups of twos or threes and they were gossiping while


    waiting for the elevator.


    "I''ve heard that a woman has been admitted into the hospital due to losing a great deal of blood from a


    miscarriage. She seemed to be a prostitute. Judging from her age, she should have undergone the


    proper procedure in a hospital and not simply take a n B pill at home. She almost died from the


    severe blood loss."


    "I''ve heard about that, too. It wasn''t the woman who had taken the pill. I''ve heard that the woman had


    fallen in love with a man who was younger than her by a decade and she had gotten pregnant. She


    wanted to marry that man, but she didn''t expect that the man didn''t want her back. That man had


    secretly given the pill to her. The woman didn''t know anything about it."


    "No way. How can someone be so vicious? What if she died because of it?" The elevator arrived and


    they entered it, continuing the discussion.


    "That man couldn''t care less. That woman is so silly though. Even now, she still doesn''t know that her


    miscarriage was caused by him. She still thinks it was because of her health. She''s so pitiful."


    "Such a cruel and inhumane man deserves to be punished by the heavens. He''s going to die a tragic


    death."


    "Actually, all of you are wrong. The pill wasn''t given by the man, but by another mistress of that man.


    This other mistress worked as a nanny for another rich man. Someone saw that the mistress had gone


    to a pharmacy and bought the n B pill. She brought it to the hospital and had even ordered the


    obstetrician to not say a word about it," Another person interrupted the conversation.


    "That''s too absurd! Are you sure?"


    "I heard from the nurse at the hospital. That other mistress is familiar with the other doctors in the


    hospital. I''ve also heard that the mistress is so old that she could even be his mother."


    "This man is really too much!"


    Tommy grew really upset upon hearing theirments. How could these people''s discussions be


    simr to what he had experienced?


    Could it be that Cecilia''s miscarriage had been caused by his mother? Could it be that Marie was that


    obstetrician they were referring to?


    He trembled, and the elevator stopped. He separated from the crowd and walked out. The woman


    sneered, "You all still sympathize with that wh*re. She deserved what was bing of her for


    destroying other people''s families."


    "Do you know that prostitute?" another person immediately asked.


    "Of course! That prostitute is called Cecilia. She works as a pimp in a nightclub. One of my friend''s


    husband would often visit her," the woman was furious.


    The elevator door closed, but Tommy had heard every word clearly. His heart sank. He thought back on


    how his mother had sent several gifts to them a day before Cecilia''s miscarriage, and clenched his


    fists.


    Sure enough, the matter had already escted, and only Cecilia and him were still kept in the dark. He


    strode towards Loraine''s ward.


    Loraine was lying on the bed, screaming and wailing as a nurse cleaned her wounds. When she saw


    her son, she looked as if her savior had arrived, "Why are you only here now? It''s so painful!"


    Looking at Loraine''s expression, Tommy did not feel the least sorry for her. The discussion in the


    elevator just now had almost driven him crazy. He growled at her, "Tell me the truth. Were you the one


    who caused Cecilia''s miscarriage?"


    "What are you talking about?" Loraine was shocked. How did her son know about that?


    "Everything has already been revealed. It was you who had bribed the doctor and told them not to tell


    the truth. There''s no use hiding it anymore. You''d better tell me the truth, or I''ll go to the hospital and


    ask Marie. Then, I''ll make a scene about it."


    "Are you crazy? You would be willing to do that for that old woman?" Loraine looked at her son


    anxiously. "Son, if you had liked someone else, I wouldn''t have done that. However, you and Cecilia


    cannot ever work out!"


    "I''m going to go insane! Why do I have such a vicious mother like you?!" Tommy roared at Loraine, "At


    the end of the day, the child was still a life. How could you be so cruel? It wasn''t easy for me to meet a


    woman that I truly liked, but when I finally did, you turned on me. Do you really want me to not have


    children and discontinue out bloodline?"


    "Son, I didn''t have a choice. You can''t be with Cecilia!" Loraine repeated.


    "Why can''t I be with her?" Tommy asked.


    Loraine did not dare to tell Tommy that Cecilia was his biological aunt, so she lied and said, "Cecilia is


    a prostitute with a bad reputation and she''s old. She''s not suitable for you."


    "You do not have the right to say whether she is suitable for me or not! I like her and that''s all that


    matters. No one can stop us from being together!"


    "Tommy, listen to me. I''m your mother. I won''t harm you," Loraine tried to persuade her son. "Look at


    me now. Can''t you make me happy for once since I''m suffering now?"


    "You''re suffering? Are you suffering like Cecilia? She nearly lost her life because of you!" Tommy


    roared. "I knew you were vicious. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have sent me away back then."


    "I had no other way, alright? I was a single mother taking care of you, how could I have survived?"


    Loraine continued to lie to Tommy about his father passing. She had no way of surviving with the child


    alone, so she had to give him away.


    "There are many widows like you, but unlike you, they don''t give their sons away! You didn''t raise me,


    so why do you think you have any rights to stop me now?"


    "I''m your biological mother! How dare you hurt me because of another woman? You''re really


    disappointing me!" Loraine said with frustration. How dare he med her for Rosa''s miscarriage.


    Although she had given him away at the beginning, had she not tried to make it up to him after they


    reunited?


    "Disappointing you? Have you any idea how devastated I feel? It''s said that a even vicious tiger does


    not eat its cubs. Your heart is more vicious than that of a tiger''s. You deserve this. You will be punished


    by the heavens severely for your cruelty!"


    "You!" Loraine almost choked after hearing her son''s words. Tommy stomped out of the room angrily.


    Loraineid on the bed, panting from anger. Her wound had already hurt so much, but now her heart


    was in pain as well. What luck did she possess? Why did she have a son like Tommy?

 Chapter 223 Did She Do It?

    Chapter 223 Did She Do It?


    During this period of time, Edric secretly visited Irene and Eden frequently. After a period of contact


    with Edric, Eden''s bitterness towards Edric had reduced. He no longer refused his gifts and had started


    to talk to him. Edric was pleased with the change in Eden that had taken ce. Apart from working in


    thepany, and dealing with those evil b*stards, his free time was mainly spent with his son and


    Irene.


    Jordan''s bitterness towards Edric had decreased as well. However, he was still a little worried when he


    saw how frequently he visited their home. Judging from Edric''s actions, it was obvious that he was


    nning to reconcile with Irene. If Edric and Irene really were to get back together, what would happen


    to Nathan then?


    Nathan had waited for Irene for so many years, and his heart and feelings had never changed for her.


    There was no way for Edric to win at the most crucial part.


    Jordan was truly worried for Nathan. A few days ago, Nathan had said that he would return to


    Havend to see Irene. It had been a few days since then, so why had there been no news? Had


    something gone wrong again?


    Worried, Jordan called Nathan and asked why he had note back. Nathan sighed on the phone and


    stammered, "Jordan, I-I''m afraid I won''t be going back for the time being!"


    "Why?" Jordan was surprised. Nathan had always been open-minded. He was surprised that Nathan


    would suddenly stammer.


    "Something had happened. Ah, I do not have the guts to face Irene anymore!"


    Nathan''s words shocked Jordan even more, "What on earth happened?"


    "It''s too embarrassing!" Nathan cried, "And it''s very wrong!"


    "We''ve been friends for many years. Why don''t you tell me and see if I can help you?"


    Nathan sighed heavily, "Jordan, I-I slept with another woman."


    "Huh?!" Jordan couldn''t believe his ears. Nathan had always lived a rather pure lifestyle for so many


    years and there had never been any rumors of him sleeping with another woman.


    However, since it had already happened, Nathan did not intend to hide it anymore. Thinking about that


    day it happened, he was still confused. How did Jodie end up sleeping with him?


    That day, he had taken Jodie to the mall to do some shopping and then they had gone back to the


    White family home. Jodie''s gentle and demure personality was adored by Britney very much and she


    had offered Jodie to stay overnight and apany her.


    Jodie also liked the grandmother very much, hence she agreed.


    That night, Joanne''s parents had alsoe to visit Britney. The chefs had prepared a variety of dishes.


    Nathan had been in a good mood since he would be returning to Havend soon to see Irene so he


    drank a lot of wine after being persuaded by the others. Later, he had gone back to his room and fell


    fast asleep.


    Amidst his deep slumber, he vaguely heard someone calling his name and asking him to drink soup to


    sober up. Nathan opened his eyes, and saw Irene standing by his bed holding a bowl of soup in her


    hands. He then murmured, "Irene!"


    Irene smiled shyly at him in return and said, "Nathan, drink this hangover soup!"


    The voice did not sound like Irene and he tried to focus. When he grew a little clear-headed, he


    remembered that Jodie was staying in the house, so he smiled apologetically. He took the soup from


    Jodie and drank it. After drinking the soup, he handed the bowl to Jodie and said his thanks before


    going back to sleep.


    It did not take long for him to start feeling hot all over. He felt mes in his chest so he got up from the


    bed all wobbly, and went to find water.


    After a few steps, the door was pushed open and someone came in, "Nathan, why are you still up?"


    Nathan answered, "I''m thirsty."


    "I''ll get you some water, so you just lie down!" Jodie helped him to his bed and turned around to leave.


    After a while, she came back with some water. She handed the water to Nathan. He took a few sips of


    it, but still felt ufortable and his body still felt hot.


    Jodie reached out and touched his forehead, "Nathan, are you having a fever?"


    Jodie''s cold hand touched Nathan''s forehead. He felt a little better for some reason. He could not hear


    what Jodie was saying anymore. Irene''s face flickered in front of him, and his chest continued to burn


    like fire. Nathan was about to lose his mind...


    The next morning, Nathan was awakened by a scream. He opened his eyes and saw Joanne standing


    by the door and looking at him with a panicked expression, "Nathan.. you...."


    Nathan froze. He turned around and saw a beautiful face next to him. He jumped up in shock. The


    incident fromst night then shed in his mind. Looking at his naked body, it did not take long for him


    to figure out what had happened.


    "You had s*x with a woman who has lost her memories?" Jordan raised his voice. How could such a


    thing happen to Nathan? He asked, "Did that woman set you up?"


    Why did she deliver sober soup and water to him in the middle of the night? It was too suspicious even


    for Jordan. Jordan''s intuition told him that the woman named Jodie had actually plotted against Nathan.


    Nathan shook his head and said, "It can''t be her. I''ve asked her before. The hangover soup was made


    by the chefs in the kitchen. I only drank half of the cup of water that she had brought in. There was still


    half a cup of water left. I had asked the doctor to examine that half cup of water. There wasn''t a


    problem at all."


    "That''s strange. If it wasn''t her, then who could it be?" Jordan was puzzled, "You are not the kind of


    man who is disloyal. How can you indulge in such an immoral act?"


    "I don''t know! Maybe I had thought that Jodie was Irene because I had been drunk. I feel sorry and


    regretful these days. I feel so sorry towards Irene and Jodie at the same time. I''m just so confused right


    now!"


    "Then, did Jodie say anything?" Jordan asked.


    Nathan sighed, "She didn''t me me. She said that it wasn''t my fault and she was ready to leave.


    Madam Britney said she was a poor girl and had no one to rely on. She couldn''t let her leave!"


    Although he did not know Jodie well, this woman''s purity had been ruined by him, so of course he


    would feel regretful in his heart.


    Jodie did not say anything nor med him. She instead told him that it was alright and to not take it


    seriously, but how could he not take it to heart?


    "You shouldn''t keep her by your side for long, though. Let''s see if you can find a way to send her away.


    Don''t tell Irene about this first. We''ll let Irene know after she gives birth to the child. I''m sure Irene will


    understand and not me you," Jordan suggested.


    "I don''t feelfortable with this though. How will I face her after I''ve done something like that?"


    "Calm down, I''ve told you that it''s not your fault. Irene will surely forgive you."


    "I can''t get over my mistake."


    "Then, what do you want? Are you going to marry that woman instead?" Jordan asked.


    "I¡­" Nathan fell silent. He had already given his heart to Irene. Asking him to marry Jodie was


    Jordan reminded her, "Nathan, I''m telling you, what had happened to you isn''t normal at all. I suspect


    that there''s something wrong with that woman. Do not do anything reckless and think thoroughly on


    what you should do next."


    Nathan shook his head and said, "I''ve thought it through it clearly. My house has only my family and


    they''re not close with Jodie at all. Why would they scheme against me?"


    "Don''t jump to conclusions too early. Maybe someone doesn''t want you and Irene to be together..."


    Jordan stopped and continued, "Nathan, was Joanne there when you were framed?"


    "Yes, she was the one who woke me up in the morning."


    "Could it be her who did it?" Jordan asked.


    "It can''t be, right?"


    "It''s hard to say. She used to target Irene. Maybe it''s the same this time. You''d better investigate her."


    After hanging up on the call with Jordan, Nathan frowned. Could the culprit have been Joanne? Deep


    down, he did not want to believe that Joanne would be behind all these. However, when he thought


    about how she had once plotted against Irene, Nathan felt uncertain. He had to look into the matter


    carefully.


    That day, everyone had had dinner together. Therefore, it would be impossible for him to be the only


    one who had been drugged by the food. In addition to the food and wine, he had only drunk one bowl


    of hangover soup and half a cup of water. There was no problem with the water therefore the hangover


    soup was the only suspicious item left.


    That time, he had asked the chefs if he had been the only one who had drunk the hangover soup but it


    turned out that Joanne had also drunk it. That had made him believe that the problem was not lying in


    the hangover soup then. However, he had mistaken Jodie for Irene, and Jordan''s reminder to him to


    investigate properly made Nathan feel that it was necessary for him to investigate the soup again.


    He asked the chefs in the kitchen,"Was anyone else in here when you made that hangover soup?"


    "No, I made two sets of it. One was for you, and the other was for Miss White. After I had finished


    preparing it, I had called Sophia to hand it to you, but she was not around. Just then, Miss Jodie had


    heard me calling out and she came down. She heard that I needed help to send the hangover soup to


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    you and she volunteered to do so," the chef said.


    As for what had happened next, Jodie had already told her side of the story. She had brought the


    hangover soup upstairs to Joanne''s room first then to Nathan''s. Nathan then dismissed the chef and


    went to ask Jodie, "Did anything else happen to you when you sent the hangover soup to Joanne?"


    Jodie thought for a moment and said, "When I brought the hangover soup in, Miss White was sleeping


    in bed. When I handed the soup to her, she said that she wanted to have yogurt and asked me to take


    it for her. I went downstairs to take the yogurt for her. I went to your room after that.


    Nathan''s expression changed upon hearing her words. Could it really be Joanne who had done it?

 Chapter 224 Kicked Out Of Home

    Chapter 224 Kicked Out Of Home


    Seeing how Nathan had been so anxious over the past few days and had not mentioned about


    returning to Havend, Joanne was overjoyed. She knew exactly what kind of person her brother was.


    When something like that had happened to him, he would definitely feel ashamed to face Irene. If Irene


    were to find out that her brother had an affair, then the rtionship between them would bepletely


    ruined.


    Thinking about what had happened that day, Joanne felt proud of her n.


    After knowing Rowane''s true identity, Joanne was so excited that she could not sleep the whole night.


    The next morning, she felt a little dizzy when she was woken up by the rm clock, but she still


    groggily got up. Then, she apanied Britney to have breakfast.


    These days, she did not dare to live her lifezily in fear of annoying Britney again, and causing


    Britney''s hate towards her to grow even more.


    During breakfast, Joanne pretended to be enthusiastic and asked Nathan if he had decided to invite


    Rowane toe home for dinner. If he did, she would like to prepare the meals in advance.


    Nathan said that he would go back to Havend in a few days'' time. He would arrange for Rowane to


    Joanne secretly rejoiced. She asked for Rowane''s food preferences, and ordered the housekeeper of


    the White Mansion, Bache Lewis, to personally send people out to purchase some fresh ingredients


    and prepare a scrumptious dinner.


    Britney and Nathan were both ted to see Joanne so concerned about Rowane''s visit. Nathan, in


    particr, for the way he looked at her was much more gentle than before. He had even apologized for


    troubling her .


    After Nathan went off to work, Joanne apanied Britney to the garden. She read the newspapers to


    Britney for a moment before realizing that it was time to prepare lunch. Then, she asked Bache, the


    housekeeper, if he had bought the ingredients for dinner.


    Bache was incredibly efficient. He had already bought the ingredients and was in the kitchen ordering


    the chef to arrange them properly. When he saw Joannee in, he hurried to invite her to have a


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    look.


    Joanne checked the ingredients one by one and nodded in satisfaction. She then told the chef how to


    cook them and reminded him to cook up the feast with utmost sincerity.


    At noon, Nathan did not return home to eat lunch. After Joanne apanied Britney to have lunch,


    she took Britney to have her usual afternoon nap. After Britney fell asleep, Joanne went back to her


    room, picked up her phone and made a call. Then, she went downstairs and sat in the gazebo in the


    garden.


    After a while, a young man d in ck walked over and handed Joanne a small box. He said, "Miss


    White, this is the item that you want."


    Joanne took the box and opened it. She asked nervously, "Shawn, are you sure it works?"


    A smug smile appeared on Shawn''s face, "Don''t worry, Miss White, I''ve tried it on someone, and it


    absolutely works fine."


    Joanne nodded with satisfaction in mind and said, "Okay, I will reward you well if it works."


    "Miss White is too nice. It is my honor to be able to serve you," Shawn looked at Joanne passionately,


    "If you need any help in the future, just seek me, and I''ll take care of it properly."


    "Thank you. Please take your leave first!" Joanne pretended not to see the sparks in his eyes and


    waved him away with a smile.


    Shawn looked at her with a hint of reluctance in his eyes and turned to leave.


    Joanne watched Shawn as he disappeared between the nts, and sneered, "Huh, don''t you ever


    dare fall in love with me! You are no match for me. If it weren''t for your usefulness, I would have


    ordered someone to gauge out those lustful eyes of yours!"


    Shawn was a bodyguard of the White family. He had been working for the White family for several


    years. When he had first seen Joanne, he had fallen in love with her and always looked for


    opportunities to please her. Joanne sensed Shawn''s intentions and saw that he was intelligent and


    sharp, so she had taken the opportunity to take him under her wing and had asked him to help her with


    some troubling matters. Last time, when Margaret hade to Mencodia to take Eden, she had gotten


    Shawn to secretly assist her. Now, she wanted to stop Nathan from returning to Havend, so she had


    to ask him for help again.


    After making a phone call to Lily the previous night, Joanne had called Shawn up and asked him to get


    something for her. Shawn had promised her without any hesitation that he would get it done by that


    morning.


    Joanne was joyful to have received it. Now all she had to do was wait for nightfall.


    Back in her room, Joanne locked the box in the cab and went to take a nap. Since she had not slept


    well the previous night, she had to take advantage of Britney''s nap time to make up for herck of


    sleep so that she could have enough energy to put on a good show at night.


    In the evening, Nathan brought Rowane back. Britney was overjoyed when she saw Rowane. Joanne


    had also called her parents over. The entire family began to have a scrumptious dinner together.


    Joanne kept persuading everyone to drink more alcohol. Joanne''s parents also supported her. Nathan


    was in a practically good mood because he would soon be reunited with Irene and Eden, hence he


    agreed and drank quite a lot.


    After drinking, Nathan did not feel well and proceeded to take a rest in one of the rooms. Britney felt


    sorry for Nathan, hence she ordered for the chef to prepare a bowl of hangover soup for him. Joanne


    saw the opportunity and also ordered the chef to prepare a bowl for her too with the excuse that she


    was drunk too. Then, she went back to her room.


    Joanne''s parents soon went home after dinner. Joanne had deliberately gotten her parents to send


    Sophia away. The people in the kitchen would send someone upstairs after they made the hangover


    soup. Normally, they would send Sophia to do so, however, that night, Sophia had been sent away and


    no else dared to enter Nathan''s room. Rowane on the other hand, had not touched any alcohol. She


    would definitely send the hangover soup to Nathan when she heard the people in the kitchen calling for


    Sophia.


    As Joanne''s room was right next to Nathan, Rowane would definitely bring the soup to her room first


    before going to Nathan''s.


    Soon enough, there came voices from the kitchen calling for Sophia, and they startled Rowane.


    Rowane went down and offered to deliver the soup to both Joanne and Nathan. She first delivered it to


    Joanne and Joanne lied to her that she would like to have some yogurt. After she left to get it, Joanne


    then took the opportunity to put the medicine into Nathan''s soup.


    After Nathan drank the soup with the medicine, Rowane exited his room. Joanne then approached


    Rowane and said she would like some water to drink.


    Since Nathan had drunk a lot of wine, Rowane was also worried that he might need water, so she re-


    entered his room. Indeed, Nathan who had already taken the drugged hangover soup, was feeling


    ufortable in his chest and was wanting a ss of water, so she proceeded to help him to his bed


    and then went downstairs to get some water for him.


    When Rowane returned to Nathan''s room with the water, the effect of the medicine had reached its


    peak, and hence they did the deed.


    In the past few days, Nathan''s trouble expressions told her that he had not figured out that she was the


    one who plotted against him. Thinking of how Irene would react to the news about Nathan and


    Rowane''s affair, Joanne smiled.


    Joanne was immersed in her own joy when the door was suddenly pushed open. Nathan appeared at


    the door with a sullen face. Upon seeing Nathan, Joanne''s heart skipped a beat. She asked, "Nathan,


    why are you here?"


    "What have you done now?!" Nathan clenched his jaw. With a murderous look on his handsome face,


    he pped something on her face, "Why are you buying this kind of stuff?"


    Joanne picked it up and looked at it. She was shocked and said, "Nathan, I didn''t buy this!"


    "No? Shawn has confessed everything. Do you think there is any use in denying this anymore?"


    "Nathan! Don''t believe Shawn! He''s framing me!"


    "Framing you?" Nathan sneered, "Why would he choose to frame you instead of other people?"


    "I don''t know either. Shawn is not such a simple person. He often looks at mesciviously. He had even


    tried to get physical with me a few days ago. He must have wanted to get back at me after I had


    scolded him," Joanne lied desperately.


    Nathan snorted, "Save it. Shawn has confessed to me how you had ordered him to assist you and


    Margaret to take Eden awayst time. Do you think that you can be let off easily this time? You''d better


    behave yourself. Tell me, what''s the purpose behind you doing all this?"


    "I...Nathan! Forgive me! I''m also doing this for your own good! I-I just don''t want you to be together with


    Irene! She already has two children with another man. She doesn''t deserve you!"


    Nathan was shaking with anger, "B*stard! How dare you try to paint it as a deed of kindness after doing


    such evil things! I must have been blind to view you as my little sister!"


    "This shameless b*tch! How dare you frame her own brother! Throw her out at once!" A voice could be


    heard from the entrance of the room. Joanne looked up and saw Britney walking in with a face full of


    rage.


    "Please forgive me, Grandma! Don''t kick me out!" Joanne was shocked upon seeing Britney. Before


    Britney had appeared, she had hoped that Nathan would forgive her after her crying and pleading. After


    all, Nathan had always doted on her as she was his younger sister.


    However, when she saw Britney, she knew in her heart that things would not be easy. Britney hated


    people framing her family, and Joanne had done exactly just that, so it would be impossible for Britney


    to forgive her anymore.


    "Save your breath. Someone, throw her out now! From now onwards, I do not want to see her in my


    home!" With that, Britney turned and left.


    "Grandma, please..." Joanne pleaded and looked at Nathan, "Nathan, I know I''m in the wrong now!"


    Nathan looked at her in disgust and said, "Quit acting. All of that is useless. From now on, you are no


    longer my sister!"


    With that, Nathan turned and left the room.

 Chapter 225 Beating Her at Her Own Game

    Chapter 225 Beating Her at Her Own Game


    Irene naturally did not know that Nathan had been tricked. She felt the same way as Jordan did.


    Nathan had called her a long time ago to say that he would return to Havend. Why was he still not


    back?


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Irene was worried about Nathan, but Edric came to see her, telling her that Margaret had woken up and


    was worried about her and Eden. She wanted to see them with her own eyes, so he asked Irene to go


    to the hospital with Eden to visit Margaret.


    Hearing that Margaret had woken up, Irene was ted. Margaret had been in aa for a long time,


    and Irene had been very worried. All her previous resentment towards Margaret had disappeared after


    thetter wasatose.


    However, Irene was slightly worried that Marie might recognise them if they brought Eden along to visit


    Margaret at the hospital. Edric reassured her that there was nothing to be worried about. Marie was


    busy enough with her own affairs and had no time to pay attention to them. After she was rest assured,


    Irene brought Eden to the hospital with her.


    Margaretid on the bed and as she saw a pregnant Irene entering while holding Eden''s hand, she


    became excited. Her words got jumbled due to her emotions, "Y-You''re okay? That''s great!"


    "Yes, we are. You can focus on making sure you get better," Irene replied. Margaret nodded and asked,


    "Is the baby alright?"


    "Yes. The baby is doing fine."


    "Pardon my poor memory, but when are you due?" Margaret asked.


    "In less than two months," Irene answered.


    "I''ve been in aa for that long?" Margaret sighed, "Well, as long as you are all healthy and safe,


    then I have no more regrets in my heart."


    Irene was not used to Margaret''s sudden emotional words, but she felt a little touched as she looked at


    her smiling eyes. Margaret had changed a lot. No wonder they said one could face anything once they


    had experienced death once. Margaret was too a person who had died once. After going through a life-


    and-death experience, she nowcked the arrogance she once had. She was now brimming with love


    and care. She smiled at Margaret and said, "Take care of yourself so that Edric can work with ease in


    his mind."


    Margaret nodded. She used to dislike Irene, but now, it was the total opposite. She had been lying in


    bed and thinking back about the past each day.The more she thought about them, the more she felt


    that she had been wrong. She apologised, "Irene, I''m so sorry for everything I''ve done."


    "There''s no need to apologize for that. It''s all in the past!"


    "Thank you for forgiving me!" Although Irene said that there was no need to apologize, Margaret still


    apologized to show her sincerity. She saw Eden peeking timidly at her from behind Irene. She smiled


    lovingly and waved to Eden, "Eden,e here. Let me have a look at you."


    Eden remained frozen behind Irene. He was still a little afraid of Margaret. Irene held Eden''s hand and


    said, "Eden, don''t be afraid. She''s sick and needs someone tofort her. Eden, go to her tofort


    her, okay?"


    With Irene''s encouragement, Eden walked out from behind her. Irene led him to the bed and put his


    little hands in Margaret''s. Margaret held them tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks, "I''m sorry! I''ve


    wronged both of you! I''ve made you suffer so much..."


    Margaret sobbed. Irene felt sad as she looked at Margaret. Margaret was not a bad person, for she


    was only a woman with a more vicious mouth, but she had been manipted by other people. She


    reached out to wipe Margaret''s tears. Margaret reached out to hug Irene, bursting into hysterical sobs.


    There was regret and bitterness in her cries. Irene could not help but shed tears too. Eden saw her


    mother and Margaret hugging each other and crying. He stood on his tiptoes and stretched his little


    hands out to wipe off his mother''s tears. After that, he helped Margaret to wipe hers too. Seeing how


    caring her grandson was, Margaret cried even more. .


    Edric stood at the door and watched the scene, wanting to cry as well. He walked in


    and gently separated Margaret and Irene, "Mom, don''t be sad. You haven''t fully recovered. Irene still


    has a child. It''s not good for everyone for you to cry like this."


    Margaret held back her tears and said, "Yes, it''s my fault. We shouldn''t cry anymore! We should smile


    andugh. It''s those b*tches that have hurt us who should cry!"


    Irene nodded. Edric took out a handkerchief to wipe Irene''s tears, but Irene ignored him, pushing


    Edric''s hand away. When Margaret saw her gesture, she felt terrible in her heart. Both of them had


    once been so loving but she was part of the reason they had be like that. If she had not believed


    Marie and Lily, those two lovers would never have been separated. She silently vowed that she would


    do her best for her son, Edric to obtain Irene''s understanding, and allow him to have a happy life with


    his family of four forever.


    After staying at the ward for some time, Irene and Eden bid them farewell. Edric had wanted to send


    them back in person, but the timing was not right. Marie had not been dealt with yet. He had to settle


    Marie first.


    Seeing that Edric was having a hard time parting with Irene and Eden, Margaret felt bad, "Edric, you


    should get rid of those b*tches as soon as possible. After you get rid of them, you''ll have time to


    apany Irene and Eden."


    Edric nodded, "I''m dealing with them right now. Don''t worry, none of them will be able to escape."


    Then, he told Margaret about Loraine being blinded and having a falling out with her son. Margaret was


    frustrated upon hearing the news, "I''ll let this b*tch die a miserable death."


    Edric sneered, "Don''t worry, there will be a good show soon. Deborah has already shifted her focus to


    Tommy. With Deborah''s vicious personality, Tommy''s doomsday should not be too far away. We''ll be


    able to enjoy the show soon."


    "What about Marie, that b*tch? How are you going to deal with her?" Margaret saw that Loraine was no


    longer in the equation, so she was concerned about Marie.


    "Don''t worry, the people that are supposed to deal with Marie are already in ce. She has no time to


    care about other things now."


    "What about Lily? That b*tch is also very vicious. What are you going to do with her?"


    "The heavens will punish Lily." Edric smiled mysteriously, "Mom, what you need to do now is to


    concentrate on getting better. As long as you are safe and healthy, everything else can be taken care of


    Edric said that the person who would deal with Marie was no joke. It was Deborah''s cousin, Simon.


    After Edric had gone to meet him that day, Simon had thought about it for several days and finally


    decided to cooperate with Edric. He told Edric everything about that year.


    That year, Myra had asked Steven to go to Cat Alley to pass Marie money, but Marie was not grateful.


    She secretly thought about asking Steven and Deborah to sleep together to disgust Myra.


    How could she know that she had made a mistake when she was scheming against Deborah? She had


    identally drank the tea that she had prepared for Deborah and thus the two people that had slept


    together that night had been Marie and Steven, instead of Deborah.


    After Marie and Steven had done the deed, Deborah saw the bloodstains on the sheet and thought that


    she was as beautiful as Myra. She was also jealous that Myra was able to find such a talented and


    good-looking man.


    Marie took her to see Steven. She casted countless flirtatious nces at Steven, hoping that he would


    be interested in her, but Steven only turned a blind eye to her.


    Deborah did not feel too good about herself after that. She knew she would never be good enough for


    Steven since she had slept with other men in the past. Moreover, the bloodstains left on the bed that


    night were Marie''s and not hers, hence she ordered Simon to take Marie away, and she went to lie on


    Steven''s bed instead.


    When Steven woke up and saw Deborah lying with him on the bed, he was shocked. Seeing the


    bloodstains left by Marie on the bed, he thought that they had been left by Deborah. Although he


    regarded Deborah as a virgin, Steven was not moved.


    He loved Myra, and other women meant nothing to him. He was afraid that Myra would find out about it


    but Deborah took the initiative to reassure him that she would keep it as a secret.


    Simon had a crush on Marie. He did not leave after taking Marie away from Steven''s room, but instead


    had stayed at Marie''s house.


    Of course, Simon would not give up such a good opportunity, so he took off his clothes and was ready


    to do the deed with Marie, but he did not expect Marie to wake up so soon.


    Seeing Simon lying naked in bed with her, Marie immediately jumped out of bed. She felt sore and pain


    all over her body since she had just finished doing it with Steven. When she saw Simon with her, she


    had mistakenly thought that she had an affair with Simon, so she hit and scolded him.


    Simon knew that she had misunderstood him and he took this as an opportunity to ckmail her by


    admitting that they had slept together. As a result, Marie had to give in to him and slept with him


    several times after being threatened.


    What happenedter was that Marie and Deborah had both gotten pregnant. Marie was not going to


    keep the child, but Simon had heard about it and stopped her in the hospital. Marie was not in good


    health, but still she had been forced to keep the child.


    Marie did not want to give birth to the child, as it was conceived not out of love and she hated it. After


    giving birth to the child, she asked Simon to secretly swap Deborah''s child with hers and then she


    asked him again to send Deborah''s child away.


    However, Deborah had discovered him just as he was holding Marie''s child to swap the children out.


    Deborah was furious and fiercely threatened Simon, telling him to keep quiet and to bring Marie''s child


    back to her.


    Simon dared not to ignore Deborah''s words. At that time, Deborah was intertwined with many


    gangsters in the Cat Alley. She was the boss of them.


    Naturally, Simon was afraid of Deborah. He could survive in Cat Alley only because of her. If he had not


    had Deborah''s help, he would be nothing. So, he had to follow Deborah''s orders and he took Marie''s


    daughter back.


