ã€ŠLove Coming from the Least Expectedã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    I had never once thought that I would one day be hooking up with someone. As a conservative woman, I

    dated my husband for two years before finally losing my virginity to him on the night of our wedding.

    Am I really doing this? The guy in front of me was extremely handsome even though he was in a

    drunken stupor. He was my husband¡¯s best friend with whom he had grown up together.

    I had given up something as precious as my virginity to my husband, and what did the asshole do?

    He cheated on me! To make matters worse, he did it with his friend¡¯s young admirer, of all people! It

    would only be fair for me to have an affair with someone else behind his back as well.

    So, while he was out chatting up other women, I was here seducing his best friend. An eye for an eye.

    Christopher was so drunk that he barely recognized me, taking me as one of his impressionable fans.

    Unable to pass up such an easy chance, he took my hand and led me to his hotel room.

    He pressed his warm body against mine as soon as he had shut the door, the smell of his cologne

    invading my senses.

    Christopher had the type of charming appearance that made him look like a mischievous yboy but

    had the personality of a strong, domineering man hidden underneath his good looks.

    ¡°You here alone?¡± he whispered in a deep and husky voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m with you now, aren¡¯t I?¡± I nced up at him, meeting his half-lidded stare. I noticed how his eyes

    curved into the shape of a crescent moon when he smiled and how pretty his eyshes were.

    Actually, this isn¡¯t too bad.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    As he let out a chuckle, his fingers brushed against my face and eventually wandered down to my

    corbones, sending a shiver down my spine. There was a valid reason why he had so many girls falling

    head over heels for him.

    ¡°Nope. Notpletely.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I knew that this wasn¡¯t the point, but I was curious. At the same time, I was

    worried that he would lose interest in me after I asked him the question.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to mind my curiosity. He bent down and grabbed ahold of my legs to

    effortlessly lift me up in a bridal carry. ¡°I¡¯m not with you until I¡¯m inside of you,¡± he said with a grin.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked owlishly for a few seconds before finally getting it, his brightughter ringing in my ears

    as he ced me atop the bed. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was blushing because I felt embarrassed for falling for

    that joke or because I was shy.

    He leaned over me, rubbing his face against my skin and leaving absentminded kisses on my ear. A little

    sensitive, I flinched and ducked my head.

    ¡°Ufortable?¡±

    ¡°Would you let go of me if I was?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you ask?¡± I retaliated in irritation.

    His fingers tapped on my lips lightly before tracing down my neck, slowly unbuttoning my shirt. Before

    long, my breasts were exposed to him.

    I saw his hands falter and his breath quicken at the sight before him. The movements of his chest rising

    and falling were so rapid that his shirt was on the verge of bursting open.

    ¡°Because I respect your feelings,¡± he tossed out nonchntly.

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. If you respect my feelings, then why won¡¯t you let go of me? ¡°Pleasure

    is a feeling, but whether or not I let go of you is my choice to make.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± I didn¡¯t understand his logic. If I hadn¡¯t known him before tonight, I would have thought that I had

    identally hooked up with a psychopath.

    Right then, he took off his shirt to reveal a firm upper body with a toned six-pack.

    His skin was fair, but his body reminded me of those hot, beefy Hollywood actors. Abruptly, my breath

    hitched in my throat.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll take note of your reactions to see if you feel good and go with the flow from there on out.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    I was rendered speechless.

    Then I felt Christopher¡¯s hand slowly move up my leg, lifting my skirt up and touching the inside of my

    thighs.

    I instinctively tried to close my legs, but his knee slid in between them before I could do so. He

    proceeded to kiss me fiercely, starting with my lips and moving all the way down my neck.

    My breathing quickened, mes licking at me from the inside.

    ¡°Did you just take a shower?¡± he asked all of a sudden. ¡°You smell like milk soap. Don¡¯t shower next

    time; I¡¯d prefer your natural scent.¡±

    ¡°I have body odor. I doubt you¡¯d like me if I didn¡¯t shower.¡± Of course, it was a joke, and I merely wanted

    to see his reaction.

    He immediately froze, his lips still pressed to my stomach in the middle of a kiss.

    I thought that he was going to kick me out the very next second. Instead, he lifted his head to give me

    another disarmingly charming smile.

    Then, he gripped my waist and pulled me toward him in one swift movement. In the blink of an eye, I felt

    the sharp pain of his length filling me up, and my arms grabbed onto him reflexively.

    He seemed happy with my reaction, gazing at me warmly as he firmly held the back of my head in ce

    so that he could kiss me.

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    The repetitive movements of his hips were hurting me, and I must have identally scratched his back

    out of sheer pain. Despite that, he didn¡¯t even flinch, merely lowering me back onto the bed and pausing

    briefly to ask, ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    When I replied ¡°no,¡± he nibbled at my lips. ¡°Then loosen up.¡±

    ¡°I feel quite loose already, though.¡±

    He let out a bark ofughter. ¡°Then I must be too big for you.¡±

    While I was rolling my eyes in exasperation, he added, ¡°Right?¡± However, before I could ask what he was

    talking about, he suddenly picked up his pace. I cried out in pain, my vision growing blurry with tears.

    I was grateful that we were in a five-star hotel with soundproof walls.

    The realization that this a**hole was asking me whether or not I thought his length was too big dawned

    upon me.

    Nevertheless, I had to admit that he was good at this.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The pain I felt down there made me yelp out once more. His thrusts had abruptly increased in

    speed and depth as if he was venting his frustration.

    ¡°Wait, stop¡­¡± I tried to push him away. ¡°You didn¡¯t put on a condom¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop¡­¡± He bit down on my neck, his movements growing even more powerful and desperate

    than before.

    After what seemed like an eternity, I finally copsed onto his sweaty body,pletely drained of all

    energy.

    Just like that, I drifted off to sleep.

    When I finally came to, the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet. He was lying next to me with his face buried in my hair

    and his arm thrown over my shoulder, sleeping soundly as he used my body as a human pillow.

    I should probably tell him that I also shampooed my hair.

    But instead of doing so, I carefully pushed his arm off of me, trying to get out of bed and put my clothes

    back on without waking him. To my chagrin, I fell back into bed with a simple tug of his arm, finding

    myself trapped in his embrace once more.

    I turned to meet his sleepy, half-lidded gaze. ¡°Yvonne,¡± he mumbled out calmly.

    For some reason, I was the one suddenly ovee with nervousness. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°You?¡± He blinked at me with his longshes, opening his mouth as if to continue although no words

    came out. For some unknown reason, I squirmed ufortably.

    After a beat of hesitation, I reached forward and looped an arm around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°I was just in the mood for some funst night. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d

    bump into you.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    I was trying my best to appear calm, desperately hoping that he would believe my lie. But my heart was

    pounding in my chest, and my palms were sweaty.

    I was pretending to act like I was used to doing this sort of thing so that he wouldn¡¯t feel as guilty, but he

    seemed unperturbed, even smiling brightly at me.

    Why do I feel like our roles are reversed?

    ¡°I should leave,¡± I told him, climbing out of bed.

    ¡°Want me to send you?¡± He sat up and got down from the other side of the bed, turning his back to me.

    Right then, I saw the long red marks on his back.

    He noticed me staring and turned to nce at me in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re the first person to ever scratch

    me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scratch you,¡± I argued.

    ¡°Then what was it?¡±

    ¡°You were hurting me, so I did it in self-defense.¡±

    Heughed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who was too tight.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were saying that you¡¯re too big?¡± The words escaped me before I thought any better of it,

    my cheeks instantly flushing after saying so.

    ¡°Lyle must have really hurt you, huh.¡± And just like that, he chalked up all of my actions to be the result of

    his best friend¡¯s extramarital affairs.

    So he knew all along that Lyle was cheating on me. I should have seen thising. After all, birds of a

    feather flock together. I¡¯m such an idiot.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I demanded agitatedly.

    He shrugged as he buttoned up his shirt. ¡°Tell you what? That Lyle hooked up with one of my friends? Or

    should I have brought you to catch them in the act?¡±

    I was rendered speechless.

    He reached out for my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to send me home,¡± I snapped, pping his hand away and standing up to leave. The

    truth was, I wasn¡¯t actually angry with him. I just thought the gesture was unnecessary since I merely had

    a one-night stand with him to get back at my husband, and nothing more than that.

    He didn¡¯t follow me out the door.

    Upon leaving the hotel, I hurried to a pharmacy to buy some morning-after pills and gulped them down,

    feeling slightly more at ease than before.

    Lyle was already asleep when I arrived home. He must have really trusted me as he didn¡¯t even text me

    to ask where I was when I didn¡¯te back homest night.

    I closed the curtains and got ready for bed when my phone buzzed with a notification. To my surprise, it

    was a text message from Christopher: What are you closing the curtains for? I¡¯ve already seen

    everything.

    I jumped in shock and quickly drew back the curtains to reveal a car parked downstairs.

    Christopher? Did he follow me home?

    My phone buzzed again: Don¡¯t take any pills next time. I¡¯ll wear a condom. The corner of my mouth

    twitched. He wanted a ¡°next time¡±?

    Right then, I heard the sound of Christopher¡¯s car revving its engine downstairs.

    My fingers hovered over the screen of my phone for a moment. Instead of replying to his messages, I

    deleted our entire chat history.

    This will do for now.

    It was during breakfast the next day that Lyle asked me, ¡°Where¡¯d you gost night?¡±

    I froze up, nearly dropping my fork onto the floor.

    When I snuck a nervous nce at him, I saw that he was absentmindedly flipping through the

    newspaper and paying me absolutely no mind.

    I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. Even my one-night stand followed me all the way home

    because he was concerned for my safety. Yet, my darling husband was asking about my whereabouts

    without any hint of worry.

    I smiled wryly. ¡°I went to the beauty salon with my friends.¡±

    He epted my flimsy excuse, making a simple sound of acknowledgment to signal the end of the

    conversation.

    Sadly, I had grown used to this silence after being married to him for two years.

    I was about to get up to put the dishes in the sink when I felt something press down on my shoulder,

    forcing me back into my seat.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure dressed in white sit down in the chair next to mine.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 4

    ¡°I?m here for a free breakfast meal. You don?t mind, right,

    Yvonne?¡± It was Christopher. Lyle didn?t have any other close

    friends besides him, and only Christopher would dare to act so

    casually around both of us.

    Without waiting for a response, he took my utensils from me and

    started helping himself to the dishes set out on the table.

    Lyle gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Those are hers.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really? Here you go, Yvonne.¡± Christopher casually handed

    them back to me. However, I couldn?t just resume eating

    breakfast using these utensils after he had used them, could I?

    When I didn?t take the utensils from him, Lyle spoke up with a

    slightly sour expression, ¡°It?s fine. Just take them and be more

    careful next time. People will run their mouths if they see this.¡±

    ¡°You?re right! I?ll make sure to be more careful in the future.¡±

    Christopher grinned brightly. ¡°You have to be careful too, Yvonne.

    If he eats another woman?s food, that would mean he?s cheating

    on you.¡±

    He then gave me yful wink.

    Meanwhile, Lyle had stiffened, his hand frozen mid-air in the

    midst of flipping a newspaper page.

    His reaction satisfied me greatly, but I kept quiet.

    After forcing out an awkward cough, Lyle changed the topic to

    focus back on Christopher. ¡°I haven?t seen you recently.

    Where?ve you been hanging out?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, don?t bring it up. My friend?s boyfriend cheated on her, so I

    had to apany her while she caught him in the act,¡±

    Christopher replied casually. ¡°You should have been there to see

    it! She and an entire group of girls stripped the guy and the

    homewrecker down to their underwear and paraded them around

    in the streets. It was a sight.¡±

    Lyle coughed again, turning around to grab a ss of water for

    his suddenly dry throat.

    ¡°Yvonne, if you ever want to go catch him cheating on you,

    remember to bring along a reporter,¡± Christopher pressed on. ¡°He

    absolutely detests reporters.¡±

    As soon as he said that, Lyle identally knocked over the ss

    of water, spilling it all over himself and the counter. I could

    almost sense the anxiety emanating from him.

    ¡°I¡­ I?m going to get changed. You guys can continue chatting.¡±

    With that, he ran off with his tail between his legs.

    Christopher kicked back and crossed his arms behind his head,

    grinning like a Cheshire cat.

    When I turned to stare at him gratefully, he wrapped an arm

    around my waist and pulled me over to sit on hisp.

    My face instantly reddened at the sudden intimacy, and I pressed

    my hands against his chest as my blood pounded in my ears.

    ¡°What are you doing? He?s right there.¡±

    He let go of me but remembered to peck my cheek before doing

    so. ¡°You still have some fighting spirit left in you? Looks like I

    wasn?t rough enoughst night.¡±

    His words left me feeling flustered and shy.

    When Lyle came back out, Christopher grinned at him. ¡°You?re

    done? Let?s get going.¡±

    Instead of leaving, Lyle walked over to me and lifted his chin

    slightly, gesturing for me to knot his tie for him.

    I hadn?t done so in such a long time, and thest time I had, he

    called my knot messy and ugly, so I wasn?t sure why he wanted

    me to do it now of all times.

    After I was done, he pressed a kiss to my forehead out of

    nowhere. ¡°Wait up for me tonight,¡± he said stiffly. ¡°I?lle back

    to have dinner with you.¡±

    I hummed in response and took a peek at Christopher?s cheery,

    mischievous expression, watching as he swiftly chucked

    something into the trash bin.

    Not long after the two men walked out the door, I heard Lyle say,

    ¡°Where?s my flight ticket? I thought I had it on me¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you lost it,¡± Christopher replied. I couldn?t see his face,

    but I could hear the proud tone in his voice as he added, ¡°I?ll ask

    someone to buy one for youter.¡±

    I picked up the crumpled piece of paper from the trash bin. As I

    had expected, it was Lyle?s flight ticket. I smiled to myself and

    sent Christopher a text message: You?re so childish.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 5

    When I received no reply, I decided to go back to minding my

    own business.

    Keeping Lyle?s promise ofing back for dinner in mind, I went

    to the market to buy the ingredients for his favorite food. After

    returning home, I habitually checked my phone, but there were

    no message notifications.

    Why am I waiting for a message from Christopher? This

    realization made me frustrated and disappointed in myself. With

    that, I chucked my phone onto the sofa.

    The phone rang as I was busying myself in the kitchen. For some

    reason, my heart skipped a beat.

    I scrambled out of the kitchen to pick up the phone, but all the

    excitement instantly disappeared when I saw that it was Lyle

    calling. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hey, dear. I have a meeting tonight, so you don?t have to wait

    up for me. Remember to sleep early after dinner, alright? Good

    girl.¡± With that, he hung up the call without even giving me a

    chance to respond.

    I scoffed. A meeting? Like a hands-on, private meeting in a hotel

    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    room somewhere? His employees are so lucky to have such a

    caring boss.

    To my surprise, I didn?t feel upset at this news. I checked my

    phone again, but there were still no new messages.

    I couldn?t help but start wondering if I had acted too harshly

    toward Christopher this morning and pissed him off. Did my text

    message cause some sort of misunderstanding?

    Just as I was debating over whether I should call him to clear

    things up, the doorbell rang.

    My mind nked. Didn?t Lyle say that he?d be busy tonight? Why

    is he suddenly back home?

    When I opened the door, an unexpected guest leaned against the

    doorway. The golden rays of the sunset highlighted his handsome

    features, making him look like a Prince Charming who hade

    right out of a fairytale.

    My attention was drawn to the multiple red marks on his neck.

    ¡°Sorry. Looks like I?ve grown addicted to the smell of your milk

    soap and couldn?t bear to let you go,¡± he teased.

    Are those¡­ the hickeys that I left behind? I felt my face grow

    warm.

    He tried to slip past me into the house, but my arm shot out to

    block his way. ¡°He?s not at home,¡± I told him in a warning tone,

    but what I really meant to say was, ¡°Please leave.¡±

    Pretending not to catch my drift, he insisted, ¡°It?s fine. I?ll just

    wait for him.¡±

    ¡°Then wait outside.¡± I pushed him back, but he took the chance

    to grab hold of my wrist and pull me closer toward him.

    I found myself almost face to face with him with barely a hair?s

    breadth of distance between us. Startled, I stumbled backward

    into the house.

    However, he seized this chance and dashed into the house,

    catching me before I could lose my footing and closing the front

    door behind him.

    As an uneasy feeling settled in my gut, I tried to open it. He then

    proceeded to corner me against the door with his front pressed to

    my back.

    ¡°You like this position?¡± I asked, not budging an inch.

    He leaned down, his warm breath tickling my neck as he

    muttered, ¡°No, this kind of position is reserved for immature,

    dumb girls. That?s not what you are.¡±

    ¡°Then what am I?¡± My interest piqued, I turned around to face

    him.

    ¡°Kiss me, and I?ll tell you,¡± he said with a smirk. He held his

    cheek out and tapped it with a finger.

    I tried to push him away, but I was no match for his strength. It

    felt like I was pushing against a wall made out of steel. ¡°You need

    to go. He?sing back soon.¡±

    That was a lie. There was no way that Lyle wasing home this

    early tonight. I just wanted to prevent this spark between us

    from developing into something much more dangerous.

    However, Christopher seemed unbothered, leaning in to kiss me.

    When I turned my face away, he naturally moved to kiss my

    cheeks, slowly moving down to my neck. ¡°He hasn?t even started

    on his ?dinner? yet. There?s no way he would being home so

    soon.¡±

    So he knows.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 6

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    In a yful mood, I held his face in my hands and made him look

    up at me. ¡°Who do you think is prettier? Lyle?s ?dinner? or me?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± he answered instantly with an innocent smile on his face.

    If I weren?t familiar with his personality, I might have mistaken

    him for a pure, excitable virgin.

    To bepletely honest, my heart did race at his sweet words.

    But I also knew that anything a man said was not to be trusted,

    especially not when he wanted to get you in his bed.

    ¡°You say that as if you?ve slept with her too.¡±

    ¡°You say that as if I?ve never slept with her before.¡±

    I was rendered speechless. ¡°But why?¡±

    Instead of replying, he hoisted me off the floor and carried me all

    the way to the living room couch.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I panicked, struggling to close my legs firmly and get

    away from him.

    As if having expected my reaction, he wasted no time squeezing

    in between my legs and hooking them around his waist.

    If Lyle saw us in such apromising position, he might just

    explode with rage.

    That idea cheered me up greatly.

    Christopher started to undo my shirt. ¡°I know you?ve been

    thinking of me. I kept sneezing all day.¡±

    ¡°You must have caught a cold,¡± I retorted, trying to pull his hands

    away.

    Taking advantage of my brief distraction, he gave up trying to

    take my shirt off and skipped right to slipping his hands under my

    shirt.

    ¡°Liar.¡±

    I couldn?t deny that.

    He took my silence as an affirmative answer, chuckling before

    pressing his warm lips to mine. Trapped under the heavy weight

    of his bodybined with his fierce kisses, I could barely breathe

    properly.

    ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± I stammered out in between kisses. ¡°I?m hungry¡­ I

    want to have dinner first¡ª¡±

    ¡°I?ll make sure to stuff you full.¡±

    ¡°I?m being serious.¡±

    ¡°I?m hungry too, little calf,¡± he replied with a sincere look. ¡°Let

    me drink from you, please?¡±

    Little calf?

    I caved andy there motionless, letting him do whatever he

    wanted to me.

    Seemingly content with my response, he grinned up at me

    sweetly.

    After he was done, I shoved him off of me to get up and cook

    dinner. As if knowing that I would make caramelized pork, he

    nuzzled his face into my neck. ¡°I want caramelized pork.¡±

    If I was a ¡°little calf,¡± then he had to be the castle?s spoilt cat.

    He watched as I moved around the kitchen, instantly approaching

    me and wrapping his arms around me from behind as soon as I

    had settled down in one spot.

    ¡°Are you going to use sugar?¡± he asked, his chin resting atop my

    head.

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

    I was cooking caramelized pork; of course, I was going to use

    sugar. He replied casually, ¡°Nothing. I just don?t like eating sweet

    stuff.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you want caramelized pork?¡±

    ¡°I?d love anything you cook.¡± He shrugged.

    Upon hearing that, my initial exasperation turned into

    amusement, and I let out a chuckle. With his preference in mind,

    I made sure to add as little sugar as possible when cooking the

    caramelized pork.

    However, the pork turned out to taste worse than I had imagined,

    and I couldn?t bring myself to eat more than one helping.

    Meanwhile, Christopher was gobbling the food up heartily.

    For a split second, I wondered if there was something wrong with

    his taste buds.

    ¡°I think I still prefer the taste of my little calf,¡± he told me as

    soon as he had wiped his mouth after dinner.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Why didn?t you eat? I thought you said you were hungry.¡±

    ¡°I was too busy admiring your pretty face,¡± I came up with an

    excuse, forcing a dry smile.

    Heughed at that. ¡°Little minx.¡±

    I instinctively retreated when he leaned in and tried to kiss me,

    but I hadn?t realized that one of his hands was already holding

    the back of my head, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

    His flexible tongue that had the lingering taste of the caramelized

    pork pushed past my lips and slipped into my mouth.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    When I had finally awoken from my feverish daze, I was

    completely naked and pinned to the couch.

    Christopher?s shirt was nowhere to be seen, and the sight of his

    firm torso above me took my breath away once more.

    ¡°Christopher¡­¡±

    He hummed slightly, lifting his gaze to meet mine. ¡°What?s

    wrong? Does it hurt?¡±

    Such a handsome face. Too bad we?re just friends with benefits.

    ¡°We won?t go any further than this, okay?¡±

    Since I was going to divorce Lyle, I didn?t want to drag

    Christopher into this.

    Furrowing his brows, he pressed his face so close to mine that I

    could feel his breath on my lips.

    I thought that he was going to tell me off, but he merely stuck his

    tongue out and licked at the corner of my mouth. ¡°Greedy little

    kitten. You didn?t clean yourself up properly after eating,¡± he

    teased.

    I wasn?t sure how to respond to that.

    So, I resorted to teasing him back while looping my arms around

    his neck. ¡°So do you prefer greedy kittens or minxes?¡±

    He brushed his thumb across my lips as he chuckled. ¡°You could

    be a kitten by day and a minx by night.¡±

    Is that apliment?

    I knew that he was used to sweet-talking people like this, yet I

    couldn?t stop myself from falling for it each and every time.

    Without waiting for me to respond, he continued his actions

    swiftly.

    I had to admit that not only was he aggressive, but he was also

    very skillful. His hands didn?t stay still for a single second, dipping

    in between my legs and nearly making me see stars.

    Then, he entered me without warning, and the sudden fullness

    caused me to wince and dig my nails into his arm.

    He was still focused on my breasts when he heard my cries,

    letting out a short bark ofughter. ¡°Sorry. I was a little hasty.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I didn?t satisfy you enoughst night?¡±

    ¡°Well, would you believe me if I told you that you were a drug

    and I was addicted?¡±

    Right then, I felt another deep thrust and gasped.

    I was getting way too caught up in the atmosphere that he had

    created and started to flirt back. ¡°Does it matter whether I

    believe it or not?¡±

    He kissed my chin and nibbled at it gently. ¡°If you believe it, then

    I?ll go harder.¡±

    ¡°If I don?t believe it, will you get up and leave?¡±

    Upon hearing that, he paused his motions. I was worried that he

    might just get up and leave. After all, we had already gotten

    started, so we might as well go all the way.

    He stared at me with narrowed eyes for a long while before his

    lips quirked up into a smirk. Then he grabbed my waist and held

    me in ce. Suddenly, he snapped his hips forward in a deep

    thrust.

    It hurt like hell. ¡°Slow down! You?re hurting me.¡±

    He grinned and continued just as roughly. ¡°You wanted to know

    what I?d do if you didn?t believe me, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    He pinched my chin using his forefinger and thumb. ¡°I?m going to

    make you cry from pleasure.¡±

    Oh my god.

    It was half-past ten at night when we were finally done; we had

    gone at it for more than three hours straight. That man had way

    too much stamina in him. As a result, I barely had the strength to

    keep my eyes open as Iy on the couch.

    Meanwhile, Christopher got up as if nothing had happened and

    put his clothes back on. I figured that he was probably heading

    home after getting what he wanted.

    Keeping my eyes shut, I pretended to be asleep. My heart raced

    in anticipation, although I didn?t know what it was.

    I heard his footsteps slowly grow farther and farther away.

    Suddenly, he came to a stop before walking back to the living

    room. Did he forget something?Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    A warm, fluffy nket was draped over me. The next moment, I

    felt a soft kiss on my cheek.

    Afterward, I could hear him shuffling around the room, eventually

    realizing that he was cleaning up the mess we had made. My

    heart clenched inside my chest with a strange, foreign emotion

    that I couldn?t ce my finger on.

    When he finished cleaning, he carried me to my bedroom and

    tucked me in, even remembering to pour a ss of water and set

    it out on my nightstand. What a good¡­ friend.

    Absolutely worn out, I drifted off to sleep not long after he left

    the house.

    I vaguely registered someone lying down next to me in my sleep.

    When I jerked awake, I saw Lyle sprawling on the bed, reeking of

    alcohol.

    So he hadn?t gone to seekfort in another woman but in

    alcohol instead?

    I pinched my nose as disgust welled up inside me. Even so, I got

    out of bed to draw a bath for him. Then I helped him out of his

    clothes and into the tub before going downstairs to prepare some

    pain relief pills for his oing hangover.

    I used to do this regrly for him in the past as I pitied him for

    staying out sote to attend business dinners and meetings, but

    looking back on it now, I wanted tough at my own stupidity. He

    hadn?t deserved my pity at all.

    After downing the pain relief pills, Lyle caught me off guard by

    pressing me onto the bed and trying to kiss me, the aftertaste of

    alcohol still in his mouth.

    As he sat on top of me like a king sitting atop a throne, I knew

    that he had to either still be drunk or be mistaking me for

    another girl.

    I turned my head to one side to avoid his mouth. Sex between us

    had never been amon urrence. Moreover, I had grown an

    aversion to it after finding out that he was cheating on me.

    However, he didn?t take the hint, hovering over me and kissing

    my ear as his hands slipped under my pajamas. ¡°Dear¡­¡±

    Christopher had done this exact same thing to me before, but it

    felt gross when Lyle was the one doing it.

    I briefly wondered if I had gotten addicted to Christopher as

    well. Is the saying that the best way to a girl?s heart is through

    their body true after all?

    ¡°It?ste. We should get some sleep,¡± I told Lyle with my hands

    pressed against his chest in an attempt to push him away.

    ¡°Besides, you have work tomorrow morning.¡±

    Without another word, I turned my back to him and pulled the

    covers all the way up to my chin.

    He didn?t say anything, flipping over and quickly dozing off.

    Was he hoping for this? For me to not return his affections?

    Lyle continued toe homete for the next few days. Although

    he no longer smelled of alcohol, he didn?t dare look me in the

    eye, just like before.

    My love for him had died out a long time ago, and I was getting

    ready to divorce him.

    Christopher, on the other hand, kept making frequent trips to the

    house, calling me ¡°Yvonne¡± in public and ¡°minx¡± in bed.

    ¡°Did you miss me, little minx?¡± He appeared in my living room

    out of nowhere once again.

    Before I even had the time to react, he had already pulled me

    into his embrace.

    I turned my head slightly to squint at him. ¡°Did you secretly steal

    a set of my house keys?¡± I was sure that I had locked the front

    door.

    ¡°What do you mean by ?steal??¡± He held his key up in the air,

    waving it around with an innocent smile. ¡°I?ve always had one.¡±

    Oh. I had forgotten that when the locks in our house were broken

    about half a year ago, Lyle had done nothing to fix the problem.

    Instead, Christopher had been the one to go out and find a

    locksmith for us.

    Does that mean he?s had our house key for half a year

    now? What does he n to do with it?

    ¡°Have you nned on sleeping with me for six months straight?¡±

    I inquired curiously.

    His smile faded, reced by apletely serious expression.

    ¡°You were always mine, to begin with.¡±

    I was moved by the statement. However, there was a small voice

    in the back of my head, reminding me that men?s serenades and

    praises were not to be fully trusted. In fact, Lyle served as a good

    example.

    He startedughing like an idiot when I didn?t reply. ¡°I?m hungry.

    What are we eating today?¡±

    ¡°Caramelized pork.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    Instantly, his expression soured as if recalling the taste of the

    awful caramelized pork from before.

    ¡°Can we eat something else? Please, Eve?¡± he whined, nuzzling

    his face against the crook of my neck.

    Holding back myughter, I asked, ¡°Why? Did you not like it

    when I cooked for youst time?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°I loved it,¡± he forced out.

    This time, I couldn?t stop myughter from escaping me.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    Out of kindness, I decided not to cook caramelized pork anymore.

    Instead, I opted for trying my hand at pan-grilled fish in an

    attempt to show off my culinary skills.

    Christopherughed as he leaned against the sink, watching me

    roll my sleeves up dramatically.

    I gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°What are youughing at?¡±

    He shook his head, but his eyes were still sparkling with mirth.

    ¡°Let me clean the fish. You might get hurt.¡±

    He took off his coat as he said so, draping it over my head and

    using me as a human coat hanger. The faint, intoxicating smell of

    tobo enveloped me, and I almost couldn?t bear to take the

    coat off.

    In no time, he was done and promptly took over the rest of the

    preparation process; pouring oil into the pan, frying up some

    chopped onions and garlic, and finally putting the fish in the pan.

    Unfortunately, he had put it down a little too quickly, and drops

    of boiling hot oil sshed out of the pan as soon as he did.

    Thanks to Christopher?s quick reflexes, the oil didn?t ssh onto

    me but onto his outstretched arm protectively covering mine. I

    noticed his skin instantly start to be an angry shade of red

    in certain spots.

    ¡°Are you okay? I?m going to go grab the first-aid kit,¡± I fretted,

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    holding his hand up close to inspect it. For some inexplicable

    reason, I felt my heart clench at the sight of his reddened hand.

    ¡°I?m fine.¡± He pulled me into his arms as he patted my head

    comfortingly. ¡°I?ve dealt with worse before.¡±

    I raised my gaze to meet his. ¡°You?re used to cooking for

    yourself?¡±

    Lyle could never cook or do anything useful in the kitchen, so I

    had naturally assumed that Christopher couldn?t either,

    completely forgetting the fact that just because they were friends

    didn?t mean that they were the exact same person.

    Christopher shrugged and silently turned back around to focus on

    the fish in the pan.

    At that moment, I had the sudden urge to hug him from behind

    andfort him. It must have been hard living by himself all this

    while.

    But I didn?t do so for two reasons; the first being that I couldn?t

    muster up the courage, and the second reason was that the

    doorbell rang.

    I was about to go and open the door when he suddenly said, ¡°I

    swear, I?m going to remove the doorbell one day.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± What had it done to offend him?

    He reached out to hold my chin while replying yfully, ¡°I don?t

    want it to keep interrupting us in the middle of our sessions.¡±

    The doorbell rang once more, and I didn?t dare keep the mystery

    guest waiting.

    I opened the door to see Lyle?s mother, Wendy standing there

    with a gloomy expression on her face. ¡°Why did you take so long?

    What were you doing? Needed some time to hide away your boy

    toy, huh?¡±

    I was aware that she was never particrly fond of me, but her

    words caught me off guard and caused my palms to grow

    mmy.

    Fortunately, she was just picking on me and spouting nonsense

    like usual before squeezing past me to conduct a cleanliness

    check on the house.

    She brushed her finger against one of the decorations on disy,

    squinting at it in disdain. ¡°This is dusty.¡±

    Of course, there?s dust. We?re on earth, after all. There?s dust

    everywhere.

    Despite my thoughts, I kept mum, not wanting to provoke her

    even further. I merely followed behind her as she walked around.

    It was apparent that she was here to find faults with me, so

    talking back to her would be falling right into her trap. Besides, I

    didn?t have the energy to deal with it right now.

    ¡°What is this?¡± She picked up a sock from the ground while I was

    silently praying for her to leave as soon as possible.

    ¡°That?s Lyle?s sock. I must have dropped it after washing it this

    morning.¡±

    Her eyebrows were knitted together. ¡°Washed? This is clearly still

    grey with dirt!¡±

    But that?s¡­ the color of the sock. It?s a grey-colored sock.

    She must have quickly realized her mistake, but instead of

    apologizing to me, she chucked the sock into a nearby rubbish

    bin. ¡°You need to buy white socks for him from now on. And

    remember to dry them out in the sun after washing them so that

    the germs are all properly killed¡­¡±

    Yes, yes. I nodded along. Whatever you say goes, oh great

    mother-inw.

    Wendy seemed disappointed at how quickly I admitted to my

    mistakes as she was now unable to find fault with me.

    Then, she turned to focus her attention on Christopher, who was

    sitting at the dining table. ¡°Why are you here, Christopher?¡±

    Nearly every muscle in my body tensed up from sheer

    nervousness.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 10

    Christopher didn?t even lift his head to look at her as he cut up a

    small piece of the fish and ate it before drawling out, ¡°I?m here to

    help Lyle retrieve a document. Yvonne just happened to be

    cooking, so I stuck around for a free meal.¡±

    His mouth curved into a mocking smirk. ¡°Is there a rule that

    outsiders can?te into the house, or¡­¡±

    That took her aback, and she whipped around huffily to re at

    me. ¡°What kind of dish is this? It has too many bones, and it?s

    way too raw. What if Lyle chokes on a fishbone?¡±

    What is he? A child who can?t pick bones out from his own food?

    What a load of crap.

    She continued to nitpick by adding, ¡°Look at this lunchbox! It?s

    ugly, and you used way too much oil! How is Lyle supposed to eat

    this? Are you trying to make him starve?¡±

    Anger red up within me. How could there be such a vile and

    wicked woman? Wait¡­ Lunchbox?

    I nced at Christopher, who winked at me. No wonder the

    lunchbox was so ugly. Lyle was lucky that Christopher hadn?t

    hidden some fishbones inside it on purpose.

    ¡°Look at me when I?m talking to you!¡± Wendy screeched.

    Yes, yes. Sorry for getting distracted and not acknowledging your

    godly presence.

    ¡°I?ll make a new one.¡± Picking up the lunchbox from the table, I

    tried to use it as an excuse to make my escape. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°Where are you going? I?m not done with you yet!¡± she

    interrupted. ¡°Oh, you?re upset because I gave you some

    constructive criticism, aren?t you? Starting to grow sick of me

    already?¡±

    I exhaled deeply through my nostrils. ¡°I wouldn?t dare think of

    such a thing.¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°Is there anything on earth that you wouldn?t dare

    do? You would have hit me if it weren?t for my position as your

    mother-inw, wouldn?t you?¡±

    Well, she?s not wrong.

    She was about to go on when Christopher suddenly mmed his

    hand down on the table, startling both of us.

    When we turned to look at him with wide eyes, he gave us a

    sunny smile. ¡°This fish tastes amazing, Yvonne! It?s much better

    than anything my housekeeper makes. Lyle is a lucky guy to

    have married such a sweet and diligent wife. Oh, I do wonder

    where I?ll be able to find a woman like you.¡±

    Wendy froze in ce, her expression immediately souring.

    Without another word, she turned around and went upstairs to

    continue her inspection.

    I snuck a nce at him as I followed her up the stairs.

    Meanwhile, he raised an eyebrow at me, mouthing the words,

    ¡°Pay me back with your bodyter.¡±

    My cheeks flushed. He?s way too good at that.

    Of course, she wasn?t satisfied with the rest of the rooms either

    but didn?t say a word in Christopher?s presence. She merely sat

    down on the couch, seemingly waiting for him to leave before she

    could finally blow up at me.

    Christopher tried to hang around for as long as he could, but

    apparently, something urgent that he needed to attend to came

    up. He even whispered to me, ¡°Want me to find a reason for us to

    leave together?¡±

    I contemted the idea for a moment before shaking my head.

    After all, I would only be dying the inevitable if I left now.

    There was nothing else he could do, so he just reminded me to

    call him if I needed anything and left.

    As I had expected, her face fell as soon as Christopher walked out

    the door. ¡°You?ve grown quite the nerve now that there?s

    someone standing up for you.¡±

    I forced a polite smile. All thanks to you.

    ¡°What? Are you really not going to say anything?¡± Her re grew

    sharp, and she started to throw a tantrum. ¡°Who are you going to

    y the victim for now that he?s gone? Do you think I don?t

    understand what goes through your mind? You wanted to act all

    innocent and timid in front of other people so that they would

    think your mother-inw was being cruel to you, didn?t you?¡±

    She?s quite an imaginative one, isn?t she?

    I knew that she would refuse to listen to my exnation. Thus, I

    didn?t answer.

    Frustrated, she pressed on, ¡°What are you standing around for?

    Go and serve me dinner! Are you not going to serve me even a

    ss of water while I?m here?¡±

    You didn?t even give me the chance to do so, but okay.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 11

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Stay calm, stay calm. I won¡¯t have to see her nor

    Lyle ever again very soon.

    I could still hear her mumbling as I turned around to head to the

    kitchen, ¡°Like a lifeless doll. I honestly don¡¯t know what my son

    saw in you.¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t know either. Perhaps he liked my stupidity,

    or maybe he liked the fact that he could get away with having an

    affair without me finding out.

    I wanted to tell her that what was left on the table¡ªthe pangrilled fish¡ªwas lunch but was scared that I

    would provoke her if

    I did.

    So, I swiftly prepared a simple sd as well as an omelet to go

    on the side.

    ¡°What is all this?¡±

    ¡°Lunch.¡±

    The half-eaten pan-grilled fish that Christopher had been picking

    at looked out of ce among the other dishes on the dining table.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind? I know it¡¯s lunch,¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m

    asking you what you cooked. Don¡¯t try to change the subject.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ This is a pan-grilled fish, a sd, and an omelet.¡±

    Wendy huffed. ¡°My son is working to the bone. Not only does he

    have to manage thepany, but he also has to be the

    breadwinner of the family. And this is all you¡¯re feeding him?¡±

    Yeah, right. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s working just as hard to get into some

    other woman¡¯s pants.

    I took a seat at the dining table, hanging my head as I let her

    words go in one ear and out the other.

    My stomach was already grumbling out loud, and my patience

    was wearing thin. Are you done?

    ¡°You need to make a nutritionally bnced, full course meal next

    time with all sorts of options for him to choose from. Don¡¯t you

    know how tired my son is after returning home from work every

    day?¡±

    No, but I bet he must be tired from his daily hookups. ¡°All right.

    I¡¯ll make beef stew for him tonight.¡±

    ¡°How shameless.¡± She rolled her eyes at me.

    Shameless enough to cheat on him. ¡°You can go ahead and eat if

    you¡¯d like. You said that you were hungry, right?¡± I offered,

    maintaining my polite smile despite feeling furious.

    After all, I needed to keep up this act of a good wife before I

    brought up the topic of divorce to Lyle. This way, I would have

    more time to myself to settle my own affairs. I refused to be like

    other divorcees, who didn¡¯t even have somewhere to stay after

    leaving their ex-husband¡¯s house.

    I seriously doubted that Lyle would pay any sort of alimony if we

    did get divorced.

    Meanwhile, Wendy appeared at a loss for what to do, reluctantly

    taking the te I was holding out to her.

    She had barely taken a bite of the pan-grilled fish when her face

    suddenly flushed red, spitting out the contents in her mouth.

    I stared at her as she dramatically pped a hand to her mouth Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    and fumbled around for a ss of water, then nced back at

    the pan-grilled fish in confusion. Does it really taste that bad?

    I cut off a tiny piece and slowly savored it in my mouth, nearly

    letting out a bark ofughter.

    On the other hand, Wendy was desperately gulping down several

    mouthfuls of water. ¡°What did you put in there?¡± she screamed at

    me.

    I resisted the urge to grin. ¡°Wasabi.¡±

    All the blood drained from her face. ¡°Why would you use wasabi

    while cooking pan-grilled fish?¡±

    Um¡­ How am I supposed to exin this? ¡°I was going to make a

    sashimi dish, but I changed my mind halfway and identally

    ended up cooking pan-grilled fish.¡±

    After all, I couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that this had been

    Christopher¡¯s doing.

    Although she was furious, she didn¡¯t dare eat another bite of the

    fish. She picked at the other dishes for a while before quickly

    making an excuse to leave as if she was scared that I would ask

    her to stay for dinner.

    What goes aroundes around!

    A minute after Wendy left, Christopher sent me a message: How

    did she like my culinary skills?

    I giggled to myself, quickly typing out a reply: It was alright.

    Although, the taste of the wasabi may have been a little too

    overpowering.

    He texted back and added a cheeky grinning emoticon at the end

    of his message: I¡¯ll keep that in mind.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 12

    He then texted: You really suck at cooking.

    I replied: So, will you cook for me again next time?

    He did not reply for a long time. Just when I thought that I had

    been a bit too rude, he finally texted: If you eat my food, I¡¯ll have

    to eat you.

    Rendered speechless, I replied: Haven¡¯t you already done that

    many times?

    He then messaged: I have, but it¡¯s still not enough.

    Not enough¡­

    Iughed and texted back: You¡¯re the incapable one, but you¡¯re

    ming it on me?

    He immediately replied: I was just afraid that you would get

    tired. Otherwise, I can guarantee that you won¡¯t be able to get

    out of bed for three days.

    This guy and his dirty talk. Merely reading his messages caused

    my face to heat up.

    For the next few days, we continued to maintain such

    conversations via text. Every time we finished texting, I would

    always delete the chat records in case Lyle saw them.

    However, Christopher never came again, and I assumed it was

    because he was busy.

    Two dayster, he suddenly sent me a location and texted: Come

    out.

    After clicking it open, I realized that the location was the park

    near my home. Why did he go there? To take a stroll?

    Just as I was hesitating whether or not to go, a new WhatsApp

    message came in. It read: Hurry up. It¡¯s hot.

    Hot? It¡¯s winter now¡­

    I replied: What¡¯s hot?

    He messaged back: My heart.

    A little confused, I then texted back: Huh?

    He replied: I want you. There was a pitiful-looking emoticon at

    the end of the message.

    I had to admit that he was really good at flirting.

    Without hesitation, I put on a random coat and headed out. After

    all, Lyle would not be back that early.

    When I got there, he was sitting at a pavilion in the park. Dressed

    in a ck suit and a white shirt, he looked a bit tired with ruffled

    hair and his tie casually pulled aside.

    As soon as he saw me, he broke into a smile and stood up.

    Stretching his hands out, he said warmly, ¡°Come here, Eve.¡±

    Eve!

    I was stunned for a moment, feeling touched. Other than my

    parents, he was the only one who called me that. Even Lyle only

    called me Yvonne.

    As though I was possessed, I obediently walked over and put my

    hand in his.

    His palms wererge, while his fingers were pale and thin. Gently

    but firmly, he then pulled me into his arms.

    He seemed to have had a bit to drink but still appeared to be

    sober. ¡°I missed you so much, Eve.¡±

    Upon hearing his slightly hoarse voice, my heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±

    Without even realizing it myself, I was ovee by a strong urge

    to care for him.

    He hugged me tightly, his chin resting on my head as he replied

    softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little tired.¡±

    I was slightly relieved at that. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, then go back, take

    a bath, and sleep well. Why¡¯d youe over here?¡±

    He suddenly smiled and asked, ¡°Are you reprimanding me?

    Feeling sorry for me?¡±

    I was taken aback by his question. Indeed, I felt sorry for him,

    although I did not even notice when I started to have such

    feelings.

    I knew that we were ying with fire. I haven¡¯t even gotten

    myself out of the situation with Lyle, so how can I get involved

    with Christopher too?

    Conflicted, I pushed him away, trying to keep a distance from

    him while not making it too obvious.

    However, he pulled me back again and pressed his lips against

    mine. The kiss was so passionate that I almost melted in his

    arms.

    I noticed that it was different from his previous kisses. Although it

    was just as intense as before, this one was a little more

    desperate. It was as though he found a bottle of water when he

    was dying of thirst.

    He held me tightly in his arms as we made out, and soon, I was This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    out of breath. With the remaining strength left in me, I reached

    out to push him away.

    It was slightly embarrassing that I was defeated by a mere kiss

    when we finally met up.

    A long whileter, Christopher let go of me reluctantly and licked

    my lips. He then shot me a charming smile.

    Meanwhile, I slumped in his arms, gasping for breath weakly.

    He carried me and sat back on the bench. ¡°I said you wouldn¡¯t be

    able to get out of bed for three days, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Tsk, he really holds grudges.

    Just as he leaned in for another kiss, I raised my hand to block

    him. ¡°Don¡¯t. Others will see.¡±

    Pulling my hand away, he said, ¡°Who woulde here sote at

    night? I wouldn¡¯t either if it weren¡¯t to eat you.¡±

    I was speechless at his words.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 13

    However, he had a point. No one would go out sote at night,

    except those with ulterior motives. For instance, the man and

    woman turning the corner about ten meters ahead.

    I patted him and gestured at them with my chin. ¡°Your friend¡¯s

    here.¡±

    He nced over indifferently, then kissed me on the cheek when

    I was not paying attention. Only then did he reluctantly let go of

    me. ¡°Definitely not mine.¡±

    The pair arrived just as we stood up.

    The moment Lyle saw me, his expression darkened. ¡°You, you¡­¡±

    He stuttered for some time but did not manage to finish his

    sentence.

    Yet, although he was inarticte, his eyesight was good. Almost

    immediately, he noticed that Christopher was beside me. With

    that, his face fell even more.

    Initially, I thought that he would justsh out at me right there

    and then. However, instead of doing so, he stepped forward and

    gave me a tight p.

    Stunned, I was overwhelmed with indignation. But you were the

    one who cheated on me first!

    It was apparent that Lyle hadpletely forgotten that his

    mistress was still beside him. Just then, Christopher pulled me

    behind him before he questioned in a disdainful tone, ¡°Lyle, don¡¯t

    you think it¡¯s unseemly for you to p Eve when you brought

    another woman to the park at this hour?¡±

    Lyle froze for a moment. Then, he discreetly shook off the

    woman¡¯s hand. ¡°This is my family matter. You don¡¯t need to

    worry about it. Also, you¡¯re not in the ce to call her Eve. You¡¯d

    better take care of your other dalliances first.¡±

    As soon as he was done speaking, he came over and grabbed my

    hand. However, I flung his hand away. It was the same one that

    he used to hold that woman just now. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me after you

    have touched another woman.¡±

    He had probably not expected that I would go against him. As a

    result, he stood rooted to the spot with an unfathomable

    expression.

    However, no thief would admit to stealing. He merely froze for a

    moment before immediately disguising his guilt with rage. ¡°Great.

    I¡¯ve suspected you two for a long time now. Previously, for some

    reason, you two shared the same bowl. When Mom told me that

    you two were being fishy, I even made up excuses for you.¡±

    Well, he was not wrong. After all, I did cheat on him by getting

    involved in a love affair with Christopher. Thus, I had nothing to

    say about that.

    However, I was infuriated that he had the audacity to use me

    of being unfaithful when he was the one who cheated first. How

    bold and thick-skinned.

    Christopher sneered as he retorted, ¡°What a shame. We only

    shared a bowl, unlike both of you who¡¯ve already slept in the

    same bed.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Lyle said furiously. Knowing that he could not win the

    argument, he decided to take action instead.

    Seeing that the situation was gradually getting out of hand, I was

    afraid that they would actually get into a fight, intending to pull

    them apart. However, before I could do anything, I suddenly felt

    dizzy, and my legs went weak, causing me to slump onto the

    ground.

    I¡¯ve taken my meal just now, so why¡¯s my blood sugar so low?

    Christopher wanted to help me up, but Lyle pushed him away.

    As my head was spinning, I could only let Lyle leave with me in

    his arms.

    Once we were home, he acted unusually caring toward me. ¡°How

    do you feel, dear? Are you still dizzy? I¡¯ll go get you a ss of

    warm water.¡±

    At first, I was a little moved by his kind gesture. However, as

    soon as I heard the words ¡°warm water,¡± those feelings faded

    away instantly.

    It seems that warm water is the cure to everything. Whenever I

    have cramps or I¡¯m down with a cold, he would ask me to drink

    it. But I¡¯m dizzy now, so what¡¯s the use of drinking warm water?

    You might as well make a cup of sugared water.

    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to correct him as I knew that

    it would be pointless.

    Seeing as I did not speak, he assumed that I had agreed and

    dashed out of the room.

    Meanwhile, Iy back on the bed and rested. Although my world

    no longer spun, I was still a little dizzy. Moreover, I felt nauseous N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    and had a strong urge to vomit.

    Nausea, vomit¡­

    At that moment, an ominous thought shed across my

    mind. Have I missed my period for two months? What are the

    early symptoms of pregnancy?

    I quickly picked up my phone. Right then, a notification popped

    up. It was a message from Christopher: You okay? I¡¯m outside

    the door.

    Ignoring him, I hastily typed out a few words and began to

    search for answers while a shiver ran down my spine.

    How is it possible¡­

    I felt like the world wasing to an end.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 14

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    I had been married to Lyle for two years, which was also the

    amount of time I waited to carry a child. However, I had not

    gotten pregnant at all during the past two years. So how did I get

    pregnant all of a sudden? Moreover, it happened during the

    period in which I had slept with Christopher.

    I was ovee with anxiety, for I was not sure who the child

    belonged to.

    Furthermore, regardless of whether the child was Christopher¡¯s or

    Lyle¡¯s, the oue was not what I had hoped for.

    After all, I was already nning to get a divorce, so having a

    child would only be an extra burden to me.

    Just then, Lyle came back with a ss of water. He carefully

    helped me up and said, ¡°Here¡¯s your water, dear. Drink it slowly.

    It¡¯s a bit hot.¡±

    Afterward, he gently blew on the water to cool it down before

    slowly bringing it close to my mouth. As though he was worried

    that I would burn myself, he watched me like a hawk.

    Calm down, Yvonne. You have to calm down.

    Although I was so nervous that my entire back was drenched with

    sweat, I still pretended to be calm as I took the cup. ¡°I can do it

    myself.¡±

    In the past, a single greeting from him used to make me happy

    for two days. However, his actions only made me feel awkward at

    that moment.

    Without saying a word, he sat by the bedside and stared at me

    until I felt a little uneasy.

    I was so worried that he would notice something amiss, and my

    palms started sweating. Although I could have finished the ss

    in two gulps, I sipped on it for half an hour instead.

    Initially, I thought he would lose patience and leave soon.

    However, he was in a good mood that day and waited until I

    finished drinking.

    Since I had no other choice, I could only finish the water and

    hand him the cup. After that, I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯m

    going to sleep.¡±

    He then grabbed onto me and said, ¡°Wait a minute. I have

    something to ask you.¡±

    Can you not?

    Unbeknownst to me, I was gripping my phone tightly in the midst

    of my panic, and the screen was disying Christopher¡¯s contact.

    He pulled me into an upright position, and his hands suddenly

    reached out to hold my shoulders.

    Thinking that he was going to hit me again, I trembled and tried

    to retreat.

    However, there was no room for me to move, for the bed and

    wall were directly behind me.

    To my surprise, he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Am I hearing things?

    He then repeated himself, ¡°Dear, it was my fault. Please forgive

    me.¡±

    Finally, I heard it clearly that time. He really is apologizing to me.

    However, I did not understand why he was doing so. Because he

    misunderstood the situation and hit me? Although, it wasn¡¯t a

    misunderstanding. Or is he going to admit to his cheating? He¡¯d

    better not. Otherwise, it would be my fault instead if I don¡¯t

    forgive him.

    However, I had clearly overthought things. As an exnation for

    his cheating, he said, ¡°I had a social gathering today and drank a

    little too much. I was afraid I¡¯d smother you with the smell if I

    came back, so I went to take a walk with Bianca to help me sober

    up.¡±

    Bianca? Oh right, his mistress. I almost forgot that her name is

    Bianca.

    I merely replied with an ¡°Oh.¡±

    Unable to figure out what I was thinking, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t do it

    again in the future, dear. Please forgive me.¡±

    Yeah, right. However, I kept my thoughts to myself,

    merely humming in reply.

    He then said, ¡°If there¡¯s anywhere you want to go next time,

    remember to tell me. I¡¯ll make time to apany you.¡±

    The implication in his words was that he still doubted Christopher

    and me, and he wanted me to keep a distance from Christopher.

    Although I was a little disheartened, I knew that it was for the

    best. After all, it was time to put an end to our ambiguous

    rtionship. ¡°I won¡¯t meet him alone next time.¡±

    With my assurance, he immediately smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    Having said that, he pulled me into a hug, wanting to get intimate

    with me. However, I wriggled out of his arms. In truth, I wasn¡¯t

    angry at him. I merely felt awkward and no longer wanted to

    have any physical contact with him.

    However, he seemed upset about it. Seeing as he was about to

    throw a tantrum, I quickly changed the subject. ¡°I still feel a little

    dizzy, Darling. Please help me make a cup of brown sugar tea.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 15

    Upon hearing my words, he forgot about his displeasure moments

    ago and pressed his hand to my forehead nervously, testing

    whether or not I had a fever. ¡°Okay, wait a minute. I¡¯ll make it

    right now.¡±

    The moment he left the room, I hopped off the bed and hurriedly

    took out a pregnancy test kit from the drawer. I then hid in the

    bathroom and locked the door in a panic.

    In fact, I had bought that pregnancy test kit two years ago.

    Never did I expect that I would use it in such a difficult situation.

    Now that I think about it, has it expired?

    Taking advantage of the fact that Lyle was not there, I quickly

    took the test and waited for the result nervously. Deep down, I

    prayed hard, begging for it to be negative.

    However, the test result showed two lines. Perhaps it is my

    retribution for cheating.

    At that moment, I felt as though I was struck by lightning. My

    legs gave way, and I almost fell to the ground.

    I was not panicking because I was pregnant but because I did not

    know whose child it was.

    While my mind was in disarray, my phone kept ringing.

    Christopher¡¯s name appeared on the screen, causing me to

    be even more upset, and I hung up the call directly.

    Yet, within a second, he called again.

    After hanging up again, I sent him a text: ?

    He replied almost immediately: Are you okay?

    The next second, he messaged me again: Did he make things

    difficult for you? I¡¯ming in now.

    The moment I saw that message, I was scared out of my wits,

    and I hurriedly replied: Don¡¯t!

    He hesitated for a while before he asked: Why? You¡¯re just gonna

    push me away after having your way with me?

    He had probably realized that I was fine, thus beginning his idle

    chatter again.

    However, I was not in the mood for that. Oh gosh, I feel like

    dying now, and you¡¯re teasing me?

    Just then, I heard rapid footsteps from outside; Lyle must have

    come back. Hence, I tidied myself and hid the pregnancy test kit,

    then regained myposure before I walked out.

    He put down the cup of brown sugar tea and came to help me.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to help you to the toilet? Weren¡¯t you

    feeling dizzy? What if you fall?¡±

    Before I exited the bathroom, I had already decided to conceal

    my pregnancy and get a divorce as soon as possible. I was

    adamant about raising the child by myself.

    Lyle seemed to behave differently after the incident at the park.

    Once he got off work, he immediately went home.

    asionally, he would even spoil me with candlelight dinners,

    roses, or choctes.

    If he had done that in the past, I would have been overjoyed.

    However, I felt nothing when he showered me with surprises

    now.

    I was already familiar with his temperament after being married

    to him for two years. After all, the harder it was to get

    something, the more they wanted it.

    In the past, he only thought of me as a housewife who had no

    saying in the family. But now that Christopher came into the

    picture, he was panic-stricken all of a sudden.

    Although I epted Lyle¡¯s kind gestures, I wouldter discuss

    divorce matters with awyer in secret.

    What I did might be a little unscrupulous, but the Smiths were no

    ordinary family; they were affluent and powerful. Hence, if I did

    not make full preparations, I would not even be able to step out

    of their front door.

    For the past few days, Lyle had been spending all his time with

    me. Thus, I slowly counted the days to see how long Bianca could

    tolerate before she took action.

    Sure enough, I only had peace for less than a week before she

    finally came over to have a showdown.

    The moment the doorbell rang, I already had a gut feeling that it

    was her.

    Lyle had his own keys, so there was no need for him to ring the

    doorbell. Moreover, I had not seen Christopher for many days,

    and it was unlikely that he would visit so suddenly. As for Wendy,

    she was probably still too angry to turn up.

    I cracked open the door and gave the visitor a once-over, starting

    from the bottom. What greeted my eyes first were a pair of fair,

    slender legs. With a pink scarf tied around her neck, she wore a

    figure-hugging mini skirt and a backless halter top, looking sexy

    and morous.

    At that moment, she stood at the door with her arms crossed and

    her chin slightly raised, proud as a peacock.

    She gave me a sidelong nce with a disdainful expression.

    Indeed, that was exactly how a mistress was looking at the wife

    of her lover. She must not have had the spouse of a lover strip

    her and had her nudes taken before.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 16

    I leaned half of my body on the door frame and blocked the

    entrance by grabbing the doorknob with one hand. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    I thought my actions made it very obvious that she was

    uninvited, but she chose to ignore it and continued to step

    forward haughtily in her high heels.

    Now that I recalled, she gave me a contemptuous look that day

    at the park as well. If I had not fainted that day, I would have

    pped her across her face. After all, Christopher was there to

    back me up at that time.

    I quickly moved forward and blocked her path. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m

    going to rest now. You¡¯ll have toe another day.¡±

    My message came through loud and clear.

    She scoffed, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°But I have nothing to say to you,¡± I replied.

    She shot back, ¡°My time is precious. I¡¯m afraid I may not have

    the time toe another day. Unlike you, I can¡¯t sit around at

    home all day.¡±

    She was a pretty girl, but she¡¯s clearly an idiot.

    Not wanting to waste my breath on her, I turned to close the

    door.

    But she stuck her arm out to stop the door from closing. Caught

    off guard, I swung the door wide open, and she strutted in with

    her head held high.

    Without waiting for an invitation from me, she walked into the

    living room and sat on my couch as if she owned the ce.

    I was fuming inside, but I forced out a smile.

    ¡°This is my home, and you¡¯re sitting on my couch,¡± I said

    flippantly.

    She sneered in reply. ¡°It won¡¯t be your home soon, but don¡¯t

    worry. I¡¯m not as petty as you. I couldn¡¯t care less if you take this

    tattered couch with you.¡±

    I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Scraps are not

    worthy for trashy people like you.¡±

    She instantly became angry at the insult. ¡°Who¡¯s the trashy one

    now? I¡¯m telling you, Lyle will kick you out soon. He has lost

    interest in you for a long time. All you do is cook and clean.¡±

    Is she taking me for a fool? If that¡¯s the case, then why is she

    throwing a fit in front of me now? Perhaps she was here because

    it had been a long time since Lyle had gone to her.

    Suddenly, she smiled and asked, ¡°Do you know when was the

    first time that I got together with Lyle?¡±

    I had no idea, and I didn¡¯t want to know, either. ¡°I¡¯m not

    interested.¡±

    However, the self-absorbed woman ignored me and continued,

    ¡°At that time, I just started working, and I had no qualifications. I

    worked hard and did all the menial tasks. Most of the time, I had

    to work overtime untilte in the night.¡±

    And then what? Is she ying the sympathy card? Well, I had it

    worse than her. When I was in college, I had to work and study

    at the same time. I was handing out flyers on the street, cleaning

    dishes, and putting up posters whenever I didn¡¯t have ss.

    I replied, ¡°I feel for you. I really do. How about this, I¡¯ll give you

    some money for you to call a cab?¡±

    Ignoring my jibe, she continued rambling, ¡°I remember that night

    very clearly. It was raining heavily when I left the office at ten. I

    was walking in the rain for some time before I fainted. When I

    woke up, I was in Lyle¡¯s car, and he even gave me his coat to

    keep me warm.¡±

    Ten at night, rain, missing coat. I searched my memory with

    those clues, and finally, I knew which night she was talking

    about.

    It was my birthdayst year. I bought a cake and waited for

    Lyle at home, but all I got was a phone call from him telling me

    not to wait up for him because he was having a meeting.

    He didn¡¯t get home until three in the morning. His clothes were

    soaking wet, and his coat was missing.

    At that time, I felt sorry for him for working so hard and even

    berated myself for expecting him to celebrate my birthday with

    me.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 17

    Looking back now, I wanted to p myself.

    I was in no mood to listen to her anymore, but she kept on

    taunting me. ¡°Do you know what Lyle said to me about you?¡±

    No, I don¡¯t want to know.

    But she continued, ¡°He said that you¡¯re an old hag. Although he

    married you, you¡¯re just an unpaid housekeeper to him.¡±

    I became annoyed after hearing that hurtful remark. So, I picked

    up my phone and looked at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call Lyle now and

    see what he has to say about it?¡±

    Instantly, she panicked and pretended to be calm. ¡°Don¡¯t be so

    smug. I¡¯ll kick you out sooner orter.¡±

    Great. That would save me the legal fees.

    I walked over to the door and opened it. Then, I gave her a look

    that said, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to leave now¡±.

    Only then did she pick up her bag in frustration and rattle toward

    me in her high heels.

    Just when I thought she was about to walk out the door, she

    suddenly stopped in her tracks. And when I least expected it, she

    stretched out her hand and shoved my shoulder.

    I was caught off guard and stumbled backward beforending on

    my hip.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lyle called out when he came back and saw the scene

    before him.

    However, it was toote. There was a sharp pain in my stomach. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Before Lyle could rush over to break my fall, I had crashed to the

    ground.

    All of a sudden, I felt a sharp and intense pain in my abdomen. I

    had a dreadful feeling that I was about to miscarry.

    Tossing his bag aside, Lyle rushed toward me. He crouched next

    to me and tried to help me into a sitting position. ¡°Are you

    alright, Yvonne? Are you hurt?¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know that I was pregnant, and all he cared about

    was whether I hurt myself from the fall.

    Before I could ask him to take me to the hospital, I was

    interrupted by Bianca, who was fuming away.

    She pointed a finger right at me and said connivingly, ¡°Quit the

    act. Wasn¡¯t it only a fall? It can¡¯t be that serious as to cause

    internal bleeding.¡±

    If I wasn¡¯t in so much pain, I would have gotten up and pped

    her across her face.

    But now was not the time to quarrel with her. I tugged at Lyle¡¯s

    arm and said anxiously, ¡°Quick! Get me to the hospital.¡±

    Even though I felt that this was not the right time to carry a child

    and that I had no intention to keep this pregnancy, I was still

    frightened at the thought of miscarrying.

    Lyle got into position and was about to lift me up in his arms.

    However, Bianca dragged him to his feet to stop him from helping

    me up and began to whine at him, ¡°Look at this, Lyle. She broke

    my nail.¡±

    This was the first time I felt like killing someone. Who cares about

    your broken nail! I¡¯m about to lose my baby!

    ¡°Lyle!¡± I shouted at him to bring his attention back to me. It was

    the first time that I raised my voice at him.

    Lyle was not the only one who was taken aback. Bianca was

    equally shocked as she stared at me nkly for a moment.

    However, I was in no mood to pay attention to their expressions

    because I was in such excruciating pain. I wanted to get myself

    to the hospital quickly, but I couldn¡¯t move without any help.

    This was my first child, and I couldn¡¯t bear to lose this baby.

    In my state of panic and fear, Christopher popped into my mind,

    and I quickly took out my phone to call him.

    Suddenly, Lyle got anxious as though he saw something

    disturbing. He shoved Bianca out of his way and rushed over to

    my side. Very quickly, he held me tightly in his arms, and his

    eyes were transfixed on my lower body.

    I followed his gaze and saw that a pool of blood had gathered

    between my legs. The sight of it caused me to choke back a sob.

    Distressed, Lyle quickly picked me up and ran out of the door. As

    he did, he tried his best tofort me, ¡°Dear, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll

    take you to the hospital now. It¡¯s going to be okay. It¡¯ll be okay¡­¡±

    He was trying to console me, but in fact, he was suffering a panic

    attack himself.

    Fortunately, the hospital was not far from home, and it was only

    a ten-minute drive away. Even so, the car seat was soaked with

    the blood pouring out of me.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 18

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Once we arrived at the hospital, Lyle ran into the hospital with

    me in his arms and shouted, ¡°Help! Quick! My wife has lost a lot

    of blood¡­¡±

    A group of doctors and nurses came rushing out and swiftly

    helped me onto an empty surgical bed before pushing me into an

    operating room.

    I was actually afraid to go under anesthesia. Once we were in the

    operating room, I grasped the doctor¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Doctor,

    I¡¯m pregnant. I think I¡¯m having a miscarriage.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see the doctor¡¯s expression as he was wearing a

    surgical mask, but I was sure that he nced at my lower body

    for a moment. Nodding, he said to a nurse, ¡°Let¡¯s get her into the

    delivery room. Send an obstetrician in there too.¡±

    After that, they pushed my surgical bed out of the operating

    room. Immediately, I heaved a sigh of relief.

    I felt dizzy from fatigue and blood loss, and because of that, I fell

    asleep unknowingly.

    When I woke up, I was in a single-bedded ward, and my bed was

    surrounded by pink curtains. It was very quiet, and I could hear

    Lyle talking to someone.

    ¡°Good thing you guys came in the nick of time, so we managed to

    save the fetus. Since this is her first pregnancy and it¡¯s still in the

    early stage, there is an increased risk of miscarriage. Hence,

    extra care is needed for her to have a safe pregnancy.¡±

    Then came Lyle¡¯s voice. ¡°Thank you, doctor. We¡¯ll be extra careful

    from now on.¡±

    As Iy on the hospital bed, I stared at the ceiling that was

    decorated like a starry sky. Now that he was aware of the

    pregnancy, I wonder what he thought of it.

    Soon, the doctor opened the door and left the ward. Lyle pulled

    open the curtain to peep at me, and when he saw that I was

    awake, he instantly smiled and asked cautiously, ¡°You¡¯re up,

    dear. Do you want some water? Are you hungry?¡±

    I opened my mouth to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He brought my hand to his lips and asked in an almost inaudible

    voice, ¡°Dear, can I ask you something?¡±

    Sensing from his expression that something was amiss, my heart

    began to race. I had a gut feeling that Lyle was going to ask

    about the baby.

    Sure enough, he lifted his head and looked me straight in the eye

    with a somber look.

    I felt terribly guilty and held my breath before stammering, ¡°G-Go

    ahead.¡±

    His eyes were still fixated on me, and the atmosphere was rather

    tense.

    Instead of throwing questions at me immediately, he pulled the

    nket halfway up to my chest. I was frightened by this action as

    I was expecting him to burst into anger.

    After tucking me in, he shifted his gaze back to me and asked

    calmly, ¡°Did you sleep with Christopher?¡±

    I was speechless.

    He looked me in the eye, and there wasn¡¯t a hint of anger in his

    gaze. His calmness chilled my blood.

    I answered, ¡°No, I did not.¡±

    It was the first time I knew that I was good at lying. I was aware

    that I should not admit my rtionship with Christopher before

    using my trump card.

    Lyle knew that I was not someone who would lie, but he didn¡¯t

    seem to believe me at that moment. He asked again, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you

    another question. Who¡¯s the father of this baby?¡±

    Upon hearing that, I could feel breathing quicken, and my heart

    was pounding like a drum.

    ¡°I asked you a question.¡± Suddenly, he raised his voice at me,

    causing me to stiffen with fright.

    Instead of answering the question, I said, ¡°I¡¯m your wife.¡±

    Clearly annoyed, his brows furrowed instantly. ¡°Tell me. Whose

    child is it?¡±

    I was so frightened that I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Lyle was terrifying whenever he flew into a rage. If this were to

    continue, I would surrender in no time.

    Thinking fast, I changed the subject. ¡°I should be the one asking.

    What¡¯s up with Bianca? Didn¡¯t you say you have nothing to do

    with her? Then why did shee knocking on our door today?¡±

    I had to admit that I sounded senseless. Even if he really was in

    an affair with Bianca, they did not conceive a child nheless,

    so I was clearly in the wrong here.

    The moment I brought up Bianca, Lyle¡¯s temper subsided

    somewhat. But he persisted in asking, ¡°Tell me who the father of

    this child is. Only then will I tell you everything about Biance and

    me.¡±

    It was a pathetic deal. Hence, I rejected it, ¡°He¡¯s your friend.

    What can he do?¡±

    Lyle¡¯s temper red, and he jumped up with a roar. ¡°Don¡¯t think

    you can talk yourself out of this. This child is his, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    For some reason, I was d to see his face contorted in anger.

    ¡°If it makes you happier that the child is his, then we¡¯ll just let it

    be.¡±

    Right after saying that, Lyle raised his hand and pped me

    across the face. The impact was so strong that I almost fell off

    the bed.

    Just then, there was a sharp pain in my stomach. When I looked

    down, I saw that I was bleeding again, and the blood had stained

    the sheets.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 19

    Not only was my body hurting, but my heart was aching too.

    When I first got married, I thought I was the luckiest woman in

    the world. On my wedding night, Lyle hugged me and told me he

    would make me happy for the rest of my life.

    But this was what we had be after only two years of

    marriage. In fact, it didn¡¯t take two years. He started to cheat

    one year ago, yet he had the audacity to hit me while I was lying

    in the hospital bed covered in blood.

    Tears began rolling down my cheeks. I poured out my grievances

    and dissatisfaction, but Lyle was not willing to let me off. He held

    me by my throat as his face contorted in anger. By then, the

    hospital bedsheet was soaked with blood.

    ¡°So you really had an affair with Christopher! I¡¯m going to kill

    you, Yvonne.¡±

    That¡¯s men. They don¡¯t allow their women to be close to the

    opposite sex even when they themselves have cheated and

    committed adultery.

    My vision began to blur as air rushed out of my lungs, and my

    firm grip on Lyle¡¯s hand loosened. I gazed up at his handsome

    face, but somehow, it looked malicious and repulsive to me.

    We had been friends since childhood before we became

    romantically involved. At that time, I was very fond of Lyle and

    loved to look at him because his smile was as bright as the sun.

    Just seeing his heartwarming smile made me feel better This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    whenever I was upset.

    But now, his face seemed strangely unfamiliar. With myst

    ounce of strength, I struggled to ask, ¡°Lyle, we¡¯ve been married

    for two years. Have you ever loved me?¡±

    ¡°No. And I never will!¡± Lyle answered without hesitation.

    I smiled bitterly. So what we had in the past few years was all a

    joke, and it was a mockery of my ignorance. Because of that, I

    was consumed by the desire to have my revenge. I figured

    whatever happened between Christopher and me would serve as

    that, so I began to indulge in the thoughts of my ¡°sweet¡±

    revenge.

    I honestly thought that Lyle would really kill me then and there.

    Fortunately, a nurse came in to check on me at that time. And

    since Lyle didn¡¯t want to have blood on his hands, he decided to

    let go of his grip on my throat.

    Once his hand left my throat, I fell back limply on the bed and

    gasped for air. When the nurse came to my side, she pulled the

    nket aside and let out a terrified scream when she saw the

    blood-covered sheets. She immediately called in a group of

    nurses and doctors.

    Everyone tacitly ignored the raw handprints on my neck and tried

    their best to treat me. After all, it was my private matter, and

    they weren¡¯t going to intervene.

    Lyle was shocked when he saw therge amount of blood that

    had pooled on the white bedsheet, standing rooted to his spot

    behind the nurses and doctors. After a while, he came forward to

    ask if I was in any pain. I shifted my gaze away from him and

    ignored him entirely.

    He seemed to be more horrified than guilty. It was obvious that

    he was afraid of killing me identally and bing the talk of

    the town. Instantly, the sense of guilt that I had when we were

    talking about my affair with Christopher disappeared into thin air.

    I asked the doctor, ¡°What about the baby that I miscarried?¡±

    The doctor replied sympathetically, ¡°The fetus was only two

    months old, so it¡¯s an early pregnancy loss. Give yourself half a

    year to recover before you try to get pregnant again.¡±

    I let out a scornfulugh, then pointed in Lyle¡¯s direction and

    said, ¡°If the fetal tissue has not been disposed of, then please

    collect some tissue sample and arrange for a paternity test with

    my husband.¡±

    Although I wasn¡¯t sure who the father of the unborn child was, I

    knew that Lyle would never agree to such a ridiculous request in

    front of so many strangers. If he were to agree to the paternity

    test, that would indicate that he had been cuckolded.

    Sure enough, his face smoothed out as he leaned forward and

    said in a soft tone, ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting, Eve. I only said those

    things in a moment of anger. Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore.

    You should rest well and focus on recuperating.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 20

    Although I managed to cover up the truth about my pregnancy, I

    ended up in a feeble state, lying frailly on the bed. Meanwhile,

    Lyle acted like a thoughtful husband in the doctor¡¯s presence, but

    he left me without hesitation after answering a phone call.

    Lyle said he had to deal with somepany matters and told me

    to get some rest. Nheless, judging from his worried

    expression as he talked over the phone, I knew instantly that it

    was a call from Bianca.

    With much difficulty, I got up and walked to the window. Soon, I

    saw Lyle hugging ady at the hospital entrance as they left.

    Although she wasn¡¯t Bianca, she seemed familiar to me, and I

    couldn¡¯t help but recall some unpleasant memories. But that

    woman is still in Anndur. How can she be here?

    I shook my head to dismiss those thoughts. Back then, Crystal

    had left the country resolutely. As such, it was quite unlikely that

    she would be willing to be a homewrecker, knowing that Lyle and

    I hadn¡¯t divorced. Moreover, Bianca that b*tch was still pestering

    Lyle.

    I stayed under the nket and curled myself up, hoping to get

    some warmth. Nheless, my attempt was to no avail.

    Although it was summer, I felt cold as a shiver ran down my

    spine.

    I tried to get some sleep as the heavy rain pitter-pattered on the

    window. After quite some time, I felt a tinge of humidity

    permeating in the air while I was half-asleep. As the coldness

    overwhelmed me, I shivered and pulled the nket up to cover

    my body.

    Shortly afterward, I somehow felt a warm object that resembled

    a heatere up to me. I couldn¡¯t help but wrap myself around it

    like an octopus. After heaving a sigh of satisfaction, I finally had a

    sound sleep.

    I dreamed that I was in a white hall, and Lyle was standing right

    in front of me. With a ring in his hand, he proposed to me

    solemnly. At that moment, tears began to roll down my face.

    Only when my neck started to prickle did I wake up from the

    dream.

    Assuming that there was a mosquito on my neck, I smacked it

    while my eyes remained shut. The next moment, I felt that

    something was off and immediately opened my eyes. Under the

    dim light, I saw Christopher applying some ointment on the

    bruises on my neck.

    There was a mixture of worry and guilt in his obsidian ck eyes.

    Seeing that I had woken up, he applied the ointment gently and

    said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to call me at once whenever you are in

    trouble? Why did you hide it from me?¡±

    Although Christopher was reprimanding me, I couldn¡¯t help but

    feel touched. I had a miscarriage due to Lyle¡¯s mistress. However,

    the man who apanied me wasn¡¯t Lyle but someone with

    whom I had a one-night stand to retaliate against Lyle.

    ¡°Why are you crying? I didn¡¯t mean to growl at you. I was just

    irritated because you didn¡¯t protect yourself.¡± He heaved a sigh Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    and wiped away my tears. The moment his fingers swept across

    my eyshes, my tears rolled down even more.

    ¡°If you keep crying, don¡¯t me me for being harsh to you. I¡¯d

    love to see you cry when I get inside you!¡± Christopher suddenly

    made a crude joke, for he realized that his words had failed to

    comfort me earlier on.

    At that moment, I did not know how to react to his remark. On

    the one hand, I wanted to continue crying, but on the other hand,

    I felt that the lewd joke was surprisingly amusing. In the end, I

    chose to make him suffer with me by biting his arm.

    Instead of pushing me away, he let me bite him. After I released

    him, he suddenly took me into his arms and ced my hand on

    his sturdy chest, which sent a sense of warmth traveling through

    my heart and made me feel much better.

    Feeling touched, I expressed my gratitude to him. Since he was

    hugging me too tightly, I wriggled to switch to a more

    comfortable position. The next moment, my face darkened, for I

    realized that he was lying naked beside me. Moreover, he even

    put my hand in between his legs!

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 21

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¨DChristopher, I¡®m a patient who just had a miscarriage!¡Î I

    gnashed my teeth and bellowed. This man is despicable!

    ¨DI¡®m not going to devour you. Why are you so nervous?

    You look pale and disheveled. Besides, there are still

    some eye boogers in your eyes. It appears that I¡®ll be the

    one on the losing end for sleeping with you,¡Î Christopher

    argued cunningly as he squinted.

    Eye boogers? Immediately, I rubbed my eyes to realize

    that there were no eye boogers. Knowing that he yed

    a prank on me, I blushed and dared not gaze at him.

    Although I only intended to use him for my revenge, I

    couldn¡®t help but care about his feelings toward me.

    As such, I began to think that something was wrong with

    me. Christopher, who was a handsome yboy, had

    many women fighting for his attention, some of whom

    were more beautiful than me. There were even celebrities

    who wished to get close to him.

    Suddenly, I felt like a fool for liking him merely because

    he was nice to me. Unknowingly, I became irritated and

    said coldly, ¨DYou¡®re right. There are many women lining

    up to sleep with a handsome man like you, so a married

    woman like me is certainly out of your league.¡Î

    ¨DBut I prefer my little calf.¡Î Shrugging, he tapped on my

    forehead and hugged me tighter.

    I blurted out in frustration, ¨DWho needs your love,

    Christopher? Do all men behave just like this? When

    courting a woman, a man will whisper sweet nothings to

    her non-stop. But once he is bored of her, he will

    abandon her like some rubbish and trample on her as he

    pleases. Do you guys think men are emperors who can

    choose among concubines? What gives you the right to

    do so? Get out. I said, get out!¡Î

    Nevertheless, I began to sob when I was talking.

    Admittedly, I was venting out my frustration on

    Christopher, for I dared not say such things to Lyle. I

    knew that Christopher would only make fun of me with

    some lewd jokes but wouldn¡®t actually break my heart.

    On the other hand, Lyle had hurt me deeply. I still hadn¡®t

    moved on ever since I found out about his affair. After

    all, only those I cared about could ever hurt me.

    However, I had to admit that I deserved it for loving him.

    Although our rtionship was in a precarious state, I

    couldn¡®t let go of what we used to have.

    Meanwhile, Christopher didn¡®t move an inch but merely

    gazed at me. I mustered up my energy to push him away

    and kick him. Unexpectedly, I ended up hurting my

    wound instead of him. Instantly, I covered my stomach

    and wailed in pain.

    My kick sent him falling from the bed onto the floor.

    Assuming that he would feel insulted, I expected him to

    m the door and leave me like what Lyle did.

    As I continued sobbing, my vision became blurry. Deep

    down, I med myself for chasing away someone who

    cared about me. I couldn¡®t help but think that Lyle was

    irritated by me due to the same reason. All of a sudden, I

    was pulled into a warm embrace.

    ¨DCry all you want. I¡®ll lend you my chest.¡Î Although

    Christopher was teasing me, I was deeply touched by his

    words nheless. I leaned against his chest and cried

    my heart out.

    ¨DIf he doesn¡®t love me, why did he marry me? Why did he

    have to hurt me like this? Is it wrong for me to love him

    wholeheartedly?¡Î

    When I recalled the past, I realized that there were

    already some signs back then. When Lyle confessed his

    love to me, he didn¡®t bring any flowers nor prepare a

    romantic setting. Instead, he merely held my hand in the

    company¡®s corridor, said perfunctorily that he loved me,

    and asked if I agreed to be with him.

    But I was so immersed in his superficial affection that I

    overlooked the fact that he had just broken up with

    Crystal at that time. On top of that, I had also forgotten

    the way he gazed at me in disdain once he knew I had a

    crush on him.

    ¨DOf course you didn¡®t do anything wrong. Lyle is the one

    who¡®s missing out. How about changing your husband to

    someone who loves you entirely like me? Get a divorce

    tomorrow, and we can apply for a marriage certificate

    right away.¡Î

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 22

    Needless to say, I didn¡®t believe Christopher¡®s sweet-nothings. Although we overstepped the boundary of

    friends, I was well aware that I was only using him to

    take revenge on Lyle. Besides, I had only done it because

    he was drunk and didn¡®t give me a chance to say no that

    night.

    Moreover, I dared not think about the prospect of getting

    a divorce and marrying Christopher. After giving all my

    love and affection to Lyle, I was now left with nothing.

    Although I had feelings for Christopher, I knew it was

    merely due to the overwhelming loneliness and sorrow.

    Given that I didn¡®t respond, Christopher didn¡®t dwell on it

    and continued to hug me on the bed. He took off my

    clothes against my will, saying that sleeping naked was

    good for my health. Knowing that he wouldn¡®t harm me, I

    let him have his way. As I was exhausted after crying for

    a long time, I eventually fell asleep in his arms.

    I had never imagined that I would sleep naked alongside

    a man who wasn¡®t my husband. It felt surreal because we

    didn¡®t actually do anything else other than sleeping.

    I had a sound sleep without any dreams. The moment I

    woke up, I heard a doctor and a nurse talking. Startled, I

    opened my eyes to realize that Christopher had already

    left. When I looked down and saw that I was fully

    dressed, I heaved a sigh of relief.

    Deep down, my impression of Christopher improved a lot.

    Not only was he thoughtful enough to consider things

    from all aspects, but he was also aware of my

    reservations about certain things.

    The doctor and nurse looked at me sympathetically when

    they noticed the bruises on my neck. I was unsure what

    they discussed, but I knew that I had be the talk of

    the hospital.

    I had stayed in the ward for almost a day, but Lyle was

    nowhere to be seen, and there wasn¡®t even a single call

    from him. By then, I had given up on Lylepletely.

    When he finally visited me at night, I pulled a long face.

    ¨DEve, I¡®m so sorry for overreacting yesterday. Can you

    forgive me? By the way, I¡®ve brought your favorite cake

    here.¡Î Lyle put the cake on the table and wore a warm

    smile as usual.

    I almost burst intoughter. You hit your wife and caused

    her to suffer severe blood loss, yet you have the cheek to

    say that you merely overreacted? Whenever he said such

    words in the past, I would feel moved. But now, all I felt

    was disgust.

    Since when did Lyle be so hypocritical? Well,

    perhaps I was blinded by love back then.

    ¨DCome and try this strawberry cake. I remembered that

    you liked it.¡Î Lyle took a chunk of the cake with a fork

    and put it near my mouth. Much to his surprise, I turned

    away and ignored him.

    Every word he said yesterday was imprinted in my mind,

    and I couldn¡®t pretend as though nothing happened. As

    expected, Lyle was irritated. He threw the fork away and

    asked impatiently, ¨DI¡®ve apologized to you. What else do

    you want?¡Î

    He always apologized a few days after he mistreated me.

    Back then, I would be touched by his sweet words and

    forgive him very quickly. But now that I refused to

    compromise, he couldn¡®t take it.

    I met his eyes calmly. Then, I tilted my head as I stared

    at the lipstick mark on his cor. ¨DWhen you apologize

    next time, remember to wipe away the lipstick marks left

    by other women. Then perhaps I¡®ll pretend that nothing

    happened and forgive you.¡Î

    Lyle¡®s expression turned grim as he took off his coat and

    saw the lipstick mark on his cor. As though he wanted

    to conceal his awkwardness, he coughed and exined,

    ¨DNothing happened between Bianca and me. Please don¡®t

    misunderstand us.¡Î

    How could he still have the cheek to im that nothing

    happened when they have already slept together? I

    watched silently as he put on a show. Since we had a

    fallout yesterday, it didn¡®t make sense for Lyle to give in

    and apologize to me. As such, I believed that there was

    an ulterior motive behind what he was doing now.

    ¨DShe¡®s a staff in mypany. As my secretary, it¡®s only

    normal that she tags along with me to meet clients and N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    have dinner together.¡Î

    ¨DDoes that mean your secretary is supposed to entertain

    you too?¡Î I interrupted Lyle and raised my eyebrows.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 23

    Given that I usually behaved in a deferential manner,

    Lyle was stunned by my words. He had never thought

    that I was capable of being so confrontational.

    To my surprise, he didn¡®t get angry but attempted to

    argue with reasons. After that, he got straight to the

    point. ¨DEve, Mr. Ziegler from Ziegler Corporation invited

    us to discuss our contract renewal. He specifically asked

    you to meet him. Since you were the one who closed the

    deal for ourpany in the first ce, can you represent

    us in the meeting?¡Î

    I knew it. He only treats me nicely when he needs me. I

    closed my eyes, feeling even more dejected. After a

    while, I pointed at my face and said, ¨DI just had a

    miscarriage, so it¡®s important that I take a good rest in

    the hospital. How could you ask me to drink with your

    client tomorrow?¡Î

    ¨DWell, it isn¡®t necessary to drink. Since Mr. Ziegler is

    close to you, you can tell him that you aren¡®t feeling well.

    I¡®m sure he won¡®t make things difficult for you,¡Î Lyle

    persuaded. When I seemed unconvinced, he added, ¨DIt¡®s

    okay if you¡®re reluctant to go. After all, your health is

    more important. I¡®ll ask Grandma to meet Mr. Ziegler

    instead.¡Î

    ¨DIt¡®s okay. I¡®ll go. Just give me the address and bring me

    the attire that I need,¡Î I interrupted Lyle. He knew my

    weak spot well and was despicable enough to leverage it.

    Since he wanted to involve Sharon in the matter, I

    couldn¡®t refuse his request.

    In fact, she was the reason why I hadn¡®t taken any

    substantive actions to get a divorce ever since I found

    out that Lyle was having an affair. After I was married

    into the Smith family, Lyle and Sally weren¡®t nice to me.

    On the other hand, Sharon loved me like her own

    granddaughter and took good care of me. Hence, I was

    reluctant to trouble her with my problems.

    Satisfied with the answer, he talked to me for a while

    before he left. This time, he didn¡®t even bother to put up

    an act as he did so. At that moment, I finally believed the

    words he said back then¡ªhe had never loved me.

    I couldn¡®t help but feel pathetic. Back then, I thought

    that my life was the perfect fairy tale because I got to

    marry my first love. Who would have known that love

    was so vulnerable? In the blink of an eye, everything that

    I had turned into dust. Later that night, I tossed and

    turned in bed, yet Christopher didn¡®te over as I had

    hoped. I let out a self-mockingugh as I thought about

    my predicament and only fell asleep in the middle of the

    night.

    I must have been lonely for too long. Hence, when

    someone was nice to me, I would hope for more.

    Nevertheless, I understood that no one would treat

    another person that well for no reason. Judging from the

    BMW Christopher drove, he was definitely someone out

    of my league.

    Even though Lyle never told me about Christopher¡®s

    identity, I could guess that he wasn¡®t merely a scion,

    judging from the way Sally always ttered him

    whenever he came over.

    I had to admit that Lyle was very efficient. His assistant

    had delivered my attire and documents to the hospital

    early in the morning. Given that I had been a housewife

    for two years, I was a little dazed when I put on my

    business attire.

    Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt as though I had

    transformed into the career woman I used to be. I

    recalled that I waspetent at my job before I became

    a housewife who stayed at home all the time, idly waiting

    for my husband¡®s return.

    Ziegler Corporation¡®s contract was thest business deal

    that I closed for the Smith family. Back then, the Smith

    family faced financial woes and needed the deal very

    much. Hence, I spent a lot of time and effort striving for

    it. Initially, they didn¡®t have high hopes of me seeding

    and even began to look for other alternative solutions.

    Surprisingly, a rare opportunity emerged, and I

    sessfully closed the deal.

    As I was deep in thought, my phone vibrated. I unlocked

    it and saw Christopher¡®s message: I went home

    yesterday to deal with an urgent matter and only

    managed to settle it just now. I¡®m sure you were lonely

    and unable to sleep yesterday. Do you want me toe

    now? I have a surprise for you.

    Admittedly, I was delighted to read the message. After

    all, I was terribly lonely, and his message reminded me

    that I still had a ce in someone¡®s heart. However, I

    didn¡®t want our scandalous rtionship to drag on.

    Moreover, I couldn¡®t afford to love again.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 24

    I quickly replied, saying I was fine, and I had been

    discharged from the hospital.

    However, my fingers lingered on the keyboard as I

    hesitated to end this once and for all. In the end, I

    decided not to as I could not bring myself to hit the

    ¨Dsend¡Î button. That¡®s just who I am. Because I¡®ve lost so

    much, I don¡®t want to lose anything else anymore. I

    yearn for warmth and love, even if I myself find it hard to

    give love.

    When I arrived at the clubhouse, I received a call from

    Sabrina. She was my only best friend who wouldn¡®t

    hesitate to speak of her feelings. ¨DHey, I know you¡®re

    married and living a happy life. But, it doesn¡®t mean you

    should be cooped up in your lovey-dovey nest all day.

    You should really meet up with us sometime. It¡®s not like

    your love would disappear the moment you step out of

    the house, right?¡Î she teased.

    I let out a bitterugh and thought to myself. It¡®s been

    two years since we got married, and I realized I had lost

    a huge part of me. No wonder Sabrina alwaysins.

    I used to think that those were really sweet moments,

    but all that¡®s left was sadness. I can¡®t believe my life has

    be like this ¨C a world that¡®s filled with Lyle and only

    him!

    ¨DI¡®m sorry. I got caught up with something. But I¡®ll be

    avableter. What¡®s up?¡Î

    ¨DIt¡®s just a small gathering with our friends at 301

    clubhouse. You must attend, or I won¡®t be friends with

    you anymore,¡Î Sabrina said in a childish manner.

    I agreed toe as I was at the same ce. The

    meeting went well, and Mary noticed that I lost weight.

    Hence, she asked if I was doing okay. I smiled lightly and

    told her I was discharged from the hospital a while ago.

    Sheined that I wasn¡®t taking good care of myself

    and that she would have brought the contract to the

    hospital if she knew I was unwell. Furthermore, she also

    asked about Lyle. However, I merely smiled at her. How

    am I supposed to tell my business partner that my

    husband cheated on me and was the cause of my

    miscarriage? Besides, my husband was not the father to

    my baby.

    Once the meeting was over, I walked toward the private

    room ording to Sabrina¡®s description and knocked. I

    immediately regretted it as soon as I entered the room.

    Because, in that room, were Sabrina and a bunch of

    familiar faces as well as Benjamin. He was Lyle¡®s best

    friend who always looked down on me. In fact, that

    b*stard would take every chance to find fault with me.

    The reason behind his attitude towards me was because I

    rejected him in public when he confessed to me in the

    past. I guess he felt pretty humiliated, and everything

    changed after that. Sure enough, he made me drink

    three sses of whiskey the moment I stepped into the

    room. He even said I would be deemed rude if I rejected

    it. At that, the crowd began to cheer, and I nced at

    him lightly. He nced back in return, his eyes filled with

    disdain and provocation. It was obvious that he had bad

    intentions toward me, and he did not even bother to hide

    it.

    It wouldn¡®t make sense if Benjamin didn¡®t know that I

    was hospitalized. Though Christopher and Lyle were best

    friends, Lyle and Benjamin were like brothers.

    ¨DEve, what are you still waiting for? Drink up! We all

    know you drink like a fish, so three sses of whiskey

    would be a piece of cake, right?¡Î Sabrina urged.

    It used to be true. However, I wouldn¡®t risk my health

    like that right now. ¨DI was just discharged from the

    hospital due to a miscarriage. Are you seriously going to

    force me to drink all these? Do you still have any

    conscience left in you?¡Î

    ¨DWhat? A miscarriage? What happened, Eve? Why were

    you so careless?¡Î Sabrina looked at me, dumbfounded.

    ¨DWhat a shame. Well, who knows who the father is.

    Perhaps she messed around with someone else, and

    something bad happened.¡Î Benjamin snorted.

    I could feel countless eyes staring at me as I replied, ¨DI

    met a madman who wasn¡®t looking at where he was

    going and fell. Don¡®t worry. Although I can¡®t drink, we N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    can still do something else.¡Î

    The door of the private room was pushed open as I said

    those words. It was Lyle who walked in. I frowned at the

    sight of him as a bad feeling crept into my heart. Lyle did

    not notice us as he said excitedly, ¨DEveryone, look who¡®s

    here today!¡Î

    The crowd saw the mysterious person and began

    whispering among themselves. Who was this mysterious

    person that got Lyle so excited? I thought as I took a sip

    of my water. Then, I heard the sound of high heels

    clicking against the tiles.

    I initially thought it was Bianca. Yet, I was proven wrong

    when I looked closely at the woman who was wearing a

    white dress and a sweet smile. It was none other than

    Crystal. I was taken back as the cup in my hand slipped

    and fell onto the ground with a loud ng.

    She¡®s back, and at this time too? Why?

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 25

    The loud noise of the cup dropping onto the floor and

    caught everyone¡®s attention in the room, including Lyle¡®s.

    ¨DSorry about that, my hand slipped. Carry on.¡Î I waved

    emotionlessly.

    ¨DEve, what a coincidence! I didn¡®t know you¡®d be here!¡Î

    Crystal shed a sweet and innocent smile. Yet, I was

    nowhere near pleased to see my kin. That smiled had

    made me suffer so much. I was not loved by anyone in

    the Tanner family. Heck, even the housekeepers would

    bully me, and it was all because of her.

    The crowd looked at one another as the atmosphere

    turned awkward. Lyle¡®s expression dropped into a

    disgusted grimace as he stared at me like an uninvited

    guest. ¨DWhy¡®re you here?¡Î he asked coldly.

    I ran my fingers through my hair and answered casually,

    ¨DI had a business meeting somewhere around here, so I

    decided to stop by.¡Î

    ¨DOh, really? I thought you were on a manhunt, judging

    from your outfit. Bet you were probably out seeking for a

    companion.¡Î Benjamin sneered.

    ¨DFor the love of God, Benjamin! Watch what you¡®re

    saying!¡Î Sabrina snapped. She mmed her cup on the

    table and was ready to argue with him. Seeing that, I

    quickly held her back and shook my head, signaling her Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    to stop. I then nced sideways to observe Lyle¡®s

    reaction.

    He had always been like this. That man, whom I called

    ¨Dhusband,¡Î would never defend me whenever Benjamin

    ridiculed or said harsh things to me. I lowered my gaze

    and stared at the cup before raising my head and replied,

    ¨DJust so you know, my husband prepared this outfit and

    the contract in my purse. So perhaps the panion¡®

    that you mentioned earlier was also prepared by him.¡Î

    ¨DHow would I know that-¡Î

    ¨DBenjamin!¡Î Lyle interrupted while looking at me, wideeyed as if he was shocked by my insult. He had

    never

    seen this side of me as I¡®d never shown him my true self.

    After all, I¡®d always been very careful around him as I

    always behave like a lowly ant.

    ¨DCut it out, you guys. We don¡®t always have the chance

    to get together like this. Besides, I believe Eve isn¡®t like

    that,¡Î Crystal chimed in.

    However, she made things worse by saying that. My

    expression hardened at her words as everyone looked at

    each other awkwardly.

    Momentster, the awkward feeling quickly went away as

    everyone shifted their attention to Crystal. She shared

    her studying days abroad as an art student, and some

    even encouraged her to open an art gallery.

    Everything seemed fine until Lyle sat down by the couch,

    and Crystal quickly filled up the seat beside him. It

    seemed like she was iming herself as Lyle¡®s girlfriend.

    They were indeed a loving couple in the past. However,

    Crystal decided to give up everything in Avenport and

    headed to Anndur for the sake of her future. Or else,

    she would be Lyle¡®s bride, not me.

    ¨DHey, Lyle! Don¡®t you think you should be sitting with

    your wife who had just gone through a miscarriage

    instead of her cousin,¡Î Sabrina said.

    ¨DHey, don¡®t say that. It¡®s been a while since Ist met

    Lyle, and I miss him. Besides, we¡®re good friends,¡Î

    Crystal bit her lip stared at Sabrina innocently.

    ¨DOh really? I highly doubt that!¡Î Sabrina scoffed.

    Lyle shot her a cold look and said, ¨DI would advise you to

    stay out of other people¡®s business, Sabrina.¡Î

    I wasn¡®t nning to start an argument with Lyle in

    public. After all, I was still processing the news of Crystal

    returning from abroad. Hence, I shook my head at

    Sabrina, signaling her to let it go. She shot me a

    dissatisfied look and finally sat down unwillingly as she

    gulped down a ss of whiskey angrily.

    After a short while, everyone decided to y a game of

    truth or dare to ease the tension. I was selected and had

    no choice but to pick a dare as I could not drink. ¨DGo

    stand by the door and have a steamy make-out session

    with the first guy who passes the hallway,¡Î Sabrina

    suggested.

    Great, why did you have to propose this idea? I sighed,

    trying to make an excuse to reject it. However, I noticed

    Lyle¡®s mocking gaze upon me, so I decided to ept the

    dare. With that, I pushed my chair aside and walked to

    the door. So this is what you want to y, huh? So be it!

    Thus, as soon as I saw Christopher walking over, I head

    toward him and kissed the crap out of him.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 26

    Initially, everyone was trying to ease the awkwardness.

    However, Sabrina had made things worse by suggesting

    that stupid idea. ¨DRemember, you must kiss the guy for

    at least three minutes and nothing less. We should all go

    by the rules of the game.¡Î

    I intended to reject her request, yet she winked at me

    and motioned to me to take this chance to teach Lyle a

    lesson. Upon that, I pinched the bridge of my nose and

    sighed, indicating that I understood what she meant.

    If Lyle was a real gentleman, he would have walked out

    of the room and passed the hallway deliberately. That

    way, I could have a chance to kiss my husband and

    rubbed it in Crystal¡®s face. Frankly speaking, that would

    be the best way to crush any intentions she had in mind.

    Nevertheless, they weren¡®t aware that Lyle and I were no

    more than strangers to each other now.

    I didn¡®t want to kiss somebody else, so I decided to say

    something to change their minds. Then, I gave Lyle a

    look, hoping that he would take the hint. Perhaps a word

    or even a kiss would end this stupid game immediately.

    Yet, he just stared back at me mockingly. His stare was

    full of contempt like I was nothing but a used rag. Seeing

    that, I became enraged and decided to ept the dare.

    I pushed my chair away and stood by the door. True

    enough, someone came by in an instant. I was stunned

    when I noticed it was Christopher. Then, I recalled the

    countless messages he had sent, but I didn¡®t reply to

    them. However, for some reason, I met him here at this

    moment.

    I ran toward him and blocked his path. The man looked

    at me in surprise as I cupped his cheeks and kissed him

    deeply, only letting him go after a long while.

    Christopher was stunned by my sudden action. After all, I

    never wanted anyone to know about our rtionship.

    Heck, I even insisted on drawing the line between us. But

    who knew that this day woulde, that I actually

    kissed him in public.

    ¨DI¡­ You¡­¡Î He touched his lips as he stared nkly at me.

    It was obvious he didn¡®t see thising, but his

    expression was extremely adorable.

    I tried to stay calm and replied, ¨DI¡®m ying truth or dare

    with my friends, so I¡®m sorry if I¡®ve made you

    ufortable. But you can vent your anger on me if

    you¡®re mad. I don¡®t mind.¡Î

    Christopher then came to his senses as I said so and

    noticed everyone in the room with their jaws dropped. He

    instantly grasped the entire situation and felt was very

    pleased when his eyes fell upon Lyle¡®s dark

    expression. Well, that was great. I was actually mad that

    you didn¡®t respond to my messages, but I¡®ll let it slip this

    once.

    He smiled devilishly and leaned against the wall. ¨DWhy

    would I be mad if a beauty like you decides to offer me a

    kiss? You¡®re cool with this, right, Lyle?¡Î

    Hearing that, I knew Christopher¡®s intention right away.