    Marie mistakenly thought that the child that Simon brought back was Deborah''s child. She did not even


    give it a nce and asked Simon to take the child away. Simon followed her instructions and sent the


    child to the orphanage.


    Of course, Simon had sent the child away obediently because he had observed Marie''s child carefully.


    The child looked nothing like him, and their blood types were different. He figured that since Marie and


    Steven had s*x with each other before that, and she got pregnant at the same time as Deborah, he was


    sure that the child had to be Steven''s.


    Although he had sent the child away, Simon still felt ufortable in his heart. Wasn''t Marie being too


    vicious? He pitied the child, so he secretly took Marie''s jade pendant and put it around the child''s neck


    who had been sent away.


    Not long after that, Simon was arrested and put into prison due to a crime, so he naturally knew nothing


    about Marie''s and Deborah''s affairs.


    Listening to Simon''s words, Edric was very surprised. So, Rowane might be the daughter of Steven


    and Marie. He also understood why Marie had spared no efforts in helping Lily. She must have


    regarded Lily as her daughter, and treated Rowane, her actual daughter, as Deborah''s daughter.


    With Marie''s ruthlessness, she would never let Rowane live on and ruin her ns. Edric suddenly


    realized something horrible. Rowane''s sudden disappearance was not due to her wanting to avoid


    something, but could instead be that the vicious Marie had already used another method to take care of


    her.

 Chapter 226 Beating Her at Her Own Game (2)

    Chapter 226 Beating Her at Her Own Game (2)


    Edric did not sympathize with Rowane. He had been good to Rowane but Rowane had repaid him by


    working with Marie and harming him. If it weren''t for them using the fake sperm to trick him in the past,


    Lily would be pregnant with his own child now. By then, there would be no chance of him and Irene


    getting back together. Death was simply too easy for Rowane, in Edric''s eyes.


    Edric was now worried about Marie. Since she was so vicious, she must have done something else


    that no one knew. Moreover, with her vicious nature, if she could not achieve her goal, she would kill


    others. Would Ma, Jordan''s father, who was with her day and night, be in danger?


    Edric thought for a moment and then asked Jordan to persuade Ma to leave Marie. The reason he


    wanted Ma to leave was so because he was nning something and with Ma in the way, it


    would be hard for Edric to execute his ns.


    After hearing Edric''s words, Jordan was also very surprised. So, he went to find Ma and told


    Ma what bad deeds Marie had done.


    Ma gritted his teeth, and tried to suppress his anger. Back then, he and Marie  lived together not


    because of their rtionship, but because Marie was Myra''s only younger sister. .


    Now hearing that Myra had been killed by Marie and Deborah, Ma was full of rage, wanting to


    strangle Marie.


    Jordan stopped him, "Edric has already found a way to deal with her. What you have to do now is to


    leave her immediately. Marie has been eyeing you. Staying with you for all these years was all part of


    her n. She lives a nice life being around you. You can''t let her continue to live so happily, can you?"


    "I haven''t had any rtionship with her during these past few years. If I leave, will I even be of any


    threat to her at all?" Ma did not understand.


    "You don''t understand the situation. Marie''s heart is extremely twisted. Although your heart has not


    been with her for all these years, it is a different situation for her. She thinks that being with you every


    morning and every night is the biggest revenge she can take on Myra. So, you can''t let her live with


    satisfaction!"


    Jordan exined, "You not only have to leave her, but also must act affectionate with my mother.


    Marie, this b*tch, had killed Myra because you had loved her. Now if she sees you change your mind


    and get along well with my mother, she''ll be driven up the wall."


    Ma finally understood what his son was trying to say, "Okay, I''ll leave right away!"


    "No, don''t leave now. Leave only when my motheres to pick you up. You must make that b*tch so


    angry that she can''t even sleep!"


    Jordan kept his word. He immediately called his mother, Lydia Klein, to pick Ma up. Lydia had long


    broken her ties with Ma and she refused to go after receiving her son''s call.


    Jordan told his mother about Marie''s viciousness, and his suspicions about the case. After Myra''s


    death due to the ident, all the me had been thrown onto Lydia, and it was said that Lydia had


    hated Myra so much that she had led Myra to her death.


    As the rtionship between Ma and Lydia had be irreconcble, Jordan began to suspect


    that the rumor about Myra meeting with Lydia and how that had led to Myra''s death had been spread


    by Marie, and her goal had been to drive a wedge between his father and mother.


    Listening to her son''s words, Lydia fell silent and agreed with him. She could not let Marie live


    Lydia and Jordan soon arrived at Ma and Marie''s house. She knocked on the door and Marie


    opened it. Seeing Lydia looking youthful and healthy, Marie felt distaste in her heart.


    She sneered in her heart and thought to herself, "What can Lydia do even even if shees to find


    him? Myra''s death has been engraved deeply in Ma''s heart, and he''ll never forgive Lydia for the


    rest of his life."


    After politely greeting Lydia, Marie led her into the house. She went into Ma''s room and called out


    for him. When Ma opened his door and saw Lydia there, he did not react as Marie had expected,


    which was to give her the cold shoulder. Instead, he looked on the brink of losing control of his


    emotions.


    "W-why are you here?"


    "You haven''te home because you''ve been holding a grudge all these years. It''s time for you to go


    home. I''ll take you home!" Lydia answered.


    The next scene made Marie feel as if her heart would break into millions of pieces. Ma actually


    extended his hand towards Lydia, and their hands met. Seeing the two of them looking at each other


    with deep affection while holding hands, Marie felt like she was about to explode.


    Didn''t Ma not like Lydia anymore? What was going on?


    "Lydia, you''ve suffered for all these years! I''ve let you down!" Ma''s words were filled with affection.


    Marie almost screamed. It should not turn out like this! How could it be?


    Jordan, who was standing aside, looked at Marie coldly, "My father and mother haven''t seen each


    other for many years and they have a lot to say to each other. Why are you still here? Don''t you think


    it''s appropriate?"


    Obviously, he wanted her gone. Marie was so angry that she said, "Why should I leave? This is my


    house."


    "Dr. Walker, you must be mistaken!" Jordan sneered, "My father bought this house with his own money.


    It has nothing to do with you, does it?"


    "I..." Marie''s face flushed red. The house was indeed Ma''s, and she had no right to it. With a


    pleading look, she turned her gaze towards Ma. However, he did not even spare her a nce from


    the corner of his eyes. He continued to talk to Lydia as they walked to the carving room.


    "Do you want me to throw you out? Or will you see yourself out?" Jordan asked her coldly.


    Marie was driven out by Jordan with a downcast look. When she went downstairs, she was greeted by


    the Reed family''s driver. The man spat on the ground upon seeing her, "Shameless b*tch! There are


    plenty of men for you to seduce out there, so why are you bothering the Mr. Reed?"


    Marie was about to argue with the driver, but when she saw someoneing, she suppressed her


    anger. She had lived at the house for so many years and people thought she and Ma were


    legitimate husband and wife. If she made a scene now, she would lose face.


    Marie suppressed her hatred and went outside to find a hotel to stay in. The whole night, her heart felt


    uneasy. Wasn''t Ma disgusted with Lydia? What was the reason behind his sudden change of


    attitude towards her?


    She had seen Ma and Lydia''s loving look at each other before she had left. They were most likely


    to do the deed at night. She recalled the fact that she had not even touched Ma''s hand during all


    these years, and she became upset. She did not get even an inkling of sleep that night.


    When dawn came, she hurried back to the house where she and Ma lived. To her dismay, she saw


    someone moving things out from the house. At first nce, this person looked arrogant. When he saw


    Marie, he asked, "Who are you?"


    "I''m the owner of this house," Marie replied.


    "You''re the owner? So, you''re that shameless b*tch?" The man scolded her furiously, "Isn''t this Mr.


    Reed''s house? Since when do you, a filthy woman, have the rights to it?"


    "Why are you swearing at me?"


    "Oh, swearing at you is considered nothing already! You b*tch, you''re already so old, but you still dare


    tomit such heinous acts like a sl*t?" the man raised his voice upon seeing there were people


    around him.


    A crowd began to gather around Marie and the man. The man started bringing up how Marie had


    shamelessly seduced a married man. Marie was a famous doctor, so the crowd began to make a fuss.


    Marie was usually eloquent, but she was now at a loss of words upon meeting her rival. She could not


    even get a word in, before the man started bbering on. The man excitedly told the crowd about how


    she had used shameless tactics to seduce someone else''s husband.


    He also asked someone to throw Marie''s things out. Marie was furious to the point of fainting, but she


    had to leave the ce as the crowd was growingrger. She tried to call Ma but the call told her


    that he had turned his phone off.


    Marie continued to call Ma. More than ten hourster, she finally got through. Ma coldly asked


    her what she wanted from him.


    Marie was shocked by Ma''s tone. She patiently exined the matter of her being kicked out of the


    house but Ma interrupted her before she could finish her words, "I own that house. Is it wrong for


    me to take back my own house now?"


    Ma''s words caused Marie to be taken aback. After a while, she opened her mouth and said, "You


    should at least inform me in advance? How could you just throw away all of my things without telling


    me..."


    "Inform you? What is there to inform? I took you in because I pitied you and wanted to annoy my wife


    who I had a fight with! Don''t tell me you didn''t know that even after all these years?" Ma retorted.


    "What did you say? You took me in to annoy your wife? Didn''t you love my sister? Didn''t youe to


    the San Fetillo for her?" Marie shouted, unable to control herself anymore.


    "I used to really love your sister, but after she got married, I have stopped having those intentions. You


    have also seen my wife. She is so gentle, virtuous, noble and elegant. No man would dislike such a


    woman. Back then, I had moved out because I held a grudge against her. Now that my wife hase


    to apologize to me sincerely, there''s no need for me to hold any grudges against her anymore.


    Naturally, I''ll head home with my wife," Ma spoke slowly and sharply. Marie hated him to the


    extreme.


    "You ungrateful thing, how can you treat my sister like this!" she screamed. She made it sound as if she


    was fighting for Myra, but really, it was all for herself.


    "Marie, you''re being way too fake, aren''t you? Stop trying to act like you''re fighting for Myra''s justice!


    You should ask yourself if you''re really doing that. I''m telling you, I know your intentions. With your look


    and personality, you don''t even deserve to serve my wife!"


    "You! Ma Reed, how could you say that to me?"


    "Am I wrong? Marie, let me warn you, don''t go too far. I owe you nothing. Even if I had used you to


    make my wife angry, isn''t it enough for me to let you live in my house for so many years without paying


    rent?"


    Ma had always acted otherworldly. He had never mentioned money in front of Marie, which was


    why she felt that it was weird when he mentioned about rent. She thought that she had heard him


    wrong.


    "My wife and I are now back together. I hope that in the future, you won''t ever call and harass me ever


    again. Although we have never had any rtions before, I don''t want to make my wife feel


    ufortable." After saying those words, Ma hung up.


    Marie was going crazy. Ma''s words were too hurtful. Had she hated the wrong person all these


    years? However, when she thought about it, she felt that something was wrong. If Ma did not have


    feelings for Myra, then why would he have a carving of Myra?


    What was the reason behind his sudden change? Marie racked her brains for an answer, but failed to


    think of anything. She had to spend the night at another hotel since she had nowhere to return to but


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    staying at hotels would not be ideal. She had to buy herself a new house and she had to do it fast. She


    had saved up a considerable amount of money during all her years spent living with Ma. Buying a


    house would be no trouble to her at all.


    However, when she was reminded of the fact that Ma had left her behind and returned to Lydia''s


    side, she became frustrated. She had spent half of her lifetime with Ma! She would not give up on


    him without a fight. She had to get him back.

 Chapter 227 Beating Her at Her Own Game (3)

    Chapter 227 Beating Her at Her Own Game (3)


    The next morning, Marie went to the hospital. As soon as she entered, she ran into Tommy. After going


    back, Tommy''s anger had been building up at the thought of how his mother had drugged Cecilia. The


    more he thought about it, the more ufortable he felt. He had not dared to tell Cecilia that his


    mother was the one who had caused her miscarriage. With no one to talk to, he had no choice but to


    go to his friend, Sam, toin.


    Tommy did not tell Sam the full truth either. He did not dare to mention that his biological mother was


    Loraine, or that she worked as a nanny for Edric. He just briefly said that his mother had objected to


    him and Rosa being together. Additionally, when he did not listen, his mother had drugged Rosa and


    caused her to have a miscarriage andrge blood loss. He even told Sam that his mother had told the


    doctor not to tell him the real reason behind the miscarriage because she did not want him to find out. If


    Tommy had not overheard that discussion the other day, he would never have known.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Could it be a misunderstanding? How could your mother harm your child?" Sam had a look of disbelief


    on his face, "Could it be that she had been aggravated by someone else?"


    "She did it. She has already admitted it," Tommy shook his head, "Who would provoke her anyway?"


    "It''s hard to say. Maybe your mother hadined about it to her friend, and that friend gave her that


    idea," Sam asked tentatively, "Is your mother close to that doctor?"


    "They''re pretty close!" Tommy replied.


    "Do you think it''s possible that the doctor was the one who had put the idea into your mother''s head?


    Haven''t you always praised your mother for treating you so well? I mean, who would harm their own


    kin? Although you''re quite old, you have no other children  No matter how cruel your mother is, there''s


    no way she would want to kill off her own grandchild. However, a doctor is different. They''ve seen too


    much of life and death so they''re numb to it."


    Tommy felt like Sam''s words made sense. Naturally, he knew a little bit about the affairs between his


    mother, Marie and Deborah. Marie was a horrid woman. Margaret had treated her so well yet she had


    the audacity to harm Edric. Why wouldn''t she do the same to Tommy? It was very possible that his


    mother did indeed discuss this matter with Marie, and Marie had given her the idea.


    Sam continued adding fuel to the fire as he spoke. The more Tommy thought about it, the more he felt


    like it must be so. It must have been Marie who had incited this n.


    Sam decided to give him a suggestion. He told Tommy that doctors earned a pretty high sry. Since


    he had already fallen to this point, he should at least go get somepensation back from that doctor


    to recover his losses.


    Tommy had been very short of moneytely. Upon hearing Sam''s suggestion, his eyes lit up. From


    what he knew, Marie was just a doctor, and she had no powerful figure backing her up so he had


    nothing to worry about. Once he set his mind to it, he went to visit the hospital. When he saw Marie


    "What are you doing here?" Marie frowned when she saw Tommy.


    "What am I doing? Aren''t you ashamed to ask me why? Let me ask you, were you the one who


    provoked my mother to give my wife a n B pill?"


    "What nonsense are you on about?" Marie reached out and shoved Tommy away.


    "Nonsense? You shameless old b*tch. People be doctors to save lives, but you have be a


    doctor to murder people. My wife almost died because of you. I''m warning you, I''m not going to let this


    slide!" Tommy grabbed Marie by her cor.


    "Let go of me! Let''s talk about this calmly!" Marie started to panic. She could not let anyone else know


    about her collusion with Loraine. So, she softened her tone, "Let''s talk over there."


    Seeing that she had lowered her voice, Tommy thought that she was feeling guilty. He hade to her


    for money anyways so he followed her to a quiet corner, "How are you going to solve this problem?"


    "I''m telling you, I didn''t harm your wife. I yed no part in that," Marie tried to persuade him.


    "You yed no part in that? Do you think that I''m just a three-year-old?" Tommy''s voice suddenly rose.


    "Keep your voice down. That really has nothing to do with me. That day, your mother hade to me


    and asked me to help conceal it."


    "Save it. My mother is nowhere near as vicious as you. You hurt Margaret and Edric, and you''re evil


    right down to your bones. It must have been you who had incited my mother!" Tommy refused to listen


    to her exnations, "My wife is in this state now and my child is gone You''d better f*ckingpensate


    me! If you don''t, then I''ll spread the word and let everyone know what a piece of sh*t you are!"


    Marie understood that Tommy was trying to ckmail her. She felt hatred in her heart and thought,


    "How did that b*tch Loraine raise such an a*shole?"


    However she did not dare to offend him. As the saying went, a man who had nothing, feared nothing.


    Tommy was a gangster now, and he had nothing to his name so he had nothing to lose. Meanwhile,


    she was a renowned doctor. If this matter blew up, she would not benefit from it. Or worse yet, if


    Tommy brought up the matters about her and Loraine, and word of it got to Edric, she would be


    doomed.


    Marie held back her anger and asked Tommy how much he wanted. He stretched out two fingers, "Two


    hundred thousand dors?" Marie asked tentatively.


    Tommy had originally just nned to get twenty thousand dors from her. Unexpectedly, she offered


    him way more. He nodded immediately. Marie lowered her voice and said, "I don''t have so much


    money on me now. I will call you when I have gathered enough money."


    Tommy left the hospital after Marie''s promise. Marie was really upset. She was on a spout of bad luck


    recently. First, Malcolm had left her and got back together with his wife. He had even kicked her out so


    now she was basically homeless. Then, Tommy came to ckmail her. How much worse could things


    get?


    "No, I can''t just let him walk all over me. Tommy is just some loser. How can I let him threaten me?


    Plus, if there''s a first time, there''ll be a second time. He mighte back for more money again. If he


    starts to cling on to me, then what do I do? I have to think of a way to get rid of him permanently," she


    thought to herself.


    After work, Marie paid a visit to where Logan stayed. Logan and Deborah were both surprised that she


    hade over at that hour, "Why are you here? Is there something wrong with Lily?"


    "Lily is fine. I''m the one who''s in trouble," Marie told Deborah about Tommy''s threat to her. When


    Deborah heard that Tommy was threatening Marie, and that he was dating Rosa, she felt like


    something was wrong. After all, the two of them were aunt and nephew, so how could they be a


    couple? Something was amiss.


    Loranie would never let her own son get together with his aunt. Rosa''s child might not even have been


    Tommy''s. Perhaps they were faking the entire thing to scam Marie out of some money. Be it they were


    dating or were rtives, it was a huge threat to her either way.


    After the incident, she was even more sure that the unknown people who had sent the letter must have


    been Tommy and Rosa. With two such threatening presence around, how could she be at ease?


    Deborah furrowed her brows as a wicked gaze surfaced in her eyes, "We can''t let him live. If this


    continues, it''ll end badly for us. We must find a way to get rid of him!"


    "That''s what I thought too, so I''m here to discuss with you about what to do," Marie agreed with


    Deborah''s proposal.


    "I have a way. Isn''t he asking for money? Let''s use that against him. We''ll entrap him by inviting him out


    under the guise of giving him money. Then, we''ll bury him six feet under without anyone ever knowing!"


    Deborah sneered.


    Deborah, Marie and Logan chatted away about how to finish Tommy off. Meanwhile, Tommy was


    Marie bought a disposable SIM card to call Tommy and she invited him out to discuss the money.


    Gleefully, Tommy headed to the agreed spot. On his way over, he felt like the money was too easy to


    attain. Next time, he had to find another chance to ckmail Marie again so that he could obtain more


    money to spend.


    When he arrived at the appointed ce, Tommy impatiently asked Marie to hand him the money. Marie


    pretended to talk to him while leading him to a secluded ce. Logan, who had been waiting for him,


    suddenly rushed out and gave Tommy a heavy blow to knock him out. Then, they took him into a


    rundown house in the suburbs that had been abandoned for a long time. At the same time, Deborah


    used Tommy''s phone to send a message to Rosa. She told Rosa to meet Tommy in the park and that


    he had a surprise for her.


    Tommy had always been pretty romantic when it came to Rosa. He often sent her flowers and had


    even nned fireworks for her before. Naturally, Rosa just assumed that Tommy had prepared another


    romantic event for her so she headed to the location stated in the text.


    There was no one around and she felt a chill down her back. However, love was much more powerful


    than fear. Although she was afraid, she kept going. Marie and the others were lurking in the shadows.


    As soon as they saw her, they knocked her unconscious and brought her to the suburbs as well.


    Tommy woke up when he felt a cold bucket of water wash over his head. No one liked having their


    entire body soaked after all. So, as soon as he woke up, he cursed, "You dare to pour water over me?


    Are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    A sharpughter rang in his ear, "Kid, I''ll send you to hell right now. I''ll let you have a taste of your own


    medicine!"


    The voice was so familiar. Tommy looked over and saw Deborah. However, she did not look like the


    elegant wife of a politician anymore. There were a few scars on her face and she was dressed inly.


    There was also a limp in her leg as she walked.


    Tommy tried to stand up when he saw her, only to find that he was tied up and was unable to move at


    all. He looked at Deborah warily, "What are you trying to do to me?"


    "What do you think I want to do to you?" Deborah smiled sinisterly at him, "Don''t you feel uneasy when


    you see me like this?"


    "How did you be like this?" Tommy asked.


    "Aren''t you ashamed to ask me how I became like this? Isn''t this all because of you?" Deborah stared


    at Tommy fiercely and said, "You little b*stard, how dare you send an anonymous letter to threaten me?


    It''s your fault that I''ve be like this. I will stop at nothing to skin you alive today."


    Seeing the fierce look in her eyes, Tommy immediately changed his tone, "I didn''t do it. Madam


    Deborah, you''ve misunderstood the situation!"


    "We''ll find out soon enough if it was a misunderstanding," Deborah sneered. "That b*tch, Rosa, will be


    brought here soon. I''ll see how you will deny it then."


    "Who is Rosa?"


    "You don''t know who Rosa is? Then, I''m sure you know who Cecilia is right?" Deborahughed, "Do


    you dare deny that she was the one who asked you to plot against me?"


    "Why did you bring her here? She has nothing to do with this matter," Tommy''s feelings for Rosa were


    sincere. Looking at the ruthless look on Deborah''s face, he started to get anxious.


    "We''ll find out whether she was involved in the matter or not. Don''t worry!" Deborah was ying with a


    fruit knife in her hand, staring at Tommy coldly. In the past, Tommy and Deborah had often seen each


    other. Back then, Deborah had been the wife of a politician. She always had a gentle smile on her face


    and spoke softly. She had looked ssy and elegant. However, the current Deborah had a face full of


    rage, her gaze piercing and the scars on her face exemplified how scary she looked.


    Tommy felt chills run down his spine under her gaze. Suddenly, the sound of a car outside could be


    heard. Soon, Logan came in, dragging Rosa behind him. Marie also followed closely behind.

 Chapter 228 Dealing The Blow

    Chapter 228 Dealing The Blow


    Seeing Logan dragging Rosa in by her leg while she was unconscious, Tommy started to panic. "You


    can''t treat her like this. She has just gone through a miscarriage! She''s very weak and can''t stand so


    much stress!"


    "Wow, you''re more affectionate than I thought," Marie sneered and walked over. Then she kicked him


    hard on the head, "B*stard, let''s see if you still dare to threaten me!"


    "Affectionate? Hahaha please!" Deborahughed, "Do you really believe that this b*stard loves that


    b*tch? They are lying to you. The child in her belly was definitely not his! They''re just putting on an act


    to scam you."


    "Nonsense. The baby in her belly is mine!" Tommy retorted. There was no way Rosa had been with


    another man while she was with him. Besides, they were so in love. How could she lie to him?


    "Why don''t we wake this sl*t up and ask her?" Deborah sneered and poured a bucket of water on


    Rosa. Rosa quickly woke up from the cold.


    "Sugar? What are you guys doing?" Although Deborah''s face was full of scars, Rosa was still able to


    recognize her at a nce.


    "There are a lot of things we want to do. Right now what I want to know is, were you the snitch that told


    this b*stard about what happenedst time? Were you the one who instigated him to write me that


    anonymous threat letter? Also, was the child in your belly really his?" Deborah pointed to Tommy, who


    was tied up next to her, and asked.


    "Why did you tie him up? Let go of him!" Rosa just only realized that Tommy was tied up at the side.


    Rosa knew how brutal Sugar used to be. It could not be a good sign that they were now in her hands.


    Rosa started to feel distressed, "Sugar, take me instead. Let Tommy go!"


    "Answer my question!" Deborah pped Rosa in the face.


    "I was the one who wrote the anonymous letter, it has nothing to do with Tommy!" Rosa took all the


    me upon herself in hopes that Deborah would be willing to let Tommy go. Of course, she had no


    idea that Deborah had no intention of letting her out of here alive. Rosa thought that they were just


    nning to torture her a little.


    "I knew it was you, you b*tch!" Deborah pped her again, "You evil b*tch, I have no grudges against


    you. Why are you doing this to me?"


    It was all because of Rosa that Steven had broken her legs. She even got sent to a mental asylum. If


    Marie hadn''t rescued her, she would have been in there forever. When she thought back to her days in


    the asylum, and herme legs, Deborah was filled with hatred.


    As Deborah''s ps started getting harsher, Tommy''s heart ached on the sidelines, "I wrote the


    anonymous letter. Deborah, take it out on me instead. Don''t hurt Rosa!"


    "You b*stard, you''re trying to be a hero, huh? I''ll grant your wishter, don''t worry," Deborah was tired


    from the ps and she sat down, panting. At the sight of Rosa''s unrecognizable swollen face, Tommy


    felt deeply hurt, "Rosa, it''s all my fault. I''m sorry!"


    "I''m the one who brought you into this. Tommy, I shouldn''t have told you those things," Rosa also


    regretted what she had done.


    "Wow, look at the two lovebirds. Do you think we''re shooting a romance film?" Marieughed


    sarcastically.


    "Are you guys really sleeping with each other?" Deborah looked at Rosa and Tommy in disbelief. All


    this while, she was under the assumption that they were putting on an act to scam her.


    "We aren''t just sleeping together. We are lovers, and we love each other!" Tommy corrected her.


    "Ha, ha, ha!" Deborah burst outughing into tears. It took her a while to stopughing. She pointed at


    Tommy and Rosa while asking Marie, "Oh my God! It''s incredible! It''s way too incredible! Marie, do you


    know what rtionship this b*stard has with this b*tch?"


    "Aren''t they sleeping together?" Marie was not as clear as Deborah about what was going on.


    Deborah''s expression made it seem like there was something more to the story.


    "If that''s true, does your mom know about you two?"


    "Of course!" Tommy answered.


    "She knows yet she approves of you two together?" Deborah''s widened eyes were full of disbelief.


    Marie, who was watching from the side, was confused, "What nonsense are you going on about? Let''s


    hurry up and get down to business."


    "No, I''m telling you, her full name is Rosa Skinner. She''s Loraine''s sister-inw. Do you know


    that Tommy is Rosa''s nephew? They''ve slept together and even had a child together. How could


    Loraine let her sonmit incest with his aunt? Oh, my God!"


    "Incest?" Marie stared at Rosa and Tommy with her eyes wide open in surprise.


    "Nonsense!" Rosa and Tommy exchanged a look and shouted at the same time.


    "Nonsense? Is Loraine your former sister-inw?" Deborah asked Rosa, and she nodded. Then, she


    asked Tommy, "Is Loraine your birth mother?"


    Tommy nodded. Deborah sneered, pointed to Tommy and said to Rosa, "This is the son that Loraine


    took away from your brother all those years ago. Do you understand the situation now?"


    "Impossible!" Rosa''s face was full of horror. To her disbelief, she had fallen in love with her own


    nephew. She could not believe it at all, "Sugar, you''re lying!"


    "She''s not lying. I finally understand why Loraine wanted her to have a miscarriage now. She must


    have known about it and realized the child was a product of incest!" Marie was starting to catch on as


    well.


    Tommy and Rosa looked at each other in utter shock. Marie looked at the time and said, "Alright,


    enough bbering now. Let''s get this over with!"


    Deborah nodded, picked up a stick, and pressed it against Tommy, "B*stard, it''s all because of you that


    I''ve be like this. I''m the type of person to hold a grudge. I''m making things even between us


    today."


    "What are you going to do to me?"


    "An eye for an eye right? Or I guess in this case, a leg for a leg!" As soon as she finished her sentence,


    she swung down hard with her stick. The next thing that could be heard was an ear-splitting scream.


    Logan rushed in and asked, "What on earth are you guys up to? You''re causing a hugemotion."


    As he spoke, he grabbed a piece of rag and stuffed it into Tommy''s mouth, but Deborah sneered, "It''s


    so remote here, and no one will hear us at such ate hour."


    As she spoke, she beat Tommy''s legs repeatedly, without mercy. Tommy''s mouth was gagged, and he


    could not make a sound. Beads of sweat kept dripping down from his forehead, and his expression no


    longer resembled that of a human being.


    Rosa recovered from the shock. When she saw what Deborah was doing to Tommy, she had the


    sudden realization that this was not just a simple payback, but that their lives were actually in danger.


    So, she shouted for help. As soon as she did, Logan quickly found something else to stuff her mouth


    and turned around. When Rosa saw Logan''s face, she was shocked, "It''s you?"


    "It''s me!" Before she could answer, Logan stuffed her mouth shut. She red at him with fire burning in


    her eyes. He was the man who took away her innocence! She was the one who had kept all his crimes


    a secret, but now here he was repaying her kindness with betrayal.


    Rosa hated him so much, but it was toote now!


    Tommy''s legs were broken and he was on the brink of death. Marie stepped forward and kicked him.


    She turned to Deborah and said, "There''s not much time left. Let''s pour the gasoline!"


    Logan took out a barrel of gasoline and poured it all over Tommy and Rosa. Then, he lit the lighter and


    went out. The fire spread throughout the room at once.


    Rosa and Tommy struggled hard but they soon fell to the ground motionless. The fire spread


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    throughout the abandoned house, and soon the house was enveloped in a sea of fire.


    "This shabby house has been abandoned for many years. No one will notice even if it burns down all of


    a sudden. Even if someone notices, no one will clean the debris up. We''ve finally tied up all the loose


    ends," Marie looked at the fire and sneered.


    "Yes, I''ve finally vented my anger by getting rid of those two ruts!" Deborah got in the car and said,


    "Let''s go!"


    Deborah and Marie''s every action was observed by Edric''s men. The reason Edric had instigated


    Tommy to go ckmail Marie was to make Marie unnerved. Edric had expected Marie and Deborah to


    act but their ruthlessness went beyond his expectations.


    The two of them had executed a murder. Edric did not feel sympathetic for Tommy''s death at all. After


    all, he needed them to fight amongst each other internally. Unfortunately, Rosa was an innocent


    woman who got caught up in all of this, but he still did not feel very sorry for her. After all, Rosa knew


    that Logan and Deborah had conspired to kill Myra, but she had kept silent. Her death was simply


    karma catching up to her.


    Meanwhile, Loraine, that wicked woman was suffering a lot at the hospital. Now her son had just been


    murdered by Deborah and the rest. Judging from the incident, Deborah would not be going easy on


    Loraine either. Edric could not let Loraine die now, so it seemed like it was time to tell her about


    Margaret waking up .


    If Loraine heard that Margaret was awake, she would definitely be scared out of her wits. She would


    probably try to escape. The next step was for Edric to turn her life upside down. When she was


    Given Loraine''s personality, she would not let it go when she knew that Deborah and Marie were the


    murderers who killed her son. Things would take their own course from there, and all Edric had to do


    was sit back and observe.


    Meanwhile, Joanna had been chased out of the White Mansion by Britney. She had no choice but to


    return to her own home. She used to be so doted upon by Britney so she had mostly stayed with her.


    She rarely returned to her own home.


    Now, she had been kicked out so she had to dejectedly return to her own home. The White family had


    a house like a pce, and there were maids attending to her every need. As long as she kept Britney


    happy, she could spend money as she pleased.


    However, her own family was different. Her father was a good-for-nothing who relied on the family.


    Although they weren''t living in poverty, it was still a huge difference from life in the White Mansion.


    As she had been kicked out from the house, her parents weren''t too happy with her return. Previously,


    when she had been on Britney and Nathan''s good side, her useless father had treated her like


    treasure. Joanne''s position in the family had been no joke. However, now her father was upset with her.


    Even the tone he spoke to her with was rather unfriendly.


    Joanne was now surrounded in a huge chasm all alone. What she was feeling was obvious to anyone.

 Chapter 229 Regret

    Chapter 229 Regret


    However, there was more agony toe. Wasn''t she Jordan''s fianc¨¦e now? She used to regrly go


    over to suck up to Lydia. However, now whenever she went over, the Reed family''s servants would


    always use some reason to send her away.


    Joanne was not stupid. She knew that Lydia did not want to see her. She must know the reason why


    Britney had abandoned her. Joanne felt like she was in danger, Lydia did not like her and Jordan did


    not love her. How was she supposed to marry into the Reed family now?


    Joanne had no idea that Nathan had already spilled all her dirty secrets to Jordan. She used to be a


    good obedient girl in his mind and Nathan really had adored her. Even after he found out she had


    plotted against Irene, he did not tell Jordan about it.


    However, this time, Nathan had enough of Joanne and her schemes. He used to think that Joanne


    deserved a second chance to turn over a new leaf, so he did not want to expose her. However, when


    she had plotted even against Nathan himself, he realized how truly vicious she actually was.


    Nathan realized that he could not keep the matter a secret anymore. Joanne was a wolf in sheep''s


    clothing. There was no point in being kind to a person like that. She would betray anyone the second it


    benefitted her. Nathan did not want to let his good friend Jordan to befall the same fate too. So, he


    decided that he had to tell Jordan ording to his conscience.


    Jordan had already guessed that Joanne was the one who had tricked Nathan into sleeping with


    another woman. So when Nathan told him, Jordan was not surprised in the slightest. However, when


    he heard that Joanne had nned to take Irene''s life, Jordan was furious. That wicked girl. She and


    Marie really were two women as poisonous as scorpions.


    Jordan was a trustworthy person. Since he had already promised to marry Joanne in three years, he


    had no ns of going back on his word.


    However, now that he knew that Joanne was so heartless, Jordan could not stand it anymore. Why


    would he bother keeping his word to a snake?


    No, he had to cancel the marriage between them! Jordan knew that Joanne often went to suck up to


    his mother. He was afraid that Joanne would do something to her, so he quickly told his mother


    everything so that she could be more careful.


    Lydia was inplete disbelief when she heard that Joanne had attempted to hurt Irene and Nathan.


    Joanne was a gentle, caring woman, how could she do such malicious things? Jordan spent hours


    exining everything to her and persuading her. He brought up Marie as a reminder. Finally, Lydia


    agreed to be more wary.


    Indeed, Marie was a beauty, and she was seemingly gentle. Yet behind their backs, everything she had


    ever done was evil. If the Reed family really brought in an evil woman like that, how would there be


    peace in their home?


    She listened to her son and decided to raise her guard around Joanne. She told all the maids to not let


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Joanne in if she came over. After a few rejections, Joanne took the hint. Since Lydia was no longer an


    option for her to find a way in, Joanne had no choice but to wait patiently.


    She knew that Jordan was a man who kept his word. Since he had agreed to marry her in three years,


    as long as she did not break it off first, he would definitely keep his promise. If she just waited for three


    years, he would marry her and grant her wish. After that, only would she think about taking her


    revenge.


    Joanne had no sense of repentance at all, rather she was pushing the me onto everyone else


    around her. The person she detested the most was still Irene. If it were not for Irene, would she be in


    this state?


    Before this, she had thought of exposing the fact that Nathan and Rowane had slept together to Irene.


    Now that she had been kicked out, there was no point in being lowkey about it anymore. So, she told


    Lily about it and hoped that through her, the news would reach Irene.


    Lily was shocked to hear that Nathan had slept together with Rowane. It was indeed a good way to


    provoke Irene. She had to think of a way to get Irene to hear about this so that she would feel hurt.


    Just as Lily was deep in thought, Marie came over to visit her. Ever since Deborah''s disappearance,


    Marie often came to visit tofort her, just like a mother.


    Marie told Lily about what Steven had done to Deborah. Lily had already guessed as much. She heard


    that her father had already announced her mother''s death to the world. So, Deborah had no choice but


    to live life in hiding. Lily was heartbroken. How did things end up like this? Knowing her father''s


    ruthlessness, the fact that Deborah was still alive was a blessing in itself. Lily had epted reality now.


    The most important thing for her was to give birth to her children sessfully. After all, they were all


    she had left.


    As long as she could sessfully give birth, even if she could not obtain Edric''s love, she could at least


    get some financialpensation from him.


    As Marie hade to see her, Lily spilled what Joanne had said to her. Marie was taken aback by the


    fact that Rowane was still alive.


    That d*mned Dunn. He had fooled her with fake pictures. It was a good thing Rowane had lost her


    memory, if not, Marie would be in huge trouble.


    Marie started to feel uneasy. No, she had to settle this. She could not let Rowane live! When she got


    home, she sent a text to Dunn, telling him that Rowane was still alive. She told him to take care of the


    matter properly and quickly. Dunn was surprised by the news as well and affirmed her orders


    immediately.


    Marie told Dunn that Rowane was currently staying with the White family. She told him to think of a way


    to get close to the White family and strike the final blow when he got the chance.


    Although Joanne had been kicked out of the White Mansion, the trouble she had brought onto Nathan


    did not leave with her departure. Nathan''s heart was filled with dismay. How was he supposed to


    exin the incident to Irene?


    Jordan had emphasized that Nathan was not at fault, as he was also a victim in that scenario after all.


    However, Nathan could not ept the reality. Nathan was typically a very resolute man, but when it


    came to this, he kept dragging it on. A long time passed and he still could not figure out what to do.


    One day, Eden gave him a call, "Nathan, you said you woulde visit us. It''s been so long, so why


    haven''t youe?"


    "I''ve run into some trouble, so you''ll have to wait a while," Nathan felt bad for lying to Eden.


    "You have to hurry up. Let me tell you something. Dades to see Mom everyday. If you don''te


    back soon, I''m worried that he''s going to snatch her away," Eden lowered his voice. Although his


    impression of Edric had changed, he still preferred Nathan more.


    "She won''t," Nathan said. However, even he himself did not quite believe his own words. He knew very


    well how much Edric loved Irene. Now, Irene was even pregnant with Edric''s child. Nothing good would


    another woman, would she forgive him? What if she pushed him further away? Should he follow


    Jordan''s advice and not tell her now, butter on?


    Nathan''s heart was jumbled up in a mess. He thought it over and over again and felt like there was no


    solution. Eventually he decided that between husband and wife, they had to be transparent. He had to


    tell Irene the truth. Whether or not she would forgive him was no longer an issue. He could not lie to


    her.


    Nathan hesitated for a long time before calling Irene. Irene''s voice sounded pleasantly surprised,


    "Nathan, how have you beentely?"


    "Good! How are you and the children?"


    "We''re doing very well!"


    "Irene, I have something to tell you," Nathan gritted his teeth. There was no easy way to say it,


    "Something happened recently. I''ve been hesitating whether I should tell you or not."


    "What is it?"


    "I-I slept with another woman," Nathan told Irene about how Joanne had set him up.


    Irene was thoroughly shocked to the point where she did not even know how to express it. After a long


    silence, she said, "I didn''t expect Joanne to be this despicable."


    "I''m sorry!" Nathan apologized.


    Hearing Nathan''s guilt-ridden apology, Irene felt bad. Nathan was a good person, and he should not be


    burdened by something that was out of his control. She tried tofort him in a normal voice, "It''s not


    your fault. I don''t me you."


    Irene held no intention of ming Nathan, but Nathan felt empty in his heart. He would rather prefer


    Irene to scold him and get mad at him. However, Irene''s voice was calm and she continually tried to


    After he ended the call, Nathan dejectedly sat in his chair as his mind drifted away. Irene had forgiven


    him, but why didn''t he feel good about it?


    He had always been afraid of confronting this issue, but now he had no choice. In Irene''s heart, he


    could neverpare to Edric, could he? When Edric had cheated on her before, Irene had just walked


    out on him with no exnation. However, towards Nathan, she was understanding and generous. The


    difference in how she treated them made Nathan feel crestfallen.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Irene stared nkly at themp in front of her after hanging up on the


    call. It wasn''t that she did not feel bothered by the fact that Nathan had slept with another woman, but


    what could she do?


    He was innocent and had been set up against. She could not possibly shout and scream at him, right?


    All she could do was tofort and understand him so that he would feel less burdened.


    It was all fate. It was fate that appeared in their way. Perhaps it was better this way, after all. She had


    always felt like Nathan was too perfect, while she was tainted. Maybe the heavens had made it this


    way so that they could live their lives as equals.


    Irene tried her best to think positively. After this incident, she and Nathan were even now. She


    persuaded herself not to think too much about the issue, but no matter how she tried, her heart still felt


    hollow.


    Nathan originally thought that being upfront would make him feel better. Instead, he felt even worse.


    Nathan furrowed his brows even deeper than before.


    When Rowane saw Nathan''s furrowed eyebrows and how bothered he was everyday, she did not feel


    good either.


    Now that things had gotten to this point, it was no longer appropriate for her to stay with the White


    family. However, she was clueless about her own identity. She did not know any of her rtives and


    she had nowhere else to stay. Where could she go if she left the White family?


    Rowane decided she had to find a job on her own in order to sustain herself. She believed that by


    leaving the White family, the incident that day would slowly be forgotten over time.


    Rowane told Britney that she wanted to look for a job. Seeing how kind and understanding she was,


    Britney grew to like her more and more. She used to care so much about a person''s family background


    and their financial status. However, now she realized that all those things did not mean someone was


    worthy of being her grandchild. Joanne was a prime example, as Britney had taught her all the right


    things since she was a child, yet she still ended up on the wrong side of life.

 Chapter 230 Britney Pleads Irene

    Chapter 230 Britney Pleads Irene


    Rowane was smart and she seemed kind. Unfortunately, her grandson, Nathan only had Irene in his


    heart. If not, Rowane would definitely be a top contender.


    Britney had taken a liking to Rowane, so she told her to not be in such a hurry  and that she would help


    her find a job. After all, the White family ran a huge business. It was child''s y to help her arrange for


    a job. However, Rowane said that the reason she wanted to get a job was so she would not have to


    burden Nathan anymore. She insisted on finding a job on her own, without the White family''s help.


    Britney had no choice but to agree due to Rowane''s insistence. Since Rowane was not familiar with her


    surroundings, Britney had two maids follow her around. Once Rowane was more settled in, then she


    could find a job.


    After receiving Marie''s instructions, Dunn had been lurking around outside the White family''s home.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    When he saw Rowanee out, he secretly tailed her and waited for a chance to strike.


    However, the two maids that Britney had ordered to follow her were so responsible and stuck to her at


    all times so Dunn had no window of opportunity at all. He thought Rowane would eventually be alone,


    and when that happened, he would then take his chance.


    Of course, Rowane had no idea that someone was out to get her. After a few days of searching, it


    seemed like the only job she could get was as a dishwasher in a restaurant.


    However, she had no identification on her, and the restaurant refused to ept someone from an


    unknown background. Rowane felt anxious so she went to ask Britney to see if she could help solve


    the problem.


    When she returned home that evening, Rowane told Britney about the issue. Britney told her


    to not worry, and she would think of a solution. While they were talking, the maid called for them to


    inform them dinner was ready.


    Britney and Rowane headed to the dining hall together. As always, Nathan was nowhere to be seen.


    Ever since the incident, he rarely showed up at home.


    Rowane felt deste as she looked over to Nathan''s empty seat. The food in her mouth had no taste


    at all. The kitchen served up a te of barbecue pork ribs. When Britney saw that she was not eating


    much, she picked up a serving of ribs and put it in Rowane''s te and encouraged her to eat more.


    Rowane thanked Britney and brought the ribs near her mouth. It used to be her favorite dish but now it


    no longer gave her the same feeling. The smell of it made her want to vomit for some reason. Rowane


    knew that it would be rude to do so, so she tried to suppress her disgust. However, she could not hold it


    back.


    Rowane put down her fork, covered her mouth, and rushed into the bathroom. Her actions surprised


    Britney. She looked at Sophia beside her, who also showed a puzzled expression. At that moment, the


    sound of Rowane throwing up came from the bathroom. After a long while, Rowane walked out and


    apologized to Britney. Britney did not me her, "Have you caught a cold? I''ll get the doctor toe


    check on you."


    "No, I don''t feel sick. The smell of ribs just suddenly made me feel nauseous for some reason."


    "Nauseous?" Britney and Sophia exchanged a nce. They were both experienced people. Rowane


    had said that she did not feel ill but yet she had suddenly thrown up. They thought about the fact that


    she had slept with Nathan. Could it be that she was pregnant?


    As they contemted this, Rowane, who was in the middle of drinking some water that was served by


    the maid, stood up abruptly. She ran over to the bathroom again. Seeing this, Britney and Sophia were


    sure that she was definitely pregnant.


    Britney was in no mood to eat. She immediately ordered the driver to prepare the car and take them to


    the hospital. Rowane had no idea why so she refused to follow. She insisted that she was fine, and she


    was just having an upset stomach. However, Britney did not listen to her and forcefully took her to the


    hospital. After the doctor''s examination, it was confirmed that Rowane was indeed pregnant.


    Rowane''s pregnancy came as a pleasant surprise. Nathan was already in his thirties and Britney had


    been looking forward to having grandchildren for so long. Rowane''s pregnancy was great news to her.


    Britney happily brought Rowane home. When she got home, she thanked the heavens for this blessing


    and asked the maids to take extra care of Rowane.


    Looking at the sincere joy on Britney''s face, Rowane felt conflicted. She could tell that Britney really


    prioritized the child in her stomach.


    After all, Britney was not young anymore, so naturally she wanted grandchildren. She would be happy


    no matter who was pregnant with Nathan''s child. Rowane felt like Britney''s joy and care towards her


    only existed because she was pregnant and nothing else.


    If it were another woman who was pregnant with Nathan''s child, she would definitely be ecstatic too.


    Rowane wished that Britney would not just like the baby in her belly, but her, the baby''s mother too.


    Of course, what she hoped for even more than Britney liking her was if the child''s father, Nathan could


    like her because of this matter. Thinking of that, Rowane silently scolded herself for being so


    shameless.


    She knew that Nathan had a fianc¨¦e, and that he only had one woman in his heart. How could she be


    so whimsical as to hope that he would treat her differently? That was wrong of her!


    However, she could not control her feelings when it came to Nathan. Not only did he save her life, he


    had also always been very caring and considerate towards her over this period of time. She had fallen


    deeply in love with him.


    How many women would dream of having such a handsome and capable boyfriend? Rowane''s heart


    had totally been encapsted by this man.


    There was no doubt that she had feelings for Nathan. She was extremely willing to give birth to his


    children. However, Nathan did not love her and he had no feelings for her. She could not be this selfish


    and ruin his happiness in exchange for her own. Rowane felt conflicted, and she did not know what to


    do.


    Meanwhile, Britney was happily chatting away with Sophia. Jodie''s pregnancy was an ident, but it


    was a happy one. Britney excitedly told Sophia that she wanted to tell Nathan about Jodie''s pregnancy.


    However, Sophia had some concerns, "Madam Britney, perhaps you should take it slow."


    "Why?"


    "The Young Master has always liked Miss Nelson. He only slept with Miss Jodie because he had been


    set up. Ever since that incident, he has been drowning in worry. If you tell him about Jodie''s pregnancy,


    won''t it make things worse for him?"


    After being with the White family for so long, Sophia knew Nathan very well, "The Young Master is a


    responsible man, but he is also a fool when ites to love. You''ve seen it yourself. Due to Irene, he


    has only remained engaged to her all these years. I doubt he will be happy if he hears about Jodie''s


    pregnancy. There are only two ways this could end. One, he breaks up with Miss Nelson and marries


    Miss Jodie instead. Two, he wouldn''t want Miss Jodie''s child. Since the Young Master loves Miss


    Nelson so much, I think that he won''t marry Miss Jodie and he''ll most likely go with the second option.


    That wouldn''t be good."


    Britney sighed as Sophia was right. Nathan had waited for Irene for so many years, so how could he


    give up on her? If she told him Jodie was pregnant, he would definitely choose Irene over Jodie.


    However, what about the child in Jodie''s belly? Britney could not bear to get rid of it.


    Sophia could see that Britney was in distress, so she suggested, "How about this, why don''t you tell


    Miss Nelson about the pregnancy first. Try to get her to ept the child. After she epts it, you can


    persuade Miss Jodie to give birth to the child and hand it over to Irene. Lastly, you will tell the Young


    Master. That way, you can keep the child and still let the Young Master marry Miss Nelson."


    "That''s a good idea, but will Irene agree to it? And will Jodie agree to give up her child?" Britney felt like


    it was unlikely, "More importantly, Nathan will never agree to Jodie giving birth to the child who will get


    in the way of him and Irene."


    "Miss Nelson is a mother too. I''m sure she understands how much you want a grandchild so I think


    she''ll agree to your request. As for Jodie, I can tell she likes the Young Master. It shouldn''t be too hard


    to persuade her to give birth to the child. Lastly, the Young Master listens to whatever Irene says. As


    long as you can get her to persuade him, he will definitely keep the child."


    Britney thought for a while but she could note up with anything else. So, she decided to give


    Sophia''s suggestion a go. She gave Irene a call and exined that Nathan had been set up by Joanne.


    She asked Irene not to feel disgusted and to try and forgive Nathan.


    Irene told her to not worry and said that it was not his fault so she would not hold it against him. Seeing


    how understanding she was, Britney decided to bring up Jodie''s pregnancy, "Irene, I have one more


    thing to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "Um...After that night, Jodie got pregnant."


    Irene gasped out loud and went silent for a while. She was no fool, for now she knew why Britney had


    called her. She knew Britney loved grandchildren. Jodie was pregnant with Nathan''s child so she must


    not be able to bear losing the child. She wanted to keep the child so she was calling Irene to see how


    she felt about it.


    Irene did not know what to say. Holding the phone, she just kept silent. When Britney took note of her


    silence, she took the initiative to exin her intentions, "I want Jodie to give birth to the baby."


    Irene knew that she could not keep silent forever, so she asked, "Does Nathan also want that?"


    "No, Nathan still doesn''t know that Jodie is pregnant," Britney sighed, "I just only found out about the


    pregnancy as well. I haven''t told him. Ever since that incident, he hardlyes home. I''m worried if I


    tell him, he''ll insist on not having the baby. That''s why I''m calling you, to see how you feel about it. You


    know that Nathan only listens to you. I was hoping that you could talk to him and persuade him to keep


    the child."


    "Oh," Irene''s mind went nk. Britney continued, "I know I''m going a little overboard with this request,


    but after all it is Nathan''s child, and it''s still a life. I wanted to discuss this issue with you. Jodie will give


    birth to the child, and I will help raise the child up. It won''t have any effect on you or Nathan''s life. What


    do you think?"


    What else could Irene do after Britney had said so much? Her request was not unreasonable. Nathan


    had already reached quite some age yet he had no children of his own. As his mother, how could


    Britney not be anxious about never bing a grandmother? Irene was not a heartless person.


    Nathan treated her so well, so if he could ept her children, why couldn''t she do the same? After a


    moment of silence, Irene replied, "I will try to persuade him. However, has Jodie agreed to give birth to


    the child?


    "I haven''t told her yet. This is just my idea for now. If you agree to this, then I will persuade her to give


    birth to the child. Of course, whether or not we can keep the child still depends on Jodie. If she doesn''t


    agree to it, we can''t force her."


    "Okay. Let''s keep the child. I have no objections. You can go persuade Jodie to give birth to her child,


    and I''ll go persuade Nathan."


    "Irene, thank you!" Britney was overjoyed at how considerate Irene was. She happily hung up on the


    call.

 Chapter 231 This Has Nothing To Do With You

    Chapter 231 This Has Nothing To Do With You


    After hanging up, Irene found that Edric was behind her, she asked, "When did you arrive?"


    "Just a second ago," Edric said with distress, "Irene, please give up on Nathan!"


    "Why?" Irene asked.


    "I heard everything just now. Nathan already has another woman and a child. Why do you have to bring


    yourself down and insist on following him?"


    "Bring myself down? I don''t feel like I''m bringing myself down at all!" Irene retorted.


    "Nathan has another woman and that woman has a child. Don''t you feel ufortable just thinking


    about that? Why are you so willing to ept her and her child?" Edric asked.


    "Nathan treats me very well. Since he has epted my child, why can''t I ept his?" Irene replied.


    "I understand what you''re thinking. You''re epting Nathan and his child born from another woman not


    because you love Nathan, but because Nathan treats you well, and you just want to find someone to


    rely on. Irene, you can''t do that. Marriage is something that only happens between two people who love


    each other. You can''t just sacrifice your entire life to repay him," Edric exined.


    "Edric, this has nothing to do with you." Irene said.


    "Why does it have nothing to do with me? Irene, you surely know about my feelings for you," Edric


    insisted.


    "So what? I''m not obligated to marry you just because you love me," Irene interrupted him.


    "Yes, you are not obligated to, but I am your child''s father. We have two children. Don''t you think that


    you should consider being together with me for their sake?" Edric stretched out his hand and held


    Irene''s hand, "Irene, I truly love you. Please give me a chance for me to take good care of you and our


    children!"


    "I refuse!" Irene pulled her hand out of Edric''s grasp, "Edric, let bygones be bygones. I''m already


    engaged to Nathan in Mencodia. I''m Nathan''s fianc¨¦e right now. Please understand that, so we can


    never get back together!"


    "Irene!" Edric pleaded.


    Irene turned her head away and said, "Edric, like I''ve said before, I won''t stop you from seeing the


    children, but I advise you not to think about other matters."


    Seeing that Irene was so resistant towards him, Edric was devastated and his hatred for Marie,


    Deborah and the others increased at the same time. It was all because of those b*tches. If it was not


    because of them, he and Irene would not have be like they currently were. He would never let


    them off easily.


    Marie really thought that everything would be fine after she dealt with Tommy. What a joke. He would


    definitely give her a big ''gift'' as soon as possible for her to enjoy.


    After dealing with Tommy, Marie''s mood was excellent. So, she only needed to deal with Rowane.


    However, since she had handed the matter over to Dunn, she believed the matter involving Rowane


    would be taken care of soon enough.


    Marie already had ns to buy a property prior to that. Later on, she saw an apartment that had


    exquisite interior design and bought it immediately. Then, she moved into the apartment. Marie would


    always be in a daze as she felt empty in her heart, because she still missed Ma a lot.


    She could not just let Ma return to Lydia''s side like that. She thought that if she could not obtain


    what she wanted, others could not have that too. Thus, Marie nned to let Ma and Lydia have a


    falling out.


    However, to her surprise, she saw a piece of news about Ma and Lydia. They were wearing a set


    of matching clothes, looking very radiant.


    Seeing the news and the photos of those two, Marie felt so ufortable that she kept on tossing and


    turning that night and could not fall asleep. She went out the next morning with dark circles under her


    eyes. When Marie was about to go to the hospital in a bad mood, she was stopped by someone at the


    entrance. "Marie!"


    The one who had stopped Marie was a thin man. He was dressed in casual clothing, and she could not


    recognize who he was, so she asked, "Who are you?"


    "I''m Simon!" he said.


    The word ''Simon'' made Marie''s face change. Didn''t Deborah say that Simon would not be released for


    life? What was going on? When she was thinking about it, Simon reached out to hold her hand, "Marie,


    I''m so d to see you."


    Marie felt disgusted when Simon''s rough hands touched hers. That man had hurt her heart so much. It


    was he who had touched her tender body with those disgusting hands. He was that vulgar man who


    took her body. In her memories, this man was no more than a nightmare for her.


    She could not wait for him to die. How could she be happy to see him? She quickly pulled her hand out


    of Simon''s grasp, "When were you released?"


    "Just now. I originally wanted to look for you and Deborah after getting released, but I heard that


    Deborah is Mr. Cook''s wife, so I didn''t dare to go to her. Then, I heard that you were here, so I came to


    find you first. Marie, I haven''t eaten for a day. Let me go to your house to have something."


    Simon actually wanted to go to her apartment to eat. How could Marie not feel disgusted? It was


    impossible for her to let Simon in her apartment. She pulled out some money from her pocket coldly


    and told Simon, "Go eat by yourself. I have something to do right now, and I have to go to work."


    Simon clearly saw the disgust in Marie''s eyes, and he really did not feel toofortable. One of the


    reasons why he had initially disagreed to cooperate with Edric before was because he fantasized about


    obtaining freedom and starting anew with Marie.


    Nevertheless, he never expected for Edric to tell him the truth about the past. After learning that he was


    sent to prison because of Deborah and Marie, Simon was stunned. He could not believe it at all. He


    kept on believing that Edric was deceiving him. It wasn''t until he found the woman who had used


    him of murder, and listened to her side of the story that Simon finally believed in Edric.


    He had been so loyal to Marie, but how could she do that to him? Simon did not give up. After asking


    for Marie''s address from Edric, he deliberately went there in-person just to see Marie''s reaction.


    Yes, Marie still had a smile on her face, but her actions betrayed her. Later on, Simonpletely came


    to his senses after seeing the disgust in her eyes.


    It was no wonder that people said that beautiful people were vipers. As of that moment, he really had


    encountered two vipers. One was Deborah, and the other was Marie. Thinking of the inhumane life he


    had spent in prison over the years, Simon''s hatred for them grew.


    He would not let Marie off easily. He had to get back at her for the humiliation he had suffered.


    Simon took the money from Marie and left. Seeing that he did not pester her, Marie breathed a sigh of


    relief, but after a short while, she thought about it again. She knew very well how shameless Simon had


    been at the start. It was impossible for him to let her go so this easily after being released. What should


    she do then?


    Marie''s initial n was to hide in a hotel for a few days, but hiding herself like that was not a good n.


    It was impossible for her to not go work in the hospital for a lifetime. If Simon went to the hospital to


    make amotion, what should she do?


    Marie''s heart was not at peace for the whole day. After giving it much thought, she decided to talk to


    Simon. If he did not pester her, she would give him a sum of money to help him make a living. If he did


    not agree to that, then she would show him no mercy.


    In the evening, when Marie returned to the apartment, she saw Simon standing downstairs and waiting


    for her. Sure enough, Simon was still haunting her, which made her feel sick, but she held back her


    anger and brought Simon into her home.


    After inviting Simon to sit down, Marie asked Simon what he was nning to do. Simon smiled and


    said, "What n can I have? I''ll just follow you!"


    At that point, Marie couldn''t help but say, "Alright, I''ll give you some money. You can rent a house and


    start a business. What do you think?" Marie took out a card and handed it to Simon, "There''s a


    hundred thousands dors in it, which I''ve saved all these years. You can make do with it."


    "Business? I don''t think I have the ability to do so," Simon shook his head, but sneered in his heart.


    Marie wanted to send him away with a hundred thousand dors after doing all that to him. "You''d


    better keep the money. Let me stay here for a few days to get familiar with my current environment,


    and then I''ll find a job, so we can live together again."


    Knowing that Simon would not be so easy to deal with, Marie sighed and said, "Simon, you had been


    sentenced for so many years, and it''s impossible for me to stay single for a lifetime. I''m married now, so


    it''s not that I don''t want to take you in, but that I have no way to take you in."


    "So, you''re married? What does your husband do?" Simon acted like he was curious.


    "My husband is a sculptor. My husband has something to do abroad and is not at home for the time


    being, that is why I dared to let you in here," Marie answered.


    Simon had already learned everything about Marie from Edric. Seeing how she was trying to abandon


    him, the hatred in his heart grew, but he did not show it on his face, "It doesn''t matter. I''ll stay here for a


    few days first. I''ll leave when hees back from his business trip."


    "No, Simon, I''m not alone now, I have a family. I have to pay attention to how I act, so I can''t let you


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    stay here," Marie exined.


    "Marie, are you deliberately saying that to me because you hate me?" Simon looked at Marie and said,


    "I know you are a famous doctor now, and I am just a criminal. The difference between us is too big, so


    it''s normal for you to dislike me. However, I''ve done so many things for you in the past, and I even went


    to prison for you. Can you not be so heartless?"


    "I''m not lying to you. I really am married. This is a photo of my husband," Marie showed Simon a photo


    of Ma.


    Simon took over Ma''s photo and pretended to look at it. Then, Simon asked in feigned surprise,


    "This is your husband?"


    "That''s right," Marie answered.


    "I knew you were lying to me. Isn''t this man married? I saw the news that he and his wife went to a


    temple a few days ago. How can he be your husband? Marie, you shouldn''t have such intentions!"


    It was out of her expectations that Simon had already read the news of Ma and Lydia paying the


    temple a visit. Marie was speechless. Simon sneered, "It''s said that b*tches are ruthless. Marie, you''re


    not a b*tch, but how can you be more ruthless than one?"


    Upon hearing Simon''s vicious words, Marie got annoyed, "Simon, I owe you nothing, so don''t go too


    far!"


    Seeing that Marie''s expression had changed, Simon''s expression also changed, "Marie, even if you


    want to abandon your benefactor upon achieving your goal, you still have to remember who I am. I''ve


    kept the fact that you had called me to swap Deborah''s child in the past as a secret until now. Aren''t


    you afraid that I''ll tell Deborah about it?"


    He was obviously threatening her. Hatred shed across Marie''s eyes. Since Simon insisted on


    walking this month when he had another choice, then she would show him true hell.


    Marie did not try to chase Simon away, and just let him stay. Worried that Simon might have ulterior


    motives about her, she locked the door from the inside when she went to bed at night. Marie then


    started to think about it while lying on the bed.


    Simon was serious about her, so it would not be that easy to get rid of him. Since she had no choice


    but to put in the effort to get rid of him, she needed to find a way to secretly deal with Simon.


    Marie did not fall asleep till thetter half of the night. In a daze, she felt that something was pressing


    on her body. She muttered and tried to turn over, but she could not.

 Chapter 232 Devoured

    Chapter 232 Devoured


    A big hand was rubbing her plump breast, and her mouth was blocked. It smelled bad, and there was a


    stabbing pain in her lower body. Something hard went into her lower body. The stabbing pain sobered


    Marie up all of a sudden. She opened her eyes and looked at Simon in disbelief. She had already


    locked the door from the inside, so how did that b*stard get in?


    Naturally, she did not expect for Simon to be an expert in picking locks. The security lock did not stop


    him at all. Simon grew excited when touching Marie, and he kept kissing and touching her.


    He was disgusting! Marie struggled desperately, trying to bite and punch him, but she was not able to


    fight Simon off. After being locked up in jail for so many years, how could Simon let go of an


    opportunity to have some fun? He pressed Marie down with his hand while continuing, and after some


    time, he finished inside of Marie.


    Marie felt disgusted and angry at the same time, but she could not do anything. After Simon finished


    the deed, she went to the bathroom immediately.


    Marie tried to force herself to vomit in the toilet for a long time but was not able to. She then turned on


    the shower and washed herself thoroughly, trying to wash away any marks that Simon had left on her


    body, but the shame in her heart could not be washed away along with it.


    Back then, when Simon had taken advantage of her, she had no choice but to pretend toply, but


    never had she thought that it would happen again this day. Marie really hated him so much!


    She had to find a way to kill that b*stard, Simon. She could not wait for even another minute!


    After Tommy had left that day, he never went back to visit Loraine anymore. Loraine was furious. For


    another woman, Tommy was willing to forget about his biological mother, which disappointed her


    immensely.


    Ever since Loraine had been injured and hospitalized, Edric had hired a caretaker to look after her in


    the hospital. On the surface, the caretaker was hired to take care of Loraine, but the truth was, the


    caretaker was hired to monitor Loraine''s daily activities. Of course, Loraine had no idea about that.


    During that period of time when she was suffering in the hospital, no one cared about her except the


    caretaker.


    Edric never showed up ever again either. He had only asked John, his executive assistant, toe


    and visit on the first day she got admitted into the hospital. Except for the driver, Hodge, the other


    servants in the Myers family did not visit her. Loraine got angry upon thinking of that. She did not treat


    the people in the Myers family that badly either, so why were those people so heartless?


    The caretaker brought Loraine a piece of news, "I heard that Mrs. Myers is about to wake up!"


    Loraine was so sure that Margaret would be paralyzed the rest of her life. She could not help but be


    shocked upon hearing what the caretaker had said, "Really?"


    "I heard from others that it''s only a matter of days until Mrs. Myers wakes up now. Mr. Myers is also


    very happy about it," the caretaker replied.


    Loraine began to panic. Margaret would surely take revenge on her once she woke up. Plus, she had


    been in the hospital for so long that she had lost contact with the outside world. She did not know if


    Deborah and Marie had been notified about Margaret''s status or not. In the end, she was unable to get


    through to Deborah''s phone recently therefore she was not sure how things were going on with


    Deborah. Since she hadn''t be the best of friends with Marie in the past, it was natural that she did


    not have Marie''s contact. However, at this point, Loraine felt that she needed to contact Marie soon.


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    Just as she was thinking about that, the caretaker spoke again, "I heard something just now."


    "What is it?" Loraine asked absentmindedly.


    "It''s about Madam Cook. My friend Lucy who has been attending to an official recently heard that


    Madam Cook has been dead for many days," the caretaker said.


    Loraine felt a sinking feeling in her heart. No wonder she wasn''t able to contact Deborah recently, for


    she was dead. Loraine let a shout of surprise.


    "You''ve been serving the Myers family for such a long time, and she was Mr. Myers'' former fianc¨¦e. So,


    you must be very familiar with Madam Cook, right?" the caretaker asked.