    That man was just saying it on purpose to anger Lyle. I

    felt a sense of pleasure as I had gotten my revenge by

    the look on his face.

    Well, well, would you look at that! You¡®re not the only

    one who dares to embarrass me, y¡®know! I can do the

    same thing to you too. Don¡®t you forget that I used to be

    outstanding as well¡­ It¡®s just that I chose to tone it down

    because of you.

    Just then, Lyle mmed his wine ss on the table and

    walked out of the room, staring daggers at me when he

    left.

    ¨DLyle!¡Î Crystal ran after him. ¨DEve, you¡®ve crossed the

    line! How could you have kissed another man in front of

    him?¡Î she reprimanded.

    I smiled coldly as I watched them leave. Lyle had always

    called me a sl*t, and finally, I had proven him right

    today. You called me a sl*t, and a sl*t you shall have!

    ¨DMy apologies, but I would like to make a move first.

    Have a good night!¡Î I couldn¡®t bear to think of what

    others would say about me once I left. The atmosphere

    was getting weirder by the minute anyway, so I had no

    intention to stay. However, my lower abdomen started to

    hurt because I was walking too fast.

    Although it was a miscarriage during the early stages of

    my pregnancy, and I would be fine after a few days of

    rest, I was still a human. It was merely the third day

    since my miscarriage, and I was already out in the cold.

    Thus, it made me feel unwell. As soon as I left, Sabrina

    came running after me, saying that she wanted to send

    me home. Yet, I rejected her. I needed some time alone

    to process my thoughts as she wouldn¡®t understand my

    frustrations.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 27

    I walked aimlessly on the streets alone as I did not know

    where I should go. I couldn¡®t imagine the scenario if I

    went home now and bumped into Lyle and Crystal. That

    would be a total disaster.

    Even if Crystal wasn¡®t in the picture, Lyle would still find

    fault with me. After all, his ego was what mattered the

    most. I used to be such a lowly person only to feed his

    ego, and he was treated like an emperor. However, the

    embarrassment he had to suffer today was a huge p to

    his face, so I knew it was something he couldn¡®t ept

    lightly.

    True enough, I received a call from him as I was walking

    aimlessly at the city square. He was furious and

    demanded I go home immediately. Upon that, I let out a

    smallugh and asked, ¨DWhy didn¡®t you apany

    Crystal or the other girl? Aren¡®t bored of an ugly woman

    like me?¡Î After that, I ignored his roars and hung up.

    I sat by the flowerbed and shuddered as the night breeze

    hit me. I then instinctively hugged my shoulders to keep

    myself warm. All of a sudden, a warm jacket with a hint

    of tobo scent was ced around my shoulders.

    Looking up, I saw that it was Christopher and stared at

    him dazedly.

    ¨DWhat? Now that you¡®ve seen Prince Charming, are you

    in love with him, or should I say¡­ me?¡Î Christopher

    looked at me. He smiled, and I couldn¡®t help but stare at

    his jaw and eyebrows that were carved into perfection.

    His smile was incredibly stunning, like the brightest in the

    night sky.

    I pulled his coat tightly and asked, ¨DWhy¡®re you here?¡Î

    ¨DI found a stray cat as I was passing by, and I n to

    bring it home.¡Î Christopher lifted me. ¨DYou shouldn¡®t be

    sitting out here, especially when you just got out of the

    hospital.¡Î

    Then, he brought me into his Bentley before I could ask

    any further. I wanted to ask him to let me down, but I

    hesitated because his coat was so warm that I didn¡®t

    want toe out of it. Just like that, I ended up in a

    hotel with him. It then hit me that I had decided to break

    off this rtionship with him just this morning.

    ¨DCome here, kitty! Have some milk!¡Î Christopher passed

    me a cup of warm milk out of nowhere.

    I took the ss of milk and asked, ¨DI thought you named

    me as little calf? Why am I a kitty now?¡Î

    Licking his lips, Christopher¡®s eyes were glued to the

    deep V-neck dress that I was wearing. ¨DYou look very

    charming today, like a Persian cat.¡Î

    He then ced my hand between his thighs as he said,

    ¨DLook, one look at you, and I¡®ve gone hard. Don¡®t you

    dare wear these types of clothes when you go out in

    public.¡Î

    The bulge beneath my hands was throbbing, and his tone

    extremely domineering. It seemed like he was treating

    me like one of his possessions. However, I knew nothing

    of him except that he was a rich kid.

    ¨DWhy do you seem so thirsty? Was it because your little

    girlfriends aren¡®t satisfying your needs?¡Î I said and tried

    to retract my hand. Yet, Christopher slipped my hand into

    his pants.

    ¨DCan I take it that you¡®re jealous?¡Î He raised his

    eyebrows yfully.

    I had to admit that I was fascinated by the man in front

    of me. His captivating aura was slowly drowning me,

    making me sink deeper and deeper into the abyss.

    ¨DAs if! Just let me drink my milk!¡Î I took a big gulp of

    milk and leaned over to kiss him. Then, I pried his lips

    open with my tongue and let the milk seep into his

    mouth. ¨DThere! You should have some too.¡Î

    Thrilled, Christopher quickly held the back of my head

    and returned my kiss. He slipped his tongue into my

    mouth and swept the perimeters of it until there was no

    trace of milk. Finally, he decided to let me go.

    I wanted to let loose, so I stripped myself and went on

    top of Christopher. As bad as it sounded, I had to admit

    that I had fallen into temptation. Who knew I would have

    done something so shameless to get back at Lyle.

    Nheless, I always felt a sense of respect whenever I

    was with Christopher. In fact, I could feel my pride and

    self-esteem regaining because of him. Although they

    were in fragile, shattered pieces, it was better than

    nothing.

    Once we were both naked, Christopher went on top of me

    and positioned himself between my legs. I closed my

    eyes as I loathed my own shamelessness as I prepared

    for what wasing next.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 28

    Christopher sighed as rolled to the side, doing nothing

    else. Just then, I opened my eyes and gave him a weird

    look. From the size of his tool in my hand, I knew that he

    still had plenty of energy left.

    ¨DHey, don¡®t look at me like that. A good man is someone

    who can withstand the urge even at the toughest times.

    Got it?¡Î He flicked my forehead. ¨DEven if you don¡®t care

    about your body, I do.¡Î

    I was touched by his words and could feel my heartbeat

    increasing. It was as if something that was once dead in

    me came alive. I could tell that he was struggling to

    resist himself and suggested, ¨DWhy don¡®t we take a cold

    shower?¡Î

    ¨DIn your dreams!¡Î Christopher wrapped his big hands

    around mine and ced it on top off of his member. He

    then guided my hands in a slow repetitive movement to

    pleasure him. One might be surprised, but that was

    actually the first time that I gave anyone a

    h*ndjob. Although I¡®d tried many things behind closed

    doors, I still couldn¡®t help myself but feel embarrassed.

    The thought of that was enough to make my face piping

    hot.

    Once he released himself, I thought he was already done.

    But for some reason, he was back at it again. He grabbed

    my hands that were covered with the sticky residue and

    smeared it across my chest.

    Then, he quickly leaned forward and hugged me before I

    had the chance to get mad. Even so, he was very careful

    not to touch my lower abdomen. I stared at the sticky

    residue that covered my chest and felt disgusted with my

    behavior. At that, I went into the shower and poured a

    large amount of shower gel onto my body.

    The shower gel stung as soon as it touched my skin.

    Somehow, it made me furious, so I picked up the bottle

    and threw it in his direction. He avoided it as he held me

    in his arms. Not minding that I was covered in soap, he

    said, ¨DWhat¡®s with the attitude, babe? We had a great

    time together awhile ago, and now you¡®re acting as if

    we¡®re strangers.¡Î

    I was speechless when he said that, so I decided to

    change the topic. Hence, I pointed at my currently red

    and swollen chest and said, ¨DLook what you¡®ve done. My

    twins are in bad shape now.¡Î

    ¨DOh my little minx, don¡®t look at me like that. Things

    might escte from here.¡Î He took the showerhead and

    helped me get cleaned. After that, he carried me into the

    room andid me on the bed. Then, he went to his bag to

    grab an ointment for my wounds.

    However, it turned into a full-body massage instead of

    treating my wounds. I could feel his big hands that were

    decorated with calluses against my smooth back. The

    man couldn¡®t help but smothered me with kisses in the

    process. His eyes were filled with sincerity as if he was

    admiring a piece of art.

    At this point, I was feeling rather tired, so I moved his

    hands away and closed my eyes. Despite that, he didn¡®t

    stop as his hands continued to roam across my body. I

    couldn¡®t stand what he was doing as he did not stop

    caressing and licking me. ¨DAre you a dog?¡Î I roared.

    ¨DThat¡®s right. I thought you already knew that.¡Î

    Christopher lifted my legs and ced his hands on my

    feet. He noticed it was rather cold and rubbed it a few

    times until my feet became warm. Consequently, he

    began nibbling on my toes.

    ¨DAren¡®t you worried that it would stink?¡Î I was going to

    pull my leg away, but I couldn¡®t as he had a strong grip

    on it. The man made it seemed like he was holding a

    delicate piece of crystal in hand as he held my feet. He

    was also observing them with a gentle gaze.

    What I had said would have killed the mood, but he was

    unfazed by my remarks. Instead, he kissed my feet

    lovingly. ¨DDon¡®t worry. I¡®ll love you unconditionally no

    matter what. You¡®re mine.¡Î

    My heart skipped a beat when I heard those words, and it

    was almost like time was at a standstill. I turned my

    head away to avoid his gaze. ¨DChristopher, let¡®s call it

    quits. I don¡®t think we should continue this rtionship,¡Î

    I said.

    I could sense the temperature in the room going cold the

    moment I said those words. His usual cynical expression

    disappeared and was reced with a cold look. I had

    never seen him in this state, and it scared me.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 29

    ¨DI¡®m tired. Let¡®s sleep!¡Î Christopher said as he warmed

    my other foot before he lifted the quilt to cover both of

    us and closed his eyes. I knew he didn¡®t want to continue

    the topic that I had started earlier.

    Yet, I wasn¡®t going to run away again. I turned and

    looked at him seriously while saying, ¨DI only went to the

    bar because my emotions got the best of me. I didn¡®t

    think I would meet you there or that we would end up

    this way. But I can¡®t be someone who¡®s as lowly and

    shameless as him. I¡®m sorry.¡Î

    I apologized to Christopher because he really treated me

    like a queen. Nevertheless, he was a yboy ¨C a man

    who¡®d constantly be surrounded by many women. Thus, I

    didn¡®t think that his life would experience any significant

    changes without me. As for me, I was still Lyle¡®s wife at

    the end of the day. Therefore, I didn¡®t intend to cause

    trouble before I divorced him. To top it off, Crystal was

    back.

    I had a feeling that her return wouldplicate things

    and make me suffer greater. Consequently, I would have

    to think about how to face these uing difficulties

    above him. For a moment I thought he would leave the

    room. However, he turned around and stered his lips

    onto mine, stopping me from saying anything further.

    ¨DYou-¡Î I tried to break free from his grasp, but he was

    too strong. He had one arm firmly wrapped around me

    while cing the other at the back of my head with his

    fingers running wildly in my hair. The man was kissing

    me hungrily as if he wanted to devour me.

    He noticed I was trying to speak, so he bit me hard on

    the lip. I began to tear out of pain and was on the verge

    of crying. Noticing that, he quickly brought his lips to my

    eyes and licked the tears off the corners of my eyes. As

    soon as his lips left mine, I took the chance to gasp for

    air before he kissed me once again.

    His tongue was as flexible as a snake, for he explored

    every part of my mouth. I finally gave up resisting him

    and rested on his body to catch my breath after that. My

    brain was fuzzy and could not recall a single thing that

    was on my mind earlier.

    Christopher picked up his cigarette case that was ced

    by the bedside and lighted one stick before smoking

    silently. I could see his dark eyes looking downwards

    through the white smoke. To my surprise, he seemed to

    be upset.

    Was it because of what I said?

    This thought merely appeared for a split second before it

    disappeared. Nah¡­ it can¡®t be. I¡®m not that attractive or

    charming to make a guy like him head over heels for me.

    I¡®m just a woman that even my own husband loathed.

    ¨DChristopher, perhaps we should¡­¡Î

    I was determined to continue the conversation once

    again. One might say that I was very stubborn at times,

    especially when it was something that I had decided; I

    would not stop until I had achieved my goal. For

    example, I believed it was purely bad luck being married

    to Lyle. Ever since I was a child, I had always been a

    coward, and everything I had insisted on never ended

    well.

    But as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, Christopher

    leaned in and ced his lips on mine. He also

    deliberately huffed the smoke into my mouth. Inhaling it

    identally, I began to choke. Thus, he took this chance

    to slip his tongue into my mouth.

    My mind went nk from his kisses. I was confused

    about what was going on. When I came to my senses, I

    realized he had lighted yet another cigarette. I pondered

    for a while to consider if I should continue the topic.

    However, this time, he made the first move. He puffed a

    mouthful of smoke and ced a finger on his lips. It was

    an indication to keep quiet as he raised his eyebrows and

    stared deeply into my eyes. ¨DShhh, don¡®t say a word and

    kiss me!¡Î

    I was unable to say a word the entire night. Whenever I

    tried to speak, Christopher would nt his lips against This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    mine, and the cycle would repeat again. The man gave

    me no chance to even speak about it. Yet, every time he

    pulled away from the kiss, he would ask me what was on

    my mind.

    In the end, I passed out in embarrassment from his

    passionate kisses.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 30

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    When I was roused from sleep in the afternoon,

    Christopher was nowhere to be seen anymore. I had long

    gotten used to him disappearing into thin air without

    informing me beforehand. If it weren¡®t because we were

    acquainted, I would¡®ve thought he was a criminal or

    something.

    Thevish presidential suite had been furnished with all

    sorts of luxurious items. While brushing my teeth, I

    started wondering if I had enough with me to pay for the

    room since I left in a hurry without my walletst night.

    It turned out those were none of my concerns because

    someone had settled the bill in advance. The staff

    brought me a brand-new set of clothes and my brunch

    when I woke up.

    He handed over a bowl of soup and said, ¨DMiss, please

    finish this before leaving.¡Î

    Upon a simple glimpse, I noticed it was the soup I had

    been craving for when I was kept grounded in the

    hospital.

    I could feel my eyes started brimming with tears because

    of the things Christopher had done when Lyle didn¡®t even

    bother to bring me one. Can you stop flirting with me

    when you¡®re no longer around? It feels bad to feel great!

    I¡®m afraid the day to say goodbye will hurt so much

    because of the great memories we have!

    Although it was a rtively ordinary soup, I gulped the

    entire bowl down within seconds. Once I finished the

    soup, I remarked, ¨DPlease let the chef know it¡®s slightly

    under seasoned to my likings.¡Î

    The staff responded with a smile in silence. I stopped

    poking my nose into their business and left once I

    retrieved my bag. If I had turned around for onest

    time, I would have seen Christopher at the entrance with

    the staff that had approached right next to him.

    Sometime after Christopher and I got married, he then

    told me he was the owner of the hotel. In other words,

    he had personally prepared the soup for me.

    As a housewife, I wouldn¡®t have to worry about being

    late. I departed after dropping by the headquarter of the

    Smith family and then handed over the signed contract to

    the receptionist.

    When I switched on my phone, I was in a foul mood

    because of the nasty messages from Lyle. I couldn¡®t help

    but wonder if things had gotten to the point of no return

    for us.

    While losing myself in a train of thoughts, I received

    another call from him. After a few seconds of hesitation, I

    picked it up and asked, ¨DYes?¡Î

    It was evident that Lyle, who was on the other end, was

    taken aback by my callous tone. He remarked

    sarcastically in return, ¨DWhat? Are you trying to get rid of

    your husband after spending a night with Christopher? I

    can¡®t believe he has a thing for a loose woman like you!¡Î

    I could no longer suppress my wrath when he started

    insulting me. ¨DI¡®m so sorry to let you down, but I¡®m not

    as capable as you! There¡®s no way I¡®m going to engage in

    such a raunchy session after a miscarriage! Why does it

    sound like you¡®re the one who¡®s having the best time of

    your life without me?¡Î

    ¨DAre you trying to deceive me again? If that wasn¡®t the

    case, why had you switched off your phone? Where were

    you?¡Î

    ¨DWhy? Am I supposed to make my way back and allow

    you to humiliate me with another woman you have

    brought home?¡Î I couldn¡®t be bothered by his remarks

    anymore. It turned out I was capable of defending myself

    all along. Unfortunately, I had to learn my lesson the

    hard way.

    After a few seconds of pause, I added, ¨DShall we stop

    picking on one another when we¡®re pretty much the

    same? Since you consider me a loose woman, why don¡®t

    you hit on Crystal and see if she¡®s going to take you

    seriously?¡Î

    ¨DShut your mouth and stop insulting Crystal!¡Î the

    infuriated man yelled at me in return. If I was next to

    him, I would have been pped in the face again.

    Crystal was the one he was head over heels in love with.

    Over the years, he would make a trip to Anndur to

    celebrate her birthday. I had never once confronted him

    because I wasn¡®t a match for her in many aspects.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 31

    Crystal must have been sent by God to punish me because she would get her hands on the things I

    sought at the end of the day. Lyle would go to great lengths just to meet her in person. Thus, I was

    certain I would be banished once she made her way back.

    The thought of filing for divorce crossed my mind again. In fact, I had never felt such a strong urge to

    leave him. No longer could I stand enduring his wrath and tolerating his absurd request anymore.

    Once I made up my mind, I decided to have a conversation with Sharon as I was afraid the news would

    take her by surprise. Although I was intimidated by the thought of letting her down, it was the best

    alternative for Lyle and me. He had nothing to lose while I could regain my freedom.

    Sharon was the reputable figure behind the Smith family¡¯s sess. Once Lyle and I got married, she

    decided to retire and had Lyle inherit her role as the leader of the family. She stopped poking her nose

    into the family¡¯s affair and spent most of her time grooming her garden.

    Afraid she would be heartbroken, I thought of countless methods to break the news to her. I decided not

    to mention anything about Lyle having an affair with another woman and the part I was humiliated by his

    mistress.

    The moment I reached the mansion, my heart skipped a beat because the entire ce was surrounded

    by medics. When I rushed upstairs, I found Sharon on the bed with a doctor next to her. Concerned, I

    approached Josephine and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Grandma?¡±

    Josephine told me Sharon had passed out when she was in the garden. Thus, they had summoned the

    doctor over to check on her. I started pacing back and forth in the corridor, anxious about the result of the

    examination. I was afraid something bad would happen to the loving woman who had taken great care of

    me. Truth be told, I had long considered her as my own grandmother.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this my beloved Yvonne? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with your scrunched-up face? You don¡¯t have to

    worry about me because it¡¯s amon symptom for people around my age.¡±

    When Sharon saw me, she grinned and assured me everything would be fine. I responded in a simr

    manner and grasped her hand in return. It had been a long time since myst visit ¨C I stopped visiting

    her ever since I found out Lyle had an affair. I couldn¡¯t believe I had forsaken the ones important to me

    because of the unreliable man.

    Sharon¡¯s expression darkened, and she started reprimanding her grandson, ¡°Why do you have such a

    pale and haggard look? Has Lyle been neglecting you again? Where¡¯s that unfilial grandson of mine?

    Get him over immediately! I¡¯ll teach him a lesson for not ying the role of a husband!¡±

    In an attempt to keep Sharon in the dark, I rebuked, ¡°Lyle has quite a lot of things on his te because of

    thepany¡¯s ongoing issues. We should stay out of his way. As soon as he¡¯s free, I¡¯ll bring him over

    and visit you, okay?¡±

    If Lyle showed up ahead of me, I wouldn¡¯t get to bring up my n to file for divorce with him in front of

    Sharon. Sighing, Sharon said, ¡°You need to stop defending him because he¡¯s going to get full of himself!

    I want you to take good care of yourself instead!¡±

    When I heard Sharon¡¯s advice, I was overwhelmed by tidal waves of emotions. Initially, I nned to tell

    Sharon I would be filing for divorce with Lyle soon, but the bad news the doctor shared with me changed

    my mind.

    ¡°Since the patient is getting old, her organs are deteriorating, including her heart. She still gets to live for

    another few years if she¡¯s taken great care of. But do keep in mind not to provoke her.¡±

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Afraid my decision would drive her to death, I decided to keep everything to myself and returned to the

    room to keep herpany. Once I ensured the room was properly illuminated with sunlight, I headed

    into the kitchen and made her something to eat.

    Spending thest two years as a housewife had enabled me to polish my culinary skills. When Sharon

    showed up in the kitchen and saw my scrunched-up face, she asked, ¡°Yvonne, can you tell me the truth?

    Have you been fighting with Lyle?¡±

    I was afraid of sharing the details with her, so I made something up and asserted with a smile,

    ¡°Grandma, isn¡¯t it normal for husband and wife to fight every now and then? Things will turn out just fine

    at the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not lying?¡± Sharon asked with her brows arched in confusion.

    I repeated myself, ¡°Have I ever lied to you? Aren¡¯t you aware of the affection I have for him? I will never

    hold a grudge against him!¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 32

    Well, that was the case in the past because he was the one who had rushed to my rescue when Yvette

    tried to drown me in the pond. Whenever Lyle showed up, she would put on a timid front and stop picking

    on me.

    It was very foolish of me to fall for him just because he had saved me. Those who had no near-death

    experiences would never figure out the way it felt to have someone to rely on in the nick of time.

    When I struggled in the pond, those nearby wouldn¡¯t stopughing at me. They couldn¡¯t care less if I

    would make it out alive or not. Lyle was the only one who had jumped into the pond and saved me in the

    nick of time without any hesitation.

    As the one who had saved me, I felt indebted and obliged to repay the favor. Unfortunately, I might be

    wrong because thest thing he needed was my affection.

    Unable to bring up the request to file for divorce, I returned home feeling dejected. The housekeepers

    hired to keep the ce clean had been dismissed because Lyle disliked being surrounded by strangers.

    After spending a few days away from home, the ce was messed up once again, but I couldn¡¯t be

    bothered.

    Suddenly, someone barged into the foyer. The drunk Lyle staggered his way into the dining hall and

    mmed the dishes I had prepared to the ground while yelling, ¡°What have you told Grandma?¡±

    Sighing, I put everything aside and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not as shameless as you. I have merely dropped by to

    visit Grandma because I¡¯m aware she¡¯s not feeling well.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? If that¡¯s the case, why have Grandma terminated Bianca after your trip to her ce? Are

    you jealous?¡± Lyle kicked the table with all his might and ended up falling to the ground.

    I rushed over to help him up, but he shrugged me off, pping me in the face the moment I touched him.

    The thunderous p reverberated in the deste mansion.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Staring at him in the eyes, I ran my fingers across my swollen cheek. I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to

    hurt me anymore, but I was wrong. My heart ached because he had taken out his frustration on me for

    his mistress¡¯ sake again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even a match for Bianca, huh?¡±

    He red at me in the eyes and scowled, ¡°Of course! After all, you¡¯re just a loose woman who enjoys

    having all sorts of fun with different men!¡±

    It turned out he had always deemed me a filthy woman. I chuckled and asked, ¡°If that was the case, why

    had you chosen to get married to me?¡±

    He grasped my chin and answered my only question with a vicious grin, ¡°It¡¯s because I want to torture

    you!¡±

    I want to torture you!

    I had a nightmare and found myself drowning again. No matter how much I asked for help, no one

    around me would offer to save me. They surrounded me and started making fun of me for being a wimp.

    When I was overwhelmed by despair, someone brought me back to the shore. I thought Lyle had rushed

    to my rescue, but I was wrong. Smirking, he pushed me back once he brought me up and allowed me to

    take a breather.

    In the end, he left me alone at the seemingly bottomless pond. When I roused from my sleep because of

    the nightmare, I noticed my pillow waspletely drenched in tears. I thought my life would soon be

    over as I stared nkly at the ceiling.

    When I received a call, I picked it up and heard Christopher asking in a petnt manner, ¡°Why haven¡¯t

    you picked up my call? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m worried about you?¡±

    As soon as I heard his question, I started wailing because the emotions I had been suppressing came

    flooding out. Christopher raised his volume and repeated, ¡°Has Lyle picked on you again? What the heck

    is that jerk capable of apart from taking things out on a vulnerable woman?¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 33

    He got increasingly anxious as I sniffled in silence. In an attempt to console me, he started praising me

    and picking on Lyle for being a foolish man. As I continued wailing over the phone, he sighed and

    requested, ¡°Can you stop crying? It feels awful to be so far away from you. I hope I¡¯m right next to you,

    so I can keep you safe in between my arms.¡±

    ¡°Christopher, I want to get myself some candy, but there isn¡¯t any at home! What should I do? I want

    some so badly!¡± I searched high and low, but I couldn¡¯t get myself the things I had been craving.

    Consequently, I wailed once again.

    I could hear sounds of things being thrown around from the other end. It felt as though he was even

    more anxious than me. In the end, he suggested, ¡°Dammit! If only I hadn¡¯te to Coldbridge today!

    Hmm¡­ Why don¡¯t I tell you a story to make you feel better!¡± He started sharing a fairytale with me. His

    deep baritone voice worked like a charm and allowed me to regain myposure. Shortly, I fell asleep

    once again because I was feeling down.

    By the time the loud bang on the door roused me from sleep, it was already five o¡¯clock in the morning.

    Intimidated by the presence of the one at the doorstep, I asked the person to identify himself and heard

    Zachary¡¯s voice.

    He¡¯s Christopher¡¯s friend, isn¡¯t he? I once encountered him at the banquet! What brings him here

    today? I answered the door once I finished touching up on my unkempt appearance. ¡°What brings you

    here in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°What? Do you think I wish to be here when I¡¯m supposed to be sleeping? Someone told me to bring

    you this!¡± Zachary yawned and departed once he handed over a box to me.

    Confused by the series of events that had urred within thest few seconds, I couldn¡¯t figure out the

    sort of things inside the box he had handed over to me.

    To be precise, I wasn¡¯t sure who had sent him to my ce in the middle of the night because we had

    merely introduced ourselves to one another during the banquet.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    Once I unwrapped the box, I found out there were all sorts of candy I had been craving. I couldn¡¯t

    believe Christopher had sent Zachary to deliver the candy on his behalf while he himself was all the

    way in Coldbridge.

    Has he brought me these just because I brought them up in the middle of our conversation? Why?

    What¡¯s the reason behind this?

    I proceeded to stuff one of the candies into my mouth. Actually, I wasn¡¯t a huge fan of sweet things, but

    someone once told me consuming one would help when one was in a foul mood. Thus, I started

    consuming candy to keep myself happy.

    The candy was the only thing that could temporarily ease the pain I felt. With that being said, that batch

    of candy was unique because Christopher had gone to great lengths to get them delivered.

    I reached for my phone and drafted a long-winded text to him, but I thought that would be too much. In

    the end, I omitted everything else and just expressed my gratitude.

    Christopher: Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s inappropriate when you¡¯re such an enthusiastic one in bed?

    He reverted to me within a few seconds. I flushed because he had mentioned the raunchy session we

    had once again. It felt odd to be teased by him, but the sort of intimate conversation we had, gave me a

    sense of serenity.

    It felt great to know there would always be someone who was only one call away. If I were given

    another chance to change my decision, I would definitely get married to Christopher instead of Lyle.

    I guess it¡¯s not impossible, huh? Since things have gotten to the point of no return, I don¡¯t have to

    spend the rest of my life with Lyle anymore! If Christopher isn¡¯t against the idea, I¡¯ll get married to

    him! Overwhelmed by the fantasy I had in mind, I drafted the text and asked: Shall we get married once

    I file for divorce with Lyle?

    Immediately after I returned to my senses, I tried to delete the delivered message. As a member of a

    renowned family, I was certain Christopher¡¯s parents would never allow him to get married to someone

    else¡¯s ex-spouse.

    Christopher asked me the reason I had deleted the message. My mind was all over the ce because I

    was certain he had read the message before I could delete them in time. After onest reply, I put my

    phone aside and buried my face in my hands.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 34

    To my surprise, the persistent man called me in an attempt to confront me. Unsure of the things to talk

    about, I hung up his call and made up my mind to deny I had dropped him the embarrassing message.

    As he wouldn¡¯t give up and continued calling once after another, I forced myself to calm down and picked

    it up, replying in a callous tone, ¡°It was a mistake, okay? Can you forget about it?¡±

    Nancy, who was on the other end, asked, ¡°What sort of mistake are you talking about? Are you having a

    fight with Lyle again?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat when I heard Nancy¡¯s voice. I was grateful I hadn¡¯t addressed him as

    Christopher. Otherwise, things would get awkward. Although Nancy was a reliable friend of mine, it

    would be a hassle for me to exin everything to her.

    At the very least, I had to keep everything confidential until I could sever ties with Lyle. Otherwise, we

    would both end up miserably should things spiral out of control. ¡°Are you shocked when it¡¯s like

    something that urs on a daily basis? What brings you to me today?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one at fault for spoiling him! He¡¯s going to take you for granted if you don¡¯t teach him a

    lesson! He should¡¯ve seen iting the time we were at the clubhouse! I tried to stop him, but he

    decided to humiliate you in front of others!¡±

    Nancy once urged me to take everything into considerations before making the call to get married to

    Lyle. However, I wasn¡¯t in my right mind because I was overly thrilled. As a result of not taking her words

    seriously, I had to bear the consequences of my rash decision.

    If I have exercised caution and thought things through, things won¡¯t end up as such. I left everything

    behind, including my job, to get married to Lyle. Over the past two years, he was the center of my life.

    Now that I think about it, no one is going to enjoy my presence when I don¡¯t even like my current self.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    I brought something up and diverted her attention for a change of mood. ¡°Alright, shall we talk about

    something else since I¡¯m in a great mood for once? What are you up to? As long as I have time to spare,

    I don¡¯t mind tagging along with you.¡±

    Nancy announced, ¡°My bad! I have received the invitation card to the banquet held by the Tanner family,

    but I won¡¯t be able to make it because I¡¯m up to something else! I¡¯m calling to beg for mercy!¡±

    It was another one of the many absurd things I had to go through as an outcast of the Tanner family ¨C I

    knew nothing about the banquet that would be held until a friend of mine told me about it.

    Calm down, Yvonne! Haven¡¯t you gotten used to it after being ignored, neglected, dismissed, and picked

    on over the years? Apart from being biologically rted, I don¡¯t think I have anything to do with the

    Tanner family at all!

    I deadpanned my question, ¡°Is the banquet held to celebrate Crystal¡¯s return?¡±

    Nancy noticed something was wrong when she caught me asking indifferently. She queried, ¡°Are you

    telling me they have not informed you? I-¡±

    I knew she would want to console me, but that wouldn¡¯t be necessary at all. In return, I chuckled and

    said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re aware of the things that have urred over the years, aren¡¯t you? Since it¡¯s not a

    banquet held for me, feel free to tend to the things you have instead.¡±

    On the day of the banquet, I received a call from my father. He reprimanded me the moment I picked up

    the call, ¡°Crystal was back since a few days ago, yet you didn¡¯t bother to pay her a visit! Do you really

    consider yourself her sister? Have you forgotten I¡¯m your father as well?¡±

    I had long gotten used to being reprimanded for every trivial issue. Crystal was the family¡¯s sweetheart,

    while others had always deemed me the jinx of the family. ¡°Dad, I have just been discharged from the

    hospital after a miscarriage. As of now, I¡¯m still in the middle of recovery.¡±

    It was not my intention to y victim, but he seemed to have misperceived it that way. He got

    increasingly infuriated and yelled, ¡°Can¡¯t you even take good care of yourself when you¡¯re just a

    housewife? Just how useless can you be?¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 35

    Usually, others would express their concerns over their child¡¯s wellbeing after such a serious incident. As

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I interrupted him and said, ¡°Dad, if you¡¯re going to talk about the banquet in

    the afternoon, don¡¯t worry because I¡¯ll be there. Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Crystal has been away for a few years. Hence, I don¡¯t want anyone to mess up the banquet. You better

    keep that in mind and show up on time with Lyle. Otherwise, get yourself ready to bear the

    consequences of your mistakes!¡±

    He hung up the call once he made himself clear. I had a hard timeprehending the reason he was

    worried Lyle wouldn¡¯t show up. My so-called husband was way more pumped up than me the moment he

    found out Crystal would soon be back.

    Has he no shame at all? He picked a fight with me on Bianca¡¯s behalf a few days ago, yet he¡¯s currently

    pumped up for Crystal¡¯s return.

    Since Crystal has forsaken him for once for the sake of her career, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s going to do it

    again!

    When the image of Lyle returning to Crystal and being ditched all over again shed back in my mind, I

    realized how pathetic I was. At the end of the day, I was nothing more than Lyle¡¯s backup, and Lyle was

    the same to Crystal.

    After putting on a rtively in-colored dress, I departed without going through the hassle of dolling

    myself up. On my way there, I encountered Nancy going on a date with a handsome man.

    The man had a pair of aqua-blue eyes and a charming smile. I winked at her because I finally figured out

    the reason she couldn¡¯t make it to the banquet. Well, who would want to waste their time attending a

    pointless banquet when they could spend some quality time with their loved ones?

    Once Nancy greeted me and noticed I had a rtively simple look for the banquet, she rolled her eyes

    and yelled, ¡°Yvonne, are you giving up already? Oh, God! Come on!¡±

    I noticed the differences between us once Ipared myself against Nancy, who was in her best fit for

    the date. We were both from a renowned family, but we were nothing simr.

    Never had I learned the proper way to doll up myself because I wasn¡¯t given a chance to pick my clothes.

    The ones I had were the used ones from Crystal and Yvette. They were either of the right sizes with odd

    patterns or vice versa.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to put on my best fit for a banquet that¡¯s held for Crystal.¡± I could

    barely convenience myself with the random excuse I had made up out of the blue.

    Immediately after Nancy encountered me, she bade farewell to the man next to her and brought me to a

    nearby studio. ¡°Yvonne, if you refuse to dress up, I won¡¯t allow you to step out of this studio! How can

    you not do anything when everyone¡¯s aware Nancy and Lyle used to be in a rtionship?¡±

    Standing at the entrance of the studio, I rebuked with my lips pursed, ¡°Actually, he still has a thing for her

    as we speak. Since it¡¯s not going to change a thing, shall we forget about it? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be a match for

    Crystal even if I doll myself up.¡±

    Nancy almost strangled me to death as she dragged me all the way into the studio. She forced me to

    take a seat in front of the makeup artist and said, ¡°I want you to prove yourself wrong! Where¡¯s the

    woman that kissed Christopher in front of everyone? Who¡¯s this coward in front of me?¡±

    She had been exaggerating things because I was just a pathetic woman who had little to no savings. The

    dress I had put on was the one I purchased more than a year ago. It was about time for me to get myself

    a job. Otherwise, I would have to live on the streets soon.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    I told them to try their best within the budget of three thousand, but Nancy stopped me and instructed the

    makeup artists to get me their best fit. In the end, she dropped me off at Tanner residence and urged,

    ¡°Show me the things you¡¯re capable of if you¡¯re afraid of wasting my time and effort! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going

    to be just fine without Lyle!¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 36

    The fact I had friends that cared about me made me felt assured. As I marched into the mansion, I

    noticed a lot of guests, including heirs of different families, who had been invited to the banquet.

    Although the family wasn¡¯t a member of the upper echelon, it was considered a renowned family in

    Avenport.

    It felt as though it was a blind date set up for Crystal. The moment I marched into the manor, I could feel

    the guests looking at me. The sense of inferiority had caused me to behave oddly. I just couldn¡¯t get used

    to being the center of everyone¡¯s attention.

    However, after spending a few years in the corporate world, I could conceal my emotions and keep

    everything to myself. I looked at the guests and nodded in return. All of a sudden, I saw Nathan, Scarlett,

    and Yvette engaging in a conversation nearby the staircase. The family of three seemed to be having a

    great time.

    I was supposed to get used to it, but it would still get to me as the one next to Nathan used to be a loving

    father. The one next to her wasn¡¯t Amelia as well. However, those were merely sweet memories of mine.

    When I reached Nathan¡¯s side, I greeted him, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±

    His expression darkened the moment he saw me. As Lyle was nowhere to be seen, he craned over and

    queried, ¡°Where¡¯s Lyle? Why are you here on your own?¡±

    I had long gotten used to his irritated look after spending the past decade being neglected by him. ¡°He¡¯ll

    be joining us soon because he has to deal with something else.¡±

    ¡°Go entertain our guests and mind your manners! Otherwise, I¡¯ll hold you ountable if anything goes

    wrong!¡± Nathan beckoned me away with his face puckered in irritation, joining other guests once he

    finished humiliating me.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason the loving father of mine had turned into an indifferent man over the night.

    On top of having an affair with another woman, he had a daughter that was around my age. The thing

    that hurt me the most was the fact my mother had left me behind.

    Scarlett scowled at me and wrapped her arm around Nathan¡¯s arm, joining him in entertaining the other

    guests. On the other hand, Yvette approached and greeted me enthusiastically, ¡°Hey, Yvonne! You look

    different! It took me a few minutes to figure out you¡¯re my sister! Where¡¯s Lyle, by the way? Why isn¡¯t he

    here? Are you guys fighting again? I hope that¡¯s not the case, otherwise, it¡¯s a bad omen!¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t stop rubbing salt into my wounds, but I had no intention to waste my time with her either. It

    seemed like everyone was conscious of my strained rtionship with Lyle and couldn¡¯t wait to gloat over

    my misfortune.

    Smirking, she added, ¡°You should have listened to me when I told you to stay away from Lyle because

    he obviously had a thing for Crystal! Had that been the case, you wouldn¡¯t have gone through the

    ordeals over the past two years. You don¡¯t think you can turn the tables around, do you?¡±

    I would never be on good terms with my stepsister unless some sort of miracle urred over the night

    and allowed us to patch things up with one another.

    All of a sudden, I recalled the great time I had as the only daughter of the Tanner family. I was my

    parents¡¯ sweetheart, but everything changed the moment Scarlett and Yvette showed up.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    My mother, Amelia, couldn¡¯t stand being around them and decided to leave everything behind, including

    me. I ended up being the extra one as Nathan deemed Scarlett and Yvette the nucleus member of his

    family. When Crystal joined the family along with his mother, life got worse for me. I should consider

    myself lucky for making it through adulthood.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop poking your nose into my business since you¡¯re aware I¡¯m Lyle¡¯s legal spouse? Well,

    I guess you can define a mistress better than others, huh? After all, you¡¯re the daughter of a mistress,¡± I

    rebuked with my head held high.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 37

    When I was young, I had to brace myself through all sorts of humiliations because no one was there for

    me. Although that was still the case, I no longer needed others¡¯ backings because I could rely on myself.

    Irked, Yvette gasped out her reply with her face puckered in irritation, ¡°Yvonne, what makes you think

    you¡¯re in a position to pick on me? Have you no shame at all? Crystal is the only one who deserves

    Lyle!¡±

    Christopher had taught me silence would be the best response to a fool. As I winced in silence, Yvette

    could no longer keep herself calm. She sprinted over in an attempt to p me in the face.

    I took a step back to evade the p. In return, I warned her in a hushed voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hurt

    yourself, you better keep that side of yours to yourself since most of the guests are here for you.¡±

    Thrilled to be able to get the better of Yvette for once, I sprinted in the direction of the courtyard and

    made up my mind to defend myself from that day onwards. I was about to take a breather and spend

    some time alone, but I identally bumped into someone.

    I staggered and thought I would embarrass myself again because of the pair of heels I couldn¡¯t get used

    to. However, a man wrapped his arm around my waist in the nick of time. I felt a strong urge to push him

    away but paused when I caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

    It was the scent of tobo exclusive to that man. I gaped at the presence of Christopher and tried to

    push him away to prevent drawing unnecessary attention. Nheless, he grasped me with all his might

    and leaned over, whispering in a hoarse voice, ¡°I miss you so much because it has been quite a few

    days since ourst meeting.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and move away from me!¡± Afraid others would run into us, I started shuddering in fear. The

    reason I had an affair with another man was just to provoke Lyle.

    ¡°No. Not unless you give in to my demand!¡± Christopher rubbed his chest against mine. He could take

    advantage of me because the evening gown I had put on was quite a revealing piece.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I was about to burst into tears when the things awaiting me should others

    run into us crossed my mind. Since Crystal was back, I was certain Lyle would try something silly again.

    In other words, I had to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be able to use me of having an affair.

    ¡°I want to finish off¡­ Forget it. I want you to go on a date with me tomorrow!¡± Christopher groped my

    bottom and nibbled my earlobes with a cheeky look.

    He brought up another request out of the blue. As confused as I was, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to figure out

    the rationale he stopped talking about the message he had received.

    As I couldn¡¯t wait to wrap up the session, I nodded and promised him, ¡°Alright! As long as I have time, I¡¯ll

    meet you for a date!¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Christopher beamed in satisfaction and licked my earlobe. That had always been the most

    sensitive region that could easily arouse me. I could feel my legs turning to jelly as I started flushing.

    The moment he moved away from me, he licked his lips and announced with a smirk, ¡°Tastes great!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk!¡± I took a few steps back with fear written all over my face. In the end, I fled the scene

    because I couldn¡¯t stand being around him anymore. I was grateful he had chosen the right ce for the

    session. The courtyard was the most deste ce in Tanner residence ¨C others would have to make

    their way through the woods to reach us.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    As I was in a hurry, I bumped into another person on my way back to the banquet hall. Immediately, I

    apologized for not paying attention. I couldn¡¯t believe I had bumped into two people, twice in a row, at my

    own home.

    When I raised my head and saw the man, I found him familiar but had a hard time recalling the time I

    encountered him. I kept apologizing as the stranger helped me up. Unable to rule out the possibility I had

    lost my sense of direction since this was my own home, I secretly med Christopher for messing

    around with me.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 38

    All of a sudden, someone grasped my wrist. A few secondster, a man showed up in front of me with

    his face puckered in irritation.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    It was none other than my beloved husband ¨C Lyle! I arched my brows because of the racking sensation

    I felt. ¡°Stop it, Lyle! It hurts!¡±

    The man started behaving like a maniac and dragged me into an isted room against my will. He

    pushed me to the ground and yelled, ¡°Yvonne, do you want it so badly? Can¡¯t you behave yourself when

    you¡¯re here for your rtive¡¯s banquet? If that¡¯s the case, allow me to satisfy you and your lust!¡±

    My mind was all over the ce as he started removing his belt. Afraid he would force me into

    submission, I brought myself up and catapulted in the direction of the couch. ¡°What the heck is wrong

    with you? Are you seriously doing this when you¡¯re aware that this is a banquet? Have you lost your

    mind?¡±

    ¡°Ha! Haven¡¯t you been indulging yourself with another man a few minutes ago? I can¡¯t believe you have

    the guts to flirt around when you¡¯re home! It has merely been a little more than a month since ourst

    session, but since you want it so badly, I¡¯ll give it to you right now and right here!¡±

    I could not fathom the maniac¡¯s statements anymore because never would I engage in such an intimate

    session with a stranger. It was nothing more than an ident, but he made it sound as though we had

    been doing something shady behind his back.

    He won¡¯t stop using me when he¡¯s the filthy one! Does he deem others as shameless as him?

    The man then got on top of me on the couch and started undressing me against my will. I tried my best

    to retaliate against him, but I gave up the moment I caught a glimpse of his ferocious look.

    Staring nkly ahead, I allowed him to finish the things he had in mind. After all, the only thing he cared

    about was his satisfaction; he didn¡¯t bother to consider my needs when it was supposed to be a

    mutualistic session.

    I had always thought things would turn out just fine at the end of the day, but I was wrong. In fact, I had

    to learn my lesson the hard way.

    To my surprise, I couldn¡¯t feel the urge to cry when I thought I would end up in tears again. When I

    thought he was about to let loose of himself after unbuttoning his shirt and having my hands tied, he

    brought himself to a halt and looked at me in the eyes.

    Slouching against the couch, I stared at him with a look of despair because I hadpletely given up on

    him. I started acknowledging I was a pathetic woman with nothing to look forward to in life.

    Suddenly, he put on his clothes and started touching up his appearance. Once he ensured he was ready

    to head back out, he ran his fingers through my unkempt hair and disheveled dress.

    He picked up the hairpins that were all over the ce and returned those to me. Unable to withstand him

    ying the role of a lovely husband after trying to force me into submission, I stopped him from kissing

    me when he leaned over.

    Whenever I thought things would take a drastic turn for the better, he would prove me wrong bying

    up with something new to torture me. After getting used to his tricks, I no longer wanted any of the

    ¡°mercy¡± he would show me.

    ¡°Grandma has been missing you since she¡¯s not really feeling well. She¡¯s diagnosed with heart disease.

    If she mentions anything about us, just make something up to keep her in the dark. She won¡¯t be able to

    take it.¡±

    Once I finished my sentence, I walked out of the room. So what if it¡¯s the Tanner family¡¯s banquet? What

    if I¡¯m a member of the Tanner family? The guests out there are aware I¡¯m inferior to the housekeepers of

    the family! If I¡¯m not a finance graduate, I might have long lived on the streets!

    Since I¡¯m not even a match for the daughter of a mistress and the rtive of the family, I guess my

    presence isn¡¯t necessary! No one really cares if I¡¯m here for the banquet or not! The only ones that care

    are the ones whose dignity is at stake!

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 39

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    I shrugged Lyle¡¯s hand off mine and strode in the direction of the entrance. The moment I opened the

    door, I saw Zachary smoking next to the balcony. As confused as I was, I couldn¡¯t be bothered by his

    presence.

    After greeting the man with a simple nod, I was about to leave, but Lyle stopped me and asked, ¡°Where

    are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll head over to somewhere I won¡¯t be discriminated!¡± I replied with my teeth clenched because Sharon

    was the sole reason I had chosen not to file for divorce with that shameless man.

    He frowned and said, ¡°Dad will be mad at you if you leave unannounced.¡±

    After much considerations, I changed my mind and decided to stay as it would be too much of a hassle

    to deal with Nathan.

    Lyle then showed me the way back to the hall and had me join him in greeting his friends. I forced a

    smile and yed along with him, being the dutiful wife as I should.

    When we heard the crowd gasping, we turned around and looked in the direction of themotion.

    Upon a glimpse, I saw Wendy walking down the stairs with Crystal. They seemed to be having a great

    time as they beamed in satisfaction, behaving as though Crystal was the rightful daughter-inw of the

    Smith family.

    Wendy had always wanted Crystal to be her daughter-inw. When Lyle and Crystal were still in a

    rtionship, Wendy would show up at our ce just to meet Crystal in person.

    I guess she¡¯s never fond of me because I¡¯m not as exceptional as Crystal. After all, Crystal is the Tanner

    family¡¯s sweetheart and a famous artist. Meanwhile, I¡¯m just a talentless finance graduate.

    Lyle shrugged me off the moment he saw Crystal in her best fit. He must be charmed by the woman who

    seemed like a princess who had just stepped out of a fictional world in her white tulle dress.

    Since she¡¯s the one you have a thing for, why have you asked me to stay? Do you enjoy watching me

    suffer in silence? Albeit unreluctantly, I had to greet Wendy since she was around. Otherwise, the

    gossipmongers would spread rumors the moment they saw me ignoring my mother-inw.

    I forced a smile and greeted, ¡°Mom.¡±

    Wendy, who seemed to be having the best time of her life, pulled a face when she saw me. Once she

    sized me up, she started reprimanding me, ¡°What the heck is wrong with this dress of yours? Can¡¯t you

    put on something else that¡¯s not as revealing? You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡±

    The mother and son duo had been picking on my dress over and over again. In fact, they talked about

    the same thing. Unwilling to carry on with the fight, I went dead silent.

    I couldn¡¯t believe she had the guts to pick on me for putting on something fashionable when she once

    picked on me for being a country bumpkin because of the color of my dress.

    Well, she just needed something to justify her actions. Over the past two years, I had been groveling

    myself at her mercy and carried out every instruction of hers.

    As always, I gave in to Wendy¡¯s instruction again. While I was on my way to get her a ss of wine, I

    saw Christopher and Zachary from afar. The duo was engaged in a conversation.

    Simrly, they turned around because they noticed someone had their eyes glued to them. The moment

    we exchanged nces, I sprinted in the other direction as I was afraid Christopher would approach me

    and cause me unnecessary trouble. Others might think that something was going on between us.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 40

    I was d only a few close acquaintances of mine were male. Otherwise, Lyle would use me of

    having affairs with them.

    The first time he confronted me, I was clueless about the things he had brought up as I was overly

    attached for my own good. I couldn¡¯t be bothered by his sarcastic remarks anymore. If he continued

    pushing his luck, I would sever ties with him.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, I heard anothermotioning from the crowd as another bunch of strangers approached

    the hall. I noticed they had one thing inmon ¨C they were on their way to Christopher¡¯s side. The

    thing that shocked me the most was the fact they seemed to have great respect for Christopher.

    All of a sudden, the onlookers said, ¡°Wow! It turns out he¡¯s the one everyone¡¯s talking about! No wonder

    he seems so familiar!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome! Others said he had been staying abroad to further his studies, but it turned out they

    were wrong! He had long made his way back!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so honored to have him hand me a ss of wine just now! The Lane family is the talk of the town

    because of the tens of billions deal they have just sealed! Do you guys think he¡¯s here for those from the

    Tanner family? It¡¯s such a shame!¡±

    My mind was all over the ce when I heard their conversation. No wonder Wendy had been taking

    Christopher courteously. The Lane family was the one behind Avenport¡¯s sess. Only those from the

    Miller family and the Goldstein family were on par with them.

    Christopher greeted the crowd, including Nathan and Yvette, with his hands tucked in his pocket. As

    always, he had the same charming smile, but everything felt so different the moment I figured out his

    identity.

    It turned out the differences between us were beyond my imagination. I was d I managed to suppress

    the affection I had for him instead of falling head over heels just because of how well he treated me.

    Otherwise, things might end up ugly because no way would those from the upper echelon take someone

    inferior like me seriously. I couldn¡¯t even deal with the douchebag from a second-rate member of the

    upper echelon, let alone a superior one.

    I tried my best to y along with the crowd and forced a smile to conceal the concerns I had in mind.

    Shortly after the banquet wasmenced was a dance party. The host would join their guests for a

    dance. Thus, after a few minutes of pleasantries from Crystal, she started dancing in front of the guests.

    The guests wouldn¡¯t stop apuding because of her uplifting speech and elegant dance. Conscious I

    would never be a match for her, the best fit I had put on could barely conceal the sense of inferiority. As

    the sweetheart of the family, Crystal had everything she would ever need, including everyone¡¯s attention.

    A lot of bachelors couldn¡¯t wait to join their ideal better half for a dance. Even Lyle, who had been

    gawking at Crystal the moment she came into the room, was probably thinking of dancing with her.

    Aware of the thing he had in mind, I started inching away from the man.

    After going for a round, Crystal stopped in front of Lyle and asked with a bright grin, ¡°Lyle, care to join me

    for a dance?¡±

    He nodded without a second thought. Thus, they waltzed across the floor in front of others as though

    they were a pair made in heaven. Meanwhile, the onlookers started sizing me up with a sympathetic

    look.

    As much as it would hurt me, I had no choice but to force a smile in response. Otherwise, I would

    humiliate myself in front of others once again.

    Why won¡¯t they stop staring at me with that look? I don¡¯t need your sympathy! No matter what that

    dancing duo is up to, they have to get rid of me! Otherwise, Crystal will be considered a mistress

    because I¡¯m still Lyle¡¯s legal spouse!

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 41

    When I turned around, I noticed Christopher had been staring at me with a concerned look. However, I

    was d he had resisted the urge to ask me to join him for a dance.

    Once they finished dancing, Crystal brought Lyle back to my side and said, ¡°Congrattions, Yvonne. I

    can¡¯t believe you have gotten married for two years. It has been two years since myst encounter with

    Lyle as well. I hope you won¡¯t mind having him joining me for a dance.¡±

    It was evident it was an attempt to assert dominance over me in disguise of words of blessings. She

    wanted to remind me she had known him for years while we were only married for two.

    I decided to y along with the b*tch and answered, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal since you¡¯re my beloved cousin.¡±

    ¡°You look so gorgeous today, Yvonne,¡± Crystalplimented with a sincere smile, behaving as though

    she meant every word she had said.

    ¡°Oh, stop it. I¡¯ll never be as good-looking as you!¡± Actually, the moment those from the studio dolled me

    up, I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at myself in the mirror. It turned out I was still above

    average in terms of look.

    ¡°You stop it¡­ Anyway, since ourst meeting was ages ago, care to join me for a ss of drink?

    Consider it a drink of celebration for your marriage.¡±

    I was unable to turn her down as she gulped down her drink the moment she handed me mine. When I

    was about to finish mine, I felt someone pushing me from behind.

    As I staggered and fell, Crystal was caught in the aftermath because she was right in front of me. I ended

    up spilling the entire ss of wine all over her dress. The moment I turned around, I found out Yvette

    was behind everything. She smirked at me, gloating over my misfortune and the things awaiting me.

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Scarlett and Wendy rushed over, pushing me away to help Crystal up.

    Crystal looked at me with a pair of welled-up eyes, implying I was the one at fault for the mess she was

    in. I tried to exin it was nothing more than an ident, but Natalie pped me in the face before I

    could defend myself.

    ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much? Is it necessary for you to take things out on her just because

    she has asked Lyle to join her for a dance?¡±

    I could still feel the tingling sensationing from my swollen cheek after that p. Meanwhile, Lyle

    rushed over to Crystal¡¯s side, helping her up with a concerned look. He couldn¡¯t be bothered by the fact

    his wife needed him even more than the woman next to him.

    Although I was supposed to be immune by then, my heart still ached.

    ¡°Yvonne, Lyle and Crystal have always been friends! You can¡¯t stop them from being friends just because

    he¡¯s your spouse, can you? Of all the times, why do you have to pick on Crystal today?¡±

    The pretentious Yvette rushed over to Crystal¡¯s side and asserted with a pitiable front, ¡°Aunt Natalie, a

    few weeks ago, Yvonne has miscarried! Please be considerate! I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just upset!¡±

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Huh? Am I supposed to bear the consequences of her own carelessness?¡±

    Surrounded by a bunch of people, Crystal announced with a frown, ¡°You guys need to stop ming

    Yvonne because it¡¯s my fault for being careless. I know she doesn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    Others would misperceive I was a despicable woman since Crystal went to the hassle of defending me.

    While some brought her upstairs to get changed, I became theughingstock with my dress drenched in

    wine.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 42

    I could barely suppress the urge to tell the onlookers it was Yvette¡¯s fault because they wouldn¡¯t stop

    making fun of me. However, it would not do me any good because that would make it seem like an

    attempt to me others for my mistakes.

    Out of the blue, Nathan yelled, ¡°Hurry up and go get yourself changed! You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Within a few seconds, everyone turned around when they heard Christopher gasping out loud. I grabbed

    the opportunity and made my way. When I turned around, I saw Christopherpletely drenched in

    wine, reprimanding the housekeeper.

    I knew it was a favor he had done me to get me out of the nasty situation when I caught a glimpse of him

    winking at me. He was conscious that I was in desperate need of an opportunity to sneak away.

    Once I returned to the garden, I took a seat under the tree and removed my pair of heels. I noticed that

    my ankle was already swollen. Considering the injuries I had sustained over the past few weeks, I

    thought my life couldn¡¯t get worse than it already was.

    Out of nowhere, someone ced his coat over me. It was a familiar sensation, and upon a simple

    glimpse, I noticed it was Christopher again. He showed up and greeted me with a mischievous smile,

    ¡°Can you look after yourself and stop getting into more troubles?¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this the almighty Mr. Lane? Thank you so much for your advice.¡± I intended to express my

    sincere gratitude, but I identally blurted it out in a sarcastic manner.

    ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± He repeated the way I addressed him with his brows furrowed. Irked, he asked in return,

    ¡°Can you stop acting in front of me? It¡¯s getting on my nerves for real.¡±

    I was rendered speechless because he was right ¨C I had always been a coward around others apart from

    him. Horrified by the thought of falling in love with him, I was determined to stay away from him to avoid

    all sorts of uncertainties that would be in store for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll forgive you for once.¡± He patted my head fondly and said, ¡°Are you sure you want to stay here

    when I have just escaped from a bunch of thirsty women?¡±

    I was well aware I wasn¡¯t supposed to take a seat there. After all, others would definitely pick on me for

    meeting another man behind my husband¡¯s back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to return to the hall and see any of them.¡± I looked in the direction of the hall and recalled I

    would have to make my way past the guests to get myself changed. Unwilling to be humiliated again, I

    changed my mind and decided to run away from them.

    He looked at me and asked, ¡°Hello? Isn¡¯t there some sort of secret tunnel that can lead us to somewhere

    else?¡± After he directed his question at me, he tried to massage my swollen feet, but I inched away from

    him due to the racking sensation I felt. ¡°O-Ouch! Y-Yes!¡±

    ¡°Consider yourself lucky because it¡¯s your leg that¡¯s hurt instead of that non-existing brain of yours.¡±

    When I saw Christopher staring at my sprained ankle with a frown, I felt a sense of relief. He was an

    observant man that could easily notice things others couldn¡¯t. In fact, he was the first to ever believe in

    me.

    Curious, I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m the one at fault for picking on Crystal?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Is that a joke?¡± He responded with his brows arched in confusion. A few secondster, he leaned

    over and lifted me in between his arms, making our way past the woods. I nestled in between his arms

    and showed him the way to the secret route.

    Standing in front of the tunnel that could barely fit an adult, I wondered if he would make his way through

    with me. The tunnel was made for Crystal¡¯s pet puppy she had years ago. In order to run away from the

    vicious ones, I had always taken cover in the tunnel when I was young.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 43

    Christopher was taken aback by the so-called secret tunnel. After gaping in silence for a few seconds, he

    asked, ¡°Is this the escape route you have been employing over the past decade?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    I leaned against his chest with my cheeks flushing when I recalled I had embarrassed myself more than

    once in front of him. He was always there when I was the most vulnerable in life.

    In an attempt to defend myself, I rebuked while pursing my lips, ¡°That¡¯s very rude of you when this is my

    only way to a temporary carefree life away from the vicious ones.¡±

    Christopher refused to make his way through the so-called tunnel. In the end, we climbed over the fence

    as though we were burrs breaking into someone else¡¯s ce. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t be bothered

    and announced with his eyes gleaming, ¡°Care to join me for an adventure?¡±

    I felt a strong urge to cry as I couldn¡¯t believe he had given in to my absurd request. No woman could

    possibly turn him down when he had gone to great lengths to fulfill his better half¡¯s demand.

    When I thought things would get worse, he showed up to my rescue and brought me away from the ones

    causing my pain. I felt a sense of serenity for the first time ever in my life.

    He rushed me to a nearby clinic to get my sprained ankle treated once we fled. When the doctor tried to

    fix my leg, I started wailing due to the excruciating sensation. Unable to resist the urge to tease me, the

    doctor said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with thedies nowadays? Can they stop whining over everything?¡±

    The doctor¡¯s statement took me by surprise as he just teased a woman in her mid-twenties in front of

    another man.

    ¡°Who are you to speak when it isn¡¯t your ankle that¡¯s sprained?¡± Christopher deadpanned his reply,

    intimidating the doctor with a menacing aura.

    I tapped on his hand and beckoned him to leave with me because it wouldn¡¯t be wise to pick on a middle-

    aged doctor over something trivial. Christopher lifted me in between his arms and brought me out of the

    clinic. I told him I could walk, but he insisted on carrying me back to the car.

    Right then, a Maybach had been pulled over in front of the clinic the moment we stepped into the clinic. I

    was impressed by the fact he managed to get his car delivered to his location within thirty minutes.

    Once we boarded the car, I noticed Zachary was the driver. Afraid others would see me in between

    Christopher¡¯s arms, I tried to move away from him, but my effort was to no avail. He wrapped his arm

    around my waist, indicating he would not let go of me.

    I pinched him on his waist in an attempt to stop him. As a result, he held me firmly in between his arms

    with a frown. Running out of options, I decided to give in and enjoy the moment.

    ¡°You seem to be having a great time, huh? Have you any idea of the things I had to go through to run

    away from those thirsty women?¡± Zachary showed Christopher the stains that were all over his shirt.

    Christopher chuckled and crossed his legs, teasing his friend in return, ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s

    something you can be proud of? It means you¡¯re quite an attractive man!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks! I don¡¯t need to be proud of something of that sort!¡± Once Zachary elerated

    the car and departed, he asked, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m a subordinate of yours instead of a friend?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to do your friend in help a favor?¡± Christopher queried in return. He instructed Zachary to

    hurry up without any signs of remorse.

    I thought that was the way best friends were supposed to interact with one another. On the contrary, Lyle

    and Christopher¡¯s so-called friendship seemed more like a friendship of utility rather than anything else.

    Out of the blue, Zachary urged in a serious tone, ¡°You had been spending most of your time away from

    home ever since your return six months ago. Your mother is searching high and low for you, and I¡¯ll be

    running out of excuses if you don¡¯t show up soon.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 44

    ¡°What¡¯s more important than life itself? If my mom asks you again, tell her I¡¯m pondering about life.¡±

    ¡°About life? Or about destroying life?¡±

    ¡°Or that, too!¡±

    Christopher let out a manly chortle upon hearing my response. For some reason, his presence made me

    feel at ease. Shortly afterward, we arrived at a clubhouse, and he helped me get inside.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    The apartment I once called home is now an empty shell where I spend long nights wondering what kind

    of fresh hell is going to take ce when Lyle gets back.

    Christopher was probably rted to the owner of the clubhouse, as he led me through the backdoor and

    went straight up to the members¡¯ zone. I plopped down on the couch, too tired to lift a finger. As Zachary

    tried to make his way in, he was stopped by Christopher at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t be the awkward third wheel.

    Make yourself scarce.¡±

    What a jerk. Zachary let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re such a horrible friend,¡± he growled out before leaving the

    room.

    When only the two of us were left in the private room, Christopher fetched me a set of clean clothes so I

    could get rid of my wet ones. Instead of turning around like a gentleman, the man just stared at me with

    unblinking eyes.

    Feeling embarrassed, I finally broke the silence and gave him a nudge with my hand. ¡°Can you please

    turn around? I¡¯m trying to get changed.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I already seen everything? Just get changed, or don¡¯te crying to me when you catch a cold

    tomorrow,¡± he said while scanning my body from head to toe.

    ¡°Just turn around, please!¡± It didn¡¯t feel natural to do that in front of a man.

    ¡°Alright, alright. As you wish.¡± He finally turned around.

    I was just about to slip out of my dress when he spun around and said cheekily, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t

    need my help? After all, you¡¯re injured.¡±

    I threw my hands up at his tongue-in-cheek offer. ¡°I¡¯ve injured my leg, not my hands.¡±

    I cracked up upon seeing the disappointed look on his face. He was both a spoiled brat as well as a

    reserved and arrogant emperor, but right now, he reminded me of a child who had just been denied

    candy.

    My phone rang just as I changed into clean clothes. It was from Lyle. I hesitated briefly before answering

    the call. ¡°Yvonne Tanner, where the hell are you? Are you so desperate for men you¡¯re whoring around

    town?¡± he remarked callously.

    I gritted my teeth. Such was my husband. As though it was not enough to watch me being bullied by

    others, he now called me to rub more salt in the wound. ¡°You¡¯re right. To you, I¡¯m nothing, aren¡¯t I? Since

    there¡¯s no going back for us, I may as well keep my options open and hook up with a few more suitors

    while I can. I¡¯m about to get some action here, so, piss the hell off!¡± I barked into the phone before

    hanging up the call and mming my phone on the table.

    As Iy on the couch, I was overwhelmed by a sense of despondency. I forgot who I was and how I had

    fallen in love with Lyle in the beginning.

    My heart still ached as I mulled over our exchanges over the phone. I had been in love with the man for

    ten years. During such times, he had transformed from a thirteen-year-old boy to an outstanding,

    sessful man. If only I could turn back time¡­

    If a dream that came true isn¡¯t followed by a happily-ever-after, I would rather remain the Cindere who

    never found her Prince Charming. That way, I can a least still preserve the enchantment of love in my

    imaginative bubble.

    ¡°Christopher, I feel like drinking some alcohol. May I?¡± I took out a lollipop from my handbag and put it

    into my mouth. It still tasted sugary sweet, but it did nothing to assuage the emptiness I felt on the inside.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 45

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll fetch you some,¡± Christopher said. In no time, he came back with two bottles of red wine and

    vodka.

    Having worked in the line of sales that involved a lot of socializing in the past, I had built up a strong

    tolerance for alcohol. As such, I was still rather sober after downing half a bottle of wine. As I tried to gulp

    down the remaining liquid, Christopher swiftly removed the bottle from my hand.

    He stared deep into my eyes as he chided, ¡°Binge drinking is bad for you.¡± A glint of sorrow shed

    across his eyes.

    ¡°Please let me drink. You see, I¡¯ve had a crush on Lyle for ten years, and married him for two. Why is it

    that in his eyes, I¡¯m nothing but a whore? Tell me, what have I done wrong?¡±

    Christopher finally relented and handed the wine bottle back to me. As I resumed my drinking, I started

    telling him my story with Lyle; how I used to have a secret crush on him, how he always humiliated me,

    and how he then dangled hope in front of me.

    Lyle, you¡¯re so cruel. Why did you marry me if you didn¡¯t love me? Why do you always give me new

    hopes when I think all is lost, only to crush them all by having an affair?

    ¡°Stop thinking about him. You can think about me from now on!¡± Christopher dered while holding out a

    wine ss to drink with me. I chuckled at his response, wanting to drown in his kindness.

    I kept singing the song ¡°Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day¡± while wiping away my tears. It¡¯ll indeed be nice if

    I wake up to a good day tomorrow. ¡°Christopher, sing with me. Sing ¡®Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day¡¯ for

    me, please.¡±

    After bing a little tipsy, I started loosening up. I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me; I felt safe around him. It

    had been a long time since I was able to just be a girl around a man.

    Christopher had an attractively dulcet and husky voice when he sang. When his gaze turned to me, he

    looked just like Prince Charminging to life.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    I continued to stare at him. As though being enchanted, I inched closer and closer toward him and

    extended my finger to rub yfully at his arched eyebrow. Instead of backing off, he pulled me into his

    arms.

    I was now sitting on hisp, listening to him sing. The next thing I knew, our lips touched.

    The kiss started off very soft and gentle. When I didn¡¯t resist, the kiss deepened, and I was drowned in

    his wine-scented embrace. Already more than tipsy at this stage, my hand reached for his cor and

    started tugging away at his tie.

    The kiss grew more fervent by the second. When almost all the air from my lungs had been sucked out,

    his lips finally retreated from my mouth. They moved down to my neck and then cor bone.

    When I snapped back to reality, I was already lying t on the couch. Christopher¡¯s body was on top of

    me, and his hands were moving about around my body. Doubt shed through my mind when his legs

    spread mine apart.

    Sensing my hesitation, the man held himself back and covered me with a thin nket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I

    uttered under my breath.

    If we finished what we started, everything I had said to Lyle would be a joke. I couldn¡¯t bring myself

    to stoop to his level.

    I wanted to leave Lyle, officially.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I understand,¡± he mumbled while stroking my hair. ¡°You should get some rest. After all, you

    just got out of the hospital. You shouldn¡¯t engage in strenuous exercises.¡±

    He was a thoughtful person. Not only did he care about my feelings, but he also watched out for my

    health. Seeing as I continued to stare at him, Christopher uttered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you falling in

    love with me?¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 46

    I was at a loss as to how to answer his question, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Instead of pushing

    me for an answer, he pulled me into his arms and said goodnight. I closed my eyes but failed to shut out

    my imagination that had run wild. I thought about Lyle and how we always ended up being at each

    other¡¯s throats every time we met.

    I also thought about Crystal and Yvette. Lastly, my mind was filled with Christopher. ¡°Christopher, why

    are you so nice to me?¡±

    The man let out a small smile and said, ¡°I told you, I love you, little calf. It¡¯s only natural for me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t buy that reason. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You can have any woman you want, whereas I¡¯m just a married

    woman. ording to Lyle, a scrap.¡±

    Christopher swatted my buttock and said in a stern manner, ¡°You¡¯re not a scrap.¡± I blinked my eyes a few

    times, admiring his perfectly shaped chin.

    ¡°Maybe we have met before. You may even say that this is love at first sight.¡±

    We¡¯ve met? I tried to search a few times in my mind for any distant memory of him, but my efforts were

    to no avail. The solemnness in his tone, however, suggested that he was being serious.

    I smiled slightly. ¡°I remember meeting you at one of Lyle¡¯s office gatherings. Did you fall in love with me

    then?¡± I asked jokingly.

    ¡°Maybe. Or maybe even earlier.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± It was a beautiful lie, that a fine man would fall in love with me at first sight and want nothing but

    the best for me.

    The next morning, Christopher insisted I finish some chicken soup before leaving the clubhouse. I took a

    few sips and realized that the soup tasted the same as the one I had in the hotelst time. ¡°I must say,

    the quality of this chef is below par. If I knew it didn¡¯t take much to be a chef, I might have considered

    bing one.¡±

    Christopher tried a spoonful and asked in all seriousness, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I shook my head. ¡°My cooking skill is worse.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the chef take note of this and make sure there¡¯s improvement next time,¡± he told me firmly.

    I let out a smile in return. The man appeared to be rather reluctant to part with me as I was leaving.

    ¡°Make sure you call me if you need any help. Keep your phone on at all times. Do not ignore my text

    messages,¡± he reminded.

    ¡°Okay.¡± He only let me go after I had agreed to his set of conditions. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would contact him

    again, though. After all, he belonged to the Lane family. The idea of involving myself with such a

    prominent family was simply too far-fetched.

    Not long after, I came back to an empty apartment. I recalled myst conversation with Lyle when he

    demanded to know my whereabouts. I¡¯m not Crystal, so it¡¯s only normal that he is not waiting at home for

    my return.

    Seeing the house in a mess, I started to clean it up. Lyle finally showed up as I was taking out the trash.

    His eyes were filled with contempt as he looked at me. ¡°I want a divorce,¡± he announced.

    Even though I had thought about this scenario numerous times, it still hurt when the words were finally

    uttered. Unlike him, I couldn¡¯t easily discard the past ten years we spent like he could. I looked at the

    man I used to love and asked, ¡°It¡¯s because Crystal is back, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t need a woman of ill repute by my side. You¡¯re nothingpared to Crystal. If you

    still have any self-respect, just sign the paper. We can finally part ways then,¡± he said, tossing a

    document in my direction.

    I picked up the papers and the words ¡°Divorce Settlement¡± jumped out at me. The words he spoke

    continued to ring in my ear. I¡¯m nothingpared to Crystal. How hurtful.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 47

    We had been married for two years, yet all that was left were the looks of disdain and ridicule in his eyes.

    As I leafed through the papers, I came across the section where he listed down the reason for divorce. It

    was reported that I had engaged in multiple adulteries with different men during our marriage. There

    were also photographs attached to the report, including pictures of Benjamin and Zachary. I was very

    close to losing my mind when I saw all the attached pictures.

    I couldn¡¯t believe how he could pen down such tant hypocrisy in the form of an usation. I let out a

    wry, derisiveugh. ¡°Lyle Smith, you¡¯re such a shameless bastard! When you were busy twisting the

    stories in this paper, have you forgotten about your affair with Bianca Lewis?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny all of it, Yvonne. Just save your nonsense and sign the paper. We¡¯ll be done then,¡±

    urged Lyle.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would go to such length for Crystal. Do you think you can justy all the me on me

    so that you can walk out of this being the nobler one?¡± My chest was burning with rage.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    By this point, all my remaining sanity had flown out of the window. ¡°To hell with this paper! I won¡¯t sign

    this piece of crap. Do whatever you want with Crystal, but she will always remain a mistress!¡± I cried at

    the top of my lungs.

    His expression darkened in the next instant, and before I knew it, he pped me across the face. ¡°Didn¡¯t

    you marry me because of money? If this is one of your dirty tricks to extort money from me, you can

    keep dreaming because I won¡¯t give you a cent! What are you going to do about it, huh?¡±

    I put a hand over my burning cheek and stared hard at him. ¡°Come at me if you have any real evidence

    of me having an affair. Otherwise, I¡¯ll expose the video recording of Bianca to the public. Let¡¯s see if

    Crystal will still want to marry you after that.¡±

    Lyle¡¯s expression was a lot more intimidating now that he was feeling truly threatened. Another p

    landed loudly on my face. ¡°B*tch! If you don¡¯t sign the papers today, I¡¯ll have you begging for me to sign it

    in the future!¡±

    He then flew into a rage and pushed me onto the floor beforending more punches on my head and

    trying to tear away my clothes. My head started to spin as I realized this was the first time Lyle had

    escted his violence toward me.

    But I no longer feared him. At that moment, I felt nothing but a zing rage as the man tried to force

    himself upon me. There was no way I would let him have a physical rtionship with me as I only felt

    repulsed and sickened by him.

    I was still struggling to free myself from him when my hand reached an ashtray on the coffee table and

    struck his head with full force. The ss ashtray fell onto the floor, shattering into pieces. Blood started

    to trickle down from his forehead as he looked at me in stun.

    I took the opportunity to push him over and ran toward the couch. I picked up a vase behind the couch

    and gestured to throw it over if he dared make another move in my direction. Lyle still appeared

    dumbfounded. He looked at me with an inexplicable glint in his eyes.

    I recognized that look. In the past, he had that exact look on his face every time he attempted to soften

    up after he blew a fuse. But this time, I wasn¡¯t going to let that stop me from getting away. I slowly took a

    few steps back until I reached the door. When I finally did, I turned and ran for my life.

    The only thing I should feel thankful for was that I was wearing some old sportswear. I had changed into

    them to clean the house before Lyle got back, and they were thankfully still in one piece after I was

    tackled by him.

    Honestly, I wanted to divorce Lyle more than anything. This marriage had left me with nothing but despair

    and sorrow. However, he shouldn¡¯t have tried to upy the moral high ground and smear my name with

    false usations.

    At that moment, I came to a painful realization. Our rtionship was already broken to a point where we

    wouldn¡¯t be able to end the marriage on amicable terms. I couldn¡¯t help but contemte if I had ever

    understood him as I once thought I had.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 48

    The sky was shrouded in darkness. Following the dark clouds was a strong gust of wind. My eyes were

    irritated by the sand carried in the wind.

    Even the Gods are picking on me? The weather was fine a few minutes ago. Where can I go

    now? Fortunately, I had a stalwart friend that I could always count on.

    After borrowing the phone of a pedestrian walking by, I gave Sabrina a call. Less than half an hourter,

    she arrived in her car to pick me up. Gazing at the palm print on my face, she turned livid. Sabrina

    wanted to give Lyle a piece of her mind but she was deterred by me. This is between me and Lyle.

    Getting her caught up in this would only exacerbate things.

    ¡°Yvonne, I don¡¯t even know what I should say to you anymore. You really ought to look out for yourself

    more. If things keep going like this, you¡¯ll end up being a divorc¨¦e,¡± Sabrina lectured me while driving.

    Although her words were a bit harsh, I knew she really cared about me. Out of all the high-borndies I

    knew, she was the only one who was willing to put up with my clumsiness and be my friend.

    Sabrina brought me to her apartment and gave me a change of clothes as she said, ¡°You can¡¯t live like

    this anymore, Yvonne. You should divorce him. If he was shameless enough to hit you today, who knows

    what horrendous things he¡¯ll do to you in the future.¡±

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°I know you like him a lot, but you really need to put yourself first. Love isn¡¯t everything to a woman. Even

    without love, we can carry on just fine as long as we take care of ourselves,¡± she continued.

    Sabrina was worried that I would continue to love Lyle despite his cruelty toward me. I feigned a smile

    and shook my head before replying, ¡°Actually, the thought of divorcing him has been in my mind for

    about two months now. However, for Grandma¡¯s sake, I tried to get along with him. Today, Lyle suddenly

    used me of cheating and wanted to use that as a reason to divorce me. How can I divorce him now?

    It¡¯ll seem like I really did cheat on him.¡±

    My reputation will be ruined if I agree to divorce him now.

    ¡°What? How despicable can this guy get!¡± Sabrina was getting more and more riled up.

    Right? I never would¡¯ve thought he was such an abhorrent man. To my chagrin, I used to think he was

    the prince of my life. I can¡¯t believe I was jejune enough to be beguiled by him back then. I should¡¯ve

    known better.

    I was lost in thought as I struggled to fit into her clothes. Sabrina was thinner than me, so her clothes

    were a bit tight on me.

    Seeing the somber look on my face, my friend queried, ¡°So¡­ What exactly do you n to do now? Do

    you want to continue putting up with him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t care if he doesn¡¯t give me any alimony payment. I just don¡¯t want to seem like I was really

    cheating on him.¡± Thinking back, I would always try toe up with ideas to try to get a piece of his

    fortune for myself, but I simply couldn¡¯t care less now.

    After staying in Sabrina¡¯s apartment for a day, I decided it was time to leave. I can¡¯t bother her anymore.

    She¡¯s got things she needs to do too. After Sabrina headed to work, I went back to my apartment

    furtively.

    When I got back home, the mess had been cleaned up. Even the wedding photo of Lyle and I had been

    put back to its original ce. I really don¡¯t get Lyle¡¯s intentions.

    He fools around with other women all day long and says he wants to divorce me. But why does he still

    act nice to me sometimes? Does he think I will forgive him if he shows me kindness every now and then?

    What a joke! I¡¯ll never forgive him after what he¡¯s done to me.

    I took out my luggage and started packing my things into it. As I was doing so, I realized that most of the

    things I had decided to ce in my apartment were based on Lyle¡¯s preference. I always chose the

    ornaments and furniture he liked for my apartment.

    If only he cared about me as much as I cared about him.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 49

    After I was done packing, I grabbed the wedding photo and red vacuously at it for a while.

    When Lyle and I were getting married, we didn¡¯t have a wedding ceremony, so there weren¡¯t any

    wedding photos of us.

    The wedding photo in my hand had actually been fabricated by me. I had taken a photo of me in a

    wedding dress and edited his image into the photo. Just like this photo, our marriage is nothing but a

    deception. Enraged, I mmed the wedding photo frame onto the ground, shattering the ss of the

    frame.

    In the end, I took the fake wedding photo out from its frame and tore it to pieces. With my luggage in

    hand, I walked out of my apartment. As I was getting out of my apartment building, I couldn¡¯t help taking

    a few more nces at the third floor of the building.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m still reluctant to leave this ce after all that has happened to me here. My eyes were

    starting to tear up. I raised my head to prevent the tears from flowing down.

    My only wish is to have a warm and happy family with a husband that truly loves me. Is that too much to

    ask?

    I went to the bank to check my total savings. Agonizingly, there was only twenty thousand in my bank

    ount. I can¡¯t even rent a decent house in Avenport with the pittance that I saved. Guess I¡¯ll have to

    rent a basement.

    That being said, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t lived underground before. Back in university, I had to spend frugally

    every day to eke out a living. I lived in a basement back then. This isn¡¯t new to me.

    I went to various intermediary agents in the attempt to find a basement with cheap rent, but to no avail.

    All the avable ces were too expensive for me.

    Standing on the streets, I realized that I was truly homeless. Even though I have a husband and a father,

    there isn¡¯t a ce I can ensconce myself in. How ridiculous¡­

    Sabrina will be going out with her potential boyfriend these two days. I don¡¯t want to trouble her now. I

    guess I¡¯ll have to stay in a cheap hotel for the night. With that thought in mind, I set out in search of a

    hotel. When I arrived at the entrance, I was hesitant to go in when I saw the crowd of drunkards inside.

    The men wolf-whistled when they saw me and even offered me a few hundred to sleep with them. How

    can I stay in a ce like this! After a while, the rain started pouring again. Standing under the eaves of

    the hotel, raindrops were blown onto my face by the heavy wind.

    With my teeth clenched, I went back inside the hotel to get a room. I requested a room that was isted

    from other guests and quickly went inside my room. Thirsty, I poured myself a ss of water using the

    water bottle there. Just as I was about to drink the water, I noticed that the color of the water was a bit

    off.

    Upon opening the cap of the water bottle, I was thoroughly revolted by what I saw. The inside of the

    water bottle was filled with toilet paper. After throwing the water bottle away, Iid down on the bed with a

    sullen look on my face. I took out my phone and started searching for job advertisements.

    My grades in university were pretty good, so I was confident that I was going to find a job easily, but that

    was not the case. All the job advertisements that I saw required someone with at least three years of

    working experience. Having only one year of working experience, I was immediately rejected by them.

    In dismay, I closed my eyes and fell into sleep shortly after. When I woke up, I was feeling ravenous and

    thirsty. I quickly opened the door and went outside to purchase a few water bottles. As I was in a hurry, I

    inadvertently bumped into another person around the corner.

    The person I bumped into reeked of alcohol. He grabbed my hand and asked, ¡°Five hundred for a night

    with a cute gal like you? I should¡¯vee to this hotel sooner.¡±

    ¡°Let me go. I¡¯m one of the guests here.¡± I struggled to shake off his hand, but the drunk man thought I

    was teasing him. He let out a chuckle and pressed me against the wall.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 50

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ooh, spicy. I like that. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll make sure to give you some tips.¡± The man was inching closer to

    me for a kiss. Seeing as such, I pushed him away with all my strength and hit him with the mop beside

    me.

    He snapped and pushed me onto the ground. Terrified, I screamed out loud, but no one came to my

    rescue. Just as I thought it was all over for me, a man came forward and kicked the man off me.

    In a daze, I caught a glimpse of a tall silhouette against the bright ceilingmp. The man¡¯s eyes were

    filled with anger.

    Christopher kicked the drunk man a few more times, rendering him incapable of getting up from the

    ground. The man then turned his head toward me and gave me a minatory look. I looked at him, too

    petrified to speak.

    Christopher was furious, and surprisingly, his anger was directed at me. Why though? Did I offend him?

    ¡°Why¡­ Why are you here?¡± I murmured.

    Christopher remained taciturn as he helped me up from the ground. He then started dragging me toward

    the exit. ¡°Wait. My luggage is still in my room.¡±

    Christopher held my hand firmly as we walked back into my room to get my luggage. After we got

    downstairs, he decided to carry me in his arms so that we could move faster.

    Shocked, I uttered, ¡°What are you doing? Let me down. Don¡¯t you realize we¡¯re on the streets right

    now?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Christopher dropped me off in his car.

    He had never been this angry with me before, so I was rather stupefied by his behavior. Sitting in the car,

    I was afraid to even move an inch. All I could hear in the car was his heavy breathing.

    He lit a cigarette and started smoking. His face exuded a sense of loneliness and mncholy as he did

    so. Seeing Christopher like this, my heart started aching. Christopher is a proud and willful man. He

    shouldn¡¯t have this kind of look on his face.

    It was rather warm and cozy in the car. Exhausted and hungry, I felt my vision grow hazy. Christopher¡¯s

    handsome face started looking blurry to me. I ended up closing my eyes a short whileter.

    In a drowsy state, I heard a voice beside my ear say, ¡°Am I that untrustworthy to you? You would rather

    live in a cheap hotel than seek my help?¡±

    I wanted to reply but was strangely unable to open my mouth. I must be dreaming.

    ¡°After what Lyle has done to you, you are still in love with him. Why would you do this to yourself? I really

    can¡¯t bear to see you suffer anymore.¡±

    The voice sounded deep and warm. Even if it was just a dream, I feltforted and cherished.

    That being said, I was still quite hungry. Not bothering to open my eyes, I grabbed hold of what

    resembled meat and took a bite of it. ¡°Yummy! It tastes just like roasted pork!¡± I yelled out loud.

    A groan was heard immediately after that. Startled, I opened my eyes and directed them toward

    Christopher. Upon taking a closer look, I noticed a bite mark on his thumb.

    I let out a silly grin before uttering, ¡°Uh, sorry. I thought I was eating roasted pork.¡±

    ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯vest eaten?¡± Christopher shot me a resigned look.

    ¡°I ate breakfast and nothing else after that.¡± I gazed at him with puppy eyes, hoping he wouldn¡¯t be angry

    with me for biting him. That being said, I was still perplexed by his behavior back at the hotel. Why was

    he so angry? As much as I want to know the answer to that question, I should probably abstain from

    asking it for now.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 51

    Christopher reached out his hand to me. ¡°Blow onto it. I¡¯ll go and cook for you after this.¡±

    I blew onto his thumb obediently and even licked it a few times. They say saliva can be used for

    disinfection, right? There, it should be fine now.

    Christopher¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed. He lifted my chin and gave me a fervent and intense

    kiss. It felt like I was about to be swallowed by him.

    His kissing technique was rather impressive. I waspletely overwhelmed by him as our tongues

    engaged in a fierce and scorching battle of their own. After he was done, I was left panting in his arms.

    Christopher¡¯s face was looking red-hot. This expression of his was very familiar to me. It¡¯s the face he

    makes whenever he¡¯s exercising.

    After letting me go, the man gave me a pat on my head and uttered, ¡°I¡¯ll go cook for us. Try to behave,

    okay?¡±

    I nodded in response. I¡¯d like to avoid infuriating him again if possible. He¡¯s scarier than Lyle when he¡¯s

    angry. After he went out of the room, I was finally able to focus on my surroundings and figure out where

    I was. The house I was in had two bedrooms and a living room. The whole ce was decorated very

    nicely.

    I was quite fond of the interior design of the house. The light blue curtains and the checkered tablecloth

    complemented each other very well. Moreover, the carpet on the floor was very soft and warm. There

    were also a few vases of orchids meticulously decorated around the balcony.

    After putting on a pair of house slippers, I went to the kitchen and saw Christopher cooking in an

    apron. Is this the same Christopher I know? Look at him go! I didn¡¯t know he was such a good cook¡­

    I really didn¡¯t expect Christopher, who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, to be so good at

    cooking.

    Even though he was wearing an apron, he still looked suave and attractive. Lyle could really learn a thing

    or two from him. It would be nice to have a helping hand in the kitchen.

    ¡°What are we having tonight?¡± I queried.

    He winked at me, saying, ¡°Caramelized pork ribs!¡±

    Upon hearing his response, I recalled the moment I first made caramelized pork for him. Caramelized?

    This is not going to be good. Surprisingly enough, the caramelized pork ribs tasted amazing. Ravenous, I

    finished all of it in one breath.

    After I was done eating, Iid downzily on the couch. When I saw Christopher ring down at me, I

    shot him a bright and silly smile.

    ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re amazing, you know that? The dishes you made were even better than mine.¡±

    ¡°If you want, I can continue to cook for you in the future,¡± he piped up while scrolling through his phone.

    I shook my head before replying, ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t cook for myself.¡±

    Christopher aligned his eyes with mine and was reticent for a while. Suddenly, he uttered, ¡°You should

    just live here from now on.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll find a house soon. Living here is inconvenient¡­¡± I rejected his offer. I can¡¯t possibly live

    here. If Lyle finds out about this, he¡¯ll use this to im that I am indeed cheating on him.

    ¡°What? This is your house. I don¡¯t see why it would be inconvenient,¡± he replied nonchntly.

    Hearing his statement, I was bewildered. ¡°I have a house? When did that happen? Why wasn¡¯t I aware of

    this?¡±

    ¡°Half a year ago!¡± Christopher opened the drawer beside him and started rummaging through it. He then

    took out a property ownership certificate and gave it to me. Having perused through the certificate, I was

    stupefied to find out that the house was indeed mine.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Half a year ago was the time when Christopher first arrived in Avenport. Could it be that he bought the

    house for me during that time? ¡°Why do you have my ID document?¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    ¡°Six months ago, you left your bag at the party, so I took your ID to buy this suite under your name.¡±

    Christopher persisted calmly.

    I only remembered recing my identity card after losing it. At that moment, I waspletely at a loss

    for words. I stared hard at him suspiciously. ¡°Christopher, you know I¡¯m divorcing Lyle, so you had

    everything nned out, right?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    What am I supposed to think? I certainly had no reason to believe that a perfect guy like him would have

    eyes on me or even thought of Lyle as his rival. Besides, it was absurd to think that the second son of the

    Lane family would hatch such a n to aplish his motive.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve had some problems with the paperwork when buying a house for yourself, so you used

    mine. Haha¡­ That must be it!¡± Iughed dryly to hide my anxiety. He fixed his deathly serious gaze on

    me. His eyes were so memorizing I could drown in them.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Actually, I think I¡¯d better find another ce-¡±

    ¡°And what? Live like a homeless, wandering in the streets and live your life in a basement? Don¡¯t you

    feel bad for those who genuinely concern about you?¡± He shot back before I could finish, leaving me no

    room for negotiation.

    Suddenly, it hit me. I had nowhere to go. Hence, I stayed in that fully furnished suite. Once I had settled

    in, I used theptop prepared for me to look for jobs online. I sent out tons of resumes that same day.

    At night, a thought suddenly urred to me when Iy in bed. How did Christopher know I fell out with

    Lyle and moved out of the apartment? I reached out my phone on the bedside table and typed the

    questions that had been lingering in the back of my mind. After a moment of hesitation, I groaned and

    deleted them.

    Then I received his text. New home, new beginning. Good night and sweet dreams. There was even a

    cute emoji! I read it a dozen times. Eventually, my foul mood dissipated.

    I learned that life without faith and hope was meaningless, and I considered myself fortunate to see the

    beauty in it.

    The next morning, I sorted my morning routine and turned on theptop to resume my job hunt. All I

    needed was a steady ie to support myself and to hold my head high in front of Lyle and Crystal.

    There was an interview invitation from a foreign enterprise in my inbox. I went. Lady Luck must favor me

    because they hired me as the secretary. Although the sry was below my expectation, the job is the

    right fit for me, so I signed the employment contract without much hesitation.

    ¡°Mr. Gordon, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will do my best to fulfill this role.¡± I babbled

    enthusiastically as I poured a cup of water for the chubby manager.

    ¡°Yvie, you are most wee. If you do well during the one-month probation period, you will be a

    permanent employee,¡± he said with a delightful smile. I was thrilled to hear that.

    Outside thepany building, I ustomed my eyes to the bright sunlight. I called Christopher excitedly

    to share the good news. I totally agreed that women need to be financially independent from their men.

    ¡°Christopher, I got a job! Isn¡¯t it amazing? I can finally earn my own living!¡±

    Weughed as I rejoiced over my new job. Suddenly, I froze when I saw my sister approached me, along

    with Crystal and Sally.

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    Chapter 53

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 53

    The moment I saw them, I wanted to run, but my feet were glued to the ground. I cursed myself for

    feeling a coward in front of the three bullies. Moreover, Wendy was still my mother-inw, so I couldn¡¯t

    ignore her and leave.

    ¡°Yvonne, what a coincidence! Are you shopping as well?¡± Crystal put a grin on her elegant face.

    ¡°Yeah, hi!¡± I greeted her with a forced smile. Christopher was still talking over the phone. I immediately

    bid him farewell and hung up to focus on the uing confrontation.

    No matter how hard one tried, life could still feel stressful. That was how I felt at that moment. I wished I

    didn¡¯t have to amodate these women, but I had to.

    ¡°Geez! You spend all day loafing around while Lyle works so hard at thepany. Don¡¯t you care about

    him? I can¡¯t understand why he married you in the first ce. Grrr!¡± Wendy scoffed sarcastically.

    I merely smiled because I didn¡¯t have an answer to that question. Then, my gaze shifted to Crystal. The

    two locked arms like a real mother-daughter duo.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, don¡¯t say that. After all, she quitted her job after she married Lyle. Naturally, she has more

    free time. Wow, what a nice watch you got there. I bet it is worth over two million. Lucky you, Lyle treats

    you so well,¡± Yvette chimed in.

    Maintaining my silence, I nced at my watch which was my most valuable possession. Christopher had

    trapped it to my wrist before I left the suite in the morning to remind me not to be homete.

    ¡°Has the cat got your tongue? Gosh, you¡¯re such a disgrace! Come on, follow us.¡± As usual, Wendy was

    being unreasonable.

    She took the lead like a queen bee and we trailed behind her when she walked into a shopping mall.

    Then she whispered something to Crystal and chortled. I wanted to leave, but my feet just wouldn¡¯t

    budge.

    Wendy had her ways to make my life a living hell at home. After I married Lyle, she turned the Smiths

    against me too. Initially, I would stand up for myself. She was too formidable, and I gave up fighting.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The trio shopped as I struggled to carry everything gifts from Wendy to Crystal. In return, Crystal bought

    a ne for her and tossed a few words of praise. Surely she was ecstatic.

    Panting, I tried to keep up with the mountain of bags. Nobody offered to help.

    ¡°Yvonne, hi! It has been a while, huh?¡± My little sister walked over to me with a mischievous grin. Before I

    could respond, she stepped on my foot really hard while no one was watching.

    The pain made me lose my bnce, and I fell face-first onto the ground. Passerby chattered amongst

    themselves as they watched me. It was humiliating.

    Wendy roared, ¡°Yvonne! You¡¯re doing this on purpose, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you walk properly? Gosh, you

    are a good-for-nothing!¡±

    I ignored her and massaged my toes to ease the pain. Then I gazed up at Yvette to see her mocking me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonne. I didn¡¯t notice your hands are full. Here, let me help you.¡± Crystal came up to me and

    reached out her hands. Yet, I declined her offer to assist and scrambled up myself. Then I figured it was

    a chance for me to excuse myself from that evil mother-inw.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 54

    ¡°Let her be. They are not even heavy. Geez.¡± As soon as I got up, Wendy picked up the shopping bags

    on the floor and shoved them in my hands. She eyed me with such disdain as if I were trash.

    An employee received better treatment.

    After shopping, Wendy was hungry. Then, at that very moment, Lyle called to inform her he was joining

    us for lunch. My heart skipped a beat because I was not ready to meet him after our big fight.

    Like a bad penny, he showed up. As soon as he walked into the restaurant, he went straight to Crystal

    and sat beside her. I figured he probably didn¡¯t see me behind all those shopping bags. He looked genial

    as he chatted with them. It was his smile that I missed because it once lit up my world.

    ¡°Yvonne, call the waiter,¡± Wendy instructed as she walked to our table.

    ¡°Eve?¡± He turned to me in surprise. It was clear that he didn¡¯t notice me at all. ¡°Why are you here? And

    where were you yesterday?¡±

    I don¡¯t want to be here either, you know. I gritted my teeth. Before I could mumble an answer, Wendy

    remarked sarcastically, ¡°Well, someone is cking off in broad daylight. Hmph! If I hadn¡¯t caught her, she

    wouldn¡¯t return home to do the chores.¡±

    Lyle frowned at me. He seemed to hold himself back. I guessed he was boiling mad when he saw the

    stuff mess in the apartment.

    I threw and broke every single thing since no one appreciated the effort I put into that house.

    ¡°Lyle, I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s eat,¡± Crystal interrupted when she saw Lyle and I exchanged a long gaze.

    In fact, I had always thought that she had lost interest in him since she chose her career over him years

    ago. Yet she was eyeing me like a rival.

    ¡°May I take your order?¡± The waiter handed the menu to us and waited to take the order.

    Lyle ordered five different dishes.

    Suddenly, it brought back memories of. When Lyle and I were here previously, I had mispronounced a

    dish and made a fool of myself. His voice jarred me back to the present. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we

    eat here. I hope your favorite dishes are still the same,¡± he said to Crystal.

    ¡°No, they are still my favorite. Here, let me order some for you too.¡± At that, she added more to the list

    without looking at the menu. I waspletely dumbfounded because the dishes she ordered were

    strange to me. ¡°Am I right? I remember these are your favorite.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Naturally, he was impressed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember them!¡± He looked at her

    affectionately.

    ¡°Shall we get a dessert? We always eat this after the meal, remember?¡± She pointed it at the waiter with

    a smile.

    I soon realized that it was their usual ce of meeting. Indeed, such a fancy restaurant was fit for an

    elegantdy like her.

    ¡°Sir, you two make such a lovely couple. Since you are our regr customers, we will serve a soup

    special for you as the best wish. It¡¯s on the house,¡± the waiter effused.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 55

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    As soon as I heard that, my expression shifted. I immediately removed my ring. ¡°Look, Crystal. Shall I

    give my ring to you? I think it suits you better. Darling, what do you think?¡± My voice was icy.

    I deliberately dragged the word ¡°darling¡± as I narrowed my eyes at Lyle. The atmosphere was

    exceptionally awkward. Then the waiter bowed his head and apologized to me profusely.

    I didn¡¯t take his words to heart because my attire was a bit sloppy. Moreover, he merely did his duty to

    please his customers. ¡°It¡¯s fine. My husband and my cousin are really close. They do look like a cute

    couple together. How lovely.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, stop it!¡± Lyle roared.

    ¡°Yvonne, what are you talking about? Crystal just returned, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with him taking care

    of her. As her cousin, you should know better. Don¡¯t overreact.¡± Wendy chimed in.

    Overreact, huh? Then what should I do? Should I just give in and leave my husband to this woman?

    Why? Because they share true love?

    I held the ring in my hand and chuckled. ¡°Wendy, rx. I¡¯m just joking.¡±

    A momentter, the food was served and everyone dug in. I looked at all the luxurious dishes on the

    table. They looked delicious and certainly fit my taste, but my appetite was spoiled by all the drama. Still,

    I forced a smile on my face and ate slowly.

    After we were done eating, Wendy went to the washroom and Lyle excused himself to answer a call,

    leaving only the three of us at the table. Yvette just wouldn¡¯t leave Crystal¡¯s side because she treated her

    like a boss.

    Suddenly, Crystal put down her cutlery and spat some ugly words with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Yvonne, I heard you ran away from home yesterday. As a married woman, you should better. People will

    gossip about it.¡±

    I frowned. I knew that behind that smile well; she had something up her sleeve. Each time she carried

    out her evil n, she would shift the me to others and y victim.

    I figured she went to the apartment and saw the mess I made. ¡°So, a single woman can do as she

    pleases and flirt with someone¡¯s husband?¡± I sniggered.

    Her expression changed drastically, but she maintained her elegant demeanor. ¡°Yvonne, why don¡¯t we

    make a bet? Let¡¯s see who Lyle will help. If he chooses you, I¡¯ll fly back to Fleynia tomorrow and let you

    have him. Deal?¡±

    She blinked innocently at me. Suddenly, I was exhausted. She was a beautiful swan, but I was just an

    ugly duckling. I could never win.

    As Lyle¡¯s legal spouse, I was no different than a third wheel in Crystal¡¯s presence.

    I sneered. ¡°That¡¯s very generous. But do you really want to y around with something as fragile as

    feelings?¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 56

    ¡°You must be heartbroken. You have always been affectionate towards Lyle. There¡¯s nothing wrong with

    that,¡± Crystal stated nonchntly while resting her chin on her right palm. ¡°You¡¯ve loved Lyle for a long

    time now, haven¡¯t you? If I¡¯m not mistaken¡­ Around ten years, am I right? Crushing on someone must

    be so hard. Being able to love someone publicly is such a privilege. As your cousin, I should give you at

    least a chance, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    My expression darkened. No one except myself knew about the fact that I had a crush on Lyle. Even on

    my wedding day, I had only told this secret of mine to Sabrina. Not even Lyle knew about this, so how did

    Crystal find out?