    "We just know each other briefly," Loraine answered.


    "I heard that Madam Cook died in a car ident. Her funeral was very low profile. Everyone felt that


    the matter was very strange. Shouldn''t they at least let her family and friends know about it? There


    wasn''t even a word out. It''s so weird!" the caretaker continued.


    "What else have you heard?" Loraine asked.


    "I heard that Madam Cook had done some bad deeds in the past. She must have been found out. It


    couldn''t have been something good," the caretaker replied.


    Loraine''s heart thumped fast. Could it be that Steven had discovered what Deborah had done and


    dealt with her? If that was the case, her son and Marie would certainly not be spared. Loraine then


    immediately called her son, but no one answered.


    At the thought that Margaret might wake up soon, Loraine did not dare to stay in the hospital much


    longer. She escaped from the hospital secretly when the caretaker was not there. Loraine went straight


    to Tommy''s residence after leaving the hospital, but no one answered her even after she knocked on


    the door for a long time.


    She asked the neighbor, who then told her that he hadn''t seen Tommy for a few days. Loraine


    panicked. Could it be that something had happened to him? She did not dare to stay there any longer.


    Loraine then went to Marie''s hospital, hoping to meet Marie to ask her about the situation. She dared


    not to go to meet Marie openly, so she hid near the parking lot and waited for Marie to appear.


    Coincidentally, she heard the security guards chatting in the parking lot. One of them said, "I saw a


    man looking for Dr. Walker in the parking lot when I was patrolling that day. The man looked very fierce,


    and I can tell that he isn''t good news at first nce. How did Dr. Walker get into trouble with him?"


    "This, I know about. Didn''t a pregnant olddye to visit that day? The woman almost bled to death.


    That woman is that man''s wife. It is said that the woman had been drugged by someone to have a


    miscarriage. I heard that her miscarriage has something to do with Dr. Walker, so the man came to Dr.


    Walker for an exnation."


    Hearing that, Loraine''s heart skipped a beat. The person they were talking about couldn''t be Tommy,


    could it?


    "How could Dr. Walker do that? How was the matter dealt with?"


    "That man asked Dr. Walker forpensation, and Dr. Walker agreed to it. He hasn''te here


    anymore after that, I guess they came into an agreement in private."


    "Yeah," another security guard came over and said, "I live in the same neighborhood as the man. He''s


    a gangster, and the pregnant woman was his mistress, a prostitute. They had always been wandering


    around the neighborhood in the past, but they''re nowhere to be seen recently. I think they''ve run away


    together after receiving the money."


    When Loraine heard that, she was absolutely sure that the person they were talking about was Tommy.


    That useless thing, how dare he ckmail Marie? Was he seeking death?


    Loraine did not dare to meet Marie after that. She had to ask Tommy about the matter. If Tommy had


    really ckmailed Marie, she had to take him to apologize to Marie and exin the situation clearly.


    Loraine was now blinded in one eye, penniless, and she had nowhere to go. She could only pretend to


    be a beggar and sleep under the bridge during the day. At night, she would go looking for food in


    garbage dumps. Whenever she had time, she would go to her son''s rented ce and hang around,


    hoping to see him.


    One night, she arrived at Tommy''s apartment. When she saw a police car parked at her son''s


    apartment along with a crowd, Loraine pretended to be an onlooker, and walked up to the crowd.


    Everyone was having a discussion. It was said that someone had found two bodies in a burnt ruin in


    the suburbs. The police had issued an inspection notice. A nightclub had reported that Rosa Skinner


    had been missing for a long time. The police then took Rosa''s DNA from one of her hairs and


    The police suspected that the other burned body was Tommy''s, therefore, the police hade to


    Tommy''s house and to take a sample of Tommy''s hair topare the DNA.


    Hearing that, Loraine almost fainted. Among them, one was Rosa, then the possibility of the other


    being Tommy was 90 percent. Loraine did not dare to stay any longer and left the crowd in a state of


    panic.


    How could Tommy die just like that? Was it because he had ckmailed Marie? No! Tommy was her


    son, and she and Marie were allies. Marie would not hurt her son, would she?


    Maybe that was not her son, but someone else. There was still a glimmer of hope in Loraine''s heart.


    The police had not issued any reports yet, and she could only confirm the fact after they released the


    report.


    When Britney saw that Irene had agreed to let Jodie give birth to the child, she felt at ease. Right then,


    there was only one thing left for her to do, which was to persuade Jodie. Although Irene had agreed to


    it, it still would not be easy for her to deal with Jodie.


    Jodie was an unmarried woman. What reason did she have to give birth to a child for Nathan without


    getting anything in return?


    Britney was too embarrassed to talk to her, so Sophia volunteered herself to persuade Jodie. Britney


    relented.


    Rowane''s heart was extremely unsettled. Ever since she had returned from the hospital, she had been


    staying in her room. Her heart was jumbled up in a mess. What should she do? To be honest, she


    could not bear to give up on the child, because not only was the child from the man she liked, but also


    that the child was a living person. However, it was not a matter of whether she was willing to keep that


    child. It was a matter of whether Nathan was willing to let her give birth to the child.


    Ever since the incident, Nathan had not returned for many days. She was no fool. She knew that


    Nathan was avoiding her, and she was very disappointed that she had not been able to see Nathan for


    the past few days.


    She had actually been ted to find out that she was pregnant that day. Especially when she saw how


    happy Britney looked, she had some faint expectations in her heart that her pregnancy would change


    something.


    Nheless, right when she had returned to her room to calm down, Rowane was shocked at her own


    thoughts. How could she be so despicable?


    Nathan had saved her life. How could she have such a shameful thought? Furthermore, Nathan loved


    his fianc¨¦e so much. How could her pregnancy change anything? She did not want to lie to herself and


    hold on to such a fantasy, and she had to be more realistic. However, it was just that, the child really


    was her child. She really could not bear to part with the child!

 Chapter 233 Time Is Running Out

    Chapter 233 Time Is Running Out


    While Rowane''s head was in a mess, the door was pushed open. Sophia walked in with a bowl in her


    hand, "Miss Jodie, you haven''t slept yet?"


    Rowane nodded and Sophia passed a bowl of soup to her, "Since you haven''t eaten anything tonight,


    I''ve cooked some soup for you. Have some."


    "Thank you, Sophia!" Rowane was very touched.


    "You don''t have to thank me. You are pregnant now, so you need to consume more nutritious food. It''s


    our responsibility to take care of you."


    Hearing Sophia''s words, Rowane''s face darkened. What did she mean by that? It was still unknown


    whether she could give birth to that child or not.


    As Sophia had been working for the White family for so many years, her ability to observe other


    people''s expressions was naturally extraordinary. Seeing Rowane''s expression, she knew that Rowane


    had to be feeling uneasy. She asked tentatively, "Miss Jodie, what are you going to do now?"


    Rowane gave Sophia a pained look, "I don''t know either."


    "Don''t you know that Madam Britney has been hoping for a great-grandchild for many years? When


    she heard that you were pregnant, she was extremely happy. As soon as she came home, she praised


    the heavens for the luck. She''s still happy now too. I have never seen Madam Britney so happy


    before."


    Rowane naturally noticed how happy Britney was. She fell silent for a moment before saying, "Since


    Madam Britney likes children so much, why didn''t Nathan get married as soon as possible and give


    birth to a grandchild for Madam Britney?"


    "It''s a long story," Sophia sighed, "You haven''t been here for a long time, so you don''t know about what


    had happened to Mr. White, right?"


    Rowane nodded. Sophia told her about the past between Nathan and Irene. Only then did Rowane


    understand what Nathan had been through. Previously, she had only heard briefly about Nathan''s


    fianc¨¦e.


    Rowane only knew that his fianc¨¦e was a woman with a child. At that time, she had thought that it was


    strange. How could a person like Nathan fall in love with a woman that already had children? She only


    just learned that the woman was Nathan''s first love. The fact that Nathan had waited for her for so long


    and did not even mind the fact that she was a divorced woman and had children, touched Rowane''s


    heart.


    With Nathan''s fianc¨¦e''s existence, she should not dream about any fantasies. Nathan definitely would


    not change how he treated his fianc¨¦e because of another woman. Rowane was heartbroken, and


    grew jealous of his fianc¨¦e for some reason. Why did she have such a good fate?


    "You''ve witnessed Mr. White''s personality firsthand. He values loyalty and is worthy of being loved by a


    better woman. However, he has always loved Miss Nelson. He didn''t give up even though he found out


    that Miss Nelson was already a mother of two children. He has been pursuing his love with all his heart


    and has worried Madam Britney for all these years. Madam Britney cares about Mr. White very much,


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    so she had no choice but to ept Mr. White and Miss Nelson''s rtionship. In fact, from the bottom of


    her heart, Madam Britney wants a great-grandson of her own," Sophia sighed.


    Rowane didn''t say anything. She was not a fool. Sophia''s meaning behind her words were very


    obvious. Britney wanted her to give birth to the child, but was that really okay?


    "Miss Jodie, I haven''t told you about one more thing. Miss Nelson and her ex-husband used to have a


    very good rtionship. If her mother-inw hadn''t been so bad towards her, Miss Nelson and her ex-


    husband probably wouldn''t have broken up. Now that Miss Nelson has returned home, I heard that her


    ex-husband often visits her and her children. With their children and love, there is a great chance that


    they might get back together again."


    "What would happen to Nathan if they get back together?" Rowane became anxious upon hearing that.


    "It''s hard to say about things like that. Madam Britney is precisely worried about this. If Miss Nelson


    gets together with her ex-husband, what about theMr. White? The child in your belly belongs to Mr.


    White. Madam Britney doesn''t want to lose the child for nothing. I feel sad whenever I see her sighing.


    So, I''d like to ask you one thing. Can you give birth to this child for Mr. White?" Sophia exined.


    "I-Is this Nathan''s wish too?" Rowane asked.


    "Mr. White still doesn''t know that you''re pregnant, but he likes children very much. He even treats Miss


    Nelson''s children very well. Since you are pregnant with his own child, of course he will like the child


    too."


    While Sophia was persuading her, she saw that Rowane was not overly determined to refuse her, so


    she knew that there was a possibility for something to happen between them, "Miss Jodie, I''vee to


    ask you for a favor. Since Madam Britney likes the child so much, you should give birth to the child. You


    can consider it as repaying Mr. White''s kindness for saving your life."


    Nathan''s life-saving grace was something she could not repay, and the child was something that she


    herself wanted to give birth to. Rowane then hesitated for a moment before nodding. Seeing her nod,


    Sophia happily went back to report it to Britney.


    After dealing with Tommy, Deborah and Logan decided to leave San Fetillo to hide for a period of time.


    How could Edric let them go so easily? However, before Deborah and Logan left, the only source of


    ie for them was the beauty salon, which in turn had been sealed off because it was involved in


    dealing drugs.


    Moreover, since Logan''s younger sister, Heather Wheeler, was the legal owner of the beauty salon, she


    was detained by the police. Logan and Deborah were dumbfounded upon learning that. They could not


    go anywhere without money. Logan could not leave his sister either, so he stayed and made some


    preparations to save Heather.


    However, it was not easy to save her as the case included drug dealing. In the past, while Deborah had


    been Madam Cook, she could have bribed the officials, but right then, Logan was just an ordinary


    businessman. Who would even bat an eye on him?


    After asking around, Logan found out that it was not that easy to solve the problem. San Fetillo was


    currently taking severe measures against it. The municipalmittee even stated that all those who


    were found to be involved in prostitution and drugs would be punished even more severely. Heather


    might be sentenced to several years worth of imprisonment because she had been involved in drugs


    and prostitution.


    Hearing the statement from the municipalmittee, Logan suspected Steven was the one behind it.


    He told Deborah about his suspicions, and she also felt that the matter had something to do with


    Steven too.


    Her life had been destroyed by Steven, and he even had her sources of ie cut off. Hence, hatred


    grew in Deborah''s heart. If Steven did not want to let her have a smooth life, then she would not let him


    livefortably either. As she had lived with Steven for many years, she had many things to ckmail


    him with, and right then was the time to use them against him. Deborah then wrote an anonymous


    letter and sent it out.


    A few dayster, Steven received a call from a superior of his that treated him very well. His superior


    told him on the phone that something had happened. The patrol team from the central government had


    received a report about him. He had no way to help him and asked Steven to take care of himself.


    Steven was stunned. There was no sound on the other end of the phone, but he still held the phone


    and stood motionlessly. The superior''s reminder made him tremble to his very core. He was afraid that


    he would be in real danger that time!


    Slight nausea slowly appeared in the back of the throat, and his blood pressure surged. He tried to


    suppress the urge to vomit. At the same time, Maisy spoke, "Mr. Cook, you''ve been standing there for a


    long time. Why don''t you sit down and have a rest?"


    Steven did not say anything, and stood still, motionless. Maisy then stretched her hand out to support


    him, only to hear the sound of spitting. She saw a sh of red in front of her eyes. Steven had spat a


    mouthful of blood.


    After spitting the blood out, Steven''s tall figure fell to the ground.


    "Mr. Cook! Someone, save him!" Maisy''s screams of panic echoed in the vi.


    When Irene heard the news, she rushed to the hospital. Maisy was standing at the door of the


    emergency room and rubbing her hands anxiously. When she saw Irene, she immediately cried, "He


    was fine before that, but after receiving a call, he started vomiting blood."


    Hearing that Steven had vomited blood, Irene was also horrified. She held Maisy''s hand andforted


    her, "It''s okay, everything will be fine!"


    That being said, how could she feel at ease? The person who was being rescued inside was her father.


    After a while, the door of the emergency room finally opened, and the doctor came out. Irene came up


    and asked, "How is he?"


    "He haste stage gastric cancer!" the doctor replied.


    "How is this possible?" Irene thought that she had misheard him. She stared at the doctor with widened


    eyes, "Did you guys make a mistake?"


    "It can''t be. We''ve already consulted an expert," the doctor sighed.


    Irene''s heart was extremely heavy. She had never expected things to turn out this way. She had hated


    Steven before, but she never wished for him to have a terminal illness.


    "Is there any way to cure it?" Irene asked.


    The doctor shook his head, "We can only try our best to extend his lifespan..."


    Irene entered the emergency room with heavy steps. Steven had just woken up, when he saw Irene, he


    teared up, "Irene...my daughter!"


    Seeing Steven''s expression, Irene''s nose twitched and tears rolled down her cheeks, "Dad!"


    It was the first time she had called Steven ''Dad'' since thest time she had left him. Steven was so


    happy that he reached out to hold Irene''s hand. As he saw Irene who looked like Myra, he cried with


    tears rolling down his cheeks, "This is my punishment. Irene, I''ve let you and your mother down!"


    "Dad, it''s not the right time to talk about this. You should take good care of yourself. There''s so much


    advanced medical technology nowadays, so you can definitely be cured," Irene replied.


    "I can''t be cured! So what even if I get cured?" Steven heaved a long sigh.


    He was going to be detained and interrogated soon, and he was very clear how he was going to end


    up. Since he had to spend the rest of his life in prison, it was better to die due to that illness. Death was


    undoubtedly a relief for him.


    "Dad, don''t be so negative. You must think positively," Irene tried her best to persuade him.


    "Irene, I know that you''re doing this for my own good, but I know my own health very well. After being


    an official for so many years, I''ve always thought that I was intelligent, but I now know that I''m just a


    fool. Alright, don''t say anything anymore. This is the best ending for me," Steven said.


    Actually, Steven''s health was not in a very bad state, but ever since he knew that Myra had been killed


    by Deborah, he always harbored a bad feeling in his heart. He could not sleep every night and would


    always feel guilty towards Myra and Irene, so his body gradually broke down.


    Irene felt more and more ufortable upon hearing Steven''s words. It was clear that Steven was


    talking out of regret. Although he had done something unforgivable to her mother in the past, he was


    still her father after all. How could she just watch him die?


    "Dad, you can be rest assured about your treatment. You must be optimistic! You still have to take care


    of Eden and the child in my belly. They''re waiting for their grandpa to take care of them," Irene


    persuaded.


    Steven smiled a little, "Irene, I''m really happy to hear you say that. I know my own body, so don''t worry.


    I won''t die in such a short time, and I''ll definitely live until I see my grandson''s face."


    As he spoke, the door was pushed open and Edric walked in. When she saw Edric, Irene was stunned,


    "Why are you here?"


    "I''m the one who asked Maisy to bring him here," Steven exined while gesturing to Edric to sit down.


    He looked at Irene and said, "Irene, and Maisy, go out first. I have something to say to Edric."

 Chapter 234 A Plan That Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone

    Chapter 234 A n That Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone


    Irene stood up and walked out with Maisy. After closing the door, Steven sighed and said, "I don''t have


    much time left."


    "You will recover with enough rest. You will be better after undergoing the necessary treatment," Edric


    "I know my own body. I called you here today because I have something to tell you," Steven heaved a


    long sigh, "I''m being investigated!"


    "What?" Edric was shocked, "When did this happen?"


    "The official notice hasn''t been released, but it should be soon. I''ve asked you toe here to arrange


    the funeral," Steven looked at Edric with aplicated look, "Irene is in your hands now, and I hope


    you''ll treat her well."


    "I will. Be rest assured about that," Edric promised, "I don''t think your situation is that serious. Don''t


    worry, I will think of a way."


    Steven shook his head, "There''s no need for that!"


    He told Edric that Myra''s murderer was Deborah, "I''ve been regretting it to the extreme during this


    period of time. It''s all my fault! Look where it has taken me today! I wanted to make her suffer a fate


    worse than death, but I didn''t expect her to escape. I''m sure she has something to do with what


    happened this time. I deserve this. However, Myra is different. She cannot die in vain. I don''t want to


    tell Irene about this matter. You have to avenge Myra, for Irene''s sake! Don''t let her get away with this!"


    Edric nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t!"


    "There''s also Lily''s affairs," Steven paused for a moment, "She''s been brought up by that sl*t these few


    years, and her thoughts are as vicious as hers. I know that she has done something to wrong you and


    Irene, but no matter what, she''s still my child... I hope you''ll let her off the hook."


    "We''ll talk about thister. You take care of your health first," Edric did not promise him anything.


    Seeing that Edric did not agree to his request, Steven sighed heavily.


    Ever since she had been locked in by Simon that night, Marie had no way to deal with Simon. It was


    unrealistic for her to leave, and she did not dare to turn against him. Now, she could only swallow her


    anger and live under Simon''s control.


    Simon had nothing to do every day. During daytime, he would watch his rented pornography and


    waited for Marie toe back at night to do all sorts of things to her. Marie was now suffering from


    mental and physical torture. She wanted to drug Simon, knock him out and clean him up. However,


    Simon was a careful person. He would always let Marie taste anything that she brought first, before


    eating it himself.


    Simon had probably already realized that Marie wanted to hurt him. He also threatened Marie


    to not have any other thoughts. He said that he had already told his good buddy in prison about him


    living here. As long as something went wrong with him, his friends would inform the police.


    Marie did not believe him at first, but one day, Simon brought a man not unlike him into her apartment.


    He told the man that Marie was his wife and that was all it took for Marie to confirm her suspicions.


    Simon was guarding himself from her.


    Was she going to be enved forever by this disgusting gangster? Marie was not willing to give up.


    She tried so many ways, but they all failed. In the end, she really could not find a way. She thought


    about asking some help from her underworld friends, but it might cost her quite a fortune.


    While Marie was thinking about ways to deal with Simon, Steven''s investigation was also going on. His


    properties were seized. His vi had been closed down and all of his assets were frozen. He had just


    encountered an ident, and Lily was the first to be affected. Thetter had been enjoying first ss


    service at a private hospital before being kicked out as Steven failed to pay for the expenses.


    Lily was homeless, so she had to call Marie. Marie had always taken her as her own daughter. When


    she heard the news, she would not turn a blind eye to it. Lily was her daughter. She had been looking


    for a chance to get close to her. It seemed that it was the best time for that.


    If Lily moved in, it would be inappropriate for Simon to live at the apartment. When asked if he could


    move out from the ce, he immediately rejected the idea, "Isn''t Lily my daughter as well? I think it''s


    going to be perfect if she''s here with us. Our family shall beplete! I can also take care of her."


    "You must not tell anyone that Lily is our daughter," Marie warned.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not that stupid," Simon narrowed his eyes and smiled, "As long as you are obedient,


    I''m not going to say anything about that thing in the past."


    Marie had no choice. She would have to let Simon enjoy a few more days first before dealing with him


    properly.


    Edric did not tell Irene about Steven''s detention. When Maisy called and told Irene about it, she was


    shocked and rushed to the hospital.


    Irene did not know what had gone down. She guessed that it had something to do with Steven''s job.


    When she found out about his illness had been triggered due to a phone call, she decided to go to the


    hospital and ask him herself.


    She hurried to the patients'' wards. The elevator door opened as soon as she reached it.


    Irene looked at Steven in surprise as he walked out, being held by two men, "Dad!"


    Irene did not say anything else, because she discovered that her father''s hands were bound behind his


    back.


    The way the men were handling Steven reminded Irene of how policemen handled culprits in the


    movies. Her heart skipped a beat. Irene''s heart sank. Was her father really in trouble?


    She stood rooted to the ground in a daze, her mind in a mess. Steven just spotted Irene. It was a very


    shameful thing for him to be taken away by the police while being watched by her daughter. He did not


    want his daughter to see this even if he had to die, but now he could not escape at all. Seeing the


    shocked look in Irene''s eyes, he felt heartbroken. He managed to move his cracked dry lips and spit


    out, "Irene."


    "Dad!" Irene''s voice choked with sobs.


    "Irene!" Steven''s voice was filled with guilt and regret. He looked at Irene and said, "Irene, I''ve


    humiliated you. I''m sorry!"


    As soon as he was done conveying his apology, he walked past Irene. Looking at Steven''s slightly


    hunched body, Irene''s eyes were filled with beads of tears.


    The tears soon blurred her sight as Steven slowly disappeared from her eyes. After a while, she came


    to her senses and stumbled out to chase after him. In the hospital''s parking lot, she saw the policemen


    push her father into a police car. She hurried a few steps forward and wanted to say something to her


    father, but the police car passed by her.


    Irene could not remember how she got out of the hospital. Her head kept on feeling dizzy. She never


    dreamed that one day she would watch her father be taken away by the police.


    The scene of Steven teaching her to abide by thew when she was a child was still vivid in her mind.


    How did everything turn out like this?


    Lily, however, was theplete opposite of Irene. Her face had initially been wet with tears, as if the


    world wasing to an end, when she had first received the notice to leave the hospital. However,


    after Marie was willing to take her in, her mood improved drastically.


    For Lily, the only thing that changed with Steven''s capture was her money. Although they had lived


    under the same roof, Steven had never showered her with any kind of fatherly love.


    Instead, Steven had always been cold towards her. Judging from how he had treated her, she was sure


    that she would not get any assets from him. She sneered at her fate. The only thing that she cared


    about at the moment were the babies in her belly. As long as they could safely be delivered, Edric


    would need to pay for the expenses. There was still a silver lining behind the clouds for her after all.


    Marie naturally had the same intentions as Lily. She did not believe that Edric would not be moved by


    the twins in Lily''s belly. During this period of time, she had been tortured by Simon and was physically


    and mentally exhausted. Marie did not have time to pay attention to Margaret. When her contacts at the


    hospital informed her about Margaret not waking up yet, she believed all of it.


    Never in her wildest dreams would she think that Margaret had already woken up. Edric constantly kept


    quiet about it. The people she had arranged there had no way to approach Margaret at all, so naturally,


    they did not know the truth.


    Marie took Lily home from the hospital and took her to her apartment. When she saw that Marie had


    bought such a big apartment, Lily looked at the inside and outside of it and praised, "Not bad, this


    apartment is gorgeous! I like it!"


    Seeing that Lily was satisfied, Marie was very pleased, "Lily, have a seat. I''ll get some food for you."


    Lily sat on the sofa, eating snacks. Marie went to prepare food for Lily. When Simon came back, he


    saw Lily on the sofa and greeted her with a smile, "Are you Lily? I''m your uncle, Simon Cassady."


    Lily squinted at Simon. The man in front of her was not tall, but instead dark and thin, with a wretched


    look on his face. Obviously, he did not look like a good person. Marie''s friends were all powerful people.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    When did she get to know such a piece of garbage? She did not care about Simon at all. She snorted


    and said, "You''re rted to Marie? Are you kidding me?"


    "Yes, I am. Your mother and I are cousins," Simon exined the rtionship between himself and


    Deborah.


    Lily had stayed in the Cat Alley for quite some time, and immediately understood who Simon was. The


    man had to be a gangster from Cat Alley. She impatiently interrupted Simon''s words, "Mom has never


    told me about you."


    After that, she raised her voice and called out for Marie, "Madam Walker, I am starving here! Can you


    please hurry up?"


    "Here it is," Marie happily took the food out. It was her first time preparing food for her daughter, so she


    was happy and nervous at the same time. She said, "Lily, try it and see if it fits your tastes."


    Lily stood up and went into the kitchen. Her stomach was indeed rumbling, and Marie''s cooking was


    also decent. She quickly finished the food prepared by Marie and praised Marie for a bit after she was


    done. That was all it took to make Marie happy and she said, "I''ll cook for you everyday if you like it!"


    Lily nodded. When she looked back and saw Simon, she grew upset. One day, she would have


    to personally ask Marie what Simon''s deal was. She said, "Madam Walker, could you take me to my


    room? I''d like to lie down for a while."


    Marie got up and took Lily to her room. When she closed the door, Lily looked at her with disdain and


    said, "Madam Walker, why is that disgusting man in this house?"


    "Lily, he really is your uncle. He has juste out of prison and he has nowhere to go, so he''s staying


    here for the time being."


    "This is not a shelter for the homeless, right? Why did you take him in?" Lily sneered, "Give him some


    money and chase him away."


    "About that..." Marie smiled awkwardly. Lily was her daughter, and Simon was Lily''s biological father.


    Seeing her feel so distasteful towards her own father, Marie felt ufortable. However, there was


    nothing more to how she felt and she continued, "I''ve tried, but it didn''t work. He refuses to leave."


    "This is your house. Who is he to say no?"


    "I-I couldn''t talk some sense into him. You see, your mother and I¡­We''ve done something bad with his


    help so he''s threatening me with it. I-I can''t do anything about it, so I let him stay."


    Lily also knew a little about the shady things that Deborah and Marie had done. After hearing Marie''s


    words, she knew what was going on. This man, Simon thought that he could control Marie just because


    he had some dirt on her. She did not agree with that. Her mother, Deborah had mentioned before how


    capable Marie was. Now it seemed that it had all been nonsense. How could she fail to handle


    someone as insignificant as Simon?


    Lily pursed her lips, but then remembered Dunn. Simon looked repulsive and she hated the idea of


    living with someone like him. She had to think of a way to drive him out of the house.


    Lily was going to teach Simon a lesson. She racked her brains the entire night and came up with a n


    that could kill two birds with one stone.

 Chapter 235 Harming Oneself Along With Others

    Chapter 235 Harming Oneself Along With Others


    If Simon could help Lily to get rid of Irene''s child, wouldn''t she be killing two birds with one stone?


    Thinking of that, Lily was impressed with her own intelligence. Simon did not disgust her as much as


    when they had first met since she knew she could use him. She took the initiative to get close to Simon


    and exin that she was too young to know better. She was apologizing for her uncalled rude behavior


    after Marie''s advice.


    Simon had always known Marie and Deborah to be scheming women, but he would have never


    expected Lily to be one herself. Looking at her pregnancy and sincere apology, he immediately forgot


    how arrogantly she had treated him and how she had looked down on her. To him, Lily was a good


    woman.


    When she saw Simon had taken the bait, Lily began to n a scheme. First, she would let Simon keep


    his guard down against her. She would take him to extravagant meals at high-ss hotels. As a result,


    Simon grew less wary of her.


    Then, Lily took a stroll with Simon along the streets close to Irene''s neighborhood. At the same time,


    Irene and Eden had just finished lunch and were strolling in the neighborhood too. Lily asked Simon to


    wait for her as she approached Irene.


    "Irene! How long has it been? Are you due soon?" Lily eyed Irene''s belly.


    "What does that have anything to do with you?" Irene looked at Lily and coldly snorted.


    "Why are you treating me like this? Aren''t we sisters? We''re both having Edric''s babies, right? If your


    babies'' umbilical cord blood isn''t able to save Eden, you can still use mine," Lily said, disregarding the


    darkened expression on Irene''s face. She shamelessly reached out and touched Eden''s head, "Eden,


    I''m your aunt. The baby inside of me is your little brother!"


    "Lily, what nonsense are you going on about?" Irene snapped.


    "I''m just telling the truth," Lily was overjoyed upon seeing Irene losing her temper. Her true goal really


    was to make Irene mad, "He''s going to know sooner orter. I don''t see why I should hide the fact


    about him having another pair of brothers."


    "Mom. Do the babies in her tummy belong to Daddy?" Eden asked as he pointed at Lily. The boy


    remembered Lily from the television while she had been engaged to Edric.


    "No, ignore her. She''s just a crazy woman," Irene took Eden''s hand and was about to leave when Lily


    appeared in her way again, "Irene, you don''t have to feel guilty if you''ve done nothing wrong. I''ve


    be what I am today because you took Edric away from me! Irene, are you that shameless? What


    do you think is going to happen if I tell your son the truth about how disgusting his mother is? Or the


    fact that she took away someone else''s fianc¨¦."


    Before Lily could finish, Irene''s hand flew andnded harshly on Lily''s left cheek. The p made Lily


    cover her cheek as she broke into tears. Simon, who was observing the women from afar, immediately


    rushed towards them, "Who are you? Why did you do that?"


    "Uncle Simon, you have to teach her a lesson! For my sake! Goodness, it hurts so much!" Lily yelled


    and sobbed in pain. Simon''s eyes widened as they focused on Irene, "Why did you hit her?"


    Irene looked at Simon and asked, "Who are you? Who is Lily to you? Why are you butting in?"


    "I''m her uncle! I saw you bully her before my eyes! How dare you question our rtionship?!"


    "So you two are in the same boat?" Ireneughed sarcastically. She did not even bother to pay any


    attention to Simon. She grabbed Eden''s hand and turned to leave.


    "So you''re just going to walk away after beating someone up? Do you even know thew?!" Simon lost


    control upon seeing her leave. His hand reached out to catch Irene, "Stop right there!"


    Lily was ted upon seeing Simon grabbing Irene. Just as she was going to push Irene, a serious


    voice sounded, "Get your dirty hands off her!"


    The person who Edric had arranged to protect Irene showed up. He shoved Simon''s hand away and


    face," What do you want to do? Are you tired of living?"


    Seeing that Simon was getting beaten up, Lily was shocked. It turned out that there was someone


    guarding Irene. She realized that her n would soon fail. Simon deserved to get hit anyways. She


    turned around and wanted to run away, but she did not expect that someone had thrown a banana skin


    on the ground. She stepped on it and fell.


    Lily fell to the ground heavily and let out a scream, startling Irene.


    Lily fell onto the ground and covered her stomach with her hands in pain, screaming hysterically, "It h-


    hurts so m-much! H-help me!"


    Lily''s ear-splitting scream startled everyone. The bodyguard and Irene looked at her at the same time.


    Irene asked the bodyguard to let go of Simon. Simon did not care about the bruises on his face. He


    rushed to Lily''s side and asked, "Lily, are you okay?"


    "My body hurts...My stomach hurts.." The pain was too much for Lily until her face was distorted.


    Simon had never encountered a situation like this. Seeing Lily lying on the ground in pain, he was


    scared and stunned for a while. He did not know what to do.


    Lily could feel something wet flowing beneath her body. She was scared to death. She held Simon''s


    hand tightly and cried out continuously, "The hospital¡­Send me to the hospital...My baby¡­It hurts¡­It


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    hurts so much..."


    Seeing Lily''s pants stained with blood, Irene was also shocked. Her dissatisfaction and hatred for Lily


    dissipated with it. It was a matter of life and death. She could not afford any more dys. She


    immediately ordered the bodyguard to send Lily to the hospital.


    Along the way, Lily kept screaming. Her screams were ear-splitting. She was such a vicious woman


    that even in a situation like that, she never forgot to have her guard up against Irene. She ordered the


    bodyguard to take her to Marie''s hospital.


    The bodyguard had wanted to send her to the nearest hospital for treatment. As per Lily''s request, he


    now headed for Marie''s hospital instead.


    Simon also recovered from the shock. On the way to the hospital, he called Marie and told her about


    Lily''s situation and asked her to arrange someone to operate on her as soon as possible.


    The car stopped at the front gates of the hospital. Several medical staff were already waiting for them.


    Lily was immediately sent to the operating room. Naturally, Marie would not let her own daughter down.


    She specifically arranged for the best gynecological expert in the hospital to treat Lily.


    Only after Lily was sent to the operating room, did Marie have the time to ask Simon about the details


    and he told her the whole story. However, he was unsure of how Lily had actually fallen down. When


    the incident happened, he was being taken care of by Irene''s bodyguard. He had no way of knowing


    how Lily had actually fallen down.


    Hearing that Simon had been beaten by the man who happened to also bring Lily to the hospital, Marie


    then noticed that Irene was also present. Her intuition was telling her that Irene had to be the reason for


    what had befallen Lily. She cast an angry look at Irene, "Irene, did you push Lily down and hurt her?


    How could you be so vicious?"


    Before Irene could answer, the bodyguard next to her said, "Miss, you have to present your evidence or


    else you''ll be using someone. I can sue you for your irresponsible words!"


    Marie was unable to get a word in because of the bodyguard. She looked at him fiercely and asked,


    "Who are you? Do you think you have the right to speak here?"


    "He is the person who I''ve sent to protect Irene. Dr. Walker, do you have any objections?" A cold voice


    echoed throughout the corridor. Marie looked over and saw Edric appearing in front of them. Edric had


    always been polite and he always called her Madam Walker. Marie was not used to him calling her ''Dr.


    Walker'' instead. She asked, "Edric, w-why are you here?"


    Edric did not pay any attention to her. He had rushed to the hospital after hearing the bodyguard''s


    phone call telling him about the incident. Seeing that Irene was safe and sound, Edric breathed a sigh


    of relief. His tone was full of remorse, "How many times have I told you? To be kind to wolves is to be


    cruel to yourself. Why don''t you listen to me?"


    "I-I have a bodyguard, right?" Irene saw Marie''s expression and also knew that it was inappropriate for


    her to be in the hospital. "It''s none of your business even if you have a bodyguard. The most important


    thing for you now is to pay attention to your own safety. It''s not your responsibility whether others live or


    die."


    Marie felt very uneasy when she saw Irene and Edric talking calmly. Didn''t Edric hate Irene? Why was


    he talking to her calmly? What had happened? Was there something she didn''t know?


    Lily was carrying Edric''s child, but Edric''s tone waspletely indifferent. Marie couldn''t help but say,


    "Edric, Lily is having an operation inside. She''s in critical condition."


    "Does that have anything to do with me?"


    "Edric, the child is yours. How could you say that?"


    "Mine?" Edric smiled coldly, "Dr. Walker, it''s too early to say that! Let''s wait until the child is born first!"


    There was nothing Marie could do about Edric''s cold-blooded look. She had no energy to argue with


    him. The person who was having an operation in the surgery room was her daughter. Worried about


    her daughter''s well-being, Marie kept pacing in front of the operating room. She ced her palms


    together and kept saying in her heart, "Heavens, please bless Lily and her children so that they''ll be


    safe and sound!"


    While she was praying, the doors of the emergency room opened, and a nurse came out. She said to


    Marie in a panic, "Dr. Walker, the patient''s condition is not too good. Her family members have to sign


    some papers before we can continue!"


    Marie was shocked upon hearing that. She looked at Edric. His eyes were instead focused on Irene.


    Marie ignored the nurse''s words and pleaded, "Edric, can you sign them?"


    Edric sneered, "Dr. Walker, is there something wrong with your brain? The person inside isn''t rted to


    me in the slightest bit. Why should I sign them?"


    "You!" Marie gritted her teeth and said, "Give me that! I''ll sign the operation sheet."


    She grabbed a pen and signed the operation sheet. Soon, the door of the emergency room closed, and


    Marie continued pacing outside. She really wanted to go in and see what happened, and even wanted


    to personally take charge of the operation. However, the person inside was her daughter and she was


    too emotional to do it by herself. It would be better for someone else to lead the operation.


    "Irene, let''s go. What''s happening here has nothing to do with us. There''s no need for us to stay here,"


    Edric pulled Irene''s hand and was about to leave when Irene stopped him, "Don''t you want to know


    what your child looks like?"


    Edric was stunned for a moment andughed, "You are right. How did I forget? This is the moment to


    witness a miracle. We can''t leave just yet!"


    He helped Irene to sit down on a chair at one side. He took out his phone and called John, "Invite the


    reporters to the hospital. They''re in for an important news."


    "What kind of important news?" John asked.


    "Lily''s baby is about to be born," Edric answered.


    "Okay!" John''s voice was full ofughter.


    After ending the call, Edric went back to sit beside Irene. Irene sat there for a while before her stomach


    started feeling odd. So, she stood up. Edric followed suit and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "The baby''s kicking me."


    "Should we find a ce to lie down?"


    "No, a walk should be fine."


    Marie''s attention was all on Lily inside the operation room and she had no idea how the operation was


    going. She was counting on Lily and the child to be safe. There were heavy footstepsing along the


    corridor. Marie looked over and saw several reporters rushing towards her direction, their cameras and


    lights in tow. Who had called them over? She subconsciously looked at Irene and Edric. She found that


    Edric''s attention was on Irene and he was turning a blind eye to his surroundings.


    Marie was a little bit disappointed. By the looks of it, Edric did not have any feelings towards Lily''s


    children being born. Now that they hade to this point, there was nothing she could do. She could


    only expect Edric to give Lily living expenses for the sake of the child. The reporters might have just


    showed up at the right time. Perhaps she could use them to her own benefit.


    Finally, she heard the cry of a babying from inside the emergency room. Marie''s face shed with


    surprise. It was good news that the child was fine.


    Another noise that sounded awfully like operating tools being turned over followed the baby''s cry. A


    nurse suddenly eximed in surprise, "T-there''s two!"

 Chapter 236 Surprised

    Chapter 236 Surprised


    "What are you so surprised about?" The doctor''s voice sounded, "Clean the children up as soon as


    possible."


    The cries of the two children rang in the emergency room, and Marie was relieved to hear that. She


    turned her gaze to Edric, only to see him putting his hand on Irene''s waist with a strange smile on his


    face.


    On the other hands, Irene''s expression was not full of anger or jealousy either. Instead, she was


    smiling. Marie sneered in her heart, as she did not believe that Irene was truly happy about it.


    The door of the emergency room opened, and two nurses came out with a child all wrapped up in each


    of their arms. When Marie saw the nurse approaching, she smiled sinisterly. She then looked to Edric


    and raised her voice, "Edric,e and see your children!"


    Marie''s voice was so loud that the reporters and medical staff around could hear it clearly. As soon as


    Marie''s voice fell, the reporters who were waiting directed their cameras at the child in the nurse''s


    hands and at Edric. That was what Marie wanted. She wanted everyone to know that Lily''s child was


    Edric''s and she wanted to force Edric to take responsibility.


    Nevertheless, Edric did not move. He looked at Marie with a smile and said, "How do you know they''re


    my children, Dr. Walker?"


    "Of course they are. Lily is your fianc¨¦e. Whose children is she pregnant with if not yours?" Marie


    retorted.


    "You''re wrong, she''s my ex-fianc¨¦e. The engagement between the two of us has long since been


    annulled," Edric said.


    "Although you and Lily broke off the engagement, Lily only got into a rtionship with you. Who else


    can this child belong to?" Marie asked.


    "You can''t be so sure!" Edric was still smiling. He reached out and touched Irene''s belly, "I only have


    one woman in my heart, and she''s the only one who''s qualified to give birth to my child."


    "It''s no use denying it. Now that the children are already born, what are you going to do with them?"


    Marie said aggressively.


    "What am I going to do with them? What do you mean by that?" Edric sneered, "Everyone still doesn''t


    know why I had broken off my engagement with Lily, right? Today, I''ll take this opportunity to make it


    clear to everyone that Lily and I broke off the engagement because Lily had fallen in love with another


    man. That was why I broke off the engagement with her."


    "You''re lying!" Marie retorted.


    "You will know soon whether I am lying or not. Nurses, let the two babies in your hands say hello to the


    media!" The nurses followed his words and held the children in their arms to face the cameras. Edric


    also kindly reminded, "They both are newborn babies. Don''t turn on the sh, and just a few pictures


    will do!"


    When the nurses held the children to face the media, Marie also got to have a good look at the babies


    in the nurses'' hands. It turned out that both the babies'' puplis were green. Marie was so surprised that


    she took a step back.


    Irene was also taken aback. She only knew that Lily''s child was not Edric''s and thought that Edric


    would need to do a DNA test to confirm the truth and whatnot, but she did not expect that Lily would


    give birth to such a foreign child. Even a fool would know that the children weren''t Edric''s.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" Marie shouted at the nurse.


    "They''re the pair of twins that Miss Cook just gave birth to!" The nurse replied, "Although the two


    children are premature, they are very healthy. Both of them weigh more than 4 pounds too!"


    Edric looked at Marie, who was at a loss, "Dr. Walker, do you still dare to say that these two children


    are mine?"


    "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!" Marie''s face was pale white. She looked at Edric who was


    sneering, "All of this is your fault, isn''t it? It is your doing, isn''t it?"


    "It''s my doing? Dr. Walker, are you crazy?" Edric pointed to the children in the nurses'' hand and


    sneered, "Are you suspecting that the children have been swapped out? That''s obviously impossible,


    right? Everyone was guarding at the doors, and the emergency room doesn''t have a back door either.


    The real reason behind this is that Lily had fallen in love with a foreign man and was pregnant with his


    baby."


    He then turned to the media with a smile, "Everyone, that is all. You all can leave now!" The media


    immediately dispersed after they took plenty of photos of such exciting news.


    Marie copsed onto a chair. Edric held Irene''s waist and said, "Irene, the show is over. It''s time for us


    to leave too!"


    Irene nodded and left with Edric. When Edric passed by Marie with his arms around Irene''s waist, he


    paused for a moment and said, "Marie, aren''t you going to inform Deborah about Lily giving birth?"


    Edric''s words surprised Marie. How did he know that Deborah was not dead? Before she coulde


    out with an exnation, the doctor''s urgent voice came from the emergency room, "Hurry up, the


    woman who''s recuperating after birth is bleeding! Quick, do a blood transfusion!"


    Marie was worried about Lily''s safety, so she impulsively rushed into the operating room. Edric nced


    at Simon, who was standing at one side. Simon never dreamed that things would be escte so much.


    Seeing that Edric was looking at him, he took a step back. Edric then snorted and said, "Remember to


    tell Deborah what happened here!"


    After saying that, he left with Irene.


    When Marie rushed into the operating room, she saw that the surgeon was trying to stop Lily''s


    bleeding, "How is it?"


    "I''m giving her a quick blood transfusion, but I can''t control the blood from flowing out," the surgeon


    replied.


    "Let me do it!" Marie was really anxious right then. She could not care less anymore, so she put on her


    gloves and rushed forwards to help. She asked the surgeon and the nurse to massage Lily''s uterus,


    and inject oxytocin and hemostatic drugs to stop her bleeding. However, in the end, she was still


    bleeding, and the blood was even more than before.


    If they could not stop a new mother bleeding, the best way to stop it was to cut out her uterus to protect


    her life. Marie did not want Lily to lose her uterus, so she decided to use a safer method first to try to


    preserve it first. However, with that method of treatment, Lily''s uterus was still too weak when


    contracting. It was particrly weak at the bottom section, and her blood was not clotting at a critical


    rate. If a uterus'' contraction was too weak, it meant that the bleeding could not be controlled.


    Seeing that Lily''s blood loss was still increasing, the leading surgeon became anxious. She reminded


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    Marie, "Dr. Walker, the woman has already lost nearly 5000ml of blood, and we still have no way to


    control it. We have to find a way quickly."


    By that time, only by cutting off the source of bleeding could they control the bleeding. The leading


    surgeon''s intention was to remind Marie to cut off Lily''s uterus to protect her life.


    Right then, Marie had no choice anymore, and she could only choose to cut off Lily''s uterus. Lily''s


    uterus was soon cut off. After the uterus was cut off, she no longer bled. The whole rescue process


    Lily was pushed out of the operating room, safe and sound. Marie was also exhausted. It was already


    dawn. The nurse persuaded her to go back to rest, but Marie was worried about Lily, so she did not go


    home, but rested in the hospital''s duty room.


    Marie ordered the nurses who were in charge of taking care of Lily to inform her if any special


    circumstances arose.


    Marie was too tired. She soon fell asleep on the bed in the duty room. Then, she was woken up by an


    ear-splitting scream. She opened her eyes at once, and the door was pushed open. One of the nurses


    who was in charge of taking care of Lily rushed in, "Miss Cook is in a state of incredible emotional


    distress. Dr. Walker, please go and have a look!"


    Marie sat up in a hurry and followed the nurse to Lily''s ward. Lily was sitting on the bed with disheveled


    hair while she screamed, "What is the meaning of this? Impossible! There has to be a mistake! These


    are not my children! Call your superior. Someone must have reced my children!"


    Her shrill screams made the babies in the nurse''s arms cry. The nurse who was holding the baby, was


    also frightened and at loss upon seeing Lily''s state. Another nurse tried to persuade her, "Miss Cook,


    they are your children. Everyone can prove it, including Dr. Walker!"


    "No! It''s impossible! I was pregnant with Edric''s child, so how can the children have green eyes? There


    must be a mistake!" Lily shouted.


    Marie entered the ward. Upon seeing the emotional Lily and the children in the nurses'' arms, her face


    fell, "Who asked you to bring the children here?"


    "Miss Cook wanted to have a look at her children when she woke up. There''s no reason for us not to let


    the children''s mother see her own children, right?" one of the nurses answered innocently.


    "Madam Walker, you came just in time. My child has been swapped out by someone else. Get


    someone to help me find them right now. I must get my children back!" Lily cried.


    Seeing Lily''s expression, Marie waved to the nurses to take the children out and said, "Lily, calm down.


    Your health is the most important thing."


    "My poor children! My children have been swapped out by someone else!" Lily held Marie''s hand while


    her body trembled, "Madam Walker, I beg you. Please call my mother and tell her toe to the


    hospital to see me and help me get my children back!"


    "Okay! However, you have to calm down first! I''ll go to your mother right away, calm down," Marie gave


    the nurses a look and hinted at them to give Lily a sedative. After the nurse gave Lily the sedative, she


    fell asleep.


    Marie was distraught. Although she got to save Lily''s life, she had forgotten all about the children. The


    children were a huge problem. The sperm that Margaret handed to her was Edric''s. She had even


    personally sent it to the sperm bank to store it. She was the one who had taken it out to artificially


    inseminate Lily. It was impossible for any mistakes to happen during the process, but how did the


    children turn out to be green-eyed in the end? What the hell was going on?


    Lily had given birth to babies, but they weren''t Edirc''s. So trying to let Edric take responsibility was only


    a dream now. What should she do about the situation as of the moment? It seemed that it was better to


    inform Deborah to let her know the situation first.


    Edric sent Irene home, and coincidentally, Kinsey had alsoe back from work. She was surprised to


    see Irene and Edric returning together and she asked, "Why are you two together now?"


    "We''re about to end it. There''s no need to put on a show anymore," Edric replied.


    "End it? What are you going to end?" Kinsey was puzzled.


    Irene told Kensey about the matter of her and Edric putting on an act to go against Marie and Loraine


    and others. Hearing that Lily gave birth to two green-eyed babies in the hospital that day, Kinsey


    sees her children."


    "I don''t know how her exact reaction is going to be, but she''ll probably go crazy!" Edric replied.


    "You two are too devious. You knew that Lily had been pregnant with foreign babies, but you didn''t tell


    me. I''ve been anxious this whole time for nothing. I was also worried that Lily might cause trouble after


    giving birth to her children," Kinsey was not satisfied.


    "Actually, we weren''t entirely sure about it too," Edric replied, "I found out that the children in Lily''s belly


    weren''t mine after doing a DNA test, and I told Irene about it, but Irene didn''t know that the children


    were green-eyed. I only found out about it a few days ago too."

 Chapter 237 Unacceptable

    Chapter 237 Uneptable


    Edricughed. In the past, to stop Margaret from bothering him, he had asked John to go to the sperm


    bank to find a sperm sample to give it to Margaret to find a surrogate. He had said to Margaret that he


    had told John to go to fetch a sperm sample from a doctor to deceive her.


    Therefore, he had asked John to find a sperm provider that was highly educated and healthy. He did


    not mention anything about the sperm provider''s nationality. So, John had passed Edric''s request to the


    doctor and the doctor said that coincidentally, a professor was going to donate his sperm at ater


    date, so he gave the sperm of the professor to John.


    After Edric had gotten the sperm, he handed it to Margaret and did not care about the matter until the


    time when Marie and Lily had schemed against Edric. After confirming that Lily''s babies did not belong


    to him, Edric was relieved. So, he asked John to check the information of the person who had provided


    the sperm to give Lily a big surprise after she gave birth to the children.


    Hence, John once again went to the doctor to ask about the information regarding the sperm donor.


    Originally, information concerning the sperm donors was confidential, but after John used a special


    gateway, he got to know that the other party was indeed a professor and was a foreigner.


    Edric was also surprised upon hearing that. If Lily really wanted to give birth to her children, he wouldn''t


    stop her anymore. She would only reap what she sowed in the end. Such a result was the best for a


    vicious woman like her.


    Up till then, Edric felt that it was time to harvest his goods. Simon, who he had ced by Marie''s side,


    was beginning to live up to his usefulness. As long as Simon reported to Deborah that Lily had given


    birth to mixed-race children, had her uterus cut, and that Marie already knew that Lily wasn''t her


    daughter, a good show would start. Deborah would most definitely think that Marie was trying to take


    revenge against her by deliberately letting Lily give birth to those children and by cutting her uterus.


    By that time, the two vicious women would turn against each other because of that matter. He was


    looking forward to what would happen when those two were to go against each other.


    After Edric left, Kinsey was still unable to control her excitement. Edric''s scheme was incredibly vicious.


    If Marie and Deborah really turned against each other, she couldn''t imagine how many things of the


    past they would bring up. By that time, the two b*tches would fight with each other, and the rest of them


    would only eat popcorn and enjoy the show on the sidelines.


    As they had achieved their revenge right then, what was left was the problem regarding Irene. While


    Edric most definitely still had feelings for Irene, Nathan also had done so much for Irene''s sake, so who


    was she going to choose? For Kinsey, she was still rooting for Irene to choose Nathan. She asked,


    "Irene, why hasn''t Nathan returned yet?"


    Irene''s face darkened. She said, "Kinsey, Nathan has some issues in his mind, so he won''t be returning


    for the time being."


    "Issues? What kind of issues?" Kinsey felt strange.


    Irene told Kinsey about how Nathan fell into Joanne''s scheme, but she didn''t mention Jodie''s


    pregnancy. Kinsey was furious, "How can Joanne be so vicious? What are you going to do now?"


    "What else can I do? Nathan fell into her scheme, so of course I have to forgive him," Irene replied.


    "Nathan is innocent, but how can Joanne be such a hateful woman?! I have to tell Jordan about this. If


    he marries such a vicious woman, he''ll suffer throughout his entire life!" Kinsey said.


    Kinsey thought that Jordan had no clue about the matter and ignored Irene as she held her back, going


    to find Jordan to talk about that matter. However, she did not expect that Jordan had already known


    about it. Kinsey red at Jordan, "What a friend you are. Since you have known it for a long time, why


    didn''t you tell me?"


    "You''re too talkative, and I was afraid that you''d affect Irene''s mood by telling her," Jordan replied.


    "Pfft! You make it sound like you''re doing it for Irene''s sake. Do you dare say that you''re not trying to


    cover up for Nathan? All men are bad news!" Kinsey retorted.


    "Being a human is already bad news in the first ce," Jordan smiled.


    "Don''t y word games with me. Tell me, how are you going to deal with this?" Kinsey asked.


    "What do you mean by that?" Jordan asked in return.


    "I''m talking about Joanne, that vicious woman. Could it be that you still want to marry her into your


    family?"


    "I''m a man of my word. I''ve promised her that I''ll marry her in three years if she still likes me by then. If


    Joanne really waits for me for three years, it''ll be difficult for me to not marry her too," Jordan sighed.


    "Why are you so pedantic? Is it necessary to keep your promise towards such a vicious girl like


    Joanne?" Kinsey red at him.


    Jordanughed heartily, "I''m just joking with you. I''ve alreadye to a conclusion about this. I''m just


    worried about Nathan right now. Nathan isn''t like me. He has a strong sense of responsibility and is


    extremely stubborn. He''s definitely feeling sorry towards Irene because of this matter. I''m worried that


    they''ll grow apart because of this."


    "This matter isn''t Nathan''s fault. Irene has already forgiven him. There won''t be any problems," Kinsey


    replied.


    "I know that Irene will forgive him. However, I heard that the woman that Nathan had slept with is a


    woman who has lost her memory and has nowhere else to live. That woman doesn''t even know her


    own identity. If she stays in the White family the entire time, wouldn''t Irene feel uneasy whenever she


    sees her in the future? What''s more, it would be bad if that woman realizes that Nathan is not only


    handsome but rich, and she shamelessly pesters Nathan," Jordan said.


    "That really is a problem," Kinsey also felt that the matter was quite tough to deal with, "I think we


    should urge Nathan to send that woman away."


    "I''ve already rmended this idea before, but Nathan said that the woman was too pitiful, she


    doesn''t even have any of her old memories, so where can he send her off to?"


    "Can''t we just find her family for her? Anything is fine as long as she leaves Nathan," Kinsey


    suggested.


    "Nathan has already done that, but he couldn''t find any information regarding the woman''s family from


    the police," Jordan frowned.


    "How about this? That woman will definitely affect Nathan and Irene''s rtionship if she stays by


    Nathan''s side. I think that we should bring that woman here in Havend and take care of her, so that


    she will be further away from Irene and Nathan, as to not affect their rtionship," Kinsey suggested


    again, "Or if there''s no news about that woman abroad, could she be a local resident? Why don''t we


    ask Nathan to send her photos to the police and ask for help? We might be able to find some


    information based on her photos."


    "There should be some difference between her photo on her identity card and a photo of her in her


    normal life, right?" Jordan thought thatparing her photos with the police was too unrealistic and


    difficult, but there wasn''t any other better way so far. After much consideration, he epted Kinsey''s


    suggestion in the end.


    Jordan then called Nathan to ask him to send Rowane''s photo to him so that he could search for her


    information with the police there. Nathan also thought that the method was too troublesome, and they


    might not be able to find any clues in the end, but he still sent Rowane''s photos to Jordan in the end.


    Jordan was shocked when he received the photos. Wasn''t that woman Rowane?


    Rowane was not a good person. Remembering that Rowane had been involved in the scheme to get


    Edric and Lily together, Jordan became anxious. It seemed that Nathan''s ident had been set up by


    both Joanne and Rowane. Rowane was definitely up to no good. Her so-called amnesia had to be an


    act too. He then immediately called Nathan to talk about it.


    Nathan was also surprised upon hearing that. If what Jordan said was true, then Rowane might really


    be in cahoots with Joanne and Lily. That must be her scheme.


    Nathan was extremely upset. He drove back home immediately.


    Britney was surprised to see Nathan''s solemn expression. She thought that Nathan had found out


    about Rowane''s pregnancy. Then, Nathan and Britney went into the study, "Britney, I''m back today


    because I have something important to tell you."


    "What is it?" Britney asked.


    "I''ve found out about Jodie''s real identity," Nathan said.


    "Really?" Britney was ted, "What''s her real name? Have you informed her family?"


    "Her real name is Rowane Wood. She doesn''t have any family members," Nathan replied.


    "How pitiful!" Hearing that Rowane did not have any family left, Britney felt sympathetic towards her.


    Nathan then smiled bitterly and said, "Britney, that''s not what I want to talk about. It''s something else.


    Rowane is a devious girl. She''s vicious and her personality is different from what we see."


    Nathan told Britney about Rowane''s attempt to harm Edric. Britney was very surprised, "You really can''t


    judge a book by its cover. Such a gentle and kind-looking woman is actually such a vicious person!"


    "That''s right, that is why I suspect that she has ulterior motives. Her amnesia is definitely just an act.


    Since she had cooperated with Lily and other people to frame Edric, who has even helped her before,


    she''ll definitely frame me as well. This time, it must not only be Joanne who was behind that matter, but


    Rowane must also have something to do with it. I n to hand her over to the police and let them send


    her back to Havend."


    Britney nodded, "That''s the only way. Send her away and see if she still can think of ways to harm


    others!"


    After that, she suddenly remembered Rowane''s pregnancy, "Oh right, I forgot to tell you that Rowane is


    pregnant!"


    "What?" Nathan was shocked.


    "She must have nned to get pregnant at this time. I was wondering why she agreed to everything so


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    easily. She even agreed to give birth to a child knowing that she would not get any fame out of it. Turns


    out she was nning this all along. That vicious woman, Rowane! Get rid of the child in her belly


    immediately, and then let the police send her back!" Britney was so angry that all the pity she had for


    Rowane vanished.


    Rowane was joyful when she heard that Nathan had returned. Although she knew that she should not


    have fallen for Nathan, she still could not control herself. As such, she made tea and prepared to send


    it to Nathan and Britney. However, she unexpectedly heard Nathan and Britney''s conversation.


    She did not expect that she had done such bad things in the past. How could she have harmed


    Nathan''s fianc¨¦e? Rowane could not ept that she was actually such a vicious woman. When she


    heard that Nathan and Britney suspected that her amnesia was just an act, and that she was in


    cahoots with Joanne, Rowane''s tears fell.


    The feeling of being misunderstood really was terrible. She had not plotted against Nathan, but she


    knew that Nathan would not believe her. In his heart, he had already made up his mind that she was a


    vicious woman and he would not treat her like before. When she heard Britney angrily saying that she


    was going to get rid of the child in her belly, Rowane could not bear to stay any longer. She put down


    the tray in her hands and stumbled out.


    Seeing Rowane running out with her face covered, the security guard at the door felt that she was


    acting a little strange, but he did not stop her.


    After Rowane stumbled out, Dunn, who had been waiting outside, saw an opportunity and caught up to


    her. Taking advantage of the fact that Rowane had her guard down, he knocked her out and dragged


    her into the car. The car then sped away.

 Chapter 238 Memories Restored

    Chapter 238 Memories Restored


    Nathan and Britney were discussing ways to deal with the ungrateful woman, Rowane, when suddenly,


    Nathan''s phone rang. It turned out to be Edric who had called. After Jordan called Nathan, he gave


    Edric a call and told him about Rowane''s amnesia and that she was with Nathan.


    Hearing that Rowane was still alive, Edric was very surprised. With Marie''s vicious nature, if she knew


    that Rowane was still alive, she would definitely go after Rowane as she was an important witness. If


    Rowane were to tell the truth, that would be the end of Marie and she would definitely go to jail.


    Therefore, he immediately called Nathan and asked, "Nathan, is Rowane with you?"


    "Yes, she is."


    Edric then told Nathan about Rowane being Marie''s and Steven''s daughter. He also told Nathan about


    Marie''s assassination attempt on Rowane too, "Rowane is an important witness. Since Marie failed to


    end herst time, I am worried that she will attempt to do so again. Please look out for Rowane at all


    times and keep her safe."


    Nathan was stunned. He immediately hung up on the phone and went to look for Rowane, but Rowane


    was not in her room. He then asked the other servants, but they did not see her either. Later, the


    security guard reported that Rowane had ran out with her hands covering her face.


    Nathan immediately ordered for people to search for Rowane, but she was nowhere to be found. He


    asked the security guards to check the surveince, and found that Rowane had been kidnapped.


    Nathan immediately reported the license te number of the kidnapper to the police. The police started


    going after the criminal.


    After Dunn knocked Rowane unconscious, he dragged her into the car and left immediately. Initially, he


    had wanted to kill Rowane immediately, but after seeing the unconscious Rowane, he was reluctant to


    do so. The unconscious Rowane looked gorgeous, and mes of lust burned in Dunn''s chest. Killing


    such a beautiful woman would be a waste. He wanted to enjoy his time with her before killing her off.


    Therefore, he brought Rowane back to his hideout.


    He brought Rowane into a room and ced her on a bed. Then, Dunn began to take off her clothes


    quickly. His harsh actions caused Rowane to wake up.


    When she saw Dunn taking off her clothes, she was shocked. She tried to escape, but Dunn grabbed


    her hair and dragged her back.


    "Let go of me!" Rowane struggled with all her might.


    "Hey beautiful, you''d better be obedient. If you make me happy enough, I might just let you live a few


    more days," Dunn saidsciviously while continuing to take Rowane''s clothes off.


    "You pervert! Aren''t you afraid of karma?" Rowane struggled.


    "Me? Afraid of karma? Why should I be?" Dunnughed harshly, "I have been killing people since a


    young age, so this is nothing to me!"


    "Go to hell! You will surely get your karma! Even if I die, I''lle back to haunt you," Rowane cursed


    angrily.


    "If there really is karma, I would have gotten it since the day I hit you with my car, but here I am, still


    very much alive! However, what about you? Don''t you know you are very near to death?" Dunn mocked


    her.


    "You hit me with a car?" Rowane looked at Dunn, shocked.


    Dunn''s disfigured face bore a sinister expression and his eyes were vicious. The scar on his face would


    bob whenever he chuckled. Where had she seen his face before? Her head hurt so badly that she


    couldn''t think about anything else. ''An ident! There was an ident!'' Those words continuously


    shed past her mind, making her mind more and more chaotic.


    With Dunn''s sinister grinning face and fierce eyes in front of her, pieces of undesirable memories


    suddenly shed through Rowane''s mind.


    e night on the street...she had been panicking...a car was closing in on her...


    The scar on Dunn''s face and his fierce, cruel eyes kept shing across Rowane''s blurred memories.


    They quickly ovepped as if she was having a nightmare. Rowane then came back to her senses as if


    she had just woken up from a dream.


    Murderer! He was the murderer who had hit her with a car!


    "Ah!" Rowane let out a terrifying scream.


    Bang! The sound of heavy objects falling sounded from outside the room. "Dunn!" Dunn''s subordinates


    shouted in horror. After the first call of his name, there came a long silence.


    The door was then suddenly kicked open, and Dunn subconsciously turned around. At the entrance of


    the room, stood a group of policemen in uniforms, with ck muzzles in their hands that were aimed at


    him...


    The news of Lily giving birth to green-eyed babies was published in the newspaper the very next day


    and the media milked that piece of news the best they could. The articles read that although Lily looked


    innocent on the outside, she would go to nightclubs in secret during the night. Her foreign children were


    the results of intimacy with a foreigner whom she had met in a nightclub. In an instant, everyone


    thought that Lily was a wh*re and a sl*t, and she became a hot topic among many. She was looked


    down by others in disgust.


    Deborah and Logan weren''t aware of the news of Lily''s babies being delivered since Lily had given


    birth earlier than the expected date and Marie was taking care of Lily instead. They had been having a


    hard time and were thinking of ways to bail Heather out. They had no time to pay attention to gossip, so


    naturally they knew nothing of that.


    Under Edric''s orders, Simon went to meet Deborah and Logan the next day, ready to put on a big


    show.


    Simon hailed a taxi and arrived at Deborah''s and Logan''s hideout. He was very familiar with the ce


    since he had surveyed the location prior to this visit after being informed of it by Edric''s men.


    Hearing the doorbell rang, Logan walked to the door and looked through the peephole. When he saw


    that it was Simon, he was shocked. He turned and said to Deborah in a low voice, "It''s Simon."


    "He got released?" Deborah was also surprised. How did Simon manage to escape? She had even


    bribed the officials in the past so that he would stay in jail for a longer period of time. She felt guilty


    about it, so she lowered her voice and asked Logan, "How did he know about this ce?"


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Perhaps Marie told him," Logan guessed, "Do you want to let him in?"


    "Let him in," Deborah replied.


    Logan opened the door and Simon entered the room, "Deborah, I''ve finally found you."


    "When did you get released?" Deborah asked him as she invited him to sit down.


    "I''ve been released for quite some time. I''ve been living with Marie for this period of time," Simon


    exined.


    "You''re living with Marie?" Deborah looked at Simon suspiciously. She knew very well how much Marie


    disliked Simon. Back then, she had tried so hard to send Simon to prison, so there was no way she


    would let him live with her. Did Simon ckmail Marie to let him stay? Deborah''s face hardened, "Did


    you threaten her with Lily''s matter?"


    Simon said with a smile, "Deborah, I had nowhere to go. So I have no choice but to look to her for help.