    ¡°You must be wondering how I found out. My dear cousin, seeing you like this sure isn¡¯t giving me any

    satisfaction in winning.¡± Crystal loungedzily on the couch with a wide smile. ¡°You know, in the past, I

    saw you as the spoiled child of the Tanner family, whereas I¡¯m the poor kid whose dad had died. But

    now, you¡¯ve lost your mom and your dad¡¯s affection. Even your husband is in love with me.¡±

    Crystal ced her hand on her lips as she gasped coyly and said, ¡°Oh no, I sound rude, don¡¯t I?¡± She

    then looked at me sympathetically. ¡°This is reality, but it¡¯s almost agonizing to see you looking so

    disheveled, dear cousin. However, Lyle and I go way back. I¡¯ll be generous and offer you another chance

    with him. Whether or not you seed is up to you.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s words pierced through my heart, causing the cracks to deepen. There wasn¡¯t anything I could

    refute because all she had said was true. I truly had lost everything, even before she returned. As I

    fiddled with the watch on my wrist, however, my heartache seemed to have dulled.

    ¡°Well, Crystal, aren¡¯t you just as despicable as you were back then? I really don¡¯t mind that you keep

    stealing my things. After all, the ones that you can¡¯t steal are the ones worth keeping. No matter howBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    proud you act, you can never run away from the fact that you¡¯re still the poor kid who lives under our

    roof. Friendly reminder that you¡¯re a Yates, not a Tanner.¡± I smirked.

    ¡°Still being difficult I see. Here I was considering ying nice so you and Lyle could have the chance to

    part amicably, but apparently, you still need to be taught a good lesson. You have already lost by a

    landslide, yet you¡¯re still ridiculously stubborn.¡± Crystal clicked her tongue and scoffed.

    Nevertheless, thatst sentence was incredibly familiar. She used to say the same sentence every time

    she bullied me in the past. I knew for sure that she wanted me to surrender, so I would obey her and live

    under her mercy. Never could I understand such a twisted mindset. Was there really satisfaction in

    stepping on others to get ahead?

    I mmed my chopsticks onto the table and wiped my mouth with a napkin before getting up to leave.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Yvette running toward me to step on my feet as she

    had done before. Instinctively, I stepped to the side, forgetting that Crystal was beside me. Crash!

    I could swear that the force behind that collision would not have knocked over even a young girl at the

    age of three. For some reason, however, Crystal looked as though she had collided with a truck. She fell

    onto the ground, bringing some of the dishes along with her and spilling the contents all over her face.

    Upon seeing the dumbfounded look on her face, I almost burst outughing. I guessed she had intended

    to fake a dramatic fall but had identally knocked over the tes too.

    ¡°Yvonne, what are you doing?¡± Lyle¡¯s furious voice could be heard from behind me. The next thing I

    knew, he grabbed my arm and flung it forcefully, making me stagger. If it were not for the waiter standing

    nearby who caught me just in time, I would have fallen head-first into hot soup.

    ¡°Crystal, are you alright? Did you burn yourself? I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right away.¡± Lyle hurried over

    to the woman on the floor to help her up before shooting daggers in my direction. He looked as though

    he wanted to rip me into pieces.

    The man then turned to look at the waiters in the restaurant and hollered, ¡°Why are you people just

    standing there? Call the ambnce! Go!¡±

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s cold soup. You only need to wipe it off. She¡¯ll be alright,¡± one of the waiters exined patiently,

    trying to cover up his exasperation.

    ¡°Pfft!¡± I could not help but chortle at that. Suddenly, Lyle turned and pped me across the face with all

    his might. ¡°How can you be so vicious? If that was hot soup, Crystal¡¯s face would have been disfigured

    by now!¡± he thundered.

    The impact of the heavy hand caused me to be dizzy. Before I could speak, Yvette suddenly

    hugged me by my arm and wailed, ¡°Yvonne, please just give Crystal and Lyle your blessing.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 57

    ¡°They truly love each other. They have for ten years. If you hadn¡¯t got in between them, they wouldn¡¯t

    have broken up. Now that they have finally gathered up their courage to give it another try, you wouldn¡¯t

    be so heartless to separate them from each other again, would you?¡±

    Tears started streaming down my sister¡¯s face as she whimpered, looking pitiful. Even though I was the

    victim of being pped just a second ago, Yvette had managed to make me look like the viin of this

    story.

    ¡°So she¡¯s the true mistress. And here I was about to offer her my sympathy. Sure ain¡¯t worth it,¡± mocked

    Crystal.

    ¡°Damn right it isn¡¯t. Lyle and Crystal have been in love with each other for ten years. She was the one

    who forced herself between them and caused their separation. Women like her deserve to get beaten

    up.¡±

    Unfortunately, it just so happened that Wendy had emerged from the restroom and heard thest line.

    Upon seeing Crystal¡¯s messy state, Wendy stormed forward and pped me twice without a second

    thought. ¡°I knew you had ulterior motives, Yvonne! What did Crystal do to deserve this?¡±

    Murmurs started to rise around us, just like what had happened in the banquetst time. Even though I

    was not in the wrong, I was still the one being used at the end of the day, abandoned by all with no

    one by my side. Despite all that had happened, I kept my gaze firmly on Lyle.

    Even after hearing them calling me the mistress, he had not once spoken up on my behalf. I closed my

    eyes before taking a deep breath. ¡°Lyle Smith, do you also see me as the homewrecker that got in the

    way of your future with Crystal?¡±

    ¡°Can you stop being unreasonable? You shouldn¡¯t have hurt Crystal,¡± he responded with a voice as cold

    as ice.

    ¡°I¡¯m unreasonable?¡± My eyes flew wide open in shock. ¡°Lyle Smith, you were the one who never believed

    me. When you were hooking up with some other woman behind my back, did the fact that I am your wife

    ever cross your mind?¡± Exhaustion filled my eyes as I looked at Lyle, my gaze hard. To my surprise, my

    eyes were not welling up; perhaps I was too disappointed to even have any energy to cry over him.

    ¡°You cheated on me with Christopher too! If I hadn¡¯t seen you two myself, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I thought I heard my name.¡± A familiar sound called out from behind me. The next second, I was

    pulled to the side by Sabrina while two figures stood in front of me. The pounding in my heart slowed

    down as a wave of calmness washed over me. I was not alone.

    Christopher ced his hands in his pockets. He nced at me coolly before turning his eyes toward

    Lyle, eyeing him up and down. ¡°Argued again, Lyle?¡± asked Christopher in a neutral manner. ¡°The one in

    your arms right now seems to be your ex-girlfriend whom you¡¯ve broken up with two years ago. Well,

    that¡¯s not very appropriate, is it?¡±

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    ¡°Keep your nose out of our business, Christopher! Don¡¯t think for a second that no one will find out about

    you and Yvonne, no matter how wless you think your secret is.¡± Lyle¡¯s eyes burned in anger as he

    gritted his teeth as if he had seen his arch-nemesis.

    ¡°Oh, Eve and I? You were the one who introduced us to each other. She has always followed you to

    every gathering, after all. Are you pointing fingers at us right now because we have started to grow

    close? That¡¯s one heavy usation, don¡¯t you think? Or must you make yourself a victim when you were

    the one who cheated? That¡¯s a bit unfair, Lyle.¡±

    Christopher spoke in a serious manner, shaking his head asionally as he did. After hearing what he

    had said, my anger dissipated. The man sure was brilliant, being able to untwist the story of me being

    the mistress in just a few sentences. Even Lyle was rendered speechless. I, on the other hand, only

    knew how to yell at my opponents with no true content.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sabrina whispered into my ear, and I shook my head in response. Besides, I had only

    been pped; it was nothing I hadn¡¯t experienced before.

    ¡°Christopher¡­ You¡­¡± Lyle¡¯s face had turned red in rage by then. After all, he had no solid proof of me

    cheating with Christopher, while I had caught him in action with another woman.

    ¡°Next time, pal, best resolve all these problems at home. People are going to make you a joke if you do

    this in public. Men who bullied their wives while cheating on them are all scumbags, understood?¡± When

    no one was looking, Christopher shot me a wink, signaling that he expected a reward from me for

    standing up for me.

    Yvette piped up, ¡°Chris, don¡¯t call Lyle that. He and Crystal have been in love for ten years¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Chris. Call me Christopher. We aren¡¯t close.¡± Christopher cut her off mercilessly.

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    He seemed to be undefeatable when it came to a battle of wits. I could learn a thing or two from him.

    Amidst all the chaos, I identally caught sight of Crystal leaning on Wendy with a pitiful look on her

    face. The moment she noticed me staring, she arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°You lost,¡± mouthed Crystal smugly.

    She was right. I had lost. In fact, I never had a chance to begin with. If Christopher and Sabrina had not

    shown up to save the day, things would have been worst. I would be publiclybeled a mistress, cast

    aside, and stomped on.

    With all my might, I yanked off my wedding ring and handed it over to Lyle. ¡°Two years ago, after you

    broke up with Crystal, it was you who came and asked my hand in marriage. You promised me a lifetime

    of happiness. That was why I married you. Now, I¡¯m giving this ring back to you. Since you want us to be

    divorced, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡±

    That was the first time I discussed the matters of our divorce in front of others. Lyle gaped at me,

    shocked. Seemingly hesitant, he did not ept the ring. Scoffing at the idea that he was reminiscing

    about our memories together, I grabbed his hand and pressed the ring down onto his palm.

    ¡°Lyle!¡± Crystal called out to Lyle with tears in her eyes. Their loving and affectionate gazes locked over

    the crowd. I rolled my eyes, annoyed. I had seen this scene happened so many times I was sick of it.

    Crystal had made her intention crystal clear that day. Lyle was the reason she had returned. As for me, I

    no longer had the will to fight.

    Just then, a crowd of reporters swarmed into the restaurant. Camera shes and the clicking of shutters

    could be heard as they hurried over to us. While running, some of the reporters starting asking

    questions, shoving their microphones towards Crystal. ¡°Ms. Yates, as an up-anding artist, you are

    well-known all over the world. However, rumor has it that you are a homewrecker. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Smith, what is your rtionship with Ms. Yates? Are you married? Who¡¯s your wife? If Ms. Yates

    were to marry you, what will happen to your wife? Are you sure you want to abandon your wife?¡±

    It was fortunate that Lyle and I had not conducted a party for our wedding. Even though I was the young

    mistress of the Smith household, the media had never known of my existence. At first sight of the

    reporters, Christopher snuck me away from the group while Sabrina stayed back to prevent the reporters

    from seeing me. As the mistress of the Zimmer household, the reporters should be more interested in

    Sabrina than they were with me.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get outta here. It will be troublesome for you in the future if the reporters were to catch a

    photo of your face.¡± Christopher¡¯s tall physique prevented me from getting hit by the people walking

    around. As for my husband, he was too busy protecting the goddess of his heart.

    I could not help but turn and look at him. Perhaps I really was stupid. Even then, I wanted to know what

    Lyle would tell the media. My expectations for Lyle were too high. A small piece of my heart still hoped

    that he would not be so shameless.

    Luckily, Lyle did not dare to act rashly in front of the cameras. He even warned Wendy to keep quiet

    when she was about to speak. Suddenly, the hands on my shoulders felt heavier. I winced in pain before

    looking up at Christopher. He looked displeased, clearly upset that I had turned to look at Lyle.

    Just as I was about to leave, I caught sight of a chandelier swaying intensely on the ceiling. It looked like

    it was about to crash any second. Before I could register what I was doing, I flung away Christopher¡¯s

    hands and dashed toward Lyle through the crowd, lunging at him.

    Crash! The chandelier fell to the ground, barely brushing my shoulder. The clear sound of metal hitting

    the ground and ss shattering reverberated across the restaurant. The broken pieces of ss flew

    everywhere, cutting my arm and leg, but I had been fortunate. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I sprinted fast

    enough to push Lyle out of the way, the chandelier would have hit my head.

    My husband was stunned. Perhaps he had not expected for me to save him at that critical moment

    instead of leaving. ¡°Eve¡­¡± he mumbled.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°Lyle, my leg hurts!¡± Crystal was holding onto her leg as blood gushed out from a cut. Her tears did not

    stop rolling down her cheeks as she whimpered to Lyle.

    At the sight of the wound on her leg, Lyle snapped out of his daze. He then quickly turned his gaze back

    to me and stuffed the wedding ring back into my hands. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the divorce back home. Wait for

    me in our house,¡± Lylemanded in a gentle manner.

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    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 59

    Heforted me softly, as usual, thinking that I would obey his words without any objections as I had

    done in the past. Without missing a beat, he walked toward Crystal, leaning over to pick her up bridal-

    style and walking away from the crowd.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Staring at the ring in my hand, a lump began to form in my throat. I truly was stupid. I had loved Lyle for

    way too long; it was to the extent that I would risk my own safety for his, forsaking everything to push him

    out of the way because I could not bear to see him hurt.

    Deep down in my heart, I still loved the man, even after the countless times I thought I had given up.

    That was the true reason I was reluctant to divorce him, and it was a truth that I could not deny. If that

    were not true, I would not have kept this ring with me.

    After a few minutes of shocked silence, the reporters hurriedly began snapping photos of us. Lyle was

    carrying Crystal while I, his wife, was bleeding on my own, abandoned in a corner. I sucked in a deep

    breath before dering, ¡°Lyle Smith, there is no more ¡®our house.¡¯ And definitely no home.¡±

    With that, I swung my arm out, throwing the ring toward him. Even amidst the cacophony in the

    restaurant, I could hear the sound the ring made as it hit the ground. I could hear my heart break as I

    watched the ring fall.

    ¡°Miss, are you the secret wife of Lyle Smith, the CEO of the Smith Corporation? How did the two of you

    get married? Was he the one who cheated, or were you the one who got in between him and Ms.

    Yates?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you must be the mistress of the Tanner household. Can you tell us the story between your

    husband and Ms. Yates? As for the divorce you mentioned, was that for real or for show?¡±

    Numerous voices and questions rang in my ear. A dull ache on my face was caused by a microphone

    being thrust toward me. The reporters had turned all their attention at me after Lyle had told them off.

    Seeing the excitement written all over their faces, their voices became a buzz. I could not make sense of

    what they were saying.

    Soon, my vision began to blur. Reality seemed to be distorted. I could see the mouths of the reporters

    moving, but I could no longer hear what they were saying. After risking my own life to save Lyle, he

    abandoned me by myself in front of all those pesky reporters. I truly am stupid.

    Out of the blue, someone squeezed through the crowd and headed toward me. It was Christopher. He

    furiously pushed aside the reporters, his eyes not leaving mine. In that second, I could see all the hurt

    and disappointment in his eyes, yet I could tell he was worried. I was reminded of the time he had given

    me the same look at the hotel. Sudden rity shed through the back of my mind ¨C I had let

    Christopher down.

    He had been so good to me, yet I had pushed away his kindness to get to Lyle and even putting myself

    in danger in the process. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to tell him he should not be so good to me.

    After all, I was just a haggard wife who was disdained by even her own husband. I had no money, no

    looks, and no talent.

    However, no matter how hard I tried, I could not seem to speak. The world began spinning around me. At

    the next second, I thought reality had been altered. How did all these people grow so tall? How are they

    towering over me? I don¡¯t want to be stepped on¡­ The more I tried to stand, the darker my vision got.

    Thest thing I saw was a familiar handsome face.

    Right before I lost consciousness, I managed to blurt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    I started dreaming. I knew I was dreaming because I saw my mother. She was a gentle, demure woman.

    Unlike how pretentious and hypocritical Crystal was, Mom carried herself with grace and elegance, as if

    she had walked out of a painting of the Victorian era.

    Her voice was always soft and gentle, sounding like a luby, and her smile was the prettiest thing I had

    ever seen. She loved me deeply and was always attentive. She would listen patiently as I rambled on

    about my likes and dislikes. I told her I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, so I could draw her

    beautiful smile.

    When she heard that, she kissed my cheeks with a smile, assuring me that I would be the best artist in

    the whole world. I held out a bunch of quality markers in my small hands and walked toward my father

    then, asking him if I could draw his smile after I drew my mother¡¯s. I wanted to capture the smiles of the

    two people I loved most, in the most detailed way possible, so that I could keep it with me forever.

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    Dad smiled. ¡°Dearest Eve, you can draw of us at the same time, both mom and I. It would be best if we

    could be hugging you in the picture. That way, everyone in our family can be together, for we are one

    happy family.¡±

    I began nodding ecstatically and started drawing, sticking my tongue out in concentration. Suddenly,

    Crystal stood timidly in front of me, telling me she wanted to draw too. I told her we could share the

    markers. To my surprise, she sprawled onto the ground and started crying. As she threw a tantrum, she

    shrieked, ¡°I want to draw. Don¡¯t hate me. I¡¯ll be good!¡±

    Aunt Natalie marched forward to carry Crystal and started sobbing as well. I sat there, dumbstruck. I had

    no idea why my cousin had cried. Just then, Dad walked over and reprimanded me, saying I should take

    care of Crystal since she was younger. Mom, on the other hand, did not say anything. She pulled me into

    her embrace and startedforting me, telling me softly that it would be best to avoid conflict with

    Crystal.

    Feeling as though I had been wronged, I quickly rified that I did not bully Crystal. It was her who had

    started crying out of nowhere. To my dismay, not only did my father not believe me, but he even

    threatened to hit me. After that, the first set of markers I ever owned was given to Crystal.

    Disappointment filled my heart, but my mother bought me another set soon enough. Even so, something

    felt different, as if something was missing.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Before long, Scarlett appeared in front of our house, carrying Yvette. Mom cried the entire night. I

    remembered snuggling up to her and calling out to her, telling her she still had me, and asking her to

    stop crying. But my mother did not stop, and my tears started to fall as well.

    I must have fallen asleep after crying so much. When I awoke the next day, Mom was gone. I cried out

    for her, earning a p from my father. I was only six when that happened. The p made me lose my

    bnce, and I fell to the floor in pain.

    With heavy breaths, Dad told me that my mother had run away with another man. The man¡¯s name was

    Victor Cohen. He forbade me from saying her name ever again. As much as they tried to convince me, I

    refused to ept that as the truth. I had seen Victor a few times, and Mom always was in a bad mood to

    see him.

    However, Dad never believed what I said. He forced me to call Scarlett my new mom, and Yvette would

    be my sister. If I refused, he would hit me. He would even allow Scarlett to lock me in a room

    without any food for days.

    I screamed inside the room, making a fuss, hoping that my father would hug andfort me like he used

    to. However, instead of doing so, Dad brought Yvette and the rest to go shopping, leaving me alone to

    starve the whole day. It was already nighttime when Crystal brought in some food for me.

    I was famished. I quickly grabbed the bowl and started eating, but I stopped after taking one bite. Crystal

    had spiked the food with an unimaginable amount of salt, making the food inedible. Furious, I flipped the

    bowl of food onto the ground, screaming and scolding her for pulling such a cruel prank.

    ¡°You little b*tch! Can you stop causing trouble on purpose? Crystal was the one who told me you have

    not eaten. That¡¯s why I let her bring the food to you! Continue reflecting on your behavior, and don¡¯t even

    think about eating before you learn your lesson!¡±

    Ignoring my cries of protest, my father mmed the door with a bang, leaving me lying alone on the cold

    floor. Realization dawned on me then. I had be a motherless child, and I had lost my dad too. There

    was no one I could depend on.

    I was locked in the room for two consecutive days without food. When I was allowed to exit the room, I

    had no energy to even walk. If the servants had not taken pity on me and fed me, I would have died from

    starvation.

    Mom, why did you leave me? I don¡¯t believe someone as perfect as you would cheat on Dad with Mr.

    Cohen. Even if you did, why didn¡¯t you take me with you?

    Mom¡­ where are you?

    When I woke up, my mother was not by my side. However, I was being held in a warm embrace. I leaned

    deeper into the person¡¯s chest, feeling as though I was still in a dream. All my troubles and thoughts

    seemed to disappear as long as I stayed in the warm, secure embrace.

    With half-opened eyelids, I looked up to see Christopher¡¯s defined jawbone and chin. He was holding me

    tightly in his arms. His eyebrows were knitted closely together, probably because he was worried about

    me. Seeing his frown, I suddenly had the urge to smoothen it out.

    I did not want him to feel unhappy. It was a realization I had back in the restaurant. The only reason I had

    shrugged him off to save Lyle was that I had gotten used to not being able to see my husband hurt.

    Yet at the next moment, when I saw him looking at me with such disappointment in his dark eyes, an

    indescribable mixture of sorrow and fear rose in my chest. I was terrified. Terrified that Christopher would

    never want to see me again.

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    Chapter 61

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    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    When one had been lonely for far too long, they would be afraid of the kindness being shown to them by

    others. Christopher had been too warm and too nice to me.

    Although I kept rejecting his kindness out of fear, a little part of me still longed for the warmth. People

    would probably snort at my actions if they knew my true thoughts.

    After all, there was no such thing as unconditional love in this world. My heart was still holding on to Lyle.

    Who was I to hope that another man would give me his whole heart?

    However, I still yearned to hang on to that little warmth. I took in my surroundings and realized I was in

    my own home. A home that Christopher had prepared for me. There was no one around except for the

    two of us. I sat up and ced a gentle kiss on his lips before quickly backing away.

    ¡°You must be furious at me, right, Christopher? After all, I was stupid enough to save Lyle at the expense

    of my own life.

    And yet, he abandoned me so easily, walking away from me as if nothing happened. Even I am angry at

    myself. I¡¯m such a disappointment. No wonder I¡¯m hated. But now, I¡¯m scared.

    I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll hate me too¡­¡± I mumbled groggily.

    ¡°In my twenty years of life, you were the first person who was so good to me aside from my mom. You

    know, Christopher, sometimes I feel that you like me, but I¡¯m not sure if I can trust that feeling,¡± I

    continued.

    ¡°I no longer am brave enough to love again. If¡­ Just if¡­ you have even a smidge of feelings for me,

    could you¡­ Once I have settled my divorce with Lyle if you still want me, can I stay by your side? Once

    you find yourself a wife and get married, I promise I¡¯ll leave. Is that ok?¡±

    I poured out all my emotions in one breath. As I was talking, even I was surprised by how much the man

    in front of me meant to me. I wanted so badly for him to continue being good to me, to the extent that I

    was willing to stay by his side for as long as he was a bachelor.

    I had no idea whether or not I would be heartbroken once he got married, but one thing was for sure. I

    would not be involved with him once he got married.

    As a wife who found out her husband cheated on her, I could not wish that heartache on any other

    woman.

    Women should support other women, or at the very least, I promised myself I would not be

    someone I despised the most.

    Perhaps it was the warmth of his embrace, but it was not long before I started dozing off again. In my

    drowsy state, I seemed to hear someone talking.

    ¡°Such an idiot. You¡¯re not just stupid. You¡¯re so stupid that you make others worried. The pursuit of a wife

    sure is hard. Don¡¯t even think about leaving me once I was married.

    You¡¯re not going anywhere once I marry you. Even if you do, you¡¯ll only be taking me with you, dumdum!¡±

    A sigh ensued. ¡°What am I going to do with you? That was such a heavy chandelier.

    The consequences didn¡¯t even cross your mind as you rushed forward to save him, did it? What if it

    crashed on your head? You¡¯re lucky I still want you.

    You used to be so sharp, so why have you gotten so dumb? Remember when you were the thirteen-

    year-old girl who outsmarted the gangsters and saved us all? You¡¯ve caught my eye since then¡­¡±

    His voice started trailing off into a hum as I slowly slipped away, eventually falling asleep. By the time I

    opened my eyes once again, the sun had long risen. I struggled to sit up. My head felt heavy as if I was

    going to topple over anytime.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. The pillow will be at an awkward angle, and you¡¯ll suffer when you get the drip infusion if

    you do. I don¡¯t want your teeth on my arm when you cry out in pain.¡± Sabrina quickly supported me as I

    got up, sliding a cushion behind my back.

    I blinked at her in confusion before looking around in search of Christopher, but he was nowhere in sight.

    I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed.

    Seeing my disappointment, Sabrina pouted. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so upset to see me. If it weren¡¯t for me

    taking care of you without sleep the entire night, you would be lying here alone.¡±

    Was all that a dream? Although disappointed, I quickly apologized to her. She was right. If it weren¡¯t for

    her, I would have woken up with no one except myself.

    I gestured to the needle on the back of my right hand. ¡°What happened?¡±

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    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 62

    ¡°Anemia from miscarriage. Plus too much stress. That¡¯s why you fainted. During the check-up, the doctor

    did not stop scolding us, saying that we suck at taking care of people. On a side note, look at that

    scumbag, Lyle. You saved him in front of so many people, yet he didn¡¯t even repay the favor. Instead, he

    carried Crystal away.

    I¡¯m not sure a scumbag is a fitting title for him anymore. How about a b*stard? Yeah, that sounds way

    better. Why did you even save him? If he had died, you would have been given the authority over his

    finances. With that amount of money, you could have found a second lover in no time.¡± Sabrina clicked

    her tongue as she shook her head.

    I let out a dryugh. She had a fair point. I was an idiot, so stupid that I had forgotten about myself. Every

    time the scene in the restaurant crossed my mind, my heart sank and my lungs felt heavier. The man I

    loved would never be beside me when I needed him most. Instead, I would be abandoned again and

    again. What other hope did I have?

    ¡°Why were you in the restaurant yesterday? And with¡­ Christopher?¡± I could not help but inquire.

    ¡°Oh, that. That was a coincidence. Christopher has wealth, power, and impable looks. As a rich

    bachelorette, he and I got set up on a blind date. We do make a good match, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sabrina

    shed me a wide grin as she leaned forward to inch closer to me.

    ¡°Yes¡­ A good¡­ good¡­¡± For some reason, I found it difficult to say the word ¡°match.¡± Have I truly lost

    everything? Even thest bit of warmth?

    The door of the bedroom suddenly swung open. In walked Christopher wearing an apron with a cartoon

    bear printed on it. He walked over with a tray and ced it in front of me. On top of the tray sat a bowl of

    porridge. He made sure everything was alright with the drip before turning to me. ¡°Eat. I just cooked this.

    You must be hungry.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    His long fingers looked as defined as the sculptures in the museum. Still hazy, I epted the porridge

    and took a few bites. My mind was still in a blur as I could not make heads or tails of the situation. Why is

    Christopher here? Is he here for Sabrina?

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Sabrina must have found my dazed look funny. Sheughed heartily before patting my shoulders.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. Seeing your disappointment, I almost feel like I¡¯m as despicable as Crystal.

    Almost.¡±

    She then turned and nudged Christopher toward me, puckering her lips. ¡°Here, this is the man who took

    care of you the entire night without a wink of sleep and the one good enough to cook for you. A piece of

    advice, you should really show your gratitude. I suggest repaying him with your affection.¡±

    Speechless, I stared at my hand as Sabrina ced it in Christopher¡¯s. She quickly strode out of the

    bedroom after that. Before she closed the door, she sneaked me a cheeky wink. ¡°By the way, I only

    showed up yesterday because I received a call for help from him, abandoning my own boyfriend for you.

    I¡¯m a good enough friend, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    As she closed the door shut, my brain got even foggier. What on earth happened? Why is it that I can

    understand all that she was saying, but at the same time I can¡¯t make sense of it?

    ¡°Christopher¡­¡± I whined.

    ¡°Eat first.¡± The man could not help but chuckle at my confusion. He took the bowl from me and started

    feeding me. ¡°Open your mouth, darling. Ahhh¡­¡±

    A blush crept up my face. Darling? Such a title was far too cheesy and intimate. I quickly snatched the

    spoon from him. ¡°I can do it myself.¡±

    He shrugged, not insistent on feeding me. He then took a seat on a chair by the bed, keeping his eyes

    on the drip bottle as he did so. When the liquid inside the drip bottle almost ran out, he ced his hand

    over mine. ¡°It might be a little painful. You¡¯re gonna have to bear with me.¡±

    ¡°Just pluck it out. I¡¯m not that spoiled.¡± After all, it was just a needle. That was nothingpared to all

    the hurt and pain I had experienced in the Tanner residence. I was confident that I would not be

    bothered.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Christopher gave a lowugh. ¡°I wonder who was the one who bit my arm in painst night.¡±

    My face started to grow hot as I retorted meekly, ¡°How was that possible? I¡¯m not afraid of needles!¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s words yed in my mind. I don¡¯t want your teeth on my arm when you cry out in pain. A blur

    memory resurfaced at that moment. A doctor had been approaching me with a needle. At the sight of the

    sharp point, I had started yelling and crying out for my mother.

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    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 63

    Disregarding the fact that I cried, I was still writhing in Christopher¡¯s arms. He hugged me, telling me not

    to be afraid and saying that he was by my side. I replied that I was still scared, then pressed into his

    embrace and bit his arm. Nevertheless, he did not make a sound. After the injection, he then patted my

    back and saidfortingly, ¡°It¡¯s over. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here with you.¡±

    How embarrassing. As a woman in her twenties, I was afraid of injections. What kind of situation was

    that? I replied stiffly, ¡°I said I¡¯m not.¡±

    Yet, I could not help but look at his arm, which had the sleeve rolled up. As soon as I saw the row of

    teeth marks, I wanted to hide. Judging by the depth of the prints and the fact that they still had not faded,

    I had bitten him very hard.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not,¡± he said as he patted my head affectionately. Such a reaction from him made it look

    even more like I was acting cute to my boyfriend. Thus, my face grew even redder than before.

    Although I had already done everything with Christopher by then, at that moment, he was acting like a

    young man trying to woo his girlfriend. As a result, I became shy instead. He then went to the table and

    brought some iodine over. Dabbing some over a cotton swab, he then disinfected the scratches on my

    arm.

    Just then, I recalled the previous day¡¯s scene again. When I pushed him away then, his gaze had been

    full of shock and disbelief, as well as disappointment. Resultantly, after considering my tone, I eventually

    mustered up my courage and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    He raised his eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly apologizing?¡±

    I rubbed my nose, avoiding his gentle gaze as I said quietly, ¡°Yesterday, I pushed you away to save Lyle

    because he saved me before. I thought of it as a clean break. He saved me, and now I saved him, so

    we¡¯re even now. We¡¯ve already known each other for so long. This time, all our grudges would have

    passed.¡±

    The man seemed to be more surprised after I spoke. A whileter, he asked, ¡°Are you exining

    things to me?¡±

    His words stunned me. Indeed, even if I cared for him in the past, I had only thought about it in my mind.

    However, right then, I had taken the initiative to exin things to him. Unknowingly, he had somehow

    be important to me.

    ¡°I just¡­ I just think Lyle¡¯s been bullying me. Despite that, I still went to help him when you came to help

    me. I feel a bit stupid, and I feel that I¡¯m disappointing those who are helping me now. Don¡¯t

    misunderstand, I just¡­¡±

    The more I spoke, the messier my words became, and the more I felt that something was wrong.

    Eventually, I stopped talking and looked at him helplessly.

    ¡°Misunderstand what?¡± Christopher asked. He was still in a good mood, with a slight smile on his face.

    ¡°Noth¡­¡± In reality, I did not want him to know exactly how much I cared about him. Simrly, I had not let

    Lyle find out that I had had a crush on him for ten years. In this manner, I could retain my remaining

    dignity when I left.

    I was timid. I loved someone but did not dare to admit it. Simrly, I liked someone but did not want

    others to find out. At least, things were good that way, for both parties would be happy and could part

    with good feelings.

    ¡°Silly girl!¡± he chuckled, patting my head. I realized he liked to do that a lot. It was both intimate and

    affectionate and had a sweet vibe to it. Wanting to eat something sweet, I then said, ¡°Christopher, I want

    to eat a lollipop. Can you help me get one? It¡¯s in the cab.¡±

    He walked over and rummaged in the cab for a while before taking out an empty box.

    There¡¯s none left? Truly, I med my gluttony. I did not know where Christopher had asked Zachary to

    buy them from, but they were my favorite. Thus, I had unknowingly finished eating an entire box of them.

    Since I was looking at him eagerly, he helplessly spread his hands out and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy some.¡±

    ¡°Mm!¡± I pouted, looking at him pleadingly.

    He leaned in and pointed to his cheek. ¡°What about my reward?¡±

    Obediently, I leaned forward and kissed him. Noticing that he was still not satisfied, I then kissed his

    forehead and nose. Only then did he leave.

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    Chapter 64

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 64

    As soon as Christopher left, Sabrina came in from outside. She had on an amused look as she said

    mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯re good, Eve. You managed to find such a handsome guy. He¡¯s got a good figure and

    is talented. If I didn¡¯t already have someone in my heart, I would¡¯ve wanted to steal him from you. No

    wonder you hugged and kissed him at the clubhouse then. It turns out you two already had some

    rtions.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on between us. Don¡¯t misunderstand anything.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Although I reflexively denied her words, it made me feel like I was a hypocritical person. Christopher and

    Sabrina had gone to the restaurant to help me, and he even brought me back and took care of me the

    whole night. Thus, unless the entire world were full of fools, even I felt like a hypocrite if I still said that

    there was nothing between us. Iughed dryly before shutting my mouth.

    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re still pretending in front of me? I¡¯ve never liked Lyle, so if you have something going on

    with Christopher, I¡¯d be very happy. Compared to Lyle, he¡¯s so much better.¡±

    Her expression was full of interest as she smiled happily down at me. In reality, I knew she really was

    happy for me. She had always disliked Lyle and was reluctant to be friends with him. If it were not for me,

    she would not even bother about him.

    ¡°But he¡¯s Christopher. He has rtionships with many other women. I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I replied.

    His identity was indeed a big issue. Furthermore, when he had gotten involved with me, there were many

    different women by his side.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Before a man confirms his rtionship with a woman, he¡¯s free. As long as he

    doesn¡¯t mess around once the rtionship¡¯s confirmed, it¡¯s fine. This is especially important when you¡¯re

    married.¡±

    She touched her chin then pointed to the half-finished fish soup on the counter. ¡°Look, a man like him is

    willing to cook for a woman. He has to like you for real. Otherwise, who¡¯d want to put on such an act.¡±

    She spoke in a very reasoned manner, and I did find that her words made sense. However, I still could

    not help but tease, ¡°You¡¯re speaking as if you know him well. Before this, you didn¡¯t even know his

    identity, but you kept saying good things about him. You don¡¯t seem scared that I¡¯ll fall into another trap.¡±

    She smirked, looking at me in disbelief. ¡°Can anything be worse than your current state?¡±

    I was speechless at her question. You see, there was indeed no one else who had it worse than me.

    Yvette stole my home, and Crystal stole my lover. Furthermore, the lover in question abandoned me

    without another word. Thus, the easiest solution was to leave with nothing, yet I still had to bebeled as

    a cheater.

    ¡°Sabby, I¡¯m already so miserable, but you¡¯re still attacking me? How can you do this to me!¡± I mumbled,

    clutching at my heart with an expression full of setback and hopelessness.

    Sabrina nudged me. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. I¡¯m not your husband. It¡¯s useless to act cute to me. I merely

    want to snap you out of it in case you still want to stay with Lyle.¡±

    I could not help but let out a bitter smile at that. Since things had already turned out that way, if I still did

    not give up, the word ¡°cheap¡± would no longer be enough to describe me. I was human, not a machine. I

    felt pain and sadness and also needed others¡¯fort and care, not merely blind effort.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go back and talk to Grandma about the divorce. This time, no matter what happens, I

    won¡¯t give up,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I sure hope so. May you have the gods¡¯ blessings!¡± She exaggeratedly put her palms together and

    raised them toward the sky. Then, when she heard the sound of a key in the lock, she blinked at me.

    ¡°There¡¯s now a good man who will take care of you. Seize the opportunity. I will no longer be the third

    wheel here. Hope you two have a good evening.¡±

    She smiled slyly as she passed by Christopher, who had just entered. Simultaneously, they both patted

    each other on the back before one entered the bedroom while the other left. The scene left me feeling

    weird. Since when were they so familiar with each other? Sabrina hated yboys, which was why

    Christopher was the top person she most refused tomunicate with in the past.

    ¡°Here you go, your lollipop!¡± Christopher had gone very far away to get a box of lollipops for me. In

    reality, it was tough to buy that specific brand. When I was little, I used to eat it a lot. However, the

    manufacturerter closed down, so I could not find it any longer. Who knew where he had even bought it.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 65

    I took the lollipop and licked it slightly. Instantly, a sweet taste filled my mouth. He was staring at me

    intently as I licked it, so I stretched my hand out and asked, ¡°Do you want some too? Have a taste. It¡¯s

    sweet.¡±

    Christopher smiled sneakily. ¡°You sure you want me to eat it?¡±

    ¡°Try it. I like this vor the most.¡± Before I passed the lollipop to him, I deliberately licked it, leaving my

    saliva all over it. I wanted to tease him a little. Since he had treated me so nicely, I wanted to act cutely

    and y around with him.

    Suddenly, he leaned over and kissed me. Shocked by his actions, I instinctively tried to move back.

    However, he cupped the back of my head and deepened the kiss further. Seeing as I kept my mouth

    tightly shut, he then lightly bit on my lip. I opened my mouth in response to the pain, wanting to speak.

    Instead, at that moment, he took the opportunity to lick into my mouth.

    His tongue entangled with mine, guiding me along. One moment, his tongue entered my mouth,

    exploring it. The next, he pulled my tongue into his. It was getting difficult to breathe as the temperature

    kept rising. Although it was already autumn, my entire body was heating up, my face flushing. My brain

    was also fuzzy, and I had no idea where I was.

    If someone had asked me what I was thinking back then, I would say I was asking myself who I was,

    where I was, and what I was going to do. My replies were funny only because at that moment, his

    handsome face and his charming eyes filled both my heart and eyes.

    Christopher had very long eyshes. With only a gentle blink, they charmed me. Furthermore, his gently

    upturned eyes awakened a fiery desire in me. I was reflected in his deep, dark eyes as if to say that he

    only had eyes for me.

    Wrapping my arms around his neck, I responded affectionately to him. Sabrina¡¯s words turned out to be

    very useful. Although they were full of disapproval for me, each sentence struck deep in my heart. Thus,

    this time, the overly-cautious me also wanted to indulge myself and take a gamble.

    Life was an unknown path one had to take. Until the end, no one would know what would happen.

    Perhaps I would be able to get my happiness in the next second.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat some other lollipop,¡± he said. He then changed his focus, kissing my forehead and

    cheek instead. Slowly, he moved down to my neck.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Of course, I knew what he meant. I wrinkled my nose. This adjective is a little too strange.

    ¡°You¡¯re so dirty-minded!¡± I chided as I felt my breathing grow unsteady.

    ¡°I¡¯m only like this to you,¡± he replied. His kisses were growing hotter by the minute, and his hands had

    already slipped into my clothes. I then gave in to my feelings and moved to lie under him. Since I had

    already decided to be a bad woman, why hold back?

    When his heated body finally pressed against mine, I could not help but ask, ¡°Did you also say such

    words when you were with those other women in the past?¡±

    However, that question had probably killed the atmosphere. Christopher abruptly stopped moving, then

    stared at me intently. His fingertips were on my corbone as he raised his eyebrows. He asked, ¡°Does

    that mean you¡¯re jealous?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious!¡± As it happens, when a woman said such a thing, she definitely minded it a lot. Since she

    cared, she tried to cover it up as best as she could. Nevertheless, she still wanted to find out if she was

    the most special woman in that man¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯re starting to act stupid again!¡± he said, lightly kissing my forehead. Then, just as I thought

    we would have a passionate lovemaking session, he suddenly got up and went to the restroom.

    He even covered me with a nket before he left. Iy in bed under the covers, a little dumbfounded. Is

    he going to the restroom now? What¡¯s going on? After a while, I heard the sshing of water from inside,

    mixed with rapid, constrained gasps.

    I was stunned, for I did not understand why he chose to relieve himself in a way that grown men would

    not prefer. Ever since I decided to divorce Lyle and started to resist all of this, although Christopher still

    spoke very flirtatiously, he would at most hug me but did not go any further.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 66

    I got off the bed and walked into the restroom barefoot. Seeing him trying to get himself off, I could not

    help but ask, ¡°Why?¡±

    Although he had not expected me to enter, he did not hide anything or shy away. Instead, he stared at

    me as he jerked himself off, his gaze bing increasingly intense. Even though nothing was

    happening, I felt like I had already been pressed to the bed and taken several times. My arms and legs

    went weak.

    I looked away and asked again, ¡°Why?¡±

    Eventually, after getting himself off, he took a shower and walked out. As soon as he noticed that I was

    walking around barefoot, he frowned and bent down to pick me up. Then, he ced me on the bed and

    pulled me over his leg. As he hit my buttocks a few times, he said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to walk around

    barefoot next time. I¡¯ll hit you every time I see it.¡±

    Upon hearing his words, my face flushed, and even my toes began to heat up. He walked over, and I, an

    adult in my twenties, was pressed on hisp and pped on the butt like a three-year-old before.

    However, that did not matter. After all, this was not the most important thing. The most important thing

    was that we were both naked, yet nothing had happened between us. It made for a weird scene.

    ¡°Remember it now?¡± Christopher hit me several more times before stopping.

    I hurriedly nodded, telling him I remembered his words. Only then did he ce me back on the bed and

    cover me with a nket. He kissed my forehead and said, ¡°When I can openly hold your hand next time,

    then we¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll owe it to you for now. Remember, when you¡¯re my girlfriend, I¡¯ll listen to you when

    we¡¯re outside, but you¡¯ll have to listen to me in bed.¡±

    I nodded stupidly. My mind was full of the words ¡°openly¡± and ¡°girlfriend.¡± Suddenly, my eyes welled up

    with tears again, for no one else knew the actual meaning of those two words better than I did.

    He knew my worries and my anxious thought. Thus, to reassure me, he had rather gotten himself off

    instead of touching me. Not many men were this kind and cherishing.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    After staying at home the whole day, I abruptly recalled that I had just found a job. On the first day that I

    had to report to work, I waste because of anemia. Indeed, with joy came sorrow. At that moment, I was

    terribly anxious.

    Christopher was sitting next to me, wanting to feed me some grapes. However, I pushed him aside

    before standing up. I looked for my shoes while I cried, ¡°It¡¯s over, my job¡¯s gone. I finally managed to find

    such a suitable job. I can¡¯t lose it because I was careless.¡±

    Watching me running around the house frantically, he could not help but ask, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°My shoes. I¡¯m going to work. I forgot to tell you. It¡¯s all your fault, buying me lollipops and cooking for

    me. It looks like it¡¯s true that people always fall for gentle treatment.¡±

    Eventually, after rummaging around, I managed to locate my bag and phone, but could not find my shoes

    anywhere. I knew I could not wear slippers to work. Even as a in housewife, I still had that much

    common sense.

    Christopher yawned and pointed at my feet. ¡°Aren¡¯t you wearing shoes?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked down, only to realize that I had already worn my shoes. Then, noticing Christopher trying

    to hide hisughter, I red at him. ¡°Laugh if you want to. I have to go report to thepany.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to drive you over?¡± he asked, amusement evident in his tone. He was convulsed with

    laughter, not having the slightest bit of style a rich man should have.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take the bus. It¡¯s very convenient here.¡± After all, I was not that stupid to go to work in a

    luxury car. After packing my things, I noticed him leaning on the couch while supporting his chin with his

    hand, his eyes half-closed, with dark circles under them.

    I knew he had not slept the previous night because he was taking care of me. Feeling a little sorry for

    him, I walked over to pull on his sleeve and whispered, ¡°Go sleep on the bed. I¡¯ll go to thepany and

    take a look. If I need to work, I¡¯ll be back at six. But I don¡¯t think I need to anymore. Anyway, I should go

    over and exin myself. Rest well. I¡¯lle back with dinner.¡±

    Just as I was about to leave, he grabbed me, smiledzily, then pointed to his forehead. ¡°You need to

    give a goodbye kiss when you say goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 67

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    I pecked his forehead and left the house in a rush. Only after getting out of the apartment and onto the

    bus did I regain myposure. Did I just give my consent to let Christopher stay in the same house as

    me, and on the same bed, no less?

    I rubbed my chin in confusion. He bought the apartment with my ID, and now he¡¯s staying there. The only

    difference was that I had moved in. Something is off. Why is that?

    Anyway, thepany I signed a contract with was generous. I had made up an excuse saying that I was

    sick yesterday, telling them that was why I had not made it to work, but the manager did not seem to

    mind at all. He even asked me to take a good rest at home and to onlye to work the next day. The

    manager even muttered something along the lines about not having to worry about me going elsewhere

    since I had signed the contract.

    Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around? I was the one who should be worried about losing my job for

    ying hooky on the job. He made it sound as if I was an intangible asset of thepany. Well, as long

    as I still have the job, right?

    Trailing the corridor, I eyeballed the employees around. It seemed like a legit operation as there was a

    myriad of licenses disyed on the walls.

    Forget it. I shouldn¡¯t get too suspicious. Things are as good as they can get since my job and contract

    are intact.

    With that thought in mind, I went to the HR department to im my work attire and documents before

    heading back home. As soon as I reached downstairs, I received a call from Sabrina. She sounded

    cheery on the line. ¡°Eve, I have really great news to share with you! Crystal has been exposed online as

    a homewrecker, and everyone is bashing her! It¡¯s so satisfying to see so many people backing you up.¡±

    ¡°What news?¡± I asked impassively.

    ¡°Oh my, have you lost your memories or something? So many reporters surrounded you yesterday at the

    restaurant. Have you forgotten all about it?¡± My friend¡¯s disappointment in me was apparent even

    through the phone.

    ¡°Nobody is interested in affair news anymore unless it has to do with someone famous. Lyle may seem

    like somebody, but in reality, he can¡¯t evenpare with his grandmother, Sharon. Unlike you, Crystal is

    a famous up-anding artist who has won prizes and is an overseas graduate. She¡¯s someone whom

    the public acknowledges. I mean, her image in the public¡¯s eyes is impable.¡±

    ¡°So, this news has garnered a lot of attention?¡± I asked, still oblivious to the point that Sabrina was trying

    to make.

    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry and get to a news station. Or maybe you could go on your phone to check what

    people say about her on the Inte. I bet you¡¯re going to be beyond ted to read them. They basically

    said she¡¯s a slut disguised as a nun; a b*tch that snatches another woman¡¯s husband, and a

    homewrecker even. It¡¯s such a delight to read thosements.¡±

    Sabrina did not even stop to breathe in between her words. I noticed that there was a newsstand right

    opposite the road, so I dashed over to the newsstand and bought a fresh copy. Sabrina turned out to be

    right. Crystal¡¯s face was all over the cover, and there was only a blurry silhouette of me in the corner.

    The image of Lyle and Crystal hugging was extremely crisp, however, and the article below the picture

    detailed how the duo had tyrannized me ¡ª the wife. It vividly described how Lyle chose to cheat on me

    after I had risked my life saving him, portraying me as the poor wife who had been taken advantage of.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be troubled at the sight of the image of Lyle hugging Crystal. With his hands hugged

    around my cousin, the man seemed like he owned the world; he seemed as if he no longer had eyes for

    any other person.

    Having said that, I was still beyond ted to read the article. Crystal had been toying with me all this

    while, even to the extent of using Lyle to belittle me. It seemed like she had forgotten the fact that unlike

    me, she had a reputation to maintain. She would be the one to suffer public wrath when she was

    exposed. Too bad that I was the one who married Lyle, and not her.

    ¡°So? Have you seen it? I bet you¡¯re so happy that you¡¯re even thinking about giving the editor of the

    newspaper a kiss, right?¡± Sabrina chuckled.

    ¡°Yes, I am over the moon, so much so that I feel like singing a triumphant song to announce my victory.¡± I

    chuckled.

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    Chapter 68

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 68

    I sat by the entrance and read through the article on the paper again and again. Suddenly, I recalled

    Christopher saying that I shouldn¡¯t sit on cold surfaces. Then, I fumbled around for a flyer and sat on top

    of it before ruminating over the article again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve opened multiple alternate ounts to attack Crystal online. You owe me a treat, Eve.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡±

    It¡¯s great to see a b*tch like her suffer karmic retribution. I hung up on the phone and grinned from ear to

    ear. I bought some of my favorite snacks and some seafood from the market, nning to cook a

    scrumptious meal to celebrate the delightful news. My phone rang before I left the market.

    It was from Lyle. I looked at the caller ID for two seconds before deciding to ignore it. I pressed on the

    silent button, and after a while, my phone buzzed again with multiple texts. The texts were all asking

    about my whereabouts. It seemed like he was urgently looking for me.

    Nothing good ever came from him looking for me. There was no point meeting him anyway. I¡¯d better

    take the time to think about how to exin things to Grandma.

    I was just thinking about Grandma when the caller ID indicated that it was Josephine calling. She was

    the housekeeper and caretaker of my grandmother, so I answered her call right away.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, you¡¯d better hurry back and take a look at Old Mrs. Smith. She saw the news about you and

    Mr. Smith on the TV and fainted. She doesn¡¯t look good even after she woke up. She¡¯s not listening to a

    word I say.¡±

    ¡°What? Did Grandma faint again? I¡¯ll get home right away.¡± I had kept the thing about Lyle cheating on

    me as a secret because I was afraid that Grandma might not be able to take it well. I even went as far as

    to say that Lyle and I were doing well. However, Crystal¡¯s high-profile nature blew my cover. How would I

    be able to face Grandma if anything should happen to her?

    I hailed a cab and reached the Smith family in a jiffy. Josephine dragged me to the back garden, and I

    was greeted by the sight of my paternal grandmother standing under a hibiscus tree. Her sorrowful

    manner was entuated by her graying hair; gone was her jubnt manner. A lump formed in my throat

    as I looked at her.

    After turning eighteen, I cut almost all ties with the Tanner family, and for a good reason. Dad had wanted

    me to marry the third son of the Warner family to elevate the Tanners¡¯ status, and even going to the

    extent of cutting off my financial support after I refused the arranged marriage to make meply.

    Actually, I was interested in art, and I was good at it. My work had been favored by one of the artists over

    at Astoria back then. However, after submitting one artwork I considered to be one of my best, my

    application was rejected. On the other hand, Crystal was the one who took a fancy to my work.

    I did not understand the reason I failed the application, not especially since I poured three months¡¯ worth

    of blood and sweat into that work. Albeit all those hard works, the fact it did not earn a sessful

    application made the artwork a worthless piece of paper. In the end, I chose to study finance in Avenport,

    and since I was dirt poor and could not afford the schooling fees, I resorted to working odd jobs to

    support myself.

    Sharon was the one who offered me a job in the Smith family. She was using the administration work as

    a front to hand me money because she knew I wouldn¡¯t just ept the money if she offered it to me

    without a proper cause. It was thanks to her that I finally got the time to really concentrate on my studies.

    She would alsoe up with a myriad of excuses to buy me things such as clothes, necessities and

    even learning equipment while preserving my dignity. Since then, I had long considered Sharon to be my

    own grandmother.

    I took a coat and walked over to drape it over her shoulders. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s quite windy here. Why don¡¯t

    we head back in the house instead?¡±

    Sharon sighed at the sight of me and patted my head gently before she pointed at the hibiscus tree and

    said, ¡°This tree has apanied me for years. Now it¡¯s getting old too.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    I caught a lump in my throat as I detected the sorrowfulness in her tone. ¡°Sorry for disappointing you,

    Grandma.¡± That was a truthful admission. I did let her down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, silly. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s suffered,¡± she said as she patted the back of my hand.

    Unable to contain my emotions, I burst into a sob. It felt as if I finally had the chance to vent my pent-up

    feelings. I could not depend on my father while my husband ganged up with outsiders to go against me. I

    basically had no one to turn to, and I could only find sce in her words.

    The indignation I felt had been eating me from inside out. The nights and days I was ignored by Lyle, the

    nights he left me alone when he was out cheating on me with Crystal, the vicious words he spewed at

    me to make me agree to a divorce; all that despair and helplessness I felt was enough to strangle me

    alive.

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    Chapter 69

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 69

    ¡°Grandma!¡± I burrowed myself in her chest and burst into a violent sob as I wiped the tears streaming

    down my cheeks. I really did not intend to break down in front of her, and I was actually here tofort

    her. However, it proved to be impossible for me to hold back my tears at the sight of her.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°My good child, just let it all out. Everything is going to be alright afterward.¡± She patted my back gently

    and coaxed me like I was a child.

    The crying went on for quite some time before I could finally bring it to a stop. Seeing that the wind got

    stronger, I summoned Josephine and steadied Sharon back into the house. Perhaps it was because I

    had been crying for a long time, but I kept burping, and nothing I did could stop it. Josephine kindly

    brought me a ss of hot water, and I drank it all in one go before I finally felt better.

    ¡°How dare that brat cheat on you! Now everyone knows about this! Eve, don¡¯t worry. Grandma will make

    this right by you. That wretched girl has to go through me to marry into the Smiths. You are the only

    granddaughter-inw whom I approve of,¡± Sharon said sternly.

    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s alright. Lyle has only had eyes for Crystal since the very beginning. I don¡¯t want to stand in

    their way any longer. I¡¯m going to divorce him.¡± I summoned all my courage and told her about my

    intention of getting a divorce.

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m really too tired to go on any longer. Don¡¯t trouble yourself over this, okay? Even if I¡¯m no

    longer your granddaughter-inw, I will still treat you as my dearest grandma. I promise I wille by

    often to visit you, okay?¡±

    I chose my words carefully and watched my tone. Sharon¡¯s face grimaced at the mention of divorce, and

    I tactfully bit my tongue, fearing that she might faint again.

    ¡°Eve!¡± She heaved out a long sigh and sent Josephine to fetch her medicine. She took quite a number of

    seemingly different pills before she finally said, ¡°I watched you grow up, and I noticed that you liked Lyle

    when you came over to my house to y for the very first time. You¡¯re an innocent and honest girl, and I

    really took a liking for you since then. That¡¯s the reason I insisted for Lyle to marry you.¡±

    ¡°Did you notice even back then, Grandma?¡± My face turned red from embarrassment and I touched it,

    only to feel myself burning up. I had always thought it was a secret crush, but Crystal had noticed it.

    Even Grandma had¡­ So they could tell just by looking at my face.

    I shot the elderlydy a wry smile. Lyle would never know that, and he would never think I loved him. To

    him, I had always been a gold-digger who would stoop to anything to marry into a rich family. The man

    even thought I would strip myself naked to have sex with any man for money.

    I had only gone to the bar the other day because I quarreled with Lyle the other night. Enraged about

    finding that he had an affair, I confronted him. Lyle had chastised me as a shameless slut. It was the

    reason I turned to Christopher that night.

    ¡°Anyone who has paid attention to you will notice that.¡± Sharon leaned against the sofa as she spoke.

    She knew I was still on the fence about my decision and said, ¡°I hope that you can reconsider your

    decision to get a divorce. It hasn¡¯t been easy for you and Lyle all these years. Don¡¯t give it up just

    because of Crystal. You have to think of a way if you want to keep the man. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to

    be ridden with guilt and emptiness when you¡¯re old and frail.¡±

    Sharon seemed like she had her own stories to tell, judging by her anguished look. However, there really

    was no reason for me to keep going.

    ¡°Grandma, sometimes it¡¯s useless if I¡¯m the only one holding on. I know you like me a lot, and believe

    me, there were a lot of times where I sincerely hoped I was your granddaughter. At least I would have

    someone who truly cares about me that way. But Grandma, I¡¯m really too tired to keep going.¡±

    Furrowing her brows, Sharon looked troubled. She noticed the resolution in my voice, despite my

    deliberately small voice, and said helplessly, ¡°Could you at least wait until after my seventieth birthday

    celebration? I want all my grandchildren to be my side. I don¡¯t have much time left, you know.¡±

    I was too drained to keep holding on. She was already seventy. This was just her final attempt in trying to

    salvage Lyle and my marriage that had fallen miserably apart. However, how could I say no to someone

    who cared that much about me?

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    Love Coming from the Least Expected Chapter 70

    ¡°All right, Grandma.¡± I managed a smile.

    Maybe I could continue to wait for some more time. Lyle was already set on leaving me. Perhaps she

    would agree to it if he was the one to say it. Besides, Sharon could have as many granddaughter-inws

    as she liked. Even if she did not fancy Crystal, I could stille by and visit her.

    Her face split into a wide grin as she called Lyle, asking him toe over for a meal. However, her hope

    was crushed when he did not show up. I reckoned that Josephine told him that I was here too, instead of

    saying Sharon missed him. Otherwise, he would have shown up.

    Wasn¡¯t he looking for me though? Even though I did not know what it was about, I reckoned it wouldn¡¯t

    be something good. He must be calling to ask me to put up an act to clear Crystal¡¯s name. What else

    could it be?

    ¡°Eve, don¡¯t worry. I will demand Lyle to exin everything to you,¡± Sharon said sternly before I left the

    house.

    My heart swelled at her remark. She still cared about me, but I could not say the same for Lyle. From the

    moment I threw my ring away, I had drawn the line to steer clear of him. As long as what he wanted did

    not concern me, I vowed not to give a dime about what he was up to.

    It was only half a year until Sharon¡¯s seventieth birthday celebration. Half a year should be enough to

    make her realize how much Lyle hated me, and how much he wanted nothing to do with me. Perhaps

    she wouldn¡¯t be adamant about the idea of me staying together with him after witnessing all that.

    I gave Christopher a call and told him all about my conversation with my grandma. I was even telling him

    these trivial matters that did not concern him. Is this a good or bad thing?

    ¡°Grandma really loves me. She always wants the best for me. She thinks I¡¯ll be happy if I stay together

    with Lyle. I¡¯m afraid that I have to disappoint her this time.¡±

    I let out a sigh and started toin as I walked down the street. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Lyle care about his

    elder? I am an outsider, and yet I worry about Grandma being affected by the news. I don¡¯t know what is

    up with him that he¡¯s willing to let this go out of hand. Is he out of his mind or what?¡±

    Christopher did not seem unhappy about me rambling on. On the other hand, the man sounded so

    happy that it was even apparent from his tone, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be jealous of others having people

    who care about them. You have me, darling.¡±

    I was stumped when he called me that. Normally, I would not care when others called me that, but I

    almost flinched when he did. I only regained myposure after some time.

    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Why don¡¯t I make you some foodter?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been hungry for over half a month. Say, why don¡¯t I order an intable doll that looks just

    like you? That way, I can at least look at it when I miss you.¡± Christopher grinned like a hooligan all of a

    sudden.

    I really had no idea how to reply to him. It just happened that I passed by an adult toy store, and I

    jokingly suggested, ¡°Why not I get you a toy instead? Ehem¡­¡±

    Before I could finish, I already found myself choking on my words. Since when did I have such a filthy

    mind? It certainly has everything to do with Christopher.

    ¡°Actually, your hand might feel morefortable instead, and I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t buy that anywhere else.

    What do you think?¡± Christopher did not lose his cool by my remark and teased me instead.

    I blushed crimson red and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy my stuff. Ciao.¡±

    I took the seafood I brought and skipped along the road. When I reached an intersection, a car stopped

    beside me and shone its headlight in my direction. Initially, I thought the car was after the parking spot

    behind me, so I took a few steps ahead. However, the car continued to trail behind me beforeing to

    a stop by my side.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I frowned and turned around.

    The car stopped, and the driver wound down the car window, revealing my father, Nathan Tanner¡¯s face.

    With a cold look on his face, the man snapped, ¡°Yvonne, do you still have any regard for me as your

    father? How dare you pretend as if you had not seen my car? Didn¡¯t the school teach you manners?¡±

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    I touched my nose and realized that the remarks were odd enoughing from his mouth. This was

    Nathan Tanner, my father who could seemingly find fault with anything I did.

    ¡°Sorry, Dad. You should know I seldom go home all these years. I have no idea you changed a new

    car.¡±

    I cocked my head to one side and gave him an innocent smile. Dad was just shy of announcing in the

    papers that he had renounced me as his daughter following me refusing his arranged marriage

    proposal. The whole family did not pay heed to me after that. I would still go back every year for the

    holidays, but they did not care to spare me any niceties. Why should I go back and put myself through

    that?

    ¡°You unfilial brat. Even you admit yourself that you don¡¯te back often, huh. Get in now. I have

    something to say to you,¡± Nathan pushed the car door open and said sternly.

    I got into the car, but I was not willing to face the musicing my way. I tossed him a smile, saying, ¡°I

    really want to go back. But Dad, you have a wife and another daughter, and you guys are such a happy

    family. I¡¯d really hate to ruin that by going back to that house. So, you can imagine why I seldom go

    back nowadays.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Nathan mmed on the horn, and the loud noise startled people passing by, causing

    them to start shouting profanities at my father.

    I was not nning on taking the bullets lying down. Drive a dog into a corner and it will fight. I soon lost

    the patience to fake a smile and growled, ¡°Dad, you always find fault with everything I do whenever I go

    back home for the holidays. You even ganged up with your sister to humiliate me. Aren¡¯t you guys

    doing this to me because I refused the arranged marriage back then?

    ¡°I think we both know very well if you¡¯ve ever treated me like your daughter. There¡¯s no need for you to

    pretend to be a good father. Stop looking at me as if I¡¯m the one who only knows to disappoint you.

    Everyone suffers this way. Since you dislike me that much, why force yourself toe and see me?

    Just get to the point if you have something to say.¡±

    ¡°You brat! You¡¯re this disrespectful even when you talk to your own father. No wonder Crystal locked

    herself in the room ever since she came back. Everyone¡¯s saying you¡¯ve bullied her, but she¡¯s still

    defending you. Why don¡¯t you take a look at what¡¯s written all over the news instead?¡± Nathan dumped

    a pile of paper in front of me and snapped.

    I lowered my head, and it was the same paper that I had read on the newsstand with the headline

    ¡ª Up-and-Coming Artist Is a Homewrecker. Is Crystal Yates Going Too Far for the Pursuit of True

    Love? I had not paid close attention to the headline before and had not appreciated how liberating it

    was to read it.

    I replied coolly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? Dad, are you saying I should apologize to Crystal instead? You¡¯d

    better save the trouble because that is not going to happen.¡±

    I had given up on any hopes of experiencing any fatherly love since I was young. After suffering bouts

    of despair, I learned to never trust anyone at home because there simply wasn¡¯t one worth my trust. My

    estranged father only reminded me of feelings of despair ¨C nothing else.

    ¡°How dare you act like you¡¯re in the right here? Do you have any idea what kind of situation you¡¯ve put

    Crystal in? She¡¯s a public figure, an up-anding artist. How is she going to survive after what you¡¯ve

    done to her? I¡¯ve arranged for a news conference to be held tomorrow. You are going to exin to the

    reporters how it is all a big misunderstanding. It is a fact that Lyle and Crystal were in love back then.¡±

    What did I just listen to, exactly? Did my own father just favor his niece over his own daughter? Did he

    just ask me to be the ck sheep and admit that I was the third wheel who stood in their

    way? Infuriated, words blurted out of my mouth almost instantaneously.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Why on earth would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Crystal is your cousin. Are you not going to help her just this once? It¡¯s such a small favor too!¡± Nathan

    roared, seemingly like he was about to devour me.

    ¡°A small favor?¡± I narrowed my eyes and managed a sweet smile. ¡°Does she think she can trample all

    over me just because she¡¯s my cousin? Dad, I¡¯m your daughter. Why are you favoring your niece over

    your own daughter? Are you really even my father?¡±

    Noticing my unwavering attitude and stern tone, Nathan finally softened his attitude and sighed,

    ¡°Crystal is a public figure, and she cannot afford to have negative news bogging her down. You are a

    nobody, and you have nothing to lose. Just do me a favor, will you?¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    I raised my head and drew in a sharp breath. For so many years, Dad has been giving me the cold

    shoulder. He rarely ever speaks nicely to me, yet the only time he softened his tone is because of

    Crystal. What have I done wrong to receive such treatment?

    ¡°Dad!¡± I could not help but sob. ¡°You would sacrifice everything I have just for Crystal? I¡¯m human too.

    I¡¯ll get hurt!¡±

    ¡°This is an expedient strategy!¡± insisted Nathan.

    ¡°Yeah, so what you mean by an ¡®expedient strategy¡¯ is that my cousin will steal my husband away from

    me and ruin my family? Not only that, but I also have to resolve her scandals and admit that I¡¯m the

    mistress, right? I have to send my husband to her, bestow him upon her, and wish her eternal

    happiness, huh?¡±

    The anger I had suppressed for a long time finally erupted. I roared, ¡°Dad, there¡¯s nothing else for us to

    discuss. Since she dared to do it, why should she be afraid of others talking behind her back? Don¡¯t

    even think about getting me involved in tomorrow¡¯s press conference!¡±

    I pushed open the car door and got off angrily, ignoring Nathan¡¯s furious yells at me.

    For so many years, I lived like an orphan. When I was bullied at home, no one would protect me. After

    getting married, I was still bullied. Even then, everyone ignored me. Sometimes, I did not even know

    why I was living anymore. It was as if the entire universe wished for my demise.

    If something bad happened to Crystal, it would be my fault. If something bad happened to Yvette, I

    would be at fault. I was to be med for everything.

    When I returned to my house, I stood at the entrance and rxed my stiff back. Only here would I have

    a chance to catch my breath and feel at peace. I took out my keys and opened the door, not noticing a

    man standing in the shadows.

    After I pushed the door open and entered, someone forcefully shoved me inside from behind and

    mmed the door shut. I stumbled into the house and copsed, almost hitting my head on the table.

    When I turned around, I saw Lyle standing in the middle of the house, his eyes bloodshot. His shadow

    was cast on the ground, looking like the devil whom I would never escape from. I felt fear grip my heart.

    ¡°Lyle, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe home? Why did you destroy everything in the house? Yvonne, are you done

    kicking up a fuss?¡± Lyle walked forward, grabbed me by the cor, and tossed me onto the couch.

    ¡°Home?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t have a home. I have a husband whose thoughts are always preupied

    with another woman, who detests everything I do. Is that home?¡±

    I was already fed up with Lyle¡¯s unreasonable nonsense and unpredictable temper. He could put up

    such an affectionate act sometimes, making it seem as if we were so deeply in love. Yet, he could also

    say the most vicious words, breaking my heart every single time.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    At that moment, he was ring at me coldly, his eyes betraying a look of hurt and disappointment. He

    was the one who had done something wrong, yet he still acted so high and mighty. I did not know how

    he found this ce, nor did I think he went to investigate my address because he loved me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve known Crystal for so many years. You know that, right? Why are you kicking up a fuss now?¡± Lyle

    scanned the house and saw two cups coasters on the table. His expression changed as he suddenly

    charged into the house.

    ¡°Yvonne, are you hiding a man here? I knew you were starting to be restless. We haven¡¯t divorced yet,

    but you¡¯re already so eager to live together with another man, right?¡± Like a madman, he kicked the

    bedroom door open.

    My heart skipped a beat. If Christopher was actually in the room¡­ If he got caught in the act by Lyle,

    my efforts in suppressing everything would be wasted. Lyle could team up with Christopher to force me

    into signing the divorce contract and shoulder the burden of guilt.

    I rushed forward with all my might. I hugged him from behind and dragged him toward the living room.

    Blocking the entrance of the bedroom, I yelled, ¡°Have you already gotten into the habit of framing me?

    When you and Crystal were hugging each other in front of so many people, why didn¡¯t you say that to

    yourself? Get lost!¡±

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    ¡°Feeling guilty now? I want to see who your lover is!¡± Furious, Lyle grabbed the ashtray on the table

    and threw it toward me. I could not dodge in time, so it smacked my forehead. In a daze, I was dragged

    to the bedroom by him.

    I did not dare to steal a nce inside. If there was anything rted to Christopher inside, I would be

    doomed.

    Lyle stood frozen to the spot as if he had just been jolted awake for a dream. When I noticed that he

    did not fly into a rage, I nced over immediately and realized that the nkets in the bedroom were

    folded neatly. Other than some female pajamas, there was nothing else on the bed. My worry finally

    dissipated as a wave of relief washed over me.

    ¡°Are you done looking, Lyle?¡± I asked coldly.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± The man ran into the bathroom and the guest room. Afterbing through every inch of the

    house, he realized that there were no men inside. Whirling around, he grabbed my neck and

    demanded, ¡°Where did you hide your lover? Where¡¯s Christopher?¡±

    He was using so much force that I could barely breathe. I remembered that day in the hotel when I

    rushed to save him unhesitatingly. Even though I got shed by the broken fragments of the

    chandelier, he just carried Crystal and left without sparing a single nce at me.

    I began crying again, though it was not out of sorrow. I would not feel sad because of Lyle¡¯s actions

    again. Instead, it was because my neck hurt too much and I could not breathe. Prying his hands away

    forcefully, I said with much difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. Why did I rush over that day when we were in the

    hotel? See, I could give up my life for you, yet you want to kill me. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m as pathetic as a dog,

    having to serve your every need.¡±

    Standing frozen to the spot, he released his grip. I slid onto the ground weakly and kept coughing.

    While I coughed, I let out a sorrowful chuckle and asked, ¡°Would you like me to have a one-night stand

    with a random man on the streets and take some pictures for you? Or, you can spectate us at the side

    and discuss our various positions. That way, I¡¯ll have a lover, and you can divorce me fair and square.

    Not only can you ruin my reputation, but you can also be together with Crystal again.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking!¡± interrupted Lyle as he carried me and ced me on the couch. ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯ll pour

    you a ss of warm water.¡±

    It was those carefully curated words again. He viewed them with so much importance, it was as if they

    were part of his bible. Every time he spoke those words, it meant that his attitude had softened. Lyle

    went to the kitchen and poured a ss of water for me, but I refused to look at him. I ced the ss

    on the table casually and remained motionless.

    He kept ncing around the house, trying to search for something. In the end, he asked, ¡°Is there

    really nothing going on between you and Christopher?¡±

    Though Iughed, I was boiling with fury wihtin. In a hostile tone, I rebuked, ¡°Why are you asking me?

    Don¡¯t you already have your own answer? Will you even believe what I say?¡±

    The man turned quiet again as he stared at me with a frown on his face. If he had done this in the past,

    I would feel extremely uneasy and would wish for nothing more than to appease him again.

    Unfortunately, all I wanted to do now was to p his haughty-looking face.

    ¡°Why did you buy this house? Did you already n on leaving me earlier on?¡± demanded Lyle in an

    interrogative tone.

    Iughed. ¡°Oh, I bought it after I saw the video Bianca sent me, featuring both of you in the bed. Do

    you want to watch it? It¡¯s really entertaining.¡±

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    I did not know why Lyle hade to look for me. Despite rebuking him so aggressively, he could still

    tolerate it and stay here. I continued, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯d like to rest. Please leave.¡±

    A grim look crossed his eyes. It looked like his temper was about to blow up, yet he forcefully

    suppressed it. ¡°Let¡¯s move back. Pack your belongings now.¡±

    Seeing that I did not move, he dragged me toward the door. I flung his hand away forcefully and

    snapped through gritted teeth, ¡°Lyle, I¡¯m not your pet cat or dog. You can¡¯t just summon and dismiss

    me whenever you want. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, tell me directly. I have no time to waste with

    you.¡±

    ¡°Stop kicking up a fuss. Grandma told me to bring you home. Are you going to ignore her instructions

    too?¡± Lyle red at me.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    Only then did I remember that I had promised Grandma to get along well with Lyle. However, it was

    clear from his actions that he had no ns on getting along with me. After an internal conflict, I grabbed

    my bag and followed behind him.

    When I left the house, I saw an inconspicuous silver BMW parked on the opposite road. It was a small

    sedan that merely cost a few hundred thousand ¡ª something a rich heir would not be interested in.

    However, I recognized it as the car Christopher had bought a few days ago.

    He had once said that it was a good decision for me to buy such a car since I liked to keep a low and

    mysterious profile. No one would harbor any thoughts or pay much attention to it. This way, he could

    send me to work and fetch me back. Others would only be envious that I had such a thoughtful

    boyfriend. They would not gossip about me behind my back.

    I stood frozen to the spot momentarily but eventually got into Lyle¡¯s Porsche. When the car door closed,

    I saw the windows of the opposite car roll down. I noticed Christopher pursing his lips coldly, his gaze

    sorrowful and dark.

    I had a sudden urge to fling the car door open, rush over rapidly and jump into his embrace. Screw Lyle

    and his professed love! Why should I make life difficult for myself when a man was willing to cook for

    me and pamper me? Why should I disgrace myself like this?

    However, Grandma¡¯s old and lonely face surfaced within my mind, recalling my rationality back. Such

    an arrangement would onlyst for half a year. Anyway, Lyle would not treat me nicely. At the very

    most, he would only use me when it was convenient for him to do so.

    When I returned to the apartment I had lived in for two years, I thought it would still be in a state of utter

    mess, just like how I left it the previous time. Surprisingly, all the decorations were back in their original

    ce. Even the wedding picture I had torn to shreds had been remade.

    This time, the picture was ced in the middle of the living room instead of the bedroom. I smirked

    mockingly. What¡¯s the point of this? It¡¯s just a photoshopped wedding picture! It¡¯s fake. No one will be

    fooled by this.

    ¡°Crystal¡¯s back¡­ Why is it you?¡± Wendy walked out, holding a te of fruits. Her smile immediately

    froze on her face when she saw me.

    I crossed my arms. No longer wanting to maintain a courteous pretense with her, I said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m

    surprised too. Why am I back here?¡±

    Wendy mmed the te of fruits on the table forcefully, turned around, and asked her son, ¡°Lyle,

    what are you doing? Why did you bring this little b*tch home? Didn¡¯t I ask you to bring Crystal back?¡±

    ¡°Mom, stop talking. I just brought Eve back. If there¡¯s anything, let¡¯s talk about it in the future. Go back

    home first.¡±

    ¡°Are you chasing me away?¡± Wendy pointed at her face and widened her eyes in disbelief. Suddenly,

    she spun around and pped me. ¡°You little b*tch must have bewitched my son again. He dares to be

    fierce to me!¡±

    I staggered a few steps backward, wishing for nothing more than to rush up and rip her face apart.

    Their family was so used to pping people without providing any warning beforehand. With a hand on

    my cheek, I spat, ¡°If possible, I don¡¯t want to return anymore. If you want Crystal here, tell your son to

    bring the divorce contract over. I¡¯ll sign it right away and agree to any conditions you raise.¡±

    With that, I ignored whatever protests they had, headed to the bedroom, and locked the door behind

    me. I did not want to sleep in the same room as Lyle. Grabbing my phone, I debated over whether I

    should send a message to Christopher.

    However, I had stille back with Lyle like a loser, so how could I have the audacity to message

    Christopher? Whenever I relented because of Lyle, he would feel exceptionally disappointed and hurt. I

    did not even know if he was truly in love with me.

    However, I could sense that his feelings of hurt and sorrow were genuine. If even those emotions were

    fake, there was nothing else in this universe that could be genuine. Now that I had nothing, there was

    no point in scheming against me.

    Finally, I made a decision and called Christopher. Surprisingly, no one picked up the call, even until

    after the ringing tone stopped. A feeling of disappointment and unease engulfed me, making me even

    sadder than when Lyle pped me.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Walking to the window, I opened it and let the night breeze blow in, trying my best to suppress my

    anxiety and unease. I had lived here for two years, but now that I had returned, I did not feel at peace

    at all. There was only one thought in my mind¡ªescape!

    Escape as far away as possible!

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    Christopher¡­ I recited his name silently. Suddenly, the car lights from far away shed. Focusing my

    gaze on it, I realized that it was Christopher¡¯s BMW under the dim light of themps.

    Thinking I was seeing things, I rubbed my eyes forcefully, trying my best to see it clearly. As if

    Christopher could sense what I was thinking, the owner of the car shed the car lights again.

    For a moment, I felt like my surroundings were awash with light again, enveloping my face. Hope was

    right in front of me. I was so excited that I had an urge to jump down and hug him. Even my hand,

    which was gripping my phone, was trembling.

    A text message popped up on my phone. You fool, why did you call now? What if someone overhears

    you?

    Only then did I realize that he did not pick up the call because he was thinking on my behalf. All my

    anxiety and unease flew away in an instant. Holding onto my phone, I grinned foolishly toward the

    window and sent another message: Do you know the story between nes and love?

    When I was young, I saw it on the television. Back then, I thought that the female character in the

    drama was adorable and impressive. Although she was as foolish as me, she understood such

    philosophical stuff.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Christopher sent me a confused emoji. Is it a fairytale? You already have a prince, so why are you still

    thinking about fairytales?

    I replied: It¡¯s because I met a prince that I have even more faith in fairytales. You fool, it¡¯s gettingte.

    Go back home quickly.

    Christopher then messaged: Can you bear for me to leave?

    I replied exasperatedly: I haven¡¯t saved the world yet. When I aplish such an amazing feat, I¡¯ll

    come and pick you up in grandeur.

    Christopher sent another reply quickly: Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got some tricks up my sleeves. Sleep now and

    remember not to kiss him. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat him up.

    Chuckling, I told him to leave first and that I wanted to watch him leave. The man shed the carmps

    three times, signaling that he was going to leave first. Only then did he drive away. Gazing at his car, I

    smiled.

    It was my fortune to have such a man for me to rely on during my lowest point. I did not know what the

    oue would be between Christopher and me, but at the very least, he was the only glimmer of hope

    in my life now.

    Instead of leaving the bedroom to wash up, Iy on the bed with my clothes on. A momentter,

    Christopher messaged me and asked: Do you know what shing the carmps thrice means?

    I blinked. Are we asking each other a question from a fairytale? Not knowing the answer, I was about to

    ask him when I heard urgent knocking on the door and Lyle¡¯s furious yells. He said that if I did not open

    the door, he would kick the door open just like what he did in the afternoon at the apartment. I had no

    choice but to open it.

    The moment Lyle entered, he pushed me onto the bed. His hands started roaming on my body almost

    instantly. The memories of when he tried to force himself upon me were still crystal clear. Shoving him

    away forcefully, I mocked, ¡°So you called me back because you want to force yourself upon me again?

    Did your mistress fail to satisfy you?¡±

    The man raised his arm, wanting to p me. I did not avoid him, nor did I even intend to dodge it.

    Instead, I stared at him coldly. In the end, he did not p me. He wrapped his arms around me,

    copsed onto the bed, and hugged me tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m really happy you saved me that day. You still love me. Let¡¯s spend the rest of the days we have

    together happily, okay? We shall forget about the past.¡±

    I did not reply to his words. If I spoke, I would only rebuke him with harsh words. There was no point in

    arguing endlessly.

    Before the peace could continue for a second more, Lyle¡¯s phone rang. He continued hugging me,

    perfectly ying the part of a gentle and loving husband. After rejecting the call, his phone rang two

    more times. When I saw his conflicted expression, I felt ufortable.

    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t going to pick the call up? There might be an emergency.¡±

    At thatment, Lyle got up. Noticing my calm expression, he nced at his phone and answered it,

    unable to hold himself back. When he heard the voice on the phone, his expression changed. Dragging

    me outside, he broke into a run and demanded, ¡°Hurry up! We need to go to the hospital.¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    ¡°The hospital?¡± Thinking something bad had happened to Sharon, I quickly followed Lyle to the

    hospital. There was a crowd of people standing in front of the emergency room¡¯s entrance when the

    two of us arrived. Even Dad, Aunt Natalie, and Yvette were there.

    Doctors and nurses hurried around the hospital. Feeling confused, I asked, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you jinx! My daughter wouldn¡¯t have ended up like that if not for you. I will kill you if

    anything happens to her.¡± Natalie rushed up and gave me two tight ps as she scolded.

    Her daughter? Is it not Sharon? My cheeks felt numb after getting pped so many times today. I

    asked coldly, ¡°What do I have anything to do with Crystal getting hospitalized?¡±

    ¡°Nothing to do with you?¡± Natalie looked as if she wanted to tear me apart badly as she grabbed my

    hair. ¡°If you didn¡¯t use her of being a homewrecker in front of the reporters, she wouldn¡¯t have

    committed suicide. She was supposed to host an art exhibition this time around. Everyone was looking

    forward to it, but it was no longer possible because of you, you b*tch.¡±

    I finally understood what was going on. Crystal¡¯s reputation as an up-anding artist was ruined after

    news of her being a homewrecker made the headlines. She attempted suicide because she couldn¡¯t

    handle the pressure. But what does that have anything to do with me? Things wouldn¡¯t have turned out

    this way if she didn¡¯t pick a fight with me in public.

    Sabrina was right. She got what she deserves! Serves her right.

    At the moment, the emergency room door was pushed open. Crystalid on the hospital bed; her face

    was pale and ghastly. Natalie immediately pushed me aside and rushed up to Crystal. Crystal stared at

    me and said weakly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear cousin. I just came back to host an art exhibition and will

    leave for Anndur in a few days. Please forgive me if I¡¯ve offended you in any way.¡±

    She looked frail, innocent, and pitiful as tears welled up in her eyes. That expression of hers, coupled

    with the white hospital gown, made me look like the wicked witch of the west.

    Of course, Yvette had to y along. She burst into tears and said, ¡°Yvonne, please don¡¯t be mad.

    There¡¯s really nothing going on between her and Lyle. Yes, they were in love, but that¡¯s all in the past.

    Why can¡¯t you let bygones be bygones? Why do you have to tarnish Crystal¡¯s reputation?¡±

    It¡¯s always the same scenario. I looked at my husband, who was holding onto Crystal¡¯s hand. He

    looked like he was having difficulty breathing as his heart ached for her. ¡°Eve, please help Crystal out

    just this once. She¡¯s leaving next week.¡±

    She¡¯s leaving? How is that even possible? I¡¯m not buying it. Did Lyle have a sudden change of heart

    because Crystal is leaving soon? Is that why he¡¯s putting up a good front? Is he treating me like her

    recement?

    ¡°Eve, please help to clear Crystal¡¯s name at the press conference tomorrow,¡± Nathan spoke up. He was

    still pleading for me to pay for Crystal¡¯s actions as usual.

    ¡°Yeah, you should agree to his pleas. She looks so miserable. Everyone has an ex.¡± A nurse couldn¡¯t

    stand it anymore and stood up for Crystal.

    I took two steps back and stared at everyone coldly. They were all taking Crystal¡¯s side. Natalie

    suddenly ran up, knelt before me, and cried, ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m begging you, please let Crystal off. You

    forcefully broke them up and married Lyle back then. She already left for Anndur, and you got what

    you wanted. Why do you still have to do this? Are you trying to kill us?¡±

    Some were taking photos while others were talking. I couldn¡¯t really hear what they were talking about,

    but they were all pointing fingers at me for forcing Crystal away. It happened so frequently that I was

    beginning to think I was actually the culprit too. But I hadn¡¯t done it. I was very sure of that fact.

    Crystal spoke up once again upon seeing me keep quiet. She smiled bitterly and sobbed, ¡°Please stop

    giving my dear cousin a hard time. I deserve this. After all, I¡¯m still in love with Lyle. But fate is cruel.

    We¡¯re simply not meant to be together.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Lyle seemed overwhelmed as he held on to Crystal¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re still in love

    with me. I¡¯m sorry for everything. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±

    ¡°Lyle, it¡¯s not your fault I fell for you, but love is forever. We¡¯ve known each other for ten years, became

    a couple for two years, and broke up for two years. I tried to forget you, but I couldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯m sorry,

    Lyle. I should have restrained myself from expressing my love.¡±

    The two of them hugged and looked at each other affectionately. I, on the other hand, was getting

    used and forced to apologize. Lyle had also long since forgotten what he said about living a good

    life with me.

    I would have relented in the past. However, I was surprisingly calm instead of sumbing to pressure.

    I sneered as if I just watched a good show and pped.

    ¡°This is so touching. But why am I not aware that I broke you two up? You want me to admit I¡¯m a

    homewrecker? Dream on!¡±

    ¡°Miss, why do you insist on making things difficult for Crystal when she¡¯s such a nice girl?¡± A stranger

    spoke up, displeased. I shot him a look and suddenly recalled that I had met him at Crystal¡¯s partyst

    time.

    No wonder he looked so familiar. He appeared as Crystal¡¯s senior whenever she was interviewed for

    her paintings that were published in the news. He was also the one who had pushed me into the waterContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    when I was a kid. He was Benjamin¡¯s brother, Benson who had been out of the picture for quite some

    time.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Lyle walked over and pulled me into his arms, ignoring the fact that I was struggling to get away

    from him. I almost vomited when I caught a whiff of Crystal¡¯s perfume on him. ¡°Crystal is leaving soon.

    Why can¡¯t you agree to such a simple request? We can live a good life after this, okay?¡±

    I pushed him away forcefully. There wasn¡¯t even a glint of disappointment in my eyes anymore. I only

    felt numb and wronged after everything. I pointed at myself and asked, ¡°Crystal, oh Crystal, how

    affectionate of you. Her career is important, but mine¡¯s not? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to

    get hurt if I agree to this?¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t even have a job. No one would care.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I should be wronged because no one cares about my existence? Mr. Smith, is that

    what you mean by living a good life with me? You expect me to submit to you when I¡¯m being called a

    homewrecker? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t need that. Have you forgotten what you wrote in the divorce

    papers?¡±

    I would never forget it. The photos he took were enough to ruin the rest of my life when I wanted a

    divorce. ¡°You took so many pictures of me with countless men. I didn¡¯t even know I had so many

    boyfriends. Moreover, they¡¯re all good friends of yours. Call them all over since you like to get cheated

    on so much. Let¡¯s try it. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity since I don¡¯t even know some of their names.¡±

    I felt like I was going crazy. Things had taken a turn for the worse in such a short time. I pushed Lyle

    away and ran out of the hospital. Fu** his true love, fu** his good life. These two fu***** can do

    whatever they want, I don¡¯t care anymore.

    As for Crystal trying tomit suicide, I found it very funny. It was tantly obvious to me that she was

    putting on an act. How could she evermit suicide when she was such a coward? She was simply

    asking for sympathy to clear her name.

    I hailed a cab back to the apartment on my own, locked the door, and buried myself under the sheets.

    Lyle wouldn¡¯t being back home tonight anyway. I was so tired of the never-ending quarrels and

    schemes.

    It was as if my cousin was deliberately going against me. She would create trouble whenever I had

    peace of mind. Sometimes, I really don¡¯t get why she does it. She¡¯s sessful in her career, pretty, and

    surrounded by eligible bachelors.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    In short, she has the looks and the money. Why does she have to hold it against me? I could onlye

    up with one reason after giving it much thought. She must be crazy. She¡¯s regretting her decision to

    leave Lyle when she loves him so much.

    What a b*tch. She¡¯s so melodramatic.

    Even though I felt troubled by everything, I didn¡¯t forget to go to work the next morning. It was important

    for me to treat work seriously since my livelihood depended on it. I got into my role rtively quickly

    thanks to the work I used to do for the Smith family.

    Work was rtively easy, considering it was my first day. My colleague, who was the manager¡¯s

    secretary, was in charge of everything. She was very kind and patient with me despite my clumsiness

    and ineptness. It was great.

    I took a look at the bit of money I had left in my bag during lunchtime and decided to buy something

    cheap for lunch. Sometimes, I wondered why I was leading such a miserable life even though I was

    considered an heiress. I must be doing something wrong.

    I squeezed my way through a crowd of construction workers to buy myself some food. Just as I was

    contemting whether to have lunch at the park opposite or in my office, my Prince Charming

    appeared in a BMW. Christopher rolled down the car window and motioned for me to get in with his

    chin. ¡°Get in.¡±

    ¡°I need to get back to work in a bit.¡± I carefully held on to my lunchbox. I couldn¡¯t hide my joy at seeing

    him again as I grinned from ear to ear. I think I¡¯m in love. How else would I exin the joy I felt

    whenever I was with Christopher. It felt entirely different from when I was with Lyle.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you backter. I promise you won¡¯t bete. Hurry up, I haven¡¯t eaten lunch yet.¡± The man

    opened the car door and pulled me onto hisp. Luckily for me, his car windows were installed with

    reflective window films. I quickly scrambled over to the passenger seat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. We¡¯re in public.¡± I handed him my lunchbox. ¡°I just bought this. Do you want to have

    some?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Christopher stared at the overcooked dishes in disgust before he sighed and patted my head. ¡°Come

    on; I¡¯ll buy you something nice for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Will I be satisfied?¡±

    ¡°You bet.¡± He took a look at my breasts, frowned, and fondled them. ¡°It¡¯s getting bigger. It must have

    been my massaging techniques. Looks like I¡¯ll have to work harder to make it busty.¡±

    My eyes widened in surprise at his weird antics. I finally returned to my senses when he reached into

    my clothes and pushed his hand away. ¡°Cut it out, Christopher. Aren¡¯t we going for lunch? I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since I¡¯ve satiated my hunger. Poor me.¡± Christopher pointed at his

    private part and pouted before he continued, ¡°As a man, I¡¯ll get injured if I try to hold it in for too long.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say in response to that. He had chosen to take care of things himself thany a

    finger on mest time. I said through gritted teeth, ¡°Should we head to a hotel to feed you then?¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡± Christopher¡¯s face it up at my suggestion. He looked like a child in a sweatshop as his

    face crinkled up in a smile. I was struck dumb as I stared at his stunning face.

    I had thought he was the most good-looking guy I ever saw from the first moment Iid eyes on him at

    the gathering. Not even the two most popr bargirl sitting on either side of him was good enough.

    In the end, he really brought me to a hotel. He opened the door of thevish presidential suite with a

    swipe card and let me in. I felt a little eager as I thought we were really going to have a passionate

    love-making session.

    There was no way I was going to get back together with Lyle again anyways, not unless he was the

    only man left in this world or if a miracle happens. Feeling shy, I lowered my eyes. It felt like we were

    about to have sex during our honeymoon phase.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    In the end, however, he pulled me over to a dining table. I stared dumbfounded at the mouth-watering

    delicaciesid before me. The room was decorated with pink curtains, pink carpets, and a pink

    tablecloth. Flower petals also littered the carpeted floor and hung on the walls.

    Christopher changed into a pink suit and tie. Although the color was often associated with femininity, it

    looked really good on him. His suit was buttoned up to the third button, and a wicked smile graced his

    handsome features. He looked alluring.

    I had never seen someone as charismatic as him. In fact, I was sure he could make any woman drool.

    Christopher sat down opposite me and smiled. ¡°Your pumpkin carriage has brought you to the prince¡¯s

    castle. All these here belongs to my princess. You can do anything you like here. Do you like it?¡±

    He amazes me every day. Since I couldn¡¯t really express the joy I was feeling, I threw myself into his

    arms and nted a kiss on his lips.

    I was obsessed with his lips, his brows, and his eyes; he upied every part of my mind. I knew I had

    fallen head over heels with him. This man, who always appeared by my side whenever I needed him

    most.

    Christopher was stunned when I took the initiative to kiss him. He didn¡¯t react when I sucked on his lips.

    Just as I was about to break away, he snapped to his senses and pulled me onto hisp in one swift

    movement.

    He gripped onto my chin and tongue kissed me with a note of urgency. I leaned into his embrace and

    got so turned on as I moved my mouth against his.

    This time around, I took the initiative to unbutton his shirt as he started to grope me underneath my

    clothes. I mimicked his movements and rubbed my hands all over his back. His breathing quickened as

    he carried me up bridal style and put me down on the sofa.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Ipped up everything about him and allowed his hands to roam my body freely. Tremors ran through

    me as his fingers trailed fire wherever they went.

    He held on to my feet as if they were precious gems and kissed his way up my inner thighs. I wrapped

    my arms around his neck, feeling my body grow hot. At that very moment, I only had eyes for him.

    Just as I thought we were going to have dessert, Christopher suddenly stopped. He turned away and

    took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, confused.

    He then grabbed my face and kissed me all over. In the end, he plunged his head into the bathtub. He

    was making me feel like I was going crazy. Moreover, I swore I was willing to give myself away. So why

    wouldn¡¯t he touch me?

    Is he disgusted by my past? Or did he get mad when I left with Lyle yesterday?

    I panicked, rushed into the bathroom, hugged him from behind, and sobbed. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this,

    Christopher. I¡¯m willing, really.¡±

    Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I spoke. I was sick and tired of living life. Nobody cared

    about me, and I was tired of being alone; I was tired of getting bullied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you happy, Christopher. Please don¡¯t leave me, okay?¡± I was already at my lowest. I couldn¡¯t

    bear to let happiness slip through my fingers after being abandoned again and again.

    With that, I bent down and was about to help him out when he suddenly pulled me up. ¡°Why are you

    crying?¡± He seemed surprised.

    I wiped away my tears and rubbed myself against him. ¡°Nothing happened between Lyle and Ist

    night. I mean it. Nothing happened. Do you believe me?¡±

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    ¡°You silly girl!¡± Christopher heaved a sigh and took me in his arms. ¡°Why are you overthinking again?

    Didn¡¯t I say that we¡¯ll do all these once we can hold hands openly? I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m

    only dating you to have sex.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I was taken aback by his words. Doesn¡¯t he think I¡¯m dirty?

    He tapped on the tips of my nose gently before saying, ¡°We¡¯re a couple madly in love with each other.

    I¡¯m pursuing you. Don¡¯t you feel it? We shall abstain from intimate activities now. Once you¡¯re divorced,

    I guarantee that you won¡¯t be able to get off the bed every day.¡±

    He tapped on my nose again and added, ¡°Could it be because you can¡¯t wait for it?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I quickly answered.

    I did indeed feel like I was in love. However, Christopher¡¯s words tugged at my heartstrings. He always

    seemed like he didn¡¯t have enough every time we had a brief body contact. That was why I always

    thought that he liked me because my body gave him a very different feeling. So has he actually taken

    all of my thoughts into consideration?

    How could I not love a man like him?

    I was so touched that tears welled up in my eyes. He suddenly carried me and put me on hisp. He

    then started to hit me a few times on my butt. I was dumbfounded by his action. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I told you multiple times that you shouldn¡¯t walk around without any shoes on. I¡¯ll hit you the next time

    you do it again.¡± He furrowed his brows. I yed along and nodded my head obediently. ¡°I won¡¯t do it

    anymore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± He put me back down on the couch. Perhaps it was because he was shocked by

    my tears but the lust he was having earlier seemed to have disappeared. The man took out a towel and

    wiped off the sweat on his body before helping me put on my shoes.

    I felt like a princess when Christopher treated me to a candlelight lunch. The food was delicious,

    especially the soup. It was just perfect and I even praised it a few times throughout our meal. I told him

    that if I had the chance, I wanted to talk to the chef of the restaurant and find out how they made their

    soup so vorful.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be a chance,¡± he said as he looked at me with his gentle eyes.

    I suddenly thought of something when I saw the peculiar expression on his face. I couldn¡¯t help but ask,

    ¡°Does this hotel belong to you? Why do you always bring me to the presidential suite here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± he answered, feigning ignorance.

    ¡°Liar. But speaking of which, this chef¡¯s skills are amazing. You managed to find yourself a good cook.¡±

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s a good cook. He¡¯s an expensive hire too.¡± Christopher scooped some food onto my

    te and said, ¡°Eat up.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Everything was delicious when I was in a good mood. I gave all of the dishes on the table a try.

    In the end, I patted my belly, feeling satisfied.

    I took a nce at the time and realized that the lunch hour was almost over. I quickly urged Christopher

    to drive me back.

    ¡°Why are you in such a rush to leave?¡± He pointed at the bulge in his pants as he continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t

    had enough yet.¡±

    I red at him. He told me that he didn¡¯t want to do it before I was divorced but wants to do it now.

    What exactly does he want? Then, I showed him my outstretched hand and asked, ¡°Should I lend this

    to you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Hurry up and serve the prince.¡± Christopher carried me into the bedroom. I helped him with

    my hand and he only let me go when my arm grew tired.

    After that, he drove me back to work and stopped his car at the alley from before. Seeing that I was

    about to get off of the car, he called out to me. I turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Is there something

    you need? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re reluctant to watch me leave?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    The man rested his chin in his palm as he seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment, he finally

    said, ¡°Silly girl, I just wanted to tell you that no matter what happens, you have me.¡±

    I felt my heart flutter when he said such a corny thing out of nowhere and I leaned over to kiss him. ¡°I¡¯ll

    remember that. You¡¯ve said it multiple times. I¡¯ll be clinging on to you so you better not say that I¡¯m

    annoying in the future.¡±

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    ¡°Of course not. Should we give it a deadline?¡± Christopher asked as he cupped my face.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Should there be a deadline for these kinds of stuff? ¡°How long should it be?¡± I asked with a frown.

    ¡°Forever?¡±

    My face flushed red and I quickly hopped off the car. His sweet words were like an arrow that had hit

    my heart and I couldn¡¯t calm down. Forever? It seemed so wonderful and I was looking forward to it.

    Even though I knew that he was the mighty prince Christopher, I wanted to bet my everything and be a

    part of his world.

    I finally arrived at thepany and managed to handle all my paperwork quite swiftly. However, Lyle

    called while I was in the middle of my work. I felt that there wasn¡¯t anything between us to talk about

    anymore.

    I went somewhere quiet before picking up the call. ¡°If you¡¯re still insisting that I hold a press conference

    for Crystal, I suggest that you should just shut up. Grandma meant for us to wait for her seventieth

    birthday, but it seems to me that it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t meet during these six months. Enjoy Crystal¡¯s

    company during this time. Goodbye.¡±

    He fumed when he was met with a rebuff. ¡°You¡¯ve said it yourself, Yvonne. Don¡¯t regret it. Just treat it

    as though my conscience has been eaten by a dog, then.¡±

    ¡°Conscience? You¡¯re talking to me about your conscience? I think you should save it.¡± With that, I hung

    up but I still felt as though my entire body was boiling. I shouldn¡¯t have picked up the call. All it did was

    make me unhappy.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t know that I was working nor did he know where I was. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even

    have a peaceful ce to go to anymore. I had decided that I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone that I was working,

    except for Christopher and Sabrina.

    I suddenly thought of something when I entered the pantry to get myself a cup of tea. I didn¡¯t recall

    telling Christopher where I worked. It wasn¡¯t because I was trying to hide from him, I just forgot. I

    wondered how he managed to find my workce and was so urate with the location.

    I went back to work and took care of my report. After that, I went to the copy room and heard a few

    people talking. I didn¡¯t pay attention to them at first but noticed that something was wrong after a

    moment. They were talking about the neer.

    I was sure that I was the only neer recently.

    ¡°I was curious why Yvonne managed to get such a good contract when she just started here. It turned

    out that she¡¯s Mr. Smith¡¯s wife. She may look innocent but she¡¯s the wife of a wealthy CEO. You really

    can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±

    ¡°So what? She¡¯s still a mistress. They were in love with each other for ten years yet she deliberately

    broke them up. How shameless of her.¡±

    ¡°Breaking them up was nothing. The most shameless thing she did was that she acted pitiful before the

    media. She made it look like the artist was the actual mistress. I heard the artist even tried to kill

    herself. Now even Yvonne¡¯s father couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore and he rified for his niece.¡±

    ¡°What a tragedy. We shouldn¡¯t talk to people like her from now on.¡±

    I stood at the entrance as I listened to them talk, a foreboding thought emerging in my

    mind. rification? My father?

    Right then, the pantry door was pulled open and the people inside saw me. ¡°Yvonne?¡± the woman

    yelped out of shock.

    Everyone looked in our direction. They started to scrutinize me with contemptuous eyes as they

    murmured among themselves. None of them were even trying to hide what they were doing. I stood

    rooted to the spot awkwardly; I didn¡¯t even know what had happened.

    ¡°What are all of you doing? Don¡¯t you have work to do? Does thepany pay you to chit-chat at

    work?¡± Mr. Gordon scolded as he walked over and everyone left instantly.

    He shook his head as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve finished up all the work you have on hand, right?¡±

    I nodded nkly before he added, ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to head home early today to sort out everything you

    have to. Don¡¯t take it to heart. There¡¯s nothing in life that you can¡¯t make it through. Take a look at the

    news and see if you cane up with a solution.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    The news? The words snapped me back to my senses and I immediately thought of what my father

    said to Aunt Natalie. I instantly ran out of the office and went to the newsstand nearby. I was about to

    get myself a newspaper but my gazended on the billboard on the opposite side of the street¡ª

    Nathan, Aunt Natalie, and the others were on it.

    ¡°Crystal and Lyle have always been in love with each other. If it weren¡¯t for Yvonne, who insisted on

    marrying Lyle, Crystal wouldn¡¯t have backed down and left home. Please stop hating on her. She has

    been living a tough life all these years, staying away from the person she loves. Although Yvonne is my

    sister, I couldn¡¯t watch as she continues to go down the wrong path,¡± Yvette said pitifully.

    The camera focused on Nathan and he said with a heartbroken look, ¡°They say that one shouldn¡¯t air

    their dirtyundry in public, but my eldest daughter¡­ Sigh, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have spoilt her

    and allowed her to be the person she is today. It¡¯s all because of my doing that something like this

    happened and it has almost cost my niece¡¯s life. As her father, I apologize to Crystal¡¯s fans and ask that

    you don¡¯t me my niece anymore. She¡¯s a good kid.¡±

    Then, Scarlett, Aunt Natalie, and even the housekeeper proceeded to chastise me. I thought that what

    they were doing was already ruthless enough but they provided the news with a video clip. It was a

    video taken at the hospital the previous night and they had edited it to make me look like I was

    snobbish and unreasonable.

    I heard myself say, ¡°Yes, I want to make Crystal the vixen. I did indeed steal her man. Let¡¯s see how

    she¡¯ll show her face in Avenport again.¡±

    Chills ran down my spine upon hearing that. I didn¡¯t even know when I had said something like that.

    Yet, they had managed to make that video full of fake information. That elegant man on the screen¡­

    He was my father. How could he do this to me? How could he treat me as though I was an insignificant

    speck of dust? It was just like what happened back then when he wanted me to get married. I kneeled

    in the living room and begged him but it didn¡¯t work. I had no choice but to look for the man I was

    supposed to get married to and tell him that I was just the unloved daughter of the Tanner family. I told

    him that there weren¡¯t any benefits in marrying me.

    That man didn¡¯t have that in mind but seeing that I was so persistent, he gave up eventually. I was

    thrown out of the family after that.

    I stared at the billboard for a long time and only stopped when an advertisement showed up. It was no

    wonder Lyle had called me earlier and said such harsh words. Of course, I didn¡¯t think that things would

    be different if I went. At most, he would do what he normally did and pretend to console me, hoping that

    I wouldn¡¯t be so calctive and make a bigger mess of things, tarnishing Crystal¡¯s reputation in the

    process.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I had been living as though I was the weeds by the roadside all these years. Anyone could just step all

    over me. If it were an outsider who bullied me, the most I would feel was angry and wanting to fight

    back. Yet, it was the ones who were the closest to me who treated me like crap every time.

    It¡¯s cold. Why is it so cold? The sun was shining above me but I felt as though I was submerged in ice-

    cold water. I was only wearing a thin coat and I didn¡¯t even have the energy to stand up. Luckily, I had

    someone I could count on.

    I thought of Christopher. He was the only one who could bring mefort at that moment. Before he

    left earlier, he reminded me seriously that no matter what had happened, I shouldn¡¯t feel sad as I had

    him. The sadness I was feeling slowly dissipated at the thought of his words.

    I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. Soon enough, the call connected and I didn¡¯t even

    manage to get a word out when Christopher asked, ¡°You saw the news?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sniffled, trying hard not to cry. Thankfully, I managed to hold the tears in. I had been hurt too

    many times and I didn¡¯t want to cry for these so-called family members who didn¡¯t even treat me like a

    human being.

    ¡°Did you find out about it long before? Is that why youforted me beforehand?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Eve, I¡¯ve alreadyforted you beforehand. Are you still going to cry? Am I not any better than those

    people?¡± Christopher¡¯s tone was a little indignant as he whined. I always had a special feeling

    whenever he called me Eve.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    I sighed and said helplessly, ¡°But he¡¯s my father. He used to carry me on his shoulders when I was

    younger and we¡¯d catch butterflies in the garden. He loved me so much back then. I always thought

    that he has a bottom line no matter how much he hated me. But it seems like I overestimated my worth.

    I feel so, so cold, Christopher. What should I do? I can¡¯t seem to calm down.¡±

    ¡°You silly. Remember, but when you feel like you have nothing, remember that you still have me.¡± The

    sweet words that came from him sounded so beautiful.

    At that moment, all I wanted to do was throw myself into his arms and hide within his safe harbor. So I

    said to him, ¡°I have nothing now, but where are you?¡±

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°Right behind you.¡± To my surprise, his voice sounded like he was closer to me than before.

    I quickly turned to look and saw Christopher standing by the water fountain. Sunlight from the setting

    sun shone on him and it made him look as though he had stepped out of a painting.

    His shadow was stretched long by the sun.

    I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to forget this scene because he looked so handsome. It was as if the Gods

    saw that my heart was filled with sorrow so they sent me a prince.

    I rushed towards him without any hesitation and threw myself into his arms. I buried my face in his

    chest and took in the familiar scent of tobo. I finally calmed down in his warm embrace. It didn¡¯t

    matter how big of a storm there was because his embrace was my safe haven.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you somewhere.¡± Christopher held my hand and led me away. He walked very

    carefully and was protecting me in his arms, afraid that the pedestrians nearby would bump into me. I

    just needed to follow in his footsteps. I didn¡¯t need to worry about anything else.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I shoved all the negative and troubling thoughts in the deepest recesses of my

    heart as I tried my best to be happy. Christopher was by my side. Why should I care about other people

    and the troubling matters? I need to be happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to seek happiness.¡± His eyes shone like stars in the night sky as he blinked. A slight

    smile hung on his lips, making him seem a little childlike. Then, he pointed in the direction before us

    and said, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll bring you to your happiness.¡±

    ¡°Can happiness be found on your own?¡± I shook my head and let him drag me along. I didn¡¯t care

    where he was taking me. I would be happy to follow even if he led me through a sea of fire.

    ¡°Of course. Humans should seek their own happiness. This way, they wouldn¡¯t live in vain. It¡¯s just like

    how I saw the beautiful scene in the sunset, and¡­ how I saw you!¡±

    It was obvious that Christopher wouldn¡¯t lead me through a sea of fire. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to

    bring me to an amusement park. We stood before the merry-go-round as we listened to the children

    laughing. I was dumbfounded for a moment. I pointed at the merry-go-round with snot-covered children

    as I said, ¡°You¡¯re not telling me to get on that, right? How childish.¡±

    ¡°You talk as though you¡¯re old. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re only twenty-four years old. Come on, your prince

    is bringing you to experience the beauty of childhood.¡± He didn¡¯t care that I was being hesitant and

    bought our tickets. Then, he led us to the revolving machine and we shared a horse. ¡°This is to ensure

    that you¡¯re safe,¡± he said.

    My face flushed red. I could feel the children staring at us and I felt even more awkward. However, I

    forgot about the awkwardness soon after the merry-go-round started to move.

    I was really happy while I listened to the nursery rhymes and watched as the childrenughed. My

    childhood was just like a nightmare to me, but there were still a few happy memories.

    I had also gotten onto a merry-go-round ride back when my mother brought me to an amusement park.

    She sat behind me and held on to me. What I was experiencing right then brought me back to those

    days.

    After the ride, Christopher led me to the rollercoaster. I had seen people on the television talking about

    it before and I heard that it was exciting but also scary. I didn¡¯t dare to get on it but he insisted. ¡°I¡¯m

    here. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± he guaranteed as he patted his chest.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    When the roller coaster went down, I was so terrified that I closed my eyes. At that moment, I could

    only hear the sound of the howling wind, a shrill scream, and Christopher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Eve, let¡¯s scream to vent out your sadness and frustration. Then you will feel happy.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Have I ever lied to you?¡± said Christopher firmly.

    When I parted my lips, a gust of wind blew into my mouth as if it was trying to knock me down and stop

    me from screaming. However, I stubbornly screamed, ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Say I¡¯m the king of the world!¡±

    Usually, I wouldn¡¯t say this kind of thing. But now, I have been conquered by Christopher, and I felt

    happy. Hence, I shouted loudly, ¡°I¡¯m the king of the world! I¡¯m the king of the world!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the king of the world!¡±

    ¡°I want to conquer the world! I want to be the master of my own life!¡±

    ¡°I want to be the master of my own life! I¡¯m the king of the world!¡± I screamed.

    At the same time, I spread my arms open to release all the suppressed emotions I had been feeling

    these days. My feelings, much like the roller coaster, went up and down. Iughed, I cried.

    I was in the dark a second ago, then I saw a ray of light the next moment. It was so bright that it

    brightened my life.

    When the roller coaster stopped, I was still overwhelmed by emotions. Everyone looked at me with

    confused looks. Christopher reached out to wipe away the tears from my face and asked gently, ¡°Why

    are you crying again? Do you know that my heart aches when I see you cry?¡±

    I sniffled. ¡°Because I¡¯m happy.¡±

    ¡°So you cry when you are happy?¡±

    ¡°No, these are tears of joy! I¡¯m happy to have you with me.¡± I pounded his chest coquettishly. Then, he

    grabbed my hand and locked his brooding eyes on me as he said in a sincere tone, ¡°I hope that you will

    never cry in the future.¡±

    Facing the sunset, I stared at him and blurted out, ¡°Christopher, I think I have fallen in love with you.

    What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Then love me even more.¡±

    After that, I decided to go to the apartment to pack up my things, but I did not let Christophere

    along. At that, he looked at me with a conflicted expression on his face because he was worried about

    me. ¡°Tell me if you face any difficulties, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I had fallen in love with this man¡¯s gentleness at that time, and I would believe everything that

    he said.

    When I was about to get out of the car, he pulled me back. After kissing me heartily, he let go of me

    and sighed. ¡°It seems like I still have to work harder.¡±

    ¡°Work harder?¡± I didn¡¯t know what he meant.

    ¡°You can go now.¡± He didn¡¯t borate any further but patted my head. After that, I held his hand and

    rubbed my face against his palms.

    I had made up my mind¡ªthere was no way I woulde back to this apartment again no matter what.

    Back at the apartment, I packed all my stuff up and didn¡¯t touch anything else because those things did

    not belong to me.

    Lyle bought those essories and ornaments after moving in. It seemed like he was preparing to live

    with me, but actually, that was just his way of asking me to take the me for Crystal.

    I left without having a sense of mncholy because they weren¡¯t worth it. After that, I went back to my

    house. I had sweet dreams through the night.

    The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. I had a goodplexion. Hence, a light makeup would

    do the job. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, I stood in front of the mirror.

    I found that I looked quite shabby wearing old-fashioned sportswear and had my hair up in a ponytail.

    Hence, I took out a beautiful dress and wore a cardigan over it, and put on some makeup before

    leaving for work.

    Initially, I thought my colleagues would spread rumors about me because few of them had realized my

    identity the day before. However, I never expected that no one had brought up the matter, and they

    even treated me better now.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    At that, I smelled something fishy. How could people who don¡¯t like to gossip ever exist in this

    world? But I felt even weirder when I realized that the threedies who gossiped about me yesterday

    had gone missing. After handling some paperwork, I could not help but ask a colleague beside me

    about their whereabouts.

    The colleague shrugged. ¡°They made a big mistake in the reports yesterday, so they were fired.¡±

    Upon hearing that, my instincts told me that they were fired because they gossiped about me

    yesterday. But, this is not mypany. Why do I have such special treatment?

    However, it was merely a passing thought. Anyway, it was a good thing for me. I was just an ordinary

    person. Even if people discovered my identity, no one would pay attention to a haggard wife. They

    might as well pay attention to a prettydy like Crystal.

    Everything in the office progressed smoothly that day. After work, I took a cab to the Smith residence.

    Since the news on the Inte had gone viral, I thought Sharon must have known everything. Now that

    things hade to this, I guessed she wouldn¡¯t insist on asking me to get along with Lyle anymore.

    I knew Sharon was kind to me. She didn¡¯t disdain me and even asked the man whom I¡¯ve had a secret

    crush on to marry me. However, this man didn¡¯t love me nor care about me at all, so I thought it was

    time to end our marriage.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, Old Mrs. Smith was just talking about you,¡± said Josephine enthusiastically as she opened

    the door for me.

    ¡°I miss Grandma too. Oh, I brought her a box of tea. It can help to reduce blood pressure. Remind her

    to drink it every day. Here you go. Brew a pot of tea for her.¡±

    With that, I passed the tea to Josephine. When I passed by the yard, I saw Lyle¡¯s Porsche was parked

    under the tree. I frowned as I queried, ¡°He¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mr. Smith is here to visit Old Mrs. Smith today, and it just so happens that you¡¯re here too. Old

    Mrs. Smith will definitely beam in delightter,¡± said Josephine with a smile.

    I hesitated for a little upon hearing that but eventually decided to enter the house. Since I was already

    here, how could I leave without seeing Sharon? Anyway, it might not be a bad thing that Lyle was here.

    I could take the opportunity to let Sharon know about my rtionship with him so that she wouldn¡¯t

    force us to continue our marriage.

    This marriage must end! I didn¡¯t mind if Lyle loved Crystal or anyone else¡ªit¡¯s none of my business.

    Soon, I reached the garden. When I was about to knock on the door, an argument was heard in the

    room.

    ¡°Grandma, why do you dislike Crystal? She is a talented and knowledgeabledy, fitting the profile for

    the daughter-inw of our family. Aspared to Yvonne, she is much better. If it weren¡¯t for you, I

    wouldn¡¯t part with her for two years and couldn¡¯t be together until today.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s bad about Eve. She is loyal to you and always takes good care of you. Does she

    ever give you problems after she married you? When I was sick, it was Eve who stayed up all night to

    take care of me, and you were messing around with other women at that time!¡±

    At that, Sharon red at Lyle with disappointment and barked, ¡°You little rascal! Even my

    granddaughter-inw treats me better than you!¡±

    ¡°Grandma, I know you like Yvonne. But why should I sacrifice my happiness? Back then, if you didn¡¯t

    change the painter¡¯s name of Autumnal Panorama from Yvonne to Crystal and forced Crystal to make

    the decision, she wouldn¡¯t go to Anndur.¡±

    Hearing that, my eyes opened wide. What did I just listen to? My application to St. John¡¯s University

    was sessful, but Sharon changed my painting to Crystal¡¯s name? So this is the truth?

    At that moment, I thought there couldn¡¯t be anything worse than that. However, I did not expect that

    something more tragic was awaiting me.

    Sharon picked up a teacup and smashed it on Lyle¡¯s head as she roared, ¡°As you said, she left you for

    the sake of her future. If she didn¡¯t want to go, am I even able to force her?¡±

    ¡°You persuaded her to write her name on Yvonne¡¯s painting and recorded a video as evidence. Then,

    you said you would post it online to tell everyone that she impersonated Yvonne if she didn¡¯t agree to

    your request and leave Avenport. You¡¯re the one who set Crystal up!¡±

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    Lyle roared like an enraged cub, ¡°Grandma, why must you force Crystal to leave? Why can¡¯t I marry

    Crystal?¡±

    ¡°I did it for your own good, you bastard!¡± Sharon¡¯s face turned red with anger.

    ¡°For my own good? Do you mean that you¡¯re asking me to marry a person that I don¡¯t love for my own

    good? If it weren¡¯t for you, who told me that Yvonne¡¯s mother owned our family¡¯s shares, and I would

    get the shares after marrying her, I would never propose to Yvonne. Now, I¡¯ve gotten the shares. Why

    should I continue the marriage with her? I want to marry Crystal!¡±

    Upon hearing that, I felt like I had lost all the strength in my body, and I felt a wave of dizziness. It

    turned out that Sharon broke Lyle and Crystal up and wanted Lyle to marry me because of my mom¡¯s

    shares.

    At that moment, I felt like an idiot being yed in their palms. My marriage was nothing but a tool for

    the Smiths to reim their shares.

    s! I¡¯ve fallen to their schemes again! I trusted Sharon so much, and I was respectful and grateful to

    her, but in the end, she was the one who tricked me.

    No one would understand the eagerness in me to seed while painting Autumnal Panorama. I used

    to wish that I could leave Avenport and go overseas. No matter how tough my life would be, at least I

    could have my dream job.

    But in the end, my dream was shattered because of the Smith family¡¯s shares that my mom left for me.

    I didn¡¯t even know about that, and it was transferred to others without my knowledge.

    I staggered away after hearing their conversation. I was in total despair at that time. The person whom I

    trusted the most tricked me. There was nothing else in that house that I cared for.

    The argument in the room was ongoing, but I didn¡¯t care about it anymore. I only came back to my

    senses when a hot liquid poured on my hand.

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Smith. Are you alright? I didn¡¯t know you were here. I¡¯ll go get the doctor for you

    now.¡± Standing in the corridor, I stared at the scalded wounds on the back of my hand expressionlessly.

    The porcin teapot was shattered into pieces while the tea was spilled on the floor.

    Suddenly, someone opened the door of the greenhouse. Sharon walked up to me and asked softly,

    ¡°Eve, when did you arrive?¡±

    I guessed what she really wanted to ask was, ¡°Did you overhear our conversation?¡± Looking at her, I

    smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°I just arrived. I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. I identally knocked over the tea that

    Josephine brewed for you.¡±

    Previously, I would never express my apology over such a trivial matter. But right then, I felt estranged

    from Grandma.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lyle¡¯s expression darkened upon seeing me.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just passing by, so I decided toe and visit Grandma,¡± I replied expressionlessly. Although

    my hand was scalded by boiling water, I didn¡¯t feel pain at all because my heart was aching even more

    at that moment.

    ¡°Are you injured?¡± When Grandma found the blisters on my hand, she barked, ¡°What are you doing

    here? Yvonne is injured! Why don¡¯t you get the doctor for her? Quick, get some cold water and ice!¡±

    With that, she patted Lyle¡¯s back, signaled for thetter to apply the ointment for me.

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± I flung Lyle¡¯s hand away and went to the sink. I began to feel the pain when I

    ran cold water over my wound.

    When Josephine returned with the medical kit and was about to apply the medication for me, Lyle

    pushed her away and took the kit from her. ¡°Let me do it!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t push him away and allowed him to apply the ointment on my wound. He gently

    blew at the wound and said that the pain would go away after applying medication. At that, I said

    nothing and only put on a cold smile on my face.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    I was heartbroken by every word that they said. Deep down, I felt that I was under a curse to have to

    go through the excruciating pain every day.

    If Christopher didn¡¯tfort me, I would have gone insane and perhaps ended my life.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take care of yourself? Yvonne, I¡¯m disgusted by your attitude. You always behaved

    meekly as though the whole world is bullying you,¡± Lyle began to criticize.

    Isn¡¯t it the truth? Everyone around me bullied me, and none was sincere to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch water for the next few days. If you need anything, ask the housekeeper to do it for you.

    Stay in the old mansion for a few days before going back,¡± he chastised me while seemingly distracted

    by some thoughts.

    ¡°Say something. Why do you keep silent all the time? Do you know that I¡¯ll be irritated¡­¡± Lyle suddenly

    stopped and gazed at me bewilderedly. A momentter, he reached out to my face and said, ¡°Are you

    crying!¡±

    Why am I crying? I promised myself that I wouldn¡¯t cry for Lyle ever again.

    Avoiding his hand, I touched my face and realized that tears were all over my face. I was downcast, for

    someone I cared for hurt me deeply. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Sharon¡¯s affection towards me was

    sincere.

    At that point, I didn¡¯t know what was real anymore.

    I covered my face and sobbed silently. As much as I tried, I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from rolling down. I

    had not one, but many times, persuaded myself not to cry; nheless, all attempts were to no avail.

    Whenever I thought I had sunken into deep despair, there was more devastating news awaiting me.

    I wondered if God had tormented me because I hadmitted some unforgivable crimes in the past.

    ¡°Lyle, have you brought along the divorce agreement? If you have it, I can sign it now. I¡¯ll agree to all of

    your requests. You can use me of being a mistress or a slut, and I¡¯ll admit to it willingly.¡±

    I had fallen into a trap and was severely tormented by it. Although getting a divorce meant that I would

    lose everything, I was prepared to ept it wholeheartedly. At the very least, I could live a better life

    going forward. Even if it were short-lived, it would still be worth it.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lyle looked at me in disbelief. Perhaps, it never came to his mind that I would

    willingly agree to the harsh conditions.

    ¡°I said that I don¡¯t want anything and will admit to all usations as long as we get a divorce. Let¡¯s do it

    now. Even if you use me of having an affair with every man in Avenport, I won¡¯t mind,¡± I yelled. The

    sound of ss shattering in the living room came.

    ¡°But¡­ everyone will look down upon you,¡± Unexpectedly, Lyle hesitated.

    I smiled bitterly and took out a newspaper clipping from my bag to show it to him. ¡°Would it make any

    difference? I mean, I¡¯ve already be a homewrecker anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne¡­¡± As Lyle gazed at me, I couldn¡¯t tell and wasn¡¯t interested to know what was on his mind. He

    beat me and intended to rape me when he forced me to get a divorce. Yet, when I agreed to it, he

    became hesitant.

    ¡°Eve, Lyle,e here,¡± Sharon called us from the living room. At that moment, I was reluctant to see

    her. Recalling their conversation, I could only feel anger.

    The mysterious shares that I wasn¡¯t aware of until recently destroyed my career and my life.

    Many dishes were on the dining table as it was already dinner time. When Sharon asked us toe

    over, I thought about walking off without saying goodbye. However, my heart softened once I saw her

    begging gaze.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    Despite her ulterior motive, she treated me well. When I was driven out of my home and left helpless,

    she took me in. She could be faking it, but her kindness toward me was tangible.

    I took my seat and began to eat my food like a machine. At that moment, I didn¡¯t care what I had put

    into my mouth. Meanwhile, Sharon kept picking up some food for me and asked Lyle to do the same.

    However, I picked the food out silently, put it on a small te, and continued eating.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Try other dishes; they are good for your health. By the way, you seemed to slim downtely.¡± Lyle

    noticed that something was wrong with me. As such, he picked up some vegetables for me and asked,

    ¡°Do you want a ss of hot water?¡±

    Since I couldn¡¯t stand him anymore, I put down my cutlery and bellowed, ¡°I don¡¯t like vegetables and

    prefer meat only. Besides, when I feel ufortable, a ss of water won¡¯t make me feel better.

    Please don¡¯t repeat the same thing to me from now on; I¡¯m bored of listening to it.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s expression turned grim upon hearing it. The next moment, I put down the spoon and said

    weakly, ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t have the appetite. I want to go out and get some fresh air. Also, I have

    something to tell you after dinner.¡±

    ¡°Eve!¡± Grandma stopped me and said, ¡°I know what you want to tell me. Nheless, tomorrow is old

    Mr. Lane¡¯s sixtieth birthday party. Since Mr. Ziegler is his cousin, he will be there. We¡¯re close to the

    Ziegler family due to years of cooperation. Can you attend the party with Lyle? We¡¯ll discuss your

    request again when the party is over.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know much about the social circles in Avenport, for I rarely attended big parties. Back then,

    Crystal and Yvette always made fun of me during parties. Hence, I became repulsed by parties over

    time. I was only aware then that Mr. Ziegler was old Mr. Lane¡¯s cousin.

    Wait a minute. It¡¯s the sixtieth birthday of Christopher¡¯s dad!

    I suddenly came back to my senses. Knowing that it was Christopher¡¯s house, I suddenly felt curious

    and was interested in the event.

    Mr. Ziegler was the CEO of Ziegler Corporation, but he always jokingly addressed himself as a low-

    ranking manager. Also, he was a hrious senior. Speaking of which, it was a coincidence that I could

    get a contract of great value from him.

    Back then, Sharon was deeply troubled by the Smith family¡¯s financial woes. After Lyle proposed to me,

    I wished to prove my worth to them. During a meeting with Mary, I happened to bump into a man

    pestering her and recorded it down. At that time, Mr. Ziegler was nning to get a divorce, for he was

    suspicious that his wife had an affair.

    I handed over the video to Mason and the couple soon reconciled. Hence, they were kind to me and

    willing to sign my contract. Perhaps Sharon had wanted me to attend the Lane family¡¯s party because

    she was afraid of losing the contract.

    I intended to decline her request, for I was already tired of being used by her.

    Besides, the shares that I never saw probably belonged to the Smith family now. In that case, why must

    I do it for her? Nheless, my heart softened again once I saw Sharon¡¯s earnest look. I nodded in

    response and promised myself silently that I would be her pawn for onest time.

    I considered it as paying her back. Even though she wasn¡¯t sincere, she did help me when I was

    homeless and stayed in the basement like a stray dog. Apart from that, she supported me to further my

    studies and got a well-paid job as a result.

    ¡°Okay!¡± I nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll attend the party tomorrow.¡±

    I eventually stayed until after dinner. Later, Lyle was insistent oning with me as I left the old

    mansion. However, I flung his hand away and walked away. Meanwhile, I thought it was probably the

    last time that I would be here. From then on, I wished that I wouldn¡¯t have to be here ever again.

    Perhaps I could finally stay away from the troubles after paying her back and using up my remaining

    values.

    ¡°Yvonne, what are you doing!¡± Lyle trailed me in his car. Also, he rolled down the window and yelled at

    me.

    ¡°Are you seriously asking me?¡± I scoffed, ¡°I heard everything you guys said in the greenhouse.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m worth nothing to you now. Why do you care about me? Anyway, I¡¯ll attend the party tomorrow.

    Since I promised Grandma, I wouldn¡¯t go back on my word. So, you don¡¯t have to face your ugly wife all

    day.¡±

    Meanwhile, Lyle¡¯s face turned red with fury. Nheless, he held in his anger and said, ¡°Why did you

    push me away at the hotel?¡±

    Doesn¡¯t he know the reason? Well, he probably thinks I wanted to do something. I replied coldly, ¡°I lost

    my vision and my mind. Are you satisfied with my answer?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°You love me, don¡¯t you?¡± Lyle¡¯s expression turned grim as he said, ¡°But why did you¡­¡±

    He bit his tongue, but I wasn¡¯t interested to know what he intended to say. ¡°Does it make a difference if

    I love you or not? Crystal is yours now, and you¡¯ve maintained your reputation. Are you not content with

    it? Please don¡¯t disturb me anymore.¡±

    I entered an alley furiously to escape from his unsightly Porsche. Deep down, I thought Lyle was

    probably hesitant about getting a divorce because I saved him. In that case, I would rather travel back

    in time to stop myself from saving him. Then, he would have stopped overthinking everything.

    Initially, I thought he wouldn¡¯t catch up with me. Nheless, I overestimated his shamelessness.

    When I exited the alley, he was already waiting for me in front. The moment I showed up, he pinched

    me against the wall furiously and yelled, ¡°You want a divorce because you wish to be with Christopher,

    am I right? How dare you im that there is nothing between you two? If that¡¯s true, why did you two

    hug each other?¡±

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? While you can have multiple concubines, I should be grateful because I still

    have a tiny ce in your heart? Should I kneel before you and thank you for remembering me once in a

    while? Are you that shameless to think that you¡¯re an emperor, and everyone has to do as you wish?¡±

    ¡°How dare you make excuses!¡± Lyle lifted his hand and threw a pile of photos at me. The wind gusted

    through and scattered them all over the ground. I was startled to find out that they were taken when

    Christopher and I went to the amusement park. In the photos, I looked a little silly but smiled happily.

    ¡°Did you follow me?¡± I never thought that Lyle was that perverted to follow me.

    ¡°What if my answer is yes?¡± Lyle gripped my shoulder tightly and continued, ¡°Since when did you have

    an affair with him? What did you guys do behind my back?¡±

    ¡°We did everything. Are you satisfied?¡± Impulse brought out the worse in me.

    p! Lyle pped on my face and bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re a b*tch!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a b*tch. That is why I married to a scum!¡± I threw a kick at his leg and pushed him away

    forcefully. Then, I pointed at the photos and said, ¡°These photos were taken yesterday. Even though

    you were the one who proposed to me, I wasbeled as a homewrecker instead. Where were you

    when I was ndered? I guess you were by Crystal¡¯s side tofort her, right? Yet, I was left helpless

    and stood by the roadside like a stray dog. Did you read the news? The only thing that I didn¡¯t do was

    jump off a building. If Christopher didn¡¯t show up, I¡¯d have ended my life already.¡±

    As Lyle was irritated, he lifted his hand and wanted to p me again. Seeing that, I leaned closer to

    him and pointed at my face provokingly. ¡°Come on. Hit me here to leave handprints on both of my

    cheeks. Let me attend the party tomorrow with handprints on my face to show that we¡¯re a loving

    couple.¡±

    In the end, Lyle didn¡¯t hit me. Instead, he looked a little tired, as though he was troubled. ¡°Regarding

    the incident with Crystal, I called you and wanted to stop your dad. However, you weren¡¯t willing to

    come with me. My initial n was to let you tell the reporters that there was nothing between Crystal

    and me. Also, I hoped you could exin that you two were good friends, and the entire fiasco emerged

    due to some rumors spread by certain newspapers.¡±

    I was shocked to hear that Lyle cared about my feelings. Sadly, I didn¡¯t believe a word of it as I replied

    coldly, ¡°I said that I will attend the party tomorrow. Rest assured that I won¡¯t tell Mr. Ziegler anything that

    might jeopardize the contract. So, you have nothing to worry about.¡±

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me!¡± Lyle red at me, his expression turned grim.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Meanwhile, I gazed at him coldly, as if I was looking at a random stranger on the street. Then, I said

    while emphasizing every word, ¡°Do you there is still trust between us? Come on. You¡¯ll treat me well

    only when you need my help, right? So, you don¡¯t need to fake it in front of me.¡±

    Once I finished, I strode and left. When I came to a corner, Lyle stood still and looked dejected

    somehow. However, I would never believe that he was sad because of me.

    I felt I could hardly understand Lyle¡ªhe cared about me at times but was also ruthless. Perhaps with

    Christopher¡¯s presence, he was surprised to find out that someone would love his haggard wife. It

    proved once again that humans were ungrateful brats and would cherish something only when they

    were losing it.

    With a palm print on my cheek, and my left hand scalded, Christopher would be worried when he saw

    me. As such, I bought some ointment to reduce the swelling on my face. My hand¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t

    serious because Josephine had treated it for me immediately.

    The moment I opened the door, I could smell the aroma of food. Then, I saw Christopher wearing an

    apron and busy preparing food in the kitchen. Hearing the sound, he turned around and said, ¡°Dinner is

    almost ready. Don¡¯t rush into the house yet. I¡¯ve bought a new pair of slippers, and they¡¯re in the shoe

    cab. Try it.¡±

    Don¡¯t I have a pair of slippers already? Why did he buy a new one?

    I opened the shoe cab to take a look. Although it was autumn then, he had already bought the

    slippers for winter. They were a pair of fluffy slippers with a cute rabbit. Besides, he purposely chose

    pink for me. Since it was something that a teenage girl would love, I somehow felt that Christopher

    pampered me like a young girl.

    I walked to the kitchen door in my fluffy slippers and leaned against the wall to watch him prepare the

    meal. He chopped the vegetables steadily as though there was some magical charm around his hands.

    Unknowingly, I was captivated by his charming figure while cooking.

    After a while, I shifted my gaze toward the dining room and saw four dishes, and they were all my

    favorites. I couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. I was like a wife who was tired after work. When I got home

    and saw my husband preparing dinner, I would be cheered no matter how tired I was.

    Christopher probably noticed that I was watching him. He turned around, raised his eyebrows, and said

    yfully, ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you mesmerized by me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the most handsome guy¡ªmy hero, and my prince.¡± I chuckled and hugged him from

    behind. ¡°Christopher, please don¡¯t treat me so well. I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll be devastated if I get used to

    your kindness now but lose youter.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to treat you well forever. No worries!¡± Christopher pinched my nose gently and

    ced a bowl of soup on the table. However, a glint shed across his eyes once he saw the injury on

    my hand. He grabbed my hand and asked, ¡°What happened? Did Lyle give you any trouble!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I gave up on Lyle totally but was heartbroken after knowing the truth about Sharon. I exined, ¡°I

    made some tea for Sharon but spilled it identally. Anyway, it¡¯s a minor injury, and it should recover

    tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take good care of yourself? Should I tie you with me so that I can always keep an eye

    on you?¡± Christopher heaved a sigh.

    Although his words were simr to Lyle¡¯s, I was touched by his. ¡°I¡¯m worried you might get bored of me

    if I¡¯m tied to you all the time.¡±

    ¡°How did the discussion go?¡± Christopher asked casually.

    I knew that he referred to the oue after I met with Sharon. After all, he saw that I behaved

    resolutely yesterday. A momentter, I exined helplessly, ¡°Once the Lane family¡¯s party is over

    tomorrow, everything should be done and dusted.¡±

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    Speaking of the Lane family, I immediately looked at him. ¡°Tomorrow is your dad¡¯s birthday? Um, what

    gift should I get? Ugh, I only cared about fighting with Lyle today and forgot about buying gifts.¡±

    Since I was going over as Lyle¡¯s wife, I did not actually have to worry about bringing gifts since

    Grandma would prepare everything. However, the situation was different now. I wanted to dump Lyle

    and get together with Christopher. Thus, I should be more serious when meeting his father.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already prepared it for you.¡± He then jutted his chin toward the coffee table. On it,

    there was a inly packaged box. I was dumbfounded when I picked it up. ¡°Walnut cookies? Oh,e

    on, you want me to bring such a thing to a luxury party? I¡¯ll getughed at.¡±

    I then red unhappily at him and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not ying tricks on me, right?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll y tricks on anyone but you,¡± he replied, patting the top of my head. ¡°Why? Is my

    reputation that poor?¡±

    As I looked deep into his eyes, for some reason, I trusted him. I believed that no matter what he did, he

    would not hurt me. Thus, I wrinkled my nose and said, ¡°I¡¯ll believe you then. But if I lose face, I¡¯ll beat

    you up.¡±

    ¡°Can you bear to?¡± he asked, carrying me onto hisp as he began to put food in my mouth. I willingly

    took a bite. Although I had had dinner with the Smiths earlier, I did not actually eat anything.

    Those truths had already caused my heart to bleed. If another stab came, my heart would copse

    completely. Fortunately, I met Christopher in that abyss.

    ¡°Of course I can!¡± I said, taking another bite. I lightly pinched the skin around his waist, then picked up

    some food and fed him.

    In that manner, we fed each other until we were both full. After the meal, I wanted to do the dishes.

    However, he pressed me onto the sofa and said that he would do it. Thus, I merely watched him, giving

    him moral support.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    I was grinning like a fool as I watched him. Then at night, as usual, we did not go all the way. After we

    were done, wey on the bed as I nestled in his arms. ¡°What¡¯s your family like?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although my family has some wealth, there¡¯s nothing messy going on. Both my parents

    and my brother and his wife are loving. My brother¡¯s five years older than me, so I don¡¯t need to worry

    about most of the family matters. I only need to apany you well.¡±

    What a happy family. No wonder he can do whatever he wants. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll like me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course. My eye for picking people is better than average,¡± he replied before kissing me on the

    forehead.

    In reality, I was somewhat surprised by my question because I had said it out of worry about whether

    my future parents-inw would like me. It turned out that I had already regarded myself as his girlfriend

    and had epted that identity very dly.

    But I¡¯m a divorcee. Can they really ept me? At that moment, anxiety emerged in my heart. After all,

    it was human nature that once someone had something beautiful, they would want and desire even

    more.

    Previously, I had intended to stay by Christopher¡¯s side quietly, and only when he got married and had

    children would I leave. I rubbed my hand against his chest, suppressing the thoughts that had just

    come up.

    To divorce Lyle, I had even been willing to bebeled as a mistress who got in between others¡¯

    rtionships. As a result, I had no right to make others ept such a notorious person.

    I was satisfied that I could stay with someone who had no reason to be nice to me. I could not hope for

    more. Thus, it was fine as long as I still had him.

    When I woke in the morning, Christopher was beside me on the bed. He was quiet when he slept,

    having none of his usual rushed mannerisms and unruliness. He also seemed to have dreamt of

    something nice, for there was a slight smile on his face, making him look like a young boy.

    My young boy. I leaned over and pecked him on the lips before I got up. Just then, one of his hands

    cupped the back of my head, and he deepened the kiss. It was a long and deep kiss¡ªfull of sweetness

    and calm.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    Since the Lane family was holding a party, he had to head back first. He took my hand and constantly

    shook his head. ¡°The next time my dad holds a party, I must openly hold your hand.¡±

    Iughed. ¡°You¡¯d better work hard then. I¡¯m not that easy to woo.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re already in love, so happiness isn¡¯t far away.¡±

    Yeah, my happiness should be nearing. Once he left, I then began to prepare and dress up for the

    party. However, I soon became troubled. What exactly should I wear this time to make a good

    impression on his parents?

    I first tried on the gown that Sabrina had prepared for me but found it too revealing. Although it showed

    off my figure and covered up ws, elders and youths had different perceptions. Maybe they¡¯d find me

    frivolous. Nope, absolutely not this one.

    Then, sportswear? However, no one would wear sportswear to a party as it was very out of ce.

    Eventually, I took out the dress I had worn when I met Mary after I got married. It was not because I

    was feeling nostalgic. Instead, it was because it was the most decent dress I had that was not too

    exposing.

    I then made myself some lunch. Every meal, I would receive a call from Christopher. He said

    impatiently, ¡°Dad¡¯s merely celebrating his birthday. Why do they have to make it so troublesome? Isn¡¯t it

    enough for everyone to have a family dinner together? As someone who doesn¡¯t work, they arranged

    so many things for me to do. How annoying.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t stop whining. Thus, I smiled and replied, ¡°He¡¯s your dad, so you should do something for

    his birthday. Be good. I¡¯ll be there in the afternoon. Don¡¯t be annoyed. Remember, you¡¯re not allowed to

    look at pretty girls.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll listen to you, Eve.¡±

    After hanging up, I put the walnut cookies into a small bag, picked up my handbag, then left. Although I

    already picked my dress, I still needed proper styling. After all, if I merely pulled my hair into a ponytail,

    others wouldugh at me. This was the most troublesome part of the upper ss. One had to pay

    attention to their image at all times. Sometimes, I hoped that Christopher was a poor boy because that

    way, I would not have any burdens.

    After spending the entire afternoon getting everything done, I took out my phone, which had been in

    silent mode. There was a series of missed calls from Lyle. I sneered and called back, asking in an

    impatient tone, ¡°Why¡¯d you call?¡±

    As I could not bother to y along with Lyle then, there was no need to give him face.

    ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle to pick up,¡± he asked fiercely, not caring about my tone at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take a taxi. We can meet at the gates of the Lane family mansion.¡± Then, before he could

    get angry, I hung up. I did not want to spoil my good mood because of him.

    In any case, he was with Crystal then. I had already heard a woman¡¯s voice in the background, yet he

    still dared to call me. I wondered what she was thinking then. Why didn¡¯t she force Lyle to divorce me?

    Does she like this kind of torment?

    Thinking of Crystal, I then wanted to catch up on her news. Although many online discussions would

    probably be unfavorable to me, I at least had to know how much others scolded me. That way, I would

    not be too embarrassed.

    Unexpectedly, the news from the day before yesterday had disappeared without a trace, especially the

    fake video. Instead, there was a video about fake and real mistresses circting online, which had a lot

    of scolding in itsments section.

    On one side, a group of keyboard warriors kept scolding Crystal for being a mistress and being

    shameless. They said that she was a mistress yet still wanted the legal wife to take the me.

    However, another group said that it was true love, and the wife was insignificant.

    Confused, I clicked on the owner of the post and was shocked. Two videos were attached. One was

    the scene of us confronting Crystal in the hotel. Yvette had pushed me, so I knocked into Crystal.

    However, I eventually did not say anything about getting bullied and had even saved Lyle. The video

    was shot very clearly and even included our conversation.

    The other video was of us in the hospital. Everything was recorded¡ªfrom when I entered to when I got

    hit. Furthermore, it even included what I said. As a result, the fake edited video was thenpletely

    baseless inparison.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    In reality, I was not familiar with the media and reporters. After all, I was neither interested in the

    entertainment industry nor a public figure. However, the two videos were very crucial, for they rified

    almost everything unfavorable toward me. No matter how powerful Crystal¡¯s fans were, at that moment,

    they could only say that true love was invincible, and the legal wife had to retreat.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Although many people still think that since my father had spoken of me that way, the two videos must

    be fake. However, naturally, some were not stupid. Crystal could be considered as shooting herself in

    the foot. Hehe, things have cleared up now. Crystal is probably very distressed, for her image is ruined.

    Touching my chin, I looked at the ount that had posted the video. The username was Kind Person.

    If I knew who it was, I would certainly give them a huge hug and various repayments.

    As I immersed myself in the feeling of happiness, the cab arrived at the gates of the Lane family

    mansion. The mansion had ssical architecture. Only a part of the mansion was exposed amongst

    the dense forest, giving off a romantic vibe.

    People said that the Lane family has a long heritage in Avenport which only the Goldstein family could

    compare. It¡¯s a majestic, old mansion, alright.

    At that time, Lyle had already reached and was waiting for me in the car. I entered the car without

    saying a word. The sight of Lyle couldn¡¯t even affect my joyous mood.

    Lyle seemed to be deep in thought as he drove into the driveway. He would look at me every now and

    then in the rear-view mirror with a frown. When there was no longer any love left, one woulde to

    nitpick on everything about the other party. Thus, his conflicted expression made him look crazy in my

    eyes.

    Lyle probably thought that I was acting coldly toward him. Thus, just as we got off the car, he criticized,

    ¡°What are you wearing? It¡¯s so old-fashioned and wrinkled. Are you purposely trying to embarrass me?¡±

    Upon hearing his words, I looked down at my dress. The wrinkles were because of the patterns on the

    dress. It was amazing how he even managed to pick on such a thing. I then raised my eyebrows and

    smiled. Perhaps it had been a long time since I smiled at him, he was stunned.

    However, I pointed at my dress and said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°When I wore a fashion-forward dress, you

    said I exposed myself to seduce men. Today, I¡¯m wearing something more conservative, but you¡¯re

    saying I¡¯m embarrassing you? How about I go in naked? That way, I can even make it on the headline

    news. You and Crystal will have nothing else to worry about then.¡±

    Seeing as he wanted to hit me again, I leaned backward and put my finger against my lips, signaling

    him to keep quiet. ¡°You can¡¯t hit me. Or do you want me to have a palm print on my face when I enter

    as Mrs. Smith? Tsk tsk, that¡¯ll be embarrassing. When peoplee over to greet us, will they think that

    we¡¯re a happy couple?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re purposely agitating me, right?¡± he asked, his face red in anger. If it were not for the fact

    that we were in public, I might already have been grabbed by the hair and pped a few times.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you keep finding trouble with me? Okay, my current husband, we have to go in hand in

    hand. Are you going or not?¡±

    If looks could kill, I would have been dead hundreds of times by then. I held onto his arm, smiling

    happily. I always had to deal with upsetting people, but now, things had changed. Since I had gained

    somewhat of an upper hand, my reactions were naturally different.

    My attitude probably angered Lyle, but he had to restrain his anger. Thus, heposed himself before

    he eventually held my hand as we walked toward the ballroom.

    I had initially thought that we could simply enter. However, the guards at the door stopped us and

    respectfully asked for our invitation. At that moment, I increasingly felt that the Lanes were no ordinary

    family. I started to be nervous.

    Christopher¡¯s family background¡¯s even better than I thought. Why¡¯s a person like him treating me so

    well? Maybe this is the rumored true love. As I pondered uncertainly, I held Lyle¡¯s hand and walked in.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    Just as we entered the house, there was the sound of a car from behind. Lyle turned back to look, so I

    had to stop as well. After all, we were acting like a loving couple. Even if our marriage only existed in

    name, Grandma had said that the Ziegler family was around. Thus, I had to y the act.

    He was clearly also already in character, for he pulled on my hand so hard that I was practically forced

    to stop. I turned back, noticing the familiar car. It belonged to the Tanners. Nathan and Scarlett walked

    in hand-in-hand, followed by Yvette. They looked to be a happy family of three.

    Natalie and Crystal then came out from the car behind. Crystal was holding on to a man¡¯s arm, who

    was her male partner for the night. I was a little surprised, for he was Benson, Benjamin¡¯s younger

    brother.

    I had heard that Benson also studied art. Thus, it was not surprising that they met each other while in a

    university abroad. No wonder when Crystal previously got into trouble, he woulde forward to speak

    up for her. Although she did not have many other skills, she had many men who protected her. Even

    the Miller family¡¯s two sons were head over heels for her.

    Lyle¡¯s grip suddenly tightened around my hand, bing painful. I nced over, his expression clearly

    showing his distress over Crystal holding another man¡¯s arm. He was jealous by then,pletely

    forgetting that he was still holding onto his wife.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go over and take back your sweetheart?¡± I said maliciously, my smile full of sarcasm.

    Hearing my words, he snapped back to his senses and turned to me, looking as if he were struggling

    over something. His expression was strange. After a pause, he said, ¡°Do you really want me to do

    that?¡±

    I was somewhat surprised by his question. Does it even matter whether I do or not? After all, he had

    never cared about such a thing before. Thus, I smiled and said, ¡°So you do still care about my feelings.

    Do you need me to act ttered?¡±

    Then, cooperatively, Iughed, my eyes bright and full of happiness. I deliberately whispered, ¡°Lyle, as

    long as I still have a ce in your heart, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±

    Those words were so disgusting that only a scumbag would believe in them. Fortunately, Lyle was one.

    However, he also knew that I spoke sarcastically. Therefore, although he still looked upset, he did not

    go over. Instead, he took his anger out on my wrist.

    ¡°If you continue using force, don¡¯t me me for making you lose face,¡± I said, frowning in displeasure.

    His grip hurt a lot.

    After I spoke, he loosened his grip but did not let go of me. He stood and waited, wanting to enter with

    the Tanner family. However, Crystal¡¯s luck was terrible that day. A group of reporters came out from

    nowhere and surrounded them.

    Immediately, one of the reporters asked Crystal, ¡°Ms. Yates, do you have anything to say about the two

    videos circting online and how you were willing to be a mistress for love?¡±

    Another asked, ¡°Ms. Yates, have you ever felt guilty for breaking up someone else¡¯s family? As a new

    school artist, you have many fans. However, they¡¯re disappointed by what you did. Shouldn¡¯t you give

    them an exnation?¡±

    The reporters surrounded Crystal, who was dumbfounded. She looked at them innocently with a sad

    expression. It was as if they had asked her a sad question. Then, as soon as she blinked, tears filled

    her eyes.

    ¡°About this¡­ Can I not talk about it? Lyle and I¡­ W-We¡­¡± Before she even finished speaking, she

    began to sob beautifully. In reality, I was curious about how she managed to look so good while she

    cried. Never mind that her makeup did not smudge and her nose did not run, but she was also always

    shot in the best-looking angle. She wept helplessly, causing others to want to pity her.

    However, the reporters did not fall for her tricks and continued to ask for her exnation. I felt happy

    watching the scene. After all, despicable people had to face the consequences. Does she really think

    that crying can win over everyone?

    Just then, Lyle spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go over, and you tell the reporters that she¡¯s our cousin. Tell them not to

    distort the truth.¡± Finally unable to take it any longer, he wanted to pull me over. However, I was

    unwilling.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    I would only be inviting trouble if I were to go over now. The reporters would definitely not let me go

    knowing I was his wife. ¡°You can go if you want to. But I¡¯m not going for sure. I couldn¡¯t care less,¡± I

    said, pushing Lyle¡¯s hand away.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Lyle was getting impatient.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    I red back at him with my head held high. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re gonna get mad. I came to the party

    because of Grandma. If you¡¯re gonna ruin the event, you¡¯ll have to exin yourself to her then.¡±

    I could tell Lyle was on the verge of losing it. He gritted his teeth, drilling his gaze through me as he

    thought about what he should do with me. He then grabbed my hand and tugged me out.

    Before I could do anything, the reporters already saw us. They swarmed over instantly and encircled

    me, bombarding me with a series of questions.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, since you¡¯re here with your husband today, does this mean the rumors online are fake? Or

    does this mean that you¡¯re willing to put up with another woman in your rtionship?¡±

    Lyle nced at me and answered on my behalf. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.

    Crystal is just our cousin. Yvonne and I are getting along phenomenally as you can see from the fact

    that we¡¯re here at the party together.¡±

    I yed along and let him pull me into his arms. I eyed him coldly, wondering where he got his audacity

    from. He was a greedy man. At work, he was thirsty for power; in private, he wanted his woman to stay

    by his side, even if it meant covering up his shameful affair.

    A gloom settled over Nathan¡¯s face when he saw me outside. ¡°I¡¯ve already said enough at the press

    conference. Y¡¯all should give Crystal some space now and stop bothering her. She has a bright future

    ahead of her, so I hope y¡¯all can go easy on her and stop creating trouble for her.¡±

    Yvette came over and chimed in, ¡°Please, could you guys stop making things difficult for Crystal?

    Everything we said is true, and Yvonne can confirm this. After all, she was also there when Crystal and

    Lyle were dating back then.¡±

    Yvette was not helping at all. Her standing up for Crystal at this point only made things worse. Seeing

    how things were going out of hand, Lyle pushed me forward toward the reporters and the crowd

    suddenly turned on me. I tilted my head helplessly and caught a glimpse of him as he let go of my

    hand. He was gesturing at Crystal and the others to leave.

    I must be stupid to still think he cares for me. Seems like I have expected too much from our two-year

    marriage.

    Indeed, it was true that even animals could grow attached to humans after spending a long time with

    them, but this was clearly not the case for our rtionship. I was disappointed over and over again.

    Lyle had repeatedly trampled on my dignity just to protect Crystal.

    ¡°Things are really difficult for Lyle and Crystal. They did nothing wrong, so please stop condemning

    them for something they cannot help. It¡¯s partly my fault too, so please just let Crystal off the hook,¡±

    Nathan interrupted.

    ¡°Yvonne, you know I¡¯m innocent, don¡¯t you? You have to trust me! You know what happened.¡± Crystal

    came forward and looked at me imploringly with tears in her eyes as if she was begging me to defend

    her.

    I hated this kind of person the most. People like her were willing to put up a hypocritical front just to

    twist the truth. Of course, I knew what happened. In fact, I even knew why Sharon wanted Lyle to marry

    me.

    ¡°Eve, say something. You can¡¯t just let these people tarnish Crystal¡¯s reputation like this.¡± Nathan was

    desperate. ¡°Do you really want her to bear the me for something she didn¡¯t do? Please do

    something, I beg of you.¡±

    My father was willing to sacrifice me for Crystal. Lies were not despicable, the liars were, especially

    when they were your own family. Everyone took me for the culprit here, and for a split of a second, I

    almost believed I was one too.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    Fortunately, I snapped back to my usual self. I reminded myself that I was Lyle¡¯s wife, not anyone else.

    It was Lyle who asked for my hand in marriage, though his intention was not pure. He married me

    because of his own business interests. I collected myself and took a good look at the eager reporters

    surrounding me.

    ¡°Why are you guys so curious about my private life? I¡¯m not someone famous. I don¡¯t think I owe

    anyone an exnation. The truth will surface at the end of the day when you see for yourself who¡¯s the

    third party in this rtionship. We¡¯re living in a modern society today and it¡¯s not like polygamy is a

    trend.¡±

    I stopped and stole a look at Lyle. A smirk yed on my lips when I saw his nervous face. ¡°My husband

    is not some king or emperor in the olden days. There¡¯s no way he has so many women to himself.¡±

    The reporters clearly did not see thising. They were busy guessing who the other woman in our

    rtionship was, but I brought Lyle up instead.

    ¡°Since you are all here today, why don¡¯t you join us for the party? I¡¯ll make an exception for all of you to

    come in. Everybody knows about the Lane family in Avenport, and I¡¯m sure you will meet many leaders

    and luminaries tonight. This will definitely make a better headline than an artist¡¯s love affair.¡±

    I could not help but apud myself for my wit. As expected, the reporters became restless the moment

    they knew they were given the leeway to take photos at the party tonight. ¡°Can we really go in? How

    many of us will be able to enter, Mrs. Smith?¡±

    ¡°My plus one didn¡¯t turn out today, so I¡¯ll be able to bring one of you in. You all can discuss among

    yourselves and decide who gets to follow me.¡± I winked at the reporters cheekily, feeling proud of

    myself.

    I finally understood why people loved getting attention from the public. It felt good, and more so when I

    just turned the table and pivoted the situation to my advantage. Standing in front of the cameras, a

    sweet wave of victory swept over me.

    Meanwhile, Benson had scrambled to leave with Crystal. Nathan was relieved they managed to escape

    and turned to reprimand me. ¡°Cut it out. You¡¯d better behave yourself now that you¡¯re outside of the

    Tanner residence.¡±

    I was positive that Nathan was the only man on earth who did not love his own daughter. Even an

    illegitimate child got better treatment than I did in my own family.

    ¡°Not everyone will be allowed in, so make up your mind and choose a few among yourselves.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s voice pierced through the buzzing crowd from behind. I turned and shot him a grateful

    gaze before greeting him. His outfit was exceptionally formal that night. He looked exactly like prince

    charming in his white suit.

    Does he really have to try so hard to impress? Despite the mocking thought in my head, I still found

    myself drooling over him. Christopher was a dashing young man¡ªand more so when he was dressed

    up¡ªI could never deny that.

    There was an air of loftiness about him. Perhaps it was because he had had a tiring day, he looked a

    little drained. He went over with his bodyguards and talked to the reporters. As he walked past me, a

    flicker of disappointment shone in his eyes as if he was upset because he could not talk to me under so

    many eyes.

    I looked away and smiled subtly.

    After the reporters were gone, I could finally go back in. Before I could go into the courtyard, I bumped

    into my disgruntled father. He eyed me coldly andmbasted me unreservedly. ¡°What do you think you

    were doing back there? You¡¯re a shame to our family. Things could¡¯ve been worse if it weren¡¯t for

    Christopher.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I scoffed looking at the stranger before me, ¡°Are you really my dad? Why do I feel like

    you fancy your niece way more than your own daughter?¡± I had asked Nathan the same question a lot

    of times, but his reaction was always the same.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    ¡°You¡¯d better put on your best selfter on. Don¡¯t embarrass the family.¡± With that, Nathan whipped his

    head in annoyance and left.

    I spotted Yvette looking at us and smiling triumphantly at me on the other side, but I simply ignored her.

    Just as I was about to head in, I saw Lyle waiting for me outside. ¡°What are you doing here? The

    reporters are gone already, so you can stop acting like you care. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Crystal might get

    jealous?¡± Although I was teasing him, I was undoubtedly surprised to see him still standing there.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± He pulled me by my hand and dragged me into the house.

    The party was no fun at all. I was ufortable with all the eyes that were on me. It went without

    saying that everyone was aware of what was happening. They were pointing fingers at me and I

    became the subject of their gossip.

    ¡°I really sympathize with Yvonne. Even though she¡¯s the Tanner family¡¯s daughter, that¡¯s just a title.¡±

    ¡°I know right. Not only is her cousin making things difficult for her, but even the illegitimate child in the

    Tanner family is also giving her a headache.¡±

    I put up a fake smile and brushed off theirments. It was true that I was in a pitiable state, but this

    was nothingpared to what I used to endure. At least I had a job of my own and could fend for

    myself now. Back then, I could only survive on the meager sum of pocket money that Nathan gave me.

    I was not a sociable person. I disliked events like this where I had to mingle with people, but bearing

    the mission I had in mind, I came anyway. I surveyed the crowd and nudged Lyle when I saw Mason

    talking to his wife in a corner.

    I could tell they were a sweet couple from how they held each other¡¯s hands when they were talking to

    other people. Mason would look at his wife now and then when he was engaged in a conversation, and

    he would even ask the waiter to pour his wife a drink when he realized her ss was almost empty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take too much alcohol, it¡¯s not good for your body. You should have some milk instead.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    Mary smiled gently, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m taking a lot. It¡¯s a party. People will

    think I¡¯m such a bore if I don¡¯t drink.¡±

    ¡°Who cares what people think about you? Your health is way more important.¡± Mason¡¯s chubby cheeks

    tightened as he squeezed a blissful smile on his face.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Are you jealous of Mrs. Ziegler? Do you want to be his wife too?¡± Lyle¡¯s voice

    called me back to reality when he saw me staring at the happy couple. I had no idea how Lyle came to

    this conclusion, but he was fixed on milking this.

    ¡°I know Mr. Ziegler is friendly and he¡¯s really nice to you, but you¡¯d better think twice before wrecking

    their marriage.¡±

    ¡°Not bad, so you¡¯re actually aware that you¡¯re such a bad husband that your wife needs to find another

    man, huh.¡± I shot him a cold smile and greeted Mason without waiting for another snarkyment from

    him.

    Mason and his wife saw us and came over to greet us. Lyle tried hard to put on a smiley face but all it

    did was made him looked constipated as he tried to hide the anger on his face.

    Hah! He¡¯d better take me seriously now. I am no pushover.

    ¡°Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler. It¡¯s nice to meet you again. I swear you guys are the sweetest couple at the

    party.¡±

    Mary¡¯s cheeks were flushed red. ¡°Stop teasing me, Eve,¡± she said shyly. ¡°By the way, the tea you

    rmended is really good. It really helped with my sleep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d it worked. I¡¯ll make some tea leaves for you next time.¡± I was really fond of Mary. Despite her

    social standing, she was down to earth and approachable, and she did not look at me differently like

    others did.

    ¡°That¡¯s really kind of you to offer. Mr. Smith is really lucky to have a wife like you.¡± She chuckled,

    looking at the two of us.

    The rigid smile on Lyle¡¯s face faded away the moment he heard her. I could even see a faint glimmer of

    antipathy in his eyes.

    Lyle¡¯s really a hard-to-please.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    After talking with Mason and Mary, my task for that night waspleted. I just needed to meet

    Christopher¡¯s family and that would be all for the night. While waiting, I found a quiet spot and sat down

    to eat, but Lyle was not done mocking me yet.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so desperate that you¡¯re checking an old man out.¡±

    I pushed his hand away. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lyle Smith. I just want to enjoy the party tonight, but I¡¯ll y

    along if you insist on picking a fight. I have nothing to lose, and I can readily put everything I have on

    the line, but can you? You have too much at stake if we fight here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls, don¡¯t you? You really did a good job putting up a gentle front in front of me for

    all these years.¡± Lyle¡¯s grip tightened around my shoulder.

    I lifted my leg and drilled my heel right into his shoe. A painful frown carved on his brows although he

    did not shout out loud. Some of the reporters wereughing among themselves looking at us.

    I knew Lyle could not rify his rtionship with Crystal before the reporters. He could never bring

    himself to say that he found out he was still in love with her after they broke up. I did not see why I

    should deprive the two lovebirds, so I did not say anything bad about Lyle back there.

    It was not like I did not know I should have just taken the chance to badmouth him in public, but I knew

    my attempt would not amount to any damage to him. The public would at most say he was a

    charismatic and attractive man who could not make up his mind between two women who were head

    over heels in love with him, but society would not be as merciful to me. They would say all sorts of

    mean things about women.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    I ignored Lyle and went ahead to get some food. I could feel Lyle¡¯s disgusted gaze on me as I ate away.

    ¡°You may leave if you don¡¯t like how I eat. I don¡¯t want to lose my appetite because of you.¡± I did not

    have time to eat because I was busy getting ready for the party, so I was famished. As I was busy

    stuffing food into my mouth, someone passed me some caviar, which I had been thinking of getting.

    ¡°They are getting more caviar ready in the kitchen. I can ask them to hurry up if you like them.¡± A man¡¯s

    coarse voice resounded beside me as I chomped on.

    I looked up disconcertedly and saw a stranger. His face bore a slight resemnce to Christopher, but

    this man behaved more maturely.

    I conjectured that he must be Christopher¡¯s elder brother, the firstborn, and the person in charge of the

    Lane family. I quickly stood up as I wiped away the food on the corner of my lips. I only realized my

    blunder after I held out my dirty hand toward him. The idea of meeting Christopher¡¯s brother made me

    fidget so much I was not myself.

    I darted my gaze around looking for a napkin when I saw the butter on my hand. I gave Lyle a nudge,

    who was already greeting the man, hoping he would help me, but he simply frowned at me in

    repugnance when he saw my unsettled state.

    Darius noticed it and pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket in a gentlemanly manner. After I

    wiped my hands clean, he took his handkerchief back without the slightest hint of revulsion. He talked

    to Lyle for a bit before excusing himself. I was impressed by how well he carried himself.

    His bearing did his family¡¯s fame and prestige justice. I could not believe even Darius was so perfect.

    He behaved so cordially to a stranger like me.

    ¡°It¡¯s time you stop lusting over him. He¡¯s already married and has a family,¡± Lyle berated. ¡°You never fail

    to surprise me, Yvonne Tanner. You even manage to catch Darius¡¯ attention. He¡¯s known to be an

    unfriendly person.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± I dismissed hisment tritely despite feeling confused. If what Lyle said was true, then it

    did not make sense why Darius would treat me so amiably. It was not like I was anyone important.

    I was still married to Lyle, so even if Christopher wanted to enter into a rtionship with me, he would

    not break it to his family, at least not yet.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    The party was alreadying to an end, but I had yet to meet Christopher¡¯s parents. I looked around

    but did not see him. However, since they were the hosts, I figured I would definitely see them before

    the night ended. Timely enough, a melodious piano tune rang through the hall.

    Everyone lowered their voices upon hearing the music and directed their gaze toward the woman who

    was ying the piano. She had her head lowered looking at the keys, so I could not see her face. Her

    deft fingers danced on the keys as the dulcet tune engulfed everyone present.

    I got carried away listening to the soothing music, and it suspended the antipathy I felt toward Lyle.

    The melody captured my soul, calling to mind all the good memories I treasured in my heart. I closed

    my eyes and rendered myself to the wave of emotions surging in my heart. Somehow, Christopher¡¯s

    face came to mind as I traveled down memory¡¯sne.

    The hall became quiet as the music washed over the crowd. No one spoke until the tune finally ended,

    and a round of apuse rang.

    I opened my eyes to the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Thedy stood up and curtseyed to the

    crowd with aposed smile. She was nomon woman. I could tell she was a wise woman from

    the glints of shrewdness in her eyes despite her graceful demeanor.

    Not even Yvette or Sabrina was her match. The aura she gave off captivated the crowd and all eyes

    were on her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone this beautiful before,¡± I could not help but exim.

    I saw Christopher going past the crowd toward her. There was no way I could mistake him for someone

    else. After all, he had always stood out among all other men.

    The woman walked toward him and hooked her arms around his after she walked down the stage. A

    pang of chill dominated my heart at that sight and I felt ufortable.

    The ball had begun. Christopher held her hand and went to the middle of the dance floor. The two

    made a perfect couple as they danced to the music.

    ¡°That¡¯s Monica Martin, she¡¯s really popr in Avenport. Those were the days when I was crazy about

    her back at university,¡± a man said to a youngdy next to him.

    ¡°Yeah, I know of her. She¡¯s really talented and smart. She just recently published a book and it sold

    over five hundred million copies. There¡¯s no way someone like her will settle for you.¡±

    ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t have to be that mean. I didn¡¯t win her heart because she¡¯s already had her eyes

    fixed on Christopher. I heard they are already engaged. I think we will all get their wedding invitation

    anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Christopher¡¯s engaged? Gosh, why are all the good men taken?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    My heart sunk when I overheard their conversation. I could feel my strength being sapped away as the

    man¡¯s words echoed in my ears.

    So, Christopher already has a fianc¨¦e.

    Why did he string me along then? Why was he so kind to me?

    I wondered if Christopher was just toying with my emotions. He probably found me interesting because

    he was too bored. Sorrow ate me up bit by bit and my eyes watered as I watched them dance.

    I dug my nails into my palms, trying to force my emotions back, but I was no good at concealing my

    feelings.

    My head drooped as I gathered up all my strength to remainposed. ¡°Did you hear that?

    Christopher¡¯s already engaged. His fianc¨¦e is way out of your league, so you¡¯d better know your

    ce.¡±

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    I sucked a mouthful of cold air and looked up, only to see Lyle, and also Crystal, who was standing

    beside Benson. She deliberately came closer to Lyle and stealthily touched his hand from an angle

    only visible to me before shooting me a provocative smile.

    Sadness and anger overtook me and I shook off Lyle¡¯s hand. ¡°Get the f*ck out of my way.¡±

    Lyle was taken off guard hearing me swear. Since the reporters were already gone, there was no need

    for me to keep up the act anymore. It was time I leave.

    ¡°I mean what I said.¡±

    Lyle looked at me, confused.

    I pointed at Benson and Crystal, and then at myself. ¡°As I said earlier, you¡¯re not some king in the

    ancient past. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to maintain a rtionship with your queen while sleeping

    around with your concubines. I don¡¯t care if you want to go look for Crystal.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    Lyle had wanted to dance with Crystal when the ball started, but he turned back and looked at me

    intensely right after he took the first step away from me. Nheless, I knew him all too well. His heart

    was already somewhere else.

    ¡°Just go do whatever you want to do. The reporters are gone already.¡±

    I could see anger burning in his eyes as his gaze wandered to somewhere far away behind me. When

    he looked back at me again, his gaze was resolute. He almost said something, but he stopped himself.

    He spared me onest look and walked away.

    And so, I was alone again. I turned and saw Mason and Mary behind me, still chatting and smiling at

    each other.

    Their happiness drew tears to my eyes and I walked over to the table. I gobbled up some spicy food so

    people would think I was tearing up because of it. I stuffed more food in my mouth as tears rolled down

    my cheeks.

    ¡°Cut it out,¡± Sabrina snatched the food in my hand away before putting it in her own mouth. ¡°Geez, how

    many did you eat? It¡¯s so hot!¡±

    I did not reply but drank a shot of wine.

    Sabrina passed me a napkin and looked at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Christopher is already engaged. I wasn¡¯t

    expecting him to pull this trick after his high-profile return from abroad.¡±

    My heart wrenched when she brought up the matter again. Sabrina was the only person who knew

    what was going on between Christopher and me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s helped me before, so I¡¯ll just treat it as

    returning his favor. We¡¯re even now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re looking on the bright side. Who knows, things might work out between my cousin and

    you after you divorce that useless man.¡±

    I was not sure how much Sabrina knew about what happened between Christopher and me. It was

    likely that she only knew he helped me out a few times and was interested in me, and that the feeling

    was mutual on my side. That was perhaps why she made it sound like it was easy to get over him.

    I forced a smile on my face so I could calm down, but it was to no avail.

    I noticed that Lyle did not dance in the end. I guessed he was afraid of the paparazzi. He went over to

    Benjamin and asked him to take Benson away beforeing back to me.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    I felt like I was going berserk. I wanted to shout at him to ask him to stay away from me. His little

    kindness only made me want to puke, but of course, I did not do that. I still had to maintain the image of

    our marriage in public. Likewise, Crystal knew she could not do anything at the party, so she could only

    eye me irritatedly from afar.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    As I looked away from Crystal, I spotted Christopher¡¯s father. He was a slender middle-aged man who

    looked graceful and polite, but at the same time, gave off a deterrent vibe.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was on the man. Some even went forward to give him gifts. It was in as day

    that those who attended the gathering had ulterior motives. They wanted to get on the good side of the

    powerful family. That was why they present rare and exorbitantly priced gifts.

    I looked at the walnut cookies in my hands in remorse. Regardless, I was sure that Lyle had a gift

    prepared. Since the Smiths and the Lanes were not particrly close, we were not obliged to give

    anything expensive.

    Before I knew Christopher was engaged, I was fixated on scoring some brownie points with his dad,

    but now that things had turned out this way, there was no point in me trying to please him anymore.

    ¡°Mr. Lane, this is a painting I drew on my own. I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± Crystal went ahead and gifted him

    her painting after seeing the others did so.

    I stole a peek at the drawing and nodded approvingly. I had to admit that Crystal¡¯s skills had improved

    by leaps and bounds after she went overseas. There was no way I could draw something as good as

    this.

    ¡°Wow, this is impressive. I have to say you¡¯re a gifted painter,¡± Gordon eximed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t

    think I got your name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Crystal Yates, Mr. Lane. I came to your house before, but of course, that was a long time ago. I

    was only ten back then,¡± Crystal replied with a shy smile on her face.

    Gordon¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Oh! So you¡¯re the girl who saved Chrisst time. Of course, I

    remember you. You¡¯re a brave girl. You¡¯re all grown up now.¡±

    It went without saying that Gordon was extremely pleased to meet Crystal. His remarks reminded

    everyone of what happened years ago.

    ¡°Ah, so she¡¯s the girl. No wonder the Miller brothers and Mr. Smith like her so much. She even saved

    my son back then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She practically saved so many people.¡±

    Everyone startedplimenting Crystal. Some of them even used that incident to justify Lyle and her

    rtionship.

    Crystal looked at the crowd and faked a humble smile. ¡°I was actually very scared too, but when I saw I

    was the only one who was awake, I knew I had to do something to get everyone out.¡±

    I could clearly remember what happened that year. I was only eleven, and Crystal was ten. A group of

    kidnappers went to an elite school in Avenport and abducted the children of some of the wealthiest

    people. They refused to let the kids go unless the parents pay one billion for every child they got.

    I was one of the kids who were kidnapped. After the incident, Crystal shot to fame and became a

    heralded heroine among the high society.

    As always, I remained in her shadow, just as how it was now. I knew she was up to no good when I

    saw her walking toward me.

    ¡°Yvonne, didn¡¯t you bring a gift for Mr. Lane as well? Why don¡¯t we unwrap the present now?¡±

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    I was suddenly put under the limelight after Crystal approached me. I knew she directed their attention

    toward me on purpose. I had no money and no one who would stand up for me. All I had was that

    pathetic-looking box in my hand that made me look out of ce.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you brought something for my dad too, Eve. Come on, give it to him. He¡¯ll be happy to

    see it.¡± Christopher stood beside Gordon, giving me an innocent smile. Monica whispered in his ears

    and a smile broke out on his face, lodging a bard in my heart.

    ¡°She¡¯s your friend?¡± Gordon asked Christopher.

    ¡°We¡¯ve met a few times.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s casual tone chilled my heart. It was true that we had only met a few times, but they were

    no usual encounters. I had given him my heart after all the nights we spent together, but just as I

    thought we were in for a serious rtionship, I found out I was fooled. I was like a clown in a circus,

    putting up a show under the eyes of the mocking crowd.

    ¡°Come on, Yvonne. Don¡¯t be shy. I already gave the painting I drew to Mr. Lane, so it¡¯s your turn now.

    You¡¯ve been carrying this box since the beginning of the party. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something of great value.¡±

    As she spoke, Crystal came forward and reached for the box in my hand.

    I stepped backward intuitively and evaded her hand. She shed me a sweet smile, but I could see the

    hatred in her eyes. She crossed her arms and waited for me to disgrace myself.

    I clenched my jaw and went toward Gordon. ¡°Hi, Mr. Lane. I have no idea what you¡¯d like for your

    birthday, so I got you some cookies. I heard Avenport is known for this local delicacy, so I got you

    some. I hope you¡¯ll like them.¡±

    I did not care if I was going to make a fool out of myself. My reputation was marred, to begin with. If

    humiliating me was what Christopher wanted all this while, then I would give him what he wanted. This

    would be the end of us.

    ¡°Walnut cookies?¡± Gordon took the box and asked.

    His question elicited a boisterousugh from one of the guests, who quickly quietened down when he

    realized his mistake. Everyone cast disapproving nces toward me.

    Scorn spread on Yvette¡¯s face as she looked at me. ¡°My dear sister, do you seriously have to go so

    cheap? I mean, sure, I epted your gift for me even though it was just some random stuff you got

    from the streets. But that¡¯s only because you¡¯re my sister. I¡¯m happy as long as I get something from

    you, but how could you do this to Mr. Lane?¡±

    It went without saying that Crystal was enjoying the scene. She looked at me pitiably and spoke to

    Gordon apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Lane. Yvonne doesn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±

    It seemed like she was helping me on the surface, but she was implying that I was being tactless. Her

    words were meant to embarrass me further.

    Nathan¡¯s face stiffened as the fiasco unfolded. He probably did not know the box I had been holding all

    night was actually a present. ¡°Do you think this is a joke?¡± he snarled before turning toward Gordon.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Lane. Please don¡¯t mind my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s totally fine.¡± Gordon¡¯s reply took everyone by surprise. He did not seem disturbed at all. He

    looked at the box of cookies in his hands and his gaze softened. He held out his gift and waved it lightly

    at his wife, Julia Xavier. ¡°Look, Jules, walnut cookies.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    A faint but blissful smile curved on the woman¡¯s lips as she gave it a try. ¡°Yeah. Remember the first

    time we went out together? I gave you some walnut cookies too. It¡¯s the same brand. It still tastes the

    same after so many years.¡±

    ¡°I told you I wanted the same cookies for my birthday, but both of us have been so busy we¡¯ve forgotten

    about it,¡± Gordon said nostalgically. ¡°Do you still remember what I told you that day?¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    Julia was an elegant woman. Although she was in her middle age, she still looked her prime. The

    dimples on her cheeks showed when she smiled shyly at Gordon. ¡°Of course I remember what you

    said. You said you¡¯ll stay with me forever.¡±

    It was not until then that I realize that walnut cookies had a special meaning to them. I took a look at

    Christopher and was stunned when he winked at me as if I owed him a big one this time. He took a

    cookie from the box and ate it.

    ¡°Hm, it really tastes nice. It¡¯s just as sweet as how you two are right now,¡± he said yfully looking at

    his parents before taking up another cookie. ¡°Here¡¯s to more happiness in your marriage. May both of

    you live to a good old age.¡±

    His childish behavior almost made meugh. He had given me an unexpected gift this time around, but

    when my gaze settled upon Monica who was beside him, any urge to smile that I had vanished

    instantly.

    I had to admit that I felt jealous. I was married, but my marriage was not a sessful one. My husband

    had another woman, and all the outsiders thought I deserved such a pitiable fate. I knew how it felt to

    be in an unhappy marriage, as such, I would never be a homewrecker.

    Besides, someone as perfect as Monica deserved a good marriage.

    Julia looked up at me and nodded. ¡°Thank you. This means a lot to me.¡±

    ¡°This is the best gift I¡¯ve received tonight!¡± Gordon remarked beforeughing heartily, yet I felt even if

    he did not like it, he would still stay courteous and thank me for the present. After all, he looked like a

    man with a good heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it, Mr. Lane.¡± I smiled at him. When I saw Christopher raising his brows at me trying to

    get apliment, I shifted my gaze swiftly. There was no way I could look at him and still stay calm.

    That being said, when I saw Crystal and Nathan¡¯s faces, I felt exhrated. These two cunning souls

    had brought this on themselves, but guilt soon budded in my heart.

    Nathan was my father. I should not gloat over his misfortune, but when I ponder about it further, he only

    had himself to me after all he had done to me. I was not obliged in any way to feel bad for him.

    After my narrow escape from a situation that could have been utterly shameful, Julia gestured at me to

    go over. I reckoned she must really like my gift a lot.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    I went over nervously, thinking what I should say to her. There were a few other young women who

    wanted to speak to her while we talked, but she kindly turned them away.

    Social events like this had always made me tense. I was always looking over my shoulder because I

    was afraid Crystal would do something nasty. I was scared that people would make aughingstock out

    of me, ripping off thest shreds of my dignity.

    Julia observed the tiredness on my face and asked me to take a rest. I excused myself politely and

    went to sit down, but before I could even take a seat, the person who was the crux of all my problems

    came over again. ¡°How did you know you should bring walnut cookies? Did Christopher tell you that?¡±

    Lyle sounded testy as if he was interrogating me. It could also be that he was tired after waiting for me

    for some time.

    ¡°So what if he did? It¡¯s not like this has anything to do with you. Don¡¯t channel your anger toward me if

    someone else steps on your toe. Just leave me in peace. I just want to get this party over with and go

    home, so stop following me around.¡±

    I could tell Lyle was already trying to sound friendlier, but my reply was not helping at all. ¡°Don¡¯t you

    dare talk to me like that! Who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°Who I am is none of your business,¡± I said tritely, scanning the crowd of attractive women. ¡°The

    woman you love is not here, so stop bugging me and get lost.¡±

    I shook off his hand and fled before he could do anything. I wondered who Lyle thought he was. He

    spurned me, yet he expected me to still love him like I used to. Does he really think he¡¯s a king? Why

    should I ept everything he does?

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    Since it was Gordon¡¯s sixtieth birthday, the partysted for three days. The Lanes were politicians.

    From what I heard, Gordon used to be a governor. Although he had retired, Darius was still a mayor, so

    it went without saying that many influential figures graced the party. As for Christopher, it was likely that

    he would inherit the family business from his mother.

    The capacious courtyard was temporarily remodified to provide a resting area for guests. The servants

    busied themselves attending to them while I stood along the hallway, not knowing how I should dispose

    of the time at hand.

    Just as I was walking past a room, a hand came out of nowhere and tugged me in. Before I could even

    let out a scream, I was already pushed against the shut door.

    My eyes widened in shock when I saw Christopher¡¯s face up close. I could see my own reflection in his

    dark and gentle eyes. I almost lost myself in his captivating gaze as he fixed his eyes on me.

    A yful smile curved on the corner of his lips before he rested his head on my shoulder. ¡°Why does

    the party have to be so long? Why do they have to invite so many people? I can¡¯t even hold your hand

    in front of everybody and act all lovey-dovey like my parents,¡± he whined like a child. ¡°When are you

    getting a divorce, Yvonne? I don¡¯t think I can wait any longer.¡±

    I suddenly remembered that Christopher was already engaged. ¡°Let go of me,¡± I said, pushing him

    away.

    ¡°No way. I waited for so long just to hug you. I¡¯m not letting go.¡± He insisted and pushed himself against

    me again. He ced his leg between mine and locked me in his arms.

    The familiar scent of his tobo wafted in the air and his warm breath beat against my neck. The

    moment was intoxicating, but the words I uttered were hurtful. ¡°Christopher, I don¡¯t want to see you

    anymore.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± He pouted.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t continue on with this. We should draw a line from now on.¡± I struggled to get away from

    him. His expression suddenly turned cold and it frightened me.

    He cupped my cheeks and kissed me. The taste of mint chewing gum soon spread on my lips. I wanted

    to break free, but he gave me no chance. I felt his teeth on my lips and I gave way to the biting pain.

    His lips mashed against mine as our tongues tangoed at his lead. Every thought in my mind became

    jumbled up as I felt him sucking every ounce of strength from my body. I hooked my hands around his

    neck so that I would not slump to the ground, for my legs had turned to jelly then.

    He bit my lips again before finally pulling himself away. His burning gaze scorched my skin as he

    looked at me intently.

    Christopher wiped my lips with his cold fingers as his voice echoed in the room. ¡°Take this as a

    punishment. Don¡¯t ever talk about drawing a line between us again. You¡¯re mine.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Anger rose in my heart. ¡°What do you want me to do then? I don¡¯t ever want to be the other woman in

    someone else¡¯s rtionship. I can¡¯t do a rtionship that¡¯s not serious.¡±

    I turned and reached for the doorknob, but Christopher dragged me back. He seemed perplexed and

    helpless at my sudden change in attitude. ¡°You have to at least exin to me why you¡¯re upset. You

    can¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯m innocent.¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    ¡°Innocent?¡± I bit his arm. ¡°You have a fianc¨¦e! I will never be your mistress. You know I hate women like

    that. I clearly told you that you should just tell me if you¡¯re already taken. I told you I will ept it dly

    and not make a fuss of it, but now I¡¯m caught in a difficult position because of you.¡±

    Although it was just an engagement, I did not take it lightly. When a woman became someone¡¯s

    fianc¨¦e, it meant she had all her hope on the man that he would live up to his promise.

    If Christopher did not have a fianc¨¦e or a girlfriend, I would stay with him until he got tired of me, but I

    would never allow myself to get into an affair with him. This was what I loathed the most. I would never

    be someone I hated.

    ¡°I have a fianc¨¦e?¡± He rubbed his chin and looked at me cluelessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I even know I¡¯m

    engaged?¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap, Christopher. You¡¯re no different from Lyle.¡±

    My heart chilled at his tant denial. Everyone was in the know, so there was no point negating the

    fact. ¡°Your fianc¨¦e is a good woman. I hope you don¡¯t end up hurting her even if you don¡¯t like her.¡±

    I turned my back toward him and stopped at the door. I told myself to never look back after walking out.

    My heart ached at the thought of ending things with Christopher. After all, he was the man who had

    treated me the best aside from my former parents.

    I could not believe I would lose him so soon. This was the cruelest joke life had yed on me. The man

    I loved already had a fianc¨¦e.

    Before I could get out, Christopher lifted me off the ground and swung me on his shoulder. He locked

    the door and put me on the bed before pressing his body against mine. When he saw me trying to get

    off, he grabbed my hands and pinned me on the bed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think Monica is my fianc¨¦e?¡± There was hurt written all over his face. I rolled my eyes

    at him. His acting skills were really on point. He might be the heir of a powerful family, but to me, he

    was no different from a Casanova.

    ¡°Are you going to keep lying to me?¡±

    What happened nextpletely confounded me. Christopher burst out in uncontrobleughter

    holding his stomach. Hisughter pulled at my heartstrings and I found myself reaching for his face.

    I wondered how someone could be this handsome. Someone like me did not deserve a man like him.

    ¡°How I wish you¡¯re single,¡± I mumbled.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    When he finally stoppedughing, he pinched my nose and rubbed his face against mine. He always

    liked doing this. He said it made him feel love and warmth. He said this was something only people

    deeply in love would do.

    ¡°Eve, you look adorable when you¡¯re jealous, do you know that? It¡¯s a little scary, but when I looked at

    your puckered lips, I feel like I can swallow you whole.¡±

    ¡°This is not about me getting jealous, it¡¯s about doing the right thing, Christopher.¡± I tried persuading

    him, and myself.

    He nted a kiss on my cheek and shrugged. ¡°But the thing is, I don¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m not engaged

    to Monica. Our families are really close, so we meet each other at a lot of events. If this itself is enough

    to make you think I¡¯m engaged, then I guess you can say I have a lot of fianc¨¦es.¡±

    A teasing smile yed on his lips as he spoke. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be my fianc¨¦e? I promise I¡¯ll treat you

    like my queen.¡±

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    Flowers of joy blossomed in my heart when I heard this news. Just as I thought I was on the verge of

    falling into an abyss of heartbreaking pain, my heart was lifted again. I started sobbing when I found out

    it was all a misunderstanding.

    Christopher sighed and kissed my eyes, trying to dry my tears. ¡°Why are you crying? Do you not trust

    me at all?¡±

    I was at a loss for words. Christopher had been really nice to me. I should not have believed what other

    people said just like that and even gave him an ultimatum, yet he did not even get angry with me and

    was evenforting me right now.

    ¡°You can¡¯t me me for getting jealous. You even danced with her,¡± Iined, ring at him.

    ¡°Are you ming me? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s still married here. I would dly take your hand and dance

    with you if you were not married. I want to show the world that you belong to me, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    He looked at me like a disappointed child. ¡°You got angry with me and even bit me when I did nothing

    wrong. How should you make it up to me? Can I ask for some kisses and hugs now?¡±

    My face turned red and I quickly gave him a peck on his cheek, but he was clearly not satisfied. ¡°I want

    the full package, not just a kiss.¡±

    He loved asking me to kiss him. He would not stop until I kiss every inch of his face. Since I know I was

    the one at fault, I lifted my head again and kissed his forehead, his nose, and his lips.

    When I was finally done, he smiled contentedly andy in bed beside me. I tilted my head and looked

    at his profile, admiring his exquisite face. I moved closer and kissed his ear, ending the kiss with a soft

    bite and wet lick on his earlobe.

    When I heard his breathing became quicker, I smiled and kissed his neck. I knew this was his sensitive

    spot. Every time I kissed him on the neck, he would get all excited.

    He shot up and pushed me down on the bed beneath him. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re ying with fire.¡±

    I smiled at him mischievously. ¡°I thought you wanted a full package?¡±

    He ruffled his hair and groaned as if he was vexed. He pulled his tie away and looked back at me. ¡°You

    little minx. I¡¯m gonna punish you.¡±

    An inexplicable blend of thrill and panic took over me. It had been a long time since Christopher and I

    slept together. It even got me thinking that he had had too much of me fromst time.

    ¡°There¡¯re a lot of people outside though. You sure you want to do this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You say that, but I can tell your body is craving me.¡± Christopher had already unbuttoned his clothes,

    revealing his muscr and defined torso. His hands fondled my body as he smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s exhrating to try something different? I bet it¡¯s nice doing it in a guest room too.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I was still a little worried, yet my body was already answering his beckoning.

    ¡°No one can stop me from doing what I want in my house. You¡¯re the one who started this, so you¡¯re

    bearing full responsibility for it.¡± He pushed himself between my legs and his hand traveled south.

    When he saw that I was about to speak again, he nted his lips on mine to shut me up.

    All worrying thoughts left me and I reciprocated his kiss passionately. Christopher was assertive and

    impatient. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve tasted you. I¡¯m definitely gonna have my fill tonight.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Glints of desire festered in his eyes as he focused his consuming gaze on me. I had a feeling it was

    going to be a rough one.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    Just like what Christopher promised, he had his fill of me for the next few hours. By the time he was

    done with me, there wasn¡¯t a spot on my body he hasn¡¯t tasted.

    He came into me like an insatiable beast over and over again. He did not kiss me again, although at

    the climax he would kiss me coarsely on my neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Yvonne.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m yours¡­¡± I muttered subconsciously.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    At the end of the day, Christopher still came back to his senses and stopped after a few rounds. It was

    his dad¡¯s birthday party, after all, and we could not be spotted missing for too long a time. He carried

    me to the bathroom and helped me wash up.

    Iy against him frailly as I let him showered me with warm water. ¡°Shit. My makeup! And my hair too! I

    can¡¯t go out like this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already have everything prepared,¡± he said, opening the wardrobe and taking out a

    hairdryer and some makeup.

    ¡°Did you n this?¡± I stared at him.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± he said in all seriousness. ¡°I was just preparing for an emergency. After all, there¡¯s no

    telling what a man will do when he sees his beloved.¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± I kicked at him, but he grabbed my leg and ced a kiss on my foot.

    ¡°Ew, that¡¯s dirty.¡± I tried pulling my leg back, but he was not letting go. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I love it.¡±

    ¡°What if I have smelly feet?¡± I pursed my lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll still love you.¡± He took up my other foot and tickled me. After we were done, he helped

    me put on my clothes and dried my hair.

    He ran his fingers through my hair tenderly and I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. My heart was

    full.

    I used to dream of marrying a man who loved me when I was younger. I would imagine us living

    together happily. I would cook for him and take care of him, while he would dry my hair every time after

    I showered.

    However, I stopped having those dreams after I married Lyle. I could stay up all night waiting for him

    and cooking him food, but he would never be appeased.

    ¡°Christopher, why are you so nice to me? If there everes a day where you get tired of me, I won¡¯t

    be able to get used to it,¡± I said softly as if I was talking to myself, but Christopher heard everything

    despite the noise from the hairdryer. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I won¡¯t ever get tired of you and I¡¯ll treat

    you like my queen as long as you want to.¡±

    I nodded and bowed my head shyly. His words made me get butterflies in my stomach. I felt like we

    were a couple who had just gotten married.

    After my hair was dry, Christopher tied my hair into a ponytail. I was surprised watching his adroit

    fingers in the mirror.

    ¡°Do you do this often?¡± I asked. He nced at me and answered, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been doing this ever

    since I was ten. I have full confidence that people willpliment your hair after you walk out of this

    door.¡±

    So he had done this for another woman¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Since it was in the past, I decided to just let it slide. I

    should not be greedy.

    Christopher continued, ¡°You might think my mom is a capable woman who can do simply anything, but

    she actually doesn¡¯t even know how to tie her own hair properly. My dad used to do it for her, but he got

    really busy after he was transferred, so my brother took over, but Mom was not satisfied, so I ended up

    doing it.¡±

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    I snorted. Christopher really did have a way with words. The rtionship between his parents drew

    envy from the crowd just by listening to them speak to one another in a loving manner. ¡°Is your

    mother¡¯s hair done up by your father?¡± I was in disbelief.

    Her hair was tied up beautifully, fitting for ady of her status. It wasn¡¯t a simple ponytail as it appeared,

    but rather a fashionable variation of it. This style did not appear either childish or old-fashioned,

    however. She shone with the radiance of a mature woman in full bloom.

    ¡°Of course he did. My dad is a powerful man in hispany but not many people know how meek he

    is toward his wife at home,¡± Christopher teased as he pulled me in front of the mirror and pulled out the

    make-up kit.

    I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of make-up products he had in that kit. As a woman, it was

    essential to have a face redeemable with make-up. But since Mother had left the Tanner family, we

    have lived a life of vagrancy, knowing nothing about dressing up. It would be inappropriate for me to

    attend the party in a simple ponytail.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something simpler for me?¡± I gestured helplessly at the numerous make-up products.

    ¡°Why do you have this many requests? Fine, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Christopher pressed me down into a chair,

    washed his hands, and rolled up his sleeves.

    ¡°You know how to apply make-up too?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°Are you actually a man?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just experience the true extent of my manhood? If that wasn¡¯t enough for you, we can go

    back and relive that experience several more times. I guarantee that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of

    bed for at least three days.¡± Christopher lifted my chin with the poise of a confident lover.

    I thought it wiser to not respond to that. Christopher was exceptionally talented in bed, the type that

    would go seven times a night. Though when I thought that it sounded exaggerated when reading about

    it, but now that it applied to Christopher, I found it to be word for word. He could take me to bed and

    make love all night, save the time spent in between for sleep and meals. I was left with no doubt that he

    would have been capable of letting me experience what it was truly like being a woman.

    After a while, Christopher set down the eye shadow to hand me the mirror. ¡°Here, time to witness a

    miracle by yours truly.¡±

    I stared at my reflection with surprise. It was simple makeup that had brought on a lovely effect. Before,

    my makeup had been done by another make-up artist which looked a little heavy to my tastes.

    However, this natural look that Christopher had managed to create entuated the natural beauty of

    my features.

    I touched my face, in awe at his expertise in nearly everything. ¡°You look like a typical dude but you¡¯re

    not as dumb as they are,¡± I remarked.

    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± Christopher replied courteously. ¡°Your name is engraved on my heart.¡± He

    took my hand and kissed it lightly.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I was bbergasted. Everything was fine until he started saying these stupid sweet nothings, which

    made me feel so loved that I felt like crying.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside to get rid of them.¡± Christopher stood up. ¡°Come out in ten minutes.¡± He rubbed my

    cheek with affection as I nodded obediently, though I was so attached at that moment that I did not

    want him to leave.

    I tugged at his arm, unwilling to part with him even for ten minutes. My days with Christopher were

    simple and peaceful. It would be nice if we could carry on living like this forever.

    ¡°What is it? Do you miss me already?¡± He teased, pinching my nose.

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I answered with a truthful nod.

    ¡°Hurry up and get a divorce. Then we¡¯ll be together atst.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long now after we get back. Besides, Lyle is pretty set on being with Crystal.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t get involved with other women when you¡¯re out and about,¡± I added before I could stop

    myself.

    He was such a desirable man. With hardly any effort, I was sure that he could have gotten any woman

    he wanted. Actually, I was able to tell that Monica was into him by the way she constantly stood next to

    him and pretended to be his girlfriend. She didn¡¯t even bother correcting the assumption that she was

    his fianc¨¦e.

    ¡°You¡¯re an awfully jealous girl, aren¡¯t you?¡± Christopher smiled. ¡°I will if you won¡¯t flirt with other men

    too, not even your current husband. Do you understand? You are mine.¡± Christopher hugged me once

    more before leaving. I watched him depart with a smile on my lips.

    Though Christopher had always imed dominion over me in such a domineering and possessive

    manner, I loved hearing that as it sounded very romantic.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    There was nobody out in the corridor when I exited the room. I had no idea where Christopher had sent

    the crowd but it suited me just fine. The feeling of cheating on my husband felt thrilling.

    I smoothed the front of my dress and ensured that I looked prim and proper before striding into the hall.

    Even though our secret rendezvous were urgent and passionate, Christopher was always careful not to

    leave any traces of himself on me.

    The party had alreadymenced by the time I arrived. I could smell the delicious scent of dinner

    wafting out from within. When I reached the entrance, Lyle was already standing there with a scowl on

    his face as he waited for me. ¡°Where did you wander off to?¡± He barked impatiently. ¡°We still have a

    toast to give! Do you have sh*t in your brain?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I replied serenely. ¡°You. You¡¯re always on my mind.¡± I was pleased with the way I retorted.

    Lyle attempted to belittle me so I went with the flow. My wit had astounded even myself.

    Lyle shook with anger at my impertinence but somehow managed to have kept it under control as the

    dining hall was crowded. The most he was able to do was curse under his breath. If he were to do

    anything more than that, he would definitely make himself out to be aughingstock.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and toast Mr. Ziegler,¡± Lyle muttered as he tugged on my wrist roughly. A bruise was going to

    appear on that spot, that¡¯s for sure.

    The hall was abuzz with chatter and the clinking of silverware and sses. In it, I was forced to toast

    his business partner and act like Lyle¡¯s loving wife. After the first round of drinks, I was feeling tipsy

    despite it being premium champagne.

    It tasted sweet and harmless but had a powerful kick that manifested some minutester. The dizziness

    soon became difficult to ignore, necessitating me to hold my head. Lyle merely frowned as he was

    worried that I would embarrass him in front of everybody. To remedy the situation, he took me out to the

    garden and procured a ss of juice from seemingly out of nowhere. ¡°Have some juice, that will help

    with the dizziness.¡±

    I took several sips and felt the overwhelming effects of the champagne diminishing a little. Leaning

    against a tree to remain upright, a gust of cold wind met my face and intensified my difort. The

    scene swam before my eyes. Even the sight of Lyle standing before me began to split into multiple

    copies of himself.

    I shook my head vigorously in an attempt to ward off the effects of the champagne.

    ¡°What are you doing here? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡± Benjamin arrived as he chastised Lyle in

    a loud voice. ¡°We are going to start some drinking games. The whole gang is there except for you.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne is drunk,¡± reported Lyle curtly.

    ¡°Leave her be, then,¡± replied Benjamin with a disdainful look at me. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why your

    grandmother picked such a useless woman to be your wife. She couldn¡¯t even hold her liquor at a party

    as important as this.¡±

    ¡°Alright, quit your yapping. I¡¯ll be right with you,¡± Lyle said, though he remained where he was.

    ¡°Crystal is there too. If you do note at once, don¡¯t be mad at us for going after her. We all like her,

    you know,¡± Benjamin said candidly. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking.

    That captured Lyle¡¯s attention. After all, Crystal was a popr character in the socialite circles of

    Avenport. The fondness that the Miller brothers had toward her wasmon knowledge. ¡°Go up and

    rest,¡± Lyle ordered as he turned to me. ¡°We still have rafting tomorrow, don¡¯t forget.¡±

    ¡°I have already promised Grandma that I will sit through this banquet without leaving,¡± I protested. ¡°I

    keep my promises.¡± However, my body decided not to cooperate as my head was feeling heavier by

    the minute. That was not the only thing bothering me. My body felt so hot that despite it being a fall

    night, all I wanted was to take a cold shower.

    Something was not right. I did not want to remain by Lyle¡¯s side, so I waited for him to leave. As soon

    as that notion formed in my mind, he shoved me hard and berated me for being crude and uncultured

    before leaving without another word.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I ran several steps before being forced to hold on to a tree trunk, narrowly avoiding falling onto the

    ground. A servant walked past and was attracted by my calls. He helped me into a guest room where I

    staggered in with the intention to plop myself down onto the bed to sleep.

    My body refused toply. I felt the warmth in my body turn white-hot and spread slowly like fire

    throughout my body, searing my wits. I peeled off my clothes frantically as the heat became

    unbearable.

    My vision worsened. I heard the sound of the door being pushed open and the voice of somebody

    speaking to me, but was unable to identify the person standing before me no matter how hard I tried to

    open my eyes. My body grew even hotter as that person helped me to my feet. Thest thing I

    remembered was their fingers around my throat.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    I was so out of it that I didn¡¯t even know where I was at that point. The only thing that mattered was that

    the hand around my neck felt cool and refreshing. I felt a sudden urge to press myself against him to

    cool myself down. That was a unique quality that men had that aroused my passions.

    As he lowered me onto the bed, I felt that something was off but could do nothing about it as I felt so

    weak that I was unable to move an inch. A pair ofrge hands began massaging my cheeks and body.

    It felt divine as I moan in satisfaction and begged for more. I edged myself closer to the man with the

    icy cool body before me, wanting nothing more than to snuggle up against it.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling so hot¡­¡± I murmured.

    ¡°Oh my, that really turned me on. I didn¡¯t think you had it in you, Yvonne. You usually look so innocent.

    And it¡¯s really sexy how you wriggle around like a little snake when you¡¯re aroused.¡±

    The voice was familiar but at the moment I can¡¯t quite ce where I¡¯ve heard it before, but it wasn¡¯t

    important. The only thing that mattered at that moment was to bring my body temperature down.

    Instinctively, I burrowed myself in the coolness of his embrace.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. I will have you begging for mercy soon.¡± The man¡¯s voice dripped with

    malice. His calloused hand stroked my body and it tingled pleasantly. His touch felt magical as they

    glided over my silky skin. Trembling in anticipation, I threw back my head to let out a primal noise deep

    in my throat.

    I heard the rustle of my clothes being removed. The next moment, I was shoved onto the bed. The

    sheets felt blissfully cool against the blistering heat of my bare skin. Could it be Christopher? I opened

    my eyes as wide as they would go, but all I could see was the blurry image of a figure.

    I had wanted to call out Christopher¡¯s name, but I was dimly aware of the hazard of calling out his

    name under a state as intoxicated as this. The sharp odor of alcohol pierced my nostrils, along with the

    dense scent of his cologne. It was only when he was attempting to lift my skirt up that I realized that the

    man wasn¡¯t Christopher.

    In a sh of rity, I deduced that it wasn¡¯t Christopher as his typical scent of tobo and mint were

    absent. The shock of that realization was enough for me topletely regain my senses as I

    attempted to shove him off of me as hard as I could.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded. ¡°Let go of me!¡±

    ¡°Stop resisting,¡± the man growled as he leaned his full weight on me against the bed.

    I was pinned down and had no energy left to struggle. With a shudder of realization, it urred to me

    that I had been drugged, which exined my predicament. The alcohol at the party was not the

    problem, because many other guests have had the same champagne and did not end up as intoxicated

    as I was.

    Therefore, it must have only been the ss that I had. Did Lyle have to resort to this? I thought in

    despair. He had always used me of cheating on him. This time, he had decided to punish me by

    delivering me to the arms of another man.