    She didn''t want to take me in at first, so I had to threaten her."


    Sure enough, everything was within Deborah''s expectations. Looking at Simon who was in front of her,


    Deborah felt very ufortable. Marie was as vicious as her, but he still dared to threaten her. It was a


    miracle that he was alive until then. Of course, what she was most worried about right then was the fact


    that Simon might tell that matter of the past to Marie. If Marie knew that Lily was not her daughter, the


    consequences would be unimaginable. Right then, the top priority was to persuade Simon to leave. If


    he was willing to listen to her request, then she would spare his life. Otherwise, she would show him no


    mercy.


    "Simon, Marie is an incredibly devious person. She could kill you with ease. I think you''d better stop


    fantasizing about being with her. I think you should use this matter to threaten her to give you some


    money and then you can settle down in another ce!" Deborah persuaded.


    "I know that she''s vicious. When I was living with her, she tried to kill me several times. Fortunately, I


    was clever enough." Simon sighed, "I came here today because I have something more important to


    tell you."


    "What''s the matter?" Deborah was satisfied with Simon''s obedience, so she became more affectionate,


    "Simon, if you need any help, just tell me."


    "Deborah, I don''t need your help with this. The reason I came to you today is to tell you about Lily. Lily


    has given birth in the hospital. Do you know that?" Simon asked.


    "Lily has given birth already? Why haven''t I heard anything from Marie?" Deborah was puzzled. Why


    didn''t Marie let her know by giving her a call? Of course, she didn''t know that Marie had been busy all


    night for Lily''s sake, "Is she done delivering the babies?"


    "Yes, she has," Simon replied.


    "Thank the heavens! Having a safe delivery is the most important," Deborah sighed with relief and


    asked Simon, "How''s Lily''s condition right now?"


    "Haven''t you read the newspaper?" Simon sighed, "Lily''s in such a pitiful state! Deborah, you''d better


    go and see her!"


    "What''s wrong with her?" Deborah became highly concerned as a mother would upon hearing that


    Lily''s body was in poor state.


    "Lily has given birth to two healthy foreign children. Although it was a premature delivery, the children


    are healthy. However, she bled a lot when giving birth," Simon continued.


    Simon spoke very slowly and he deliberately emphasized the word ''foreign children'', but unfortunately,


    it had never urred to Deborah that Lily would give birth to two foreign children, so she only thought


    that the children was normal. When she heard that Lily had bled a lot, she became very anxious, "Can


    you hurry and finish your sentences? You are making me anxious by speaking so slowly!"


    "Lily almost lost her life due to the bleeding, but Marie came to her rescue and saved her life," Simon


    finished. Upon hearing that Lily was safe, Deborah became relieved, but then, Simon continued,


    "Although her life has been saved, her uterus has been removed for good!"


    "What did you say?" Deborah was very shocked. Although Marie had told her that there was something


    wrong with Lily''s body and that she might not be able to get pregnant again, being unable to get


    pregnant and having no uterus bore two different meanings. How was Lily a woman if she no longer


    had a uterus?


    "Deborah, you should go and visit Lily quickly andfort her. At this time, she needs thefort of


    her family members the most," Simon persuaded.


    Deborah could not sit still. Lily was her own flesh and blood. How could she not worry about her? So,


    she hurried to the hospital.


    Lily was sleeping due to the sedatives. When Deborah entered the ward, she saw that Marie was


    looking after Lily. Marie was surprised to see her, "Why are you here?"


    "How can I note here when Lily''s like this?" Deborah anxiously walked to the bedside and asked,


    "How is she?"


    "She wasn''t emotionally stable, so I gave her a sedative to let her rest," Marie answered, "I was going


    to call you to tell you about the matter. She kept on bleeding due to the premature delivery, and I had to


    save her multiple times. I couldn''t think of any way to stop the bleeding, so I had no choice but to cut off


    her uterus."


    "Why did she have a premature delivery?" she asked. Since Simon had notified Deborah about Lily''s


    uterus being gone, so she was not too rmed, but she was still puzzled as to why Lily had a


    premature delivery.


    "I don''t know either. Lily had been sent to the hospital by Irene and the others. I guess that Irene was


    the one behind her premature delivery," Marie still dared to frame Irene at that moment.


    "Irene?" Simon had only told Deborah about the fact that Lily had her uterus cut, and he failed to tell


    her the whole story. Deborah got furious when she heard that, "Irene! That b*tch, I''ll never spare her!"

 Chapter 239 Unbelievable

    Chapter 239 Unbelievable


    "We''ll talk about Irer. We have to deal with Lily''s problem right now. You''vee at the right


    time. When Lily wakes up, you should try to talk to her. She''s too emotionally unstable right now," Marie


    said.


    "I know, I came here with the thought of persuading her," Deborah nodded. Lily''s temper was generally


    pretty bad, and she was the only one who could persuade her. Deborah reached out and touched Lily''s


    face, which was pale due to major blood loss, "How long has she been asleep? Nothing bad will


    happen right?"


    "Nothing bad will happen. Lily woke up in the morning. Her emotions were all over the ce, that I had


    no choice but to ask someone to give her a sedative. She will wake up soon," Marie exined.


    Deborah was relieved upon hearing that, but she soon remembered Lily''s children. Although Simon


    had said that Lily''s children were healthy, Deborah was still worried, "Marie, where are Lily''s children?


    Is there any problem with them?"


    "The children are fine," Marie answered. "But..." How should she tell Deborah about them being green-


    eyed? She couldn''t understand why the children were foreign no matter how much she thought about


    it. Was it a gic mutation? However, would the children''s eyes turn that green just because of some


    gic mutation?


    "But what?" Deborah''s heart sank when she saw Marie''s unnatural expression, "Could it be that there''s


    something wrong with the children?"


    Marie sighed, she had no choice but to tell the truth, "I don''t know what happened, but Lily gave birth


    to foreign children."


    Deborah did not think that her definition of green-eyed meant that the children would be


    extremely foreign. It was the same as what Simon had said in the morning, so she also thought that


    children only had a slightly mix-blood-like and did not care much about it, "So what if they''re a little


    strange, there''s nothing wrong with that right? Since Lily is asleep, let''s have a look at the children


    together!"


    Marie looked at Deborah withplicated eyes and took the lead to leave the ward. They then came to


    the door of the nursery room, when the nurse saw Marie, she took the initiative to greet Marie. Marie


    pointed at Deborah and said, "I''m here to let her have a look at the children."


    The nurse nced at Deborah and opened the door. Marie and Deborah entered the baby room.


    Deborah could see two foreign babies the moment she entered the room, but she did not expect that


    they were Lily''s children. When she saw Marie stopping in front of the two children, she was very


    puzzled until Marie spoke, "These two are Lily''s children."


    "What did you say?" Deborah was stunned. Lily gave birth to two foreign babies? How was that


    possible? She looked away from the two children and looked at Marie, "Could this be a mistake?"


    "No, I was at the door of the operating room at that time. These two children were carried out of the


    operating room by the nurses," Marie answered.


    "How could the children be foreigner? How is it possible?" Deborah raised her voice. Some of the


    babies were frightened by her voice and burst into tears and the nurse came in quickly.


    The news of Lily giving birth to foreign children had already spread throughout the hospital. In addition,


    from the newspaper articles that had been written about Lily, everyone believed that Lily had had


    another affair with another man, but she still had hoped to frame Edric to get some money from him.


    Seeing how worked up Deborah was, the nurse looked at her with disdain in her eyes. So that was the


    mother of the woman who had had an affair with a foreigner.


    How ridiculous! How could she not know her own daughter''s personality? Moreover, she still dared to


    make amotion in the hospital. If it was someone else, she would have told her to shut up.


    However, for Marie''s sake, the nurse said gently, "Dr. Walker, she can''t make amotion here. You''d


    better take her out of here."


    Marie pulled Deborah out of the nursery. Deborah''s face was full of anger and disbelief. She red at


    Marie and questioned fiercely, "What the hell is going on? Wasn''t Lily pregnant with Edric''s child? How


    did she give birth to foreign children?"


    How could Marie exin to her clearly? She tried to calm her down, "Calm down and lower your voice.


    This is a hospital, and you shouldn''t make a fuss here."


    Deborah also realized that her reaction was drawing too much attention, hence she lowered her voice


    and said, "How can I calm down? You were in charge of this matter. How did it turn out like this?" Marie


    was the one who had been in charge of Lily''s pregnancy, so how could she not know about it?


    "Let''s talk about it in Lily''s ward," Marie dragged Deborah away. A few passersby whispered to each


    other, "I heard that there are two foreign children in the nursery room. Let''s go and have a look."


    "Shame on her. Lily is such a shameless woman. She messed with another man and gave birth to the


    man''s child, but she still wanted to frame Edric. Fortunately, she made love with a foreign man,


    otherwise, her scheme would''ve definitely seeded."


    "There''s no way she would''ve seeded in the first ce! Edric isn''t a fool. He probably broke up with


    her knowing that she''s a wh*re. In this case, he''ll definitely be willing to do a paternity test. Even if she


    didn''t get together with a foreign man, Lily still wouldn''t have seeded!"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Deborah''s eyes were burning with rage when she heard their discussion. What right did those people


    have to tarnish her daughter''s reputation? She wanted to fight them, but Marie stopped her, "What are


    you doing? Do you want to make a big deal out of this? Don''t forget your current identity!"


    After hearing Marie''s words, Deborah stopped walking. She was now just a nobody. How could a


    nobody fight passersby? All she could do was re at the passersby and head back with Marie back to


    Lily''s ward.


    "What the hell is going on?" Deborah demanded right after the ward''s door was closed.


    "I don''t know, either," Marie admitted.


    "You don''t know? How could you not know? You were the one who had stored Edric''s sperm, and you


    were the one who had been in charge of the artificial insemination, so how can you not know


    anything?"


    "Yes, I had kept the sperm that Margaret gave me in the past, but I didn''t expect the matter to turn out


    like this either. Could it be that the person who stored the sperm took the wrong one?" Marie


    spected.


    "Took the wrong one?" Deborah was stunned. That was the only exnation at present, but what could


    she do? It was a little toote to me the problem on the sperm as they had a bigger issue right then.


    Two lives had been born because of the error made, and that was what they need to deal with now.


    Moreover, her daughter''s uterus had been removed for good. "What should I do now?" Deborah


    stammered.


    How would Marie know what to do? She just kept silent. At that moment, Lily woke up. She cried when


    she saw her mother, "Mom, someone must have reced my children with theirs. Mom, please help


    me get my children back."


    "Lily, calm down. You''ve just finished giving birth to two babies and your body still hasn''t recovered. You


    need to prioritize on recovering first," Deborah held Lily andforted her. It was then that Lily finally


    stopped crying.


    Deborah inquired about the details of the incident when Lily fell down. Lily told the story as it was to


    Deborah, and she even told Deborah her ns about aggravating Irene. Deborah listened to her


    exnation silently. After a while, she asked, "Could the children''s issue be Edric''s doing?"


    "What does Edric have anything to do with this?" Marie asked.


    "Could it be that Edric had found two foreign children and swapped them with Lily''s children? I had a


    feeling that the reporters came at a strange timing. Why would they show up in the hospital? Lily is


    neither a star nor a celebrity. She can''t possibly attract so many reporters just because she''s giving


    birth, right?" Deborah said.


    Hearing what she said, Lily shouted immediately, "Mom, he must''ve bribed the doctors to swap my


    children. It has to be that!"


    "Right now, we have to find where your biological children are. We can''t let Edric get away with this so


    easily," Deborah said. She too believed that the children had been reced.


    Marie thought about it. The doctor who had been in charge of Lily''s delivery was personally assigned


    by her. In addition, she had been monitoring the procedure the whole time. Therefore, the possibility of


    the children being swapped was very low. Marie said, "We had better give the children a paternity test


    to confirm things. If the children really aren''t Lily''s biological children, we can go to Edric then."


    Deborah and Lily both agreed to her suggestion. They both passed the matter of the paternity test to


    Marie. Deborah could not stay in the ward for too long, so she left afterforting Lily for a while.


    Deborah hailed a taxi home. On the way home, the driver turned on the radio. The radio was


    broadcasting some entertainment news. The male host on the radio was mocking Lily giving birth to


    two foreign children, "Ah, Mr. Cook has been detained and Miss Cook has given birth to foreign


    children. An apple really doesn''t fall from the tree, eh? Mr. Cook''s own crooked behavior caused his


    daughter to turn out to be as bad. She would often go to the nightclubs and mess with other men, and


    even came up with such a scheme. Unfortunately, she has failed miserably. She has sessfully made


    a fool out of herself by giving birth to a foreign baby, therefore proving that the child isn''t Edric''s."


    The female DJ said, "Yes, Miss Cook is not only immoral, she is also said to be extremely vicious. She


    had even nned to use the children to earn some quick cash. She''s too simple-minded. I heard that


    all of Edric''s property has already been given to his ex-wife, Irene and the child who she gave birth to,


    and now he''s just managing thepany in his ex-wife and child''s ce. If Lily now finds out that Edric


    is now merely working for his ex-wife and child, I wonder if she will still choose him."


    The hostughed out loud, "Of course she wouldn''t! She''s not that stupid!"


    Deborah became furious after hearing the broadcast. She reached out and turned off the radio. The


    taxi driver, who had been enjoying the radio, was shocked by her sudden actions, "What are you


    doing?"


    "It''s too noisy," Deborah said fiercely.


    Seeing the fierce look on her face, the driver had no choice but to remain silent.


    She wondered if the fact that Edric had passed all his assets to Irene and her child was true. If it was


    true, wouldn''t her and Lily''s efforts be all in vain?


    Thinking deeper into it, Deborah felt that something was wrong. Edric had so many assets, so how


    could he give everything to Irene? Edric must have spread the news on purpose to make a joke out of


    Lily. Thinking about that, Deborah felt infuriated. How could Edric be so ruthless? She would definitely


    find a way to get revenge!


    Deborah returned to Logan''s house full of anger. Logan passed her a newspaper when he saw that she


    was back, "Take a look at this."


    Deborah took it and had a look. The newspaper actually had an article about how Lily had messed


    around with other people, got pregnant, and tried to earn some quick cash using the children. Deborah


    was so angry that she tore the newspaper apart, "These paparazzi are so hateful!"


    "What should we do now?" Logan asked her.


    "Let''s wait until Lily does the paternity test. If those children aren''t Lily''s children, we can definitely turn


    the tables around!" Deborah swore angrily.


    Meanwhile, Loraine was still at San Fetillo begging on the streets for a living. She kept on praying that


    her son, Tommy, would be fine. However, things had gone contrary to her wishes, as something bad


    had indeed happened to her son.


    Loraine suspected that Tommy''s death had been caused by Marie, but she had no evidence. Loraine


    was also a ruthless individual. She swore to seek justice for her son, so she wandered around the


    hospital in the past few days, hoping to find some evidence.


    One night, when Loraine went out to look for food, she got grabbed by someone. The person said, "You


    b*tch, so this is where you''re hiding. No wonder I couldn''t find you anywhere!"


    The voice sounded incredibly familiar. Loraine was startled as she raised her head and saw Jackson


    standing in front of her, eyes alight with cruel intent.

 Chapter 240 Youd Better Die

    Chapter 240 You''d Better Die


    "B*tch, tell me honestly, how did Rosa die?" Jackson questioned angrily. He too had received news


    about Rosa''s death, and he was devastated. During that period of time, Jackson''s heart was in a mess.


    He thought carefully and came to the conclusion that Rosa''s death must had something to do with


    Loraine. He had believed that Tommy was Loraine''s son before, but that was not the case  anymore.


    Jackson thought that Loraine must have killed Rosa out of jealousy. Jackson had constantly been


    looking for Loraine, ready to take revenge.


    Pure hatred surged in Jackson''s eyes upon seeing Loraine. He stretched out his arm and grabbed


    Loraine, "B*tch, you''ll die today!"


    Loraine could not care less. She didn''t have much desire to live either. Right then, taking revenge for


    her son was the only thing on her mind. Seeing that Jackson was going to take action on her, she said


    in a hurry, "I deserve to die, but I can''t let my son die in vain. Why don''t you wait until I get revenge on


    my son?"


    "B*tch, how dare you lie to me?" Jackson sneered, "Both their deaths are obviously your doing! And


    you still dare to lie to me that he is my son? Do you really think I''m a fool?"


    "Listen to me!" Loraine told Jackson everything about Tommy''s death, "I suspect that Marie is the one


    behind Tommy''s death. I am now looking for evidence. If it is really Marie who did it, I will not let that


    b*tch die in peace!"


    Seeing that Loraine was speaking in such a convincing manner, Jackson started to partially believe her,


    but he also knew that Loraine was extremely cunning, so he would not let her go so easily. He said, "If


    what you say is true, I''ll never let Marie get away with this. Let''s take revenge on Marie together!"


    Marie took Lily''s hair sample and went to do the paternity test for the two children. The results soon


    came out. There was no doubt that the two children were Lily''s biological children.


    Marie told the news to Deborah, and Deborah was stunned. It had been confirmed that the two children


    were Lily''s biological children. So, the sperm being changed was the only reasonable exnation left.


    The doctor who looked after the sperm bank did not know them at all, so why would they swap the


    sperm sample? Deborah couldn''t figure it out. At that moment, Simon went to her again, "Deborah,


    there''s something I''ve been thinking about for many days. I''ll tell you about itter."


    "What''s the matter?" Deborah was worried enough regarding the foreign children situation. She had no


    interest in Simon''s affairs.


    "I think Marie knows that Lily isn''t her daughter," Simon said. As soon as Simon finished speaking,


    Deborah jumped up suddenly.


    "How did you know?" Deborah asked.


    "It''s just my guess," Simon answered.


    Hearing Simon say it was only a guess, Deborah suppressed her panic and said, "What nonsense are


    you talking about if you have no evidence? If Marie knew that Lily wasn''t her daughter, would she even


    help me to begin with?"


    "Help you? What did she help you with?" Simon asked.


    Deborah was unable to retort for a moment. After a while, she replied, "Marie helped with the matter of


    Lily and Edric. Otherwise, Edric and Irene would still be together and they would not have divorced."


    "Is that considered helping? Have you thought about Lily''s current predicament? She has a pair


    of foreign children, and no uterus anymore. She has it the worst among all!" Simon said.


    "What are you trying to say?" Deborah asked.


    "I suspect that Marie must have known that Lily is not her daughter, so she secretly took revenge on


    you. She deliberately schemed for Lily to give birth to those foreign children, and then used the


    opportunity to destroy Lily''s uterus," Simon exined.


    "There''s no way she would do that, right?" Although Deborah answered Simon in a disbelieving


    manner, she was suddenly on guard after being reminded by Simon. Indeed, the idea of letting Lily


    undergo artificial insemination had been Marie''s idea, and Marie had been the one in charge of


    handling the sperm as well. No one could prove that the sperm that she had used to artificially


    inseminate Lily had been Edric''s sperm.


    Reality was that Lily had given birth to a pair of foreign babies. Edric''s sperm turned out to be


    a foreigner''s sperm in the end. That was something that could not be exined. Was it really like what


    Simon had said? Did Marie find out that Lily wasn''t her daughter, so she secretly took revenge on


    Deborah?


    "Deborah, don''t be fooled. Marie is an extremely vicious person. She''s even capable of harming Myra,


    her own older sister, let alone you," Simon persuaded.


    Simon''s task was almostplete, and what was left was to sow discord among them, "Marie is a


    doctor. It''s easy for her to know if Lily is her child or not, right? I suspect that she has long known that


    Lily is not her child, but she pretended to not know, and slowly schemed against you."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Would she really do that?" Deborah asked.


    "Yes, something is definitely amiss." Logan added, "Marie was the one who had brought in the sperm.


    She had also said that it was Edric''s sperm and did the operation herself. Now that Lily has be


    like this, I don''t believe that this matter has nothing to do with her."


    "If this was really done by that b*tch, then I will definitely not let her off!" Deborah had only been partly


    convinced at first, but after hearing Logan''s words, she was almost a hundred percent certain that it


    was the truth, "No, I have to go and ask Marie personally!"


    "I''ll go with you!" Simon followed Deborah to meet Marie.


    Marie was surprised to see Deborah and Simon, "Why are you guys here together?"


    "I have something to ask you," Deborah''s face was gloomy, "Have you investigated the matter about


    the sperm?"


    "No," Marie had no time to investigate that. Even if she wanted to investigate, there wouldn''t be any


    results. The doctor who had stored the sperm for her would definitely not admit anything.


    "Why didn''t you investigate it?" Deborah asked furiously.


    "Can''t you see that I''m too busy for it?" Marie answered, "Plus, even if the doctor took the wrong sperm


    sample, he would definitely not admit it."


    "So you''re just going to let this matter go?" Deborah was even more upset upon hearing Marie''s words.


    "There is no other way now. The only way is to send the two children away first and let Lily take good


    care of her body. We can talk about other thingster," Marie said.


    "Send the children away? Are you going to let everything Lily has done be in vain?" Simon interrupted.


    "Why are you interfering in our business?" Marie red at Simon. Was Simon out of his mind? How


    dare he speak of Lily in front of Deborah? Was he seeking death? "Get out of here, it''s none of your


    business!"


    After driving Simon out, only Deborah and Marie were left in the room. Deborah looked at Marie coldly


    and said, "Simon is right. Are you going to let everything Lily has done be in vain?"


    "Do you have any good ideas, then?" Marie retorted. Lily was her daughter. She was devastated too


    how things had turned out, but she could not do anything for the time being.


    "I have no good ideas. I just think that this matter is very strange. This doctor who was in charge of the


    sperm bank had nothing to do with us, so why would he want to harm Lily?"


    "Maybe he took the wrong sperm sample," Marie replied, also clueless.


    "That exnation ispletely false. He definitely would make records for storing sperm. How could


    he make such a foolish mistake?" Deborah asked.


    "I''ll ask himter and see what he says. However, if he doesn''t admit it, we can''t do anything about it.


    After all, it''s not a very glorious matter," Marie answered.


    "Enough!" Deborah interrupted her, "Marie, tell me the truth, did you swap Edric''s sperm with


    a foreigner''s sperm?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Marie didn''t admit it, "We''ve been working together for so


    many years. Do you think I would have any reason to do this?"


    Deborah red at Marie and said, "If I find out that this matter has something to do with you, I will not


    let you off!"


    Marie also got furious, "Deborah, be careful of your words! I have cooperated with you for so many


    years. We havemitted so many crimes together, and you know that very clearly! Do you think I will


    be foolish enough to plot against you?"


    "It''s hard to say!" Deborah sneered, "You must have your reasons for doing this. Marie, I''m not Myra,


    nor am I Tommy and Rosa. If you really have gone against me, you won''t have a good life!"


    "Deborah, what is the meaning of this? Are you threatening me? Do you think you can ckmail me


    that easily?" Marie was also aggravated, "I know your tricks, but let me tell you that I too am not Myra,


    Tommy nor Rosa. I will not sit around for you to kill me. If you really provoke me, I will expose all your


    ugly affairs. Let''s see who will suffer more by then!"


    "Expose all my ugly affairs? Don''t act like you didn''t participate in any of them," Deborah replied.


    "What have I participated in?" Marie sneered, "You were the one who ordered Logan to hit Myra in the


    past. You were also the one who ordered Logan to burn Tommy and Rosa to death. What have I done?


    I had just been a witness at best."


    "Trying to cleanse yourself now, aren''t you? Do you think I will let you do as you please?" Deborah


    screamed.


    Marie had been on guard against her ever since the beginning. Indeed, it was she who had ordered


    Logan to kill Myra. She and Logan had also personally burned Tommy and Rosa to death too. Marie


    had not done any of it, as she was only a witness to it. She sneered and said, "Let me tell you,


    although Tommy and Rosa have been burned to death by Logan and I, you were also there at that


    time. As long as me and Logan say that, you can''t escape either!"


    They were fighting each other, but they couldn''t possibly have imagined that Simon had already ced


    a recording pen inside the room to record the contents of their conversation.


    In the end, Deborah and Marie parted unhappily after the quarrel. On the way back, Deborah said


    angrily, "Marie must''ve done all of this. That b*tch, I won''t let her go that easily!"


    Marie was also very upset. That b*tch Deborah was extremely cruel and merciless. Since she had


    openly picked a fight with her, at least she would be able to take more precautions against her in the


    future.


    As for Simon, he pretended tofort Marie. Then, he took out the recording pen and handed it to


    John. John then handed the recording pen to Edric, and asked, "What should we do now?"


    "Find a way to let Jackson and Loraine learn about the contents of the recording. I believe that they will


    definitely avenge Tommy and Rosa!" Edric answered.


    John nodded, "What about Marie?"


    Edric sneered, "Ask Simon about the progress of his preparations. Let''s talk after he has had his


    enjoyment!"


    Simon wanted to do the deed with Marie every night not just because he wanted to vent his lust, but


    also that he was also secretly filming everything.


    Those secretly filmed videos had been edited by professionals, and they had censored out Simon''s


    face. However, Marie was different. They had deliberately exposed her face clearly in front of the


    camera.


    After the professionals were done editing the videos, Simon sent copies of it to every doctor and nurse


    that worked in Marie''s hospital. Even the security guards and janitors were not spared.


    He also publicly sold those videos and posted them on the inte.

 Chapter 241 Laughing Stock

    Chapter 241 Laughing Stock


    The hospital staff were horrified to see Marie''s obscene videos. Marie''s image in the hospital had


    initially been excellent, so it was shocking to see such videos of her.


    People generally liked gossip, so employees who were familiar with each other began to secretly


    gossip about Marie, "I didn''t expect that the seemingly noble and cold Dr. Walker''s private life would be


    so licentious!"


    "You''re right! Look at these positions, haha! Just one look and I know that she''s an expert in that field.


    What do you mean she''s noble and cold? She is such a sl*t!"


    Everyone in the hospital, including the patients, had all watched Marie''s obscene videos and they were


    all discussing it. However, Marie was oblivious to it. When she went to work, she found that the nurses


    in the hospital were looking at her differently, but she did not give it much thought.


    Marie had cooked nutritious soup for Lily and she brought it into Lily''s ward, "Lily, drink it while it''s hot!"


    Marie coaxed Lily.


    She poured the soup into a bowl and handed it to Lily diligently. Lily took a sip of it and couldn''t help but


    ask, "Madam Walker, who on earth did you offend? Why would someone do these things to you?" She


    did not think that the person in the video was Marie. She thought that the woman in the video was just


    Marie''s lookalike.


    "What do you mean?" Marie asked.


    "Look at this," Lily handed the phone to Marie. "These people are really shameless, how dare they use


    your face! You must sue them!"


    Seconds into the video, Marie''s face changed drastically. Others might not know what had happened,


    but she herself knew that the contents of the video was true. Marie trembled and deleted the video from


    Lily''s mobile phone. She knew very well that it was all Simon''s doing. At that moment, she loathed


    Simon to the very core of her heart. However, she yed along as she did not want Lily to know the


    truth behind the video, "How could people do such a thing? I will surely sue them!"


    After a few more moments with Lily, she left and hid in a secluded area of the hospital. She then called


    Simon, and as soon as the call was connected, she scolded fiercely, "You son of a b*tch, what is the


    meaning of this?"


    Simon grinned cheekily, "Surprised? Something even more surprising is yet toe!"


    "Just you wait! I won''t let you get away with this!" Marie screamed.


    "I''ll dly wait for youreback. Show me what you''ve got!" Simon sneered, "What''sing next will


    surely make you cry!"


    Simon''s fearless answer made Marie almost explode with anger. She hung up the phone while panting


    and walked out of the secluded ce. A nurse stopped her and said, "Dr. Walker, Director Casady


    wants to meet you!"


    "Do you know what it''s about?" Marie asked.


    "I don''t know," the nurse left as if she was trying to avoid some kind of gue.


    Marie went to the director''s office. When she knocked on the door, she saw Director Casady was


    looking at her with a sullen face. Director Casady had always smiled at her, so seeing such a solemn


    side of him scared her and she had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, before she could even settle


    herself into the chair opposite him, Director Casady threw a newspaper at her and said coldly, "Look at


    this!"


    Marie picked up the newspaper and looked at it. Her face fell. The headline of the newspaper was


    about her. The newspaper said that her medical ethics had been corrupted. Not only did she perform


    illegal artificial insemination, she was also reported to had multiple s*x partners in life.


    Marie''s sight went dark, and Director Casady''s cold voice sounded, "You should look for another


    hospital. Our hospital can''t hire such a person like you!"


    As Director Casady was talking, he threw a letter of termination towards her. Marie felt ashamed and


    angry at the same time. She left the hospital and returned home in the end.


    It had to be the work of that b*tch, Deborah, and Simon. Marie gritted her teeth in hatred while thinking


    of ways to deal with Deborah and Simon. However, when she returned home, she found that her house


    had been ransacked, and all her valuable things were gone. Simon had even robbed her of all her


    assets. Marie felt very fortunate that all her money was in the bank, and what Simon took away was


    just a small portion of her wealth.


    However, she was still worried. So, she went to check her bank ount online. She was shocked to


    see her ount bnce had be zero and she desperately checked all the transactions that had


    taken ce and found that all her money had been transferred away on the veryputer she was


    using right then.


    Marie was furious, and she went to the police station to file a report regarding the case. She was


    hoping that the police could help her, but to her disappointment, they asked her to return home and


    wait for new updates.


    Meanwhile, John had ordered someone to pass the recording of Marie and Deborah''s argument to


    Sam, and Sam passed it to Jackson. After listening to the contents of the recording, Jackson and


    Loraine were furious. They were determined to get their revenge. The two of them then discussed how


    to deal with Deborah and Logan together.


    Deborah and Logan had also received Marie''s obscene video. They were watching the video and


    she saw an unfamiliar man standing at the door. Deborah did not open the door, but asked from inside


    the house, "What''s the matter?"


    "I''m a resident downstairs. Your unit''s water pipe has a leakage, and it has leaked all over my ce.


    Hurry and open the door and let me check it!" the man said.


    Upon hearing that, Deborah opened the door. The man then immediately barged in past her and yelled,


    "Jackson, hurry up!"


    Within a few seconds, Jackson and Loraine quickly entered the house and mmed the door shut.


    Deborah was surprised to see Loraine, "Why are you here? What''s wrong with your eye?"


    Loraine red at Deborah. If looks could kill, Deborah and Logan would buried six feet under at that


    moment, "B*tch, it''s all because of you that I''ve be like this! I''ve done so many things for you over


    the years, but you still treated me like this. How dare you kill my only son! You vicious b*tch!"


    Deborah did not expect Loraine to know about that. Seeing the vicious look in Loraine''s eyes, she


    immediately cried, "It wasn''t me. I didn''t kill your son!"


    Next to Loraine, Jackson was too seething with anger. He charged towards Logan who was on the


    sofa, "Logan you bast*rd. Return back Tommy''s and Rosa''s lives!"


    "Calm down!" Logan said. The moment he recognized Jackson, Logan was so frightened that he had


    turned pale. Jackson was once the tyrant of Cat Alley, as he was very powerful and would use vicious


    means. He was not someone that Logan could mess with.


    "You want me to calm down? I''ll calm myself down by beating you up!" Jackson swung his fist at


    Logan. Logan had already been mentally afraid of Jackson in the first ce, so how would he dare to


    fight with Jackson? Logan only thought about escaping. Jackson, on the other hand, was filled with


    anger and was hell bent on taking revenge. He eventually gave Logan an excellent beating.


    Meanwhile, Deborah and Loraine were still fighting heatedly. Although one of Loraine''s eyes was blind,


    she still was a nanny for many years. She was not on the same level as Deborah, who was a noble


    woman. Therefore Deborah could not fight back at Loraine, hence she ended up getting beat up


    horribly by Loraine.


    After the both of them got beaten up horribly, Jackson tied Deborah and Logan with a rope. He then


    turned to the man who had barged past Deborah just now. It was Sam. He thanked Sam, "Thank you


    for your help. You may leave now. We will take it from here."


    Sam nodded and left. Jackson and Loraine red at both Deborah and Logan viciously. Their vicious


    gaze pierced through and Deborah knew that they were in grave danger. Hence, she med it all on


    Marie, "We didn''t kill your son, Marie did."


    "You still dare to try to quibble even at this stage. I know that Marie isn''t a good person as well, but you


    and Logan were the ones who took action. I will let you guys die the same way my son did!" Loraine


    screamed and gave Deborah a hard p and kick.


    Deborah screamed in pain. Loraine still was not satisfied, so she found a stick and hit Deborah''s leg


    with it. On the other side, Jackson naturally would not let Logan off either, and he broke both of Logan''s


    legs.