    No, I will definitely not let him get away with his n. I bit down hard on my tongue, and the pain clear

    my senses to my surroundings. I took a close look at the man on top of me but did not recognize him. I

    pushed hard against him as I fumbled for the heavy ashtray on the nightstand and swung it against his

    skull.

    Blood sttered over the sheets from the side of his head but I did not stop. He probably did not expect

    me to have been able to regain my wits to defend myself in my drugged state. I attacked him

    relentlessly until he was on the floor.

    As he struggled to get to his feet, I raised the ashtray and brought it crashing down onto his head

    without hesitation, rendering him motionless on the floor. ¡°Please stop,¡± he croaked. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill

    me if you keep going.¡±

    The ashtray fell and shattered into a thousand fragments from my limp fingers. I copsed on the floor

    next to him, panting from exertion. My body temperature began to soar again as confusing mirages of

    desire and emptiness rushed through my mind. I did not know who the man was whoy beside me.

    I felt the savage urge to force a confession out of him regarding the origins of the potent drug that I

    have been sedated with.

    Not daring to venture outdoors for fear of who I might run into, I did not even know where I had left my

    purse. My breathing was haggard as I failed to resist the urge and dashed across the room to where he

    lay.

    I felt another surge of rage as soon as I touched him. Without thinking, I grabbed a shard from the

    broken ashtray and stabbed him in the arm. ¡°I will not be taken advantage of,¡± I panted as I plunged the

    shard into his arm repeatedly. ¡°I will not be taken to be a fool. Not like this.¡±

    He did not faint but grew rmed at the sight of my violent assertiveness. He swallowed and spoke

    weakly. ¡°Bloody hell, I had thought that I was being gifted a meek littlemb. Turns out she¡¯s a man-

    eating flytrap.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s voice came suddenly from outside the door. ¡°The servant had said that Yvonne is resting in

    this room, but I have a bad feeling about it. Let¡¯s take a look inside.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

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    Chapter 111

    I ignored the knock, as I prickled my arm with the shard to maintain my wits about me. Was the n for

    Lyle to spike my drink and for Crystal to catch me cheating?

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    It was a good n, admittedly. Lyle had never wanted a divorce because he did not want the

    unbearable reputation of leaving his first wife. He was so unwilling that he had gone to the extent of

    fabricating the circumstances of my unfaithfulness topel me to sign the divorce papers. In

    response to my reluctance to do so, they hade up with a n as drastic as this.

    There was no point. After Grandma had heard the uneptable truth at the courtyard, I had already

    decided that I would agree to whatever condition that Lyle woulde up with. But after everything

    that had happened, there would be no way in hell that I would agree to anything he says ever again.

    I had discovered that I loved Christopher and wanted to marry him. Why would I allow my name to be

    tarnished and hinder our future happiness?

    ¡°Yvonne, are you in there?¡± Came Crystal¡¯s voice again. ¡°Benjamin told me that you were drunk. We¡¯re

    here to check in on you.¡±

    With an attempt to subdue my panting, I gazed at the wretched figure on the floor and recalled that he

    might possibly be a Mr. Wilson. It didn¡¯t look like he was going to regain consciousness any time soon,

    much less have the strength to get up, courtesy of the bleeding gash on his temple.

    Crystal kicked the door in at theck of a response from me and rushed in at once. ¡°Hey, Yvonne,¡± she

    shouted, scandalized. ¡°How could you do something like this with Mr. Wilson? How could you betray

    Lyle¡¯s love like that?¡±

    Oh, what rubbish. Didn¡¯t he already give you his love? I chuckled with a derisive look toward her. ¡°What

    exactly was it that we did?¡± I asked icily.

    ¡°You¡­ Both of you¡­¡± Crystal¡¯s bbergasted expression was priceless to behold, as she probably did

    not expect me to subdue Mr. Wilson. Her mouth dropped open in a perfectly round ¡°O¡± and could not

    think of anything to say for a very long time.

    A bustle of footsteps came from outside the door as the room filled up quickly with familiar faces.

    Crystal had nned ahead. The people she had brought along with her were all youngsters who were

    experts in turning a hint of scandal and gossip into the gospel truth. Elders who would have a much

    more discerning eye were conveniently absent. However, they too were struck dumb with surprise at

    the sight of the bloody scene before them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in here? Yvonne!¡± Lyle pushed his way past the crowd. He did not look like he was in

    on their charade, but knowing him, it could be anotheryer of deception. Shouldn¡¯t it be the first thing

    he did to remove his jacket to cover up his wife in such a sorry state? To cover up my indecency and to

    spare me the shame?

    I licked my lips, tasting Mr. Wilson¡¯s blood as I cackled. I drew myself up to full height, carelessly

    trampling on the broken shards of ss and blood to walk slowly toward Lyle. It must have been a

    frightening sight to behold, as Lyle flinched at my approach.

    My arm was hurting badly, which was why despite wanting to leap toward my husband and w at him

    in a savage rage, I was unable to. Looking him in the eye with as much sobriety as I could muster, I

    said, ¡°I will never forget the fact that you have spiked my drink.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyle stammered as his eyes widened in shock.

    I felt strange and was about to stab myself in the arm again but a hand caught me by the wrist in a grip

    of steel. As firm as it was, the hand trembled ever so slightly.

    Next, I felt a coat being ced on my shoulders, still blissfully warm from its owner¡¯s body. Looking up

    at my savior, I saw that it was Christopher. He scowled, with eyes glittering with the intensity of glowing

    embers. He lifted his arm and I thought he was going to pull me in for an embrace, but he simply

    yanked the shard of ss out of my grasp.

    ¡°Have a doctor over as quickly as possible,¡± Christopher turned toward the door and addressed the

    servant outside.

    ¡°Eve, what happened?¡± Sabrina hurried forward to support my swaying body, looking extremely

    worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have just been taken advantage of by an unscrupulous scumbag.¡± Leaning against

    Sabrina, I managed to keep my bnce. With a defiant gaze at Lyle, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, I

    would be willing to sign the divorce papers and be out of your life forever. However, if you were to

    compel me to sign them under by ruining my reputation, I will ensure that this n of yours will never

    come to fruition.¡±

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    Pausing to draw breath, I continued. ¡°I would rather die or go to prison than to let you get away with

    this.¡±

    If Crystal had not appeared as early as she did, things would have gone down one of two ways. I would

    have either smashed Mr. Wilson¡¯s skull in and be charged for first-degree murder, or I would have had

    been raped and had my name dragged through the mud whilst being sedated.

    ¡°I did nothing of the sort!¡± Lyle eximed, shaking in fear. He nced at Mr. Wilson on the floor and at

    the cuts along my arm, looking genuinely confused. Did he learn how to put on an expression like this

    from Crystal?

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve failed to make yourself look like a cuckold,¡± I said as with as much venom I

    could muster, sneering at him as I did so with zero regard for his embarrassment.

    ¡°Yvonne, you can¡¯t say things like that to Lyle,¡± Crystal eximed with shock. This must have been a

    misunderstanding. You danced with Mr. Wilson at the ball, didn¡¯t you? How could you nder Lyle for

    something you did?¡± She yed her trump card.

    I gazed unblinkingly at her without a word. My expression was probably terrifying to behold, as I had

    just beaten a man unconscious. Crystal was taken aback at the intensity of my countenance.

    ¡°Lyle, I have never met a more despicable man than you. How could you call yourself a man with the

    way you¡¯re making things difficult for a woman who is your wife? Even if you don¡¯t love her anymore, do

    you have to destroy her reputation?¡± Sabrina shouted, her face contorted in rage. She pushed me into

    Christopher¡¯s arms and dashed forward to p Lyle twice across the face.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you have another woman in your cheating heart, and you still plot to ruin Eve¡¯s

    life. What has she done to you to make you want to go to such lengths to make her miserable?¡±

    Sabrina dropped all pretenses at being ady to p and w at Lyle like a madwoman, which I found

    oddly admirable.

    Though I still felt slightly dizzy, it wasforting being in Christopher¡¯s arms with my eyes half shut. He

    hugged me tightly as he quivered with rage. His entire being looked as though it was going to explode

    under the intensity of the fury he was keeping under control. I knew that he was worried for me and my

    heart ached with sorrow for his pain.

    It was a rare sight to see him trying to suppress his volcanic rage.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Lyle did not attempt to avoid Sabrina¡¯s strikes as he was still in a state of disbelief. Crystal could not

    bear to watch any longer. Rushing forward to stop Sabrina, she demanded, ¡°Why are you hitting Lyle,

    Sabrina? Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to p you too!¡± Sabrina bellowed as she raised her arm. Unfortunately, Crystal had many

    protectors. Benjamin and Benson both stepped out in unison to shield Crystal from Sabrina.

    ¡°Sabrina, you¡¯re godd*mn insane,¡± Benjamin shouted angrily. ¡°What does this have to do with Crystal?

    It¡¯s all Yvonne¡¯s fault for being indecent and bringing misfortune onto herself.¡±

    ¡°Misfortune, my ass!¡± Sabrina yelled. ¡°You boys are being yed like a fiddle by Crystal and you don¡¯t

    even know it! Don¡¯t regret it when it¡¯s toote.¡± Being unable to strike Crystal, Sabrina settled for

    lashing back verbally.

    ¡°Mind your own business, Sabrina,¡± Benjamin retorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that you can do whatever

    you want just because you¡¯re a Zimmer.¡±

    The doctor arrived promptly and got to work treating my wounds. He had even had the unconscious Mr.

    Wilson carried away. I called out to Sabrina to cease her assault as she was being outnumbered. It was

    about time that this fiasco ended.

    ¡°I had drunk something with some kind of a sedative in it. Please would you summon me a doctor?¡± I

    turned to address the man holding me in his arms. Take me away, I silently pleaded. As soon as I

    spoke, my vision went dark.

    I slept deeply. Perhaps due to being aware that Christopher was always watching over me, I cast the

    traumatic events of the evening to the back of my mind and slept without worry.

    Upon waking, I sat up on my bed groggily, without a clue as to where I was. I saw the familiar silhouette

    by the window and watched him silently, as if in a trance. The silvery moonlight fell weightlessly against

    his body, encasing him a pale wispy glow. It was faint, but the moonlight made him appear warm.

    I said nothing, content with staring at him forever. Sometime after, my involuntaryughter broke the

    silence. Christopher jumped and looked behind him, striding quickly over to me when he saw that I was

    up. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± he asked urgently.

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    ¡°Not well.¡± I shook my head whilst pulling a morose expression.

    Christopher panicked. He touched my forehead and examined the wounds on my arm. ¡°Does it hurt? I¡¯ll

    get the doctor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡± I hurriedly called after him as I rubbed my belly pitifully. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. I¡¯m craving a big

    b of meat.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Christopher stood frozen for a couple of seconds before bursting intoughter. ¡°Little scamp! You gave

    me quite the fright,¡± he said as he felt my forehead to ascertain that I was feeling better.

    As he spoke, he took out a lunchbox from the counter and offered it to me as if he was bearing gifts to

    royalty. A delicious scent of chicken soup met my nose as I opened it. ¡°Eat up! Good thing I had

    prepared this in advance.¡±

    Christopher did not hand me a spoon. Instead, he tried to feed me. I had taken merely a sip before

    raising my hand to stop him. ¡°It is my left arm that is hurt, not my right. I can feed myself.¡±

    ¡°I would like to feed you!¡± He did not relinquish the spoon, but brought another spoonful of soup to my

    lips, looking rather serious. I decided to cooperate by opening wide and letting him feed me. I woke up

    starving because I had the champagne on an empty stomach during the party.

    The container of delicious soup was soon emptied one spoonful at a time. ncing out of the window, I

    deduced that it was the middle of the night; everybody would have been asleep. The fact that

    Christopher was watching over me at this time at night showed just how much he was worried about

    me.

    It was very reassuring to gaze upon him as soon as I woke up.

    Christopher held me tightly. ¡°Do not harm yourself ever again, do you understand?¡± he chastised,

    suddenly stern.

    I understood that he spoke in this manner out of concern for me. Nodding obediently, I replied. ¡°I will

    only eat and drink what you give me, that way I would never be drugged again.¡±

    ¡°I did not protect you well enough,¡± Christophermented with a sigh. ¡°No matter what it is, contact me

    at once whenever you need help.¡±

    Christopher took my phone to search for his own number. Next to it, he added the words ¡°Little Dog¡±.

    Chuckling at his ingenuity, he saved his number to speed dial. ¡°Keep your phone with you at all times,

    don¡¯t lose it again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± I snuggled in his embrace. Gazing up at his haggardness and bloodshot eyes,

    my heart ached for him. ¡°You should get some sleep; I¡¯m feeling better already. My right arm still works

    even if my left does not.¡±

    ¡°I want to keep youpany.¡± Christopher was unwilling to let go of my hand. Instead, the both of us

    fell into bed and snuggled underneath the quilt together. ¡°Sabrina is outside,¡± he informed me. ¡°She

    volunteered to care of you today. If someonees by, she will notify me at once.¡±

    I have never imagined what it was like to be caught cheating. The incident from the night before was

    witnessed by people who saw that it was getting out of control. Lyle would not be willing to lose face. I

    did not believe that he would actually make a big deal out of this and ce himself and Crystal in the

    spotlight. As for Mr. Wilson, I did not want to think about how he found me. I suspected that he had

    nned it from the beginning with one of the fellows in that group.

    As a consequence of my excessive loss of blood, I felt drained of energy, in addition to my brain feeling

    foggy and heavy. I fell asleep quickly in Christopher¡¯s arms. In the peripheral of my consciousness, I

    felt a pair of hands touch my face, followed by a pair of lips brushing my forehead gently.

    I smiled sweetly in my sleep.

    ¡°Lyle, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is? Keep your insanity to yourself.¡±

    ¡°I want to see Yvonne!¡±

    ¡°Eve is resting, now is not a good time.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®not a good time¡¯? I¡¯m her husband!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m her best friend. And that actually means something. Get the hell lost!¡±

    I was awakened by the voices from outside the room, especially Sabrina¡¯s who sounded shrill and

    scathing. I had a vague suspicion that she spoke at this volume intentionally to alert us. What a good

    friend she was. She had called Christopher a scumbag but on the other hand, allowed him to spend the

    night with me.

    It appeared that she trusted Christopher immensely, though it remained a mystery to me as to how he

    had obtained her trust. I nudged him and he opened his eyes reluctantly. Flipping over, he held me in

    his arms from the other side. ¡°What kind of an inconsiderate prick shouts like that this early in the

    morning,¡± he muttered, still half asleep.

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    ¡°Get up!¡± I implored anxiously. ¡°What if Lyle barges in and sees us together? There would be a lot of

    people with him. All of his wicked friends.¡± I shoved him again. If he wanted to be with me, we cannot

    be seen together yet.

    ¡°Alright. Give me a kiss, and I will obey you, albeit reluctantly.¡± Christopher rubbed his eyes and sat up.

    Without his usual mischief, coupled with his disheveled hair, he looked just like a child forced to wake

    up before he had slept his fill.

    The voices outside grew more intense; it wasn¡¯t the time to argue. I hurriedly kissed him on the cheek

    so that he would leave.

    He stretched and threw open the window. To my amazement, he crawled out of it like in the movies and

    disappeared out of sight. I hurried over to the window with my heart thumping fearfully only to discover

    to my relief that I was merely on the first floor.

    Christopher turned back to wink before disappearing into the shade of the foliage. At the exact

    moment, the door swung open, revealing Lyle at the entrance with a stony expression. Behind him,

    Sabrina winked at me and peered around Lyle to confirm that Christopher had left before giving me a

    thumbs up.

    Lyle saw that I was already awake and that displeased him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe out since you were

    awake?¡± He shouted. ¡°Do you have anyone hiding in here?¡±

    Does he have anything new to use me of? I ignored him, save an indifferent re at his direction.

    Lyle tugged on his hair hesitantly. He did not seem to have meant what he said but spoke before

    thinking it through. It was a pet peeve of mine which he did so often that I have learned to suppress the

    anger quickly.

    Due to this man¡¯s shamelessness, I have learned my lesson countless times. The only thing I could do

    was to put myself in his shoes to gauge his thoughts. That meant channeling the worst aspects of

    myself to match his.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see for yourself if there¡¯s anybody hidden here,¡± I snapped. ¡°Why don¡¯t you summon

    another one of your boys to lie in wait in my room before inviting a crowd over to witness my shame?

    Heck, why don¡¯t you call the elders too? If this gets blown out of proportion, no amount of exining

    would clear my name. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±

    In actual fact, I felt a guilty twinge in my conscience for saying those things because I was already

    involved with Christopher. But Lyle¡¯s antics and his unwillingness to grant me a divorce had absolved

    me of my guilt a long time ago. I have no reason to respect a man who does not respect me in return.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eve. I couldn¡¯t stop this mad dog froming in.¡±

    ¡°Sabrina, sometimes it¡¯s better to remain silent,¡± Lyle snarled. Turning back to me, he said, ¡°Can we

    talk?¡±

    ¡°What is there to talk about, scumbag? Try and harm Eve again with me here and see what happens.

    In a world of scumbag men, one as scummy as you is a rare sight indeed.¡± Sabrina stood in between

    us and shielded me from Lyle¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lyle implored, looking over Sabrina at me.

    ¡°Sabby, you¡¯ve been up all night. Why don¡¯t you grab something to eat and take a nap.¡± Of course, I

    wasn¡¯t intending on discussing matters with Lyle, but Sabrina really was exhausted. She could not stop

    yawning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Sabrina said hesitantly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re in broad daylight.¡± I smiled.

    ¡°Alright, then. Do be careful. Scream for help if anything happens. I will be here with my knight in

    shining armor.¡± Sabrina winked at me and gave Lyle onest contemptuous re before departing.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lyle was rigid with anger as he had trouble finding the words to retort. Suddenly, his face grew

    ashen as something caught his attention. He strode quickly toward the bed and threw off the cover.

    I grew anxious, worried that Christopher had left something of his on the bed. It was only when the

    cover waspletely off that I caught sight of therge pillow before I understood what Lyle was

    suspecting.

    I stifled augh with difficulty. Christopher was crafty. I thought he was just being yful when he

    stuffed the pillow under the quilt to approximate the shape of a person. He hadid a trap for Lyle to

    walk right into.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    I wasn¡¯t about to give up an opportunity as ideal as this to torment Lyle. I walked over to hug the pillow.

    ¡°Here is my adulterer. Would you like to take a picture?¡± I said with a cheeky smile along with my most

    infuriatingly innocent voice.

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    Chapter 115

    Lyle drew a deep breath. I could feel the intense disappointmentically subduing the rage that grew

    rapidly. He looked like he was in agonizing pain.

    Lyle stood rooted on the spot as he breathed deeply to will himself to calm down. Finally, he spoke in a

    rtively cid voice. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll live, unfortunately for you,¡± I replied bluntly.

    ¡°I really did not know what happened with the incidentst night.¡±

    Lyle tried to exin his side of the story to me but I was not in the mood to listen. However, at his

    insistence upon his innocence, I became convinced that he had no part in my ordeal. Lyle had a

    superiorityplex as a result of being spoiled by me and Crystal. If he really had done it, he would

    not only have admitted to it, but he would also point an usative finger at me, iming that I was too

    scious to have seduced Mr. Wilson for him to be interested in me.

    He really did not do it. But does that mean that I should forgive him for everything else that he has

    done?

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t,¡± I replied shortly.

    ¡°You believe me?¡± Lyle asked joyfully.

    ¡°I do. Someone as shameless as you would admit to doing something as nasty as that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I

    could not resist another jab as I opened up the thermos on my nightstand and helped myself to a drink.

    After a sip, I realized that it contained honey water. I usually did not enjoy in water, so Christopher

    must have prepared this especially for me. I was determined to savor everyst drop.

    Lyle¡¯s expression grew dark again. This man¡¯s face changed quicker than a set of traffic lights during

    rush hour traffic. After a while, he strode over to sit next to me. With an arm around my waist, he spoke

    softly. ¡°Eve, I¡¯ve thought about it a lotst night. We have had too many misunderstandings between

    us. No matter what, we are still husband and wife. What say you that we leave the past behind and

    start anew?¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± I had not managed to swallow when he came up with that ludicrous proposition that I sprayed a

    mouthful of honey water all over Lyle¡¯s face, as I descended into a coughing fit. The vibrations jarred

    my wounds which hurt so bad that I hastily covered my mouth to cease the coughing. Did he say this

    on purpose just to get me to choke on my drink?

    ¡°Eve, are you alright?¡± Lyle asked anxiously.

    I shoved him away and stood up, feeling disgusted after being embraced by him. Upon close

    examination of his face, he appeared to be normal, aside from looking slightly tired from theck of

    sleep, ¡°Are you having a fever?¡± I enquired.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Lyle cracked a rare smile. ¡°As I watched you being escorted off by Christopher yesterday,

    covered in blood, my heart felt fit to break at your suffering. I do not want to lose you. Let¡¯s forget about

    the past, shall we? Let¡¯s start fresh.¡±

    This was probably the most romantic speech I have heard from Lyle in over a decade of knowing him.

    If it was a year ago before Crystal came back, when she had bullied me, when Dad couldn¡¯t wait to see

    me off, all of those times when he had stood by my side just once, I may not be this determined to

    cheat on him with Christopher.

    My vision became blurry from tears. This overdue confession must not have been easy. Every single

    time when I had wished that Lyle would trust me just once, or to have my back, I have been

    disappointed with the sight of his back as he walked away, or his cold, disapproving re.

    I have already given up hope on us and there he was, wanting to start over.

    ¡°Give me another chance, will you?¡± Lyle pleaded. He attempted to wipe away the tears that streamed

    down my cheeks, without even getting angry when I pped his hand away. ¡°We will do it right this

    time, and have a happier marriage than before.¡±

    It sounded familiar. Thest time when Lyle took me back from that other house, he had spoken of

    starting over, but only to fulfill Grandma¡¯s wishes to help Crystal out in the short term.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°What about Crystal?¡± I wept, not because I had feelings for Lyle, but because I felt sorry for myself.

    When my husband had detected the presence of another man in my life, the conquering nature of his

    sex emerged, determined to keep me as his. When I used to fawn all over him in the past, he wouldn¡¯t

    even look twice at me.

    Lyle¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Crystal has a lot of admirers,¡± he said quietly. ¡°She will be fine.¡±

    Iughed at his words. ¡°You can¡¯t even let go of her,¡± I jeered. ¡°Why would you want to start over with

    me? I don¡¯t believe a word you say, Lyle. I¡­¡±

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    ¡°Eve, stop it. We are husband and wife. I won¡¯t bring up the matter of divorce from now on. And don¡¯t

    you think about getting a divorce.¡± Lyle appeared saddened as he gazed mournfully at me. The sorrow

    and longing that spilled from his eyes made it seem like I was the one who was unsatisfied with our

    marriage, not him.

    He had always said that I caused trouble, for which I had always found an excuse. I had transformed

    from being a meek and soft-spoken woman to a prickly one. The type whose thorns kept people at bay.

    And all of that because of whom?

    I gazed at him in disdain, without even bothering to anticipate what he woulde up with next. I was

    just content with watching his charade. Besides, the next time when Crystal came causing trouble with

    me, he would cast me aside without hesitation anyway.

    This was the day after the party. The Lane family¡¯s massive vi had architectural elements which were

    reminiscent of a medieval castle. Its ability to house such a long guest list impressed me as well.

    Sabrina had mentioned that only the people who were present the night before were aware of the

    incident. As for Mr. Wilson, he had slipped away that very morning.

    When I was having breakfast with Sabrina in the dining hall, I felt the full extent of the Lanes¡¯ grandeur

    as I admired the beautiful decor and silverware. I became distinctly aware that my self-esteem would

    be crushed just by attempting to deduce Christopher¡¯s worth.

    The frustrations of the poor are iprehensible to the rich.

    I sighed as I bit hard into a piece of foie gras. Sabrina red at Lyle who clung to me like a lost sheep.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with him?¡± She asked with a wink and a jerk of her chin at Lyle¡¯s direction.

    ¡°The end of the world, I guess. We¡¯re back together and working things out.¡± Despite the apparent good

    news, I was dejected.

    Lyle meant what he said of wanting to start anew with me. He began to act like the model husband,

    fetching whatever I desired during breakfast, even serviettes for me to wipe my lips after I was done. I

    wasn¡¯t used to this sort of affection from him, and could not repress a slight shudder.

    As we spoke, Sabrina¡¯s phone rang. She nced at it and then at me with a strange expression on her

    face. She dashed off to the kitchen and returned with a heavy porcin bowl, which she ced in front

    of me. ¡°Eat up, this will help replenish your blood, supposedly.¡±

    I eyed the contents of the bowl curiously and found a dark mass of red, which I identified as deer liver.

    It was supposed to be very expensive. I took a tentative taste and found it to be surprisingly sweet and

    smooth. ¡°Did you have the kitchen prepare it for me?¡±

    Sabrina giggled and burst into song. ¡°Who was it that brought me to you? It was the moon, the moon,

    the moon¡­¡±

    I understood at once. Christopher must have called Sabrina to ask her to bring the bowl of deer liver

    over. Since this was his house, he must have had the kitchen prepare it ahead of time. I looked up in

    an attempt to seek out the familiar figure out of the crowd in that extravagantly decorated dining hall.

    I was not disappointed. Spotting Christopher and his brother sitting in a corner, they appeared to be

    having their lunch. Several other important-looking young men shared their table, all of whom were

    immersed in discussions. The crowd gave their table a wide berth.

    Christopher must have felt my gaze, for he cast a casual eye in our direction and turned swiftly back.

    He tapped a finger on the table and ced it gently on his stomach. This tiny gesture may have been

    missed by any other observer, but I got the message loud and clear: I was to finish the entire bowl of

    deer liver.

    I smiled. At the same time, Lyle whispered angrily in my ear. ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯ve told you

    that Christopher has a fianc¨¦e, if you were to be involved with him, you¡¯re asking for humiliation.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± I scoffed at his words with tant shamelessness. ¡°This is the Lane family mansion. I was just

    contemting on whether or not I should go over and greet our host.¡±

    ¡°They are discussing important manners,¡± Lyle said disapprovingly. ¡°Your status is not important

    enough to participate.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, which is why I¡¯m only worthy to sit here with you,¡± I said with a coldugh. Noticing that

    Sabrina was eyeing my bowl mischievously, I felt slightly embarrassed, prompting me to slide the bowl

    over. ¡°Would you like a taste?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need my blood replenished,¡± Sabrina responded hastily. ¡°You¡¯re the one who has had an ordeal.

    You should finish it. Besides, I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble,¡± she added in a soft voice.

    ¡°Have some fish, it¡¯s good for you,¡± Lyle interrupted, feeling left out because he did not understand our

    conversation. He slid a te of fish over.

    I pushed it away with revulsion. Though I used to cook arge variety of fish at home, that did not mean

    that I enjoyed eating them. Lyle loved fish, which was what made me learn to cook them I had also

    perfected the art of pretending to enjoy the taste of fish, too.

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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I never liked to eat fish. I prefer desserts and caramelized pork ribs. If you like, you can

    eat more.¡±

    As expected, enemies meet frequently. Before I could even finish my meal, Crystal sauntered into the

    dining room morously. A bunch of guys was following after her as if they were her bodyguards

    protecting her. It was a grand spectacle indeed. She raised her chin arrogantly, looking as proud as a

    queen.

    The ones nearest to her were still Benson and Benjamin. I remembered that the two men did not get

    along well when they were younger. The reason being one was the legitimate child, while the other was

    illegitimate. Since the age difference between them was very narrow, it was clear that one of them was

    an illegitimate child.

    Regardless of the animosity they felt toward each other, the brothers were still willing to stand together

    for Crystal, putting their grudges aside to protect her. It could be said that men¡¯s minds were really

    strange at times.

    That being said, Crystal¡¯s thinking was even weirder. Although she had a bunch of eligible bachelors

    surrounding her, she was still not satisfied. Instead, she insisted on being together with Lyle, but

    Judging from her expression every time she whispered to me, it did not seem like she loved him a lot

    as she imed.

    She simply wished that all the men in the world would love her. Honestly, her morals werepletely

    twisted.

    When Crystal spotted Lyle, her eyes lit up and she ran toward our table. She said flirtatiously, ¡°Lyle, I¡¯ve

    been looking for you. Turns out that you¡¯re eating here with Yvonne!¡±

    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Lyle sounded distant and his tone was exceptionally cold. Crystal¡¯s face

    sank immediately and an awkward expression crept onto her face. Sitting on the chair looking pitiful,

    she forced out a smile and asked, ¡°Lyle, there¡¯s going to be a party on the cruise ship at theke. Let¡¯s

    go together, okay?¡±

    ¡°I need to apany Eve, so I¡¯m not free,¡± rejected Lyle.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tears brimmed in Crystal¡¯s eyes, threatening to fall. However, she continued forcing out a smile

    and pretended to be amicable. ¡°Yeah, you should apany her. After all, Yvonne just had a traumatic

    experiencest night. It¡¯s only natural that you would want to spend more time with her.¡±

    I ced my cutlery down, my appetitepletely gone. Gosh, I swear this woman is like gum, always

    sticking to me wherever I go¡­

    ¡°Lyle, have you gone mad? How can you speak to Crystal like that?¡± Benjamin roared at Lyle;

    displeasure written on his face.

    Lyle suddenly stood up and punched Benjamin. As everyone did not expect him to suddenly act

    violently, they were stunned. Benjamin staggered backward after being hit. Returning to his senses, he

    bellowed furiously, ¡°Are you nuts? How dare you hit me?¡±

    Remaining silent, Lyle aimed a punch at Benjamin¡¯s stomach this time. No one knew what the former

    was angry about. Benjamin finally fought back and kicked Lyle. A brawl ensued between the two men,

    and everyone quickly rushed over to pull them apart.

    Benson dragged Crystal further away from the fight. Anxious, she cried out, ¡°Lyle! Benjamin! Stop

    fighting. Please, let¡¯s talk it out.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Talk it out? Where did you go with Benjaminst night?¡± Lyle shot a cold re at Crystal as if he was

    trying to see right through her.

    Crystal cowered a little and sobbed, ¡°We went to theke. I was frightened by how Yvonne was acting

    last night. And since you were taking care of her the entire time, Benjamin decided to apany me

    because he was worried about me. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±

    In other words, Lyle was jealous and decided toe back to me¡ªhis backup n. I should have

    seen thising. Now that he had shown his true colors, I could finally escape his insistent pestering. I

    said to Sabrina, ¡°I¡¯m full. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lyle called out behind me.

    I had no intention of turning around and simply kept walking, but he chased after me. He grabbed my

    left hand, which sent a pang of searing pain up my arm. Furious, I stomped on his foot, flung his hand

    away, and left.

    ¡°Watch out, Eve!¡± yelled Sabrina.

    It could only be said that I was really unlucky. When Lyle was fighting with Benjamin earlier, both of

    them escaped unscathed. On the other hand, only I was unfortunate enough to be implicated. While

    they were fighting, there was a servant who was standing in a corner, holding a bowl of piping hot soup.

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    Chapter 118

    When I turned around to leave, my right hand brushed against the bowl of hot soup. With that, both my

    arm were now injured.

    When the doctor came to check on my injury, he was looking at me strangely. Although wealthy

    families would always have their own designated private doctor, it must have been weird for the doctor

    to get called over repeatedly as it was rare for someone from a wealthy family to keep getting into

    idents.

    ¡°You¡¯re really careless, Ms. Tanner.¡± The doctor was speechless.

    ¡°What can I say, it seems that fate likes to y jokes on me seeing how I am always the unfortunate

    one.¡± I sighed. My right arm was hurting like hell, and I wished for nothing more than to pounce into

    Christopher¡¯s arms and cry. Why did I have to attend such a boring party? It¡¯s really tiring to deal with

    all those scheming people.

    That being said, this was still Christopher¡¯s home, and being here was a good chance for me to

    experience the ce he had grown up in.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Tanner. It was because of our negligence that you¡¯ve gotten injured.¡± Darius stood

    behind the doctor and nodded to me with an apologetic expression on his face.

    Pleasantly surprised, I quickly shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s because I was careless.¡±

    Is everyone in Christopher¡¯s family so nice? For some reason, I kept feeling that Darius seemed to be

    treating me really nicely. After checking on me, he addressed Benjamin and the rest. ¡°Mr. Miller and Mr.

    Smith, did our party fail to take care of your needs? What were the two of you doing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood us, Mr. Lane. We just had a small quarrel, that¡¯s all. Please excuse us.¡± As

    Benjamin¡¯s face waspletely bruised by the fight, it was bandaged and he did not speak. On the

    other hand, Lyle had a way with words and quickly exined.

    However, his words caused everyone to break out into a buzz. The reason was that he was standing in

    front of Crystal, while I was sitting on the chair alone, surrounded by doctors. At such a juncture, he

    should have been taking care of his injured wife instead.

    But that was how Lyle was like. He would always embarrass me in front of everyone, while thinking that

    he was justified. He had always thought that he was handling his rtionship well, but the reality was

    that plenty of people already knew what was happening between us.

    I guessed that many people were also aware of what happenedst night, for the moment we appeared

    in public, we instantly became the center of attention. The people were giving me nces filled with

    mockery and pity.

    Yet, I was unperturbed by it because I was too used to people staring at me like that. All I felt was

    numbness. During every party at the Tanner residence, I would receive gazes of pity and disdain. As

    such, I had reached a point where I no longer felt bothered by it.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Now that I had both my hands bandaged, I decided to leave sneakily. When Lyle followed after me, I

    turned around and shot him a re. Gritting my teeth, I snapped, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to humiliate you

    in front of so many people, I suggest you disappear from my sight right now.¡±

    ¡°Get lost, jerk!¡± Sabrina was definitely a beacon of righteousness in her previous lifetime. Now, she was

    determined to be my guardian angel. She shoved Lyle and said, ¡°All you do is bring misfortune to

    Yvonne.¡±

    Naturally, Lyle started arguing with Sabrina while I took the opportunity to sneak away. I thought that

    Christopher would continue discussing with the others. Surprisingly, when I returned to the guest room

    which the Lane family had arranged for me, he was already sitting on the couch with an unpleasant

    look on his face.

    A lot of thought went behind the allocation of rooms for the guests at this party. Couples were

    supposed to be arranged in the same room. However, as Christopher had a hand in it, I was assigned

    a room that was meant for single people.

    I reckoned he had done so because he was reluctant to let me stay in a room together with Lyle, but

    more than that, it was probably because he wanted to find me more conveniently.

    ¡°Come here.¡± Christopher beckoned me over with his finger. Noticing his unhappiness, I walked over

    obediently and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to keep sticking by Lyle¡¯s side, but he suddenly went

    crazy. Instead of pestering Crystal, he insisted on acting all lovey-dovey with me. I¡¯m equally

    frustrated!¡±

    Christopher carried me and ced me on hisp. As he stared at my right hand, an unfathomable look

    shed across his eyes. I hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just got burned. I¡¯ve suffered a lot of injuries since

    young, so this doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±

    To cate his worries, I deliberately waved my hand around. However, it really hurt and I hissed in

    pain.

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    Chapter 119

    ¡°How can you be so foolish?¡± Christopher sighed and leaned his forehead against mine. ¡°Sometimes, I

    wish that I could just hang you onto my belt so that I could watch over you all day long. That way, you

    won¡¯t keep getting into idents. I was right there, but something still happened to you.¡±

    I pouted and mumbled softly, ¡°If I¡¯m not foolish, how can you appear more amazing inparison? If

    I¡¯m too impressive, you wouldn¡¯t have the chance to act like the hero, nor would you have known me.¡±

    A strange glint shed past Christopher¡¯s eyes. ¡°Perhaps you were the hero and you were the one

    who¡¯s given me the chance to know you.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Did you dream that I saved you, so you were all prepared to give yourself up to me?¡± I joked.

    He gazed at me as though he was telling me that what he said was the truth. However, I knew that it

    was impossible for me to forget such an outstanding man like Christopher unless I had lost my

    memory.

    ¡°Yeah, you saved me when I was in danger. That¡¯s why I fell in love with you, a heroine who could do

    something so bold despite being so foolish and scared.¡± Christopher stared at me intently.

    For the next half an hour, we spent it being lovey-dovey with each other, during which Christopher¡¯s

    phone rang multiple times. It was obvious that he needed to attend to something. Thinking that I

    shouldn¡¯t dy him any longer, I said, ¡°Hurry on back. I¡¯ll be careful for the remaining days and I

    promise to stay away from that despicable man.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your injurye into contact with water, and don¡¯t eat any spicy food. You need to take care

    of your injury. Also¡­¡± Christopher was usually a serious person who was stern and decisive during

    formal business discussions. It was difficult to imagine him bing so naggy in front of me.

    I chuckled and pushed him to the window. ¡°I¡¯ll just avoid everything that can harm me, alright?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°You silly girl!¡±

    Christopher kissed me again before flipping out of the window agilely. Just around the corner of the

    secluded garden outside was the Lane family¡¯s courtyard. I had observed it before and I reckoned that

    he would appear in the house first before walking out through the main door.

    Since I was injured, there was no need for me to go out unless there was an important event where

    everyone had to attend. Looking at the bandages on my hands, Imented my pitiable state before

    burying myself under the nkets.

    Before I knew it, I fell asleep. After I woke up, I felt like I had be a pig who only knew how to eat

    and sleep. After asking the servant to send some food over, I then decided to take a stroll outside.

    I walked toward the capacious garden and peered over. There was a pavilion a distance away, with

    pretty shrubs and sculptures. The scenery was rather pretty. How big is the Lane family? I guess only

    the Goldstein family canpare to its wealth, huh.

    In Avenport, only the Goldstein family couldpare to the Lane family. However, the Goldstein family

    had been keeping a low profile recently, rarely interacting with the other prominent families. The reason

    seemed to be that the patriarch of the Goldstein family was suffering from poor health and had gone

    overseas to recuperate.

    I found a secluded area and sat on a stool. Propping my chin up, I stared at the clouds. The evening

    sky was bathed in a golden hue by the sunset, while fluffy clouds dotted the vast sky. asionally,

    some white clouds would be illuminated in a red glow due to the setting sun.

    The sky darkened gradually, signaling the passing of the day. I was nning to go back to the doctor to

    get a fresh change of bandage before going to sleep so that I could prepare for the cruise party

    tomorrow when I heard footstepsing from the shrubbery behind, which was quickly followed by a

    heated argument.

    My first thought was that a couple was arguing. Although I did not like to eavesdrop on others, I

    recognized who the couple was the moment both of them spoke. Their conversation piqued my

    curiosity, so I hid behind a sculpture, craned my neck, and peered over.

    ¡°Why did you pass me the spiked drinkst night?¡± Lyle stared at Crystal coldly, which was something

    unprecedented. It seemed like he was indeed oblivious to what happenedst night and was used by

    Crystal. Considering how proud and weak-willed Lyle was, he definitely could not tolerate others

    keeping him in the dark.

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    Chapter 120

    ¡°Lyle, don¡¯t you believe me? I told you that it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Crystal stared at Lyle with a hurt expression.

    ¡°Who else could it have been if not you? Crystal, you shouldn¡¯t have lied to me. You know full well that I

    detest being deceived the most. So why did you still lie to me?¡± Lyle¡¯s gaze was filled with

    disappointment.

    ¡°Lyle¡­¡± Crystal sobbed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me; it was Benjamin. It¡¯s true that I know about it and I never wanted

    to lie to you. But don¡¯t you know the reason why I did that? I just want to be together with you.¡±

    ¡°Still, you shouldn¡¯t have done that. Don¡¯t you know how unfair this is to Yvonne?¡± said Lyle in a deep

    voice.

    I was surprised that Lyle would actually defend me one day. As expected, Crystal was even more

    surprised. She gazed into Lyle¡¯s eyes deeply, her eyes filled with grievance. After a moment, she

    spoke, her voice choked with tears. ¡°Lyle, have you fallen in love with Yvonne? Didn¡¯t you say that you

    will love me forever? We agreed that after I return from Anndur, we¡¯ll get married.¡±

    ¡°Of course not! There is no way I will ever fall in love with her!¡± denied Lyle directly, his tone urgent.

    ¡°Really? Then why aren¡¯t you willing to divorce Yvonne? You¡¯ve been dragging this for so long to the

    point where I wonder if you really intended to divorce her.¡± Her eyes reddening, Crystal continued, ¡°Do

    you know, Lyle? Whenever you notice a man by Yvonne¡¯s side, you would act really bothered. You

    might not notice it yourself, but I did. Lyle, am I going to lose you?¡±

    Lyle was stunned for a while before he shook his head vigorously. ¡°Crystal, you of all people should

    know how I feel about you.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re still unwilling to get a divorce! Can¡¯t you see? That the reason why I did what I didst night

    was so that I could be together with you. When the two of you got married, you told me that you¡¯ll

    divorce her immediately after you obtain her stocks.¡± Crystal wiped at her tears.

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying that love is built on time spent together, while distance could break even the

    strongest bond. After spending two years together with her, perhaps Yvonne¡¯s better suited for you than

    I am. After the two of you were married for half a year, I returned to visit you. Do you know how much

    my heart ached when I saw you walking out of the hotel with Yvonne, looking like a blissful couple?¡±

    ¡°But you were the one who said that after you leave, she will take your ce staying by my side. And

    that I was supposed to transfer all of my longing for you to her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did say that I was going to present her to you as a gift. However, every time I think about how

    the two of you would sleep on the same bed, doing the things that only we can do, my heart aches

    terribly.¡± Crystal clutched her chest, looking like she was on the verge of copsing.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I could feel my heart aching too. However, it was not because of Lyle¡¯s heartlessness. Instead, it was

    because of how Crystal referred to me as a ¡°gift.¡± I¡¯m a human, not an object. What right did Crystal

    have to give me to another man as a gift? How shameless could she be to y me like a fool for so

    many years?

    Hearing that, Lyle¡¯s expression turned extremely grim. He growled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? I¡¯ve never

    touched Yvonne.¡±

    ¡°But I saw with my own eyes how the two of you walk out of the hotel together¡­¡±

    Lyle said through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ve never touched her. Although Grandma deliberately spiked our food

    that night, she didn¡¯t expect that we¡¯d leave so coincidentally. When I noticed that something was

    amiss, I just so happen to receive your call. In the end, I left her there in the hotel and I left to soak

    myself in a cold bath for the entire night.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ who was the one who slept with Yvonne?¡± asked Crystal, puzzled.

    ¡°How would I know? There were so many bachelors in the hotel that night. Any one of them could have

    entered the wrong room, being drunk and all. Besides, it was such a chaotic night. Who knows, there

    might even be more than one person involved. After all, the three brothers from the Frank family had no

    qualms about sharing a woman.¡± Lyle clenched his fists.

    ¡°Lyle, I can¡¯t wait anymore. I want to be your bride. Hold me, won¡¯t you?¡± Crystal pulled her zipper

    down. The whitece gown slid off her body, revealing her curvaceous figure.

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    Tears streamed down Crystal¡¯s cheeks as she walked toward Lyle. The couple embraced andy on

    the grass. Soon, sounds of whimpering and moaning could be heard from them.

    ¡°Tell me, am I better than Bianca?¡± Crystal moaned.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she a gift from you? I don¡¯t even know where you have sent her off to now.¡± Lyle thrust harder

    while positioning Crystal¡¯s body to amodate him more smoothly.

    By then, I was too exhausted to be bothered by what they were doing.

    There was a moment where I felt like I had stopped breathing. It was difficult for me to ept the truth.

    Moreover, the impact was especially devastating this time.

    Since the wedding, Lyle had been unwilling to touch me. When Sharon found out about this, she tried

    toe up with ideas to help me, but to no avail. There was a time when we attended a party, I could

    feel that something was off with my body. As such, I returned to the room with Lyle only to lose

    consciousness right after because I was drunk.

    In my dazed state, I felt someone on top of me and was thrusting into me rather gruffly, as though he

    was inexperienced. Because it was my first time, it hurt a little. But the pain passed swiftly under the

    influence of drugs, and it soon turned into waves of pleasure.

    Back then, I had thought that the person on top of me was Lyle, so I was crying out his name as I met

    his thrusts. I was happy that I was able to consummate my marriage with the man I love. What I

    thought would be a happy life from then on turned out to be a life filled with Lyle¡¯s cold indifference

    toward me.

    No wonder he kept using me of being a slut. So that¡¯s why he has never touched me since then. He

    would choose to relieve it in the bathroom every time he needed a release rather than asking me.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I have always thought that I have given my first to the man I love. Instead, I was discarded like a piece

    of trash and my purity was wasted on a man who I don¡¯t even know¡­

    I gritted my teeth as my entire body trembled from anger. How could such a cruel person exist? Is this

    my fault? What sins have Imitted for them to treat me this way?

    When I found out that Lyle was cheating on me, I had wanted to get even. But now that I know the

    truth; that my purity had long since been tarnished; that I don¡¯t even know who my first was, all I felt

    was pain, despair, and how dirty my body feels.

    There were so many people in the hotel that day. Who knows, it could even have been some old,

    disgusting, perverted, old men who slept with me. The coldness in my chest continued to spread. I held

    the area over my heart tightly as every breath I took hurt. It seems that I failed to keep the promise I

    made to myself¡­ that I would never shed another tear for anything that they did.

    Stop it! It¡¯s not worth it to cry because of them. However, try as I might, I couldn¡¯t contain the tears. I

    would¡¯ve turned and walked away if I had encountered a situation like this prior. But this time, I stood

    up, grabbed a handful of sand, and threw it at them as I felt thest shred of reason left my mind.

    Lyle and Crystal yelped at the sudden rain of sand. The couple quickly dived for their clothes. When

    they saw it was me, Lyle was shell-shocked. ¡°Yvonne¡­¡±

    I muster every ounce of strength I had and pped him across the face, instantly reopening my wound.

    The pain was excruciating, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to the intense pain my heart felt. ¡°Lyle, what

    have I ever done to you for you to humiliate me this way?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an as*hole!¡± My hand was injured, but I still have my foot. I kicked his calf with my heels. Not

    done venting my rage, I then grabbed his arm and bit down hard.

    ¡°Yvonne, let go of Lyle!¡± Crystal, who had put on her clothes, came to shove me away. When she

    neared, I could smell the repulsive scent of sex on her. It made me gagged.

    ¡°Both of you disgust me.¡± Still gripped by anger despite having yelled at them, I turned on my heels and

    dashed for the forest.

    This is who Lyle is. He told me he wished to start over with me, but the moment Crystal cried and

    offered herself up, he just forgot about everything else. The sheer audacity that they had to fool around

    at another¡¯s party¡­ not to mention in a forest where anyone could have passed by anytime.

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    Chapter 122

    I walked briskly down the hallway, receiving some odd looks from the guests gathered for tea. Ignoring

    them, I bumped into Zachary when I took a turn.

    He noticed my bad mood and asked for the reason behind it. I simply kept my silence and ran back to

    my room. Once the door was shut, the dam that contains my emotions broke immediately. Despair

    gripped me as I wondered why in hell would they treat me this way.

    The agony and anguish that I kept bottled up started to form a web around my heart. As it constricted, it

    stabbed into my heart, shattering it into a bloody mess.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    The man that I had a crush on for ten years and the two years of marriage we shared¡­ do they mean

    nothing at all?

    At this point, it can¡¯t even be considered as a joke.

    To keep his promise to Crystal, he would rather touch another woman than me. He even left me in the

    hotel when I was drugged.

    Coldness started creeping into my body. I covered myself with a nket to ward off the chill, but I could

    still feel it.

    My gaze dropped upon a knife. The thought of killing myself crossed my mind. Feeling dirty and

    disgusted by myself, I kept rubbing my arms, hoping to get the non-existent dirt off me. Will Christopher

    still want me if he knew I wasn¡¯t touched by Lyle but by some random man?

    The negative feelings and oppressive thoughts were taking possession of my brain. I unconsciously

    approached the table, picked up the knife, and ced the sharp edge over my wrist. If I slit it open, will

    my suffering end?

    I exerted a little pressure over the knife, feeling the sharpness and coldness biting into my wrist. Just a

    bit more pressure and blood would spill.

    Now that I think back, my whole life was depressing. My mother abandoned me, and my father never

    loved me. And after all the bullying and humiliation I¡¯ve been through, I found out that the only person

    who had treated me well was merely using me. Now, I¡¯m even getting my dignity trampled by a pair of

    adulterers. Why am I even alive?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± A hand seized the knife.

    Raising my head, I stared nkly at Christopher and started to struggle violently against him. ¡°Let go!

    Let go of me!¡±

    ¡°Eve, look at me. It¡¯s me, Christopher.¡± A look of horror was stered on Christopher¡¯s face as he

    pulled me into a tight embrace while using his other hand to grab the knife tightly.

    ¡°Go away! Just leave me alone! I¡¯m unworthy of you. Please don¡¯t ever look for me again. Let me be

    alone.¡±

    Thest shred of rationale left me, and all I wanted was to end my life. How could I even face him when

    I¡¯m so filthy? I snatched the knife back and was ready to slide it over my wrist.

    Christopher tightened his grip over the knife, cutting his palm open. When blood started to pour out, I

    was stunned and rooted in ce, simply staring at his bloody palm.

    To think that such a perfect-looking hand was now cut and oozing blood just because the owner didn¡¯t

    want me hurt got me feeling even more pain. He cared so deeply for me, yet every time I thought about

    my defiled body, I just wanted to end my life.

    Christopher noticed the crazed look in my eyes. He raised his hand and pped me across the face. It

    was the first time he had ever hit me. It hurt, but it managed to snap some senses back into me,

    leaving me standing there dazedly.

    Christopher hesitantly coaxed, ¡°Let go of the knife, Eve. My hand hurts. I don¡¯t think you would want to

    see my fingers get severed, do you?¡±

    Shocked by his words, I released the knife, and Christopher immediately threw it in the bathroom. He

    pulled me into his arms andforted me. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Tell me what happened. Eve, you have

    me. I¡¯ll always be with you, so you don¡¯t ever have to be afraid. Understand?¡±

    Hisforting words were thest punch to my crumbling walls. I broke down in his arms. After a

    while, I pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯m filthy. So filthy.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. To me, you¡¯re the purest.¡± Christopher had no idea what I was saying, yet he tried his

    best to calm me down by pulling me into his embrace again.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. You don¡¯t know how filthy I am. Multiple men had defiled me when Lyle left

    me in the hotel. How can you still want me when I¡¯m so dirty?¡±

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    I could lie to anyone in this world, but the only person I don¡¯t want to lie to is Christopher. He was the

    first person who had treated me with kindness. Even though he¡¯s two years younger than me and

    would sometimes behave like a boy trying to get his way, he has always tried his best to treat me well,

    adore me and protect me.

    ¡°I want you, no matter how you are. Eve, look at me.¡± Christopher held my chin so that I would meet his

    gaze. ¡°You¡¯re the only woman that I want in my life.¡±

    I stared into his eyes. They were like the deep sea glittering with starlights, pulling me in. Sincerity was

    evident in his facial expression as he gazed at me, willing me to believe his words.

    ¡°But, what if I don¡¯t want you anymore? I feel soiled.¡± I raised my head and let the tears fall from the

    corner of my eyes. I¡¯m grateful that there¡¯s a man in this world who is willing to apany me even at

    this moment.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.¡± Christopher sighed and

    ced me on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re not emotionally stable right now. Get some sleep first, and we¡¯ll talk after

    you wake up.¡±

    ¡°Will you stay here with me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right here with you.¡± Christopher peppered kisses on my clenched fist as he held it in his

    hands.

    I was exhausted from all the crying and the emotional beat down. I had thought that sleep would evade

    me that night. Yet, as Iy on his chest listening to his strong heartbeat, I soon fell sound asleep.

    A nightmare haunted my dreams. It was more frightening than the time Lyle had tried to drown me. I

    saw myself lying naked in the hotel surrounded by many men. They wereughing sinisterly and were

    slowly approaching me.

    I screamed as I sat up. Surrounded by Christopher¡¯sforting warmth and scent, I realized it was

    merely a nightmare. I turned and silently cried into his chest.

    Crying was the weakest and most useless thing a person could do. However, crying was all I could do

    at that moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re crying again. You didn¡¯t even shed a tear when you suffered a burn. So why are you crying

    even though you¡¯re in my arms now?¡± Christopher rubbed his face against mine as he tried tofort

    me.

    I wriggled in his embrace, trying to find afortable spot. ¡°Christopher, I had a nightmare again, but it

    felt so real this time. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a dream, but a memory. What am I going to do?¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me?¡± Christopher gently asked.

    ¡°If I told you, you would be disgusted with me as well¡­¡± Pausing for a moment, I shut my eyes and

    finally told him everything about Crystal¡¯s conversation with Lyle. ¡°When I got together with you, I never

    thought that it was a loss being never able to give you my first time since I had known Lyle first, andContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    even got married to him. But now¡­ when I thought about how I had given my purity to someone that I

    don¡¯t even know, how could I ask you to be with me?

    ¡°The woman that you have chosen has slept with multiple men,¡± I stated the harsh truth. As I waited for

    Christopher¡¯s reply, I felt anxious, but at the same time, I felt a sense of relief. He had treated me well,

    so I want to repay him as such.

    Nheless, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to treat him right. Even I would be disgusted by myself. I doubt

    there are any women who could ovee such an experience¡­

    I couldn¡¯t take the silence anymore, so I raised my head and nced at him. There was no surprise or

    disgust written on his face. Instead, he was giving me a weird look. He held my face and said softly,

    ¡°What if I tell you that the man who slept with you that night was me. Will you believe me?¡±

    I burst outughing with tears still streaming down my cheeks. ¡°I would say that you¡¯re lying, for there¡¯s

    no way such a coincidence could exist¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s true!¡± Christopher said in all seriousness, gazing at me intently.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have tofort me. The fact remains that I am just a dirty woman. Lyle had called me a

    slut, and he was right.¡± I shook my head. Christopher was willing to lie to me to give me peace of mind,

    but I didn¡¯t want to pretend nothing had happened.

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    ¡°What I said is true!¡± Christopher sighed, ¡°What do I need to do for you to believe me?¡±

    He added, ¡°Aren¡¯t you always curious as to why I would approach Lyle to get closer to you? Well, that¡¯s

    because a year and a half ago, I met you at the hotel.¡±

    My head snapped up, and I looked at him warily.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Christopher patted my head. ¡°I just returned from overseas that night and was attending a business

    party on behalf of my mother when I got drugged. They wanted to push some random woman at me,

    but I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with them. So I left the private room and walked into your room.

    Maybe it was destiny.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Yes, really. When I woke up and saw you beside me that night, I wanted to bring you with me. I left for

    a while and came back to find that you¡¯ve left with Lyle. I asked around and found out that you are

    married to Lyle. Only then, I stopped looking for you.¡±

    I believed his words because he even knew the hotel room number and that was something only the

    person involved could have known.

    Nheless, it was all so cliche. I have only seen such a scene happening on TV. I couldn¡¯t believe

    that it would happen to Christopher and me. I was once again grateful for him as he had unwittingly

    saved me from being defiled by other men.

    ¡°So you had already saved me once. That was what you meant when you said we had known each

    other early on? You were referring to that moment?¡± I guessed the world did work in miraculous ways.

    It all felt so surreal.

    ¡°Maybe even earlier,¡± Christopher joked.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re lying to me this time.¡± Iy on his chest and let out a sigh. I suppose this is how it feels

    when you see a rainbow after a storm. Hang on, didn¡¯t I just cut his hand with a knife?

    I sat up, grabbed his wrist, and noticed the bandage on his palm. I apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hurting

    you.¡±

    ¡°Took you long enough to remember my injury. You didn¡¯t even nce at it when you went crazy earlier.

    I¡¯m still angry about it.¡± Christopher red at me, pretending to be angry. However, he wasn¡¯t able to

    keep his act up for long, and he soonughed out loud.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small cut. The doctor was exaggerating. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Even though I lost my rationale, I knew he bled a lot. He insisted his injury wasn¡¯t severe because he

    didn¡¯t want me to feel bad for it. That thought saddened me. Christopher would end up hurt whenever

    he was with me. He would tolerate me even when I lost my temper.

    ¡°Next time, p me a few more times if this happens again. That way, I¡¯ll get to calm down, and you

    won¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a next time? Eve, if you do this a few more times, I might die from a heart attack.¡± Christopher

    flicked at my forehead lightly.

    We were cuddling on the bed as we talked when I suddenly recalled something. I blinked and smacked

    him yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were nning to steal Lyle¡¯s woman from the beginning? So that¡¯s why

    you¡¯re friends with him despite the difference in social status. Don¡¯t even deny it. Your motive was clear

    as day when you took my identification to buy a house for me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, how smart of you. Are you happy now that a handsome, dashing, and romantic guy like me fell

    for you?¡± Christopher asked, grinning slyly.

    ¡°Of course I am.¡± I smiled. I am grateful to have a boyfriend like him. I might¡¯ve used up all my good

    luck in this lifetime to meet him.

    ¡°My goodness! What happened to you? Your eyes are so swollen. Don¡¯t tell me you got in a fight with

    him?¡± Sabrina didn¡¯t mention Christopher¡¯s name because rumors could spread, and there was a

    chance of others hearing it even if we were in a private room.

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    I got out of bed when I saw Sabrina brought food for me. I snacked on a grape as I rubbed my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. My eyes were only swollen because they got defiled by the sight of a pair of

    cheaters.¡±

    Lyle and Crystal are the most disgusting and cruel people I have ever met. In the past, even if I disliked

    him, I would still treat him with civility because of Grandma.

    But this time, I hate him to my very core. If I could, I would never want to see him again. And if I do see

    him, I would want nothing more than to give him a p or two to vent my frustration.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re talking about Lyle and Crystal, am I right?¡± Sabrina leaned in nearer and

    whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still have expectations for Lyle? If so, even I will look down on you. You

    have a much handsome and better guy in all regardspared to Lyle by your side now. And if you¡¯re

    still hung up on him, we are through. If your current guy isn¡¯t your boyfriend, I would¡¯ve hit on him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dumb.¡± I shrugged as I stuffed myself with fruits while thinking about what I should wear to the

    cruise party tomorrow.

    ¡°You are dumb. That¡¯s why you fell for that idiot, Lyle. Christopher is so much better than him. Do you

    know that?¡± Sabrina pointed to somewhere far. ¡°Your happiness is right around the corner. If you don¡¯t

    catch it, don¡¯te crying to me when you lost your chance.¡±

    I followed the direction where her fingers were pointed at and saw Christopher with a group of

    outstanding men passing by theke. Even so, he was the most dazzling among the group. Many girls

    were hitting on him as well. He was, without a doubt, the center of attention everywhere he goes.

    After all, in every young girl¡¯s heart, their first crush would always be a man with a dangerous smirk.

    ¡°Even though we should advise ways for a marriage tost and not end, now that things had turned out

    this way, there¡¯s no need for you to hold on to this marriage anymore. You would only end up getting

    hurt more should they try to do something terrible to you in the future.¡±

    ¡°Sabby, I know what you¡¯re worried about. You¡¯ve said so yourself, now that things had turned out this

    way, I would much rather find a tree and hang myself than settle for peace.¡±

    I hit Sabrina gently with my fist. Worried about my injury, she chided, ¡°Hey, be careful! You just

    recovered from a burn. It might scar.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I instantly became nervous at herment. I couldn¡¯t care less about my looks or if I might

    get a scar if I don¡¯t have a loved one. But now that I have a man that I love, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t

    care about it. ¡°Should we drive to the hospital for a quick check-up, then? Maybe do some skin

    grafting?¡±

    Sabrina cackled, ¡°Look at you being so nervous. What a rare sight indeed. Let¡¯s go, then.¡±

    After we got into the car, I noticed that we were not heading for the hospital but toward a luxury

    shopping district. Curious, I asked, ¡°Where are we going? Aren¡¯t we going to the hospital?¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Look at you being all nervous over a minor injury. You¡¯re really different now that you¡¯re in love. You

    actually care about your appearance now. Rx, there wouldn¡¯t be any scarring if you received

    immediate treatment for a minor injury such as this. Besides, the doctor hired by the Lane family isn¡¯t

    some quack, you know.¡±

    Sabrina suddenly stopped her car at the side of the road. I was left puzzled. ¡°Then what are we doing

    here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a cruise party in the afternoon. Crystal will steal your limelight if you attend it dressed like this.

    So of course we have to shop for a new outfit. You need to doll yourself up in the most beautiful outfit.¡±

    I raised my right arm which was thickly bound in bandages, then waved the heavily-taped left

    hand. Even being covered by diamonds from head to toe can¡¯t save me from all these bandages.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Sabrina pushed me into a boutique that sells evening gowns.

    Once we had bought a gown, we immediately headed back. When I entered my room, I was surprised

    to find a package waiting for me. The package was wrapped in a way that it looked messy and

    ugly. What¡¯s this? I didn¡¯t order anything online. Also, the address is wrong.

    What I foundying inside the hideous package after tearing it open was an exquisite-looking pink

    evening gown. It was gorgeous. There was even a matching set of ruby pendants next to it as well.

    ¡°Looks like I got worried for nothing. You have someone who spoils you now, unlike me.¡± Sabrina

    choked out a few fake sobs as she spoke.

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    I remembered she had a blind date with a handsome man quite some time ago. They must have been

    ipatible. As much as I loathed the pink dress, I had no choice but to put it on.

    I stared at myself in the mirror; itplemented my skin tone well. I couldn¡¯t pick on the wless dress

    that seemed to have been tailor-made for me.

    I couldn¡¯t wait to show Christopher the dress he had chosen me. Thus, I got ahead of Sabrina and

    headed over to the yacht, which cost at least hundreds of millions, docked nearby.

    As I made my way over while holding my dress, I noticed most of the invited guests had boarded the

    yacht ahead of me. When I stepped into the hall, the guests were about to have their first dance. Upon

    a simple glimpse, I noticed most of the guests were couples.

    Lyle and Crystal were in the middle of the crowd as well. They had a great time dancing together. I was

    irked by Crystal¡¯s seemingly wless moves.

    No matter how graceful they appeared, it doesn¡¯t change the fact they¡¯re both corrupted deep down!

    Seconds after I spotted Christopher in a conversation with Gordon, I saw Monica approaching

    Christopher and asked him to join her for a dance.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Although Christopher mentioned they were not romantically involved with one another, I couldn¡¯t stand

    the sight of my crush hugging another woman by the waist, dancing. Nheless, I would be surprised

    if he approached me for a dance.

    He turned around and smiled when he saw me losing myself in a train of thoughts. I no longer felt

    frustrated when I saw him licking his lips. He indicated he was intrigued by my look.

    A waiter approached me and asked if I wanted something to drink. I didn¡¯t have the energy to lift even

    the lightest of items, let alone a ss of drink. It would be embarrassing if I were to spill all over.

    Staring down at my hands, I politely rejected the waiter.

    Out of nowhere, Zachary showed up next to me and asserted once he nced at my hand, ¡°You¡¯re not

    exactly in the condition to join them. Things will get even nastier if you hurt yourself further.¡±

    Huh? Are we even close in the first ce? Why is he expressing concern over my condition?

    ¡°Thanks for the heads-up, but I have no intention to join them as well.¡± Duh! How am I supposed to

    show up when my so-called husband is having a great time dancing with another woman?

    Zachary followed me when I headed elsewhere. Confused, I asked, ¡°Zachary, why aren¡¯t you mingling

    around with others?¡±

    He deadpanned, ¡°Well, everyone¡¯s aware I can¡¯t dance.¡±

    ¡°Alright, please suit yourself. I¡¯ll head over to the deck and enjoy the breeze.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder

    if others had ever made fun of him because of his indifferent look.

    ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not supposed to go anywhere!¡± Zachary got ahead of me and stopped me once again.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°He has instructed me to keep an eye on you and keep you safe throughout the ball. I¡¯m not supposed

    to leave you even when you¡¯re in the restroom. He said if anything were to happen to you, he would

    take me out in a simr manner.¡±

    Upon hearing that, my cheeks reddened as I choked on saliva. To stop things from getting more

    awkward, I asked, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s just kidding, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t be going anywhere else apart from keeping an eye on you!¡± Zachary was a

    man of his word. Thus, I knew there was nothing I could do to change his mind.

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    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to waste your precious time with me! You know what? I¡¯ll stand where you can easily

    spot me! That way, you get to have fun while ensuring I¡¯m safe!¡± It would be awkward to hang out

    around Zachary since he was a friend of Christopher, not mine.

    He dismissed my suggestion and insisted on following me everywhere.

    When I was about to suggest something else, Darius approached me and asked, ¡°Care to join me for a

    dance?¡±

    ¡°M-Me?¡± I pointed at myself with my eyes widened in disbelief.

    Darius replied with a bright grin, ¡°Who else could it be?¡±

    ¡°B-But¡ª¡± I looked at my hands and added, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll hold your wrists.¡± Upon Darius¡¯ insistence, I dared not reject further. After all, not only was

    he Christopher¡¯s brother, he was also the mayor of Avenport. Rumor had it that he was about to rise

    above the ranks soon.

    Zachary was against the idea. He asked, ¡°Are you sure you want her to join you for a dance?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll return her to you within a few minutes, okay?¡± Judging by Darius¡¯ look, I was pretty sure he had

    misperceived our rtionship.

    Thus, I decided to y along with Darius and winked at Zachary. Coming to think of it, it was an honor

    to dance with the host. The moment I joined him for a dance, I could feel I had stolen the limelight.

    Those who had been scowling at me since I showed up got their curiosity piqued because Darius was

    a married man. They must be wondering the sort of rtionship Darius and I had.

    Darius must have caught a glimpse of my scrunched-up face. ¡°Can¡¯t get used to it?¡±

    I was impressed because he could guide me¡ªaplete rookie¡ªat ease. There were a few times

    when I almost stepped on his feet. However, he could evade it all while carrying on with the dance.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Does it have something to do with the fact that he¡¯s from the Lane family? They¡¯re all equally

    exceptional!

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to being the center of everyone¡¯s attention.¡±

    Darius asserted with a smile, ¡°Ignore those people and enjoy the dance. At least that¡¯s the way things

    work for me.¡±

    I was pretty sure my eyes had been gleaming all while dancing. If I had to choose a role model, Darius

    would be the one. He was a sessful man and a loving husband.

    That got me thinking, though¡ªwhy was Darius so kind towards me ever since our first meeting?

    Initially, I thought he was an amiable person and that my treatment was no different than others.

    However, that was not the case. Having been here for the past few days, I¡¯ve seen him being stern.

    Oh, God! Has he figured out the sort of rtionship Christopher and I have? My heart skipped a beat

    when that particr thought crossed my mind.

    Darius asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°N-No!¡± After I rephrased the question I had in my mind, I queried, ¡°This is going to sound silly, but

    please enlighten this foolish woman in front of you. I appreciate your kind gesture in asking me for a

    dance. However, may I know the reason behind it?¡±

    It was a silly question indeed! At that point, my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I just had to know

    the reason why. Since there were other prominent figures in the ball, why would he bother to pay any

    attention to a nobody like me?

    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Darius told me to stay away from his brother. However, he went dead silent for

    a few seconds.

    After staring at me in silence for a short while, I looked elsewhere to avoid his gaze because I couldn¡¯t

    take it anymore. I repeated my question, ¡°Can you please tell me?¡±

    He broke the silence and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯re startled by my actions. Actually, you bear a

    striking resemnce to a close acquaintance of mine.¡±

    ¡°Is it a friend of yours?¡± I started imagining all sorts of things¡ªthe scene of him being torn apart with his

    loved ones. Although it sounded absurd, I recently noticed that the life of the riches behind closed

    doors was unthinkable. So, nothing much could surprise me then.

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    ¡°No, it¡¯s your Mom,¡± Darius replied mncholically. His reply took me by surprise as he lost himself in

    another train of thoughts.

    ¡°D-Do you know her?¡± Never had I heard anything about my mom ever since she left. To be precise, I

    couldn¡¯t get my hands on her whereabouts. It felt as though she had disappeared into thin air.

    Nathan once said Mom had eloped with another man, but I refused to believe him. I held a grudge

    against her for leaving me alone when I needed her the most.

    If she had nned to leave me, she shouldn¡¯t have brought me to into this world. I ended up suffering

    because of her¡ªbeing bullied and missing my mother sorely.

    Most of the time, I was jealous of Crystal because she had a protective mother¡ªsomeone would look

    after her and support her in every stage of her life.

    ¡°Yes. We were schoolmates. I encountered her during homing.¡± Darius kept his reply short and

    simple.

    I was confused. Christopher once told me his brother had doted on him since young due to their huge

    age gap¡ªhis brother was thirteen years older than him. In other words, Darius was merely eleven

    years older than me.

    My mother gave birth to me when she was twenty years old. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t make any sense for them

    to be schoolmates. Conscious of the questions I had in mind, he said, ¡°I was part of the academic

    eleration program. I admitted into college when I was thirteen.¡±

    I gaped at his reply. When I thought no one could beat Christopher, Darius proved me wrong by telling

    me he was a college freshman when he was just thirteen years old.

    Seconds after I snapped out of confusion, I whispered, ¡°Do you know anything about her?¡±

    Actually, I wanted to know if he had seen her over the past few years, but I thought that would be

    inappropriate since they were merely schoolmates.

    Shaking his head, he nced at the center of the hall and asserted, ¡°If you need any help, feel free to

    approach me. Nothing can get in my way in Avenport for the time being.¡±

    I looked in the direction of his nce and saw Lyle and Crystal. It was a huge favor, considering he was

    just a schoolmate of my mother. ¡°Thank you so much for the offer, but that won¡¯t be necessary for the

    time being. I¡¯ll reach out to you if I ever need your help.¡±

    The moment I walked away from the hall after the dance, Zachary showed up next to me. I was

    speechless. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    Zachary exined with a stern expression, ¡°He told me to stop you from joining others for a dance

    because you¡¯re way too gorgeous today.¡±

    Obviously, Zachary was aware of the rtionship between Christopher and me. Otherwise, he would

    never bring up such a sensitive topic. I feel uneasy knowing there¡¯s a third party who knew about our

    affair.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Unable to carry on with the awkward conversation, I suggested, ¡°Shall we head over to the deck and

    enjoy the sceneries? Others told me the Lane family had all sorts of fish in theke meant for

    consumption.¡±

    He nodded and said, ¡°Since I won¡¯t have to stop others from approaching you over there, that actually

    sounds like a great idea.¡±

    ¡°Were you a member of the army? Can you stop behaving as though you¡¯re currently on a mission or

    something?¡±

    That random spection of mine turned out to be true. He nodded and answered, ¡°He used to be my

    toonmander. Perhaps it has be a custom. Now, I can¡¯t help but carry out his order.¡±

    Wait! Christopher used to be a member of the army? Is that the reason he¡¯s equally skilled inbat

    skills? No wonder he¡¯s able to climb over the fence at ease!

    Although it was merely the second time I met Zachary in person, I could tell he was a good friend of

    Christopher through their interaction. I chuckled when the scene of Christopher teasing Zachary

    crossed my mind.

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    It was sunset, and as we basked in the sunlight, the reflection in theke seemed so surreal. It took my

    breath away. However, I was afraid to go anywhere near theke because of a traumatizing experience

    I had as a child.

    Suddenly, Sabrina showed up and yelled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to join me for a dance? What the heck

    are you doing here? Hurry up ande with me!¡± The infuriated woman tried to bring Zachary away

    with her.

    Zachary stood right where he was with an awkward expression. ¡°Can you calm down and let go of me?

    Stop embarrassing yourself in front of others! We¡¯re not the only ones around here!¡±

    I chuckled when I saw the duo bickering. Sabrina had always been known as an aggressive woman.

    Thus, I was pretty sure Zachary would be intimidated by her.

    Sabrina refused to let go of Zachary. She rebuked, ¡°Stop diverting my attention when Yvonne is the

    only one here! As my best friend, she won¡¯t make fun of me!¡±

    I had no idea since when had the duo gotten so close with one another. As Zachary wouldn¡¯t talk back

    against Sabrina, I was pretty sure they had been keeping in close touch for quite some time.

    Zachary ran out of ideas to get himself out of the nasty situation. He looked at me and requested,

    ¡°Yvonne, stopughing at me and say something!¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders in return and announced, ¡°There¡¯s nothing much I can do because I¡¯m afraid

    of offending my best friend over there. Why don¡¯t you join her for a dance? I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°H-Hey¡ª¡± Zachary wanted to say something, but Sabrina dragged him away with her against his will.

    I burst outughing on the deck when I started imagining the life after the duo got married. As Zachary

    was a reliable man, he would try his best to keep Sabrina happy.

    Well, for the first time in forever, Sabrina has made the right choice, huh? Although I think she¡¯s going

    to be the dominant one in their rtionship, things will turn out just fine at the end of the day.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Can I return to Christopher¡¯s side yet? I miss him so much, but I can¡¯t stand seeing another woman

    next to him! Urgh! What am I supposed to do to sever ties with my useless husband? Just what the

    heck is Lyle up to?

    ¡°What¡¯s my dear cousin doing here when she¡¯s in her best fit? It was quite a hassle because Lyle

    insisted on having me join him for a dance. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be mad, right?¡±

    Out of nowhere, Crystal showed up on the deck. I narrowed my eyes to a slit and red at her in the

    eyes, regretting the decision to chase Zachary away. In fact, I was certain Crystal had been keeping an

    eye on me all this while.

    Has she no shame at all? How the heck can she show up in front of me as though she has done

    nothing wrong in the woods?

    As she approached me, I took a few steps back because I had a feeling she was up to something. On

    top of that, I had made up my mind to stay away from her as much as possible to avoid causing myself

    more trouble.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Are you afraid of me?¡± Crystal beamed in satisfaction, asking in a

    sarcastic manner.

    It was an attempt to lure me into another trap. Nheless, I brought myself to a halt because I

    couldn¡¯t stand her getting full of herself. ¡°I just don¡¯t wish to waste my time with a hypocrite!¡±

    Grinning, Crystal remarked, ¡°I guess you have gotten better with your words, huh? No wonder Lyle has

    repetitively expressed his intention to take you out.¡±

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    The hypocrite went on and added, ¡°Have you always deemed me a hypocrite? Well, I guess it¡¯s

    inevitable when the guy you¡¯re head over heels with over the past eight years turns his back against

    you over the night! I must say it¡¯s quite a pleasant sight!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep those to yourself? Lyle is but a jerk. If you want him so badly, just take him away.

    You¡¯re the only one who appreciates him.¡± I meant every single word I said. I had enough of dealing

    with the vicious duo.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Crystal leaned against the pir and asked with her face scrunched up in irritation, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop

    putting on a strong front instead? Aren¡¯t you aware it¡¯s bad for your health? Can you recall our first

    encounter? You behaved all superior to me and turned me down when I requested to have a look at

    your drawings.¡±

    Chuckling, she added, ¡°In the end, I acquired the drawings after throwing a tantrum! I had ever since

    then made up my mind to get my hands on everything that belongs to you!¡±

    I guess this is Crystal¡¯s true color, huh? Why can¡¯t she move on from the past? On top of that, why

    would I want to share something that belonged to me with her? I can¡¯t believe she has been picking on

    me over such a trivial matter.

    After snapping out of the train of thoughts, I looked at her in the eyes. ¡°Well, I guess the ones you were

    able to get your hands on were never meant to be mine. What belongs to me will always be mine.

    You¡¯ll just end up with something that others couldn¡¯t even be bothered with.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Crystal burst outughing as she found my statement hrious. After all, I was the unlucky

    one over the years. One way or another¡ªmy life, my career, and my wedding ended up miserably.

    ¡°You¡¯re so adorable! I wonder if Lyle hasn¡¯t filed for divorce with you because of your naivety! Anyway,

    I¡¯ll get him to make up his mind soon!¡±

    Curious, I looked at theughing woman and asked, ¡°Did you get together with Lyle just to take

    revenge on me? Were you ever serious about your rtionship with him?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked while sticking out her tongue in a coquettish manner. The thought of

    her messing around with Lyle crossed my mind, but it was not something that concerned me.

    I found Lyle pitiable because he took their rtionship seriously. At the end of the day, it turned out he

    was as pathetic as me¡ªdeeming Crystal his one and only when thetter only used him as a tool for

    revenge. At that point in time, I was just d I would soon sever ties with him.

    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll teach you another lesson! You need to learn from Yvette and grovel yourself at my

    feet! If you do, I will consider showing you mercy and stop picking on you in the future!¡±

    I had a bad feeling about the things awaiting me, but I decided not to run away. She would just use

    me of something I hadn¡¯t done. Since I was innocent, it wouldn¡¯t be necessary to run away from her.

    A few secondster, Crystal started strangling her hair with all her might. Her cheeks were swollen after

    she pped herself in the face without holding back.

    Her attempt to pounce on me failed as I had foreseen her tricks beforehand. As she fell to the ground,

    she started wailing hysterically on the deck. After she tossed and turned, she yelled, ¡°Can you stop it?

    I¡¯m not trying to pick on you! Please stoping after me!¡±

    While ring at her in the eyes with a deadpan look, I heard footsteps closing in. She had alwayse

    prepared. Thus, I was certain she had asked someone to meet her at the deck beforehand.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    Crystal crawled her way over and started sniffling in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for irritating you, but I¡¯m

    serious about Lyle! If it weren¡¯t because of the incident that had urred in the past, I would never

    leave him! Please forgive me and patch things up with Lyle!¡±

    If it weren¡¯t because of my injured arms, I would have long pped her in the face. Since the one

    rushing over would never believe me, I might as well take things out on her for momentary relief.

    Lyle was the first to show up. He rushed over to help Crystal up and asked with a concerned look,

    ¡°Crystal, what¡¯s wrong with you? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Crystal nestled in between Lyle¡¯s arms and wailed, ¡°Lyle, hurry up and apologize! Tell Yvonne you won¡¯t

    be filing for divorce with her! It was never my intention to drive you away from her! I¡¯ll leave and return

    to Anndur soon! Just me me for everything that has urred and move on with Yvonne!¡±

    Instead of burying her face in her hands, she looked at him in the eyes to show him her swollen

    cheeks.

    The moment Benjamin rushed over with a bunch of people and saw Crystal wailing, he red at me

    and yelled, ¡°Yvonne, how dare you take things out on Crystal?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± I had enough of the foolish bunch and thought it wouldn¡¯t make any difference to exin myself.

    Thus, I looked at them in silence, wondering if they had lost their mind for good.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    All of a sudden, Lyle brought himself up and sprinted over in my direction. He tried to p me in the

    face, but someone grasped his wrist and stopped him in the nick of time. A few secondster, I heard

    the sound of someone¡¯s bone cracking. Lyle ended up shrieking in pain in front of others.

    Wow! I guess Zachary wasn¡¯t lying when he told me he used to be in the army!

    Irked, Lyle yelled while holding his injured wrist, ¡°Zachary, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Zachary said with a straight face, ¡°I had had enough of a wimp taking things out on a defenseless

    woman.¡±

    Zachary¡¯s statement worked like a charm. As a result of his reply, Lyle started shivering in wrath, his

    face turning pale and haggard.

    In an attempt to get himself out of the embarrassing situation, Lyle turned around and asked Crystal,

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    As though she was intimidated by Zachary, Crystal stammered, ¡°I-I identally fell. I-It has nothing to

    do with Yvonne.¡±

    Benjamin caressed the weeping Crystal nestling in his arms and asserted, ¡°We¡¯re here for you, Crystal!

    Just tell us if Yvonne has been taking things out on you again!¡±

    ¡°N-No! W-We were just having another conversation! B-Boohoo!¡± She started wailing abruptly,

    pretending she was the victim.

    ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯ll leave as soon as the party is over! Once I make my way back to Anndur, I¡¯ll never

    return! Is this enough to please you?¡±

    The moment she implied I was the one at fault, I caught Lyle ring at me in the eyes with the intent to

    take me out all over his face. Afraid of trying anything reckless in front of Zachary, he yelled, ¡°Why did

    you take things out on Crystal again? Have you forgotten she¡¯s your cousin?¡±

    I took another peek at my injured hands and scowled at Lyle, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re in a position to pick

    on me? I actually think I¡¯m not a match for a certain someone.¡±

    Ha! How kind of him to rush over to other¡¯s defense! Didn¡¯t he leave me alone in the hotel when he was

    conscious others might take advantage of me?

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    A lot of guests had gathered around because of themotion. ¡°It¡¯s such a turbulent journey! The trio

    wouldn¡¯t stop making a fuss since day one! Why can¡¯t they keep everything until the party¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they have the audacity to start a fight in front of us! Are they trying to challenge the Lane

    family¡¯s authority?¡±

    ¡°Are you guys blind or something?¡± Sabrina yelled at the gossipmongers and strode her way over to my

    side. Standing next to me, she asserted, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have left you alone if I was aware of someone¡¯s

    presence!¡±

    Shaking my head, I reassured Sabrina, ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡±

    Out of the blue, Lyle yelled, ¡°I want you to apologize!¡±

    I rebuked with a scowl, ¡°Ha! Lyle, may I know if you¡¯re confronting me as my husband or as Crystal¡¯s

    dearest darling? Why are you defending an outsider when your wife needs you as much as the woman

    next to you?¡±

    ¡°Lyle, you need to stop picking a fight with Yvonne because I was the one at fault in the first ce. If

    only I could suppress the affection I have for you and refrain from making the trip back to visit you! B-

    Boohoo!¡± Once again, Crystal started wailing halfway through her sentence.

    The onlookers engaged themselves in another round of heated discussion, but I couldn¡¯t care less

    since I had gotten used to it.

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s everyone doing here instead of enjoying themselves in the hall? Is there anything

    interesting here?¡± Christopher finally showed up when I had long caught him standing at the entrance

    of the banquet hall with a frown.

    As the onlookers greeted Christopher in a courteous manner, Christopher nodded in return. He strode

    over with his hands tucked in his pockets. Standing in the middle of the crowd, after he took a peek at

    Crystal, he nced at me and asked in a callous tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Ms. Yates? Has she gotten

    herself involved in another fight?¡±

    Crystal started apologizing with a pitiable front, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the trouble I have caused you, Mr.

    Lane. It¡¯s just a minor conflict Yvonne and I have. I hope we haven¡¯t gotten in the way of the party.¡±

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    She had sessfully caused others to perceive she was the kind and understanding one. In other

    words, that would make me the one who had made a fuss out of something trivial.

    Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of Sabrina winking at me with a proud look. I knew they were up to

    something the moment Zachary and Sabrina showed up one after another. In anticipation of the things

    that would be in store, I could barely conceal my emotions.

    Irritated, Lyle gasped out his reply, ¡°How dare youugh when you¡¯re the one at fault?¡±

    I showed Lyle my hands that were swathed in bandages and acquired Sabrina¡¯s help to ensure it was

    perfectly swaddled.

    All of a sudden, Christopher tucked his arms and asked indifferently, ¡°How has Ms. Tanner inflict such

    serious injuries upon you when her hands are seriously injured? Does it have something to do with

    your wless skin?¡±

    The onlookers went dead silent and whispered to one another once they heard Christopher¡¯s

    statement. Crystal¡¯s face turned pale and haggard as she was put in the limelight. Thrilled by Crystal¡¯s

    diffident look, I thought of giving Christopher a hug to reward him for the job well done.

    He actually figured out the thing on my mind through a simple gesture. I was able to get away no

    thanks to Crystal¡¯s foolish trick.

    That was the precise reason I couldn¡¯t be bothered to defend myself in the first ce. Lyle was the only

    fool who couldn¡¯t tell it was nothing more than a staged event.

    When he finally linked the missing pieces of puzzles together, he turned around and asked Crystal,

    ¡°Care to exin?¡±

    Crystal stuttered, ¡°I-I¡ª¡±

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    Chuckling, Christopher added, ¡°You must¡¯ve tied your hair loosely. Otherwise, this injured woman over

    here wouldn¡¯t be able to mess with it. Allow me to express my utmost apologies. Is it necessary to get a

    doctor to tend to your bruises?¡±

    After a few seconds of pause, he asserted in a serious tone and a stern look, ¡°We won¡¯t forgive the

    ones who try to do anything silly during my father¡¯s party.¡±

    He was no longer the mischievous man he had always been. Instead, he started emanating a

    menacing aura, intimidating those around him.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Crystal looked at those around her with an aggrieved front. Soon, she passed out with her

    head tilted.

    As someone who had spent the past two decades with her, I was certain it was just another one of her

    shows to get herself out of the nasty situation. Nheless, I felt a sense of relief because the incident

    was brought to an end.

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Lyle and Benjamin screamed in fear. They justified their departure by rushing Crystal to the

    infirmary.

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s enough drama for the night!¡± Christopher announced.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    The onlookers scurried away since the host of the party had made himself clear.

    Zachary apologized with his brows furrowed in guilt, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you alone.¡±

    I reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s fine! It has nothing to do with you! I believe this has always been part of her n,

    she¡¯ll definitely get to me one way or another.¡± When I noticed Christopher¡¯s face had scrunched up in

    irritation, I reasserted, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine! In fact, she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s hurt. She couldn¡¯t eveny a

    finger on me.¡±

    Sighing, he remarked in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Is she a fool or something? Didn¡¯t it ur to her that I would

    have surveince cameras installed here? Isn¡¯t she afraid of exposing herself?¡±

    He had sessfully piqued my curiosity. I asked, ¡°What? Are you serious? Are there any surveince

    cameras nearby?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Christopher shrugged his shoulders with his eyes gleaming in an odd manner.

    I was disappointed because it sounded like another one of his attempts to pull my leg. Never would I be

    able to forgive her for the things she had done over the years. It was such a shame not to be able to

    expose Crystal¡¯s true colors in front of others.

    Christopher lost himself in the process of thought while staring at a certain part of the yacht. He said, ¡°I

    think it¡¯s time to move on to the next phase.¡±

    Unable to fathom Christopher¡¯s statement, I queried, ¡°What?¡±

    Christopher ran his fingers through my hair and denoted, ¡°It¡¯s nothing! You just have to wait until the

    day we¡¯re able to announce our rtionship!¡±

    Standing right next to him, he grasped my hand when he felt me holding his fingers. I turned around

    and surveyed the surroundings in fear of others being around. It turned out Zachary and Sabrina had

    secured the perimeter on our behalf.

    Is my friend helping me distracting others when I¡¯m having an affair with another man behind my

    husband¡¯s back?

    I flushed when that thought crossed my mind. In my defense, my so-called husband had never taken

    our rtionship seriously.

    Christopher leaned over and whispered, ¡°I want you to join me at the deck in the evening.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to turn me down!¡± Christopher warned.

    ¡°Mmm!¡± I nodded and fled the scene with Sabrina chuckling at me.

    Most of the guests, including Crystal, had made their way back since it was thest night of the party.

    Nathan must have been made aware of the incident that had urred. Although he had already gone

    back, he made a call to reprimand me. Halfway through the conversation, I hung up the call.

    I couldn¡¯t even respect him as my father anymore. He would always be known as Yvette¡¯s lovely father

    and Crystal¡¯s generous uncle but not my father.

    Lyle was about to return as well. The servant told me Lyle wanted me to get everything packed within

    three minutes and join him outside. Otherwise, he would teach me a lesson.

    I decided to ignore him because I hadpletely lost faith in him after figuring out the n he had with

    Crystal. With that being said, he thought I had merely encountered him having an affair with Crystal in

    the woods.

    The infuriated man wouldn¡¯t stop calling me. He must be frustrated because I had dismissed his

    instructions again. In the end, I switched off my phone and decided to pay no heed to him.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    In the evening, I sneaked my way up the isted yacht and made my way to the deck. Staring at the

    sky, I was overwhelmed by a sense of serenity associated with the starry night.

    Christopher must be upied with the guests. Standing on the deck while staring at the sky, I cracked

    my brain for a befitting quote topliment the gorgeous scene.

    ¡°The moon was but a chin of gold

    A night or two ago,

    And now she turns her perfect face

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Upon the world below.¡± I nodded in satisfaction andplimented, ¡°I¡¯m such a talented woman! Maybe

    I can write for a living!¡±

    ¡°Do I have the pleasure to join this talented writer over here? Shall we talk about some philosophical

    topic such as the beginning of the universe?¡± Christopher approached me under the bright shaft of

    moonlight. He seemed to be taller and sturdier than usual.

    ¡°Stop making fun of me!¡± I reprimanded him with my lips pursed. I was d I hadn¡¯t embarrassed

    myself in front of others again.

    He held me firmly in between his arms and asserted with a smile, ¡°I will never make fun of this lovely

    woman over here.¡±

    I yed along with him and said, ¡°You should consider yourself lucky!¡±

    He tried to show me the way to the edge of the yacht, but I stopped him and shared my concerns with

    him. ¡°No! I¡¯m afraid of drowning!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯ll always be there to keep you safe!¡± He showed me his hands,

    beckoning me to join him with a gentle grin that could easily take my breath away from me.

    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks!¡± I can¡¯t move on from the traumatizing experience. If

    no one brought me back to the shore back then, I would have been long dead years ago.

    ¡°Juste here, okay?¡± Christopher insisted on having me join him at afterdeck. When I saw my

    reflection in his abysmal pair of eyes, I thought I would soon let loose of myself again.

    Overwhelmed by a sense of security, I inched over and grasped his hand in return. A few secondster,

    I was right next to him at the afterdeck. I could see the reflection of the moon in theke.

    As I was merely a step away from being drowned in the seemingly bottomlesske, I could feel my legs

    turning to jelly. Nestling in between Christopher¡¯s arms, I looked elsewhere to stop myself from being

    overwhelmed.

    ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m afraid no one else is going to rescue me if I drown again!¡±

    ¡°Hello? Are you indicating I¡¯m going to leave you alone when I¡¯m literally next to you? Not even Zachary

    is a match for me when ites to swimming, okay?¡± He kissed me and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you

    open your eyes and enjoy the gorgeous scene?¡±

    His suggestion worked like a charm and allowed me to feel a sense of serenity. I opened my eyes and

    stared ahead of me. Along with the reflection of the moon were the gleaming stars. The breathtaking

    scene seemed so surreal.

    I stretched my hand in an attempt to get a hold of the stars. Christopher grasped my hand and wrapped

    his arms around me from behind. ¡°See? It¡¯s not as horrifying as you have imagined. On the contrary, it¡¯s

    a blessing from mother nature.¡±

    When I stretched my arms to embrace the sky, our action reminded me of a certain scene from a

    famous movie. ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯re the male protagonist of that movie, do you?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Care to join me for another adventure?¡± Christopher asked in return.

    He was confused because I shook my head shortly after I nodded. Thus, he asked, ¡°Are you willing to

    join me or not?¡±

    The moment I recalled the movie had ended with a tragic note, I answered with a determined look,

    ¡°Nope! I won¡¯t join you for this so-called adventure you¡¯re talking about!¡±

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    ¡°Why?¡± Christopher held his head against mine.

    ¡°Because I want to be together with the one I love, instead of living out the rest of my life reminiscing

    the passion we once had. That is why, I refuse to be Lucy, who fell deeply in love and lived in the ghost

    of her memories.¡±

    I was a simple person after all. Crazy infatuation and enthralling romance were not my thing. I was only

    looking for a calm and peaceful life¡ªa husband who loved me and had a steady job. We would do

    house chores together, and quarrel over trifling matters. My husband would then coax me after the fight

    and we would be all right again. Sometime down the road, we would build a family together, and

    nurture our child with love.

    So, I said, ¡°A simple life is a happy life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re way too easy to satisfy, woman. I¡¯d feel really unaplished this way. Why do I have to earn

    so much money if you desire nothing?¡± Christopher looked frustrated.

    ¡°Damn, you rich people!¡± I gritted my teeth and red at him. ¡°How rich is your family, exactly? I used

    to think that the Miller family was rich. They would always organize birthday parties at holiday resorts. I

    dared not imagine how loaded your family is; it¡¯s just going toe as a shock to me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I really can¡¯t answer your question as I¡¯m normally not the one in charge of the finances. My

    mother is the one to take care of it all, but she¡¯s been trying to get me involved in the matter recently. I

    rejected her, and she¡¯s still mad at me.¡±

    Christopher cupped his chin and did some calctions in his head. In the end, he concluded, ¡°Anyway,

    there¡¯s no problem for me to take care of you. Yvonne, you can have meat and mead every single day

    and I won¡¯t go broke¡ªI can promise you that.¡±

    ¡°What happens if I throw away one drink with every ss I take, and toss one serving away with every

    serving of meat I eat? Will that work too?¡± I teased the man.

    ¡°Sure, whatever floats your boat.¡±

    I broke into a chuckle. ¡°Christopher, how could you spoil me like that? Are you going to be responsible

    when I turn into a spoilt brat?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will.¡±

    I turned around and looked at his chiseled side profile, and felt a sudden urge to kiss him. I edged

    myself close to him, and he was looking straight at me with unblinking eyes. Just when I was close

    enough, he cupped my cheeks.

    The distance between us closed in, and when our lips touched for a passionate exchange, dazzling

    fireworks lit up the sky on the horizon, each and every one of them brighter than the stars.

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. Look, Christopher, it¡¯s the fireworks.¡± I nudged at him and pointed at one of the most

    splendid fireworks I had ever seen. It was as if they were just blossoming over the top of my head.

    Christopher¡¯s face sank as he pursed his lips. ¡°What an untimely disy of fireworks.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Amused by his childish manner, I chortled. ¡°It¡¯s not as if we haven¡¯t kissed before. Let¡¯s enjoy the

    fireworks first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so d that you like it. This is the most strategic location to watch the fireworks on this yacht. Mom

    and Dad initially nned to enjoy the final fireworks show here, but I booked the ce ahead for this.

    Satisfied, mdy?¡± Christopher grinned at me.

    So he brought me here to enjoy the fireworks. The fireworks show was so mesmerizing that it sent me

    into a daze. It caught everyone¡¯s attention when it was at its peak, and with the end of the show, gone

    was the crowd.

    Albeit its beautiful nature, fireworks actually reminded me of the unpleasant memory when I was little. I

    used to hide in the house timidly as I watched Yvette and Crystal running around the house happily

    whenever there were fireworks. I wanted to go downstairs and join them too, but the fear of being

    bullied by them and my Dad¡¯s scolding would always deter me from doing so.

    I was no longer alone with Christopher, though. My face split into a wide grin as I said, ¡°I¡¯m really happy

    today. Thank you, Christopher.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thanking me again. It looks like you need some more punishment tonight as a reminder for you

    to behave.¡± Christopher smiled wickedly.

    I knew exactly what was on his mind just by looking at his face. ¡°How did you stop your father and

    mother froming up here, exactly? I don¡¯t suppose you told them you wanted to enjoy the fireworks

    alone, no?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I drilled a hole on the yacht and told them that it was leaking. Then, I came over and stered

    over the hole,¡± Christopher toyed with my hair and said nonchntly.

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    He what? I turned around and widened my eyes at him. My goodness! A yacht has got to cost millions.

    Did he just say he drilled a hole in it so that he could watch fireworks with me?

    ¡°You¡¯re really frivolous with money, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯re talking about a yacht that potentially costs

    millions or more! My goodness!¡± I covered my face in dismay.

    ¡°Nothing everes close to you,¡± Christopher raised a brow as he replied. I realized that he really

    liked doing that, but for some reason, I thought it looked good on him. His upturned lips, paired with the

    affectionate gaze and a raised brow were enough to make any woman fall for him.

    ¡°Why? Do you find me that dazzling? Are you captivated by your future husband again?¡± Christopher

    noticed that I was ogling at him and teased me.

    ¡°You wish.¡± I pursed my lips, refusing to tell him that he looked really good.

    That night, when the fireworks show came to an end, I was no longer crouching alone in the corner of

    the house but was encircled in Christopher¡¯s embrace instead. I could feel his lips exploring mine as

    we were locked in a passionate exchange. He tasted of lingering tobo, and rich red wine.

    I did not drink any wine, but the taste of wine in his mouth was enough to beguile me as I drowned in

    the sweet sensation.

    A wave of apprehension hit me, as it had multiple times before¡ªa painful reminder of the yawning gap

    in between us. He was bright like the sun, bringing light and hope to everyone around him. On the

    contrary, I was nothing more than scrubby tufts of grass which survived upon the glory of his light.

    However, I could not seem to find the strength to cut him out of my life. He was addictive, and a single

    touch was enough to set me rolling back to his side. With his family background, wealth and power, he

    should be with a woman leaps and bounds ahead of me. I had nothing to show for.

    My inferiorityplex was eating me inside out, and the only thing I could do as I stood there on the

    luxurious yacht was to hold on tightly to the man beside me because I did not have a clue if he would

    just disappear if I let him go.

    Christopher¡¯s phone rang right when we were basking in this perfect moment. I was startled and

    pushed him away to let him pick up the call. However, the man did not even spare a nce before

    tossing it aside.

    He reached out to carry me and headed inside the yacht as I circled my hands around his neck.

    Christopher carried me inside the lounge. As he stood by the window, I noticed the fiery passion

    burning in his eyes. Flustered, I pushed him away gently. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking about doing it

    here?¡±

    ¡°I want you, right here.¡± Christopher pushed me against the window and started to kiss my neck as he

    reached under my clothes. There was no mistaking his eagerness and longing for me.

    But what if somebody were to see us? I tried to resist and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. The guests have left. What if

    your family memberse here looking for you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zachary is holding the fort upstairs.¡± Christopher was already lost in the moment as he

    worked on my earlobes and the sides of my neck. Noticing that I was mping my legs tight, he put a

    foot forward to stop me from running away in a domineering manner.

    Another round of fireworks exploded in the sky, and I could hear the rustles and hushed conversations

    nearby. The man behind me grunted as his hands greedily explored my back. In a low and dreary

    voice, he said, ¡°Eve, you¡¯re as gorgeous as those fireworks.¡±

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    He always liked to mutter sweet talks during moments like these. Even though I repeatedly mentioned

    that sweet talks during these moments did note off as sincere, Christopher begged to differ. He

    thought that without sweet-talking, lovemaking was no different from mating.

    He blew hot kisses on my neck and corbones, sending waves of pleasure all over my body. Amidst it

    all, he had already undone my dress and I felt a chill.

    Before I realized it, the expensive nightgown had already slipped off my body. It took me a while to put

    it on because of the intricate designs of the ribbons and buttons hugging the dress. However, I did not

    realize that unraveling the ribbon in the middle would make it all fall apart.

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    I let out a muffled shriek as I fumbled to cover my chest. Christopher grinned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no

    need to cover yourself up. You¡¯re not going to be able to cover it all anyway. Are you trying to seduce

    me that way?¡±

    I turned crimson red, feeling embarrassed about being exposed. I did not have much experience in this

    regard. As Lyle said, I had only done it with Christopher, and I did not even have a recollection of the

    time we did it one and half years ago.

    My experience was only limited to these two months, and he had been the one to initiate. I had no idea

    of how things should have been done. The best I coulde up with was to imitate those women in

    the softcore porn that I watched back when I was still young.

    ¡°So are you not nning to touch me if I don¡¯t seduce you?¡±

    ¡°You wish.¡± With a swift movement, Christopher supported me to sit on the windowsill as his hands

    glided over my calves and foot smoothly like a snake. I felt my skin tingle at his touch.

    I tried to retract my foot as I felt a prickle, but he held on tightly to it. My back was back against the

    window, and right behind it was theke. If he loosened his grip on me, I would have fallen into the

    lake. That was why I circled my hands around his neck and did not dare to move around much.

    He brushed himself against me greedily and left carnal marks on my body as he went. He would pause

    to take a look at each and every mark, and then to look at the fireworks filling the sky. Every time he

    turned his attention back at me, amazement would fill his eyes as if he had discovered yet another new

    wonder.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing another one here!¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not doing art right now. What are you looking at?¡± I kicked at Christopher gently. He was

    getting more and more out of hand. He must have held it in too long, and all hell started to break loose

    after he confessed his feelings for me.

    ¡°You¡¯re a picture-perfect art, and I¡¯m just giving you a little touch of color here and there.¡± Christopher

    gave me a mischievous smile before pausing the kiss on my abdomen for some time before he turned

    around to undo his tie.

    He did not take away the other hand which was still supporting my waist. It was difficult for him to yank

    off his tie with just one hand. Raising his chin, the man teasingly said, ¡°Hey pretty, aren¡¯t you going to

    help your man get undressed?¡±

    I reached out to take off his tie and stopped. Christopher narrowed his eyes at me and asked, ¡°What

    about my shirt?¡±

    I was not used to taking off a man¡¯s shirt. As a matter of fact, I had not done it before with Christopher.

    He was the one to take initiative every time. I found it much too embarrassing to take the lead in the

    matter.

    However, I relented and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the firm and chiseled chest beneath his white

    shirt. I was really tempted to sneak a pinch.

    Perhaps thinking that I was too slow, he let me hang onto him and unbuttoned his shirt himself. I

    stopped him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t remove your clothes. Let¡¯s just do it this way. I think it¡¯ll do. Otherwise, it¡¯s

    going to be really inconvenient if there¡¯s an emergencyter.¡±

    He objected to my idea and was adamant about feeling my skin against his. Fine, whatever works for

    him. I was still sitting on the windowsill, and still on the edge. Stealing a nce outside the window, my

    attention went astray momentarily.

    Christopher thrusted forward and I shuddered unconsciously. Burrowing himself in my chest, he kissed

    me and said, ¡°Silly, do you know how bad it makes a woman look if a man is well dressed while the

    woman is in a disheveled manner? I respect you too much to put you through that.¡±

    He did respect me, and he took the matter of consent seriously. Even though he was always the one to

    initiate, he would never disregard my feelings about the matter. Back in the bar when we first slept

    together, he had said the same. I remembered that I had wanted to run away that night, but the gentle

    look in his eyes made me stay.

    Sometimes I wondered if I truly loved Christopher. He would always put me first, and I knew I enjoyed

    being adored by him. That was the reason I tried to reciprocate his kindness. Under normal

    circumstances, I would not say no to him.

    After all, there was nothing else that I could offer. Women were lining up to sleep with him, and

    Christopher could choose to bed any one of them. It was unnecessary for him to weave a web of lies

    just to sleep with me.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 138

    My hands and legs hung loose in the air as my body moved up and down following his thrusts. Any

    time he thrust harder into me; I could feel myself almost falling over the edge of the windowsill. Amidst

    the thrusts, my brain went jelly and I could only let out muffled grunts.

    A few moans would escape when I could no longer hold it in. Unknowingly, the fireworks show stopped,

    and the cold wind rustled past the surface of theke, springing up goosebumps on my back. Noticing

    that I was feeling a chill, Christopher caressed my body to ward off the cold.

    Soon, I was lost in oblivion as he gained more momentum. An urge to cry suddenly overpowered me

    as almost half of my torso was hanging out the window.

    Am I going to fall into theke and drown to my death while making love? The headlines are going to

    look spectacr if that¡¯s the case¡ª Married Woman Drowns in Lake Following Intense Lovemaking

    While Cheating?

    Luckily, Christopher had no intention of me making the headlines, nor wishing death upon me. He

    supported my back and carried me to a desk in the lounge. Feeling that the hard desk might be

    ufortable, he put a jacket underneath to cushion my back. We fooled around some more. Knowing

    that we had to leaveter, Christopher did not drain me all of my energy.

    After we were done, he did not see me out the door. Instead, he led me through a deserted way to

    leave through the back exit. Of course, I was not that dumb to ask if it was impolite of me to leave the

    party halfway. After all, everyone who went to the party who was even remotely rted to me had left.

    Christopher¡¯s parents might even think that I had left as well.

    At the back exit, he let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m done with ying hide-and-seek with people. I really hope that I

    can personally see you to the door next time. No, that¡¯s not it. We should be able to leave together.¡±

    ¡°All right. I will get it done and over with as soon as possible. No more procrastinating it this time.¡± I

    bade goodbye to that man and watched his silhouette disappearing into the night as I left.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected thinking about our future. Can I really be together with him out in the

    open?

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I was about to hail a cab after reaching an intersection. A car that stopped by the roadside shone

    highlights at me and wound down the car window. It was Sabrina. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for ages!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea you were waiting for me,¡± I said as I hurriedly went over to the passenger seat.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin. I think a man and a woman being alone on a yacht is quite self-

    exnatory. What else can you guys do?¡± Sabrina quipped.

    Refusing to let her imagination go wild, I said, ¡°We just watched the stars and fireworks. Nothing else

    went down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Sabrina broke into a chortle and pointed at me. ¡°You¡¯re admitting it even without me saying

    anything. It looks like you guys had done some other thing besides watching the fireworks. Hehe, spill

    the beans, Eve. Is Christopher good in bed?¡±

    I pretended not to hear her and imagined myself being as still as a statue. Why would I tell Sabrina if

    Christopher was any good in bed? Of course, he had his merits but I did not know if other men had the

    same sex drive as him. One thing for sure was that Christopher was like a wolf that was famished,

    seizing every chance that he could to satiate his hunger.

    Whilst caressing my boobs, he would always make a point to say that he¡¯s lucky to have a little calf like

    me who will produce lots of milk for him in the future. Even though I had refuted the man and said that

    the milk was to be reserved for babies, the man would just break into a cackle and said that he was a

    child too. Something about his manner just made me want to p him across the face.

    I turned crimson red with the thought in mind.

    ¡°Uh-huh, it seems like he¡¯s really good at it. Your face is as red as a baboon¡¯s bum.¡± Sabrina chuckled

    again as I tapped her gently. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up, it¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    Sabrina finally started the car and sent me back to my apartment. She insisted on going to my ce for

    a nightcap. Judging by the nosy look on her face, I knew she was just curious to know what transpired

    between Christopher and me.

    As expected, she did not leave even after finishing three sses of water. She edged closer to me and

    asked, ¡°Hurry up and tell me what happened between you and Christopher. I am dying to know how it

    went down.¡±

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    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one telling me that he had a fianc¨¦e? Since there is nothing official between us, I think

    it¡¯s better for it to just end this way,¡± I rolled my eyes at her busybody demeanor and replied.

    ¡°Who, me? I said if¡ªif he had a fianc¨¦e. But he doesn¡¯t, right?¡± Sabrina cleared her throat and med

    herself for not standing her ground. ¡°I guess you had no idea that Christopher wished he could have his

    eyes on you at all times. Did you know he texted me at least three times a day over the course of the

    party? He urged me to follow you everywhere so that nobody could trouble you. I did not even have the

    time to chat up handsome blokes. You have to make it up to me, Eve.¡±

    Of course, I was aware of everything that Christopher had told Sabrina. Otherwise, why would the two

    of them always appear consecutively whenever I encountered any problems? It was as if they had a

    consensus or something. It couldn¡¯t be that the man had a radar on him to sense wherever I was, right?

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Hence, Sabrina had to be his radar.

    ¡°So, would you please tell me how Christopher had managed to get you to side with him? I vividly

    recalled that you called him a scumbag not too long ago. Howe you¡¯re handing me over to a

    scumbag now?¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s worthwhile when the scumbag turns out to be as handsome as Christopher.¡± Sabrina

    shrugged. ¡°Well, unlike me, you¡¯re really a piece of hot cake.¡±

    I did not believe a word she said. She was the sole daughter of the Zimmer family. Her parents were

    affectionate toward each other, and they had always kept things low profile. Sabrina would always be

    the one to represent the Zimmer family whenever there was a function. Her parents were obviously

    grooming her for something greater.

    ¡°Then would you tell me what is going on between you and Zachary? I noticed that you guys seemed to

    have known each other for some time.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a ydate when we were little. I liked seeing him change his face.¡± Sabrina chuckled and

    noticed my prying manners. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, though. I just like teasing him.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I doubted her exnation. Why would she be so flustered if there was nothing between

    them? As a woman, I knew what she was trying to hide with just one look.

    I thought I would get a few days of peace to heal. At the very least, Lyle and Crystal going high profile

    at the party would serve as a good distraction since the upper ss of Avenport would have known that

    the two had be an item.

    I went to work, and the boss did not assign me extra work after seeing that I was injured. In the end, he

    had only asked the secretary to assign me some light tasks. I could have taken medical leave for the

    day, but I could not bring myself to go on leave again.

    My colleagues would have eaten their hearts out if I took medical leave right aftering back from a

    three-day leave.

    However, my wish of having an uneventful day did note true because Lyle came looking for me.

    He found out where I was staying. I was starting to regret the decision of putting the apartment under

    my name. I should have used an alias or something. That way, Lyle would not have been able to track

    me down so fast.

    I was trying to change my own bandage when he came over. I had to admit that it was quite

    inconvenient to do that on my own. Even though Christopher had asked me to go to the hospital

    repeatedly, but I felt toozy to do so. Going to the hospital just for a small wound did not seem like a

    worthwhile trip to make.

    Just when I was trying to figure out how to best wrap the bandage over my wound, I heard someone

    knocking erratically on the door. I thought it was Sabrina and used my left hand to open the door

    carefully. The door was kicked down with a bang after I opened it, and it nearly hit my head.

    Subconsciously, I reached out to protect my head from the blow.

    My wound that was starting to heal came apart just like that. I let out a small sigh and looked at Lyle,

    who just barged his way in. Nothing good ever happens when hees looking for me like that.

    ¡°Why did you turn off your phone? Why are you hiding from me?¡± Lyle dashed in and demanded.

    I paid no heed to him. Instead, I took the medicine and carefully applied it to my wound. It wouldn¡¯t hurt

    if one applied it when there was a scab over the wound, but it stung like hell when the wound was

    exposed. The stinging sensation almost made me cry, but Lyle did not seem to care and snatched

    away the bottle of medicine in my hand and hurled it at the floor. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you right now. Can¡¯t you

    hear me?¡±

    Looking at the broken pieces of the ss bottle and the spilled fluid, I sighed to myself again. My

    exposed wound was starting to bleed again, and I took a tissue to wipe it off, fearing that it might stain

    my clothes. Christopher had bought me the piece, and I did not wish for it to be stained.

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    Lyle finally noticed the bloodied tissue and was stumped. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t your wound healed?¡±

    I snorted and scrambled for another bottle of medicine to apply it on my arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint

    you by not healing as fast as Wolverine, nor am I impervious to getting hurt.¡±

    What is Lyle trying to aplish, exactly? He was really a bummer. I did not visit Grandma because I

    wanted to heal my wound faster so that I can head out without much difficulty. Is he ever going to leave

    me alone?

    ¡°Can you drop the sarcastic tone?¡± Lyle was fuming.

    ¡°When you¡¯re hurt, and someonees barging in, hurting you further, and smashes your medicine,

    are you going to cheer the person on while admiring how dashing he looks?¡±

    I peered at the man and applied the cotton swab dabbed with medicine on my wound and wrapped

    fresh bandages over it. The stinging pain of the scalded wound on my right arm resulted in a lopsided

    and loose bandage.

    Lyle finally decided that it was time to offer help and said impassively, ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    I was not about to let my ego stop me from getting help. After all, if I had rejected him, I wouldn¡¯t know

    how bad it would tick him off and I might be the one to suffer worse injuriester. Lyle did a worse job

    than Christopher. Toward the end, I had to refrain from shouting profanities from the pain that he was

    causing from wrapping the bandage too tightly.

    I took out the balm for scalded wound, and this time he took the initiative and applied it to my wound.

    All of a sudden, he regarded me intently and sighed. ¡°It has been so long since I¡¯vest seen you being

    this quiet. How I wish you can always be this meek.¡±

    I chuckled to myself. So should I continue being a meekmb by your side so you can trample all over

    me? The tiniest bit of gratitude I felt for him dissipated into thin air right then.

    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± I snapped.

    ¡°Can¡¯t a husband look for his wife? Yvonne, have you forgotten that you¡¯re my wife?¡±

    ¡°I remember all too well that I¡¯m your wife, and that¡¯s why I try to appear as magnanimous as I can

    when you and Crystal are being lovey-dovey toward each other in public.¡± I knew for a fact that Lyle

    would note looking for me without a reason. He definitely had something to ask for, and I had a

    hunch that, as always, it wouldn¡¯t be something nice.

    Lyle seemed to have recall what happened on the yacht after I mentioned it and bit his tongue.

    However, I did not think it was out of guilt though. The man just could not bear to embarrass himself

    further.

    After a while, only did he finally say, ¡°Grandma is not doing so well right now. She¡¯s in the hospital, and

    she wants to see you.¡±

    ¡°What? Grandma is in the hospital?¡± I was stumped. Even though Grandma was not in the pink of her

    health recently, she was still energetic and could move around on her own. Why would she suddenly

    be hospitalized?

    ¡°What happened to her? Is it very serious?¡± I asked worriedly.

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    ¡°It¡¯s not looking good.¡± I thought he was worrying about Grandma when I noticed the gloomy look on his

    face. However, I was soon proven wrong when he said, ¡°Don¡¯t bber in front of her. I don¡¯t want her to

    worry.¡±

    Yeah, right. I snorted to myself at his hypocritical remark. Too worried about Grandma, I could not be

    bothered to bicker with him. I darted into the changing room and mmed the door shut behind me

    when I noticed that he actually intended to follow me inside. Lyle¡¯s face sank.

    I could not care less about what was on his mind. Lyle suddenly stopped me in my tracks when we

    were just about to head out. ¡°Yvonne, sometimes I really wonder if you¡¯ve ever liked me?¡±

    To be honest, I never thought he would ask something like that, especially considering I had been the

    one to constantly finding myself almost asking him the very same question. Of course, I did not stoop

    so low as to actually ask him that. I knew better than to ask that question since everything that he had

    done was more than enough to show that he did not give a dime about me. Why would I embarrass

    myself?

    It was ironic that he was the one to pose the question, especially considering that he was the one to

    betray me, and even trampled all over me together with Crystal. I did not answer the question, and

    snickered, ¡°What about you, Lyle? Is there any part of you that actually has feelings for me?¡±

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    Chapter 141

    Lyle¡¯s erratic breathing emanated through the dark corridor. He looked straight into my eyes with his

    wide, unblinking eyes. Inexplicable emotions seemed to have overpowered him before he finally said in

    a small voice, ¡°Will you believe me if I said yes?¡±

    I chuckled and blinked my eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bet on it?¡±

    It did not matter whether he was being truthful or otherwise. After all, I would not believe a word he

    said. It was funny enough that I could not seem to pinpoint any happy moments when we were

    together. Well, if I had to mention one, it would have to be the time when he proposed to me, albeit it

    being an illusion. However, it was just a dream, and I would never fall prey to the same delusion again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Lyle looked at me indignantly. I supposed he was hurt from me ridiculing his

    attempt of sweet-talking.

    ¡°Of course, I believe you. I had believed everything you said before after all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to go visit Grandma. She¡¯s waiting for me at the hospital.¡± I headed out of the corridor

    and took the elevator. The door sprung open when it reached the first floor, but Lyle pressed on the

    close button, obviously trying to prevent me from getting out of the elevator.

    Furrowing my brows, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Lyle said nothing and just looked at me. I did not avert my gaze. I was not Crystal, and I wasn¡¯t the old

    Yvonne either. Hence, I was already immune to his charms, no matter how hard he was trying.

    ¡°We should¡­ Well, in the future¡­¡±

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    ¡°You¡¯d better not finish that sentence!¡± I interrupted him. I did not have the intention of listening to what

    he had to say, be it us having a future, or the other way round. He was just spinning old yarns. I

    pressed the open button, strode out of the elevator, opened the car door to the backseat, and got into

    the car without hesitation.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sit in the front?¡± Lyle frowned. ¡°You used to love riding shotgun.¡±

    That¡¯s because I used to think that the passenger seat is closer to you. I ced my bag in a corner and

    said impassively as he droned on, ¡°I heard every word you said to Crystal clearly in the woods the

    other night.¡±

    Stumped, he froze. All colors drained from his face as his lips twitched. It was as if he was fumbling for

    an exnation, but in the end, he said nothing. He merely turned around and drove the car.

    I heaved a sigh of relief. Trying to ward him off was more tiring than working. I would have grabbed my

    bag and hurled it at his face if he had the audacity to keep rambling after what I just said to him.

    Before long, we reached the hospital. Grandma was really sick as shey in bed pale-faced. There was

    no vitality to her voice. She managed a weak smile at the sight of me but started to have trouble

    catching her breath after muttering a few words. I poured a ss of warm water for her.

    Her weary eyes fixated on my bandaged arms and palms. She looked at Lyle and reprimanded him,

    ¡°What are you doing? Why is she hurt all over just after a few days at the party?¡±

    Lyle kept mum as he did not wish to further aggravate Grandma, as was I. Waving my hands, I

    dismissed the tension and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Grandma. I was being careless. It¡¯s only normal with the

    crowd at the party.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re scalded, dear. I had wanted to ask you to apany me longer. Well, I¡¯d better forget about

    that now. You¡¯d better get back and take a good rest. I hope this will not leave a scar.¡± Grandma cast

    worried and concerned looks at me.

    ¡°I have nothing on today. Why don¡¯t I stay instead? This little wound is nothing.¡± I smiled. Grandma

    really cared about me. No matter what intention she had in mind, I could feel that her concerns for me

    were sincere.

    Grandma tried to talk me out of it but I was adamant about staying through the night with her.

    ¡°Did anything happen at the party? Did you enjoy yourself there?¡± Grandma caressed my cheeks and

    asked gently. Her hands were all wrinkled, and it felt rough against my skin. However, the warmth from

    her hand wasforting, and it had more than made up for the family love and warmth that I had never

    gotten from my own family.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    ¡°Well, Mr. Ziegler and his wife were hospitable and chatted with me for quite some time. By the way,

    Mrs. Ziegler is pregnant again, and Mr. Ziegler became extra cautious and took good care of her. Once

    he received the news about her pregnancy, he carried her up to leave the party, for he wanted to avoid

    all possible idents. I¡¯m sure he is overjoyed to have a child at this age. I guess there will be a

    celebration party for the baby a yearter.¡±

    ¡°Really? Anyway, everyone in Avenport knows that Mason loves his wife very much. Lyle, you should

    learn from him.¡± Sharon nced at Lyle.

    I chuckled awkwardly at it, while Lyle also looked embarrassed. The next moment, he came up to me,

    held my hand, and said to Sharon, ¡°Grandma, please get more rest. Don¡¯t worry about us because

    we¡¯re already adults. Instead, you should focus on taking good care of yourself.¡±

    Since Sharon had good connections, I thought she probably knew what happened during the party.

    Nevertheless, I refrained from talking about it because she didn¡¯t mention it. Her biggest wish was that

    Lyle and I could love each other and even give birth to a healthy kid. Unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯te

    true.

    Meanwhile, I thought Sharon was seriously ill, given that Lyle put on an act before Sharon.

    After talking for a while, Sharon looked rather tired. I tucked her in the bed and walked out of the ward

    with Lyle. The next moment, I flung his hand away and went to the doctor¡¯s office to get more

    information about Sharon¡¯s condition.

    I was heavy-hearted at that moment. Since Sharon was old and had high blood pressure, she would

    feel dizzy from time to time and couldn¡¯t make it better by having medicine. As such, she had to stay in

    the hospital and undergo various medical checkups.

    Lyle¡¯s phone rang several times, and I remembered the ringtone. He loved to assign a different ringtone

    to those who were important to him. For instance, the ringtones for Benjamin and Sharon weren¡¯t the

    same. Given that the ringtone I heard was a romantic piano piece, it was, no doubt, Crystal¡¯s call.

    He answered the call and spoke softly without avoiding me. Hence, I could hear the woman¡¯s voice.

    After the call ended, he said, ¡°If you¡¯re free anytime in these few days, we can sign the divorce

    agreement. Let¡¯s not dy things further.¡±

    ¡°Will you be with Christopher after getting a divorce?¡± Lyle continued softly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it in

    a hurry. After all, Christopher is there for you every time something happens to you. Do you think I¡¯m

    silly enough to believe there is nothing between you two?¡±

    ¡°Once we get a divorce, everything about me is none of your business. Isn¡¯t that right, my soon-to-be

    ex-husband?¡± I purposely emphasized thest two words. Whenever we talked about getting a divorce,

    Lyle would be irritated once I got emotional.

    Surprisingly, Lyle didn¡¯t get angry this time. He only gazed at the ward and said, ¡°But I¡¯m worried

    because Grandma is not in good health. Can we dy it?¡±

    Although it was a reasonable request, I had a better way to solve the problem. ¡°We can get a divorce

    but keep it from Grandma for the time being. Crystal can¡¯t wait for it already anyway. Why do you want

    to keep her waiting? She must be constantly worried that others might call her a homewrecker if this

    matter drags on for too long. Yet, she can¡¯t hold in her desire to show off how lovey-dovey you guys

    are. She¡¯s a public figure, and her reputation hasn¡¯t been the best. If the rumor spreads further, her

    career could very well be ruined.¡±

    ¡°So eager to be with your lover already? How shameless can you be?¡± Lyle was fumed atst.

    Instantly, I giggled and replied, ¡°I might be shameless, yet someone is worse than me. Don¡¯t you

    always loathe me for being a filthy woman? What a coincidence, for I loathe you as well. In that case,

    why don¡¯t we separate as soon as possible? If we force ourselves to be together, I might eventually end

    my life or take yours in the end.¡±

    Shocked to hear my threatening remark, he asked, ¡°Do you hate me so much?¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I responded and blinked my eyes. Deep down, I was shocked by myself for being

    soposed. Initially, I thought that I would beat Lyle once I came back and saw him. I probably

    couldn¡¯t win the fight, but I could blow the matter out of proportion and force him to divorce me.

    Nheless, I was sane enough to prevent myself from doing so.

    ¡°By the way, there is a third possibility¡ªI die because of Crystal. Which option do you prefer? Well, we

    can try one by one.¡±

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    Chapter 143

    We were in a heated argument and would probably fight at any second. Nevertheless, both of us

    smiled and held in our anger in the end for the sake of Sharon. Later, Lyle ignored me and left to meet

    Crystal.

    My phone vibrated for quite some time. I took it out and saw many missed calls from Christopher. Other

    than that, he sent me a few text messages, asking me to pick up my phone. As such, I immediately

    called him back.

    ¡°Eve, where are you? I¡¯m at home, but you¡¯re nowhere in sight. Why did you go out since your hand is

    injured?¡±

    I was delighted and touched to hear him said that he was at home. I smiled and responded, ¡°I¡¯m in the

    hospital now. Why didn¡¯t you give me a call beforeing? I mean, I could have told you if you called

    beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Are you there to get your new medicine? Which hospital are you in now? I¡¯lle right away to pick

    you up,¡± Christopher said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to get my new medicine. Grandma is admitted to the hospital, and I¡¯m here to visit her. I

    might not go home tonight. Please don¡¯t be mad at me,¡± I said gently, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t be pissed

    off.

    ¡°Why do you have to stay overnight? Isn¡¯t Wendy there? I mean, she¡¯s Sharon¡¯s daughter-inw. Why

    isn¡¯t she in the hospital?¡± As Christopher spoke in dissatisfaction, his tone also changed.

    As such, I coaxed, ¡°Sharon doesn¡¯t like Wendy. Rumor has it that Wendy and Lyle¡¯s dad had a shotgun

    wedding, and so Sharon was forced to agree on it. I¡¯m sorry. If you¡¯re alone tonight, you can hug my

    doll when you sleep. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Doll?¡± As if a thought shed through his mind, Christopher burst intoughter and continued,

    ¡°Perhaps I should prepare a life-size doll that looks just like you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a great idea? I

    mean, I can order it for only a few hundred thousand. I promise that it will look exactly like you.¡±

    I was rendered speechless, for even an idiot knew what the doll was. I pursed my lips and bellowed,

    ¡°The real me is here, yet you want to buy a blow-up doll? My god, how tasteless you are!¡±

    ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you ask me to hug a doll when I sleep? Why are you disgusted by my taste now? I have a

    good taste, or else I won¡¯t have you, my darling,¡± Christopher answered smilingly.

    ¡°Say no more. I¡¯ll never allow you to buy a blow-up doll. Imagine that I might think it¡¯s a ghost when I

    wake up at night and see something that resembles me. It will be a nightmare. Besides, why don¡¯t you

    buy a life-sized doll that looks like you and put it beside you?¡± I said coquettishly in purpose.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Christopher seemed to hesitate for a while. Then, he coughed lightly and answered teasingly, ¡°I see.

    My darling isn¡¯t satisfied with me. It seems that I haven¡¯t worked hard enough, and so you need a blow-

    up doll. I promise to work extra hard when youe home.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, I felt that I shot myself in the foot. After all, I merely grumbled and never thought

    about buying a magical blow-up doll. I dared not think further about his suggestion.

    ¡°I was wrong, Chris. Please forgive me, for it was all my fault,¡± I begged tteringly, so much so that

    even I felt goosebumps all over myself.

    ¡°Do you admit your mistake now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was wrong. Chris, I¡¯m sorry for it.¡± Christopher would make me cry with hundreds of methods if I

    was hard-mouthed now. He would even ask me to sing when we did it. Although we never tried it

    before, we used to joke about it. He imed that he would do so if I dared question him.

    Hence, a shiver ran down my spine once I imagined the scene. How terrible!

    ¡°How¡¯s the injury on your hand now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot better,¡± I answered him obediently.

    ¡°Take care of yourself at night. Also, don¡¯t identally hit your hand against something. I¡¯ll let you have

    a lollipop tomorrow when youe home.¡±

    I blushed and hung up. A lollipop? I mean, how vulgar can he be! Besides, he even said it seriously, as

    though I wouldn¡¯t understand what it meant.

    When I returned to Sharon¡¯s ward, she looked at the door for a while. Since Lyle was nowhere in sight,

    he asked, ¡°Where is Lyle?¡±

    I covered it up for Lyle. ¡°I heard that he had to leave to deal with some work in thepany.¡±

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    Chapter 144

    While I fell silent for a while, Sharon heaved a sigh and said mncholically, ¡°You don¡¯t have to help

    him out. I¡¯m sure he has left to meet Crystal. When you two stood together and held hands, I saw that

    the smiles on your faces were stiff.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± I chuckled awkwardly, for I never thought Sharon would nail my lie straightforwardly. ¡°Since you

    knew the answer, why do you have to ask me?¡±

    Sharon¡¯s expression turned grim as she sat still. Gazing at her, I felt that she looked pale-faced and

    dejected. As such, Iforted, ¡°Grandma, Lyle and Crystal are meant for each other. They had no

    choice but to separate from one another back then. So, why don¡¯t you consider giving them your

    blessing?¡±

    I never imagined asking Sharon to give her blessing to Lyle and Crystal one day. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t

    do it out of generosity but only wished to get a divorce as soon as possible. I believed she understood

    the connotation in my words.

    Isn¡¯t it the best solution for everyone? Although Crystal always yed tricks behind people¡¯s backs, she

    dared not go overboard before Sharon. I felt that Crystal was afraid of Sharon since she was young,

    probably because Sharon knew her dirty tricks.

    For instance, there was a time when Sharon figured out Crystal bullied a girl and framed me with it.

    Since then, Crystal would be afraid whenever she saw Sharon.

    Sharon and I knew the reason that Crystal left very well. Nheless, I still wished that Sharon could

    ept her. Deep down, I never understood why Sharon resisted Crystal so much.

    I guessed birds of a feather flocked together indeed. Sharon disliked Wendy but was fond of me;

    Wendy liked Crystal but loathed me.

    ¡°No way!¡± Sharon interrupted me seriously and bellowed, ¡°I¡¯ll never let a woman like Crystal be married

    into the Smith family. There is no way I¡¯ll ept her!¡±

    I was shocked to see Sharon¡¯s reaction once I mentioned Crystal. It was as if Crystalmitted some

    unforgivable crimes before.

    After yelling angrily, Sharon came back to her senses and realized that she lost her self-control. Then,

    she heaved a long sigh and added, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll not allow Lyle and Crystal to be together.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± If what Sharon said was right, she changed the painter¡¯s name of Autumnal Panorama from me

    to Crystal, thus allowing Crystal to study art abroad. However, using the evidence linked to this

    scandal, she forced Crystal to move to Anndur. Deep down, I couldn¡¯t understand her rationale

    behind it.

    Was it because she wanted Lyle to marry me and obtain the shares for her? I was reluctant to think ill

    of Sharon. If that was the reason, she didn¡¯t have to stop Lyle and me from getting a divorce. After all, I

    was virtually worthless to her now.

    ¡°I have my reasons!¡± Sharon replied determinedly. Then, she pointed at the cab and said, ¡°Eve,

    please bring the document in the cab to me.¡±

    I did as she said and opened the cab. The next moment, I was shocked to see an encrypted

    document. Usually, people wouldn¡¯t bring important documents along to a hospital. Nheless, I held

    in my curiosity and handed it over to Sharon.

    I took a step back, for I believed that curiosity would kill the cat. After ncing through the document,

    Sharon handed it back to me and said, ¡°Eve, you should take a look as well.¡±

    I took the document from her hesitantly. Almost instantly, I was stunned by the title¡ªshare transfer

    agreement. As my heart was racing, I hastily flipped to thest page and saw my mom¡¯s name¡ªAmelia

    Jones.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Grandma, what is this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°This is the proof of your mom¡¯s shares!¡± I was caught off-guard once again by Sharon¡¯s straightforward

    exnation. I couldn¡¯t help but recall the unpleasant moment when I first heard about the shares in

    Sharon¡¯s mansion.

    Although I imed that I heard nothing, everyone knew that I lied back then. Right then, I was

    bewildered because Sharon showed the agreement to me.

 Chapter 145

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    After reading it thoroughly, I confirmed that Amelia possessed eight percent of the shares in Smith

    Corporation. Despite the small proportion, it was worth a king¡¯s ransom to a poordy like me. I could

    stop working and live a good life with the dividends every year.

    ¡°Back then, the Smith family was facing awsuit and in need of cash. I asked your dad for investment,

    but he rejected me because he needed the money for another lucrative investment. I left in

    disappointment, but your mom came to my house very soon.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s eyes beamed when she immersed herself in the memory. ¡°Your mom was smart;

    nevertheless, your dad didn¡¯t heed her advice. So, you can imagine they didn¡¯t get along well back

    then. She secretly invested two hundred million, for she believed that the Smiths¡¯ project would deliver

    better returns than your dad¡¯s n. That was why she received eight percent of the shares in return

    without your dad¡¯s knowledge.¡±

    I had never heard someone talk about my mom for a long time. When Sharon mentioned her, I felt a

    little ufortable and only put on a faint smile in response. My heart would sink every time her name

    was mentioned.

    ¡°Grandma, why are you telling me this?¡±

    Fixating her gaze upon me, she took out another document from the folder and handed it over to me.

    ¡°Your mom¡¯s shares are supposed to be yours. Now, I¡¯ll transfer them to you. Besides, I¡¯ll gift two

    percent of my shares to you.¡±

    My hand became stiff as soon as I took the share transfer agreement. Sharon intended to transfer ten

    percent of shares in Smith Corporation to me. I would no longer worry about making my ends meet

    once I signed on the paper.

    Nheless, I felt that the document in my hands was a hot potato and had an almost irresistible

    impulse to throw it away. After going through ups and downs in all these years, I learned to be cautious

    and never ept a free meal.

    ¡°Grandma, I can¡¯t ept the shares. Please keep it¡­¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t decline it right away,¡± Sharon interrupted, ¡°Consider the two percent of shares as my

    compensation to you, for I¡¯m aware that you¡¯ve suffered a lot ever since you married Lyle.¡±

    Sharon heaved a sigh as though she was embarrassed to continue. After hesitating for a while, she

    added, ¡°I lied to Lyle so that he would marry you willingly. Deep down, I¡¯ve never intended to pass your

    mom¡¯s shares to him. Eve, do you believe me?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I ought to believe Sharon. However, my heart softened when I felt the sincerity in her

    eyes and read the documents. Given that Sharon was old and lying on the bed in the hospital, I thought

    there was no reason for her to deceive me.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I nodded and replied seriously, ¡°I believe you!¡±

    Instantly, Sharon¡¯s lips curled into a smile of relief. She patted my hand and said delightedly, ¡°You¡¯re

    always my loved one. Anyway, I have my reasons not to tell anyone about it. When I realized that you

    were fond of Lyle, I grabbed the opportunity to pair off you guys. s, who would have thought that fate

    has other ns?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma,¡± I apologized while lowering my head. Sharon wanted the best for Lyle and me.

    Nevertheless, we weren¡¯t meant for each other.

    ¡°Have you made up your mind to get a divorce?¡± Sharon asked another question.

    Initially, I wanted to tell Sharon that it wasn¡¯t that urgent. When I thought about Christopher and what

    Lyle and Crystal did to me, I hesitated no more.

    At that moment, my only wish was to be with Christopher to live a happy life that belonged to me.

    Despite Sharon¡¯s kindness, she couldn¡¯t make decisions on behalf of Lyle or force him to treat me well.

    Meanwhile, I felt embarrassed to tell her about the past incidents.

    ¡°Grandma, there are many things that I can¡¯t control myself. So, I have to apologize to you.¡± After

    returning the agreements to Sharon, I added, ¡°I can¡¯t ept these. Since the shares belong to my

    mom, she will return one day and retrieve them by herself.¡±

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    Standing at the entrance, I looked at my hand before looking back at the hospital lobby. As if I was

    possessed, I dashed to a tree and started banging my head against it.

    Why did I turn down the offer? What¡¯s wrong with me? So what if I¡¯m thick-skinned? No one would

    me me for that.

    My action had inevitably attracted strange looks from some passersby. A little girl pointed at me and

    asked her mother, ¡°Mommy, why is that woman banging her head against the tree? Won¡¯t she get

    hurt?¡±

    ¡°Stop staring at that crazy woman,¡± the mother said and ushered her child away as though I was a

    contagious disease.

    I lifted my chin and scoffed. I¡¯m indeed a crazy person who refused a pile of free money.

    Back to the office, I approached one of my colleagues and asked her, ¡°Mave, if someone offers you

    twenty million and all you need to do is sign some papers, will you take it?¡±

    She looked at me bewilderedly. ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense.¡±

    I burst outughing, realizing that I rejected the money because I was firm in my objective. epting

    the shares would only furtherplicate my estranged rtionship with Lyle.

    I no longer cared what happened between Lyle and Crystal. Although I didn¡¯t understand Sharon¡¯s

    aversion to Crystal, that was Lyle¡¯s problem. Since he was so deeply in love with her, he would have to

    smooth things out with Sharon.

    Working in an advertising designpany involved a lot of design sketches. My creativity from my

    years of painting helped make up for theck of professional skills in the field.

    After work, I bought some food before heading home. I reckoned Christopher wouldn¡¯t be at home

    since he was a busy man. However, the fragrance of homecooked dishes greeted me upon arriving

    home.

    I walked toward the kitchen and leaned quietly on the kitchen door to watch Christopher cook like a

    professional chef.

    I was still in awe at how he managed to maneuver with ease in the kitchen when he broke the silence.

    ¡°What are you staring at? Roll up your sleeves ande help out. I need you to check the lobster to

    see if it¡¯s cooked.¡± He raised his eyebrow and pointed at the pot. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not expecting me to do

    all the chores around the house. You¡¯re going to have to share some of the loads.¡±

    I did as I was told. ¡°Well, as a man who dotes on his woman, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only fair that you

    shoulder all the housework while I focus on preserving my beauty and enjoy life?¡± I said with an impish

    smile.

    Christopher grinned brightly and nted a kiss on my cheek. ¡°Dear Eve, I¡¯m sorry to burst your bubble,

    but now that we¡¯re sharing a life together, it means when I cook, you¡¯re going to have to wash the

    dishes. Oh wait, I remember you hate doing the dishes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I only hate doing dishes while somebody kept picking on me on the side.¡± His smile

    was infectious. The times spent with him were always filled withughter. His prominent background

    aside, our lives were no different from those of normal, everyday couples.

    ¡°All right, then. From now on, I¡¯ll cook and you¡¯ll do the dishes.¡± Christopher nodded firmly.

    When I tried to remove the lobster from the steam pot, one of my fingers touched the scalding pot,

    causing me to wince in pain. Christopher quickly held my finger to his mouth and blew gently on it. After

    a few moments, he put my finger into his mouth and started ying with it with the tip of his tongue.

    Shocked, I withdrew my hand from his mouth. ¡°Ew, my hand is full of your saliva now.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    ¡°Ew?¡± the man repeated as he let out a mischievous smile. Sensing I was going to be in trouble, I made

    a dash for the door. But I only managed to take a few steps before I was overtaken by Christopher. He

    then pinned me onto the countertop before covering my mouth with his.

    The tip of his tongue danced around in my mouth as he tried to make loud kissing noises. His mischief,

    however, turned serious when the kiss deepened and I was drowned in his warm embrace. When his

    mouth finally left mine, he whispered into my ear, ¡°For future reference, every time you say ¡®Ew¡¯, I¡¯ll let

    you have a taste of my saliva, get it?¡±

    I nodded dutifully. Brushing my fingers over my lips, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had never been

    with another woman in his life. How did he get so good at kissing? Did he practice with a professional,

    or did he learn all these from the television?

    While I was entertaining my imagination, Christopher suddenly picked me up and walked toward the

    living room. Heid me down on the couch before his hands started to move about around my body.

    I quickly stopped him. ¡°We can¡¯t. The gas is still running in the kitchen. I don¡¯t want the news headline

    to read ¡®Two naked bodies found in a household gas explosion¡¯ tomorrow.¡±

    Christopher let out a loud cackle while pinching my buttock. He then slid his hand inside my shirt and

    said yfully, ¡°My darling, I carried you out here just to have dinner. What were you thinking? Didn¡¯t we

    agree that I¡¯ll cook and you¡¯ll do the dishes tonight?¡±

    The man seemed to enjoy seeing my face turn crimson at his teasing remark. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re in

    desperate need, just say the word. I¡¯ll turn off the gas in the kitchen and I promise you to give you a

    good time,¡± he said suggestively.

    ¡°Quit messing around and get back to cooking! I¡¯m starving.¡± I threw a pillow at him.

    He caught the pillow and set it down on the chair before bowing his head. ¡°As you wish, mydy.¡±

    That night, Christopher listened calmly to my recounting of the incident that took ce at the hospital

    and then nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Well done. Don¡¯t worry about the twenty million. I have

    money.¡±

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    ¡°But that¡¯s your money. Not mine.¡± I rolled my eyes at him.

    ¡°Well, whatever I have, they¡¯re yours too.¡± He rubbed at his chin and continued in all seriousness,

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing, though. Would it be okay if I keep some allowance? I will be embarrassed if I go out

    with an empty wallet.¡±

    I yed along and asked, ¡°All right, then. How much do you need?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say ten thousand a month. That¡¯s pretty standard,¡± the man said casually.

    My eyes almost popped out from their sockets. ¡°Ten thousand is a lot! Try five hundred. My own

    allowance is only one hundred, so I¡¯m giving you five times more than my own measly spending

    money.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right, my darling. I¡¯ll make sure you have enough allowance to spend every month.¡±

    Christopher then flipped over and pressed himself on me. It would seem like he intended to finish what

    he had started a few moments ago.

    I asked in between his kisses, ¡°Oh yeah? How much are you giving me?¡±

    ¡°What about fifty thousand?¡± the man mumbled while nting more kisses around my cor bone. A

    tingling sensation started to spread from top to toe as I curled my feet up. He grabbed my foot and, one

    by one, he put my toes into his mouth.

    The tingling sensation intensified as I felt a longing in my lower abdomen for him. I asked in a daze,

    ¡°Since you n to give me so much money, does that make me your kept woman?¡±

    Thest two words seemed to have stirred him up. ¡°I don¡¯t like this word. Never say it again.¡± He

    pouted.

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    Chapter 148

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± my protest was drowned out in the man¡¯s passionate kiss. The next thing I knew, we were

    already lying on the bed.

    Holding his neck, I stared deep into his eyes and asked in between my shallow pants, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll let

    you keep me around forever. What do you say, lover boy?¡±

    As though being fully charged, beads of sweat started to form on his forehead as he quickened his hip

    movements. Finally satisfied, Christopher ran his fingers along my bare back and replied, ¡°I like it when

    you call me your lover boy. Do that more often.¡±

    My chest trembled from trying to suppress augh. This man had an unusual craze in bed. I realized

    that calling him a lover boy would help spur him on during our dalliance in bed.

    My peaceful days hadsted for less than a week when I was stopped by Crystal on my way to work.

    She had found out where I lived and seemed to have waited a long time for me.

    ¡°Hi, cousin. It isn¡¯t easy to locate you. Have you been busy seducing men around town?¡± she lowered

    her gaze as she spoke so I would focus on the numerous hickeys on her chest. Her intention was to

    provoke me by showcasing those love bites on such a private body part. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t work

    on me. I shot her a cold nce before replying tly, ¡°I believe you are more experienced in this area

    than I am, given that you¡¯re always surrounded by different men. Who¡¯s to say these love bites only

    belong to one person?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t one who would always go out of my way to hit someone below the belt. Butpared to what

    Crystal had done to me, this was only fitting. The woman¡¯s darkened expression, however, almost had

    me believe that what I said was true.

    ¡°My dear cousin, there¡¯s no need to hide your true feelings.¡± Crystal leaned on a tree and continued, ¡°I

    must confess I have underestimated your ability. I thought I¡¯ve already won Lyle over. But it turns out

    he¡¯s still thinking about you.¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She tilted her head a little, and then pped her hands, feigning surprise. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re so good

    in bed that Lyle is having a difficult time leaving you? That could exin why he avoids me every time I

    bring up the topic of divorce.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes as rage started to surge in my chest. Of all the years that I¡¯d been with Lyle, he

    had never touched me once. The only time he did so, he threw me into a hotel and left me to my own

    devices.

    Crystal knew that to be my sore spot and she would find any opportunity to rub that in my face. I would

    have ended my life that very night if not for Christopher¡¯s timely rescue.

    I snapped, ¡°I thought you are already used to being the mistress. Is that no longer the case? If you

    want to be married to Lyle, you¡¯re going to have to convince him, because I no longer care what¡¯s going

    on between the two of you. So, get the hell out of my face!¡±

    Crystal let out a derisiveugh. She did not bother to conceal the distaste in her eyes. ¡°You want to get

    rid of me? I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not up to you. I have yet to see theplete loss of hope on your face.

    That¡¯s ought to be the nicest scenery in the world.¡±

    I was stunned, wondering what kind of evil n she was hatching against me. ¡°What are you going to

    do? Stop chasing after me like a mad dog!¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    ¡°Are you afraid now? Let me tell you something. I¡¯m going to slowly savor the moments that will lead to

    your inevitable destruction. By then, I¡¯ll still be the respected new school artist as well as future Mrs.

    Smith. It¡¯s too bad that I don¡¯t like Benjamin¡¯s family members. Otherwise, he is quite a husband

    material.¡±

    The woman¡¯s confidence wasmendable. She was speaking with absolute certainty that whomever

    she chose to be her husband would ask for her hand in marriage. I couldn¡¯t say for others, but one

    thing I was sure about Christopher was that he didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in Crystal. She was but

    just another stranger to him.

    Sometimes I did fear for what was going through her mind. Not only was she obsessed with taking me

    down, but she also took pleasure in watching me fail miserably in life. She set out to destroy me out of

    feeling inferior.

    She was consumed by her perceived inferiority that had been brewing since a young age. I couldn¡¯t

    possibly be med for having aplete family where I was loved by my parents. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t

    my family¡¯s fault that her father got himself into trouble all those years back.

    I snickered. ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid. After all, I don¡¯t think anyone will appreciate thepany of a

    lunatic.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s a nuisance that Lyle is still thinking about you,¡± Crystal said while pouting her red lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s why he still can¡¯t cut the cord. Maybe it¡¯s time I help him make some tough decisions. Just you

    wait.¡±

    The way she swayed her slender waist walking away managed to turn a few heads on the street.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I must admit, she does have what it takes for men to fall head over heels for her. After all, of all the

    beautiful women that I¡¯ve encountered, only Monica and Sabrinae close.

    ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s a nutcase,¡± I muttered under my breath. Crystal mentioned that she was going to

    make Lyle divorce me. Perhaps I need to watch out for any trap she sets up for me. Apart from that, it

    surprises me when she said that Lyle was still hung up on me. Even if that¡¯s true, I don¡¯t think that he

    loves me. It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s simply not used to not having me around to take care of his

    everyday life like a housekeeper.

    Meanwhile, Christopher was about to go on a business trip for a government-rted project.

    Apparently, he was strong-armed into doing so because both his parents were due to go on a vacation.

    ording to Christopher¡¯s mother, it was only a three-hundred-million investment project, so they

    wouldn¡¯t raise an eyebrow if he failed. After all, they already had apetent and sessful elder son,

    so it didn¡¯t matter to the parents if their younger son was a failure. However, she made a point that she

    was not to be med if that ipetence led to his wife judging him in the future.

    I thought his mother¡¯s tactic worked like magic. Christopher did not care much about impressing his

    family, but he certainly would not want his future wife to think any less of him. Therefore, the man was

    all eager and excited to go on the business trip.

    Prior to leaving for his trip, however, Christopher kept clinging to me like a child, demanding endless

    hugs and kisses. His appetite for me was insatiable; it was as though my body no longer belonged to

    me.

    After what felt like forever in bed together, I waspletely drowned in his sea of passion.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t think I can move anymore¡­¡± Christopher was lying on top of me as I tried to

    push him off. However, I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t even lift my hands.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to move. All you have to do is moan. Come on, stop biting your lip. I like listening to

    you moan.¡± His tongue traced a trail from my cheek to the corner of my eye, licking my teardrop away.

    The whole time he kept whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m really tired¡­ I just want to sleep¡­¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and sleep then. I¡¯ll be gone for the next three days, so I need to have my fill of you now. It¡¯s

    tough to sleep in a bed alone, you know¡­¡± Christopher said as he continued to seduce me. ¡°Do you

    know that you sound like a cat? I love to hear it.¡±

    Not being able to fight off the fatigue any longer, I sumbed to the darkness. I was actually quite

    ashamed of passing out during coitus. By the time I woke up, Christopher had already left.

    However, he did not leave without saying anything, for when I was still sleeping soundly in the morning,

    I could hear him saying in my ear, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Aren¡¯t you going to get up to send me off? Hey,

    wake up, sleepyhead.¡±

    I could vaguely recall that I had retorted by saying, ¡°I¡¯m tired because of you. It¡¯s weird how you did all

    the work, but I was the one who ended up feeling tired. Next time, I¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll tire you out

    instead.¡±

    Hearing that, Christopher burst outughing as he ruffled my hair. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it then. Next time, I¡¯ll

    lie still, and you do the work. Don¡¯t go back on your words now, you hear?¡±

    I was so embarrassed by what I said that I had the urge to dig a hole and hide. I was sure that the next

    time, Christopher would devour me whole.

    My legs were so weak that I could hardly stand, but I managed to gather enough strength to go to the

    bathroom to wash up. After sshing my face with cold water, I stood in front of the mirror and stared

    at my reflection. My face flushed when I saw the love marks all over my body.

    I could feel my face heating up when I thought back to how intense our lovemaking session was.

    Feeling a little hungry, I went to the refrigerator to get myself something to eat. I took out the bread from

    the refrigerator and just before I could eat it, I saw a sticky note on the bread. On it was Christopher¡¯s

    mboyant handwriting.

    ¡°Eat something more nutritious, please. Now put the bread back where you took it.¡±

    I looked at the bread, then back at the note. I shrugged and put the bread back into the refrigerator. I

    thought I would drink some milk instead. But then, I saw a sticky note on the milk bottle too.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look in the pot, silly? I made you breakfast, and it¡¯s warm in the pot. Don¡¯t you dare

    drink cold milk on an empty stomach. Otherwise, you¡¯re gonna get a spanking from me.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment before I burst outughing and covered my mouth with my hand.

    Christopher knew me inside out, including my daily routines. I walked to the stove, opened the lid, and

    saw a bowl of oatmeal. There was also a te of fried egg and bacon. I smiled as a warm and fuzzy

    feeling surged within me.

    I dished out the ready-made breakfast and sat at the table to enjoy the delicious oatmeal paired with

    soft fried egg and bacon. It was so tasty that I wolfed it down in one go before smiling with satisfaction.

    After breakfast, I changed my clothes and packed my bag for work. Just when I was about to leave for

    work, I heard the sound of a mobile phone ringing in the room. It rang for a while, but when I fished out

    my mobile phone from my bag, I could see that the screen was nk.

    That¡¯s weird. I definitely heard a phone ringing. Am I hallucinating? As I walked to the door, I heard the

    sound of a phone ringing again. I looked around the room and finally found Christopher¡¯s phone from

    under the couch.

    I had a vague memory of a phone ringing during our intense lovemakingst night. I did urge

    Christopher to answer it, but he threw the phone under the bed instead. It turned out that Christopher

    had forgotten to take his phone with him when he left.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Initially, I had no intention to see who was contacting him. But there was an iing text message,

    and it popped up on the screen. It was a message from Crystal, and it read: I¡¯ll meet you at Moon

    Vige Restaurant. See you there.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    I stared at the text message for a long time and couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Since when did Christopher

    and Crystal be acquainted? To my knowledge, they had nothing to do with each other. However, it

    seemed to me that they were meeting up with each other behind my back.

    I held my breath as I continued to stare at the text message. I tried to keep calm, but my breathing was

    bing erratic, and my emotions were running wild.

    What kind of rtionship do they share?

    Countless wild thoughts ran through my mind, almost overwhelming me. I inadvertently ended up

    looking at the notes on the table and my gaze settled upon the mboyant handwriting.

    I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. These romantic gestures from him definitely took him a

    lot of patience and care to make it happen.

    How could I suspect Christopher based on a vague text message? I knew that it would be unfair to him

    if I were to judge him without listening to his exnation first.

    I approached the couch slowly and sat down before taking a deep breath. It was only yesterday when

    Crystal came to look for me with the intention of provoking me. She probably found out about my

    rtionship with Christopher and decided to provoke me in this manner.

    I froze when that thought shed through my mind. I pped myself in the face and tugged at my own

    hair as punishment for doubting Christopher. I chuckled out loud, for I couldn¡¯t believe how foolish I

    was. If Christopher was interested in Crystal, then why would hee and y with my feelings?

    There was absolutely no need for him to do that.

    It was also impossible to think that perhaps he fell in love with Crystal, and as such, was only doing her

    bidding by approaching me with the end goal of dumping me once I was in love with him. That kind of

    scenario only exists in dramas.

    I did not how long I was stuck in my thoughts, but the next moment, the doorbell started to ring

    incessantly. Before I could get up to open the door, the door swung open by itself. Christopher

    scrambled in, dressed in his suit and leather shoes. When he saw me sitting on the couch, he strode

    over and sat by my side. ¡°You¡¯re up early. Why didn¡¯t you sleep longer?¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I waved the phone in my hand and said with a smile, ¡°You left your phone. Did you miss your flight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ll just get another ticket.¡± Christopher took the phone from my hand and put it in his

    pocket. When he saw that I was neatly dressed and there was a bag next to me, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re

    heading out?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got to go to work.¡± After seeing the text, I didn¡¯t believe that he had a ne to catch now.

    Otherwise, Crystal wouldn¡¯t have asked to meet up with him. There had to be something going on

    between Christopher and Crystal, and it probably had something to do with me. The thought of that

    was making me a little unhappy.

    I felt ufortable knowing that my man was approached by a woman that I disliked. As such, I made

    a bold decision that I would get to the bottom of this.

    ¡°What work? You must be dazed with sleep. It¡¯s Saturday. Do you have to work extra hours with your

    kind of job?¡± Christopher tapped on my nose lightly, exasperated.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hearing that, realization dawned on me that it was the weekend. D*mn it! I must have lost my

    mind after being provoked by Crystal yesterday. Of course, the main reason that I lost my mind was

    definitely the man who was smiling heartily in front of me.

    I red at him before getting up from the couch and pushed him out of the door. ¡°Go and catch your

    flight. You¡¯re terriblyte now. Don¡¯tin if you missed an important meeting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just me it on my insatiable libido.¡± I caught on to what he was implying at once.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    I pushed him out the door and into the elevator. Then, I pressed the button for the first floor and said,

    ¡°Stop with the nonsense, or I¡¯ll get a courier to ship you abroad.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cruel. Aren¡¯t you going to give me a goodbye kiss before I leave? I¡­¡± His sentence was left

    hanging as I pressed my lips to his.

    I kissed him the way he had kissed me¡ªpassionately and domineering. When he wanted to kiss me

    back, I took a few steps and exited the elevator. Just as Christopher was about to reach out to pull me

    back into the elevator, the elevator doors began to close. Before the doors werepletely shut, I

    stuck out my tongue at him and smiled cheekily.

    Christopher gritted his teeth in exasperation and annoyance. Right before the doors shut, I saw him

    raised his hands and made a gesture of grabbing my bosoms.

    I understood what he meant. He was telling me that when we reuniteter, he was going to ravage me

    and cover my fair body with red love marks. Hence, the nickname red bunny.

    ¡°You used to call me a little calf. And now I¡¯ve turned into a red bunny,¡± I muttered to myself.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Both of you are so sweet and loving to each other. Just watching the two of you fills me with envy. Not

    to mention he¡¯s so handsome.¡± A middle-aged woman, who had been watching us a few feet away,

    spoke to me with a kind smile.

    Feeling rather embarrassed, I quickly waved my hand and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. He¡¯s not my

    husband.¡±

    ¡°He must be your boyfriend then. I¡¯m a good judge of character, and I can tell that he¡¯ll be your husband

    in the future.¡± The woman patted me on the shoulder and continued earnestly, ¡°But next time, do keep

    it down a little at night. My granddaughter kept questioning mest night about a cat meowing away. I

    lied to her saying that it¡¯s just some cats fighting. She then told me she wanted to get up to look for the

    stray cat and give it a home. I can¡¯t go on lying to her now, can I?¡±

    I was taken aback by her remarks, and I quickly apologized before rushing into the elevator and

    pressed for the doors to close. I was beyond embarrassed to know that my moaning was heard by

    somebody else other than Christopher.

    This is all Christopher¡¯s fault! It was so embarrassing that I began to scold him inwardly. When I got out

    of the building, I caught sight of Christopher¡¯s car leaving. Wasting no time, I quickly hailed down a taxi

    and ordered the driver to follow his car.

    Not long after, the car stopped at the entrance of Moon Vige Restaurant. I took my time paying the

    taxi driver, waiting for Christopher to get out of his car and enter the restaurant. Once he disappeared

    behind the restaurant¡¯s entrance, I quickly got out of the taxi and followed him.

    The taxi driver¡¯s voice came from behind me. ¡°By the looks of it, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here to catch your

    husband in the act of cheating, huh. You have my sympathy, Miss.¡±

    Caught by surprise, I lost my bnce and almost fell t on the floor. Fortunately, the valet caught hold

    of me just in time and helped me to my feet.

    I crouched down and snuck into the restaurant like a thief. The ce was crowded with people, but I

    was able to spot Christopher in no time. He was sitting at a cubicle next to a window, and Crystal was

    seated opposite of him. They appeared to be in the middle of browsing through the menu.

    Seeing that, I had the urge to storm over, plop myself down on Christopher¡¯sp, and sneer at Crystal

    before telling her to keep her hands off my man. But I kept myself in check because I was curious

    about their conversation.

    Moon Vige Restaurant was an Oriental restaurant, and they were renowned for their breakfast that

    was made by chefs from all over the country. Thanks to Sharon, I was able to patron this restaurant

    twice.

    I pretended to look for a table and inched my way toward them. Just when I was halfway there,

    Christopher turned and looked in my direction. I quickly grabbed a menu on the table and used it to

    shield my face. After a while, I waited for him to turn away before starting toward them.

    When Christopher turned in my direction again, our eyes met. When I saw that he had spotted me, I

    quickly turned and ran out of the restaurant. With my heart thumping, I stopped at the entrance and

    looked back. Surprisingly, Christopher didn¡¯te after me, in fact, he was still looking in the direction

    where he spotted me. I followed his gaze and saw that there was a painting on the wall. I finally

    breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that he had been staring at the painting instead of me.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    Christopher was staring at a painting on the wall. I was relieved he didn¡¯t notice me.

    ¡°Miss, can I have the menu? You can¡¯t take this away.¡± A waiter came up to me and reached out his

    hand.

    I didn¡¯t want to attract any attention, so I murmured some random dishes and hid behind a partitioned

    table. I immediately slumped down into the seat and kept my ears open.

    The waiter turned a blind eye to odd behavior. Soon, he returned with my first order. I ate and

    eavesdropped as they talk.

    Since there was a small gap in the partition, I peeked. Christopher gracefully took a few bites of the

    exquisite bun before he sipped his soup as Crystal fidgeted in her seat.

    ¡°Christopher, why did you send those to me?¡± she asked anxiously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we eat. I¡¯m starving,¡± he replied nonchntly. ¡°Well, if you can¡¯t wait, you can leave

    now. And what I do with them will be none of your business.¡±

    It was rare to see her in shock. He had gotten hold of her Achilles¡¯ heel. I somehow felt contented to

    see her cornered.

    ¡°Fine.. I haven¡¯t had my breakfast as well, so let¡¯s eat.¡± She shared some of her food with him and

    shed an innocent smile. That b*tch! How dare she flirt with him!

    However, Christopher left hers untouched and continued to eat his meal. When he¡¯d finished, he drank

    another spoonful of soup before he gazed up at her. ¡°I think you know how significant that thing is.¡±

    ¡°Of course! That¡¯s why I¡¯m sitting here with you now. What can I do to have it back?¡± Crystal set her

    fork down. Then she traced a finger seductively from her chin to her neck, stuck her tongue out, and

    licked her lips.

    ¡°Please, I will do anything. You have my word,¡± she said with a breathy voice that could make men go

    wild.

    I rolled my eyes and cringed. To distract myself, I ate. Suddenly, I coughed and spluttered my mouthful

    of food.

    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± a passing waiter asked politely. ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the spiciness, try it with

    bread.¡±

    My mouth and throat were burning. It was too painful to speak, so I signaled her for a ss of water.

    She gazed at me with pity for a moment, then immediately did as told. I gulped the drink in one go.

    Eventually, I calmed down and thanked her.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Suddenly, I heard Christopher¡¯sughter. How dare he smile! I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson

    when he gets home. I pricked up my ears again and paid attention to their conversation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve put so much effort to be a part of Vs Art Exhibition. I can¡¯t give up my spot to

    someone else.¡± Crystal declined.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    ¡°You¡¯re very right. In fact, your effort is obvious in the piece of evidence which I have in my hands.¡±

    Christopher smiled nonchntly and continued, ¡°But you need to be eligible to participate in the

    competition. If the rumor about you framing your senior reaches out to the public, do you think you can

    survive in the art industry?¡±

    Crystal¡¯s expression changed drastically. After taking a deep breath to calm down, she pulled down her

    low-cut dress slightly and exposed breast cleavage. She sashayed over to him and nted herself on

    hisp.

    Christopher had no choice but to wrap his hand around her tiny waist so she wouldn¡¯t fall. With a sexy

    smile, she raised her hands to touch his face, but he immediately grabbed her wrist. She then took

    advantage and pulled the back of his hands on her cheek. She made flirtatious eye contact with him.

    ¡°Christopher, is there something else I can do for you? I really can¡¯t agree to this. Please. You see, I¡¯ve

    worked so hard for the spot in thepetition. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t take it away from a weak girl like

    me?¡± she pleaded with her hand on his chest.

    My heart was racing. At that moment, I vowed to leave him if he ever touched Crystal, who was the

    reason for my miserable life.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Anyway, why would he want her spot in thepetition? Does he have an artist friend?

    While I was battling my inner anxiety, Christopher shoved her to the ground. She let out a muffled

    groan as tears formed in her eyes.

    He took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and outfit. After he had done, he threw it into the trash

    can.

    It infuriated Crystal. She got up onto her feet and bellowed, ¡°What on earth do you want from me?¡± Her

    seduction had failed. ¡°I can¡¯t just give you the qualifying ticket. Only the notabilities can join the

    competition. If your friend is an unknown artist, they won¡¯t even let him enter the exhibition. Are you still

    insisting on it?¡±

    Crystal¡¯s words hit him. She¡¯s right. I have to change the condition. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll sell the information

    to the reporters. I bet I can make a great deal from it.¡±

    She burst into tears. ¡°Please. You don¡¯t have to do this. What did I do to deserve this?¡±

    Christopher watched her pretty face, soaked with tears. After a long while, he suddenly mmed his

    hand on the table and said, ¡°Oh, yeah! There¡¯s something else you can do for me.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want you to make Lyle divorce Yvonne divorce within two weeks,¡± he drawled.

    For a few minutes, Crystal stood in stunned silence. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying, but Lyle can¡¯t decide between me

    and her,¡± she said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll pass the evidence to Sabrina. She is interested in you, after all.¡±

    Her face was distorted with rage. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it. But first, hand over the video.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Christopher sent the file to her and deleted his copy. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t fail me. You don¡¯t want to

    test me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± When I saw Crystal turned around, I immediately hid behind the menu. Just as she was about

    to leave, she asked him, ¡°By the way, why are you doing this?¡±

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    ¡°Well, I just can¡¯t stand the sight of you. Besides, I want to see you make a fool out of Lyle. Seriously,

    you two make a great couple.¡± Christopher had a wicked grin as he narrowed his eyes.

    Although Crystal was livid, she dared not confront him, so she stomped out. Her high heels echoed in

    the restaurant. He watched her until she walked out of sight before he stood up and left. He paused at

    the door and looked in my direction.

    Oh, no! Did he see me? While I was in a panic, he left. I watched him drive away and for the waiter for

    the check.

    ¡°Miss, someone has paid your bill. He also wanted me to pass you this digestive tablet because you¡¯ll

    need it.¡±

    Confused, I asked, ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not mute?¡± She was stunned. No wonder she gave me a pitying look when I was

    choked. Again, I asked, ¡°Who do you mean? Is he the handsome guy in the ck suit?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to let you down, but it was actually ady,¡± she faltered. I was dumbfounded.

    Outside the restaurant, I slowed my pace to focus on my thoughts. He pretends he doesn¡¯t care about

    my divorce in front of Crystal. I know his motive. He wants her to pressure Lyle into it.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I was a little moved. Christopher had assisted me in so many things without my knowledge.

    Did he know I was at the restaurant? I was still confused.

    I must be down on my luck because I bumped into Yvette and Scarlet at a shopping mall when I was

    picking a shirt for Christopher. They pulled a mocking grin.

    ¡°Yvonne, are you shopping for Lyle? Oh, my. Do you still remember his size? By the way, does he have

    time to meet you at night? I mean, he basically lives in Tanner residence now.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t be so rude. Although your sister is not talented or pretty, you have to apud her love

    for your brother-inw. Okay?¡± Scarlett was a wolf in a sheep¡¯s clothing. Every time I was used, she

    would make me suffer more by pretending to back me up.

    ¡°I know Yvonne loves him so much, but she is no match for Crystal. That woman said she was not

    feeling well this morning and was craving deer liver. The next moment, Lyle returned with the food to

    satisfy her. His unconditional love for her is real! Yvonne, you better divorce him before you ruin your

    own reputation. You certainly don¡¯t want to be left without a single cent.¡± Yvette had a hint of smugness

    in her voice.

    Scarlett chimed in. ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t be so blunt. Your sister won¡¯t bear a grudge, but she will get upset.¡±

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    ¡°Oops! I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Yvette covered her mouth with her hands as if she were aware of her

    mistake. Then she pleaded pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonne. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you with the truth. I

    mean, everyone knows Lyle loves Crystal. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so slow-witted. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Are you done talking? Should I treat you to some coffee to take a break for a moment? I feel bad to

    put you on a drama like this, you know.¡± I refused to let them bully me anymore. I asked the shop

    attendant for my shopping bag and turned to leave.

    As expected, Yvette dashed forward and blocked my way with her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m

    not done yet. We¡¯re sisters. How could you just leave when I¡¯m trying to be nice to you?¡± she fumed.

    She was inches from my face, so I pushed her away. She lost her bnce and fell.

    ¡°You brat! How dare you push my daughter! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Scarlett immediately raised her

    hand to p me.

    Expecting her reaction, I grabbed her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard. Remember, karma exists.¡±

    Scarlet pulled her hand back. Perhaps my stern re intimated her. She helped her daughter up while

    she swore at me. ¡°Yvette, are you okay? Gosh, that witch just pushed you slightly. How could you fall

    so easily?¡±

    Yvette stood up and massaged her knee. ¡°Yvonne, stop being so stubborn. You¡¯ll need our help

    someday. When that dayes, I might not agree to help you even if you beg on your knees,¡± she

    chided.

    She reminded me of Crystal. However, I was no longer afraid of both of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t. So please, never show up in front of me again. I¡¯m so sick at the sight of you.¡± At

    that, I walked past them and left.

    I was hesitant to return inside to buy Christopher¡¯s shirt and tie because I didn¡¯t want to bump into the

    wicked mother-daughter duo again. However, I just couldn¡¯t go home without it, so I went back in and

    headed to the third floor.

    I chose a silver tie that I thought would highlight his deep and crescent-shaped eyes. It was expensive,

    but perfect for him.

    I used my savings with no hesitation. I have a job anyway, I can still save again. This is nothing.

    I entered an elevator and stood silently as the door closed. Suddenly, I regretted my purchase. It¡¯s

    really expensive! I spent my youth saving up all this money. Most of my outfits are hand-me-downs.

    At that moment, I realized I had fallen so deep in love. I decided to spend the rest of my life with him

    and he would be my major support.

    A shop attendant squeezed herself between the closing doors and hit me by ident. She immediately

    apologized profusely at my frown. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I waved at her, and we rode in silence.

    With the tie in my hand, I walked to the cashier counter to settle the bill. Suddenly, two police officers

    stopped me.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 157

    When I considered paying with a credit card or cash, two policemen blocked my way and said

    impolitely, ¡°Miss, we have received a police report that you stole something from a jewelry shop. Please

    cooperate with our investigation.¡±

    ¡°What? Who called the police? How ridiculous! Can the informer talk to me face-to-face?¡± I was

    bewildered, for I only passed by the jewelry shop just now and didn¡¯t enter it. Although I always loved

    jewelry, it didn¡¯t mean that I had to buy and wear it. To me, jewelry was ostentatious but didn¡¯t serve

    any other purposes.

    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t think of denying it with mere words. Allow us to inspect your handbag.¡± As one of

    the policemen got impatient, he stretched out his arm and wanted to grab my handbag directly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel furious. As I handed over my handbag, I said disgruntledly, ¡°Go ahead. However,

    remember to apologize if you can¡¯t find anything inside.¡±

    I was confident that it was a mistake. However, once the policemen found two rubies, which were

    wrapped nicely, my face turned pale. I had no idea why there was jewelry in my handbag, for I had

    checked my belongings before I left the house.

    ¡°Miss, would you mind exining?¡± One of the policemen put the rubies in his hands and awaited my

    response. They would bring me back to the police station if I couldn¡¯t exin myself.

    Meanwhile, another policeman had already taken out a pair of handcuffs. Since I knew very little about

    thew, I wasn¡¯t sure if police officers had the right to handcuff me without ascertaining the truth.

    However, I could imagine how shameful I would be if they handcuffed me.

    ¡°How is it possible? I never took these. Moreover, I didn¡¯t even enter the jewelry shop,¡± I yelled

    anxiously.

    ¡°Miss, pleasee with us to the police station,¡± One of the policemen said impatiently, ¡°We don¡¯t mind

    resorting to force if you refuse to cooperate with us.¡±

    After cursing them silently, I bellowed, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t take these. How can you hastily conclude your

    investigation? Besides, you don¡¯t even allow me to meet the informant. In that case, how would you

    know if I¡¯m framed?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, I suggest that you should admit to it. You see, the policemen have already found the stolen

    goods. Also, since many people are watching, denying it won¡¯t help you in any way.¡± Yvette showed up

    out of nowhere and said to me maliciously. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was like a lingering ghost.

    ¡°My goodness! How shameful! Who would have thought our family member stole things? I¡¯m sorry. This

    lady is my stepdaughter, and she loved stealing since she was young. Even though I used to teach her

    a lot of times, she is still pig-headed. So, it¡¯s all my fault as a stepmother. Please forgive us. Sir, we are

    willing to cooperate with your investigation. Can we follow you to the police station as witnesses?¡±

    Scarlett apologized to the people around them while smearing me. As such, I was infuriated upon

    hearing it. Also, I finally understood why they let me leave back then: they waited for this opportunity to

    set me up.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°That will be great. Since you¡¯re the wrongdoer¡¯s family members, pleasee with us to the police

    station,¡± one of the policemen agreed.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± I yelled. I definitely wouldn¡¯t go to the police station. Once I went to the police station,

    my name would make the headline tomorrow. Moreover, Yvette and Scarlett would grab the chance to

    defame me to the core.

    At that moment, I was surprisingly calm. Perhaps because I was with Christopher for a long time, I

    became a lot more resourceful. As a crappy exnation shed through my mind, I grabbed the rubies

    and said, ¡°Thebels are attached with the rubies. If I were to steal, the anti-theft rm would detect

    the items once I leave the counter. Anyway, I merely put them in my handbag and haven¡¯t paid at the

    counter. Therefore, wouldn¡¯t it be far-fetched to use me of stealing?¡±

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    ¡°Well¡­¡± The policeman was rendered speechless. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for you to do that. Are you sure

    you¡¯re buying the items? If yes, you must pay at this counter. Otherwise, you¡¯ve to follow us to the

    police station.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, why did youe up with such ame excuse? I mean, where on earth can you get so much

    money? These rubies are worth more than thirty million! It¡¯s futile to make excuses. By the way, it¡¯s

    fortunate that we don¡¯t have the same mother, or else I dare not meet my friends from today onward.¡±

    After Yvette finished, she covered her mouth to chuckle and winked at me provokingly.

    ¡°If possible, I wouldn¡¯t even share a father with you! What a filthy woman!¡± After snickering at her, I

    began to look for my card in my handbag.

    Yvette was fumed but held in her anger. Since I was still looking for my card, she sneered, ¡°Yvonne,

    you don¡¯t have that much money. I mean, do you think it¡¯s three hundred?¡±

    Then, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, ¡°Why don¡¯t you kneel and beg me? I might be delighted

    and even pay it for you if you do so. After all, I don¡¯t want everyone to know that I have a sister who

    steals.¡±

    Now, I finally figured out why Yvette set me up. She wanted to put me in an awkward position: be freed

    if I beg her or be a thief if I refuse. No matter which option I chose, she could still achieve her motive of

    causing me trouble.

    ¡°Dream on!¡± I declined it loudly as if I mustered up all of my strength.

    Yvette blinked her eyes and spread her arms. ¡°Since you¡¯re so stubborn, there is nothing I can do.

    s, I wonder how many people out there would ridicule you once the news spread. I can¡¯t even

    imagine how devastating it would be to you.¡±

    ¡°Yvette,e over here and don¡¯t disturb your sister,¡± Scarlett said to Yvette. Then, she took out a

    banknote from her bag and said maliciously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eve. Since our family has paid for unexpected

    expenses recently, I can only help so much. Please look for the rest of the money on your own.¡±

    She handed over a one-hundred banknote to me but intended to drop it once I grabbed it from her. All

    she wanted was to watch the embarrassing moment when I bowed and picked it up.

    However, they miscalcted how things would turn out, for I neither picked up the banknote nor let

    Scarlett pretend to be the good guy. I said coldly, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re indeed a caring wife. The Tanner

    family has a publicly listedpany worth more than a billion. However, you¡¯ve already spent almost

    all of your money at the beginning of the month.¡±

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, I took out a ck card and gave it to the cashier at the counter. ¡°I would like to

    make the payment.¡±

    Scarlett and Yvette looked at each other shockingly. Shortly afterward, Yvette pursed her lips and said,

    ¡°Where did you get this card? Could it be expired?¡±

    The cashier changed her attitude toward me after swiping the card. After a while, she handed it back to

    me in deference and looked astounded.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Although I came from a wealthy family originally, I was no different from those from a slum.

    Nevertheless, I was aware that some nobles had ck cards that perfectly disyed their social status.

    The cards looked ordinary on the surface, but people in that social circle could instantly tell the

    difference.

    When Christopher gave me the card, he reminded me that I could purchase whatever I wanted.

    Besides, I could also request a loan whenever I needed it. Back then, I reluctantly epted the card,

    for I didn¡¯t want him to be unhappy. I nned not to use it at all, yet the situation today left me with no

    choice.

    ¡°Yvonne, how did you get so much money? Could it be that you stole it?¡± Yvette yelled.

    Meanwhile, Scarlett went even further to provoke me. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Since Yvonne has many friends

    from wealthy families, it¡¯s not surprising that she gets one of two cards from them.¡±

    I was furious because they smeared me non-stop. As such, I lifted my arm and pped Scarlett¡¯s face

    with all my might.

    It was the first time in my life that I hit Scarlett. She was stunned by it.

    The next moment, Yvette shrieked and wanted to fight me, ¡°Yvonne, how dare you hit my mom! I swear

    to beat the hell out of you!¡±

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    I dodged Yvette¡¯s hand quickly, moved to the back of the table, and kicked a stool toward her. She

    tripped over it and fell to the floor embarrassedly. Shortly afterward, Scarlett came back to her senses.

    She let out a wail and wanted to throw a punch at me.

    ¡°B*tch, how dare you hit me? Even your dad never hit me!¡±

    I dogged her by running around the counters and grabbed the chance to p her again. With that, I

    said coldly, ¡°Yes, I hit both of you. One of you is a homewrecker who drove Amelia away, while the

    other is a stepdaughter who is only a month younger than me. As the daughter of my dad¡¯s legal wife, I

    have the right to punish you two for ruining my family.¡±

    I kept the words in my heart for many years and never told anyone. I could still vividly remember the

    day when Scarlett brought Yvette to our mansion unashamedly. At that moment, I was despondent, for

    their presence cruelly destroyed my life and happiness.

    ¡°B*llshit, your mom was the homewrecker instead. Also, our dad drove her away because she made a

    mistake. What did it have to do with us?¡± Once Scarlett finished, she randomly grabbed a bottle on the

    counter and flung it at me.

    I could hardly stand it whenever someone defamed. Although the bottle was near my face, I was

    unperturbed and wanted to p Scarlett again. The next moment, someone gripped my wrist forcefully,

    so much so that I almost lost my bnce and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Yvonne, what are you doing?¡± It was Lyle¡¯s voice. He bellowed at me right away without even asking

    me what transpired.

    I turned around and saw Crystal standing behind him. This time, she only stood still gracefully and

    didn¡¯t provoke me.

    ¡°Lyle, you came at the right time. Can you stop Yvonne from making trouble? She stole some goods

    here and was caught. When we offered to help her, she declined and even hit my mom.¡±

    Initially, Yvette had lifted a beer bottle and was about to smash it on my head. At this moment, her

    expression changed swiftly. She put down the bottle gently, covered her face, and held Scarlett¡¯s

    shoulder helplessly.

    ¡°Indeed. Can you teach your wife to behave herself? She has brought shame to all of us.¡± Scarlett

    forced out a smile as she spoke. However, since she was furious earlier on, her face was contorted and

    looked like an old witch now.

    ¡°Was there any misunderstanding? Yvonne wouldn¡¯t steal.¡± To my surprise, Lyle nced at me for a

    moment and spoke up for me.

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it possible? As you see, even police officers are here.¡± Scarlett said while pointing at the

    policemen.

    ¡°Well¡­ Yvonne, do youck anythingtely? If you need anything, please feel free to tell us. I

    happened to have organized a painting exhibition recently and made some money. So, I can offer you

    some help,¡± Crystal said smilingly.

    ¡°Yvonne, what happened?¡± Lyle asked doubtfully and frowned. At that moment, I could sense the

    contempt and bewilderment in his eyes.

    I felt that it was a waste of time talking to them. As such, I lifted my bag and said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal.

    Since I¡¯m not a trustworthy woman to you, you can ask the police instead.¡±

    With that, I turned around and left the shop furiously. Given my understanding of Lyle, I could tell that

    he had partially bought into their lies. Hence, I wasn¡¯t interested in exining to him, even if he treated

    me as a thief now.

    ¡°Wait, Yvonne!¡± Lyle came up to me and gazed at my bag. ¡°Today is your dad¡¯s birthday. Did you buy

    the gift for him?¡±

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    I wouldn¡¯t tell Lyle that I bought it for Christopher. As such, I fell silent and didn¡¯t respond to his

    question. A momentter, he took out a pile of cash from his wallet and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was busy

    lately and forgot to give you some living expenses. Anyway, please take the money to solve your

    problem.¡±

    He probably thought it was logical that I stole because I didn¡¯t have a job or money. I nced at him in

    disdain and wanted to continue leaving. Furthermore, I didn¡¯t need his money to make ends meet, for I

    already had a job.

    ¡°Yvonne, please don¡¯t put up a tough front,¡± Lyle yelled curtly.

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    I ignored what he said and left the shopping mall. Deep down, I felt that Lyle didn¡¯t understand me at

    all. While I was gentle and timid, my pride and self-esteem were a lot more than he imagined.

    Back then, after Nathan drove me out of home, I didn¡¯t ask for money from him but worked in the

    basement to make ends meet. After Lyle hurt me badly, I was brave enough to forgo my eight years of

    secret crush and two years of marriage. These were proofs that I could be resolute whenever I wanted

    to.

    However, he thought I was the same nose of wax, who was obedient to him.

    As I was deep in thought, I opened my handbag and looked at the gift I prepared for Nathan¡ªa slightly

    old-fashioned necktie. Initially, I wanted to deliver it to him via courier. After the incident, Scarlett and

    Yvette would im that I dared not go home because I was guilty. Therefore, I decided to go, for I

    wanted them to shut their mouths. I would leave as soon as possible if all of them were unhappy to see

    me.

    It had been a long time since I returned to the Tanner residence. As I stood at the entrance, I somehow

    felt unfamiliar with it. Although it was my home and supposedly haven, I seldom came back after I

    turned eighteen.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    The servants opened the door for me coldly and didn¡¯t even serve me with a ss of water. Given that

    servants there disrespected me, I was indeed a nobody in the Tanner family.

    Nathan and Scarlett were chatting happily on the couch. Nheless, the atmosphere changed the

    moment I came in. The next moment, Nathan sneered, mmed the table with his hand, and said,

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Judging from his tone, I knew that something wasn¡¯t right. I came up to him, put down the necktie on

    the table, and said calmly, ¡°I bought it from the mall just now. Happy birthday, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Why should I be happy? How can you have the cheek to give me something that you stole from the

    mall?¡± Nathan flung the necktie to the floor and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have such a disgraceful daughter.¡±

    As I gazed at the necktie, I praised myself silently for making the right choice to buy an inexpensive

    necktie. Nevertheless, I still felt ufortable about it, for I spent quite some time choosing the necktie

    for Nathan.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t like the necktie, you can do whatever you want with it. I¡¯ll get my belongings upstairs

    and leave right away.¡± I stopped looking at the necktie and went to my bedroom upstairs. After looking

    around the room, I realized that I probably didn¡¯t have any personal items left in this house.

    Suddenly, I remembered that the things that Amelia gave me were in this house. One of them was an

    amethyst hair clip. However, I spent quite some time but still couldn¡¯t find it.

    There were originally two hair clips. I still kept one of them now, but the other was somewhere in this

    house. Amelia bought the hair clips for me from the mall before she left. As I liked the gift very much, I

    always hoped to find the other hair clip.

    After packing up my belongings, I stared at the living room for a long time. Deep down, I believed I

    would onlye back here when it was necessary. As I left the bedroom, I could hear Scarlett and

    Yvette speaking ill of me. Nathan was irritated as he listened to them and scolded me from time to time.

    I couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh. Some people said that a biological father would turn into a stepfather

    once he married another woman. However, I still couldn¡¯t ept the drastic change in Nathan¡¯s attitude

    toward me. Worse still, he never attempted to maintain our rtionship in any way. If the situation

    persisted, we would eventually be a father and a daughter in name only.

    Knowing that they loathed my presence, I wanted to leave the Tanner residence once I finished

    packing. As I arrived at the door, I was suddenly hit by something from behind. I turned around and

    realized that it was the necktie that I spent two hours choosing for Nathan.

    ¡°Take your belonging away. I can¡¯t ept any stolen goods,¡± Nathan said coldly.

    As I picked up the necktie, I noticed the smug smiles on Scarlett and Yvette¡¯s faces. Besides, Yvette,

    who was leaning against Nathan, turned her thumb down at me provokingly. I turned around to look at

    Nathan, who red at me, and said curtly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want it. I wish the three of you a happy

    and harmonious life.¡±

    After exiting the Tanner residence, I lifted my arm and threw the necktie into the dustbin. Also, I told

    myself that I wouldn¡¯te back ever again.

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    Chapter 161

    ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. Why am I still thinking about father-daughter rtions? It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t have

    daughters.¡± As I scolded myself for being an idiot, I walked to the park opposite and sat down.

    When I was a kid, I used to go there a lot since Dad and Mom always brought me to y on the

    swings. Every time I said I wanted to go higher, Dad would pretend to be angry as he said, ¡°Any higher

    and you¡¯re going to fall. Be good, Eve.¡±

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    Then, when the swing was at its highest point, I would smile and reply, ¡°But I¡¯m not scared. If I fall,

    Daddy will catch me, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Daddy and Mommy will protect you forever, our little princess.¡±

    However, the more beautiful the memory was, the harsher the reality. I sat amongst the flowers with my

    head on my knees, feeling a little upset. Although I no longer felt heart-piercing sadness, as someone

    who had been hurt a lot, I still felt pain. At most, the feeling of pain was no longer as strong as before.

    I then took out my phone and clicked on Christopher¡¯s contact. He should be in Coldbridge at that

    moment. Not knowing whether the call would bother him, I soon hung up after dialing his number. I¡¯d

    better not bother him. After all, if a woman was too clingy, the man would get annoyed over time. Both

    parties had to have some personal space.

    However, just as I hung up, Christopher called back. I blinked, taken aback as I picked up the call.

    Before I could speak, he asked, ¡°Why¡¯d you hang up after only one ring? You¡¯ll make me worried.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that I¡¯d disturb you. It¡¯ll be a bother if you¡¯re doing business with a client right now,¡± I

    mumbled. Then, I counted the hours. Since Christopher left Moon Vige Restaurant and headed to

    the airport, it had only been two hours since he arrived in Coldbridge.

    ¡°The contract¡¯s only worth two billion. Don¡¯t worry. Your man can handle it. I¡¯m not so busy that I don¡¯t

    even have time to pick up a call.¡± I could feel his smile from the other end of the line. Just then, I heard

    someone talking beside him. It seemed to be his secretary, who was asking him to speak softer in case

    the client heard him.

    Hearing the secretary¡¯s words, I pressed my lips together. Christopher was very daring to make such

    remarks with was a client around. He was acting a little too mighty and scornful.

    ¡°Why? Did you miss me? They say separation makes the heart fonder. For me, a second of separation

    already feels like a lifetime. I really want to go back and see you. I¡¯ll be back in three days, max.

    Remember to be good and wait for me at home,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need me to pick you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you toe to such a messy ce. Just wait for me at home. I¡¯ll bring you a present

    when I¡¯m back. I promise you¡¯ll like it, hehe,¡± he replied whileughing.

    I immediately became nervous then. ¡°Don¡¯t give me weird presents. I don¡¯t want them.¡±

    ¡°What counts as weird?¡± he teased.

    However, I could not bring myself to say it out loud. He had always joked around and said he would buy

    some sex toys for us to use. Although he only talked about it, he had a very quirky personality. Thus, I

    could not guarantee that he would not buy it when he saw it. What should I do if he asks me to wear it?

    ¡°Excuse me, Christopher. You clearly know what I mean. You¡¯re not allowed to distort the facts.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, dragging his voice out, ¡°This is what you meant. Thanks for your reminder. I¡¯ll go and

    research properly about which is better to buy. Anyway, how has your day been?¡±

    ¡°Good, because you called me,¡± I replied truthfully. Although such sweet words would thoroughly

    expose my thoughts and let him know what he meant to me, I did not want to hide it.

    I was indeed happy because he had called me back so quickly. It was as if the sky had cleared after a

    storm. After we spoke a little longer, I heard the secretary urging him to meet the client again. Thus, I

    said goodbye and hung up since I did not want to interrupt his work.

    Just as I was about to leave, I heard people arguing in the woods behind.

    ¡°Crystal, why¡¯re you doing this?¡±

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    I turned back, quietly looking out from the flower field. Lyle and Crystal were talking in the woods and

    happened to be right behind me. Immediately, I mentally scolded myself for having such bad luck, for I

    saw them no matter where I went.

    ¡°Lyle, do you really not know why I¡¯m leaving?¡± she asked, leaning against the tree trunk with an

    expression full of sadness and mncholy. ¡°The same reason why I came back; you¡¯ve always been

    very clear of it.¡±

    ¡°I know. I really do. But Crystal, you know my feelings. Why do you suddenly have to leave? Are you

    going to abandon me?¡± he asked, pulling her into a hug. ¡°I¡¯ve torn the ne ticket. Let¡¯s not leave. We¡¯ll

    stay in Avenport and never separate ever again.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go on like this anymore. You have a wife and family, so every time I go out with you,

    everyone looks at me strangely. Public opinion of me has also been poor. For you, I can ept the

    public condemnation, but I can¡¯t ept that my identity is merely your wife¡¯s cousin.¡±

    She sighed, thenughed again. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been thinking about something. Am I wrong toe

    back? If I didn¡¯te back, you¡¯ll always be with Yvonne and won¡¯t be in such a difficult position

    either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in a difficult position. Really. Crystal, I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± His voice was full of affection

    every time he said Crystal¡¯s name. Then, he leaned forward, wanting to kiss her, but she pushed him

    away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait anymore, Lyle. Since you can¡¯t get over her and don¡¯t want to get a divorce, why

    shouldn¡¯t I fulfill your wishes? If you actually tore the ticket, I can book another one. It¡¯s really goodbye

    this time, Lyle.¡±

    The moment I heard her words, I recalled what Christopher had said to her that morning at Moon

    Vige Restaurant. It seemed as though she indeed wanted to force Lyle. Otherwise, she would not

    use the ne ticket trick.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get a divorce. I¡¯ll do it tomorrow. Don¡¯t leave. Once I get a divorce, and everything subsides,

    we¡¯ll hold a grand wedding so that you can marry me in style, okay?¡± he replied. He finally gritted his

    teeth and talked about the divorce.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, turning her head to look at him.

    ¡°Of course. You know me, Crystal. I¡¯ve never lied to you. All these years, no matter how many women

    have stood next to me, you¡¯ve always been the one in my heart. I can¡¯t give up on you,¡± he said,

    looking at her affectionately.

    ¡°Lyle!¡± With tears in her eyes, she suddenly moved forward, pressing Lyle against the tree forcefully

    and kissing him. He responded enthusiastically, the two quickly pressing themselves together in

    ecstasy.

    Since the sky was turning dark, he quickly flipped them around and pressed Crystal against the tree.

    Then, he lifted her off the ground such that she could only hold onto his neck to prevent herself from

    falling.

    There were sounds of a zipper unzipping before I saw Crystal¡¯s two pale legs rocking rhythmically.

    They were in the middle of it. I quickly turned around, hoping to wash my eyes with water as soon as

    possible.

    Although society was open at that time, and many couples dated and did indescribable things in the

    woods, they were still a little too open. It was already not the first time I ran into them doing it in the

    woods.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Lyle. I¡¯ll be very upset!¡± Crystal said as she tilted her head back, exposing her neck.

    Her skirt was pushed up to her waist, gathering in a lump, and her graceful figure was rocking in time

    with the tree.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re most important to me in this lifetime. No one can rece you,¡± Lyle replied

    as he panted.

    Quietly picking up my bag, I covered my eyes and quickly left that filthy ce. Then, as soon as I got

    home, my phone rang. It was Lyle. ¡°Come to City Hall tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll get a divorce.¡±

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    I was very calm when I heard that news. After all, I had already witnessed what happened between

    Crystal and Lyle in the woods.

    Crystal¡¯s strategy was indeed very effective, for Lyle had called me so quickly. I guessed that they were

    either continuing their business in Crystal¡¯s bedroom in the Tanner residence or a hotel because

    Crystal was purposely making noises for me to hear.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside City Hall at eight tomorrow morning.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡­ Forget it. See you tomorrow,¡± he said before quickly hanging up. He was probably

    afraid that I would want to continue getting involved with him. However, he miscalcted something. I

    had no intention to do so at all.

    I smiled to myself, feeling unprecedentedly rxed. Although I was slightly worried about the situation

    with Sharon, I could not spend my entire life with a man who did not love me.

    Moreover, my love for him had long dissipated with time along with all the sorrows.

    That night, I slept very peacefully. There were no nightmares, and I instead dreamt happy dreams. In

    the dream, there was no Lyle and Crystal. Instead, I was living happily with Christopher.

    When I woke up, there was still a smile on my face. Although I could not remember what I dreamt of, I

    knew that I was satisfied and happy.

    Sometimes, I did not know whether I would actually marry Christopher. However, I was greedy for his

    kindness toward me. Even though such a feeling was unfair toward Christopher, but it was all I had.

    It was a little sad, yet lucky.

    Since I missed him a lot, I then gave Christopher a call. If he were in front of me then, I would pounce

    on him and press my face into his chest, absorbing his warmth to fill up the coldness in my heart.

    As the phone rang, I had thought that I would hear Christopher¡¯s low and maic voice. However, I

    was disappointed, as a woman picked up the phone instead.

    Christopher¡¯s assistant was a man. Yet, the voice was beautiful and womanly. It was very pleasing to

    the ears and also sounded rather familiar.

    ¡°Hello, this is Christopher¡¯s phone. May I ask why you¡¯re looking for him?¡±

    Immediately, I squeezed the phone tighter, my fingertips turning white from the force. There was an

    ufortable feeling in my heart the moment I remembered that it was Monica¡¯s voice.

    At that instant, I was afraid that she would make out my voice. It was a kind of innate inferiority that

    could not be removed.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mr. West. Is he there?¡±

    There was a pause on the other end of the line. ¡°Sorry, I think you got the wrong number.¡± Monica¡¯s

    voice was gentle and generous and was neither eager nor slow. It carried the air of a nobledy.

    I quickly hung up, my heart beating wildly as I put the phone down.

    Christopher¡¯s on a business trip, and Monica went to find him. Maybe it¡¯s because of business, or

    maybe they coincidentally ran into each other. Right, that must be it. I desperately tried to make

    excuses for him in my mind, finding various reasons to conceal the panic I felt inside. However, only I

    knew exactly how sad I felt.

    It was only six in the morning, yet his phone was with Monica. It was a very weird timing.

    Afterward, as I washed my face, the cold water sshed into my eye, causing it to turn red. I raised my

    head and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

    I did not have time to think about the matter with Christopher, for I had to go to City Hall right then to

    find my freedom. Conveniently, I could also get out of that tragic marriage.

    Just as I went downstairs and was about to hail a taxi, a Porsche suddenly appeared in front of me.

    The window rolled down, revealing Lyle¡¯s haggard face.

    His eyes were bloodshot, looking as if he had not slept the entire night. There were also dark circles

    under his eyes. He said hoarsely, ¡°Get in the car. Let¡¯s go there together.¡±

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    Since he hade to pick me up in person, it seemed as though Lyle was indeed afraid that Crystal

    would leave. I did not refuse; I simply opened the door and entered. After all, I was going to meet him

    later anyway.

    He slowly turned the car in one direction, then drove for a while before stopping by a street filled with

    food. He parked and got out of the car, then shouted, ¡°Get down!¡±

    I frowned. City Hall¡¯s not here. What¡¯s he trying to do?

    Probably understanding what I was thinking, he said in displeasure, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten breakfast. Don¡¯t

    tell me you can¡¯t even have a meal with me?¡±

    I was indeed reluctant to. Although I had not had breakfast either, I did not want to eat with him. ¡°It¡¯s

    fine, I¡¯ll wait for you in the car. Go and eat.¡±

    ¡°City Hall only opens at eight!¡± he replied coldly as he stared at me indifferently. ¡°You can¡¯t wait to go?¡±

    Of course, I could not wait. I wanted to dump him right then if I could. However, what he said did make

    sense too. Anyway, it¡¯s ourst meal. I¡¯ll treat it like a breakup meal. It¡¯s better not to anger him. I don¡¯t

    want him to cause even more trouble and make everyone unhappy.

    That street was busy in the mornings, with many peopleing and going. Although it was only six in

    the morning, those who had to go to work were already eating breakfast there.

    I followed Lyle into a small shop. I did not even look at the menu, leaving the ordering to him. Then, as

    soon as the food arrived, I did not say anything before I began stuffing my mouth.

    It was better to keep eating during a meal. After all, having a full mouth meant that no idents would

    happen. He was unexpectedly quiet as well, merely eating while asionally cing some food onto

    my te.

    I did not refuse and proceeded to eat the food he gave me. My attitude toward him was so good that it

    almost seemed like I was currying favor with him. It¡¯s because the divorce agreement will only take

    effect if both parties sign it.

    When I was done eating, he suddenly said, ¡°We had our first meal in this shop. Do you remember?¡±

    I kept silent at his question, as I no longer remembered. Since I now had better memories to keep, I

    had already slowly forgotten the sad ones. Besides, so what if I did remember?

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Was I to reminisce about our failed marriage with him?

    He had never liked me and had always despised me. Now that we were about to get divorced, he was

    the one who reminisced the past, which only added to the trouble.

    ¡°You said you liked the fish stew here the most. Why¡¯d you only take a mouthful today?¡± he asked

    quietly as a trace of mncholy shed across his eyes.

    I pushed the full bowl into the center of the table, raised my eyebrows, then said, ¡°You forgot again. I

    don¡¯t like to eat fish. I didn¡¯t before and don¡¯t like it now either.¡±

    His expression then turned strange again. He stared at me, his gaze looking as if he were struggling

    with something. After a while, he sighed and took out the divorce agreement. ¡°Read it. If there¡¯s no

    problem, then sign it.¡±

    I immediately took the file and read through it carefully. Thest divorce agreement gave me too many

    bad memories. Thus, I had to read it carefully so that I would not fall into any traps.

    Lyle¡¯s expression worsened when he noticed my actions. Moreover, there was a profound, meaningful

    look in his eyes. If it were the past, I would have said something about having to treat a viin in a

    manner suitable for their status. However, I held myself back.

    Unexpectedly, the divorce agreement was written satisfactorily and had no major issues. He had also

    given me ten million aspensation.

    Although the ten million was not a big deal to him, I was a little surprised. I crossed out that line and

    said quietly, ¡°I had nothing when I married you, so I also don¡¯t want anything when I leave. Let¡¯s settle it

    like that.¡±

    Although I had helped him win the contract with the Ziegler family, which saved the Smiths¡¯ plight back

    then, I no longer cared about that.

    ¡°I only have one request.¡±

    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have to keep our divorce from Grandma for now. She¡¯s always been worried about us, so I don¡¯t

    want her to be sad.¡±

    No matter what happened between Lyle and me, Grandma was an elder who treated me well. The

    shares from thest time were enough to show me that she did not harbor any ill-intention toward me.

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    I didn¡¯t want to consider the real reason behind her exchanging my ce with Crystal. I quickly passed

    the signed document to him.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lyle finally nodded after looking at me for a long time. Surprisingly, his hand shook slightly

    while signing the document.

    We arrived at the City Hall and noticed it was still closed when we got out of the car. Since we seemed

    to be early, Lyle lit a cigarette and started smoking.

    I stepped back. I still hated the smell of cigarette smoke and especially disliked anyone who smoked

    apart from Christopher.

    At the sight of me stepping away from him, Lyle walked toward a tree in front of us and leaned against

    it. Suddenly, he pulled out a card and passed it to me. ¡°Ten million may be a bit much, but at least take

    a million. It¡¯s your living expenses from the past two years. I helped you withdraw it since you never

    used it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t reach out for the card, so Lyle decided to just shove it into my hands. ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll feel more at

    ease.¡±

    At his words, I finally tucked the card into my pocket. I had been living so frugally, always keeping

    money away for a rainy day in case Lyle ever ran out of money. I just hadn¡¯t expected it to be used like

    this.

    So Lyle feels remorse too, I thought. Too bad that his guilt toward me was never a priority. I always

    camest to him.

    His phone rang before he could finish his cigarette and as he picked up, his gaze softened.

    ¡°Yeah, go ahead and eat without me. I¡¯ll be home soon, okay? Sleep in for a bit if you¡¯re still tired. I¡¯ll

    bring breakfast back for you. Okay, sure.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have to think too hard to figure out that it was a call from Crystal. The City Hall finally opened its

    gates and Lyle walked in as he continued talking to Crystal.

    I checked the documents to make sure we brought everything. I was about to follow Lyle when I

    suddenly noticed a small car that was zig-zagging rapidly in Lyle¡¯s direction.

    In the split second before the car hit him, I leaped forward and pushed Lyle out of the way.

    ¡°Lyle, move!¡±

    The car brushed past me and barely skimmed my arm. The adrenaline caused me to stumble and fall

    on the road, sending a sharp jagged ache down my ankle. I instantly paled in pain.

    Lyle was standing, probably shell-shocked from what just happened. He stared at me with his phone

    still in his hand, not even thinking of walking over to help me up.

    I cursed at him inwardly and tried to stand up when the sharp pains in my ankle forced me to sit down.

    ¡°Yvonne, you-¡± Lyle stammered as if he had gotten a concussion. He suddenly came to his senses and

    rushed over to help me up. ¡°Are you okay? Did you get hurt?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Let¡¯s go to the City Hall first,¡± I said as I bit my lip and bnced on one leg. Cold sweat

    dripped down my forehead.

    ¡°Who cares about the City Hall right now? We have to get you to the hospital.¡± Lyle picked me up bridal

    style and rushed into the car.

    ¡°Lyle! What are you doing? We need to go to the City Hall first!¡± I said urgently. If we left now, we¡¯d

    have to make the trip back here again and that was just troublesome.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lyle yelled as he mmed on the elerator and sped toward the hospital.

    The moment we reached the hospital, Lyle started shouting for a doctor toe and give me a proper

    check-up. A doctor walked over and asked about our situation, but when he noticed that it was simply a

    sprain, he seemed slightly annoyed.

    Still, it was quite a serious sprain seeing as my ankle had swollen to the size of a tennis ball. I also

    remembered seeing the car drive across my foot.

    After an X-ray, the doctor exined that I had sprained my ankle and had a slight fracture in my foot

    that would heal over a few weeks. I let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a good husband. I bet you two must be deep in love. Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll only have to stay

    here for a couple of days so we can make sure she¡¯s alright, then she¡¯s all yours to take care of after

    that. She¡¯ll get much better in just a few days,¡± one of the nurses consoled Lyle at the sight of him

    pacing anxiously.