    Logan and Deborah were in so much pain that they felt like they were on the verge of death. Loraine


    was exhausted from the beating, so she stopped and asked Jackson, "What should we do now?"


    "What else can we do? They''ll face the same treatment Tommy and Rosa had gone through," Jackson


    said in a vicious tone.


    "Yes, an eye for an eye. These two b*tches should also be burned to death!" Loraine went to the


    kitchen to find some cooking oil and poured it on Deborah and Logan. Then, she lit a lighter.


    The fire spread in an instant, and Deborah and Logan were screaming in agony and pain. Whates


    around goes around. Deborah could finally know the agony behind being burnt alive.


    Jackson and Loraine looked at Deborah and Logan, who were screaming while being burned alive,


    then turned and went downstairs. They ran into Marie who was on her way to take revenge on


    Deborah. Although Jackson did not know Marie, Loraine did. She immediately said, "This is Marie, who


    had killed our son. Don''t let her get away!"


    Jackson grabbed Marie''s cor and hair to stop her. Marie was shocked by the sudden attack, "Who


    are you? What are you trying to do?"


    "It''s only been a short time, but you don''t recognize me anymore?" Loraine sneered. When she saw the


    one-eyed Loraine and the fierce-looking Jackson, Marie was frightened, and kept on struggling for help.


    Initially, Loraine had wanted to kill Deborah with a knife, hence she had one on her. Upon seeing Marie


    trying to call for help, she stabbed Marie with her knife, causing blood to spurt out in an instant. Loraine


    was not satisfied with that, and the stabbing continued as she cursed at Marie.


    Marie''s cries for help were heard by the residents in the area, and someone immediately called the


    police. At the same time, the house where Deborah and Logan were living was also on fire, and the


    residents had alerted the fire department.


    At that moment, a patrol car happened to pass by. When they received the call, they immediately


    rushed to that residential area. Jackson and Loraine were surrounded by the police. The police shouted


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    loudly to ask Loraine to put down the knife, but Loraine''s eyes werepletely tinged red with


    revenge, and she was unwilling to stop. In the end, several policemen came forward and arrested


    Loraine and Jackson.


    Marie''s bloody bodyid on the ground. A kind-hearted resident immediately sent her to a nearby


    hospital for resuscitation. However, Logan and Deborah, who were upstairs, were not so lucky. By the


    time the firemen arrived, they had already been burned to death.

 Chapter 242 False Paternity Test

    Chapter 242 False Paternity Test


    Marie, who was seriously injured, was immediately sent to the hospital for rescue while Loraine and


    Jackson were taken to the police station.


    Irene soon learned what had happened. Deborah and Logan had been burned to death while Marie


    had been stabbed and hospitalized. What awaited Marie was a lifetime of imprisonment. The


    murderers who had killed her mother had all met their doom, but Irene''s heart was not happy at all. If


    she could, she would rather not seek revenge, as she only wanted her mother to be alive.


    After being treated by a doctor in the hospital, Marie''s condition stabilized. After a few days of recovery


    in the hospital, she finally gained consciousness. Soon, Marie had Lily on her mind the whole time and


    she wanted to know how Lily was.


    Although Marie was missing Lily, Lily did not return the same feelings.


    Deborah and Logan''s death gave Lily a headache. After their death, Lily had nothing else left. Lily felt


    annoyed when faced with the two crying babies. She had always been an unsympathetic person, and


    she would not allow two children to drag her down. In the end, she ced them in an orphanage and


    left.


    The cruelty of such a mother was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Fortunately, Edric had


    already inquired about the whereabouts of the father of the children, and told him about it. After doing


    the paternity test, the father took the children away from the orphanage.


    Although the two children would not be able to experience a mother''s love, having a father to dote on


    them was a blessing too.


    After leaving the children in the orphanage, Lily''s life did not get any better. She had initially nned to


    seek refuge under Marie. However, after she learned that Marie had nothing left as well, she gave up


    on Marie too. Marie no longer had any value to her so naturally, she would not go to visit Marie either.


    Marie missed Lily a lot, but she did not expect for Lily to not be willing to visit her even once. She really


    did not feel good about it. After staying in the hospital for a few days, she was much stronger, so Marie


    tried to call Lily, but no one picked up.


    Lily had no time to entertain Marie. Right then, she had no money, and it was difficult for her to do


    anything. Lily was only thinking about how to get money and live a superior life like she had before.


    In the past, she had no desire to work hard as she only knew how to indulge, so it had naturally been


    impossible for her to find a job. After thinking about it, Lily decided to look for Steven. Although


    Steven''s assets had been confiscated, Lily did not believe that Steven did have some hidden money


    that the officials were not able to find out about.


    Steven originally needed to be monitored, but due to his health condition, he was allowed to have a


    pretrial release in order to treat his sickness. Lily went to visit him under the identity of his daughter.


    Lily told Steven about how bad her life had be and cried. Seeing that Lily was dressed in simple


    clothes and she looked weak, Steven''s heart softened. He did not know that Lily was deliberately lying


    to him to gain his sympathy.


    Steven waspletely convinced that Lily was his daughter. When Deborah had returned with Lily, he


    had done a paternity test, and it proved that Lily was indeed his daughter. Deborah''s death was the


    result of her own deeds, but Lily was innocent.


    Steven even felt that Lily''s character was not all that bad. If she had not been corrupted by Deborah in


    the past, perhaps she would have been a kind child like Irene.


    With that thought in mind, Steven tried to help Lily.


    All of Steven''s assets had been confiscated, and the only possession that he had left were the


    traditional paintings that he had given to Edric from before. Those paintings were initially his gift to


    Edric for marrying Irene, but now Steven thought that he should try to persuade Irene to pass the


    paintings to Lily.


    When Irene went to the hospital to visit Steven, he mentioned Lily and the traditional paintings. He told


    Irene that he wanted Irene to pass the paintings to Lily, or at least give her some money so that she


    could livefortably.


    Although Irene did not care much about money, Steven''s request frustrated her. Those traditional


    paintings had been originally Dave''s and were shamelessly taken away by Steven. Thus, how dare he


    suggest for her to pass them to Lily? Irene could not help but ask, "Speaking of the paintings, I have


    something to ask you. You always said that those paintings have been passed down from your family.


    Is that true?"


    Steven answered awkwardly, "Of course they''ve been passed down from my family. Otherwise, how


    would I have obtained such valuable things?"


    Irene did not expect that Steven was still trying to quibble at that point. She had never mentioned it


    before because she did not want to embarrass Steven, but at that moment, she no longer cared.


    Steven''s words and actions had hurt her. She sneered and said, "Those traditional paintings had


    originally belonged to my uncle. What makes you think you have the right to handle them? Don''t you


    feel guilty that you have taken them for yourself?"


    Steven''s face turned red upon Irene''s questioning. He begged in a low voice, "Irene, I really pity Lily.


    She''s only a girl, how can she survive without any money? Both of you are sisters. Could you please


    help her for my sake?"


    Irene was irritated by Steven''s words, "Is Lily terminally ill? Or does she have a broken limb? Why can''t


    she find a job on her own since she''s perfectly able to do so?"


    "Lily has never endured any hardships since she was a child, and she was corrupted by Deborah too. I


    think it will take a while for her to change," Steven exined.


    Irene interrupted Steven without hesitation, "If she really wants to change, this is her chance now. I do


    not believe that changes take time! People change because they''re forced to. If Lily really wants to


    change for the better, as long as she''s willing to endure hardships, then she won''t starve to death!"


    "Edric and you have so much money. Just help her this once, please!" Steven begged Irene.


    "No one in this world is born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Just because I have money doesn''t


    mean that Lily deserves my help! There are many more people out there who need help more than her!


    I''d rather help the poor than let her spend my money," Irene sneered, "Moreover, I am also a poor


    person. Edric''s money has nothing to do with me!"


    With that, they ended their conversations and Irene went home simmering with great anger. Upon


    seeing Irene''s upset expression, Kinsey asked her what had happened. Irene told Kinsey everything


    that Steven had said. Then, it was Kinsey''s turn to be furious, "Your father really is shameless. I


    haven''t seen him care much about you in the past either, but now he''s willing to help Lily. Just ignore


    him. It''s not worth getting angry at people like him!"


    Irene sighed, "I don''t really care about the money. I believe that everyone deserves a chance to change


    for the better. If Lily really wants to turn over a new leaf, I''ll give her a chance. However, you''ve also


    witnessed how shameless and vicious she can be. She is even willing to give up on her own children.


    How vicious can she get?"


    "Yes, it''s strange that someone could sympathize with such a cold-hearted person. Your father must


    have been blinded by her," Kinsey agreed.


    Since those who had deserved ill upon them had already received their punishment, Margaret no


    longer had to pretend to be ill to stay in the hospital anymore. After she was discharged, she went to


    visit Irene. Margaret was determined to win Irene''s heart back, so she set out to try her best.


    When she arrived at Irene''s, she brought soup that she had personally cooked and wanted Irene to


    drink it. Throughout the years, Margaret was used to being the one who was doted upon by others.


    However, now, she was willing to cook and serve Irene. Seeing that Margaret had personally cooked


    some soup for her, Irene was touched.


    "You''re not in good health, so you shouldn''t bother with such bothersome tasks. Uncle Thomas can


    cook soup for me too," Irene said.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "It''s my responsibility. When you were pregnant with Eden, I didn''t take care of you and caused you to


    suffer a lot. Now that I have a second chance, how can I give it up?" Margaret was all smiles. She


    poured the soup out and handed it to Irene, "Drink it while it''s hot. It''s good for both you and the child!"


    Irene did not refuse. She took the soup and had a few sips. The two of them then chatted merrily for a


    while. Margaret suggested Irene to move to the Myers family so that she could take care of her.


    Irene knew what her intention was, thus she replied, "I''m used to living here. If I suddenly move, I won''t


    get used to it. Let''s talk about that after the baby is born."


    "Irene, please give me a chance. Let me take care of you. I promise I''ll love you like how a mother


    would," Margaret pleaded.


    The word ''mother'' made Irene tear up. Although she had been married to Edric for so many years,


    Irene knew that Margaret had never epted her in her heart even though she called Margaret as her


    mother during that time. However, when she heard the sincerity in Margaret''s words, she knew


    Margaret was not lying. She really wanted to make up for her mistakes in the past, but Irene had no


    choice but to only thank her at that moment. Seeing that Irene refused to move back, Margaret left with


    disappointment on her face.


    In the evening, when Edric returned home, she told Edric about it, "Edric, you have to work hard. You


    mustn''t let Nathan win over Irene."


    "Mom, don''t worry. Nathan won''t take my wife away. I''m confident that I can start anew with Irene,"


    Edric said confidently. He had tried to please Eden, Irene and even Kinsey at all times. Although Irene''s


    attitude towards him remained the same, Eden''s and Kinsey''s attitude towards him had changed


    greatly. Kinsey had begun to talk to him in a friendly tone, and Eden had begun to call him ''Dad'' too.


    With such a strong patron like Eden, he believed that he and Irene could start anew sooner orter.


    "I think we''d better not be too confident!" Margaret told Edric.


    "Don''t worry, mom. Irene isn''t such a cruel person!" Edric said.


    Seeing that her son was very confident, Margaret had no choice but to put her heart at ease.


    At the same time, Steven had Lily on his mind. Since he could not get Irene to help her, he was worried


    that Lily would suffer. He hoped that he could convince Edric. When Edric went to visit him, Steven


    repeated what he had told Irene to Edric. However, he received the same oue. Edric was furious


    with him. How could Steven treat Lily so differently? Initially, he did not want to aggravate Steven, but


    seeing Steven''s stubbornness, he could not keep it a secret anymore. So, he decided to tell Steven the


    truth.


    Deborah had been famed for messing with many men in Cat Alley in the past. So, there was a


    possibility that Lily was not Steven''s biological daughter. Initially, if Lily had sincerely decided to turn


    over a new leaf, Edric would let go of the matter but since Lily was still shameless as before, he would


    let Lily endure hardships and also let her be dead to Steven.


    Edric took a strand of Steven''s hair and sent it to do a paternity test along with Lily''s hair. A few days


    Reading the report that stated that Steven and Lily had no blood rtions, Steven spat out a mouthful


    of blood in frustration and fainted on the spot.


    After being rescued by the doctor, Steven cried. He could not ept that he had helped raise another


    person''s child! However, he wondered why the paternity test from the past and present had different


    results.


    Edirc sneered and told him that the sample of the paternity test had been secretly exchanged, and


    what he got was not the result of his and Lily''s rtions at all.


    Steven understood immediately who had secretly changed the samples. He gritted his teeth in anger.


    Later that evening, Lily went to visit Steven again. As she entered his ward, Steven immediately threw


    a cup at her.

 Chapter 243 Revealing Her True Colors

    Chapter 243 Revealing Her True Colors


    Lily could not dodge the cup in time as water sshed on her face. The water washed away the


    makeup she had put on to bluff Steven, revealing her true colors. Steven was infuriated to see Lily


    going to such extreme measures to con him.


    He pointed at Lily and bellowed, "Get out of here, you b*tch!"


    "Dad, have you gotten things mixed up? I''m Lily. I''m your daughter, Lily."


    "Get lost! You''re an illegitimate child!" Steven''s hands trembled as he spoke. Edric let out a snicker as


    he stood by the side and said, "Miss Cook, look at this!"


    Lily took over the report and nced at the content, "Whose report is this?"


    "It''s yours and Mr. Cook''s. Do you still think that Mr. Cook is your biological father?"


    "This is impossible!" Lily was taken aback. She had always thought that she was Steven''s daughter.


    Never in a million years would she think that she actually was not rted to Steven at all.


    "Why would it be impossible? Your mother, Deborah, was a famous woman in Cat Alley. I don''t know


    whose child you are, Miss Cook. Maybe you can ask your uncle, Simon. He probably would know


    which gangster''s child you belong to!"


    Lily''s face flushed scarlet red, and she left with a crestfallen look.


    Marie had been recovering well. When Margaret heard that Marie was getting better, she went to the


    hospital to visit her in person. When Marie saw Margaret, she thought she was dreaming. Her eyes


    widened in disbelief and she thought, "Isn''t Margaretatose? Why is she standing in front of me?"


    She rubbed her eyes and mumbled, "Am I dreaming?"


    "You''re not dreaming. You must be disappointed to see that I''m still alive, right?" Margaret sneered.


    Marie knew that Margaret was genuinely alive upon hearing her sarcastic voice. She was frightened


    and hurriedly defended herself, "I didn''t mean to treat you that way. It was all Deborah''s fault. She had


    threatened me with my past crimes."


    "Alright, you can stop acting now. I know all the evil things that you''ve done!" Margaret interrupted her


    and red at Marie with disgust.


    She had always viewed this woman who was lying on the sickbed as her best friend. People generally


    said that doctors were angels in disguise, but Marie was not an angel at all. She was a wicked snake


    that had taken advantage of her trust towards her and brought disharmony to her family. She was the


    reason why her son and Irene had to divorce each other and she had nearly killed her.


    Recalling the past, she could not resist wanting to skin Marie alive to get rid of the hatred umted


    in her heart.


    "I really had been blind in the past by regarding you as my best friend and giving you all my trust. It''s


    hrious to see a beautiful and nobledy who''s actually a b*tch, working together with a gangster. You


    even had an affair with Steven. Besides harming me, you even killed your sister. Marie, why are you so


    evil?" Margaret questioned.


    "I didn''t do that!"


    "Marie, don''t deny it. I know everything about what you''ve done. I''m not here to see you because I care


    about you. I''m here to give you retribution, and tell you the truth. You''ll definitely be happy upon hearing


    it," Margaret red at Marie with disdain. She wondered how Marie would react when she knew that


    Lily was not actually her biological daughter.


    Marie looked down and dared not face Margaret''s cold re at her. Although Margaret had a short


    temper and behaved snobbishly, she had treated Marie well. She would share every good moment with


    her and share her true feelings with her. If it was not for her daughter''s happiness, she would not have


    schemed against her. Marie felt guilty, but she did not think that she was in the wrong. She had done all


    of those things for her daughter. If she was given another chance, she would do the same again.


    I know the reason you helped Deborah and Lily so much to set my family up. You must think that Lily is


    your own daughter, right? I''m telling you, you''re wrong. Lily is not your daughter but Deborah''s. You''ve


    been tricked!"


    Margaret felt disgusted as she looked at Marie. Marie kept dodging Margaret''s burning gaze. Margaret


    knew that Marie would not regret her decisions from the past. So, she spared nothing when she started


    telling the truth.


    Marie would never believe that she had been used by Deborah. She retorted, "That''s impossible!"


    "Why is it impossible? Do you think you''re that smart? Do you think you are the only one who can


    frame others?" Margaret snickered slyly, "Deborah isn''t as stupid as you think. She knew that you were


    plotting against her, so she countered back by using your own trick against yourself!"


    "No! She wouldn''t know about that!" Marie no longer had to put on an act as Margaret already knew


    everything. "Simon wouldn''t send his daughter away as cruelly like that."


    "Haha! Marie, you''re indeed an idiot. Deborah found out that you were trying to frame her and Steven


    back then. You had an affair with Steven that night. The child you gave birth to isn''t Simon''s, do you


    understand?" Margaret exined smugly, "You''re really too smart for your own good. How pitiful you


    are. Deborah had used you for so many years while you were doing your best for the sake of another


    person''s daughter."


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, you''re just provoking me because you hate me. What happened that year wasn''t what you''ve said.


    Lily is my biological daughter!" Marie refused to ept the truth.


    "Since you''re so stubborn, then I''ll let the person involved tell you the truth!" The moment Margaret


    finished her sentence, the door to the ward opened, and Simon entered the room.


    "Marie, Mrs. Myers is telling the truth. When you had an affair with Steven that year, Deborah made me


    take you away from the bed. You had told me to exchange the babies, but Deborah found out. She


    threatened me to return the baby to you without telling you. Hence, the baby that you had sent away


    was actually your daughter. Also, that daughter isn''t ours. She doesn''t have the same blood type as


    both of us. I believe that the child is Steven''s biological daughter. Back then, when I had carried her


    away, I couldn''t bear to see her pitiful face. So, I had stolen your jade pendant and put it on her," Simon


    poured out the truth to Marie.


    Marie couldn''t believe her ears, "I don''t trust any of you. Both of you are lying to me!"


    "Is there any need for us to lie to you at a time like this?" Margaret snapped back, "Why can''t you just


    ept this fact?"


    "No! I don''t believe you all!" Marie shrieked. If what they said was true, then it would mean that she had


    done her best to help Deborah''s daughter and she had tried to kill Rowane, who was her own biological


    daughter. How could Marie ept the fact that she had plotted to kill her own daughter?


    "I understand why you don''t want to admit all this. You had used Rowane to trick Edric and you were


    afraid that the news would be exposed so you hired Dunn to assassinate Rowane. You''re refusing to


    admit it because you can''t ept that all this while, you had tried to kill your own daughter. However,


    facts are facts. Rowane is your biological daughter. If you don''t believe us, you can just do a paternity


    test with Lily."


    Marie was on the brink of copsing, "I won''t do it. Lily is my daughter. I won''t believe anything that


    both of you have said!"


    "You are really obstinate. Marie, don''t deny it. We''ve already done a DNA test using Rowane''s hair and


    your hair. The results were a match. You and Rowane are indeed mother and daughter. If only you


    hadn''t been so wicked and didn''t have the intentions to scheme against others, you would have noticed


    that Rowane looked a lot like you."


    Margaret spoke the truth. Rowane looked simr to her indeed. However, she had never thought that it


    was because they were rted. Marie covered her face with her hands. How could this be!


    "What goes aroundes around, Marie. Do you think that you can escape punishment since


    Deborah is dead? Let me tell you this, I''ll never forgive you! A wicked and vicious woman like you


    deserves punishment. You''re going to rot in jail for the rest of your life and enjoy the endless taste of


    remorse!" Margaret threw a dirty look at Marie before striding out of the ward.


    The police had taken Loraine and Jackson to the police station for severe interrogation. Loraine knew


    that she had nowhere to run. Even if she managed to escape the police, she knew that Margaret would


    never forgive her. She was at a dead-end. She did not want Jackson to take advantage of her either.


    Jackson had blinded her when he had beaten her up. Loraine must have an alibi no matter what. She


    nned to bring Jackson down with her. So, she said that she had only been following Jackson''s


    orders.


    Jackson was a man of his word. He told the truth when the police interrogated him. Edric knew that


    Jackson had strong integrity. He heard that Loraine was pulling Jackson into hot water, so he did not let


    Loraine do whatever she wanted. He pulled some strings to protect Jackson and managed to put all the


    me on Loraine.


    In the end, Jackson was sentenced for hurting someone without malicious intentions. Edric arranged


    Jackson to receivepassionate release and Jackson got out unscathed.


    Jackson was a grateful person. When he knew that Edric was the person who had saved him, he


    swore his loyalty and gratitude to Edric. Those were matters to be addressed in the future. On the other


    hand, Loraine had initially thought that Jackson would go down with her. However, she did not expect


    Jackson to be released without any charges. She was filled with hatred in that instant.


    While waiting for the date of her death sentence, Edric ensured that people took "great care" of her. At


    the detention center, Loraine once again experienced life that was worse than death. She regretted her


    actions, but it was toote. In the end, Loraine had to face her inevitable death. On the day of her death


    penalty, Loraine was only left with her life hanging by a thread.


    Dunn was subdued by the police. After Rowane was rescued and a police report was filed, the police


    called Nathan to pick Rowane up. Rowane, who had managed to recover her memories, recalled the


    times when Marie had tricked her into framing Edric. She instantly felt resentful and hateful.


    She must have caused a lot of trouble between Edric and Irene. Edric had been kind to her, but she


    had returned his kindness with cruelty. Edric probably hated her to his core.


    Fortunately, the heavens had allowed her to survive due to Nathan''s help. Otherwise, she would have


    to bear the responsibility.


    No, she had to tell Edric and Irene about Marie''s true colors. She had to bring Marie, that vicious


    woman, to justice!

 Chapter 244 Going Insane

    Chapter 244 Going Insane


    Nathan rushed to the police station after receiving the call. When Rowane noticed Nathan''s initial


    tender expression had turned hard, she felt incredibly guilty. She had never dreamed that the person


    she loved would be the same Nathan who had been Irene''s guardian for the past nine years. Why was


    it that the person she liked always had something to do with Irene? First, it had been Edric. Now, it was


    Nathan.


    She was pregnant with Nathan''s child now. As Nathan despised her, Rowane did not want Nathan to


    misunderstand her any further. The moment she saw Nathan, she told Nathan everything that had


    happened to her.


    Nathan had heard from Jordan that Rowane was a woman with an evil heart. So, he had begun to


    loathe her. Now, he knew that she had been deceived by Marie, and his hatred towards


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Rowane naturally dissipated. Hence, Nathan decided to bring Rowane back to Havend.


    When Edric heard that Nathan was bringing Rowane back to Havend, he went to look for Irene. He


    told Irene that Marie had sent an assassin to kill Rowane, which resulted in her losing her memories,


    but she was eventually saved by Nathan.


    Irene was not a fool. After listening to what Eric told her, she instantly knew that the woman with whom


    Nathan had an affair with was Rowane. Her face darkened and thus she had a bad impression of


    Rowane.


    She was a nice person, but she had chosen to be Edric''s lover. Although she had only been acting as a


    lover, she had done something indecent. Moreover, she felt even irritated upon knowing that Rowane


    had confidently confronted her about Edric''s matter.


    In the end, Edric had fallen into Rowane''s trap. If it was not for Lily having her period at that time, Edric


    would definitely have had an affair with Lily. How could such a disgusting woman ended up in Nathan''s


    bed? More importantly, Rowane was bearing Nathan''s child. Irene could not believe that Rowane had


    lost her memories. She suspected that Rowane was only pretending to do so hence she could not


    allow such a woman like Rowane to harm Nathan. She had to tell Nathan everything.


    Edric knew Irene was not at peace. He told Irene, "Irene, I have yet to tell you one more thing. Rowane


    might be your stepsister from another mother."


    "How is that possible?" Irene eximed in surprise.


    Edric told Irene everything that Simon had shared with him. Irene did not expect that things had turned


    out back then. If Rowane was indeed the daughter to both Steven and Marie, then this matter would be


    Rowane followed Nathan back to Havend and immediately went to speak to Irene. She apologized


    and begged Irene for forgiveness. Since Irene was kind-hearted in nature, the hatred in her vanished


    because she understood that Rowane''s wrongdoings had been because she had no other way.


    Moreover, Rowane had even gone to her sincerely to beg for her forgiveness.


    Upon seeing Rowane''s facial features which were simr to hers, Irene realized that she


    might indeed be her stepsister. At that instant, her heart softened even further, and she forgave


    Rowane.


    Steven only had a few more days to live. If Rowane was indeed the daughter of Steven and Marie,


    Steven had to know about it before he passed away.


    Irene requested Edric to perform a paternity test for Rowane and Steven. The results soon revealed


    that Rowane was indeed Steven''s daughter.


    Rowane was delighted to know that she was Irene''s stepsister. She finally found a family member.


    However, the next big problem arose. Suppose Marie, her own mother, had nned Irene''s mother''s


    death. Did that mean Irene would not acknowledge her as her stepsister due to the resentment she


    felt?


    Marie had let Irene and her mother down too much, and she had done a few unforgivable things


    towards Irene. She was the reason why Edric and Irene got separated in the beginning. Now that Irene


    and Nathan nned to get together, she was pregnant with Nathan''s child instead. She had once again


    be a stumbling block for Irene.


    Rowane admired Nathan a lot and was willing to have Nathan''s children. Since Irene had given birth to


    two children for Edric and he loved Irene deeply, she hoped that Irene and Edric would get together


    again. Then, her dream to be with Nathan could be fulfilled. However, she realized she was being too


    selfish after thinking about it.


    Nathan''s lover was not her. It would be unreasonable for her to use the child to make Nathan stay by


    her side. Nathan had loved Irene for many years, so she should give him a chance to fulfill his dreams.


    Irene felt a mess of emotions at the same time. If Rowane was not rted to her by blood, she could


    still ept that she had had an affair with Nathan. However, Rowane was her stepsister. No matter if


    they had been being set up or not, she could not get over that very real truth.


    For the past few days, Irene could tell that Rowane loved Nathan quite a lot. She often looked at


    Nathan affectionately. Thus, Irene weighed her feelings towards Nathan to see if they wereparable


    to Rowane''s pure passion for him. In the end, she chose to back off.


    Steven''s body condition was deteriorating. Steven had to know about the fact that Rowane was his


    daughter before it was toote. However, Irene could not bring herself to break the news to him


    because she was worried that Steven would be badly affected by it.


    Edric knew what she was thinking and volunteered to do it himself. Irene was at a dead end, so she


    agreed to Edric''s suggestion.


    Nathan was not feeling any better either. He had been hoping that Irene could forgive him. However,


    after he knew that Rowane was Irene''s stepsister, Nathan was certain that he could no longer stay


    beside Irene anymore.


    Nathan felt excruciatingly heartbroken. He had thought that his love for Irene could bloom, but he did


    not expect it to turn out as it did. Rowane got even sadder upon seeing Nathan''s pain.


    Therefore, she was determined to get rid of the child. So, Rowane secretly went to the hospital all by


    herself. She felt a mix of emotions as she stood in the hospital hall. She repeatedly mumbled to herself


    as if she was talking to the baby, "Baby, it''s not that I don''t want you. Mommy has no choice! Please


    forgive me!"


    Finally, she mustered up the courage to enter the gynecology department. After understanding that she


    wanted to remove the child, the doctor gave her instructions before requesting her to pay the fees.


    Rowane took the bill and went to the counter to pay. However, she stumbled upon Marie on her way


    there. Marie, who had already recovered, was being escorted by two policewomen to the prison. When


    she saw Rowane d in a white outfit as she held on the bill, she shrieked in fear. Had she just seen a


    ghost in broad daylight?


    Margaret had not shared with Rowane that she was supposed to be dead because she wanted Marie


    to endure her own conscience''s condemnation. When Marie saw Rowane in her white outfit, Marie was


    scared out of her wits and could not help thinking of spirits.


    Was it because Rowane had died unjustly and she came back to haunt her? During this period of time,


    she had been under constant stress every day, and her brain was a mess. Her nerves were incredibly


    frazzled.


    After Rowanepleted her payment, she turned back and saw Marie. Rowane despised her


    biological mother. She would rather die than know the truth. So, she decided to ask her a few questions


    as she approached Marie while holding on to her receipt.


    Marie was terrified as she watched Rowane walking towards her. She was going mad because of the


    sleepless nights. She immediately trembled and screamed, "Ghost! Ghost! There''s a ghost!"


    "One will not feel guilty if they have done nothing wrong. Dr. Walker, what ghost are you so afraid of?"


    the policeman escorting her scolded.


    "Look, it''s a ghost! The ghost ising to get me!" Marie pointed at Rowane as she shivered in horror.


    "What ghost is there? Isn''t she a human?" the police reminded her.


    How could Marie believe them? She was horrified to see Rowaneing towards her. She let out a


    deafening scream and broke free from the two policewomen''s grasps. The policewomen chased after


    her, but Marie was scrambling mindlessly as she continued to scream. As a result, she missed a step


    and fell down the stairs.


    Rowane was stunned to witness Marie falling down the stairs. Although she hated Marie, Marie was


    still her mother. Rowane was a kind-hearted person, so she was worried if Marie got injured. She


    hurried down to see if Marie was okay.


    Marie was drenched in blood due to the fall. Rowane felt extremely sorry upon seeing her in a state like


    that and reached out to help Marie up. Later, Marie was sent to the emergency room for rescue. She


    had broken her leg from the fall and had to be hospitalized again for treatment.


    Rowane felt sorrowful to know that Marie had broken her legs. Hence, she did not leave the hospital


    and stayed in the ward until Marie woke up. When Marie woke up, the first thing that entered her vision


    was Rowane standing in front of her. Rowane had held Marie up just now, so her white clothes were


    stained with blood. It was a horrifying scene. At that moment, Marie assumed that Rowane''s ghost had


    splitting scream.


    Marie had gone mad! She was out of her mind because of all the evil deeds from the past!


    Meanwhile, Rowane''s sudden disappearance frightened Irene, Edric, and Nathan. She had switched


    off her phone, therefore they could not find her at all.


    Then, someone mentioned that Rowane had gone to the hospital. Irene and Nathan exchanged


    nces and understood what Rowane''s intentions were. They immediately rushed to the hospital.


    None of them spoke a word on their way there. Irene was not a cruel person, and Rowane was her


    stepsister. How could she bear to let her get rid of the baby? Naturally, Edric did not wish for Rowane to


    get rid of the child either and really hoped that the child could be born. That way, he could have a


    chance to get back with Irene.


    Nathan felt a mess of emotions too. He did not hate Rowane. He felt solemn to see that such a young


    girl like her had to undergo such a painful experience.


    Rowane was innocent. She should not have suffered such pain.


    The three rushed to the hospital and then to the operating room. When they failed to see Rowane in


    the operating room, they immediately asked the doctor what had happened. Fortunately, the doctor


    said that he had not performed any surgery on such a person, and they all heaved a sigh of relief.


    Three of them searched the hospital separately. In the end, they found Rowane outside of Marie''s


    ward. Rowane was pale due to shock from Marie''s insanity as she stood dumbfoundedly outside of her


    ward. She watched as the doctor gave Marie a tranquilizer.


    Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice and turned back. The moment she saw Irene, tears rolled down


    her cheeks. Irene whined, "Why didn''t you tell us your whereabouts and just left without a word? And


    why are you here? You''ve freaked all of us out!"


    Rowane could not hold it in any longer after listening to Irene''sints. Although Irene was whining,


    she could sense the concern and worry Irene held for her. It was the first time for Rowane to feel


    affection from her loved ones. She threw herself at Irene and hugged her. She cried out loud, saying,


    "Irene! My mother has gone mad!"

 Chapter 245 Funeral

    Chapter 245 Funeral


    "Hush now, it''s all in the past!" Irene patted her shoulder andforted her gently, "Perhaps she has


    gone mad to escape from her guilt!"


    "Yes. If there is only pain left in a person''s life, it is better to just die. Since she didn''t want to die, going


    mad is the best way for her to get rid of the pain," Edric chipped in tofort her.


    Nathan watched Irene and Rowane hugging and crying together as he stood by the side. He felt a mix


    of emotions. Irene was someone who emphasized a lot on rtionships and affection. It would be


    impossible for him to be with Irene. He heaved a heavy sigh and thought, "How ill-fated we are!"


    Rowane overheard Nathan''s sigh and nced at him with eyes full of tears, "Nathan, I won''t pester you


    anymore. Don''t worry, I won''t let this child affect you."


    "What nonsense are you spouting?" Irene red at Rowane. The estrangement between her and


    Rowane vanishedpletely after the hug. She spat, "Nathan isn''t that kind of person! You are my one


    and only younger sister. This child is his only child. He''ll definitely allow you to give birth to the child."


    Nathan smiled bitterly and walked towards them upon hearing Irene''s words, "Don''t think too much


    about it. You''re pregnant. Take care of yourself!"


    "Nathan, I..." Rowane was speechless. She knew that Nathan was saying those affectionate words


    because of Irene. However, she was already satisfied. As long as Irene did not hate her and Nathan


    was willing to ept her, she had nothing else to be dissatisfied about.


    The hospital called Irene to inform her that Steven was dying and they needed her to head over as


    soon as possible. Irene and Rowane hurried to see Steven.


    Steven was on the brink of death. When he saw Irene and Rowane entering the ward, a glimmer of


    hope sparkled in his lifeless eyes. He struggled to speak, "Irene!"


    "Dad," Irene was devastated to see Steven looking so exhausted. She pointed at Rowane and told


    Steven, "This is Rowane. She''s also your daughter. Edric must''ve told you about her before this, right?"


    Steven nodded. Edric had told him earlier about Rowane being his daughter, so Steven had been


    looking forward to meeting Rowane. When he saw the simrities between Rowane and Irene, he felt


    excited and cheered, "Daughter! My daughter!"


    "Dad!" Rowane could not help crying.


    Tears rolled down from Steven''s ssy eyes as he held Rowane''s hand. He had been a respected


    figure in his field, but his family matters were a mess. He had two daughters who he had never taken


    proper care of, but he had kept an illegitimate daughter by his side instead for so many years.


    "I''m sorry!" He apologized to Irene and Rowane with difficulty.


    "I don''t me you for anything!" Rowane reached out to wipe away Steven''s tears. She had now


    known that he was her biological father until now, and they had to meet each other during a moment


    like this. How could she not feel sad?


    "You are a good child. You and Irene should support each other and live a good life together!" Steven


    reminded her.


    "I will. Dad, don''t worry. I''ll listen to Irene," Rowane promised.


    "Irene." Steven took Irene''s hand, "The thing I regret the most in my life is me not treating you and your


    mother well. I''ll be meeting your mother soon. I hope that she can forgive me!"


    Tears welled up in Irene''s eyes. It was said that when a person was on the brink of death, they would


    speak kindly. She did not know if Myra would forgive Steven, but she herself had forgiven Steven a


    long time ago.


    Steven struggled to pull both Rowane and Irene''s hands together. His eyes were filled with pleas as he


    said, "Both of you must live a united and happy life together. Rowane, you must listen to Irene. Irene,


    take good care of her. Take care of her on my behalf."


    Irene nodded while looking at Rowane. Then, Steven spoke to Edric, "I''ve made plenty of mistakes in


    this lifetime. I''ve betrayed my wife and have owed my daughters. I hope you won''t be like me. I''m


    handing Irene over to you. If you dare to hurt her, I wille back to haunt you!"


    "Dad, don''t worry, I will never let you down!" Edric swore.


    "Irene, you are a good child. Dad knows that you love Edric deep down in your heart, and Edric also


    loves you back. Everything that has happened between you two is Dad''s fault. For Eden''s and the


    baby''s sake, you should forgive Edric!"


    "I''ve already forgiven him!" Irene answered.


    "I still have onest request. After I die, I beg you to bury me by Myra''s side..." Steven panted with


    difficulty.


    Irene nodded, "Don''t worry about that, Dad!"


    Steven smiled in relief after hearing Irene''s reply. His wish was fulfilled, and there were no more strings


    attached. He could finally die in peace as he whispered hisst words, "Myra, I''ming!" With that,


    Steven''s eyes closed slowly.


    "Dad!" Irene and Rowane cried out in unison, but Steven could no longer hear them.


    Edric had to handle Steven''s funeral all by himself as Irene was pregnant. Steven was a reputable


    man. However, he did not pass away as gracefully because he had been framed by two people in the


    organization and had been punished for his crimes. So, only a few people came to mourn him.


    For that reason, Edric did not organize a grand funeral for Steven despite the funds he had.


    He simply invited a few of his friends to bury Steven. Irene followed Steven''sst wish by burying him


    next to Myra.


    Lily came on the day of the burial too. No one noticed her arrival until Lily began to cause trouble at the


    cemetery. It was only then did everyone notice her existence.


    Lily hade to the funeral with an agenda. She spouted insults at Irene in the cemetery and used


    Irene of harshly kicking her out from the house and punishing her by not permitting her to visit Steven


    for the final time.


    She even used Irene of taking all of Steven''s assets and embezzling plenty of Steven''s famous


    paintings. She also screamed on the top of her lungs that Deborah had been Steven''s official wife, so


    there was no reason for Steven to be buried beside Myra. She wanted to move Deborah''s tomb here


    as well.


    No one had expected Lily toe and make a fuss so shamelessly. Although Edric sent his men to


    escort Lily away, Irene still felt uneasy with what had happened.


    If she had known that this would happen, she would not have agreed to Steven''s request to bury him


    next to her mother. That way, there would not be any unnecessary trouble.


    Her face was dark the entire trip home, and she did not utter a single word.


    She initially thought that Lily had just been causing a fuss. However, she did not expect that she would


    go around spreading rumors about Irene paying her hush money to prevent her from raising the


    inspectionmittee''s suspicion about Steven''s famous paintings. She wanted Irene to surrender all


    the paintings.


    Irene became even more frustrated upon hearing that. The paintings had been brought up by Steven to


    Lily. Steven''s soft-heartedness towards Lily, in the end, only caused more significant troubles to her.


    She had never expected that such a ridiculous thing would happen.


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    Lily''s unreasonable behavior pissed Jordan off. He wanted to shut her up and see if she dared to


    continue her bratty actions.


    Nathan shook his head and exined, "We cannot do such things. Lily must have prepared for this


    since she dared to make such a scene. We are all not gangsters. It will be an eye for an eye if we do


    that."


    "Are you really going to pay Lily to let this matter go?" Kinsey retorted.


    Edric sneered, "Why should I give her money? I''ll just let Lily report it."


    "Do you really want her to report it?" Everyone knew about the famous paintings, and if they got


    exposed, Steven''s reputation would be at stake.


    "Lily was leveraging on everyone''s precaution to threaten us. If we feared her, then she would push her


    luck. So, it''s better to let her report it," Edric exined, "I''ll arrange for my contacts to teach her a


    lesson."


    "It''s true that we can''t let Lily do anything she wants. Actions have consequences. Just let her report it!"


    Irene also had the same thing in mind. Wicked people like Lily were often driven by evil. If they kept


    giving in to her, she would continue to cross the lines.


    Lily had initially wanted to cause a scene to get some cash to improve her current living conditions.


    However, she did not expect that Irene would not give her money and even chose to be ignorant of her


    threats.


    Lily was furious. Since she had already taken the first step, she might as well do it without hesitation.


    As she was fuming, a fierce man knocked on her door at night. The person red at Lily angrily and


    asked, "Are you Sugar''s daughter?"


    "Who are you?"


    "I''m Jackson Skinner. That b*tch, Sugar, killed my sister and son. So, I have to kill you!"


    "That has nothing to do with me. You can''t put the me on me," Lily was so frightened that she turned


    pale.


    Jackson did not care about that fact much. He gave Lily a few harsh ps on the face and carried her


    away. Lily found herself in the suburbs when she woke up. It was dark all around while Jackson was


    pouring gasoline on her and preparing to burn her to death. She was scared of her wits and hurriedly


    got up and ran. She shouted for help while running. Soon, the firefighters came to save her when they


    heard the noise, but Jackson had taken the opportunity to escape.


    After she was rescued, Lily immediately reported the case to the police. The police answered her that


    they would arrest the man. However, they warned her that she had better pay attention to her safety.


    Since Jackson was a ruthless murderer, it would be dangerous if he came to her again.


    Lily was horrified and immediately moved to another ce. She no longer dared to spread nonsense,


    let alone find troubles with Irene.


    Of course, Lily would never have thought that Jackson was the one who had arranged everything. He


    heard that Lily was threatening Edric''s woman, so Jackson offered to help Edric as a way to repay his


    kindness. The firefighters were hired by Sam, and the police were in John''s favor.


    Although Lily was not causing a ruckus anymore, Irene still felt disturbed about the matter. Dave


    advised her, "Irene, you don''t have to feel sad since it has already happened. Cheer up. Doing so


    would be good for you and your child."


    "Uncle Thomas, I''ve made you worry. I''m fine. I''ll recover in a few days," said Irene with a sigh.


    "Irene, what do you think about Edric? The child is about to be born. Why don''t you settle the matter


    with Edric?"


    "Uncle Thomas, I don''t want to think about that now." It was not that the matter had not crossed her


    mind before, but she just did not know what to do. Edric and Margaret hade to visit her every day


    during that period, and they had spoken to her about getting back together many times.


    Irene''s heart wavered as she observed how Eden got along well with Edric and Margaret. However,


    when she turned around and saw Nathan''s worrisome eyes and how he treated Rowane in a rtively


    neutral way, she felt ufortable.

 Chapter 246 Kidnapping

    Chapter 246 Kidnapping


    She had promised to stay with Nathan and forgive him. However, the reality presented a bigger


    problem than she thought. Rowane was her younger sister, and they had the same blood flowing in


    their veins after all. She was not able to ept a man who had an affair with her younger sister.


    However, it was not a matter of whether she could ept what had happened or not. It was Rowane


    who was indeed in love with Nathan. When she observed her affection towards Nathan and


    remembered the fact that she was pregnant, Irene wished to persuade Nathan to ept Rowane.


    Ever since she had said that sentence at the hospital that day, Nathan avoided spending time alone


    with Irene. He did not want Irene to tell him to take responsibility for Rowane. Meanwhile, Irene was in


    a difficult position as well. Nathan had wasted nine years of his youth with her, so how could she ask


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    him to marry Rowane?


    She was hesitant, so Kinsey came to advise her as well, "Irene, give Edric one more chance."


    "Why are you guys speaking on Edric''s behalf recently? Didn''t you guys used to hate him?"


    "That was in the past, but it''s the present now. We all think that Edric is not that bad of a person."


    "Who are you referring to as ''we''?" Irene joked. Recently, Kinsey and Jordan had recently been quite


    close. Irene could see the passion in Kinsey''s eyes for him. She could not believe that this silly girl was


    falling in love, so she felt proud of her.


    "Who else? Jordan, of course!" Kinsey red at Irene before adding, "My heart is not as delicate as


    yours. If I like someone, I will speak up and work towards my goal clearly. Unlike you who bottles


    everything up in your heart and takes everything into ount. You''replicating everything!"


    "How could I not be in difficulty?" Irene sighed, "I had promised to marry him, but now I''m going to tell


    him to marry another woman. I know he''ll listen to me, but will that be good for him? Will he be happy?"


    Kinsey fell quiet for a moment before asking her out of a sudden, "Irene, can I ask you a question?


    Between Edric and Nathan, who holds a more important ce in your heart?"


    Irene was questioning herself too. Who was more important to her? It used to be Edric, but she was


    more concerned about Nathan. Her feelings towards Nathan could not count as nothing.


    "Since you haven''t moved on from Edric after so many years, he must be the one for you. On the other


    hand, Nathan has always been infatuated with you and he has sacrificed a lot for you. Ask yourself


    carefully Irene, who do you love because he is meant to be yours, and who do you love as a friend?"


    "I..." Irene asked herself. Did she really not love Edric anymore? No! She had always loved him. As she


    loved him, she could not tolerate his betrayal. As she loved him, she had always held a grudge against


    him in her heart. However, her feelings for Nathan wereplex. Maybe she was just grateful to have


    him as someone to rely on instead.


    "Nathan needs a woman who can love him with all her heart, not a woman who has another man in her


    heart. If you cannot give Nathan the love he deserves, then it''s better to leave him. You should share


    your thoughts with him instead of sitting here and thinking all by yourself." Kinsey''s tone grew serious,


    "Nathan has gone through a lot for you all these years. How much longer should Nathan wait for you?


    Rowane is now pregnant with Nathan''s baby. For Nathan''s happiness, it would only be good if you get


    back with Edric. If you''re unhappy, how will Nathan be happy too?"


    Kinsey''sst sentence was correct. If she was not happy, how would Nathan move on from her to find


    his happiness? Rowane was gentle and kind, so she could bring joy to Nathan. It was better to cut


    short the sorrows and tell Nathan what she thought about this matter.


    Someone had told Eden that Rowane was pregnant with Nathan''s child. So, Eden approached Irene


    sadly and asked, "Mom, if Aunt Rowane is pregnant with Uncle Nathan''s baby, does that mean you


    won''t marry Uncle Nathan anymore?"


    Irene nodded and replied, "Yes. Since Rowane is pregnant with Nathan''s child, I won''t be able to marry


    Nathan. Are you sad because your wish isn''t fulfilled, Eden?"


    "Kinda," Eden answered, "Although I wished that Nathan could be my father, Kinsey said that the baby


    you''re pregnant with belongs to Dad. This means that I already have a father. Although Dad was


    ridiculousst time, he now treats me well and so does Grandma. So, Kinsey told me to give Dad a


    chance. Mom, will you give Dad one more chance?"


    "Are you willing to give Dad a chance?"


    "If Mom is willing, I will give Dad a chance too."


    Irene rubbed Eden''s head and said, "You''re such a good boy," Suddenly, she sensed that someone


    was staring at her from behind. She turned around and saw Nathan behind her and Eden.


    "Nathan, since when did youe?"


    "I just got here," Nathan walked towards them, "Irene, let''s have a chat!"


    Irene nodded and went to the garden together with Nathan. Nathan helped her sit on the bench before


    asking, "Irene, do you believe in fate?"


    Irene shook her head. She did not know why Nathan would bring that up.


    Nathan stared at her gorgeous face and said, "I didn''t believe in it in the past either. I truly believe that


    hard work will lead to sess, but now I believe that fate does exist!" He continued, "Ever since the


    matter has urred, I''ve been in a dilemma and I didn''t dare to face you. After thinking about it for a


    few days and observing from the sidelines, I finally dare to tell you this now."


    Irene sighed and said, "I''m sorry, Nathan. It''s all my fault."


    "No! This has nothing to do with you. Irene, it''s my fault. My love wasn''t strong enough. After interacting


    all this while, I''ve realized that Rowane is a gooddy. She''s as gentle and kind as you are and she''s


    as pure and lovely. She is a good choice for me, and I''ve realized that I''ve already fallen for her. So, I''m


    sorry, Irene. I''ve decided to cancel our engagement."


    Those were not Nathan''s true feelings. Instead, what he really wanted to say was, "Irene, I had really


    loved you. I''d love you for so many years, and I''d always believed that I had the determination to love


    you. I really wished that you could stay by my side for me to love you for the rest of your life. However,


    now, I cannot be selfish."


    "To love someone is to make her happy. I don''t think I am that noble. I just don''t want to see you in an


    awkward position and be in a difficult position. So I have to take the initiative to let go of you."


    "Nathan!" Irene''s eyes were brimming with tears. Even an idiot would know why Nathan was taking the


    initiative to break off the engagement. "Thank you for thinking for my sake. I''m sorry!"


    "I''m not as noble as you think. I really do like Rowane, and she''s pregnant with my child. I also realized


    that my age is catching up, so it''s time to have a family," Indeed, he liked Rowane, but it was not love.


    Being with Rowane was his responsibility. Rowane was pregnant with his child, so he could not let her


    down. More importantly, Irene would be at ease and happy.


    "I''ve already told Britney about this. First, we''ll hold the engagement ceremony with Rowane. After that,


    we''ll get married. Britney has already gotten someone to make the preparations. I hope that you''ll be


    able to attend my engagement ceremony."


    Irene nodded, "I''ll definitely give you my blessings. Nathan, you must always be happy, okay?"


    The news of Nathan''s marriage with Rowane was soon known to everyone. Everyone sincerely wished


    them happiness. Edric took the initiative to hold Nathan''s hand and wished him, "Nathan,


    congrattions!"


    Nathan had to be happy. That was the true meaning behind Edric''s words. He really admired Nathan


    for sacrificing so much for his love. A kind person like Nathan had to be happy. He must be! Nathan''s


    joy had originallye from Irene. So, he would be satisfied only when she was happy!


    Nathan''s engagement with Rowane was announced to the public immediately. Naturally, Joanne heard


    the news while she was in Mencodia. When she knew that Rowane was actually Irene''s younger sister,


    Joanne felt uneasy. First, it had been Irene. Now, Rowane appeared. Had she plotted all this while in


    vain?


    Joanne was unhappy at first, but something even more unpleasant happened. Under the Reed


    Family''s pressure, Joanne''s parents initiated the breaking of her engagement with the Reed Family.


    Joanne had been waiting for Jordan to marry her after three years. She had not expected her parents


    to be the ones to initiate the annulment. She was going mad.


    It was all that b*tch, Irene''s fault. If it was not for Irene, she would not be like this. Joanne


    returned to Havend in a fit of rage.


    Joanne was plotting something. As Irene had ruined her happiness, she would never let Irene go. She


    had to make Irene pay the price.


    Hearing that Lily was now a bargirl at a lowly bar, Joanne went to search for Lily herself to convince Lily


    to take revenge on Irene with her n.


    Since Lily was in such a dreaded situation, she felt extremely unsatisfied with her predicament. Hence,


    they chose to cooperate and discussed how to teach Irene a good lesson.


    Joanne and Lily reached a conclusion. Joanne would fund their operation, and Lily would take action


    on Irene when she was apanying Eden at the hospital. It would be best if they managed to kidnap


    both Irene and Eden.


    Lily had gotten in a rtionship with a gangster to be protected from Jackson. The gangster was a thug


    who watched the bar. He was named Wayne Reed. Lily had flirted with Wayne as he had looked like a


    hero in the bar and she hoped that he could assist her in the operation. Now that Joanne was


    proposing some cash for her to punish Irene, she immediately thought of Wayne. Wayne could settle


    the matter without her worrying.


    Of course, there was another reason why she wanted Wayne to do this. Lily had thought of the escape


    n. Since Wayne would be executing the operation, it would have nothing to do with her. By the time


    Joanne paid her the money, she would take it and flee far away.


    When they got home in the evening, Lily told Wayne about the matter. When Wayne heard that there


    was cash involved, he agreed.


    After Wayne agreed, Joanne paid him a sum as a deposit. The bnce would be paid once Wayne


    After Wayne thought about it for a few days, he changed his mind and said that the matter should not


    be settled that way. The reason other people was kidnapped was due to money, but instead, they were


    doing it for murder. Security was tight recently, and no one could escape from murder. There had to be


    another way to handle the situation.


    Lily asked for his opinion for another method, but Wayne then questioned their purpose of kidnapping.


    Lily answered that it was for revenge which Wayne suggested that the best revenge was not killing


    someone, but to make the person suffer a life worse than death.


    Wayne proposed to kidnap Irene, hit her on the head, and then kick her until her water broke. By the


    time that happened, she would not even know who the kidnapper was, and they could also relieve their


    anger. Then, Irene''s son would not have anyone to save him because there would be no more


    umbilical cord.


    It would be safer that way, too, since they were not killing someone instantly.


    Lily updated Joanne about Wayne''s proposal. Joanne''s eyes lit up. How could she not think of that


    solution in the first ce? Killing the baby would make Eden lose his vital umbilical cord. That would do


    more pain to Irene than killing her. Hence, she agreed.


    After discussing the n, Wayne arranged for someone to kidnap Irene in the hospital. Joanne and Lily


    were waiting at the extraction point for their target. After a few hours, a ck car appeared in front of


    them. The impregnated Irene was pushed down from the car with her eyes covered and hands tied.


    Irene was then dragged into the house. Joanne chased after her and kicked her tummy as she


    shouted, "You fool! I''ll make you suffer! I''m gonna kill you today!"


    Lily refused to have any mercy against Irene, who was pregnant, and joined Joanne. Soon, Irene, who


    was pregnant, fell to the ground as blood covered her body.

 Chapter 247 Successful Surgery

    Chapter 247 Sessful Surgery


    Lily and Joanne left delightfully the moment they saw the miscarriage. However, they did not expect to


    be faced with a swarm of police officers after they opened the door. Both Lily and Joanne were


    immediately subdued, and the masked pregnant woman was carried out. Joanne and Lily were


    shocked to find out that the pregnant woman they had beaten up was not Irene but a stranger.


    "What''s going on?" Lily pointed at the stranger woman and asked Wayne angrily.


    "What are you talking about? Isn''t she the woman that you had asked me to kidnap?" Wayne retorted.


    "Y-you! How dare you lie to me?" Even an idiot would know that Lily had been set up. However, she


    had found out toote. The police put Joanna and Lily under charges for kidnapping with murder intent.


    ording to Article 239 of the Criminal Law, anyone found kidnapping another person or holding them


    as hostage for the purpose of extorting property would be sentenced to more than ten years


    imprisonment or life imprisonment, and would be fined or confiscated of all assets. If the kidnapping


    resulted in the death or murder of the hostage, the person would be sentenced to death and have their


    property confiscated.


    The police believed that the kidnapping posed a significant threat to the intended victim, which had


    even resulted in a miscarriage. Hence, they decided that Lily and Joanne should be sentenced to


    death.


    After being appealed by awyer, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. So, Lily and Joanne were


    to be locked up in jail for the rest of their lives.


    In fact, the whole scenario had been nned by Edric and Jordan. They took great precautions when


    Joanne returned to Havend. They had nned to let her off if Joanne behaved well. After all, getting


    rid of her would mean avoiding any trouble appearing in the future. However, in the end, Joanne had


    indeed been up to no good and had gone to look for Lily. Edric knew immediately about their discussion


    to target Irene. Since those two brats intended to dig their own grave, they might as well fulfill their


    dream. Hence, they had nned the whole act and sent them to jail.


    That pregnant woman was not really pregnant. It was all just a y.


    After Joanne and Lily''s matters were done and dusted, it was almost time for Irene''s delivery. Edric


    went to prepare for Eden''s stem cell operation. He hired the best hematologist and gynecologist to


    Eden was sent into the ward nine days before and had to undergo eight chemotherapy-filled days as


    nned. He was isted from the outside world, and no one could enter his room except for the


    medical staff.


    After eight days of chemotherapy and a day''s suspension of medicine, it was the day of the surgery.


    On the day of Eden''s operation, Irene underwent a cesarean delivery in the operating room. Eden had


    been delivered naturally, but for the sake of Eden''s stem cell surgery, Irene had to proceed with a C-


    section surgery instead. She was given anesthesia on the operating table, but she was still fully


    conscious. She could listen to the cutting sound on her skin, but her courage did not waver. Instead, all


    she had in mind was the wellbeing of her children.


    Edric was guarding outside the operating room and he witnessed the entire surgery. It was a moment


    for him to witness a new life being born. When he saw with his own eyes the baby being taken out, he


    could not hold himself and felt too emotional. Tears welled up in his eyes instantly.


    The nurse was busy measuring the height of the newborn while the doctor was taking the umbilical


    blood. Irene tried to see the child''s appearance clearly upon hearing the clear sound of her baby crying.


    Edric noticed Irene''s movements and whispered in her ears, "Irene, it''s a boy, and he''s a healthy baby.


    The doctor is taking the umbilical blood to treat Eden. You''ve worked hard!"


    After finishing his words, he nted a kiss on Irene''s forehead. The baby was wrapped up and ced


    in Edric''s arms. Edric walked out with the baby in his embrace as Margaret, Kinsey, and Rowane


    waited outside of the operating room anxiously.


    Margaret was the first to rush forward to carry the baby when Edric walked out, "My grandson! Oh, it''s


    my grandson!"


    Then, she asked Edric, "How''s Irene?"


    "Irene is fine. She will be out soon after they close her up." Edric answered, "Mom, you take care of


    Irene. I''ll go and see Eden."


    Margaret nodded. Rowane and Kinsey held on to the baby while waiting for Irene outside of the


    operating theatre.


    The doctor took the blood of the umbilical cord for Eden''s transnt. Eden''s transnt was next to


    Irene''s operating room for convenience. Irene was undergoing the final sutures when Eden began the


    blood transnt.


    The attending surgeon had a quick meeting about the surgery before leading the surgery for the


    transnt into Eden''s body. As the catheter was inserted into the body through the vicle, the primary


    operation was to transfer the blood from the umbilical cord through the central vein. The doctor


    estimated that the transnt would bepleted in half an hour.


    Edric stood outside of the operating theatre nervously as he observed his son behind a thinyer of


    ss. The surgeon was transfusing the umbilical blood into Eden''s body through the central vein.


    During the process, some gases were produced in Eden''s body in reaction to the transnt, and there


    were signs of difort. Eden struggled in pain, and his facial expression showed pain. The attending


    surgeon wanted Eden to cry out loud in order for him to exhale harshly to expel the gases.


    Eden''s cry tore Edric''s heart. If only he could be the one to bear all the pain! He pulled on his hair


    strands in pain. Jordan and Nathan held his hands upon witnessing Edric''s actions, trying to cheer with


    Edric for Eden.


    The heart-wrenching scene finally ended. The blood from the cord waspletely transferred, and


    Eden''s heart was pumping in order. Everything had gone smoothly, and the heavy burden on Edric''s


    shoulder finally dropped.


    After the surgeon left the room, Edric held his hand and thanked him.


    Irene had been trying to stay awake. She really wanted to know how Eden''s operation went, but there


    was no way for her to resist the anesthesia. She was exhausted from exerting so much strength. She


    could only hear a soft whisper beside her. It was Edric''s voice. He whispered, "Irene, rest assured, our


    child will be fine. You can sleep without worrying. Everything will be fine when you wake up!"


    Irene did not know how long she slept. She did not even realize when she had been pushed into the


    ward, but she could faintly hear familiar voices around her. There were voicesing from Kinsey,


    Rowane, Margaret, and of course, Edric.


    She tried her best to open her eyes and saw the people in the ward surrounding her. When Irene


    opened her eyes, Edric came over immediately. He reached out and held Irene''s hand with a big smile


    on his face, "Irene, you''re awake?"


    "Eden! How''s Eden?" Irene was most concerned about Eden''s operation.


    "Eden''s surgery went extremely smoothly. Don''t worry!" Edric answered immediately.


    "It''s good that everything went well!" Irene thought and felt relieved instantly. As long as Eden''s surgery


    went well, she would not be worried anymore.


    Margaret approached with the baby in her arms, "Irene, the baby''s weight is three and a half kilograms,


    and he''s healthy. Have a look at him!"


    Irene chuckled when she saw the chubby baby in Margaret''s arms.


    Kinsey, Rowane, Nathan, and Jordan came to congratte her. Irene thanked each of them for their


    concern. After chatting for a while in the ward, everyone left. Edric remembered that Irene had not


    eaten for a long time and felt worried, "Irene, are you hungry?"


    "I''m hungry!" Irene was famished after not eating anything for quite some time.


    Edric nced at Margaret and asked, "Mom, have you brought any food that the maids have


    prepared? Irene has been discharged from her surgery for quite a few hours already."


    Margaret nced at her watch and red at her son, "I''m more worried about Irene than you are, but


    now isn''t the time for her to eat yet. I''ve checked with the doctor just now. She needs to excrete the gas


    in her after a C-section before she can consume anything. Eating too early could cause a


    stomachache. If it''s serious, it could cause the stomach to malfunction and cause an obstruction in the


    intestines."


    "Ah, really?" Edric did not expect that at all.


    "That''s right."


    "Then, what should we do? Is she going to starve?" Edric looked at Irene, his heart reaching out for


    her.


    "There''s no other way. Irene has to suffer for a while longer," Margaret had no other choice.


    "You should go home. You''re in poor health, so it''s better to go back and have a rest. Edric is here,"


    Irene knew that Margaret must have stayed in the hospital all day. Margaret was old, and her body had


    only recovered recently, so she must not tire herself out.


    "Yes, Mom. You go back first. I''ll be fine here!" Edric chipped in to persuade her. Margaret was tired


    from staying in the hospital until now, so she did not insist on staying.


    After Margaret left, Edric sat beside Irene''s hospital bed. He brushed away the hair from Irene''s face


    and reached out to hold Irene''s hand, "Irene, thank you!"


    "Thank you for giving birth to Eden! Thank you for forgiving me! I know that I''m not a good enough


    man. I know that I''ve hurt you deeply in the past, but Irene, as long as you give me a chance, I will not


    let you down."


    "I will repay you in double for my sins towards Eden. From now on, I will protect you and the children


    forever and I''ll never abandon you!"


    Edric squeezed Irene''s hand, and she could feel the warmth emanating from Edric''s palm. She felt


    touched. After one full circle, she was once again back at Edric''s side. This time, it was not just them


    anymore. They had their children and Margaret, who supported them. She believed that they would be


    happy from then onwards.


    Edric had been running to both ends. While taking care of Irene, he had to go check on his son''s


    condition. Irene''s condition was still alright, but he was most worried about Eden. Although the blood


    had been sessfully transfused into Eden''s body, it did not mean that the operation had definitely


    seeded.


    The doctor told Edric that after finishing the transfusion into Eden''s body, he needed to ovee the


    infection, adapting and rejection period. Only then could he be considered to have sessfully


    received the blood.


    Among them, getting past the rejection period might be the most difficult. The rejection reaction could


    happen at any time, and included high fever, vomiting,ck of appetite, diarrhea, and other things. The


    doctor needed to attend to the treatment at any time, and Eden needed to cooperate actively. Under


    normal circumstances, it would return to the average levels after three to four weeks. By then, they


    could leave the ward.


    Edric went to visit his son every hour. Edric was highly anxious due to the uncertainty of the situation,


    but he could not show it in front of Irene.


    Every time Irene asked him about Eden''s condition, he always answered that he was in good condition.


    Finally, the doctor reported to Edric that Eden''s situation was stable and he had sessfully passed


    the three stages. Edric was over the moon and immediately told Irene about it.


    Irene was starting to try to walk. When she heard the news, she was thrilled. So, Edric had to help her


    to visit Eden. Through the ss door, they could see Eden talking to them from the ward. Due to the


    sound instion effect, they could not hear him clearly. However, it seemed like Eden was calling for


    his parents.


    Tears streamed down Irene''s face, "My son!" she thought, "My precious son is finally safe now!"


    Eden was soon moved to an ordinary ward. When Irene and Edric visited him, Eden hugged Irene and


    Edric and kissed them on the cheeks, "Dad, Mom, I want to see my younger brother."


    "Your younger brother is sleeping. When he wakes up, we''ll bring him over to see you," Irene


    exined.


    "Mom, what''s my younger brother''s name?" Eden asked again.


    "Hayden."


    "Hayden?"


    "That''s right! Hayden!"


    "I want to thank my brother for saving me. I''ll treat him even better in the future. I''ll give him all the good


    things I have and protect him from being bullied by other people. I''ll let him live a happy life!" Eden


    swore.


    "Not only do we want Hayden to live happily, but we also want our family to live happily as well! We


    have to be together and live a happy life forever!" Irene replied.


    "We must live a happy life as a family!" Edric held Irene and Eden''s hands and echoed. The three of


    them looked at each other and smiled.


    Their family had gone through many ups and downs and so much pain. Now that all the hardships had


    Three monthster, Nathan and Rowane had their wedding in Mencodia. Irene and Edric brought their


    two sons to attend the wedding. Kinsey and Jordan attended the wedding as well, but this time with


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    another identity, which was as the groomsman and the bridesmaid.


    Kinsey had already met Jordan''s side of the family, which was the Reed Family. The Reed Family was


    satisfied with this carefree girl. On the day of their meeting, they had given many expensive gifts to


    Kinsey.


    Kinsey told Irene that she had felt anxious to meet the Reed Family that her palms had been sweaty.


    She thought that she would be faced with countless obstacles, but nothing had happened in the end.


    Pedro was kind to her, and Lydia was friendly to her. After the meeting, the Reed Family was already


    nning their engagement ceremony.


    The wedding bells sounded. Irene''s eyes were brimming with tears as she watched Nathan and


    Rowane say ''I do'' to each other under the witness of the priest, friends, rtives. Finally, they


    exchanged rings and kissed each other.


    After the storm, she could finally see the rainbow. She wished for her happiness and peace for the rest


    of her life together with the people she loved!


    The End.


    Thanks for reading.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!