    Lyle froze at the sound of the nurse¡¯s words and so did I.

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    This was the second time I heard that. The first time was when we were in the restaurant and the

    waiterplimented Lyle for being so attentive toward Crystal in almost the exact same words.

    I simply smiled in response, choosing not to exin too much.

    At that very moment, the divorce papers in Lyle¡¯s hand fell to the ground because of his restless

    pacing. When the nurse bent to pick them up, she noticed that they were divorce papers and finally

    realized she had said the wrong thing with a surprised expression on her face. She quickly picked them

    up and passed them back to me before rapidly finishing up the bandage and leaving the room.

    I heard her mumble as she walked away, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been jealous at all! They¡¯re not even

    married anymore!¡±

    I waved the documents in my hand. ¡°What about I call Sabrina and ask her to bring me to the City Hall

    so we can get this over with?¡± I suggested to Lyle.

    He simply reached out for the documents and looked at me as he muttered, ¡°Why did you have to save

    me? Don¡¯t you hate my guts?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. As if one could pick and choose when to save someone else! Lyle was way too

    calctive of a person. Apart from Crystal, he gauged everybody else based on what they could do for

    him.

    At my silence, Lyle continued. ¡°I used to always feel like you only married me for my money, but I finally

    realized that that¡¯s not the case. You love me, don¡¯t you? If you don¡¯t, you didn¡¯t need to save me over

    and over again while putting your own life at risk.¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    He was starting to change topics rapidly and I didn¡¯t like where it was going, so I quickly cut him off. ¡°I

    don¡¯t think we need to talk about such things anymore. What about you?¡±

    He never used to care about whether I loved him or not, so why would he start now? Besides, I had a

    crush on him for eight years and everyone could tell except for Lyle himself. There was no point in

    thinking about such things anymore.

    ¡°Of course we need to. Eve, you threw yourself into danger for me time and time again and I never

    appreciated it.¡±

    Lyle suddenly tore the divorce papers right down the middle and I inhaled in shock. ¡°Lyle, have you

    gone insane?¡± I yelled.

    ¡°No. In fact, I¡¯m more sober than ever. Yvonne, I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± I reached out in an attempt to

    save the two halves of the documents, but Lyle was quicker and he ripped them to even smaller

    pieces.

    I stared at the ruined documents as Lyle tossed them into the trashcan. If it weren¡¯t for my injured leg, I

    would have already started beating Lyle up.

    He walked toward the bed and embraced me. ¡°Since you love me so much, let¡¯s not get divorced

    anymore, okay?¡± he said gently.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I was barely coherent in my urgency. ¡°I didn¡¯t save you because I loved you! I just didn¡¯t want

    Sharon to be sad over you! Even if it was a random passerby or a stray cat in your ce, I would still

    save them. Call me Mother Teresa for all I care, but it wasn¡¯t because I love you, got it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it anymore, Eve. The way you looked when you ran toward me and pushed me

    out of the way without hesitation¡­the worry in your eyes was so beautiful. Rest up, okay? I¡¯ll go settle

    some things ande back as soon as I can.¡±

    Lyle ignored my struggling and bent down to kiss me on the cheek before walking out of the hospital

    ward, leaving mepletely stunned.

    ¡°Lyle, get your *ss back here right now! B*stard!¡± I yelled as I threw a ss of water in his direction. It

    mmed into the wall and shattered all over the ground.

    Sadly, Lyle had already walked away. I continued destroying everything within arm¡¯s reach in my ward

    before copsing on the bed and pummeling my pillow. What the h*ll do I do now?

    My phone continued to ring incessantly, as it had been for the past few minutes. Annoyed, I picked it up

    and hung up when I saw Christopher¡¯s name on the screen.

    He went out with Monica behind my back after all. Why should I answer his calls?

    Despite me not picking up, Christopher seemed adamant to talk to me and kept calling until I finally

    picked up out of irritation. ¡°Yvonne¡¯s not here!¡± I yelled, frustrated.

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    Chapter 167

    Regret quickly settled in after I shouted. I had always been a little too easily frazzled and never learned

    to keep my feelings to myself.

    I didn¡¯t think I could be med, though. Christopher and Monica were off at God knows where having

    the time of their lives, and being kept in the dark really rubbed me the wrong way, despite constantly

    saying otherwise.

    I could feel those emotions slowly festering in my heart.

    I continued punching the pillow relentlessly. What the h*ll is going on? Has Lyle gone insane? Should I

    have acted as if I didn¡¯t see the car about to run him over and just let him die?

    Maybe I should have let him die and just shed a couple of tears before sending him to the emergency

    room. It¡¯s up to fate whether he lives or not, right?

    Almost instantly, I felt like exining everything to Christopher. He treated me so well and yet I always

    exploded for no reason. It was as if I was trying to stay single for the rest of my life.

    The phone rang again and I quickly picked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m in a bad mood and didn¡¯t think before

    yelling at you. Don¡¯t be mad at me, okay?¡±

    The person on the other end was silent for an eerily long time before I heard a loud chuckleing

    through. ¡°Yvonne, who did you think I was? First, you yelled at me and now you¡¯re apologizing?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I quickly went through my recent calls and discovered that I had never gotten a call from

    Christopher. Sabrina had been on the other end of my sudden outburst.

    ¡°Ah, that really scared me.¡± I wiped off the cold sweat forming on my forehead. ¡°Thank God it was you

    the whole time, Sabby. You won¡¯t get mad at an idiot like me, right?¡±

    ¡°If you know you¡¯re an idiot, then maybe you should start learning from your mistakes.¡± Sabrina clucked

    her teeth. ¡°Recently, you¡¯ve just been a bit quicker with theebacks. Everything else is still the same

    ol¡¯ Yvonne. Where are you? Let¡¯s go shopping.¡±

    ¡°In the hospital,¡± I said with a sigh.

    Sabrina reached the hospital surprisingly quickly. She knew that I must have been alone since

    Christopher wasn¡¯t around to take care of me.

    Once I told her the whole story of what happened, her eyes shone in surprise. ¡°Next time this happens,

    you probably should just close your eyes. Lyle¡¯s brain must have short-circuited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted this to happen!¡± I cried out as I burrowed into my nkets. ¡°Why did I have to be

    such a busybody?¡±

    ¡°Poor thing!¡± Sabrina looked at me pitifully and pulled the nket off my head. After a second, she said,

    ¡°What about you bring this up with Christopher? He¡¯ll definitely think of a solution.¡±

    I shook my head and massaged my temples in frustration. I always made everything out to be way too

    simple, but in reality, everything was much more serious than I thought.

    I had a strong gut feeling that I would have a very intense rival if I wanted to date Christopher, and that

    rival¡¯s name was Monica.

    They were a brilliant match no matter what you were looking at. When I stood next to Christopher, it

    was as if I were a scarecrow standing next to a handsome farmer.

    ¡°Did you argue?¡± Sabrina blinked in confusion before realizing, ¡°So the one you wanted to scold was

    Christopher. I thought you were talking about Lyle! Calm down a bit. Don¡¯t scare away the man of your

    dreams.¡±

    I groaned in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. we¡¯re not involved in any way.¡±

    ¡°Not involved? What exactly is ¡®being involved¡¯ supposed to be, then? Just let Christophere up

    with a solution for you to get divorced. After that, you can live out your dreams with him for the rest of

    your life. You might even be a CEO. Doesn¡¯t it sound like heaven to get married to someone as

    rich and handsome as him?¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s teasing gaze caused me to flush in embarrassment. She was definitely aware of the

    rtionship between me and Christopher. Thest time she saw all the marks on my body when I was

    changing at the Lane house was enough for her tough at me for a long while.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    This time, though, her words only served to get on my nerves and I huffed. ¡°As if I want anything to do

    with him.¡±

    Sabrina patted me on the head as if I was a child, which only served to make me feel even more like I

    was throwing a petty tantrum.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. He¡¯s good for you.¡±

    I was speechless.

    What exactly had Christopher done to Sabrina for her to go over to his sidepletely?

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    I was stuck in the hospital for a whole day. Lyle actually treated me like his wife for once, which I was

    completely unused to. Even though I tried to be petty and pick here and there, he treated my

    comining as flirting and let me be.

    I lost count of the number of times I had sworn at him in my heart. Even my appetite was affected and

    all I wanted was for Crystal to swoop in and take Lyle away.

    My prayers didn¡¯t go to waste. At Lyle¡¯s second visit, Crystal walked in all decked out. Her borate

    outfit almost lit up the room as if she were a disco ball.

    ¡°Crystal! What are you doing here?¡± Lyle stood up nervously and put down the apple he was peeling for

    me.

    ¡°I just wanted to visit Yvonne,¡± Crystal said and she stared at me like she was trying to bore a hole

    through me. Iy there, letting her stare me down. I even returned her stare with a goofy smile.

    If this had happened before, this smile would have seemed like confirmation that I was small fry to her.

    However, in this context, I knew this smile came across as mocking.

    As expected, Crystal¡¯s expression darkened and she walked toward me.

    Her stifling perfume threatened to choke me and I sneezed. Impatiently, I said, ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t like that

    smell. Please don¡¯te closer.¡±

    She was practically hissing at me now. ¡°Rest well, Yvonne. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    After that, she stalked out of the hospital ward. I even heard her sobbing faintly, and Lyle did too as he

    shot up and started running toward her. Before he stepped outside, he turned back to nce at me as

    if asking for permission.

    I shrugged with a grin. ¡°Go ahead. If you don¡¯t go now, you might really lose her. You can get tickets to

    Anndur any other time.¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Lyle asked in shock.

    Innocently, I said, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t bang in the middle of a public park. It pains me to have to bump into

    that. Cleansing that scene from my brain took a long time, you know.¡±

    Lyle couldn¡¯t handle my eerie calmness and finally left, but not before he said, ¡°Yvonne, give me three

    days to settle everything, okay? I won¡¯t forget your feelings for me.¡±

    Can someone pleasee and take this absolute fool away?

    The hospital ward fell into silence once again after he left. I sighed softly,pletely at a loss for what

    to do.

    How long was Lyle going to drown himself in this puddle of infidelity? He was acting as if it were a

    heroic decision to only remain loyal to one of us.

    He would just lose the housekeeper he had for years, but he could very well just hire another one.

    I took out my phone and checked my caller history. Christopher hadn¡¯t called or texted.

    I almost called him, but I didn¡¯t even know what to say if he picked up. I ended up sending a text after

    what seemed like hours of typing and erasing, only to settle on ame ¡®Have you eaten yet?¡¯.

    I was seriously cringing at my own awkwardness.

    Someone knocked on the door and I called out, ¡°Come in!¡±, expecting the doctor to enter. I didn¡¯t

    expect Sabrina to suddenly show up with a package that the hospital guard passed to her when she

    came back from my ce to help me pick up some things.

    I was kind of surprised. I hadn¡¯t bought anything and I wasn¡¯t a regr at this hospital, so how did the

    sender know to deliver it here?

    I nced at the address and my heart skipped a beat when I noticed that it was from Coldbridge.

    Excited yet nervous, I tore open the package and saw a simple ribbon-entwined box inside.

    There was another box within the first one that was also quite pretty. What is this? I opened the second

    box again only to see another box nestled inside.

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    I was more confused than ever. Did Christopher just send me a bunch of boxes?

    I patiently opened all the boxes up and the true present finally showed itself: a set of paintbrushes and

    a box of regr paints.

    At the sight of the art supplies, my eyes started to tear up.

    I carefully positioned my fingers around one of the brushes as tears dripped silently down my face.

    Once upon a time, paintbrushes never left my hands and I painted artwork after artwork, never thinking

    of the day I would finally stop.

    Even during my hard times in the Tanner family, I still saved up and bought some paints and brushes

    whenever I could. I would lock myself in my room and painted all my dreams and hopes for the future.

    Painting remained my one true love until I got reced by Crystal and got chased out of the Tanner

    residence. Then, I lost all faith in my skills and truly gave up on my future.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    I didn¡¯t know how Christopher could have known that I used to love painting. My tears fell relentlessly

    as I gripped the brush tightly, sobbing my heart out.

    No one knew how much I loved and yearned to paint again. All of my love and hope for painting could

    be seen in Autumnal Panorama.

    That oil painting took me two whole months toplete. After that, I sent a picture of it to an online

    friend called Key, whoplimented it and told me that it could really be worth something.

    At the time, I thought so too. The art teacher I¡¯ve had since young had always told me that I was very

    talented and even felt sorry for me when he learned that my drawings didn¡¯t get selected.

    Someone called and I saw Christopher¡¯s name on the screen. I stayed silent after picking up, so

    Christopher started speaking first. ¡°Why are you so quiet? Did you forget me already? It¡¯s only been a

    few days. That¡¯s kind of sad.¡±

    I continued feeling the smooth handle of the brush in between my fingers. Even though it was just a

    normal paintbrush, the meaning behind it waspletely different to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± I said softly, almost getting choked up.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you cry?¡± Christopher asked both urgently and helplessly. ¡°Did something

    happen?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head and asked, ¡°Are you mad because I didn¡¯t pick up your calls the past few days?¡±

    ¡°Why would I get mad over something so small, silly? I would be angry about plenty more things if I

    were that short-tempered. Since you asked, though, you should tell me why you didn¡¯t pick up my

    calls,¡± Christopher said in a faux-angry voice.

    I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could hear the gentleness and love in his voice alone. How could I bear to bring

    up Monica and ruin it?

    No matter what they had going on between them, I could only feel gratitude toward Christopher right

    now.

    I knew that I lost my principles when it came to Christopher, just like how I was with Lyle. If they treated

    me well, I was willing to leave everything behind for them.

    ¡°Something happened that morning and I sprained my ankle, so I was in the hospital when you called

    me and couldn¡¯t pick up,¡± I said, trying to gloss it over. However, Christopher had already started to

    pester me about the foot injury.

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone at all, can I? How many times have you gone to the hospital since we met?¡±

    I thought about it and was genuinely trying to remember when I realized that it was way more than I

    could count on one hand. With a pout, I murmured, ¡°Just once or twice.¡±

    What a lie. I could barely count all the small burns, sprains, and minor injuries that I had suffered at this

    point.

    ¡°If I could see you right now, I would spank you for being so careless,¡± Christopher said in a low voice.

    I felt slightly warm. Spanking had be part of our bedroom activities and usually ended up getting

    pretty heated. He always said it was the best punishment for me to truly remember.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I said urgently. After a pause, I asked, ¡°Did you send me a package?¡±

    ¡°Why, do you have another boyfriend in Coldbridge?¡± he asked me instead.

    Obviously I didn¡¯t have a proper answer. If I could manage to attract so many men at one time, would I

    be in such a state? I would at least be someone like Crystal, who had people falling over for her left

    and right.

    ¡°Why did you send me brushes and paint?¡±

    ¡°Take a guess,¡± Christopher purposely teased.

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I honestly had no idea, but it didn¡¯t matter. I loved the gift too much to think too much of it. He always

    seemed to know more about me than myself, and could guess what I truly wanted before I even

    thought about it.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°I love it. Thank you so much,¡± I said, feeling choked up again.

    ¡°Then draw something with it, alright? When Ie back, you can give it to me in return.¡±

    I jerked at the thought. Can I still paint? Could I actually go back to my long-lost hobby again?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to draw,¡± I said. My mind waspletely nk.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you paint me a pair of eyes that shed no tears?¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    After crying for so long and talking to Christopher for a while, I continued zoning out with the paintbrush

    in hand as all my emotions clouded my mind. I almost jumped out of my skin when I looked up and saw

    Sabrina¡¯s face in front of me.

    ¡°Earth to Yvonne! I¡¯ve been here for ages, so don¡¯t tell me you forgot I was here,¡± Sabrina said huffily

    with her hands on her hips, looking like an interrogator.

    I giggled and scratched my head sheepishly. ¡°Of course not. I just got a little overwhelmed.¡±

    Sabrina took the paintbrush from me and yed around with it. When she identally dropped it, I

    picked it up tenderly and said, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t break these before I even get a chance to use them.¡±

    ¡°These are just normal brushes, aren¡¯t they? Are you thinking of bing an artist?¡± Sabrina

    chuckled. ¡°I see how it is. You would probably treasure a piece of tissue paper if it was from

    Christopher.¡±

    Sabrina and I met in college when both of us were fighting for our futures, so she had no clue that I

    could draw. I also didn¡¯t n on telling her.

    It started feeling like my little secret. If Christopher knew, then it could be our little secret.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just because of that! These are good brushes.¡± I blew off the dust on the bristles slightly,

    despite the brush still being speck-free. I felt as if I had gotten a set of new babies.

    ¡°Who was the one who said she wanted nothing to do with Christopher? I really wonder who that could

    be,¡± Sabrina said teasingly.

    ¡°Yeah, who would say such a thing? Come out so I can beat you up!¡± I said, ying along.

    I continued zoning out with the paintbrush in hand for the whole afternoon. There were so many people

    in the world who had to let go of their dreams in exchange for the harshness of reality, and I was one of

    them.

    I did think of painting throughout my university years, but after getting married to Lyle, I threw all that to

    the back of my mind.

    What else did I lose during that cage of a marriage? I wondered. Perhaps I threw everything else that

    made me who I was away, too.

    I opened a messaging app and looked at the grey profile picture under the name ¡®Key¡¯. I remembered

    adding him as a friend in high school.

    Key was always extremely understanding and kind. I never got to know his gender, but he was a great

    conversationalist and was always ready to listen to me when I needed to rant.

    I painted Autumnal Panorama in myst year of high school. After what happened after that painting, I

    tried to find Key relentlessly so he could give me advice. Sadly, I never found Key again.

    I didn¡¯t know where Key went, but I continued sending messages to the ount every time I got

    wronged or beaten down. I even told them everything about Lyle.

    Now that I had a paintbrush in my hands again, I felt like telling Key about it.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I sent a message. ¡®I think luck has been on my side recently. I got to know someone and he means the

    world to me. If I were to pick up a paintbrush again, do you think I could finally fulfill my future?¡¯

    I was used to waiting for a reply that never came, so I continued to type another text when a new

    message suddenly appeared onscreen.

    Key: ¡®Your future is something you need to fight for. Don¡¯t get used to waiting. It¡¯s not good to always

    wait for something to happen. If you have the chance, you might as well try again.¡±

    My heart leaped in my chest. After four years of university and half a year of being married, I stopped

    sending messages to Key. Now that I got a reply, it felt like I was dreaming.

    I sent the text I was originally going to send after that. ¡®What do you think a pair of eyes that shed no

    tears look like?¡¯

    Key replied almost instantly. ¡®Why don¡¯t you draw the most beautiful pair of eyes you¡¯ve ever seen?

    That¡¯s a pair of eyes that you won¡¯t shed tears over.¡¯

    The moment I read that message, I thought of Christopher¡¯s deep yet lively eyes. His gaze was like a

    beacon that shone through my fog of grief and lit up my life.

    I chuckled and replied: Thank you, Key. I would love to draw your eyes one day. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re

    absolutely stunning.

    Despite meeting Key online, he was an important part of my life. Without him, I might never have gotten

    closure about all those things and I wouldn¡¯t have had someone who listened to me.

    Have you been well? I texted.

    Key: I wasn¡¯t too well a while back, but now I think happiness isn¡¯t too far off for me.

    I replied: Same goes for me too. I¡¯m d we¡¯re both doing well.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    I had a hard time painting the image I had in mind. After countless attempts, I decided to give up

    because none of the paintings I have produced could justify Christopher¡¯s pair of gleaming eyes.

    In the end, I tore the paintings with a self-deprecating smirk.

    It had been a long time since Ist painted something. I couldn¡¯t get used to holding a brush, let alone

    having myself focused for the session. The only thing I had in mind was Autumnal Panorama.

    Although I was conscious my painting wasn¡¯t as unworthy as they mentioned, I couldn¡¯t move on from

    the incident that had been bothering me for years.

    Autumnal Panorama was sent back shortly after it was submitted. However, I wasn¡¯t made aware of it

    and thought I would soon acquire the result.

    Nathan tore the painting into pieces before I could get my hands on it.

    Overwhelmed by the shattered pieces I saw in the dustbin, I paid no heed to the details and failed to

    notice it was a replicated piece.

    What makes you think you have the right to draw when you can¡¯t even contribute to the family?

    Get the hell out of my sight at once! If you refuse to get married for the family¡¯s sake, don¡¯t consider

    yourself a member of the Tanner family from today onwards!

    I thought I had shrugged those memories off my mind. It turned out they had long be part of my

    identity.

    Although I had long given up on Nathan, whenever he showed Yvette and Crystal the lovely side of his,

    I would get jealous.

    He¡¯s my father, why do I seem to be the outsider instead?

    I made up my mind to leave the hospital because I had enough of the ce full of the lingering scent of

    disinfectant.

    As that was the only ce that might lead me to the answers to my queries, I was determined to make

    my way back at all costs.

    The moment I retrieved my phone to acquire Sabrina¡¯s aid to leave the hospital, I hesitated because

    she had her ownmitment. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to approach her for such a trivial matter.

    In the end, I hailed a cab and acquired the nurse¡¯s aide to head downstairs. The nurse was conscious

    of my divorce. Thus, she had been taking great care of me during my time at the hospital.

    When she brought me to the cab, she urged me to return to the hospital for regr check-ups from

    time to time. She even offered to drop by my ce if I needed her help.

    I expressed my gratitude with a smile. Her act of kindness had reminded me to not lose faith in others

    just yet.

    Meanwhile, little did I know the ones following me would soon turn my life upside down.

    It felt great to be back. I drafted a text with a smile and sent it to Christopher. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at

    home.

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered by the fact Christopher and Monica had taken part in a party together because I

    had faith in him.

    It would be fine as long as he told me nothing was going on between them.

    Shortly after I made my way into the elevator, two mysterious figures joined me. I requested with a

    bright grin, ¡°I¡¯ll be heading off on the fifth floor.¡±

    One of them had their eyes glued to me in an odd manner. My heart started racing as I had a bad

    feeling about it.

    Upon a simple glimpse, I noticed the surveince camera was perfectly fine. Therefore, I told myself

    everything would be fine. The moment the elevator reached the designated floor, I brought myself out

    with the aid of the crutches.

    When I was a step away from the entrance, someone covered my mouth and strangled me in an

    attempt to stop me from yelling for help.

    No matter how much I retaliated against him, my effort was to no avail. After a few seconds of

    retaliation, I could barely catch my breath. When I thought I was about to pass out, the man moved

    away from me. His aplice covered my mouth with an ether-infused handkerchief when I tried to

    catch my breath.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Consequently, I started feeling lightheaded and copsed in between their arms with my head drooping

    over my shoulders. No longer could I feel my limbs as well.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    I could vaguely feel someone lifting me into a car. The bumpy ride to a certain somewhere was the only

    thing I could recall after I heard them starting the car.

    As much as I wanted to shout for help, I couldn¡¯t. In the end, I passed out with fear lingering in my

    mind.

    By the time I regained consciousness, I found out I couldn¡¯t even stretch my limbs because I was

    confined in a cramped and pitch-ck space.

    ¡°Have you brought her back? Are you sure you have gotten the right person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure because she looks just like the one in the picture!¡±

    ¡°Get her there and teach her a lesson immediately!¡±

    When I heard the content of their conversation, I started shivering in fear. I must have gotten unlucky to

    be kidnapped when I was as poor as a church rat.

    Who are they? Why have they abducted me?

    I was certain no one would want to abduct me because of my limited wealth and connection. In other

    words, abducting me would just be a waste of their effort and time.

    Someone once told me ether was usually made use of by the criminals to take out their targets. I

    couldn¡¯t believe there would be a day I got to experience it firsthand.

    I tried to reach my phone in an attempt to reach out to somebody for help, but I noticed it had been

    taken away from me.

    The moment I heard the muffled sound produced when I identally knocked on the wall behind me, I

    ruled out the possibility of me being confined in a gigantic box.

    While losing myself in the process of thought, someone pried the box open from behind and grabbed

    my hair, dragging me out of the box.

    It took me a few seconds to snap out of confusion and bring myself up. Someone approached me and

    raised my chin against my will. He yelled, ¡°She¡¯s the one! Tie her up!¡±

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    I tried to flee, but I was taken into custody after a few seconds. They brought me back and tied me up

    as instructed.

    I shrieked and asked, ¡°What do you guys want from me? I¡¯m just a poor woman! I can¡¯t even afford to

    pay you anything!¡±

    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re not able to pay us, but someone acquainted with you can!¡± The man grinned and added, ¡°I

    can¡¯t believe you¡¯re the wife of the almighty CEO! I guess you¡¯re worth quite something, huh?¡±

    Upon a simple glimpse at the men surrounding me, I saw the two at the elevator and another man

    standing next to them. That particr man remained silent and stared at me in the eyes with an eerie

    look.

    I gulped and med Crystal for my misfortune. Had she refrained from disying the affection she had

    for Lyle in the restaurant, these bunch of men wouldn¡¯t have gotten their hands on my whereabouts.

    Ugh! Why am I the one suffering because of someone else¡¯s action? If they¡¯re that capable, why don¡¯t

    they abduct Crystal instead?

    If Crystal has been abducted, Lyle will get them everything they desire! As for me, Lyle will just deem it

    a waste of his money!

    I tried my best to calm myself down and negotiated with the vicious-looking man, ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware

    Lyle is filing for divorce with me? You won¡¯t get anything if you abduct me! Why don¡¯t you set me free?

    I¡¯ll keep everything to myself!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to order us around! Also, don¡¯t try anything silly unless you wish to spend some quality

    time with my friends over there!¡±

    He caressed my cheek with his fleshy palm. ¡°I guess you¡¯re quite a skillful one when ites to having

    some raunchy fun, huh?¡±

    I felt a chill running down my spine because of the disgusting thoughts they had. If they were to carry

    out the things they had in mind, I wouldn¡¯t get to retaliate against them.

    The only source of illumination avable in the pitch-ck room was the patch of sunlighting from

    the hole above.

    As soon as they departed, I started surveying the surroundings to see if there was anything I could use

    to cut the rope. Unfortunately, luck wasn¡¯t on my side. I had no choice but to break the rope with brute

    force.

    Spending time alone in the pitch-ck room had sent me to the endless loop of despair. Christopher

    was my only hope. I secretly prayed he would notice something was wrong soon.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    It wouldn¡¯t be necessary for the man to threaten me as it would be impossible to break free. There was

    nothing that could be made use of to escape the spacious basement.

    The deste environment was so eerie I could hear my heart racing.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I started cursing Crystal for bringing upon my misfortune by exposing the messed-up rtionship to the

    public, including the kidnappers.

    A short whileter, I could barely pull myself together anymore because the pent-up fatigue had caught

    up to me.

    The kidnappers never returned after their departure, leaving me starving in the dark. My fear grew

    stronger as my stomach started growling.

    Where are you, Christopher? Can youe over yet? You¡¯re the only one I can rely on! You have to

    save me! As long as you save me, I¡¯ll promise you whatever you have in mind!

    It was a tormenting experience to be confined in a pitch-ck room. When someone opened the door

    again, it felt as though an eternity had passed.

    I could barely open my eyes because of the strong shaft of light. While closing my eyes to get used to

    the illuminated environment, I heard a woman¡¯s voice.

    As it was a familiar voice, I widened my eyes in disbelief and looked in the direction of the entrance.

    Crystal was being dragged into the basement by a few buff-looking men. When they ced the equally

    startled woman next to me, she yelled, ¡°Yvonne, are you the mastermind behind this? I will never

    sumb to you!¡±

    I rolled my eyes in silence because I no longer had the energy to pick a fight with the shrieking woman

    next to me.

    ¡°Idiot!¡± I snorted at her in return and turned around, staring elsewhere to avoid engaging in a

    conversation with Crystal.

    ¡°Are you reprimanding me? Yvonne, you¡¯re such a jinx! Why the heck have you persuaded them to

    abduct me? What exactly are you up to? I¡¯m telling you Lyle will never return to you even if I¡¯m dead!¡±

    If others were around, they would be shocked by Crystal¡¯s true color as she had always put on a

    considerate and adorable front when she showed up in the public.

    Unable to withstand her remarks anymore, I rebuked, ¡°Can you stop using me of something I have

    never done? Do you really think I¡¯m as vicious as you are?¡±

    Infuriated by my remark, she tried to kick me in return. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll get you back for today¡¯s

    incident! Lyle won¡¯t leave me alone, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the case for you!¡±

    Hello? I¡¯m not waiting for that jerk, okay? I¡¯m waiting for my one and only to rush to my rescue!

    With that being said, he isn¡¯t in Avenport at the moment! Is he going to return to my corpse in a few

    days?

    Irked, I yelled at her in return, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m well aware you¡¯re having an affair with him. Why don¡¯t you

    keep that to yourself and stop bringing it up?¡±

    Suddenly, a man approached us and pped me in the face. I was frustrated by the fact that he

    decided to take things out on me when Crystal had been yelling as well.

    ¡°Get in touch with Lyle and tell him his wife and mistress has been abducted! If he wants them back

    safe and sound, get him to prepare a billion! Warn him not to get in touch with the cops! Otherwise,

    we¡¯ll allow him to make it to the headline with his beloved women¡¯s death!¡±

    A man reached for his phone and took photos of Crystal and me. He then proceeded to get in touch

    with Lyle and instructed him to meet them in the basement at five o¡¯clock in the morning.

    It turned out it had been twenty-four hours since I was abducted. That must be the reason my entire

    body had been aching since a few hours ago.

    ¡°Lyle will definitely rush to my rescue! Do you think you get to salvage your marriage by ying the

    victim in front of him? No way!¡± Crystal yelled at me with a provocative look.

    I had no intention to carry on with the fight Crystal started because she wouldn¡¯t stop mentioning Lyle

    when Christopher was the only one I cared about. It would be such a shame if I couldn¡¯t get to meet

    Christopher for onest time before my death.

    Lyle soon showed up with the demanded sum, but the kidnappers refused to set us free. They

    announced, ¡°A billion for one of them!¡±

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    Chapter 174

    He showed up sooner than I had expected. When I was about to experience an emotional breakdown

    because of Crystal, Lyle showed up in the basement.

    The well-built man¡¯s silhouette seemed so familiar, yet there was something odd about it. I couldn¡¯t see

    his face, but I was certain he had his eyes glued to me for a few seconds.

    Lyle instructed in a callous tone, ¡°I have brought you a billion as demanded! Set them free at once!¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to ensure you¡¯re here on your own? You have brought quite a few bodyguards

    with you, haven¡¯t you?¡± Someone stepped forward in an attempt to take over the suitcase with a billion,

    but Lyle took a step back and requested, ¡°I need to ensure they¡¯re safe!¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Lyle, save me! I need you!¡± Crystal sniffled and looked at Lyle with a pair of welled-up eyes.

    To my surprise, Lyle looked at me and asked, ¡°Eve, are you okay?¡±

    I gasped in silence when the kidnapper kicked me in the leg, instructing me to answer Lyle¡¯s query. As

    much as it hurt, I tried my best to resist the racking sensation I felt and answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Lyle heaved a sigh of relief and handed over the kidnappers the hefty suitcase he had brought along.

    He seemed to have upheld his promise and brought them the demanded sum.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lodge a police report as long as they¡¯re able to leave safe and sound! On top of that, I promise

    not to go after any of you! Please leave at once!¡±

    The three kidnappers gaped in silence at the presence of the suitcase of money. To be precise, I was

    equally inundated by the sum avable.

    No ordinary person could possibly remain calm in the presence of such an astronomical figure, let

    alone a housewife like me.

    As the kidnappers went dead silent, Lyle repeated his question, ¡°Can you set them free yet?¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Thrilled, the kidnappers¡¯ emotions were written all over their faces. They announced, ¡°Initially,

    we¡¯re supposed to set them free, but the amount you have brought us only enables you to bring one of

    them away with you.¡±

    Lyle rebuked with his eyes narrowing to a slit, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much? I have adhered to every

    demand of yours and brought the requested sum! Since you¡¯re after the money, it¡¯s better for you to set

    them free at once!¡±

    Honestly, when he made himself clear and stood his ground, he seemed like the man I once had a

    thing for. However, I had long lost faith in him.

    As a result, my heart started racing the moment the things awaiting the one left behind crossed my

    mind.

    ¡°Mr. Smith, that¡¯s quite a persuasive speech, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in a position to negotiate since

    they¡¯re currently under our custody! If you can¡¯t make up your mind, do you need my help to make the

    call on your behalf?¡±

    Halfway through the kidnapper¡¯s orated speech, he ran the dagger across Crystal¡¯s neck and asked,

    ¡°This is your mistress, isn¡¯t she? Do you think she¡¯s able to paint if I amputate her fingers?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Lyle was at the top of his lungs. He added, ¡°I¡¯ll get my assistant to bring another billion over

    immediately! Stay away from them!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure if you¡¯re going to send the cops our way or not! Hurry up and make up your mind!

    Otherwise, I¡¯ll make the call on your behalf!¡±

    The moment Lyle witnessed the kidnapper trimming Crystal¡¯s hair without any hesitation, he yelled,

    ¡°Crystal!¡±

    ¡°Save me, Lyle! Haven¡¯t you promised to keep me safe for the rest of my life? You¡¯re not going to

    abandon me, are you?¡± Crystal started weeping with her eyes glued to Lyle.

    When I caught him looking in my direction, I started stuttering as I was at a loss for words, ¡°I-I¡ª¡±

    What am I supposed to tell him? Am I supposed to beg him to save me? Should I ask him not to

    abandon me when he had abandoned me for more than once? After much considerations, I asked,

    ¡°Are you going to abandon me again?¡±

    When he heard me, he stared at me openmouthed. It was evident he was taken aback by my question.

    Seconds after he snapped out of bewilderment, he announced with his teeth gritted, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you four

    billion as long as we get to leave!¡±

    One of the kidnappers broke the silence, reprimanding Lyle, ¡°Stop messing with us and make up your

    mind! Otherwise, we¡¯ll randomly take one of them away with us!¡±

    Lyle kept ncing at Crystal and me with his face scrunched up. Never had he shown me the hesitant

    side of his.

    Suddenly, Crystal broke the silence, asserting while sniffling, ¡°Lyle, please bring Yvonne away with you!

    She¡¯s your wife! However, I¡¯m afraid our child won¡¯t get to meet you! O-Our child¡ª¡±

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    Chapter 175

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± Lyle started trembling in fear. He looked at me in the eyes with an apologetic look. It

    was then I knew he had made up his mind.

    He stuttered, ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry, Yvonne! I¡¯ll owe you once and think of something to save you once I¡¯m

    back!¡±

    Once he finished justifying himself, he shot daggers at the kidnappers and yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll be bringing

    Crystal away with me!¡±

    His announcement sent to me a vicious cycle of despair. Thereafter, I went dead silent as he rushed

    over to Crystal¡¯s rescue and brought her out of the basement.

    I was about to spend my remaining few hours in despair while they would start a brand-new day

    without me.

    Why has it gotten to me again when his decision isn¡¯t that much of a surprise? Well, I guess luck was

    never on my side!

    As they strode their way out, Crystal beamed in satisfaction and mouthed in silence, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to

    enjoy the uing session!¡±

    I could feel my limbs turning stiff as the door was kept shut once again. A chill ran down my spine as

    the three vicious-looking men approached me as though they were up to no good.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame to be abandoned by your husband!¡± One of them started undressing me, exposing

    the undergarments I had put on.

    ¡°See! She¡¯s not even in her right mind anymore!¡± Another of them tore my shirt in half as he couldn¡¯t

    wait to feel my skin.

    All of a sudden, I started retaliating against them. The racking sensationing from my tied-up hands

    was nothing aspared to the tidal waves of emotions I felt. ¡°What are you guys doing? Stay away

    from me!¡±

    I had rushed over to Lyle¡¯s rescue over and over again in the past, but he had never hesitated to leave

    me alone whenever I needed him.

    As someone removed my pair of shoes, Iunched a powerful kick at him at the crotch area.

    Subsequently, he copsed to the ground and crouched in pain.

    ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re such a useless man!¡±

    ¡°What the heck!¡± The struggling man brought himself up and pped me in the face. As a result, I

    started feeling lightheaded.

    Crystal was right! I¡¯ll soon end up being their tool to satisfy their lust because no one will rescue me!

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    As they surrounded me with lust written all over their faces, I tried my best to shrug their hands off me

    when I felt them. They seemed to be deriving pleasure through teasing me.

    They soon burst outughing while inflicting pain on me by pinching me. They enjoyed seeing me

    groaning in pain. Unable to hold back their lust anymore, one of them grabbed my legs and raised them

    against my will.

    I started trembling in fear as there was nothing else I could do to salvage myself. When thest piece

    of garment I had put on was removed, I could feel another man¡¯s legs around my thighs.

    That was the moment I made up my mind to defend my dignity, even if it meanting at the cost of

    my life. I started biting my tongue with all my might in an attempt to kill myself, but they soon figured out

    my n and grasped my chin to stop me.

    Consequently, my jaw was dislocated because of the men¡¯s brute force.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a stubborn b*tch! I¡¯ll let you have the best time of your life for onest time, even if you¡¯re

    dying!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I wonder if there¡¯s anything different from having it with someone from the upper echelon!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hurry up! We¡¯re still waiting for our turns!¡±

    Someone, please! Christopher, where are you? Save me! I need you!

    As torrents of grief streamed down my cheeks, I started wondering if I had the courage to move on

    after pulling myself through the humiliating session.

    I waspletely rendered incapable of motions as my legs were tied to the armrests of the chair.

    Soon, my entire face was drenched in tears and blood.

    Why can¡¯t I even kill myself? Am I not even allow to make the choice? C-Christopher!

    When I thought that would be the end of my miserable life, someone barged into the basement and

    rushed over to my side, throwing punches at the men surrounding me.

    Although it was an intense session, I couldn¡¯t care less until I felt myself nestling in a man¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte!¡±

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    Chapter 176

    I could hear someone talking, but I had a hard time telling if he was a friend or a foe. The moment I

    could feel my hands again, I threw punches at him, yelling hysterically, ¡°Stay away from me!¡±

    ¡°Eve, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m Christopher!¡± Judging by the man¡¯s hoarse voice, I was certain he was equally

    anxious. Inundated by remorse, he kept me safe in between his arms.

    At that point in time, the only thing I had in mind was to flee the scene. In another attempt to escape, I

    launched another powerful kick at the man, but my effort was to no avail because I was still confined in

    between his arms.

    After onest attempt to bite the man failed because of my dislocated jaw, I tried to knock the man off

    with my head while yelling, ¡°Just kill me! Kill me instead of humiliating me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for beingte, Eve! It¡¯s my fault for not being there for you! I¡¯m Christopher! I¡¯ll never hurt

    you!¡±

    Who¡¯s Christopher? Oh! Is he the one I have been waiting for? He¡¯s the only one who cares about me,

    isn¡¯t he? I returned to my senses and stared at the man with a look of disbelief. He was in an equally

    pathetic with his forehead drenched in blood and his face puckered in despair.

    He couldn¡¯t care less by his look and continued holding me firmly in between his arms. Over and over

    again, he caressed my back and assured me, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because everything¡¯s over! I

    have taken out those vicious men!¡±

    I repeated after him, ¡°C-Christopher?¡±

    He ced his zer over me and asserted, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s me! I¡¯m here! I¡¯ll always be here!¡±

    ¡°Christopher!¡± As the pent-up emotions came flooding out, I nestled in between his arms and started

    wailing hysterically, ¡°I¡¯m horrified! I almost killed myself to end my misery!¡±

    While Christopher brought the traumatized me out of the basement, I caught a glimpse of a few men in

    their military uniforms, including Zachary.

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    My pupils constricted in fear the moment I saw the men drenched in a puddle of blood on the ground.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I passed out after shrieking.

    When I was unconscious, I heard a few people around me engaging in a heated discussion. They

    seemed to be having another fight. As much as I wanted to figure out the things going on, I couldn¡¯t

    open my eyes.

    The faces of three vicious-looking men shed back in my mind. They kept running their hands all over

    my body. In the end, they tore my clothes into pieces with lustful intentions written all over their faces.

    I tried my best to run away from them, but I couldn¡¯t seem to shrug them off. All of a sudden, they

    pounced on me and rendered me incapable of motion.

    I could feel blood sshing everywhere as soon as I heard several consecutive shots being fired.

    ¡°N-No! S-Stay away from me!¡± As I started shrieking in fear, I grabbed something and started biting it

    with all my might. I could feel my jaws aching, but I was reluctant to stop until I felt blood in my mouth.

    Someone stopped me from moving around and held me firmly in between his arms. I felt a strong urge

    to cry when I detected the gentle kissed on my forehead.

    He repeated himself in a remorseful tone, ¡°Eve, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore because everything¡¯s

    fine! They¡¯re all dead as of now! I¡¯ll keep youpany and safe! It will be fine!¡±

    As the nightmare stopped haunting me, I could finally fall asleep. I was unsure if it had merely been a

    few hours or had it been a few days by the time I woke up.

    I surveyed the surroundings and tried to reach out to someone, but the racking sensationing from

    the jaw stopped me from speaking. On top of that, I could feel my eyes aching.

    Zachary approached me and asked, ¡°Hey, how are you feeling?¡±

    I shook my head, asserting the anxious man everything was fine. Actually, Christopher was the one I

    had been searching for, but upon a simple nce around the ward, he was nowhere to be seen.

    Unable to speak, I had tomunicate with Zachary using bodynguage. I made some noise

    because I was afraid he couldn¡¯t grasp the meaning behind it.

    ¡°You need to calm down because your jaw has been severely dislocated. In the uing few weeks,

    you won¡¯t be able to speak.¡± Zachary proceeded to summon the nurse over.

    As he couldn¡¯t get my query, I tried my best to form aplete phrase. ¡°C-Chris¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Christopher barged into the ward and sprinted over to my side. Holding my hands, he

    repeated the same thing over and over again. When I heard him, I finally regained myposure.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡±

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    His words worked like a charm and warded my concerns. After taking the prescribed medicine, I closed

    my eyes and fell asleep once more.

    I ended up sleeping for three consecutive days. Zachary then told me I had been having a high fever

    ever since I was rushed to the hospital. The doctor once warned them to get themselves ready for the

    worst, but I managed to make it through the crisis.

    After the routine check-up by the doctor, I turned around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Christopher?¡±

    My voice was still hoarse, but I no longer felt the pain bothering me on the day I first regained

    consciousness.

    ¡°H-He¡ª¡± Zachary stuttered with his brows furrowed as though he was supposed to keep Christopher¡¯s

    whereabouts confidential.

    I could vividly recall Christopher¡¯s forehead drenched in blood when he brought me out of the

    basement. As my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, I asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°Chris wants me to keep you in the dark, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. When he couldn¡¯t reach you,

    he noticed something was wrong. Immediately, we made our way back. Unfortunately, we were

    involved in an ident, but he insisted on rushing over to rescue you.¡±

    After a few seconds of pause, he said, ¡°Chris decided to keep youpany since you had been having

    it rough over the past two days. In addition to excessive bleeding, the pent-up fatigue caught up to him.

    Thus, he passed out in the morning.¡±

    When Zachary told me Christopher was still unconscious, I was on pins and needles. Thus, I begged

    him, ¡°Can you please bring me to him immediately?¡±

    Zachary took a step back and told me to calm down since I had gotten overly worked up again. ¡°I¡¯ll

    bring you over once the doctor¡¯s done.¡±

    I wondered if his response had something to do with my response while I was unconscious. It must

    have been something extreme to be able to intimidate him. I couldn¡¯t care less and repeated my

    request, ¡°Please bring me over to him immediately!¡±

    After hesitating for a few seconds, Zachary nodded and answered, ¡°Alright!¡±

    Someone had to wheel me over in a wheelchair because I couldn¡¯t stand on my feet just yet. When

    Zachary wheeled me into the ward, I saw the man on the bed.

    I wheeled myself over and stared at the man in disbelief. He had a pale and haggard look with his eyes

    closed and his head swathed in bandages.

    A few secondster, I tried to bring myself up in an attempt to join him in bed.

    The moment the nket was uncovered, I caught a whiff of the stench of blood. Christopher¡¯s wounds

    were worse than I had imagined. Zachary mentioned it was just an ident, but Christopher¡¯s

    condition indicated otherwise.

    The moment I nestled next to him, I caught a whiff of the stench of blood. Christopher¡¯s wounds were

    worse than I had imagined. Zachary mentioned it was just an ident, but Christopher¡¯s condition

    indicated otherwise.

    Afraid of hurting him, Iy down next to him in silence after kissing him on the cheek.

    My wandering mind finally became at ease when I caught another whiff of the familiar scent of tobo

    exclusive to him. I started weeping in silence while lying next to him.

    Although weeping wouldn¡¯t do me any good, it enabled me to take out the emotions I had been

    suppressing over the past few days.

    Christopher had once again rushed over to my rescue. If it weren¡¯t because of him, I might not have

    made it out without being humiliated.

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    Had I been humiliated by those vicious-looking men, I might make the call to put an end to my

    miserable life instead of spending the rest of my life in horror.

    ¡°Hey!¡± All of a sudden, I heard Christopher¡¯s voice. Immediately, I looked at him and ced my head

    next to his. ¡°Have I roused you from your sleep?¡±

    ¡°I just feel the urge to wake up since I can feel you next to me. I¡¯m really d you¡¯re fine.¡± Christopher

    tried to hold me in his arms, but he could barely move around.

    ¡°No! Stop moving around! I¡¯ll move over!¡± I turned around and wrapped my arms around his waist and

    started reprimanding him, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have neglected your condition! Just leave the rest to nurse

    and take care of yourself!¡±

    ¡°I have to ensure you¡¯re fine. Also, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to disappear again the moment I leave.¡±

    Christopher instructed in a callous tone, ¡°Can you not resort to such an extreme countermeasure no

    matter what happens in the future?¡±

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    It was the second time I brought up the attempt tomit suicide in front of Christopher. He seemed to

    be startled by my determination to take myself out in times of emergencies for real.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Conscious of his concerns, my heart ached. I answered, ¡°Chris, I¡¯ll rather kill myself than living a life full

    of shame! Never will I allow others to take advantage of me!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop it, I¡¯m going to be infuriated for real!¡± Christopher red at me in the eyes and

    repeated himself with a stern look. As much as he tried to force a strong front, he was pretty much

    vulnerable.

    ¡°No matter what lies ahead of us, we¡¯ll brace through everything together even if it¡¯s the end of the

    world! I want you to promise me not to give up on life!¡±

    I nodded and started weeping again when the incident that had urred over the past few days

    shed back in my mind.

    That particr incident wouldn¡¯t stop haunting me. As a result, I started wailing once again,

    ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m so scared!¡±

    He was flustered as I burst into tears in front of him. As much as he wanted to hold me in between his

    arms, he couldn¡¯t.

    In the end, he asserted while caressing my head, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for raising my volume against you. It¡¯s

    my fault for not taking your safety into consideration. I should¡¯ve kept an eye on you.¡±

    I shook my head and stammered, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! I¡¯m just afraid of losing you as I don¡¯t think I

    deserve you! You¡¯re the only one I have, Christopher!¡±

    ¡°I will never leave you, okay?¡±

    We spent the entire afternoon next to one another. I insisted on keeping Christopherpany when

    the doctor dropped by for another routine check-up. The doctor even made fun of us and said we were

    a pair made in heaven.

    Truth be told, as absurd as it might sound, I had always longed to be his wife. With that being said, it

    might just be another one of my unrealistic and ambitious goals.

    I wouldn¡¯t mind being just another woman of his as long as I had the chance to stay with him. Nothing

    could possibly drive us apart from one another.

    The moment I saw the appalling wounds, including the one on his chest, I found out it wasn¡¯t just

    another ident. It was a staged assassination meant to take him out. He almost had his lungs

    permanently damaged because of the shot.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s time for another injection. Can you pleasee with me?¡± The nurse repeated himself since

    I went dead silent again.

    I shook my hand and inched away from the nurse, returning to Christopher¡¯s side.

    Christopher showed me his hand and assured me everything would be fine, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. In fact,

    it¡¯s not even going to hurt. See? I¡¯m being pricked as well.¡±

    I looked at the nurse in the eyes with my lips pursed. A few secondster, I brought up a seemingly

    absurd request. ¡°Can you please get a female nurse to tend to me? I don¡¯t feelfortable being

    around a male nurse.¡±

    Having a hard timeprehending the rationale behind the request, he arched his brows in confusion

    as though he. In the end, he showed me his tag and announced, ¡°I¡¯m one of the best around here.¡±

    Not even Zachary could approach me without startling me, let alone a stranger. I would feel tingling

    sensations all over my body the moment others came in touch with me. Thus, I shook my head and

    turned him down.

    Christopher¡¯s eyes glinted when he recalled something. He instructed the nurse, ¡°Please get another

    female nurse over to tend to her.¡±

    Once the nurse departed, he grasped my hand and caressed my cheek, asserting in a gentle tone, ¡°It¡¯s

    time for you to leave everything behind because it¡¯s over.¡±

    I was d he could easily rule out the reason behind my seemingly absurd request. I assured him, ¡°I¡¯ll

    try my best to forget about it.¡±

    We ended up lying next to one another in the ward. As odd as it might be, it was one of the few best

    moments I had in life. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at Christopher in the eyes. After a short while, I yelled,

    ¡°Christopher!¡±

    He ran his fingers through my unkempt hair and asked in a hushed voice, ¡°What?¡±

    I repeated myself in a silly manner, ¡°Christopher!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked with a gentle beam.

    ¡°I just want to ensure you¡¯re here with me.¡± Smiling, I carried on with the session for some time. I was

    d he wasn¡¯t against the idea of ying along with me.

    The session was brought to a halt when someone knocked on the door. I thought Zachary was at the

    doorstep, but Darius showed up and took us by surprise.

    Unable to think of something that could get me out of the situation, my eyes widened in disbelief as my

    limbs started getting stiff once again.

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    Chapter 179

    After spending the past few months together, I was serious about my rtionship with Christopher.

    Nheless, the thought of his family members driving us apart once they figured out our rtionship

    had stopped me from seeking their acknowledgment.

    I might not get to join the Lane family as a household member even if I was the heiress of the Tanner

    family. To make things worse, I was just a pathetic woman whose husband had an affair with another

    woman.

    On top of that, only a mere few were made aware of our actual rtionship. As a result, my mind went

    completely nk when Darius showed up out of nowhere.

    Simrly, Darius seemed to be shocked by my presence. He sized me up while standing at the

    entrance.

    It would be fine if I was seated next to Christopher. At least I could make something up and tell Darius I

    was just here to visit his brother. Unfortunately, I was next to Christopher on the bed, nestling against

    one another.

    Darius wasn¡¯t the mayor for no reason. He could carry himself as though it wasn¡¯t a big deal and made

    his way into the ward once he closed the door.

    Shortly after he nodded with a smile, he took a seat on the chair next to the bed and started perusing

    the medical record that was ced nearby.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with both of you? Can¡¯t you guys take good care of yourself and stop giving me the

    shock of my life?¡± Darius raised his volume once he finished perusing the medical record.

    ¡°Darius, I guess I can¡¯t keep anything from you when you¡¯re the mayor of Avenport, huh? It has only

    been a few days since my return, yet you manage to figure out I have been rushed to the hospital.¡±

    Christopher held my hand, indicating it would be fine.

    Instead of just lying around, I felt the urge to greet Darius. Thus, I blurted out the things I had in mind,

    ¡°Hey, Darius¡ª¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even finish my sentence when I recalled I had addressed him as though we were affiliated

    with one another. It was so embarrassing I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the ward.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Has the doctor mentioned anything else?¡± Darius did a great job keeping his

    emotions to himself. Instead of chasing the married woman next to his brother, he expressed concerns

    over my condition.

    It turned into a question-and-answer session since I had run out of ideas to get myself out of the ward.

    Shortly after he expressed concerns over my condition, Darius started reprimanding Christopher.

    Although he made it sound as though it was an ordinary conversation, it was evident he was irked.

    ¡°Chris, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too reckless? I can¡¯t believe you have initiated the mission to exterminate

    John and his party when not even the special force can take them out! Have you thought things

    through? What are we supposed to do if anything happens to you?¡±

    Christopher nced at me and answered in a serious tone, ¡°I could¡¯ve taken them out two years ago if

    I hadn¡¯t been dispatched elsewhere prior to themencement of the mission! Aren¡¯t you aware of the

    number of lives that were involved back then? If I don¡¯t take John and his party out prior to my

    retirement, who knows what¡¯s going to happen to Zachary and myrades?¡±

    Darius yelled, ¡°Oh! It turns out you¡¯re still aware you¡¯re going to retire soon, huh? Dad has always

    regretted his decision to send you to the army. Mom has picked on him for the precise reason more

    than once. You need to stop exposing yourself to unnecessary risk in the future.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to retire very soon. In fact, the memo has been delivered. In other words, I won¡¯t get

    to interfere with their decision in the future. Is that enough to please my dearest brother? It¡¯s time for

    me to take a nap. Why don¡¯t you return to your office and tend to the things on your te?¡±

    Christopher sat upright and yawned over and over again. It was evident he couldn¡¯t wait to chase his

    brother away.

    Darius raised his hand and flicked Christopher¡¯s forehead. When he was about to leave, Christopher

    stopped him and said, ¡°Darius, please keep Dad and Mom in the dark about my condition. Otherwise,

    they¡¯re going to pick on one another again.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re conscious they¡¯re going to be worried about you, why don¡¯t you mind your behavior in the

    future? If it weren¡¯t because I had sent Monica to Coldbridge to deceive them, they would have long

    made their ways over.¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    Throughout their conversation, I recalled Zachary once said Christopher was his supervisor in the

    army. It was safe to assume Christopher had returned to Coldbridge for something else other than a

    business trip.

    Was that the reason I couldn¡¯t reach him when he was in Coldbridge? Ugh! I shouldn¡¯t have gotten

    jealous when Monica picked up the call on Christopher¡¯s behalf!

    It was very silly of me to misperceive he had something with Monica! Christopher must have been

    upied with different things and gone to great lengths just to call me! I shouldn¡¯t have dismissed his

    calls!

    Wait! Did Darius just mention he had sent Monica to keep their parents in the dark? If that was the case

    ¡ª

    Snuggling in between Christopher¡¯s arms, I stared at him and denoted in a hushed voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He caressed my head and asked with his brows arched in confusion, ¡°Why are you apologizing out of

    the blue?¡±

    I would never tell him I was jealous of Monica. Thus, I caressed his bandaged wounds to divert his

    attention.

    ¡°Well, I just feel like it. Christopher, I had the shock of my life when your brother showed up out of

    nowhere. I thought he would drag me out of bed and chase me out of the word. To my surprise, he was

    perfectly calm and expressed concerns over my conditions.¡±

    ¡°Darius is the most understanding man I know. He has gotten married to his wife out of his own

    consciousness as well. He¡¯s the one I¡¯m the least worried about in the family.¡±

    A glimpse was all it took for him to figure out my concerns. Pinching my nose, he teased, ¡°Don¡¯t you

    think you¡¯re too much of a coward? Anyway, even if Darius is infuriated for real, you won¡¯t be able to tell

    it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean I won¡¯t be able to tell it? You¡¯re not indicating I¡¯m an idiot, are you?¡± I scratched my

    head in confusion, wondering if it had something to do with getting others to acknowledge our

    rtionship.

    To be fair, not even those from an ordinary family could ept their son getting into a rtionship with

    a divorcee, let alone the heir of a renowned family.

    As I lost myself in the process of thoughts, Christopher added, ¡°Darius has always been a calm and

    collected person. With that being said, things will get pretty messy if he¡¯s irked for real. He once

    brought his favorite pet puppy to school, but someone strangled it to death.¡±

    After pausing for a few seconds, he said, ¡°Darius was able to pretend it wasn¡¯t a big deal and buried his

    dog as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered at all. When we thought he had moved on, he brought upon the

    misery of those who killed the dog a few dayster.¡±

    ¡°What happened to them?¡± Out of curiosity, I asked because Darius had always been pretty kind when

    he was around me. Nheless, I wouldn¡¯t be so na?ve to perceive the mayor as an easy target.

    Christopher shuddered when he heard my question. He pinched my cheek and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to

    forget about it.¡±

    I decided to y along with him, but I was certain something bad must have happened to those who

    killed Darius¡¯ dog. Otherwise, Christopher wouldn¡¯t respond as such.

    After spending another few carefree days in the hospital with Christopher, my condition had drastically

    improved. The doctor was impressed by my recovery progress.

    I was discharged ahead of Christopher. Hence, I thought of making him something nutritious. After all,

    he had sustained excessive bleeding on top of his serious wounds.

    The moment I returned from the supermarket, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing at the

    entrance. Judging by the fact Lyle waspletely drenched when it was merely drizzling outside, he

    must have been there ever since a long time ago.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    After another peek, I decided to pretend as though I wasn¡¯t aware he had shown up. I carried on

    preparing the dishes I had in mind.

    I wasn¡¯t surprised by the choice he made at all. However, he would never figure out the things I had to

    go through because of his decision. He couldn¡¯t be bothered as well.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    Once the dishes were ready, I proceeded to sample them and carried on to pack the prepared dishes

    once I ensured it was adequately seasoned.

    In spite of not being a great cook, I could prepare a few simple dishes. The ones I had were at least

    tastier than the ones Christopher brought me.

    After a short while, I noticed Lyle had disappeared. Chuckling, I wondered if he had made his way to

    our ce to verify I was alive or not.

    I had no intention to figure out if Lyle had honored his promise and attempted to rescue me. To be

    precise, I couldn¡¯t care less about the things that had urred once they departed.

    If it weren¡¯t because of Christopher, Lyle might return to my corpse once he made his way back with

    Crystal. After all, I would either be killed or hadmitted suicide by then.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    No woman could possibly brace themselves through the humiliation. Speaking of which, I recalled the

    time Lyle left me alone in the hotel and allowed others to take advantage of me.

    Once I had everything ready, I retrieved the set of outfits I bought Christopher from the wardrobe and

    got myself ready to return to the hospital.

    All of a sudden, someone rang the doorbell in a hurry. I rushed over and answered the door. I was not

    surprised by the presence of Lyle at the doorstep at all.

    He had his eyes glued to me while panting. Shortly after he caught his breath, he sprinted over and

    held me in between his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine!¡±

    I started shivering in disgust because I couldn¡¯t stand being around that hypocrite. I pushed him away

    and asked in a callous tone, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Lyle exined himself, ¡°Please listen to me, Yvonne! It was never my intention to leave you alone! In

    fact, I brought a bunch of people back to the scene with me once I made my way back with Crystal.

    However, you were nowhere to be seen anymore.¡±

    The sheer thought of recalling the incident that had urred in the basement sent me to another

    vicious cycle of despair.

    Afraid he would remind me of the times the three vicious-looking men ran their hands across my body, I

    interrupted him and deadpanned my reply, ¡°Is that any of my concerns? Are you done yet? If you¡¯ll

    excuse me, I¡¯m about to head out!¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, I¡ª¡± Lyle wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence. After much considerations, he asked, ¡°How are

    you?¡±

    He had his eyes glued to my trembling hands. In my defense, he was the one at fault for rushing over

    to my side without my consent. Christopher was the only man allowed to approach me. Otherwise, my

    body would start shivering against my will when other men were around.

    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. A few secondster, I yelled, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine! Also,

    congrattion on being promoted to fatherhood! I¡¯ll appreciate it if you can sort things out between us

    as soon as possible! I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want Crystal to be concerned when she¡¯s heavily pregnant, do

    you? You don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to raise the child on your behalf, do you?¡±

    Overwhelmed by my sarcastic remarks, Colors drained from Lyle¡¯s face. After a few seconds of re,

    he nodded and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll get the agreement ready as soon as possible. We¡¯ll put an end to

    everything soon.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a great idea!¡± I brought the stuff I had with me and marched towards the car. Lyle came

    after me and yelled when I was about to board the car, ¡°Yvonne, I owe you once, but I have never done

    anything wrong! Since you¡¯re also having an affair with someone else, it¡¯s safe to consider we¡¯re even!¡±

    I had to stop myself from throwing the things around me in his direction when he mentioned we were

    even.

    What the heck does he mean we¡¯re even when I¡¯m the sole victim of this messed-up marriage? Is he

    indicating I have been wasting his time over the years?

    Well, I guess it¡¯s not much of a surprise since he can easily deny himself of his liabilities as a husband

    because the only one he cares about is Crystal!

    In spite of the things I had in mind, I decided to pay no heed to the man who would soon be an

    estranged man in my life. I turned around and bade farewell to him with a bright grin, ¡°I hope I won¡¯t run

    into you anymore!¡±

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    Christopher wasn¡¯t aware I had made my way back as he was in a deep slumber when I reached the

    ward. The doctor told me he would be sleeping for quite some time since he had just taken pills that

    would induce sleep.

    I arranged the things I brought along with me and took a seat next to him. Although he had a

    disheveled appearance after spending a few days in the ward, the fact remained he was a handsome

    man.

    After all, he was seriously injured because of me and hisrades. He had sacrificed himself for a

    great cause, including keeping me safe.

    I couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to turn the memorable moments into a keepsake of mine. Thus, I made up

    my mind to turn it into something tangible¡ªa painting.

    Someday in the future, I could show those around me the man I was proud of with my chest held high. I

    could share his tales with our descendants, including the great qualities he had as a righteous man.

    As soon as I had the easel ready, I unpacked the brushes and paints Christopher bought me. Staring at

    him in the eyes, I felt inspired to finish the painting because of the idea that came flooding out.

    Oil painting would take a long time toplete. As it had been a long time since Ist painted anything,

    I thought those skills were no longer essible. However, I was wrong¡ªI hesitated no more and

    started painting once I retrieved the brush.

    Soon, I had the outlines of Christopher¡¯s face drafted. Immersed in finishing the painting, I wasn¡¯t even

    aware he had been roused from his sleep, staring at me in the eyes.

    Once I had his jawline outlined, I caught him tilting his head. Thus, I instructed, ¡°Stop moving around

    and close your eyes!¡±

    Seconds after I returned to my senses, I put my brushes aside and shot daggers at Christopher. ¡°Hey!

    Are you trying to mess with me again?¡±

    He chuckled and reached over, grasping my hand to bring me closer to him. cing my hand on his

    cheek, he said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to interrupt you when you¡¯re in the middle of something. Speaking of

    which, it¡¯s going to cost a fortune to hire me. Are you ready topensate me in return for my

    service?¡±

    I rebuked with my chest held high in an attempt to tease him, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who needs to

    consider yourself lucky to be a model of mine, okay? You¡¯re about to be painted by a talented painter!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll consider it a pleasure of mine. Why don¡¯t you show it to me?¡± Christopher suggested.

    ¡°No! You¡¯re only allowed to take a look once it¡¯s done!¡± Since he was the person of interest, I would

    never show him the unfinished painting.

    Afraid of ruining the masterpiece, I had to exercise caution while putting everything aside, including the

    unfinished painting.

    Staring at me with his lips pursed, Christopher asked, ¡°Hey, those are merely receable goods, aren¡¯t

    they? How can you ignore me and tend to those when I¡¯m here?¡±

    I found his words hrious and returned to him, kissing him on the cheek once I had everything put

    aside. ¡°Those precious gifts from you aren¡¯t receable. It¡¯ll always be irreceable as long as it¡¯s

    something from you. I¡¯ll hold on to it as if my life depends on it.¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I got on top of him and confronted with my brows furrowed, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you tell me the reasons

    you have bought me paintbrushes?¡±

    He once mentioned he couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to get me the high-quality paintbrushes he saw.

    Thus, I refused to believe it was just a mere coincidence. asionally, I think he knows me better than

    I do.

    That man is well aware of my preferences, my goals, my ambitions, and everything about me! Although

    I may get on his nerves for insisting on getting to the bottom of the rationale behind his action, I can¡¯t

    stop myself from being curious!

    He had his arms wrapped around my waist and asked, ¡°Do you still remember the banquet held at

    Tanner residence? You lost yourself in a train of thoughts while staring at Crystal¡¯s painting. Thus, I

    thought you might have a thing for painting. I mean, no ordinary person would lose themselves, staring

    at a painting.¡±

    It was an understatement because I hadn¡¯t just lost myself in a train of thoughts¡ªmy desire to paint

    again must have been written all over my face.

    Otherwise, it would be impossible for Christopher to figure out the things I had in mind when we were

    merely acquainted for a short while.

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    I spent the next two days finishing the painting while keeping Christopherpany in his ward. I would

    bring him home-cooked meals I prepared as well.

    Once I roused from my afternoon nap, I shrieked and started searching high and low for something.

    Christopher held me firmly in between his arms, caressing my back while asserting, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is

    it another nightmare?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I wiped my perspiring forehead dry. Instead of a nightmare, I had another serious issue in mind.

    Grasping Christopher¡¯s hand, I asked, ¡°Since Darius is aware of our rtionship, is he going to tell your

    parents? What should I do if they show up and confront me?¡±

    Christopher rolled his eyes and went dead silent for a few seconds. He shook his head and asked,

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re way too much of aggard? Has this just urred to you when it¡¯s already his

    third or fourth visit?¡±

    I answered in a hushed voice, ¡°Well, your condition had been my sole concern over the past few days.

    On top of that, I was overly upied with the gifts you bought me. Now, why don¡¯t you stop making fun

    of me and tell me everything? Is Darius going to tell your parents?¡±

    I was afraid our rtionship would be made known to others when Lyle and I had yet to divorce. If his

    parents figured out the sort of messed-up rtionship I had, they might not want me anywhere near

    their son.

    ¡°You need to calm down because Darius has always been a man of few words. On top of that, he

    dropped by and warned me not to try anything silly. It was evident he cared about you more than me.¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Christopher tucked himself in and added with a dejected look, ¡°I¡¯d have thought you were his sister if it

    weren¡¯t because I was certain he was my biological brother. Now, why don¡¯t you tell me the sort of

    rtionship he has with you? I noticed he had been keeping an eye on you since you showed up at our

    ce.¡±

    I was slightly taken aback when I found out Darius was afraid his brother would take advantage of me.

    It felt so surreal to have someone keeping an eye to ensure I was safe and sound.

    ¡°He told me he was a ssmate of my mother. I was equally shocked when he shared the news with

    me while we were in the middle of a dance. After all, he considers my mother, who¡¯s at least a decade

    older than him, a friend of his.¡±

    ¡°Your mother?¡± Christopher gaped at the news because he found it unbelievable as well.

    ¡°Yes, my mother.¡± I was slightly upset when we started having a conversation revolving around Amelia.

    She was supposed to be my emotional pir, but she was never there when I needed her the most.

    As much as I was concerned she would be having it tough on her own, I held a grudge against her for

    leaving me alone with those from the Tanner family. I tried my best to forget about her, but I just

    couldn¡¯t ignore her presence in my life.

    ¡°Christopher, I hate it the most when someone leaves me without giving me a heads-up. If you have to

    leave me in the future, can you at least inform me?¡±

    He red at me and flicked my forehead. I returned the favor and asked with my eyes welling up,

    ¡°What are you doing? It hurts!¡±

    Christopher answered with a scowl, ¡°I need to teach you a lesson to stop you from overthinking things.¡±

    He started running his hands across my body and announced, ¡°If it weren¡¯t because I was injured, I

    would¡¯ve long taught you the proper way to behave yourself, including the things to avoid mentioning.¡±

    My cheeks reddened the moment I felt something stiff in between my things when he had his arms

    around me.

    I reprimanded the lustful man in a hushed voice, ¡°You should¡¯ve seen iting! I¡¯m not going to satisfy

    your urge on your behalf! Just hold it back until you¡¯re able to get rid of it!¡±

    Shortly after he leaned over and kissed me on the neck, he looked at me and confessed, ¡°You don¡¯t

    have to worry because I¡¯ll never leave you alone. You¡¯re the only one that matters.¡±

    Once again, his confession took me by surprise, overwhelming the needy me. Unable to resist the tidal

    waves of emotions I felt, I wrapped my arms around him with all my might.

    Out of the blue, he instructed, ¡°Since I¡¯m such a lovely man, am I able to get you to do me a favor yet?

    Come on! It¡¯s time for you to shine!¡±

    I was rendered speechless by the lustful thought he had in mind.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    The night fell and cast a veil over the Earth. I had pulled the curtains earlier. It was pin-drop silent in the

    ward, except for the erratic breathing of Christopher and the asional moans that escaped my mouth.

    I straddled him and felt my lower abdomen bulging. He was huge and would fill me to my brim every

    time we did it. I still could not get used to his size despite having done it with him so many times

    already.

    I was starting to think that I had been tricked into doing this. It only took him a little sweet-talking and a

    beguiling gaze to enchant me into mounting him as he asked me to.

    I catered to his every whim¡ªkissing him when and where he asked me to, and gyrated my hips at his

    beck and call like a docile kitten. Why am I so stupid to sumb to his every desire. Have you no

    principle, Yvonne?

    Christopher narrowed his eyes and basked in the pleasure. Gone was his mischievous manner as he

    writhed in contentment. He transfixed his gaze at me greedily, yanked off my blouse in a swift motion,

    and muttered, ¡°You are so beautiful.¡±

    I was abashed looking at the blouse hanging loosely around my waist. Christopher was looking for

    more, and he traced his cold fingers all over my body¡ªmy lower abdomen, my legs, and finally over

    my bareback.

    It seemed like he was sending little sparks of electricity through me as I convulsed with pleasure at his

    touch. I could no longer hold back, and I began panting.

    He always seemed to be full of virility whenever he took the lead, and exhaustion was the one thing he

    never knew. Why do I feel so tired when I¡¯m the one taking the lead though? What¡¯s more, he hasn¡¯t

    evene once.

    Christopher caressed my butt cheeks and said domineeringly, ¡°Don¡¯t bezy, get moving.¡±

    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Damn you, Christopher. You¡¯re going over the line here. I¡¯m going to squeeze you dry and make you

    unfit to even walk for the next three days!¡± I hit his hand, and he took my hand and ced it in his

    mouth while raising a brow and regarded me with a wicked look on his face.

    ¡°Sure, I can¡¯t wait. Go faster, with the rate that you¡¯re going, I¡¯m going to fall asleep in no time.¡±

    Despite fuming with fury, I felt my face going hot from embarrassment as it turned crimson red.

    Everywhere he touched burned with passion. I lowered my head and sought for his lips, biting down on

    him hard.

    I handled him pretty well at first, but my lungs gave out as I slumped into his embrace when I felt all air

    drained from my lungs. In the end, I was the one to suffer.

    Christopher bit on my earlobe and blew a hot kiss on my nape as he whispered into my eyes, ¡°You

    used to ask me go harder and faster. Now you¡¯ve got to return the favor.¡±

    ¡°I asked you to get lost too. Why aren¡¯t you doing that?¡± I was rendered speechless. Why did he seem

    like he was never going to run out of energy while I was all tuckered out already? It¡¯s not fair!

    Finally, after my unrelenting effort, the man finally came. When I was cleaning him, Christopher cupped

    his chin and regarded my waist as he said seriously, ¡°It seems like you need to work on your flexibility

    and endurance.¡±

    I gave him a p right then. A man should take the lead in this matter. I only took initiative this time

    because he was injured. He¡¯d better dream on if he thought that I was going to take initiative from here

    on out.

    I opened the window to let the air out after we were done. I noticed Darius sitting on a chair in the

    hallway after opening the door. There were a few cigarette butts under his chair. It seemed like he had

    been here for some time.

    Horrified at the realization, I was at a loss. I had sex with Christopher while Darius was out just there.

    He should have heard everything.

    If there was a hole right in front me, I would have jumped into it without hesitation.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    I sprayed some air freshener in the ward, and just after Darius came inside, I dashed out of it

    immediately without turning my head despite Christopher calling out after me. I just couldn¡¯t face

    Darius.

    It was all Christopher¡¯s fault, him and his sweet-talk, the way he said it was best if he could just feel

    himself inside of me.

    I fell for his puppy eyes as he went on about how we had not seen each other for over a week, and how

    he was bedridden after the excruciating week. It had been almost half a month since his package had

    seen any action, and how he was getting blue balls from theck of it.

    Weak-minded as I was, I could not resist him and relented. I blushed furiously at the thought and took a

    seat right beside Zachary who was just standing there. ¡°Has Darius been here for a while?¡±

    Zachary nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been over two hours.¡±

    That meant that Darius had been waiting for us to finish our business for more than two hours. I smiled

    dryly at the realization.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock? We were just about to start two hours ago. It wouldn¡¯t be that awkward if you

    guys had interrupted us then.¡±

    ¡°Darius said it¡¯s best to not interrupt you two, but he didn¡¯t expect for it tost that long.¡± Zachary

    peered at me, still stern-faced. ¡°I think you should remind Chris to take it easy these days. He needs to

    take good care of himself.¡±

    A sense of despair washed over me as the shame kicked in. Even though Zachary and Darius did not

    cast sideways nce at us, it somehow made me feel even more self-conscious.

    Just look where your carnal lust has brought you, Yvonne.

    At the sight of Zachary standing right there like a statue, guarding Christopher¡¯s ward, I suddenly felt an

    urge to burst into a chuckle. What an upright man.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    He was there to make sure Christopher was safe. So, the man ended up standing guard right outside

    the ward almost every hour of the day, except for the night where there would be a change of shift.

    ¡°Do you want to take a rest? Darius is here, after all, nothing¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯ll call you after Darius

    has left.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    I could hear Christopher and Darius engaging in a conversation back in the ward, but I could not figure

    out what exactly they were discussing. Hence, I took the liberty to lean in and eavesdrop.

    At the thought of what Darius must have heard while sitting at the same position as I was, I felt a

    sudden urge to lodge aint to the hospital for having such a poor soundproofing system for VIP

    wards. Don¡¯t they understand that most VIPs value privacy above all else?

    Darius did not stay for long in the room. I sent him off downstairs, and just when I thought he was about

    to leave, he suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a cup of coffee at the caf¨¦ opposite?¡±

    I hesitated for a moment before nodding my head. Darius wouldn¡¯t invite me for a cup of coffee if he did

    not have anything important to talk about. There must be something that he wants to talk to me about.

    A wave of apprehension washed over me as I was unsure of what he was going to say. After all, not

    only was he the mayor of Avenport, but he was also Christopher¡¯s brother.

    I fidgeted nervously while in the caf¨¦ as my brain went into overdrive imagining the myriad of

    possibilities of what Darius was going to say. Would he m on the table and demand me to steer clear

    of his brother, or would he seem nonchnt, but actually had a n of driving me to leave Christopher

    on my own?

    The possibilities were endless as my brain went wild, sending me into a daze. I did not pay attention to

    what he was actually saying, and Darius had to call me a few times to get my attention before I finally

    snapped out of it.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner? Yvonne?¡±

    I regained myposure and noticed that he was fishing something out of his bag, and I felt a catch in

    my throat. Assuming that he was going to offer me something so that I would break up with

    Christopher, I waved my hands in a dignified manner and said, ¡°Darius, there is no need for you to take

    the thing out. I will not leave Christopher unless he breaks up with me.¡±

    Darius cleared his throat at my remark and regarded me for a while before taking a handkerchief out of

    his bag to wipe his hand and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that how Chris pays special attention to you at the

    party. So, I wasn¡¯t imagining things. When did it start?¡±

    ¡°Half a year ago,¡± I admitted and lowered my head like a guilty child. I paused for a moment before

    asking tactfully, ¡°Darius, are you going to give me a check and demand that I leave Christopher?¡±

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    Darius was amused by my questions as the corner of his eyes crinkled into a smile. I supposed he

    recalled something funny as he shook his head and said, ¡°You girls really live for rom huh. A piece

    of advice though, it¡¯s good entertainment, but don¡¯t expect your life to turn out exactly the same.¡±

    I chuckled and was intrigued. ¡°Darius, it looks like you¡¯re quite familiar with rom.¡±

    ¡°My wife enjoys them, and sometimes I will watch it together with her.¡± Darius ordered a ss of warm

    milk for me, and a cup of coffee for himself. ¡°It¡¯s better for women to take more milk.¡±

    I noticed that like Chris, Darius had the tendency to order warm milk for women. The Lane brothers

    were more attentive toward their women as well.

    Cupping the warm milk in my hands, I sipped on it and said, ¡°Darius, you and your wife must be really

    happy together. I have to say I¡¯m quite envious.¡±

    He gave me an enigmatic look, which I did not really understand. However, I did not pay too much

    attention to it.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Chris did note home after getting back from overseas and stayed in the hotel instead. I even

    heard that he deliberately got close to the CEO of the Smith family. At first, I couldn¡¯t quite understand

    what he was trying to do, but now I think I¡¯ve figured it out. Have you made your decision?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked in confusion.

    ¡°Have you and made the decision to finally be together with my brother?¡± Darius asked with a deadpan

    manner.

    I nodded. ¡°Christopher has done a lot for me. I¡¯ve made my decision back when he pulled me out of

    depths of despair. I¡¯ve promised myself that I will not leave him, unless he¡¯s the one ending it between

    us.¡±

    I did not say that to impress Darius so that he would go easy on me. Those were heartfelt words.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a very difficult journey, and there will be a number of obstacles along the way. Are you

    sure you can make it through?¡± Darius sipped on his coffee and put down his mug. He traced the

    corner of his mug and tapped lightly on it as he looked at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can hold out for with the impending crises. But one thing for sure is that I¡¯m

    willing to have faith for this world again because of Christopher.¡±

    I thought for a moment before looking straight into his eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how a man can be

    lying when he¡¯s risked his life for me. Hence, I will persevere and keep on going until the day he

    decides we are done.¡±

    Darius stopped tapping on his mug and let out a soft sigh. Surprisingly, a hint of sorrow fleeted across

    his face, and I could not help but wonder what kind of worries could trouble this man who seemingly did

    not have anything to worry about.

    Darius had already regained hisposure when I snapped out of my thoughts. I was almost

    questioning if I had been imagining things.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made the decision, it¡¯s best to follow your heart. I do hope you and Chris will

    make it till the very end.¡±

    Darius took his handkerchief and wiped his fingers. His fingers were better lookingpared to

    Christopher¡¯s. Darius had a schrly sophisticated aura to him, as opposed to the stereotypical rigid

    mayor that I thought he was.

    ¡°I normally do not meddle in Chris¡¯s personal matter, and he¡¯s managed himself very well so far. But

    you guys had better take it easy as he¡¯s quite badly injured this time. You have to refrain him from

    fooling around too much.¡±

    I almost spat out the milk that I was drinking. Two men had voiced out their concerns about Christopher

    and my sex life. Could things get any more embarrassing than this?

    I was at a loss for words and merely managed a stiff smile. However, at the thought of him saying that

    the path Christopher and I would have a hard time, my heart sank. It must have something to do with

    his family. My inferiorityplex and insecurities came bubbling up inside of me again.

    Why does Christopher have to be so damn rich?

    Even though social statuses were no longer the yardstick forpatibility of marriage as in the olden

    times, it was still going to be a problem if the gap was too wide.

    Darius fished out a paper from his pocket and starting to scribble something on it, and I was

    stumped. Didn¡¯t he say that he wouldn¡¯t issue me a check? What is he writing?

    ¡°This is for you!¡± Darius handed over the paper to me and I held my breath, hesitating if I should reach

    out and take it.

    The man broke into a chuckle again and smiled. ¡°You really do resemble your mother. Take it, it¡¯s my

    phone number. Be sure to save the number, and you can call me if you encounter any problems in the

    future.¡±

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    I walked out of the cafe with Darius¡¯ number in my hand. The scrawny handwriting on the note

    reminded me of Christopher¡¯s. They were indeed brothers.

    Does this mean that Darius has acknowledged me?

    He really was an open-minded brother.

    I did not tell Christopher what went down, lest he made fun of me. Well, could he really me me when

    anyone from his family could technically crush me like a bug?

    His father used to be the governor and had disciples all over Avenport while his mother was an iron

    lady running the Lane family empire. Though holding much power and authority, the two were

    surprisingly friendly and approachable.

    Besides, his brother was the mayor as well. It was a miracle that Christopher did not turn out to be a

    yboy who only knew how to fool around, and was even more impressive considering he was actually

    a very bright man.

    I had no idea what he used to do in the military, but I supposed he had to be one of the more

    outstanding ones.

    Five dayster, I went to the caf¨¦ and met up with Lyle as promised. It seemed like he had been having

    a good time because the man was beaming.

    The way he looked reminded me of when I first met him when we were eighteen. After all, he already

    had children with Crystal. He was just happy.

    At the sight of me, the trace of a smile disappeared from his face, and he looked troubled. Maybe he

    thought that his happy looks would make me misunderstand that he still cared about me. However, I

    just thought his grim look was doing us both a favor.

    He could have just dropped his hypocritical act. I snorted to myself and said nothing. After all, we were

    going to be strangers after today.

    Some people believed in staying friends after breaking up with somebody, but I knew it was just a bald-

    faced lie that even children wouldn¡¯t believe. Couples who had children together could even turn into

    enemies after getting a divorce, much less us.

    There was no sense in troubling myself over Lyle and Crystal. Why would I squander my time on those

    two?

    If someone was truly belittling me and putting me down, the best revenge was for me to rise up and

    improve myself for the better. Their judgmental attitude and words should be the least of my worries.

    Lyle handed over the divorce papers to me, and this time without hesitation. However, there was a hint

    of guilt in his eyes.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Maybe it was for the better. He had wanted to ruin my reputation when the topic of divorce first came

    up. At least when he was gued with guilt, he wouldn¡¯t stir up any trouble for me anymore.

    As withst time, I skimmed through the terms and realized that thepensation had been amended

    to five million as opposed to the ten from before. I crossed it off again and penned down my signature.

    There were two copies of it, one for each of us. I did not even need to go to the City Hall to get it

    notarized as Lyle would take care of the rest. Even if he chickened outst minute, Crystal would have

    personally seen it done.

    ¡°Please post me the notarized agreement afterward. That way we won¡¯t have to see each other again,¡±

    I said impassively.

    Lyle took the second copy of the agreement and peered at my signature underneath. An inexplicable

    glint shed across his eyes as he asked, ¡°Grandma said you had a crush on me for eight years. Is that

    true?¡±

    I was taken aback and I did not expect Sharon to tell Lyle about it. It seemed like it would be near

    impossible to keep her in the dark about the divorce. Shrewd as she was, Sharon would have figured it

    all out. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have told Lyle about it.

    I lowered my head and smiled as I ced my copy of the agreement in my bag. Even if something

    were to happen, notarized documents were legally binding. Whatever happened next would be the

    least of my concerns.

    Everyone knew I was in love with Lyle¡ªCrystal, Yvette, and even Grandma, literally everyone but Lyle.

    It was ironic that the man should be the one oblivious to the fact.

    However, I cast a nce at Lyle and said, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a point in asking that question right

    now?¡±

    He was stumped, and I noticed his hand which was holding the documents shook before he replied in a

    dejected manner, ¡°Yvonne, I just want to let you know that I did consider living a good life together with

    you. Do you believe in me?¡±

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    My lips curled into a smile. Divorce was not really a cause for celebration in most cases for women.

    However, I begged to differ. I thought this divorce was one of the best things to happen as it finally

    freed me from the shackles that had bound me for two years. It was liberating, to say the least.

    I could almost taste the sweet scent of freedom which was enough to make me drown in them.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I believe you or not. I wish your family nothing but happiness.¡± It was not

    entirely a heartfelt wish. I had a hunch that Crystal would not stay meek for long. It was possible that

    she had a bigger n in motion.

    However, I was not that dumb to tell Lyle that. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t believe me either.

    He believed in Crystal wholeheartedly, as I once did in him.

    ¡°Thank you, Yvonne. Truly.¡± His voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it concerns you, ex-husband.¡± I rose from my chair and put down a bill on the table before

    turning around to leave. The sunshine felt warm and reassuring against my skin as I made my way out

    of the cafe, warding off any lurking gloominess over my head.

    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Right then, I could feel weights lifted off my chest as I raised my hands triumphantly, cheering at

    passersby and cars along the road, ¡°I¡¯m finally free!¡±

    Paying no heed to the mocking nces of the people, I beamed with delight as I skipped in the

    direction of the sun like a child.

    Finally, the depressing marriage between me and Lyle was over.

    With the heavy weight lifted off my chest, I was almost skipping as I strode down the road. I even found

    myself whistling.

    Some people would say to grit one¡¯s teeth and get through to the end after one had chosen a particr

    path.

    I could not resonate with that statement. One of the worst things that could happen to a woman was to

    marry the wrong man. Why can¡¯t we choose for a second time if our first choice turns out to be the

    wrong one? I¡¯m the only one to suffer if I give a dime about what others think.

    With the phone in my hand, I could not wait to share the good news with Christopher and Sabrina.

    Even though a divorce could not strictly be construed as a cause for celebration to most people, it was

    for me. My ego wouldn¡¯t have let me stay together with Lyle even if Christopher had not appeared in

    my life.

    A car stopped by my side, and it was Lyle¡¯s Porsche. He wound down the car window and said, ¡°Where

    are you going? I could drop you off.¡±

    ¡°No need. I can just walk even if I don¡¯t have the money to hail a cab,¡± I smiled and winked at him.

    Lyle¡¯s face sank in response, perhaps from thinking that I was too cheery. He stared at me and said

    coldly, ¡°Are you that happy that we¡¯re finally divorced? Are you that desperate to get another man?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy!¡± I had no idea about what was on his mind since he knew I would spare him no

    niceties if he tried to talk me up again. However, I was too happy to squander my time with him. Just

    one little retort will do.

    ¡°I married you for two years, being the haggard wife as I was, you dumped me in a hotel to let another

    man sleep with me. We haven¡¯t even slept together before you sent me off to a bunch of kidnappers

    and I was nearly raped by them. So, do you think I should be happy that I¡¯m finally free from you?¡±

    I noticed all colors drained from his face, then it slowly turned red from embarrassment. To be honest, I

    was starting to feel bad.

    ¡°Do you think I should walk alone along the road, sobbing as I go? Or do you think I should be crying

    out loud in a corner, and wait for you toe tofort me? Then, you will say something along the

    line that you still have feelings for me, turning me into the third wheel between you and Crystal

    instead?¡±

    I swore the man appeared guilty at my remark. It was as if I was spot on, and that he truly had the

    intention in mind. Then, I thought I was going too easy on him.

    ¡°Tanner, do you really want to be my enemy? I was just caring about you seeing that we had been

    married for two years after all, and yet you¡¯re thinking that you¡¯re some hotshot,¡± Lyle berated me.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    I narrowed my eyes at him. Actually, Lyle was a clear-headed person most of the time, except when he

    was with Crystal. He was rational and reasonable back in the cafe. Why is he being so dumb right

    now?

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I peered at the passenger seat through the car window, and there was Crystal. She draped over Lyle¡¯s

    coat and waved triumphantly at me with a poised elegance. The crinkle in her eyes was telltale of her

    glee.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonne. It¡¯s my fault that you and Lyle have to get divorced. Given the choice, I really wish

    that I can leave and stop being the third wheel between you and Lyle, but you of all people should

    know how it feels to grow up without a father. I don¡¯t want my child to go through the same.¡±

    Her eyes turned red as she peered at me guiltily. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at Lyle. I was the one who

    suggested for him to help you out, seeing that you¡¯re all alone. Anyway, even if the two of you aren¡¯t

    married anymore, you guys are still friends who have known each other for a long time. You¡¯re my

    cousin, and will soon be Lyle¡¯s cousin-inw as well.¡±

    Wrapping my arms around myself, I narrowed my eyes at the troublemaker. She must have said

    something behind my back just now to make Lyle change his mind. This woman was really ingenious at

    sowing discord between people.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no interest in hitching a ride with my ex-husband and the homewrecker who is

    pregnant with his child. Get out of my sight if the two of you know better. The two of you make me sick.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, you cannot talk to Crystal like that. Do you think I would have caught up to you if she hadn¡¯t

    begged me to do so?¡± Lyle could not bear to see me chide Crystal, and roared at me. He even got off

    the car and looked like he was ready to strike me at any moment.

    ¡°Shh!¡± I gestured at Lyle to shut him up, and closed my eyes, breathing in the light floral scent in the air.

    ¡°Look, the air smells like freedom. Why are the two of you relentless going after me? Why can¡¯t we just

    go on our separate ways and never see each other again?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, could you cut it out? You can hate me, but you cannot do that to Lyle. He really does care

    about you.¡± Crystal sat in the backseat and tried to make me look like the evil woman who was trying to

    stir up trouble.

    ¡°Did you hear that? Crystal knows better than you do. Yvonne, you¡¯re going to be a nobody after

    leaving me. There¡¯s nothing more you can achieve in life. Don¡¯t pin your hopes up on getting another

    good man. You don¡¯t deserve one either.¡±

    The mixed doubles are at it again. I rubbed my sore temples and decided to let out my secret weapon. I

    turned my head to the side and looked deep into Lyle¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Lyle, are you only going to stop when you see me crying? Did you know how difficult it was for me to

    force a smile like that? My heart is broken beyond repair.¡± I almost threw up after saying that.

    ¡°I had a crush on you for eight years, and you married me. But you never said you loved me. Did you

    know how hard it was for me to endure those sleepless days and nights without you? I was practically

    living the life of a widowed woman.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re divorced, why do you have to go to the extremes and hurt me again?¡± For a web of lies

    to be believable, it was necessary to weave some truths into it. My eyes turned red from recounting the

    unbing and dark past.

    ¡°Yvonne, I¡­¡± Lyle seemed to have recall some memories at my remark, and stammered. It was

    apparent that he was gued by guilt once again.

    I grabbed his hand and put it on my chest and said, ¡°You can feel for yourself how badly it hurts right

    here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry, Yvonne!¡±

    Yeah, damn right you are. I tore off the clothes on my body in a swift motion and yanked it down my

    shoulders as I pinned down his arm. Then, I screamed at the top of my lungs, ¡°Help, there¡¯s a pervert

    here! Please help!¡±

    ¡°What? How dare that pervert attack a woman out in broad daylight?¡±

    ¡°My goodness, he¡¯s even torn off her clothes! What a scumbag!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, I have to teach that b*stard a good lesson!¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    A middle-aged woman and a young man dashed over to my rescue. The woman hurled her bag of

    carrots at Lyle¡¯s head and I took the opportunity to step on his toes.

    ¡°Damn right you¡¯re sorry! Serves you right for trampling all over me!¡± I kicked him in his legs, and

    someone came over to stop Lyle from striking me.

    A crowd started to gather around the scene and onlookers gesticted as they engaged in hushed

    whispers. I covered my face and pretended to break into a sob as I said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to let me go

    after tearing off my clothes¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. We have reported this to the police.¡±

    ¡°I called over some reporters. They¡¯re on their way here.¡±

    What? Someone¡¯s called the reporters? I did not want to make the news, and hid behind the middle-

    aged woman who was still clutching on to her other half of the carrot. Noticing that Lyle was giving me

    the death re, I gestured thumbs down for the loser.

    He grimaced at my provocation. If there weren¡¯t any people around, he would have beaten the crap out

    of me.

    In the end, we did not split on good terms. I did not want to hate him, but he was the one pestering me

    relentlessly. In the end, we ended up hating each other. Perhaps this was for the better since it was

    near impossible that we were going to stay friends after this.

    I did not believe that my life would turn for the worse after leaving Lyle. I still have Christopher, and

    even if we did not end up together, at least I would have some sweet memories to treasure.

    Crystal panicked after seeing that Lyle was at a disadvantage. She got off the car and shouted at the

    crowd, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense that the woman spewed! She tore off the clothes herself, and was

    just trying to extort money out of us.¡±

    I did not wish to stay and listen to her. Pointing straight at her, I shrieked, ¡°Look at her! Isn¡¯t she the

    new school artist, the one who ruined a family? Everyone, look!¡±

    The crowd grew bigger with my remark, surrounding the two of them.

    Scurrying out of the crowd, I stood outside and watched as Lyle and Crystal shot daggers at me. I

    waved gleefully at the two and turned around to leave the ce.

    Even from some distance away, I could still listen to the mutters of the crowd.

    ¡°Ah, so she¡¯s an artist. It¡¯s my first time seeing one in person.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a homewrecker. I read an article about her some time ago, and she said she has an

    aptitude for art. What a disgrace to the artmunity.¡±

    ¡°Let me hit her a few more times with this carrot. I hate these homewreckers ruining families! Boy,

    protect this young miss behind you.¡±

    I stood underneath the tree and looked at the ever-growing crowd and burst into augh. It was a

    heartyugh in a long time. Back a dog up in the corner, and it¡¯s going to bite.

    Crystal still thought that I was the type to never fight back despite being squashed and toyed with. She

    had forgotten one little convenient fact that she was a public figure while I was a nobody.

    Actually, it was not a big deal being an artist, nor was she as influential as celebrities. However, she

    was too fixated on the idea of being famous that she had curated her image to resemble that of a rising

    star by going on talk shows and getting featured in art exhibitions. With her high-profile marketing n,

    it was near impossible to find someone who did not recognize her in Avenport.

    A hint of sorrow crept up as I chuckled. I was such a loser back then, and I had despised myself back

    then.

    The camera shlights kept going off as shutters clicked. I knew that Lyle and Crystal would make the

    headlines tomorrow, and the duo would be a hot gossip topic.

    Even though I felt sorry for putting Sharon through this, I did not regret my actions. After putting him

    down this time, it was unlikely for Lyle to keep pestering me.

    ¡°Are you that happy that you¡¯ve done something bad?¡± A familiar voice rang behind me, and I traced

    the voice to see Christopher who was standing right behind me.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    It was as if he had been standing behind me all the while as if he had never left. Whenever I turned

    around, I had the luxury of knowing that he would be there for me. As I looked at him, my thoughts

    strayed and I stood frozen on the ground.

    Many yearster, the way he looked when I turned around that day would be vividly etched in my mind,

    for I knew that day was the very day that I started to look at the world from a whole different

    perspective.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    The corner of my lips curled into a smile. Actually, I did not like smiling back then because I thought I

    was much too ordinary to look good even while smiling. I did not have Yvette¡¯s innocent charms, nor

    was I as alluring as Crystal.

    However, at the sight of Christopher, the only face that I wanted to give him was a smile. I blinked and

    said, ¡°Even though I¡¯ve done something bad, I¡¯ve settled a problem, haven¡¯t I? Nobody will pester me

    anymore, maybe the guy will try to trouble me. Then again, doesn¡¯t a guy look bad when he¡¯s disturbing

    a woman?¡±

    ¡°Please leave this sort of thing for me. You just need to stand and watch.¡± Christopher strode toward

    me and reached out his hand in a gentlemanly manner.

    ¡°Do I have the honor of inviting you to dinner, Miss Pretty?¡±

    ¡°Can I say no?¡± I asked deliberately.

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    He took my hand and brought me to the car parked by the roadside. When the car pulled away slowly

    from the driveway, I could see that Lyle was protecting Crystal behind him like she was the only thing

    that mattered to him.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I smiled, though not feeling as pleased as I should be.

    When Christopher mentioned taking me out for dinner, I thought he meant that he was taking me to a

    fancy restaurant for a scrumptious meal. Surprisingly, he went to a market and decided to buy some

    groceries to cook dinner instead.

    I watched as he squeezed his way into the discount corner, and snatched the discounted seafood with

    a bunch of women, picking out the vegetables as heined about how the portion was way too big

    or grumbled about how the groceries were not fresh enough. It was safe to say I was taken aback to

    see this side of him.

    Is he still the domineering CEO whom I know? His family¡¯s jaws would have dropped at the sight of him

    picking out vegetables at the market.

    ¡°Come and help me pick out some. It¡¯s already over five. If we get homete, dinner is only going to be

    ready by eight something.¡± Christopher noticed that I was in a daze and dragged me alongside him to

    pick out the vegetables.

    I picked out a bunch and tossed it into the shopping basket. ¡°I thought I was going to have a fancy

    dinner somece nice. It¡¯s so disappointing that I have to make my own dinner instead.¡±

    ¡°It feels homier if we make our own dinner. Besides, we can have fancy dinners any time. Today is a

    special day, and I want to cook a meal together with you.¡± Christopher took out the bunch of vegetables

    that I picked out and reced it with a fresher-looking one. I had to admit that he had a good eye for it.

    I looked at the vegetables and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think buying groceries is beneath you? You could have

    delegated this chore to your countless servants and just be the cool CEO. Why do youe here and

    squeeze your way through a bunch of aunties in the discounted section?¡±

    Christopher pinched my nose and replied, ¡°Everything feels meaningful with you around, and there¡¯s no

    such thing as something being beneath me when you¡¯re by my side. Besides, we¡¯re going to put this in

    our mouths. Why don¡¯t we choose the best?¡±

    ¡°Your sweet-talking is getting better by the day, but I¡¯m not buying it.¡± I lowered my head as I tried to

    conceal the smile on my face. How is he so good at this? Everything he says is like molten chocte to

    my ears. How many girls has he pursued for him to be able to so smooth with thedies?

    ¡°You can choose not to listen, but I¡¯m still going to say it.¡± Christopher raised a brow and noticed that I

    was holding an alive terrapin. The man grinned mischievously and said, ¡°You want to buy this, huh?

    Alright, I like the way your mind works.¡±

    I carried the terrapin in a bag provided and was confounded. What¡¯s he insinuating?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking. I¡¯m going to put it back into the water.¡± After I put it back into the water, the

    terrapin crawled its way with all its might, fumbling its short feet. In the end, it made its way from the

    eighty-eight sections to the one-hundred-twenty-eight section.

    Christopher made his way over and stood by my side. At the peculiar sight, he snapped his fingers to

    summon the staff and ordered, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy this one. This little fe is trying all his might to

    increase his value, and I¡¯m going to honor his effort by paying more.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Do you have too much money to spend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy today.¡± Christopher circled my waist and pecked on my cheek before putting his hand on my

    head. ¡°You have to say yes since I¡¯m in a good mood today.¡±

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    ¡°No, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± I was used to living from mouth to mouth, and extravagant lifestyle

    and waste were not my thing. ¡°Does your family know that you¡¯re a spendthrift?¡±

    ¡°My family has never given me an upper limit for the amount that I can spend. Alright, I value frugality in

    my girlfriend. I should be so honored.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± I nudged at him. Even though I was already divorced, I still couldn¡¯t get used to

    him being all lovey-dovey with me in public.

    The staff who was supposed to prepare the terrapin for us overheard our conversation and stifled a

    laugh. ¡°Mister, the two of you look really cute together.¡±

    ¡°Of course, this is my wife. I¡¯ve been pursuing her for years, and finally I have made a little progress

    today. Give me the most expensive ingredients you offer, I am rich!¡± Christopher eximed.

    My face flushed crimson red as I took a step back, refusing to be associated with the man beside me.

    He could be really childish sometimes.

    After Christopher picked out a few more vegetables, we paid for the groceries and headed out of the

    market. All of a sudden, I stopped in my tracks because I finally knew what he meant by buying the

    terrapin.

    Terrapins are aphrodisiacs. Christopher was trying to crack a dirty joke back there.

    ¡°Pervert!¡± I gritted my teeth and red at him upon the revtion.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your pervert.¡± Christopher grinned and peered at my cor that I tore off. He took off his

    jacket and draped it over me, iming that other men had no right to see me exposed.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    After reaching home, Christopher carried me over to the sofa. He handed me a ss of water and

    headed toward the kitchen.

    He had just healed, and it was inconvenient for him to do washing. I sipped on the water and went into

    the kitchen. Noticing that Christopher was trying to figure out how to deal with the ambitious little

    terrapin, the two of broke into a chuckle after exchanging nces.

    How is this man so adorable?

    ¡°You¡¯re right on time. I¡¯ve forgotten that I¡¯ve never actually cooked terrapins. Do you know how to make

    it?¡± Christopher turned to me and asked.

    ¡°Why did you buy it then?¡± I walked over to his side and took a knife and tapped on the terrapin¡¯s shell.

    I had wanted to showcase my skills but put down the knife momentster. ¡°I think I¡¯ve forgotten how to,

    erm, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    After a few moments of silence, Christopher dashed over to the living room to take hisptop. He

    downloaded a video recipe for terrapin cuisine and showed it to me. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve prepared everything

    for you. You just to make this dish, and I will handle the rest.¡±

    I really wanted to hit him on the head, but I could not bring myself to do it.

    After we were done with dinner preparation, the night fell. I made terrapin soup, and Christopher

    handled the rest as agreed.

    Iid out the dishes on the table and noticed that Christopher lit candles on the table, and even

    prepared a bottle of red wine. It was obvious that he was preparing for a candlelight dinner. My lips

    curled into a smile at his heartwarming gesture.

    Right then, Christopher took out a bouquet of ruby red roses from behind the sofa like he had

    performed magic of some sort, and handed it over to me. ¡°Hey gorgeous, you¡¯re looking as stunning as

    these roses tonight. I am honored to have the opportunity to dine with you on this beautiful night.¡±

    I took over the roses. Roses weremon, but I seldom received them. So, I did enjoy his little

    surprise.

    ¡°Let¡¯s toast to you finally being a free woman, and that you¡¯re going to be able to be together with me.

    Congrattions to myself that I¡¯m finally going to be able to hug you to sleep every night. They¡¯re all

    good causes for a frisky night.¡±

    I was at a loss for words to reply him. He may have thought that his little gestures went unnoticed, but I

    knew that he picked up on a lot of condoms when we were shopping just now.

    I took a sip of the red wine, and it was rich in taste. The first thing that came to my mind was that it

    must have cost a fortune. Anything that Christopher fancied was sure to have a hefty price tag.

    I headed into the kitchen to do the dishes after we were done, and overheard Christopher on the phone

    in the living room.

    ¡°Mom, haven¡¯t I already dealt with the business at Coldbridge? Why do you insist on me going over

    there? Haven¡¯t we spent millions to appoint a CEO to take care of things? Why do we have to worry

    about every single little thing?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. I will be sure to go home and apany you for dinner tomorrow. Did you quarrel with

    Dad and need me as an ammunition against him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will be sure to stand by your side and reprimand my own father for forgetting about movie night

    with you while he¡¯s out entertaining his old friends. But, I really do have something extra important on

    tonight. Not even the sky falling down is going to stop me from doing it. Even you said that Monica is

    your guest, then what does it have anything to do with me? Just ask her to quit waiting if she still

    insists. Alright, untilter, Mom. Ciao.¡±

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    I stopped what I was doing for a moment upon hearing Monica¡¯s name. We had only met for a short

    moment but I could tell that the Lane family really liked her.

    Especially Christopher¡¯s parents, who were exceptionally satisfied with her.

    Even though Darius didn¡¯t try to stop Christopher and me from dating each other, I could tell that he

    didn¡¯t approve of us. He just didn¡¯t want to stop us.

    Still in a daze, the bowl in my hands fell onto the ground and shattered. I quickly bent down to pick the

    broken pieces up but I identally cut myself.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± I stood up instantly and my vision darkened when I saw the blood dripping down.

    Christopher heard me and walked over to take my hand. ¡°How careless of you,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been stupid. It¡¯s not the first time this has happened.¡± My lips twisted into a pout and I was

    about to tidy up the mess I made.

    However, he quickly stopped me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Christopher bent down and cleaned up the ce before picking me up in his arms. I couldn¡¯t even react

    to it as he walked out of the kitchen and all I could do was wrap my arms around his neck.

    ¡°What are you doing? Put me down!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re injured so of course, I have to carry you.¡± He continued to hold me in his arms as he sat down

    on the couch. He then put my bleeding finger in his mouth before wrapping a band-aid over it.

    ¡°It¡¯s my finger that¡¯s hurt, not my leg. Besides, it¡¯s only a tiny cut. I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± I withdrew my

    hand and applied the band-aid properly.

    Christopher immediately took my hands again and said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to spoil you. I¡¯m going to spoil you

    even if you¡¯re not happy with it.¡±

    His words were domineering, but why was I feeling so happy? I was just an ordinary woman with no

    ambitions or dreams to be ady boss. All I wanted was a family and a man who would love and

    pamper me.

    I watched him hold my hand as he examined the band-aid on my finger. My gazended on his side

    profile and it looked as though it was God¡¯s most wless work.

    I tugged on his sleeves and asked softly, ¡°Christopher, your family really likes Monica, right? What kind

    of a woman is she?¡±

    He looked at me and seeing that I was being so careful with my words, he patted my head and

    answered, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking again. I have told you that she¡¯s a family friend. We know each other

    well because our families meet from time to time.¡±

    ¡°But I noticed that your family really likes her. She looks pretty and is so outstanding. She¡¯s so poised

    and sophisticated no matter what she does. Both of you are a perfect match for each other.¡±

    I was just an ugly ducklingpared to her. Christopher and I weren¡¯t in the same league at all.

    Hearing that, he flicked my forehead and said, ¡°If my family likes her, then it¡¯s their business, not mine. I

    only see her as my little sister. Besides, it is my business as to whom I will be marrying and having

    kids. It¡¯s none of my family¡¯s concern at all.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I was still feeling troubled.

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    His face darkened suddenly and he asked seriously, ¡°Did my brother say something? That bas*ard!

    How dare he sprout nonsense to you. I¡¯ll have to give him a good beating when I go back. It¡¯s been so

    long since Ist fought him. I wonder if he remembers how it feels to be bullied by his little brother.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t imagine how it would be if Christopher fought with the mayor of Avenport. It was scary just to

    think about it. Darius had more of a schrly vibe. He wasn¡¯t as sharp or tough as his brother so he

    would probably lose miserably.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Darius was really nice and he didn¡¯t say any nonsense nor did he give me money and

    threatened me. All he did was treat me to a cup of coffee and give me his phone number, telling me

    that I can go to him if I have trouble.¡±

    ¡°What? He gave you his phone number? He¡¯s definitely nning something. Delete it now!¡± He then

    looked around, looking for my phone and he said while rolling up his sleeves, ¡°I¡¯ve gotta fight him.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to react to his words as I reached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash,

    Christopher. Darius is a good person. Don¡¯t bully him just because you¡¯ve gone through training in the

    force.¡±

    Christopher was utterly amused at my panicked look. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking that Darius is just a

    defenseless schr, are you? He hasn¡¯t lost a fight since he was young and had even gotten third

    ce in a mixed martial arts tournament in the army.¡±

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    ¡°What?¡± I eximed.

    ¡°I got first ce, of course.¡± He lifted his chin proudly.

    I was shocked at his words. How much more outstanding can this family get? Must they crush the

    confidence of ordinary people like us So what if they¡¯re elite people? Did we, the ordinary people,

    offend them in any way?

    As these thoughts flooded my mind, I realized that Christopher was getting unruly. His hand that was

    once holding me was inching upwards and slowly made its way to my arm.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    My mind was a mess and I pushed him away before running to the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up.¡±

    ¡°Alright. You need to wash up before going to bed anyway,¡± he said, emphasizing the words ¡®wash up.¡¯

    My face blushed as I hid in the bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my teeth.

    A slight smile hung on my lips. Perhaps it was because I had been having a great timetely, but I

    looked really happy.

    I spent almost half an hour brushing my teeth. I didn¡¯t know what had happened. Before my divorce,

    Christopher and I would mess around doing everything under the sun and the moonlight. However,

    after the divorce, I felt awkward with everything even though I was finally free.

    My face burned at the thought of all the shameless things we had done since we got together.

    After a moment, the living room finally quietened down and I slowly walked out of the bathroom. Then, I

    said to Christopher who was on the couch, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    Right after I finished my sentence, I rushed into the bedroom and closed the door behind me. I walked

    around the room for a while before deciding to lock the door. The bedroom next door would be cleaned

    every day as Sabrina would stay over from time to time anyway.

    My mind was in a mess as I was feeling both excited and afraid. In the end, I resolved to stop thinking

    about it and just get to sleep.

    Just as I was tossing and turning in bed, I felt a weight on me. Something was pressing down on me

    and I could hardly breathe.

    I immediately opened my eyes and pulled the covers off. Christopher wasying on the covers and he

    stared at me with raised brows. ¡°Are you going to let your man sleep in an empty room? That¡¯s

    immoral.¡±

    ¡°How did you get in?¡± My eyes instantly darted to the door I had locked earlier but it was wide

    open. Where did he get the keys? And more importantly, why didn¡¯t I hear the door open?

    ¡°Darling, did you already forget about my upation? If I can¡¯t even do something as simple as

    opening a door, then I¡¯d be a disgraced captain who should be cast aside.¡±

    It was only then that I remembered that Christopher was in the military. He was someone in an elite

    team too. If that was the case, did that mean that he was in the special forces?

    He was in no hurry to remove the covers as he pulled out the condoms and started to count them. He

    was feeling rather troubled once he was done counting.

    ¡°Oh no, I forgot to buy more earlier. The box I bought only has five in it. This might not be enough.¡±

    I blushed and snatched the box from him. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense? I am being serious!¡± He threw himself at me and burrowed underneath the covers. His

    slightly cold body pressed onto mine and his eyes shone under the dim light.

    ¡°I can finally have you to myself openly now, Darling.¡±

    I was just divorced, and it was nothing unusual. ¡°Are you nning to take me to meet your parents

    tomorrow?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Should we go to my house tomorrow?¡± Christopher asked.

    I was actually joking so when he suggested it, I quickly waved my hands and refused, ¡°No. I was just

    joking.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t confident enough to go to the Lane family, and I refused to go there too. I didn¡¯t know how I

    should even talk to them when I was such a wreck.

    Christopher¡¯s parents were easy-going people, and they would get along well with anyone. Frankly

    speaking, people like them were the hardest to get along with because you never know if they had a

    problem with anyone.

    ¡°Are you afraid?¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    I was indeed afraid. Before my divorce, I was always thinking of ways to get divorced so that I could

    finally be with him. Yet, once I was finally divorced, the things that I didn¡¯t put much thought into

    previously came swarming to me, leaving me especially confused.

    I gently hit on Christopher¡¯s chest and asked softly, ¡°I¡¯m very useless, ain¡¯t I?¡±

    He hugged me and sighed. ¡°To me, you will always be the best. Don¡¯t care about others. It doesn¡¯t

    matter if it¡¯s Monica or Crystal, none of them are as important as you.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I mumbled in response but I still couldn¡¯t calm down. He held my head in his palms and kissed

    my cheek. ¡°Do not back down from this, okay? I won¡¯t let go of you even if you¡¯re scared.¡±

    I felt his hand under my pajamas and he put it over my heart. I heard my heartbeat as he stared at me

    with gentle eyes. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t think about anything troubling now. You just have to think about me.¡±

    ¡°And then what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You just have to cry out for me.¡±

    Christopher buried his head in my chest and he started to ¡®y the piano¡¯ on my body. Every time his

    fingers touched my skin, I felt as though electricity was coursing through my body.

    I couldn¡¯t help it as my toes curled up and he lifted my leg before straightening my toes again. Then, he

    rubbed my feet against his cheek and positioned himself between my legs.

    He didn¡¯t let go of my feet as he praised, ¡°How beautiful!¡±

    I admit that my legs were beautiful. I wondered what God was thinking when He was creating me. He

    didn¡¯t give me a pretty face but instead, gave me a pair of porcin-fair legs. Even Sabrina had teased

    me previously, saying that only my legs were pleasing to the eye.

    If we were in ancient times, I could have managed to marry a rich and powerful man just by relying on

    this pair of legs.

    ¡°They¡¯re only legs. Their only purpose is to help me walk around no matter how nice they look.¡± I

    narrowed my eyes and went into a daze before going limp on his body.

    ¡°Well, only I can touch them anyway.¡± Christopher glided his slender fingers over my leg and slowly

    made his way upwards. His fingers finally reached my stomach. I wanted to retort by saying that many

    people had already seen my legs and that the doctor had touched them too.

    But before I could get the words out, he closed in on me. My body trembled and I couldn¡¯t stop myself

    from letting out a moan. Then, Christopher held my head and pressed his lips against mine.

    His kiss was especially passionate and his body felt hot as if it would melt mine anytime soon. I did my

    best to ept him, wanting to show him my best. We were such a perfect match that we managed to

    reach the peak together.

    Before I could recover from it, my body was suddenly suspended in the air. By the time I snapped out

    of it, all I could see were the checkered bed sheets and I had almost fallen off the bed. I tried to reach

    out to hold on to something and my hands were fumbling around. Christopher grabbed hold of my

    hands from behind me and started to nt kisses on my back.

    All I could do was breathe. He had always been gentle but passionate and I was always charmed by it.

    Suddenly, my phone that was on the bed rang and I reached out for it. However, I had only managed to

    move my hand a little when Christopher took my hands and held them behind my back.

    ¡°No¡­ The phone¡¯s ringing!¡±

    ¡°Leave it be. You just have to focus on me.¡±

    The phone kept ringing and I forcefully turned to take a look at my phone. I saw that it was from

    Sabrina and it was the fifth time she was calling. Feeling worried that something might have happened

    to her, I answered the call with my chin.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Sabby?¡± I said while trying my best to sound normal.

    ¡°Wow, Yvonne. You managed to get back at Lyle and Crystal. Did you know that they were surrounded

    by a bunch of reporters and there were so many nasty articles written about them? I only saw your

    back in the video but I guessed immediately that it had something to do with you. Come on, tell me how

    you managed to do it.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    ¡°I¡­ I was just so angry¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡± What could have been aplete sentence became an

    intermittent one due to Christopher¡¯s eager kisses. I wanted to hang up but he wouldn¡¯t let go of my

    hands. That was why I was forced to hold in the feeling of pleasure as I bit my lips to stop myself from

    making any weird noises. I was about to go crazy soon.

    ¡°Hello? What are you doing? Are you out running? Why do you sound like you¡¯re panting? See, I told

    you you should¡¯ve exercised and clean yourself up to look prettier. Only then would a handsome man

    fall for you.¡±

    Sabrina would never expect me to be talking to her through the phone when I was doing it. She

    continued, ¡°You told me a few days ago that you¡¯ve already settled the divorce with Lyle. Are you done

    with it already? Don¡¯t act all calm and indifferent all day when I¡¯m dying of anxiety here.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We¡¯re already divorced. It was during the afternoon¡­ Ah¡­¡± Christopher was probably displeased that

    I wasn¡¯t paying him my full attention and was talking to someone else while we were doing it. He was

    bing more and more aggressive and I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    I turned back and red at him before gesturing for him to either help me hang up or let go of me. But

    he was grinning from ear to ear and even got more aggressive with his moves. The look in his eyes

    clearly said, ¡°I told you not to answer. You can hang up with your chin now.¡±

    I was on the brink of tears as I noticed that I had unknowingly put some distance between the phone

    and myself. His hands were around my waist with such great force it was as though he wanted to break

    my waist.

    Is it toote to apologize now? I wanted so much to cry and my eyes had already reddened. What I

    didn¡¯t know was how alluring I looked at that moment.

    He held my head in his palms and leaned over to kiss me. I couldn¡¯t even turn my neck, so all I could

    do was beg with my eyes. His lips hovered over my eyes before kissing the tears away and before

    letting me go.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Now we can finally go have a good time without having to worry. Hey, how¡¯s your

    progress with my idol? Should I hold a party so you can both hook up with each other? You can even

    show your love to Lyle and the rest. Let¡¯s see how they can stay on their high horses then,¡± the woman

    continued to chatter on and gave me ideas.

    I buried my head in the nkets and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. I gritted my teeth, afraid that I

    would embarrass myself.

    ¡°Hey! Talk to me!¡± Not receiving any response, Sabrina started to shout through the speakers.

    ¡°Sabrina, we¡¯re busy right now. Don¡¯t look for Yvonne in the next few days,¡± Christopher finally said and

    he was panting as he spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯re with Eve¡­ Oh sh*t! My ears are going deaf soon,¡± she cursed and instantly hung up. I was

    embarrassed and I didn¡¯t even dare to look up. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t want to let me off the hook. He

    turned me around and a wicked smile hung on his lips.

    It was a wild ride and I was in a daze. I wasn¡¯t even able to move my fingers by the time I heard him

    say something. All I could do wasy below him as if I was a dead fish.

    In the end, I drifted off to sleep because I was too tired.

    ¡°You must not know how long I¡¯ve had a crush on you.¡±

    Who¡¯s talking? That¡¯s weird. I tried to look around but I couldn¡¯t open my eyes.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for two years? If I knew that you would marry Lyle and go through all this pain, I

    wouldn¡¯t have joined the military. That way, both of us will be happy.¡±

    Will I be happy? I wasn¡¯t sure, but I was sure that I was very happy now.

    ¡°Back then, I thought that you would go overseas and do what you wanted with your paintings. That

    was why I thought of joining the army. That way, my family wouldn¡¯t force me to marry Monica. After

    that, I would go overseas and look for you when I made a name for myself and retire. Yet, when I saw

    you and Lyle holding hands in the hotel, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to walk away anymore. I only knew then

    that you didn¡¯t go to Eastsummer, nor did you continue to paint. You had gotten married to someone

    else instead.¡±

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    ¡°That night, my medicine wasn¡¯t enough to make me lose my mindpletely. But when I saw you

    lying on the bed and gazing at me so beautifully, I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. All I wanted to do was to

    take you into my arms. I thought that it would be the best memory of my life. But when I saw the blood

    on the sheets and when you cried out Lyle¡¯s name as you held onto me, only then did I realize that you

    weren¡¯t doing well.¡±

    He paused, then continued, ¡°Eve, we¡¯ve missed out on each other for so many years. This time, no one

    can take you away from me. You can only be mine no matter what.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Eve. Do you know that?¡± Christopher whispered affectionately.

    I could hear someone constantly talking to me. However, I was falling in and out of consciousness and

    could not hear it clearly. Finding it somewhat annoying, I then waved my hand and mumbled dazedly,

    ¡°You¡¯re noisy. I¡¯m tired and I want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Sleep, I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    Upon hearing those words, I closed my eyes and finally fell into a deep sleep.

    When the morning sunlight shone in, I woke up from my sleep to see Christopher hugging the nkets

    and sleeping soundly. There was a slight smile on his face. He even has an unruly smirk when he

    sleeps.

    Looking at such a child-like sleeping face, Iughed silently, eager to record that moment in a painting.

    Dragging my sore body, I took out my unfinished art piece and ced it on the easel, then began to

    paint. I studied Christopher¡¯s face as I drew, and soon, Ipleted my painting.

    I was very satisfied as I looked at it. Christopher was depicted full of charm, and it was as if he had

    come to life in the painting. The piece was a testimony of love.

    Just as I was admiring the art piece, his face came into view in front of me suddenly, and he pulled me

    into a gentle embrace. His voice had the dullness of having just woken up and was low and attractive

    as he said, ¡°Why are you up so early? You¡¯re wearing so little. Your body is all cold.¡±

    He then wrapped me in the nkets and held onto my slightly cold hands.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I got up,¡± I replied, leaning into his arms with my eyes still on the painting.

    He nced over at it and pressed his lips together. ¡°I¡¯m right in front of you. Why¡¯re you looking at this

    drawing? Look at me!¡±

    In response, I took the art piece and held it up to him as if it were a treasure. I shook it and asked,

    ¡°Look, Christopher. I used the brush you gave me to paint it. Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±

    He took the painting from me and flipped it around. Then, as soon as he saw it, his eyes brightened,

    but he purposely said, ¡°Mm, it¡¯s not bad. At least you got my handsome face right. Keep up the good

    work.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not bragging, but my art skills are excellent. If it weren¡¯t for Crystal¡­¡± I then sighed. If

    she hadn¡¯t reced me, I would¡¯ve been the new school artist instead.

    ¡°Why have you stop talking?¡± he asked upon seeing that I stopped my sentence halfway. He pulled me

    into a hug, pressing me against his chest.

    After a pause, I replied, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not something I can¡¯t say. I used to have a piece called Autumnal

    Panorama. I was going to take it to Eastsummer to participate in an exhibition and was supposed to get

    an apprenticeship position. But Grandma gave it to Crystal and forced her to leave Avenport. I only

    learned about it recently.¡±

    After all, I could even talk about how Lyle had left me in the hotel. Thus, what else could I not say?

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    I continued, ¡°I drew it for three months. A friend of mine who¡¯s very knowledgeable in painting said that

    it was enough for me to get a position as a famous master. I could even go elsewhere to get better

    development and escape from my difficulties. Well, it¡¯s okay. At least, now I know that I¡¯m not as

    useless as I thought, so that¡¯s good.¡±

    His eyes suddenly brightened a little. After looking at me for a moment, he asked softly, ¡°Have you ever

    thought of starting afresh and doing what you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Start afresh?¡± I asked, ncing at him sideways. In all honesty, I was surprised to be able to pick up a

    brush and paint again. However, I dared not think about continuing to pursue my dreams.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll support you. As long as you want to do it, I¡¯ll always support you!¡± he said as he looked at me

    seriously, his expression was particrly solemn.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it!¡± I did not know whether I still had that kind of enthusiasm to take a gamble and

    pursue my dream.

    Then, seeing that I was not in high spirits, he did not continue the topic.

    In the next few days, Christopher and I had a very wild time together. Just like he said, he hugged me

    to sleep every night, and we made love, did all kinds of crazy things in bed every day.

    During that time, I had almost forgotten who I was. Fortunately, I did not forget that I still had to go to

    work.

    Although my work was easy and no one would say anything if I made mistakes asionally, I still

    worked hard. In my spare time, I would flip through the newspapers only to find that Crystal was in it

    again.

    When she was previously in the newspapers, she was negatively perceived because of me and was in

    a difficult position. Nevertheless, she always had a way to make everyone think she was a beautiful,

    innocent person. As long as she cried while looking at everyone aggrievedly, it was as if they would all

    believe she was innocent. It was indeed a world that focused on appearances.

    This time, she was to participate in an art exhibition, so she sent over her work. The centerpiece was

    said to depict a hundred birds facing a phoenix and was anticipated by many.

    As I put the newspaper down, I recalled what Christopher said. My fingers indeed itched. After all, I was

    not someone who liked to work a nine-to-five job. Otherwise, when I studied finance back then, I would

    not have stopped after only a while.

    After work, I unexpectedly got a call from Sharon. She wanted me to go to the hospital. Since she did

    not know about my divorce with Lyle, I was nervous and afraid that she would find out. However, since

    things had turned out pretty ugly the other time, it was rather impossible that she did not know.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    With fruit in my hands, I approached the hospital, a little afraid to go in.

    What should I tell her when I¡¯m inside? Do I continue to lie to her or tell the truth?

    Unexpectedly, Sharon did not ask me anything. Once I went in, she began to chat about everyday

    topics with me. Seeing that I looked healthy, she even praised me for bing more beautiful recently.

    I must say, a woman did look better if she lived well.

    With Christopher¡¯s care, I had indeed been living a good, luxurious life recently.

    He would cook, cheer me up, and would give me everything I wanted. Other than the fact that he went

    hard on me when we were in bed, everything else was good. When I was doing my makeup in the

    morning, I even found that I had gained some weight. As a result, the dimples I had when I smiled were

    almost gone.

    ¡°You young people are busy all day long. I¡¯ve been in the hospital, but you guys don¡¯t evene and

    visit me. Ah, once you¡¯re old, you¡¯ll really be ignored. You brat, I¡¯ve loved you in vain,¡± she said,

    pretending to be angry as she patted my hand.

    I hurriedly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here now, Grandma. Don¡¯t be angry. I promise to keep youpany often in the

    future, okay?¡±

    Lyle cares about Grandma quite a bit. Doesn¡¯t hee to visit? There¡¯s also Crystal. Since they¡¯re

    going to get married, doesn¡¯t he n to bring her over?

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Even if you¡¯re divorced, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t intend to see me as your grandma

    anymore?¡± she suddenly replied.

    At that moment, my heart skipped a beat, and I looked over at her. There was a flicker of light in her

    turbid eyes that was sharp enough to see through everything. I lowered my head and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry, Grandma. I was too agitated that day. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡± she said, sighing heavily. ¡°I know my grandson. Crystal¡¯s going to be the cmity in

    his life. But I can¡¯t control him for too long. I hope he can realize the truth in time and not be tricked by

    her.¡±

    Grandma¡¯s attitude toward Crystal can¡¯t be worst. What exactly did Crystal do back then? Grandma¡¯s

    so fearful of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s also good that you¡¯ve divorced. Back then, I was selfish. I shouldn¡¯t have trapped you because of

    my selfish desires. If you find someone suitable next time, remember to tell me. I¡¯ll give you a big check

    as your wedding gift.¡± She then sighed again.

    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered because of the kidnapping incidentst time. Too bad things were already over when I

    found out about it. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have let you suffer anymore; and I also don¡¯t have the heart to

    make you stay with Lyle. Please remember to tell me if you face any difficulties in the future.¡±

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    I was shocked that Sharon would know everything, as she had always been in the hospital. But when I

    thought about it, it made sense for Sharon to realize something was wrong after Lyle took out one

    billion from the bank ount.

    ¡°I will, Grandma. You¡¯re the person I respect the most.¡±

    ¡°Do you really not want the shares? They belong to you, after all. Your mom left them to you. The

    interest alone has umted to a few million by now.¡± Sharon mentioned the shares again.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    I shed a smile and shook my head. My instincts told me not to ept those stuff. Inwardly, I still

    med my mom. No matter how hard life was for me, I wanted to work hard so I could face her without

    fear one day and tell her, ¡°Look, even though you left, I worked hard to lead a great life.¡±

    I knew it wasn¡¯t a good mindset, but my resentment had built up over the years. It would probably only

    disappear after I met Mom again.

    When I was on my way out, I saw Lyle and Crystal being handsy with each other while making their

    way here. My brows furrowed up. Why did I have to run into them here? How unlucky. I recalled how I

    set Lyle up back then during our divorce.

    I knew that if I were to run into them right now, it would be a disaster. As such, I entered a random ward

    without hesitation and shut the door. Through the gap, I saw them walked past me. Finally, I could

    heave a sigh of relief.

    I noticed Lyle was scowling while Crystal seemed like she was about to cry. Clearly, their life wasn¡¯t

    happy at all even though I was gone.

    Life had always been about mundane things. It wasn¡¯t that easy. Their life would be hard if they refused

    topromise.

    ¡°Miss, why are you here?¡± a man¡¯s voice rang out from behind me.

    I turned at my shoulder and shot him an awkward smile. Pretending to be a visitor, I told the handsome

    patient lying in his bed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must¡¯ve entered the wrong ward.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s you?¡± The man was shocked to see me. Obviously, he knew who I was.

    ¡°You know who I am?¡± I asked in astonishment. This was an elegantly decorated VIP ward, so I

    guessed he was some rich brat. I was a forgetful person, so even after attending parties and meeting

    the upper-ss society, I promptly forgot their faces.

    The man¡¯s expression froze. After a brief silence, he introduced himself awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m Lucas

    Goldstein.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Goldstein. Long time no see!¡± I greeted him with a polite chuckle. I still couldn¡¯t remember who

    he was, but I figured I could greet him and get away with it.

    The man¡¯s expression grew increasingly awkward. He hesitated before saying, ¡°I¡¯m from the Goldstein

    family. Looks like you don¡¯t remember who I am. We nearly got engaged back then.¡±

    I racked my brains for a while before letting out an exmation. ¡°Ah!¡± The only Goldstein family I knew

    was the family Nathan once tried to force me to marry into. Lucas Goldstein was the son of the current

    CEO of Goldstein Group. He was rumored to be a cruel yboy who loved fooling around with

    celebrities. After he nearly tortured a celebrity to her death, it caused an uproar in Avenport.

    The Goldstein family was prominent enough to be on par with the Lane family. When Nathan found out

    about their existence, he forced me to marry Lucas. That was why I fell out with Nathan.

    I couldn¡¯t believe the weak guy in front of my eyes was the yboy I read about. As the tension grew

    thick, I rubbed my fingers and forced out a smile. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that Mr. Goldstein. Well then, I still have

    some things to attend to so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    At once, I dashed for the door and pushed it open. Lucas suddenly called out, ¡°I can¡¯t move. Can you

    get me a ss of water? I¡¯m parched.¡±

    I wanted to say no, but the young man seemed pitiful sitting on the bed alone. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to

    leave and trudged back to pour him a ss of water.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    Lucas was clearly parched, for he gulped down three sses of water before cing the ss down

    and thanked me gratefully. I felt awkward. Back then, when I refused to marry Lucas, the upper-ss

    society mocked him saying that even a nobody like me wasn¡¯t willing to marry him and that he was

    destined to be alone forever.

    Although I had never met him, I could imagine how horrible it must have been when everyone else was

    taunting him.

    Still, he seemed like a different person from what I heard. His gentle demeanor caught me by surprise.

    He didn¡¯t even fly into a rage when I barged into his ward.

    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Lucas asked when he saw that I was standing a distance away from him. A

    bitter smile yed on his lips as he leaned back on his pillow weakly. ¡°But I guess that makes sense.

    Women are afraid of me because of my horrible reputation.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to continue the conversation and changed the topic hastily. ¡°Why don¡¯t I fill your

    thermos and put it on top of your bedside drawer? That way, you can drink warm water whenever you

    want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    After ending the strange conversation, I escaped from the hospital swiftly as though someone was hot

    on my trails. It was mind-blowing to run into my ex-fianc¨¦ lying in the hospital. Ugh, that was so

    awkward!

    Downstairs, I sprained my foot as I was wearing heels. A sharp pain red up from my ankle. At once, I

    held the wall for support. Limping toward a flowerbed behind a tree, I sat down with a huge thud. D*mn

    it. Seems like the hospital and I are at odds. I keep getting hurt here.

    I decided to give Christopher a call. He was always busy with something. I knew hispany and

    family were taking up his time, but he still insisted on carrying out our bedtime activity despite the fact

    that he was starting to get dark eye circles.

    However, before I could reach my phone, a water bottle flew in my direction and nearly hit my head.

    Immediately, I felt a sh of irritation. What kind of brat just throws a bottle like that? Don¡¯t they know it

    might hurt someone else?

    Littering was wrong as the greenery was meant to cleanse the air.

    ¡°Lyle, how could you? We finally get to be together. Why are you mad at me?¡±

    I immediately recognized the voice as Crystal¡¯s, as it was whiny. I cowered behind the flowerbed and

    peeked out carefully. Lyle was ring at Crystal angrily. They were clearly arguing.

    They must¡¯ve been the ones that threw the water bottle in my direction. D*mn it. Why am I always

    dragged into their mess?

    ¡°I¡¯m mad? Crystal, do you know what¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t mind you being intimate with Benjamin back

    then. But now that I¡¯m divorced and ready to be with you, why are you still entangled with him? Have

    you ever considered my feelings?¡± demanded Lyle.

    ¡°Entangled? Don¡¯t make it sound so disgusting. I¡¯m a public figure. Of course I need to attend the party

    with a male partner. We were just dancing with each other as usual. You had just gotten a divorce, so

    you couldn¡¯t announce our rtionship for the sake of yourpany¡¯s reputation. I understand that. So

    why can¡¯t you understand me?¡±

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Crystal¡¯s eyes were red as she stared at Lyle pitifully, seemingly about to cry at any minute. I bet she

    would cry turning her head sideways. She would probably also tilt her head up while a drop of tear

    trickled down her cheek. After all, these two expressions were her prettiest crying expressions.

    ¡°Dancing? Why were your cheeks stuck against each other, then? Why did you press your lips to his

    when you were dancing? If you like Benjamin that much, why marry me?¡± Lyle was unreasonable when

    he was furious as Wendy had spoilt him.

    ¡°Lyle!¡± As expected, tears streamed down Crystal¡¯s cheeks as she tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯ve exined to

    you, right? Benjamin was drunk and thought I was his lover. Why are you being so unreasonable? I¡¯m

    utterly disappointed in you. I didn¡¯t even get mad when your grandma ordered me around in the

    hospital. Do you even care about me?¡±

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    ¡°If I don¡¯t care about you, would I ignore Grandma¡¯s wishes and ask her to agree to our marriage?¡± Lyle

    snorted.

    I decided to stop eavesdropping on them. It was none of my business, anyway. When I stood up, I

    nearly toppled over as my leg was numb. Immediately, I let out a yelp and held onto the tree for

    support.

    My sudden yell alerted the both of them. I forced out a smile and fought back the urge to p my

    foolish self. Waving at them, I said, ¡°Fancy running into you here. I still have some stuff to do, so I¡¯ll go

    now.¡±

    With that, I spun on my heels and fled the scene.

    I could hear Lyle roaring behind me. Feeling exasperated, I wondered why I had to escape whenever I

    run into them. I berated myself for being a coward.

    Back at home, I found an outsider lying on my couchzily. It was Sabrina, who was munching on a

    piece of fruit while watching TV. I walked over and gave her a kick so she would remove her legs from

    the coffee table. She wasn¡¯tdylike at all. It would be a shocking scene if someone else got to see her

    in this state.

    ¡°This is your house. I don¡¯t have to act alldylike. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I was born in the

    wrong body. I should be a delinquent instead,¡± said Sabrina. She removed her legs from the coffee

    table and flopped back onto the couch while stretchingzily.

    ¡°Well, Ms. Delinquent, please cover your cleavage. I have a boyfriend, and your idol is mine.¡± Sabrina

    was the proud owner of a pair of 36Ds, and I didn¡¯t want Christopher to see her cleavage.

    Sabrina whistled and pointed at Christopher, who was busy cooking in the kitchen. ¡°Life¡¯s treating you

    well, huh? Look how blissful you are. Tsk, women who are in love do indeed act differently.¡±

    ¡°If you want, you can do the same,¡± I acknowledged her words.

    Sabrina inched nearer to me in a nosy manner. ¡°I thought you and Christopher would only hold hands

    and kiss, but turns out you¡¯ve hit a home run! That¡¯s fast. Tell me, are you prepared to be Mrs. Lane

    now?¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± It was still too early to talk about marrying Christopher. After all, his family was already a

    difficult hurdle for us to get past.

    ¡°Why? I¡¯m waiting to attend your wedding. The mary gift I prepared for your second wedding is

    about to grow moldy.¡± Sabrina yawned and clicked her fingers when Christopher stepped out of the

    kitchen. ¡°My idol, why are you so virtuous? It should be against thew to be so irresistible. What if I fall

    in love with you? If that happens, I can¡¯t be friends with Eve anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to covet for a friend¡¯s wife,¡± came Christopher¡¯s calm reply as he ced a dish on the

    table. He then ordered me to prepare the utensils.

    I found his words strange, for Sabrina wasn¡¯t married yet. Why did he say that?

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m going to marry Zachary? I have nothing to do with that scum! Stop spouting nonsense!¡±

    Sabrina jolted up from the couch and eximed nervously.

    ¡°Fine. Since you have nothing to do with him, I won¡¯t give you Zachary¡¯s phone number, then,¡±

    Christopher arched a brow and dered. ¡°Anyway, I heard that he¡¯s recently tasked with protecting a

    gorgeous, elegant, and noble youngdy. Perhaps it would be a story of the special forces soldier and

    the daughter of themander.¡±

    ¡°What? Give me his phone number. I must disturb him at least five times a day!¡± Sabrina ran toward

    Christopher and stretched her hand out while gesturing for me to side with her.

    I was amused by Sabrina¡¯s reaction. Previously, I could sense there was something going on between

    Zachary and Sabrina. Turns out my sixth sense was urate.

    ¡°But you imed to have nothing to do with Zachary. So why are you interfering in his love life? He¡¯s

    single, and so is she. It¡¯s perfectly normal for them to end up together,¡± Imented as I took

    Christopher¡¯s arm.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re working together to set me up! Eve, how could you? Do you still want to be my friend?¡±

    Sabrina ced her hands on her hips and pretended she was upset.

    Christopher took one step forward and stood in front of me in a protective stance. He ordered sternly,

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    ¡°Okay.¡± He managed to intimidate both Sabrina and me. We went to the dining table obediently and sat

    down. A momentter, when we were about to take our first bite, we exchanged gazes as though

    asking why we listened to him obediently.

    Immediately, we burst into a fit ofughter.

    Before we finished our meal, someone rang our doorbell. I nced at Sabrina before turning to

    Christopher. The only friends I had were all here, so I couldn¡¯t figure out who was at the door.

    ¡°Go answer the door,¡± said Christopher.

    ¡°Why should I? Why can¡¯t you answer the door?¡± I refused to budge from my seat. Recently, I¡¯ve grown

    used to acting coy in front of him. He was spoiling me.

    ¡°I prepared dinner alone, so it¡¯s your turn now. Well, I can help you take a shower tonight. How does

    that sound?¡± Christopher shed an evil smirk.

    ¡°Shut up! Shame on you!¡± I red at Christopher. He had grown increasingly cheeky to make a dirty

    joke in front of Sabrina.

    ¡°I¡¯m merely flirting with my girlfriend. Any problem with that?¡± Christopher shot Sabrina a look.

    ¡°My idol, you¡¯re such a badass! Eve is the kind who would only give in to persuasion and not coercion.

    You¡¯re the perfect match for her! By the way, remember to give me Zachary¡¯s full addresster. Thanks

    in advance.¡±

    Sabrina sold me out without hesitation.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a hiberdate. Fine, I shall answer the door.¡± I rolled my eyes and went to the door. When I

    spotted the person outside, I instinctively mmed the door shut. s, Lyle was quick enough to grab

    the door before I could m it shut. I was no match for his strength, so I stood in his way and refused

    to let him in.

    I had hurt Lyle back then and humiliated him. So why is he here? Is he here to kick up a fuss?

    As a delicious aroma wafted out of the house, Lyle looked at me icily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna invite me in?¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I remained rooted to my spot. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t weed here.

    ¡°Yvonne, am I your enemy now? I didn¡¯t even make a fuss after what you did to me. Do you seriously

    think I don¡¯t have a temper?¡± Lyle held the door and refused to let me close it.

    ¡°Just think of me as an ignorant person. To you, I¡¯ve always been someone who you could bully

    anytime. I¡¯m no longer your punching bag. Your fight with Crystal has nothing to do with me. If you want

    to vent your frustration, go to your friend instead of me.¡±

    Lyle had never been nice to me. He found it troublesome to evenfort me.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet. It¡¯s normal to treat your ex-husband to dinner, right?¡± Lyle was about to head in,

    but I stretched my hands wide to stop him.

    ¡°I prepared my own dinner. There¡¯s nothing for you.¡±

    ¡°You cooked crabs. I could smell it from here,¡± Lyle refuted my words in displeasure.

    What¡¯s with his sense of smell? Is he a dog?

    ¡°Lyle, just tell me what do you want? If you¡¯re here for a meal, you can leave right now. If Crystal finds

    out you¡¯ve been here, she¡¯ll kick up a fuss again. I don¡¯t want to get involved in your mess.¡±

    I shot Lyle an impatient re. If possible, I wanted to execute a shoulder throw before mming the

    door shut.

    Lyle lit up a cigarette as sorrow shed across his gaze. ¡°Eve, I fought with Crystal. She¡¯s

    unreasonable and not as obedient as you.¡±

    I was rendered speechless. What the f*ck? I¡¯m not his love advisor! We¡¯re divorced, for God¡¯s sake!

    Does he think he¡¯s a heartthrob? Or does he think I¡¯m a fool? Christopher, your girlfriend is being

    bullied here. Where the hell are you?

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    ¡°I know. I saw you arguing at the hospital. You should talk to Crystal instead ofing to me. If she

    finds out you came here, your conflict will only increase,¡± I calmed down and told Lyle coolly.

    ¡°Have you ever regretted divorcing me?¡± Lyle stepped forward and tried to take my hand, but a pair of

    large hands reached out to block him from doing so.

    I turned back to look at Christopher and almost got a nosebleed. Christopher was d in loose

    pajamas as he leaned against the door. There was a rxed smile ying on his lips as he yawned

    lazily. His hair was also a disheveled mess.

    The hickey on his neck was visible when he looked up. His half-unbuttoned pajama top revealed his

    tanned skin and chiseled chest. There were even a few scratches right on his chest. It was an alluring

    sight.

    My eyes bulged so much that it seemed like they were about to pop out of my sockets. It was such a

    steamy scene. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder when did Christopher change into pajamas and how he got

    the scratches on his chest. It wasn¡¯t me, for I never liked to scratch people.

    ¡°Darling, why are you so slow? I¡¯m waiting to have dinner with you. By the way, where did you put my

    underwear? I can¡¯t find it anywhere. I¡¯m goingmando now. It¡¯s terribly ufortable.¡± Christopher

    narrowed his eyes and gave me a warm smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the closet. Can¡¯t you see it?¡± I glowered at him and replied coyly.

    I was certain Christopher did it on purpose. After all, he changed into this outfit swiftly and even asked

    me for his underwear. He was rarely this adorable.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± a scowling Lyle demanded in fury. ¡°Christopher Lane, how could you covet your

    friend¡¯s wife? You might be from the Lane family, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can do anything you want!¡±

    He red at Christopher and gritted his teeth in anger.

    Raising a finger to caress the hickey on his neck, Christopher answered, ¡°Lyle, we¡¯re friends. I know I

    shouldn¡¯t covet a friend¡¯s wife, but Eve is no longer your wife, am I right? Or did I remember things

    wrongly? Didn¡¯t some woman get pregnant with your child, causing you to get a divorce?¡±

    ¡°Christopher, even if Yvonne and I are divorced, you can¡¯t fool around with her. Leave right now, or I

    shall teach you a lesson!¡± Lyle¡¯s fistnded on the wall with a loud thud.

    ¡°Lyle Smith!¡± I interjected. ¡°We¡¯re divorced. I¡¯m your ex-wife, so you have no right to interfere in my

    affairs. I¡¯m not your backup woman nor a puppet that is at your beck and call.¡±

    Lyle¡¯s scowl deepened at my words. He barked, ¡°Yvonne, you immediately hooked up with Christopher

    after our divorce. You must¡¯ve cheated on me before our divorce, right? How dare you put up a pitiful

    act when you¡¯re nothing but a cheating b*tch?¡±

    So what if I¡¯m a cheating b*tch? I¡¯m not pitiful at all. I retorted icily, ¡°You know full well how Christopher

    and I got to know each other. I didn¡¯t get pregnant with another man¡¯s child and force you to divorce

    me. You have no right to criticize me.¡±

    Lyle snorted and pointed at Christopher. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be happy with this man? When I first met

    him, I gave him the twins to get his investment. He fooled around with them for at least six months

    before he got tired of them. Look at him. He has a childhood sweetheart waiting to get engaged to him.

    Are you going to be his mistress? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell your dad about you both?¡±

    I tamped down my fury and the urge to give him a few ps. The disdain on my face heightened as I

    retorted, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. So what if I want to be his mistress? Go back to your Crystal.

    I¡¯m your ex-wife, so stay out of my business. It¡¯s over between us, get it?¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Yvonne, just you wait. You shall regret your decision one day.¡± Lyle turned and left in a fit of fury. He

    even gave the elevator door a kick before he stormed in.

    I rolled my eyes at his action. Isn¡¯t he afraid the elevator will malfunction?

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    ¡°Darling,e on in. Dinner¡¯s getting cold. Just ignore those crazy people.¡± As I was standing at the

    window and staring down, Christopher pulled me back into the house and shut the door.

    I shook his hand off and sat beside Sabrina, who couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. She mmed her

    hand on the table and dered, ¡°It was my idea. That was satisfying, right? Hurry, feed me now!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Iughed along with her before pointing at the hickey on Christopher¡¯s neck. ¡°Did you do that?¡±

    Sabrina hurriedly shook her head in denial. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not bold enough to do that. I don¡¯t mind

    offering my idol a kiss, but I¡¯m going to get myself a boyfriend soon. So I can¡¯t do that to my future

    husband.¡±

    Christopher sat in his chair and leaned over, gesturing for me to feed him the crab. ¡°I pinched my neck

    and scratched my chest. It was really hard. I demand a reward.¡±

    I poked his forehead gently before helping him to remove the crab shell. As I fed him a mouthful of crab

    meat, I asked, ¡°If my dad suddenly shows up to demand an exnation, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Christopher threw the question back to me.

    ncing at his amused expression, I knew I couldn¡¯t lie to him. Back then, Nathan ndered me to

    clear the rumors of Crystal being a homewrecker. Christopher was smart enough to guess that we were

    at odds.

    Nathan wasn¡¯t worried that I¡¯d be fooled by other men. His first thought would be using me to increase

    the Tanner family¡¯s profit.

    Hence, he called me and ordered me to make the necessary introductions, as he wanted to get the

    most out of the situation.

    I glowered at Christopher. ¡°It¡¯s up to you. It doesn¡¯t concern me at all.¡±

    After Sabrina finished dinner and sessfully got Zachary¡¯s phone number, she left happily. Her lips

    were curved into a pleased grin when she left. I had only met Zachary a few times, but he struck me as

    a nice and dependable man. I knew Sabrina would be happy with him.

    That night, we did our usual bedtime activity. I flung my arms around Christopher¡¯s neck and forced him

    to talk about the twins.

    Christopher proceeded to ravage me. After our intimate session, he caressed my swollen lips and said,

    ¡°I don¡¯t even remember what they look like. We barely even held hands. Nothing happened.¡±

    I knew I was being unreasonably jealous. Pouting, I replied, ¡°But they¡¯re still your lovers in name,

    right?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Christopher was about to go to bed. However, he changed his mind after seeing how stubborn I

    was. He reached out to grab a condom, but the box was empty. His brows furrowed at the discovery.

    Still, he pounced at me and forced my legs open.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve run out of condoms. You can¡¯t do this.¡± I was panting as I tried to stop him from proceeding.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re mine, anyway.¡± Christopher trailed kisses down my nape and touched my cheek gently.

    I had one concern, though. ¡°Christopher, I don¡¯t want to get pregnant before I get married,¡± I told him

    firmly.

    After hearing what I had to say, Christopher nced at me without stopping his roaming hands.

    Suddenly, he lifted me up and turned me around so I was facing the window. I could sense how

    desperate he was judging from his heavy pants.

    Bitterness washed over me instantly. I avoided his lips when he tried to kiss my cheek.

    If I got pregnant before getting married, what will the others think of me? Will they think I¡¯m someone

    who resorts to despicable means in order to marry into the Lane family?

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Christopher had always cared for my feelings. I had stated my reluctance, but he refused to stop. Are

    all men the same? They won¡¯t treasure you once they get bored with you.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    I shivered and rested my weight against the chilly window. I pressed my cheeks against the curtain and

    felt the coolness of the window. A few momentster, I realized something was wrong. I turned back to

    Christopher in shock.

    a

    He had buried his face in my neck and was panting heavily. It looked like he had done everything, but

    he didn¡¯t finish thest step. In a small voice, he protested, ¡°Darling, you can¡¯t stop at the veryst

    minute. Why didn¡¯t you tell me we had run out of condoms? I need to stock up tomorrow.¡±

    I shed a smile and said nothing.

    The weekend had arrived. The next day, Christopher and I left home early in the morning as he wanted

    to go to stock up on groceries and buy some clothes. I recalled his clothes in the closet and asked,

    ¡°You have plenty at home. Why do you need to buy more?¡±

    ¡°Those are all formal outfits. I need to buy at least a dozen casual outfits.¡± Christopher floored the

    elerator and sped away in his yellow Maserati, which was shy, just like him. The car zoomed

    down the road and attracted everyone¡¯s attention easily.

    I propped my chin on my palm and gazed at Christopher. When he was driving, his lips were curled up

    in a grin as he swayed along to the music. His pink suit and floral tie didn¡¯t look awkward on him.

    Instead, he looked like a mboyant peacock.

    ¡°A walking spotlight,¡± I muttered under my breath. Christopher will be a popr celebrity with his looks.

    That tease will easily be an award-winning actor.

    After a while, I grew thirsty and went to get ourselves some drink at a dessert store.

    I sipped on my drink as Christopher read a book diligently. I leaned over to see what he was reading. It

    was an Ustranasion book. I immediately blushed upon seeing the content before I snatched the book

    away from Christopher to forbid him from reading it.

    ¡°Seriously? Why are you reading this in public? As a CEO, shouldn¡¯t you be reading finance or

    academic books?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he had brought an erotic novel out. I immediately spotted a few

    steamy scenes when I nced at it earlier.

    Christopher put on a stern front and responded, ¡°Human beings need to improve themselves. If I don¡¯t,

    I¡¯ll end up being a boring robot.¡±

    I gnashed my teeth in anger. What can he learn from erotic novels? Improve his sexual skills? I stuffed

    the novel into my bag. ¡°No, you can¡¯t read it.¡±

    ¡°Eve, you¡¯re being authoritative. We¡¯re a harmonious family, so I have my democratic rights.¡±

    Christopher reached over to take my bag. He winked at me before giving my earlobe a tiny nibble. I

    could smell his tobo-scented breath.

    ¡°Or, do you want to read it yourself? You pretended to confiscate it so that you could read it in secret.¡±

    I trembled involuntarily as my earlobe was particrly sensitive. Pushing him away hastily, I covered

    my ears. ¡°Why would I read it? These kinds of books are useless. I¡¯d rather read something else.¡±

    Resting his chin on his palm, Christopher tilted his head and smirked. I nearly got lost in his alluring

    gaze as he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I refused to listen to what he had to say. Covering my ears, I tried to change the topic, but I blurted out,

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it out loud. You must¡¯ve learned nonsense from those books.¡±

    After saying that, a strong sense of foreboding nagged at me at once. Indeed, Christopher shed an

    evil grin and said, ¡°Books are a great inspiration to human beings. We can learn various positions to

    bring us to climax. We can also¡­¡± He trailed off deliberately before concluding, ¡°Learn what our limits

    are.¡±

    I refused to answer and simply rolled my eyes at him.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    Before finishing my drink, I spotted Christopher¡¯s mother on TV. This time, instead of wearing an

    evening gown, she was decked in a professional ck suit. Clearly, she was an intimidating career

    lady. Her expression was calm as she answered the reporters¡¯ questions with a pleasant smile on her

    lips.

    I nced at the TV and realized it was about a new amusement park being developed by his family¡¯s

    business. Christopher¡¯s mother was the idol of all women.

    ¡°Christopher, is your mom a fierce woman? Is she scary?¡± I asked in a small voice.

    Christopher put his coffee down and pondered my question. After a while, he answered, ¡°She¡¯s quite

    fierce. My dad dare not utter a word whenever she gets mad. No one in my family dares to go against

    her.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I swallowed nervously. Will she give me a hard time? Christopher will protect me, of course, but

    that¡¯s his mother. If she finds out about me, I doubt she¡¯ll ept me easily.

    Perhaps my expression seemed grim, for Christopher burst outughing and ruffled my hair. ¡°My mom

    will only yell at her loved ones. If she hates someone, she will sh them a wide grin. I¡¯ll be delighted if

    she yells at you the first time you meet.¡±

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    I shot him a smile and said nothing else. Shortly after, a couple behind me started feeding each other

    ice cream and drinks. Thedy even ended up sitting in the man¡¯sp.

    There was a partition between us, but I could see everything clearly through the gap. I found the sight

    disgusting and whipped my head around. Seeing my reaction, Christopher pped his thigh and

    dered, ¡°Come on up.¡±

    Bemused, I shook my head. I refused to act intimately with him in public. It would be embarrassing if

    we ran into someone we knew.

    After that, we went to a few clothing stores. I picked a few outfits for Christopher, which he paid for. In

    the end, he picked one for himself. Ipared the prices between the ones I chose and the one he

    chose for himself. The ones I chose were around one hundred grand each, while he paid four hundred

    and seventy thousand for his after getting a twenty percent discount. Is hepromising his standard

    because of me?

    I was so engrossed in my thought that I stood in front of a store without moving. Suddenly, Christopher

    pulled me into his arms and brushed a finger across my waist. ¡°I nearly forgot to get that. Thank

    goodness you still remember it. Let¡¯s go stock up for the next six months.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± I btedly realized where we were after he pulled me in. It was an adult shop. This was my first

    time here, so I lowered my head shyly without looking at the shop owner. Christopher showed me a few

    boxes of condoms and inquired earnestly, ¡°Do you want spiral condoms? Super thin condoms? Or

    dotted ones?¡±

    ¡°How would I know!¡± My cheeks red up in embarrassment as I kicked Christopher¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m being liberal here. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for your opinion.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t even flinch at

    my kick. He waved his hand and told the shop owner, ¡°Get me five boxes each.¡±

    ¡°Sure! I also sell other interesting stuff in my shop. Are you interested?¡± The shop owner proceeded to

    introduce the various stuff on his counter. I never knew there were so many sex toys avable and

    started wringing my hands nervously, eager to leave the shop. s, Christopher gripped my arm and

    showed no signs of leaving.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± I pinched his waist.

    ¡°No can do. If you try to leave, I¡¯ll kiss you right here, right now.¡± Christopher narrowed his gaze and

    snickered. I knew he would do just that, so I dared not move an inch.

    Instead of finding out what Christopher bought, my gazended on some contraceptive pills. I told the

    owner, ¡°I¡¯d like to buy one box of this.¡±

    When the owner handed me the box, I was about to take it from him when Christopher toss it back with

    a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t use this.¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    ¡°Why?¡± I blinked in confusion. With the pills, we can still have sex if we run out of condoms. Isn¡¯t it a

    good alternative?

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Christopher grabbed the box and tap it on my forehead before returning it to the owner. ¡°You silly girl.

    This kind of thing is harmful to your body. Why would you take it?¡±

    ncing at Christopher, I was about to tell him that taking one pill asionally would be fine but

    promptly changed my mind. As I thought about how he showed his concern for me, warmth enveloped

    my heart.

    Christopher had asked the store owner to wrap everything up in an enormous shopping bag. I was

    stunned to see his purchases. What did Christopher buy? This is such a huge bag.

    When we exited the store, I was in a hurry and nearly ran into someone at the corner. I hastily stepped

    back and picked up the person¡¯s bag, which had dropped to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was an ident.

    Are you all¡­¡± I trailed off after noticing who it was.

    Christopher and I had just talked about Julia earlier, and now we¡¯ve bumped into her.

    ¡°Are you from the Tanner family?¡± Julia nced at me and took her bag from me. It was a question, but

    she sounded sure about it.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lane!¡± I straightened my back nervously, as though I was a child about to meet the

    principal after making a mistake.

    ¡°Hello, Ms. Tanner!¡± Monica nodded and shed a smile. Beside her was Darius¡¯ wife, Shelley Lighton.

    Their hands wereden with shopping bags. It was obvious that Julia was here to spend quality time

    with her future daughter-inw. My expression grew awkward.

    ¡°Are you shopping?¡± Julia asked calmly. She seemed quite pleasant. I knew that was how influential

    people treated other ordinary people¡ªwith a distant and polite smile.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to stroll around.¡± I was praying fervently that Christopher had spotted his mom and

    sister-inw, and would be smart enough to hide somewhere until they left.

    I wasn¡¯t prepared to reveal my rtionship with Christopher to the public as I wasn¡¯t confident at all. My

    thought was that we needed to hold it back for at least one month. If Julia found out I slept with her son

    right after I got a divorce, the consequences would be horrible.

    s, Christopher hadn¡¯t heard my prayer.

    ¡°Why did you run away so fast? Help me with the stuff. They¡¯re so heavy.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice rang out

    from behind me. Stuck in a tight spot, I could only offer Julia an awkward smile.

    ¡°Chris? Why are you here?¡± Julia asked in surprise when she spotted him. Her gaze also flitted to me.

    ¡°To stock up on stuff. Mom, didn¡¯t you say you have an important afternoon tea date? Why are you

    shopping now?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t seem worried at all. He gestured at the shopping bags in his hands.

    I immediately imagined the scene of Julia spotting the adult products in the bag. Ugh, I wish the ground

    would open up and swallow me whole.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an important afternoon tea date. I¡¯ve asked Monica out a few days ago. You told me you¡¯re

    busy and refused to apany us. But look at you now, you¡¯re clearly not busy at all,¡± Julia chided

    unhappily and pulled Monica to stand in front of her.

    ¡°Monica¡¯s going to hold a piano concert a few dayster. She is kind enough to make time for me, so

    it¡¯s time for you to do the same. Come with us now.¡±

    Christopher scratched his head, seemingly stumped. ¡°I can¡¯t. Ms. Tanner agreed to help me choose

    some stuff and hold my shopping bag. In return, I have to deliver her luggage to her house. I don¡¯t want

    to go back on my word.¡±

    Having said that, Christopher tossed the shopping bag in my direction. I instantly reached out to catch

    it, but the stuff was too heavy andnded on the ground instead. Without hesitation, I gritted my teeth

    and picked the bag up.

    ¡°Oh? Chris, you know Ms. Tanner?¡± Monica pointed at us in surprise. My heart raced in rm as I was

    afraid Christopher might say something inappropriate. It felt like my heart was about to leap out of my

    chest any minute.

    ¡°Of course we know each other. Besides¡­¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    When Christopher paused deliberately, my heart almost stopped beating. If we weren¡¯t in public, I

    would¡¯ve leaped onto him and pinched him forcefully.

    After shooting me an assuring look, Christopher replied, ¡°Mom, you know her too. Why are you so

    forgetful? Ms. Tanner gave you your favorite walnut cookies on Dad¡¯s birthday. I remember you only

    shared it with Dad that night and refused to spare me one. I would never forget that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m old and forgetful,¡± came Julia¡¯s cool reply. ¡°Can¡¯t you hold your stuff yourself? Stop bullying her. Put

    the shopping bag in the car instead of asking her to hold it.¡±

    ¡°Chris, you shouldn¡¯t bully women, especially a married woman. If someone else finds out, they will

    mock us,¡± said Shelley. Her unkind statement sounded like she was insinuating that Christopher and I

    were involved in an immoral rtionship. Frowning, I racked my brains to recall when did I offend this

    woman.

    ¡°Shelley, don¡¯t worry about it. I paid Ms. Tanner to carry my stuff. Who dares to mock me? I can help

    that person carry their stuff as long as they can offer me what I want, right?¡± Christopher replied

    nonchntly while lighting up a cigarette.

    ¡°Chris, you¡¯re smoking again. How many times I¡¯ve said that smoking is bad for your health? You

    always like to smoke in front of me, huh?¡±

    ¡°See? Monica cares so much about you. What an ungrateful brat,¡± reprimanded Julia as she tugged on

    Christopher¡¯s earlobe. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the driver to send Ms. Tanner back home. Let¡¯s go to Clove Eatery now.

    Monica has two movie tickets. I don¡¯t have time to watch the movie with her, so you should go with her.¡±

    I realized Monica had retreated backward while frowning at Christopher. There was a hint of

    tenderness in her gaze as she stared at Christopher adoringly. I felt ufortable with her action.

    After all, the man she was staring at was my boyfriend, yet I could not and dared not admit it.

    I was nothingpared to Monica. Clearly, Julia adored her and treated her as a future daughter-in-

    law. It was obvious by the way she kept trying to match them up. As her love rival, my only advantage

    was that Christopher loved me.

    Monica was born into an influential family and had graduated overseas. She was also a famous pianist.

    On the other hand, I had nothing to boast about.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mom, are you seriously asking me to watch a yucky romance movie? I¡¯ll fall asleep during the movie.

    Ask Shelley to watch the movie with Monica. Darius is busy inspecting some upgrading work in the city,

    so he¡¯s too busy to spend time with her. Alright, that¡¯s enough. I need to go now. Zachary is waiting for

    me,¡± dered Christopher hastily.

    He wagged a finger at me. ¡°Well? Why are you standing there? Hurry up and bring the stuff to my car.¡±

    Finally, the ordeal was about to end. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and gripped the huge bag in my

    hand, about to leave. Suddenly, Shelley stopped me and asked, ¡°Chris, what did you buy? This is such

    a huge bag.¡±

    She reached out promptly to open the bag. My mind wentpletely nk. Shit. It¡¯s full of condoms

    and random mysterious adult stuff. How should I exin and pretend I know nothing about them?

    Christopher grabbed her arm to stop her. ¡°Shelley, some men¡¯s stuff isn¡¯t suitable to show women.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re being secretive.¡± Shelley¡¯s interest was piqued.

    ¡°Of course. Only Zachary and the others can go through the bag. Are you sure you want to take a

    look?¡± In return, Christopher folded his arms and gestured for Shelley to go ahead.

    ¡°Shelley, stop it. Some things are better left unknown.¡± Julia gave a dismissive wave and ordered,

    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you at Clove Eatery. If you don¡¯t show up, I¡¯ll tell your dad tonight that you bullied

    me and Monica.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re no longer young. Don¡¯t you feel shy saying that in public?¡± Christopher seemed

    exasperated.

    Seeing that, I finally realized where Christopher got his childish and coy actions from.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    In the car, I returned the bag to Christopher and copsed into the chair quietly. Christopher ruffled my

    hair affectionately with a smile. ¡°Were you scared?¡±

    I red at him. ¡°I was so frightened my legs went wobbly. Your mom saw me holding a bag full of

    condoms. I¡¯m so embarrassed!¡±

    Christopher burst outughing and teased me for being a coward. I took a condom out of the bag and

    tossed it at him. ¡°Hurry up and send me back home. You have a pretty date waiting for you at Clove

    Eatery, after all. Remember to take away some food for meter.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to bring you back a couple¡¯s set?¡± Christopher teased. ¡°You¡¯re jealous.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± However, my denial sounded like the cover-up of a guilty person.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not jealous. By the way, I left something for you on the coffee table. After considering

    carefully, give me your answer. I¡¯ll be waiting for you,¡± said Christopher out of nowhere.

    When we arrived, Christopher gave me a steamy kiss and shed his headlights three times as usual.

    He was about to leave when I yelled out, ¡°Christopher, what does shing the headlights thrice mean?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a guess? Eve, I¡¯ll wait for your correct answer.¡± With that, Christopher stepped on

    the elerator and sped away. It just so happened that a car was driving past, so he shed the

    headlights three times on purpose and stuck his head out of the window.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°If you get it correct, you¡¯ll get a prize. Let¡¯s see who gets the correct answer first. I still remember the

    story about the nes and love.¡± Christopher grinned.

    I watched as his shy sports car sped away. Pouting, I muttered to myself, ¡°Why is he so mysterious?

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to get it right!¡±

    Back home, I rummaged around the coffee table before noticing a card. It was an invitation card, so I

    thought it was for a party or something simr. When I read it carefully, it turned out to be an invitation

    to join a contest¡ªthe National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest.

    It seemed like it was a reputable event that would be held three monthster. I spotted a few renowned

    artists among the judges who I got to know when I first started learning how to draw. Recently, most

    contests had turned into publicity stunts and advertisements, but still, the top three winners of the

    contest had to be capable enough to secure the spots.

    Where did Christopher get the invitation from?

    I held the card as mixed emotions overwhelmed my heart. Christopher seemed strangely confident in

    my skills. He was sure I could produce a breathtaking art piece. I had no idea where he got his

    confidence from.

    My first thought was to say no. The contest would be held three monthster. It would take around six

    months for the few rounds of exhibitions to end. I was certain I wouldn¡¯t even qualify for the second

    round with my horrible drawing skills.

    Strangely, Monica¡¯s face popped up in my mind. She was glowing brightly like the moon, while

    Christopher was burning like the sun. One of them was burning with passion, while the other was as

    gentle as flowing water.

    After our previous discussion, Christopher didn¡¯t mention he wanted to bring me back home again. Is

    he giving me a chance to show my talent and let me shine so I can visit his parents confidently?

    As I caressed the card, my heart leaped in joy. He had paved the path for me, so I should forge ahead

    bravely and show my talents. No one would want to be a nobody. In the end, I kept the card carefully in

    the drawer.

    I took out my easel as inspiration flowed out like water escaping a dam. I hurriedly drew everything out

    on paper. Eyes that couldn¡¯t cry; the blissful feeling; everything could be expressed in a painting.

    When my phone rang, I thought it was Christopher. I answered and asked with a smile, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lyle¡¯s voice sounded over the line. ¡°Yvonne, forgive me for saying those words back then. I was too

    mad to see you and Christopher together. Come downstairs. I¡¯m waiting for you here. I need to talk to

    you about something important.¡±

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    The phone screen clearly disyed an iing call from Lyle. Having never reset my data or deleted

    his number, his contact was still saved as ¡°my beloved¡± in my phone, and the sight of it made me want

    to throw up. I need to change his contact name as soon as this call is over.

    No, I needed to change my phone number to a new one. That way, Lyle wouldn¡¯t be able to call me if

    he found himself locked out again.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me through the phone?¡± I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go and meet him in person all by

    myself.

    ¡°It has to do with your grandma,¡± he replied. ¡°You care about her, don¡¯t you?

    There was a brief pause from my side. ¡°Wait for me.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t care less about Lyle, but my grandma was apletely different story. I¡¯d been worried about

    her ever since Lyle had gotten himself involved with Crystal, who I was sure was nning something

    sinister. Every time Crystal and I had a conversation, she would talk about Lyle as if he was a toy we

    were fighting over.

    Whatever decisions Lyle made were his business and his business only. What concerned me was if

    grandma would get hurt as a result of him and Crystal getting married.

    Descending the stairs, I spotted Lyle smoking a cigarette as he stood under arge tree by the

    entrance. He seemed stressed; there was a constant wrinkle between his eyebrows, which was

    surprising. I thought he¡¯d be constantly over the moon considering the gorgeous lover he had waiting at

    home for him.

    I approached him and stopped with about six feet of space left between us. ¡°What happened with

    Grandma?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re living together with Christopher now?¡± he retorted.

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± His tone annoyed me greatly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that it¡¯s none of your

    business.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Yvonne,¡± Lyle suddenly interjected. ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this. I know you feel hurt

    because I chose Crystal. But did you really have to go and be Christopher¡¯s mistress just

    because of your grudge against me? What¡¯s going to happen when he marries Monica? You can¡¯t let

    yourself get thrown away and fall into despair once more.¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Not this again. ¡±You care way too much about your ex-wife,¡± I huffed, frowning. ¡°Besides, the story of

    you and Crystal getting married has already been published in the papers. Aren¡¯t you scared that a

    reporter might take a picture of us here like this? Aren¡¯t you scared of what they might write about us?

    Or is that what you want: to be the main character of a love triangle?¡±

    ¡°I care about you out of the kindness of my heart, for goodness¡¯ sake.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°You once

    told Bianca that you hated mistresses and homewreckers the most, so why are you bing one

    yourself?¡±

    At that, my breath hitched in my throat. Those words had stabbed right through my chest like an

    invisible dagger. Back then, I¡¯d chosen to marry Lyle because I loved him all while knowing that the girl

    he was truly in love with was Crystal. And now, Christopher and Monica were yet another picture-

    perfect couple that I was trying to insert myself into because of my love for Christopher.

    Christopher could eat dinner with Monica and his family every night while I was left alone at home,

    ordering delivery food and waiting for him to pay me a visit.

    This is embarrassing.

    Lyle perked up when he saw that I didn¡¯t have a response, mistakenly thinking that he had managed to

    convince me. ¡°Listen to me: leave Christopher. If you need anything, you can alwayse to me! I¡¯ll

    help you as much as I can. All I want is for you to lead a better life than this, Eve.¡±

    I instantly snapped awake from my daze and pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯ve be this way because of you!

    What were you thinking? Did you not want your ex-wife to have another guy in her life so that she¡¯d

    stupidly wait around for you toe back to her? Just for her to then get all heartbroken again when

    that doesn¡¯t happen? I won¡¯t fall for that anymore, so leave me alone!¡±

    I raised my chin high up in the air as I swept my hair over my shoulder. Pride and insecurity;

    vulnerability and stubbornness; these were all the qualities that made me who I was as a person.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    ¡°If this was all you called me out for, there¡¯s no need for this conversation to go on any further. I want to

    be with Christopher, and I like staying with him. I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m a b*tch or if you think I¡¯m

    useless, and I don¡¯t care if you hate me for it.¡±

    I whipped around to make to leave, but Lyle caught ahold of my wrist, his eyes rimmed with red as his

    nails dug into my skin. Without a second thought, I took my handbag and hit him on the head with it.

    ¡°Let go of me, asshole! I lost interest in groveling at your feet a long time ago!¡±

    A strange man who had been taking a nap nearby us suddenly sat upright, springing to his feet and

    grabbing my bag before making a run for it. I gasped in shock, immediately tugging my arm out of

    Lyle¡¯s grip and running after the man.

    Are Lyle and I a match made in hell? I swear, nothing good ever happened after I met him.

    Lyle eventually caught up to me and blocked my path. ¡°It¡¯s just a handbag! I¡¯ll buy a new one for you!¡±

    ¡°What? I have important things inside that bag!¡± Desperate, I kicked off my heels and sped right past

    him. Christopher¡¯s ck card was in that handbag. Although I didn¡¯t care much for his money, that card

    was representative of his love for me. We¡¯d made a promise that he was going to take care of me for

    the rest of our lives.

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Lyle zipped past me. With his long legs and natural advantage as a biological male,

    he caught up to the snatch thief in no time, lunging and kicking him down to the ground.

    When he managed to wrestle the handbag away, the thief pulled out a small knife from his pocket and

    shed it in Lyle¡¯s direction, aiming for his chest. Before I could think any better of it, I stepped in

    between them and shoved the thief away from him.

    The sudden motion caused his knife to cut a long gash on my forearm. Seeing that the handbag was

    now safely with Lyle, the thief immediately gave up and stumbled off with his tail between his legs.

    ¡°Are you okay, Yvonne?¡± Lyle¡¯s eyes widened when he saw my arm, trying to use his hands to cover

    the cut and stop the bleeding.

    I brushed him aside. It was just a shallow cut; it only looked bad because of its length. ¡°If there¡¯s

    nothing else, I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll send you to the hospital.¡± He reached out and grabbed onto my arm again, worsening the

    pain I already felt. Losing my temper, I finally blew up at him and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret not

    letting you get stabbed to death!¡±

    That made him let go almost instantly. ¡°Sorry. I was just worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Trouble keeps finding me whenever I see you¡­ It¡¯s like you¡¯re my unlucky charm or

    something. Just stay as far away from me as possible, and I¡¯ll be able to live happily ever after.¡±

    Snatching the bag from him, I stomped off.

    Lyle followed me all the way, attempting to strongarm his way into my house by wedging himself in the

    doorway and effectively preventing me from closing the door on him. ¡°You got hurt because of me,¡± he

    insisted. ¡°At least let me help treat your wound.¡±

    Unable to close the door and shut him out, I had no choice but to let him into the house, digging out the

    first-aid kit and begrudgingly allowing him to bandage up my arm. ¡°Okay, you can leave now,¡± I said as

    soon as he¡¯d snipped off the edges of the bandages. ¡°I don¡¯t want Christopher toe home and have

    a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Like how you put yourself in harm¡¯s way to save my life, and you felt an old me inside you reignite?¡±

    he joked.

    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    I rolled my eyes and fixed him with a deadpan look. ¡°I told you, don¡¯t make me regret what I did.¡±

    ncing around the house and realizing that many of the items were in sets of twos or matching

    pieces, he sighed. ¡°I still hope you will genuinely consider my advice. My number will never change, so

    if you need money, you can tell me anytime. You don¡¯t have to stay with him for his wealth.¡±

    He got a throw pillow chucked in his face before promptly getting kicked out of the house. After a while,

    I remembered that Christopher had specifically picked out that throw pillow for me, and frantically went

    back out to look for it.

    Fortunately, the pillow was safe and sound, save for some dirt that I quickly brushed off. When I picked

    it up and turned back around to go into the house, I saw Christopher¡¯s tall,rge frame standing in the

    shadows of the dark corridor, his icy cold stare trained on me.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    I¡¯d never seen him in such a bad mood before, and my heart skipped a beat in fear. ¡°When did you

    come back?¡± I asked carefully. ¡°I thought you went out to eat with your mom?¡±

    ¡°Did you not want me back?¡± he replied, his tone deep and dangerous.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Mistakenly thinking that he was mad about Lyle and me, I hurriedly replied, ¡°Lyle called

    me and mentioned my grandma, and that¡¯s the only reason why I went to meet him. Nothing else

    happened between us! We¡¯re divorced, remember?¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Christopher¡¯s lips were pursed tightly, and his eyebrows were knitted together. The fond, adoring look

    in his dark eyes that I had gotten used to had been reced by a cold, stony re. It was clear that he

    was angry at me, although this time was much scarier than thest time he¡¯d gotten pissed.

    He walked past me and locked the door, grabbing my upper arm and dragging me downstairs. He

    refused to answer any of my questions. He pushed me into the car backseat before getting into the

    driver¡¯s seat himself. The tension in the car was so thick that you couldn¡¯t have cut through it with a

    knife.

    I¡¯d never been in this sort of situation before. Usually, Christopher was the one who would create a

    rxed atmosphere and put me at ease. Now, only the sounds of the car engine running filled the

    silence between us.

    Soon, the car slowed to a stop in front of the hospital, and Christopher helped to reserve a number on

    the waiting list. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. I don¡¯t need to see a doctor for this.¡±

    He stopped in his tracks, chills running up my spine as he turned to stare directly at me and into my

    soul. Seemingly satisfied with my timid reaction, he walked straight on, and I trailed behind him

    obediently.

    The nurse in charge of changing my bandages had trembling hands, possibly because of Christopher¡¯s

    intimidating expression and the murderous aura emanating off of him. With a slip of her fingers, she

    identally applied too much pressure on the wound, causing me to hiss through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Go and get a more experienced nurse here!¡± Christopher barked out, arms crossed over his chest.

    The poor nurse¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she scurried away. Feeling slightly guilty, I nudged

    Christopher. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be so hard on her.¡±

    He nced away, refusing to even look me in the eye, leaving me to reflect on what I might have done

    to make him so mad. I knew he was understanding of the kind of rtionship and problems that Lyle

    and I now shared. Was he angry and jealous because I went to meet Lyle without his knowledge?

    A minute passed before an older-looking nurse appeared, taking over the process of treating my

    wounds smoothly and with familiarity. When she realized how intently Christopher was staring at her,

    she scoffed, ¡°Hey mister, you shouldn¡¯t stare at anotherdy like that while your wife is right here in

    front of you. I know I¡¯m the prettiest woman you¡¯ve ever seen, but I¡¯m unfortunately taken, so don¡¯t try

    anything on me.¡±

    Augh escaped me before I thought any better of it. I couldn¡¯t help but admire the senior nurse for her

    bravery in joking around with Christopher when he looked as stoic as a mannequin.

    Christopher¡¯s gaze swept over me, staring down his nose with an unreadable emotion. Under his sharp

    gaze, my smile stiffened and slowly disappeared.

    He still didn¡¯t talk to me after we¡¯d returned back home, making a beeline for the bathroom and taking a

    shower. I was left sitting alone on the couch, rubbing at my grumbling stomach.

    I hadn¡¯t eaten lunch yet, and Christopher hadn¡¯t asked me if I had either. Approaching the bedroom, I

    had just reached the doorway when he suddenly pulled me inside and cornered me up against the wall.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    My back hurt from getting mmed into the wall, but it was nothingpared to how painfully

    Christopher¡¯s hands were gripping my shoulders. This side of him was scaring me and causing me to

    have shbacks of the past.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Christopher?¡± I inquired in a small voice, shrinking away from him. ¡°If you¡¯re mad,

    could you please tell me what I did wrong? I¡¯ll change, I promise ¡ª Mmph¡­¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Two hands held my face as he suddenly kissed me, every motion seemingly brimming with frustration.

    He bit on my lips harshly and manhandled me without much care. Out of the corner of my eye, I could

    see bruises starting to form on my shoulders where he was grabbing me.

    ¡°Christopher, please don¡¯t¡­¡± I begged, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. The next thing I knew, I was

    hoisted into midair, and he¡¯d wrapped my legs around his waist.

    I opened my mouth to speak, but a yelp came out instead upon feeling a sharp, burning pain in my

    lower abdomen. Tears blurred my vision, and my entire body was shaking. Yet, Christopher showed no

    signs of stopping.

    My pain tolerance was usually high due to having gone through lots of physical harm in the past ¡ª my

    body had learned to grow numb to pain. However, this was different; this time, I was crying because

    Christopher was the one hurting me.

    He was usually so gentle and tender with me during sex. He would never abruptly enter me like that.

    However, none of that gentleness or tenderness was currently present.

    I turned away from him, refusing to look him in the eye as I silently cried. The dark room was filled with

    only the sounds of Christopher¡¯s feral grunts and the rhythmic thumping of my back against the

    wooden door.

    Suddenly, fingers brushed at my wet cheeks, and I felt his movements stutter. He leaned down to kiss

    my tears away, but his kisses were fierce and provided nofort at all, only serving to draw more

    tears out of me.

    By the time he lowered me down to lie on my stomach on the couch, I¡¯d stopped crying, letting him kiss

    my neck and my back before he resumed thrusting.

    I couldn¡¯t derive any sort of pleasure from this kind of rough sex withoutmunication between us.

    Even if Christopherter reverted back to his normal, gentle behavior, the damage had already been

    done.

    His grip on my hips tightened, and he forcibly turned my head, pressing his lips to mine and slipping his

    tongue into my mouth. I wasn¡¯t sure how to react to this, but I froze up when I saw the expression on

    his face.

    It was one of disappointment and loneliness like I¡¯d never seen before, his eyes dim with sorrow. He

    looked like his heart had just been broken, and he was holding the shattered pieces in his hands with

    no idea how to put them back together.

    I felt my chest squeeze tightly, and I subconsciously reached out to loop my arms around his neck and

    pull him closer. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Christopher,¡± I whispered. I rubbed my cheeks up against his in a

    cating motion, like a kitten rubbing up against an older cat; this was one of his favorite things.

    The brief intimate moment was immediately shattered by the man¡¯s following violence.

    It was only when he picked me up and set me down on the bed that I noticed therge stic bag from

    the adult shop this morning. The realization that he hadn¡¯t been using a condom abruptly dawned upon

    me. This wouldn¡¯t do; I couldn¡¯t afford to get pregnant ¡ª not like Crystal.

    Before I could dwell on the thought any longer, Christopher started thrusting into me once more.

    ¡°Wait, stop¡­ You didn¡¯t use protection¡­¡± I begged weakly, lying lifelessly on the bed. In the end, the

    only thing that crossed my mind before drifting off into unconsciousness was, He¡¯s really mad at me

    this time.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    I woke up the next morning, immediately feeling disgusted at how dirty and sticky my body felt. This

    was the first time Christopher hadn¡¯t helped clean me up. I sleepily reached out for him, my heart

    lurching when my hand touched cold, empty sheets instead.

    Shouldn¡¯tmunication be key to solving any problem? This was not going to work out if Christopher

    was so adamant about not talking to me and hearing me out.

    I perked up upon hearing sounds of water rushinging from the bathroom. Pushing myself out of

    bed, I went to the closet and dug out the outfit I¡¯d bought for himst time, setting it out on a chair for

    him. He¡¯d always treasured this outfit and had only worn it once when we went out on a date.

    I quickly turned around with a bright smile when I heard the door opening. ¡°I picked out your clothes for

    you. Will you being home early tonight?¡±

    Christopher gave me a sidelong nce, a towel wrapped around his waist as he took out another set of

    clothes from the closet to change into. He swiftly got dressed and made to leave.

    ¡°I won¡¯t being home for a few days.¡±

    Panic flooded me, and I stood there motionless for a while. When I eventually snapped out of my daze

    and ran out after him, all I could see was the elevator doors slowly closing, barely providing me a

    glimpse of Christopher standing there with his head hung.

    The doors suddenly slid open again, and I brightened as I stepped closer to the elevator, thinking that

    Christopher had changed his mind. To my chagrin, a middle-aged woman also standing inside had her

    finger on the button instead. ¡°Come on in then, missy. I have somewhere to be.¡±

    I looked at Christopher, who was staring at the floor. In the end, I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to get

    into the elevator, turning on my heel and walking away from him instead.

    When I stepped back into my home, the sight of therge, empty room made me rethink my

    decision. Why didn¡¯t I get into that elevator? Why didn¡¯t I try harder to exin myself to Christopher?

    We wouldn¡¯t be having this cold war otherwise!

    This house had been a gift from Christopher, who had bought it secretly using my identification

    documents. Whenever I found myself in danger, he was the one who lent me a helping hand. Why am I

    fighting with him like this¡­

    When I reached my workce the next day, my colleague Mave was in the midst of organizing

    documents and files. She was a hardworking and serious young woman who always helped me out

    whenever I ran into difficulties at work.

    She gave me a cheerful smile when she spotted me walking in with breakfast. ¡°That looks delicious!

    Can I have a taste?¡±

    ¡°You can have all of it,¡± I replied, handing her the bag. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thank you so much!¡± Mave happily gobbled up the food, finishing it all. She then leaned in to

    ask in a small voice, ¡°Eve, are you actually some kind of heiress from a rich family who¡¯s just here for

    some fun?¡±

    ¡°Why do you say so?¡± Iughed, shaking my head. Sure, I was ady of the Tanner family and had a

    higher social standing than the rest of the employees here, but that didn¡¯t mean anything.

    ¡°I saw you get onto a super expensive car a few days ago, and someone even helped open the door

    for you,¡± was Mave¡¯s reply, her eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°I asked my boyfriend, and he said that the car

    costs millions!¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    She must have spotted Christophering to pick me up from work. Should I be grateful that she

    didn¡¯t jump to conclusions and automatically think I was some rich businessman¡¯s sugar baby or

    something? I pulled out my phone, thinking about calling Christopher, but put it down after having

    second thoughts.

    Iter went out for lunch at noontime. I was busy crossing the road when I saw Christopher standing

    amongst a crowd of bodyguards. He stood tall and proud, his chin raised high in the air as he and his

    entourage walked in my direction.

    We brushed past each other on the zebra crossing, but he didn¡¯t bother to even spare me a nce,

    acting as if we wereplete strangers. I stopped in my tracks, instantly feeling my eyes grow wet with

    tears.

    Has he grown tired of me?

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    I reached the opposite side of the road and turned back around to stare at the back of the man¡¯s

    silhouette. I didn¡¯t realize how much I was anticipating for him to look back at me until he disappeared

    completely, and I let out a pained sigh.

    At that moment, my impulses got the better of me, and I ran back across the road,pletely

    disregarding the red traffic light. As a result, lots of cars screeched to a stop to avoid crashing into me,

    but their angry shouts went in one ear and out the other as I kept on running.

    Getting bumped by a car and falling onto the road didn¡¯t even faze me, merely brushing the blood of my

    scraped palms on my clothes before picking myself up and rushing towards where Christopher was.

    For what felt like an eternity, I stood in the middle of the crossroad, cars, and people whizzing past me

    as I desperately tried to look for him. Growing dizzy, I squatted down and took a minute to calm my

    quickening breaths, tears threatening to overflow from my eyes. I felt like a child who had gotten

    separated from their parents in the supermarket.

    Fortunately, some god or deity must have been watching over me because I spotted Christopher

    walking towards a clubhouse as soon as I got back on my feet. Brushing my tears away, I made my

    way over.

    The bouncer at the entrance held an arm out, blocking my way. ¡°This is a private establishment, miss.

    Please show your membership card to gain entry.¡±

    Christopher was getting further and further away from me. ¡°I don¡¯t have a membership card,¡± I

    frantically exined to the bouncer. ¡°Please let me in! I¡¯m just looking for someone. I promise I¡¯lle

    out quickly!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t enter without a membership card.¡±

    It was such a simple thing that only emphasized the distance between Christopher and I. All I wanted

    was to see him, but I couldn¡¯t even enter the ces he went to, left with no other option but to watch

    him slowly disappear from my sight.

    Christopher was the sun, zing high in the sky, and I was nothing more than a moth drawn to his light.

    I left the clubhouse and went back to my workce, stuck in a daze for the rest of the day. When I

    asionally pulled out my phone to see if I had received any messages from Christopher, Mave

    teased me for being hopelessly in love.

    If only she knew.

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    Aware that I wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind, I didn¡¯t dare type up any reports, only daring to photocopy

    some documents and such. When I was on the way to the finance office, I suddenly spotted Yvette.

    She was dressed in formal business wear as she walked out of the elevator with some documents in

    her hand. I tried to backtrack and hide away from her, but it was toote. She¡¯d already seen me.

    My sister looked me up and down with a critical eye, giving me a tight, polite smile. ¡°What are you

    doing here?¡±

    ¡°I work here.¡± I was wearing thepany¡¯s uniform and even had a name badge. There would be no

    use trying to lie.

    Yvetteughed, her cleavage shaking as she did so. ¡°You work here? How are you able to pay rent

    with this measly sry?¡± She pointed at the badge pinned to the front of my shirt, sneering, ¡°I¡¯m

    currently the assistant to the CEO of Tanner Corporation. Wanna guess how much I earn monthly?¡±

    I¡¯d already been in a bad mood before bumping into Yvette, and her appearance only worsened it. ¡°I¡¯m

    surprised you aren¡¯t calling me ¡®sister¡¯ this and ¡®sister¡¯ that anymore,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Is it because there¡¯s no

    one else around us for you to keep up the act for? Not even Crystal is here to watch your

    performance.¡±

    ¡°Like you said, we have different mothers. Why should I continue to refer to you as my sister? You don¡¯t

    have the right to be rted to me anyway.¡± She flipped her hair over her shoulder, fixing me with a

    disdainful re. ¡°Look at you. No one would believe me if I told them you¡¯re my elder sister. Keep on

    working hard, and don¡¯t waste your effort on seducing your way up the ranks, okay? Employment is

    hard toe by these days; you should treasure your job while you still have it.¡±

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t refer to me as your sibling or not. I¡¯m the daughter of dad¡¯s original wife, and

    you¡¯re just a bastard daughter. If you¡¯re here for business matters, then let me give you a piece of

    advice. Don¡¯t let people find out that you¡¯re a mistress¡¯ child. Our boss absolutely detests extramarital

    affairs.¡±

    I was trying to scare her on purpose. If Crystal was around, I would have watched my mouth, but Yvette

    was on apletely different and lower level of intelligencepared to Crystal.

    As I¡¯d expected, her face grew green. When she opened her mouth to speak, I interrupted, ¡°You¡¯re here

    as a representative of the Tanner Corporation, no? Are you sure such a high-ranking secretary like

    yourself should be here arguing with an employee instead of, I don¡¯t know, actually going to your

    meeting?¡±

    Yvette raised her hand to hit me in a fit of rage, but the sound of the elevator doors opening startled

    her, her documents all falling to the floor. She quickly stepped back and bent down, waving me off

    before I could do anything. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You are very punctual, Ms. Tanner. Our meeting is at four in the afternoon, but you¡¯re already here at

    half-past three.¡± Richard stepped out of the elevator, smiling when he saw her standing close to me.

    ¡°Do you know my employee, Ms. Tanner?¡±

    ¡°Getting to work with you is my honor, Mr. Whitrow; of course, the very least I could do is show up early.

    As for this employee¡­¡± Yvette¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere

    before, but I just can¡¯t put my finger on it¡­¡±

    She tapped her head lightly, seemingly deep in thought before suddenly recalling something, her mouth

    falling open in fake shock. ¡°Oh! Aren¡¯t you that little thief from the mall? I mean¡ª¡±

    pping her hand over her mouth as if she hadn¡¯t meant to say that, she nced at me apologetically.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. It¡¯s just a joke.¡±

    Public humiliation like this was what Yvette and Crystal were both good at. I could already feel the

    curious gazes of the higher-ups standing behind Richard burning into the back of my head. Is there a

    hole somewhere for me to hide in? Anywhere?

    ¡°You watch your mouth! You know very well why those diamonds ended up in my bag! How dare you

    act all clueless as if you didn¡¯t frame me and go and cry to Dad, causing him to throw away my birthday

    gift!¡± I blew up at her. I knew that this was not the time or ce to be arguing with Yvette, but I couldn¡¯t

    take her nonsense any longer.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yvette snickered. ¡°We may both share the same surname, but we aren¡¯t

    rted in any way.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Vonnie, you should leave,¡± one of the managers spoke up, stealing nervous looks at Richard¡¯s

    slowly darkening expression. ¡°We have an important meeting to get to.¡±

    Hugging my documents to my chest, I silently retreated from the scene, the sounds of Yvette talking

    badly about me slowly growing faint.

    ¡°The employees here should be valued by way of their morals and ethics more than they should be for

    their work efficiency. You can¡¯t have a thief working amongst yourpany; it¡¯ll be bad for the

    company¡¯s reputation! If anything happens at any sort of corporate banquet because of her, the

    company will be med for it¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, Ms. Tanner¡­¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure how I made it through the rest of the day. On the way back home from work, I paid a visit

    to the supermarket and bought a ton of groceries, immediately heading for the kitchen as soon as I got

    back.

    About an hourter, I stood in front of a table full of multiple dishes, finally having burnt through all of

    my leftover anger from that morning. It was only then that I remembered Christopher saying he

    wouldn¡¯t being back for a few days.

    The entire house was silent except for the sound of my heartbeat echoing in my ears. Loneliness

    slowly crept up upon me, threatening to overwhelm me and pull me back into the depths of despair.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Picking up my cutlery, I cut off a small piece of the caramelized pork I¡¯d made and put it in my mouth. It

    tasted the same as always, but for some reason, I found it hard to swallow and ended up throwing all of

    the food away.

    It was hard for humans to get used to loneliness after having enjoyed thepany of another person,

    after all.

    I used to wait excitedly for Lyle toe home like this, only to find out that he didn¡¯t care whether or

    not I would be waiting up for him. Thus, I resolved to never do such a thing again, and yet, here I was

    ¡ª anticipating someone who wasn¡¯ting back.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    Christopher¡­

    My mind was filled with thoughts about him; his voice, his face, his touch. The memory of him clung to

    me like a disease. It had barely been one day since we¡¯dst seen each other, and I was already on

    the brink of breaking down. I hated finding out what might happen to me if I did truly lose him one day.

    My phone suddenly rang. Thinking that it might be a call from Christopher, I hurriedly rummaged

    through my bag and answered it without even looking at the screen. ¡°Hello? When are youing

    back? I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of being the third wheel. At least remember to look at the name of the caller before

    answering next time?¡± Sabrina joked. I blinked owlishly and let out a self-deprecatingugh at

    myself. I¡¯m going mad.

    ¡°Hello? Are you still there?¡±

    ¡°Did you need me for something?¡± I replied dryly.

    ¡°Hey, what are you going on about? Can¡¯t I just hit you up randomly to chat?¡± she grumbled. Seemingly

    sensing that I was acting weird, she proceed to change the subject. ¡°Did you get into a fight with that

    Greek god boyfriend of yours? Come on; you should lower your standards a little! I swear, if I didn¡¯t

    already have a partner of my own, I would have pounced on him a long time ago. Be careful not to

    scare him away, alright? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever find another guy like him if you do.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t get into a fight.¡± I would have much preferred it if we did; at least I would be able to find out

    why he was so angry at me. Instead, he insisted on ignoring my existence and giving me the cold

    shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s good! By the way, there¡¯s going to be a super-luxurious yacht party soon with lots of people

    attending. Do you want to go with your boyfriend on a little vacation? I bought two tickets, but Zachary

    is busy, and I don¡¯t want these to go to waste. I¡¯ll gift them to you if you want.¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any spare time soon to go anywhere.¡± There was no way Christopher

    would agree to go with me on vacation.

    ¡°You can take leave from work! Besides, there¡¯s a public holidaying up soon, and it¡¯d be too sad to

    spend it at home sulking!¡± She giggled at that.

    I could hear her giddy happiness even through the phone. Even though sheined about Zachary,

    I could picture her grinning at the mere mention of him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound hyped about this¡­ Not even one bit. Listen, I promise there¡¯ll be a surprise if you go.

    But I guess with Mr. Lane¡¯s wealth, he technically doesn¡¯t need my ticket. He could get an invite if he

    asked for one.¡±

    Sabrina went on and on as I quietly listened to her, asionally interjecting with some sounds of

    acknowledgment until she eventually ran out of steam and hung up the call. I was left holding my

    phone, staring nkly at the screen and waiting for any sort of message from Christopher.

    Nothing came for me. I threw it off to one side and tiredly crawled into bed, curling up under the

    nkets and falling asleep.

    ¡°What¡¯s been up with you these few days, Yvonne? You¡¯ve been lifelessly drifting around¡­ Is

    everything alright at home?¡± Maveter asked me while at work.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little under the weather, that¡¯s all,¡± I reassured her with a weak smile. I couldn¡¯t possibly

    tell her about what happened between Christopher and I. She might just figure that I¡¯d read too many

    romance novels and was pretending to be the ugly little duckling of my own love life.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care too much about what other people are saying,¡± she sighed, patting my shoulder

    comfortingly. ¡°They always run their mouths without knowing the whole situation. Seriously, don¡¯t they

    know how to mind their own business?¡±

    I felt my heart swell with relief. Yvette¡¯s appearance had caused a new wave of unpleasant rumors and

    gossip among thepany staff. It was bing increasinglymon for me to overhear other

    employees talking about me whenever I passed by the breakroom, although I never bothered to try and

    defend myself.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    It was just a shame that my pleasant working environment had gone down the drain all because of my

    vile sister.

    Right before I was supposed to get off of work, my manager called me to his office. ¡°You need to pay a

    visit to the finance officeter,¡± he told me, aplicated expression on his face. ¡°Thepany has

    terminated your contract. They will pay you three months¡¯ worth of sry aspensation.¡±

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    I stood there, frozen for a long while before it finally hit me. I was getting fired.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong? Please tell me what it is, and I promise I¡¯ll improve in the future,¡± I begged.

    I really needed this job.

    The manager frowned at me, sighing regretfully. ¡°Vonnie, there are some things that are simply out of

    my control. This was a direct order from Mr. Whitrow. Even if I wanted to keep you, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m really

    sorry; three months of pay is the most I can offer you right now.¡±

    Is it because of Yvette? I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to rpose myself. She was the

    youngdy of the Tanner family. It made sense that there wasn¡¯t a single boss or CEO who would dare

    go against her words, and she had already publicly criticized my morals in front of my boss.

    ¡°Thank you for taking such care of me all this time. I won¡¯t trouble you any longer.¡±

    I left my workce, my bag heavier with the ten thousand more that I¡¯de into work with. I could

    never figure out why my manager was always so kind to me, but I knew it would be fruitless to expect

    him to fix my problems for me.

    Mave, not knowing that I would nevere back here, waved at me as we parted ways at the building

    entrance and even reminded me to disregard what everyone else was saying. I merely brushed her off

    with a smile.

    ¡°ording to ourtest reports, Mr. Christopher Lane of Avenport and Ms. Martin will be getting

    engaged soon! The wealth of the powerful Lane family can be traced back to three generations, while

    Ms. Martin, a famous pianist, is from the schrly Martin family! Yesterday at Ms. Martin¡¯s piano

    concert, Mr. Lane went up to give her a bouquet of roses as the audience erupted into cheers¡­¡±

    A loud voice from somewhere startled me awake from my depressed daze. I raised my head and

    looked towards arge LED screen in the middle of the za. It was ying a video where Monica

    wore a gorgeous gown, standing in front of her piano as Christopher handed her a bouquet of roses, a

    warm smile on his face.

    The two of them looked like a picture-perfect couple together.

    So Christopher went to watch Monica¡¯s concert yesterday? I wonder if he thought of me at all.

    I stared dumbfounded at the dazzling man on the screen.

    He was getting engaged with Monica. He was distancing himself from me because of this, possibly

    because he was worried that I would cling to him, even though he knew very well that I never would.

    So we¡¯ve finally reached this point, huh. It wasn¡¯t like there was anything concrete between Christopher

    and I in the first ce. I was always just a hobby to him.

    Standing in the middle of a bustling city, I felt more lost than ever. Last time, when I found myself with

    nowhere to turn to, Christopher had been the one who gifted me with a house. Now that he was

    engaged, I couldn¡¯t possibly go back there.

    I didn¡¯t want to be what I hated most ¡ª a shameless homewrecker.

    But why does my heart hurt so much? My body moved forward as if on autopilot. I¡¯d yet again lost the

    best thing I had in my life.

    If you hadn¡¯t intended on staying, why did you bother creating such a beautiful illusion for me to lose

    myself in?

    ¡°Mommy, why is thatdy crying? Is she lost?¡±

    ¡°Shush, sweetie. Let¡¯s not bother her.¡±

    It was only when I reached up and touched my wet cheeks that I realized I was crying.

    God, I was so useless. All I did whenever I ran into hardship was cry. But what was I supposed to do

    other than cry? Go and look for Christopher? I didn¡¯t think I would be able to even step foot within the

    Lane residence without their security guards stopping me at the front door.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Even if I do get to see him, what am I supposed to say? Why did you propose to Monica? Why did you

    abandon me?

    He¡¯d never said a single word about marrying me. His ¡°I love you¡±s had no meaning or weight to them;

    they were merely sweet phrases spoken in the heat of the moment whenever we were entangled

    between the sheets.

    ¡°Yvonne? Is that you?¡± Crystal¡¯s voice rang out from beside me. ¡°Why are you crying? Did a guy hurt

    you?¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    Crystal and Lyle stood in front of me, hand-in-hand with matching couple outfits and matching happy

    smiles on their faces.

    The romantic sight made me taste bile in the back of my mouth as my chest squeezed a little tighter.

    Too drained of energy to bother arguing with them, I tried to step past them and walk away when

    Crystal grabbed ahold of my arm.

    ¡°Yvonne, there was no way you could have ever been with a guy like Christopher. When Lyle told me

    about it, I thought he was only joking. But now that you know Christopher is getting married to Monica,

    you should try to step away from the situation as soon as possible. Besides, you¡¯re a divorcee as well.

    Trying to cling onto someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦ will only ruin your reputation further.¡±

    I wonder who the cause of my divorce was. I red daggers at her.

    ¡°Ms. Martin is the most famous bachelorette in Avenport, and there are lines of men waiting for her

    hand in marriage! They will now retreat only because her fianc¨¦ is Christopher. There¡¯s no way you

    could beat someone like that. I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice. Give up. If you need money, you could

    alwayse to me! I have too much to spare,¡± she said, finishing with a sharine-sweet smile that

    contrasted her venomous words.

    ¡°Stop crying! People are staring!¡± Lyle interrupted as he gave me a sidelong nce, then turned back

    to tell Crystal, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time. You can head on first to the restaurant; I¡¯ll catch upter.¡±

    ¡°But the baby in my tummy is getting hungry,¡± she pouted, one hand on her baby bump.

    ¡°I just have something to tell Yvonne, okay?¡± he coaxed. ¡°Good girl.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alright, then. You better hurry up, or I won¡¯t wait for you.¡± Crystal turned around and threw a disdainful

    sneer over her shoulder at me before striding away.

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to give her a reaction. The warm October wind felt like an incessant chill slipping

    in through my clothes and freezing me to the bone. Not even hugging my arms proved helpful in

    warming myself up.

    ¡°I told you before to not get involved with Christopher, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now, look what

    happened.¡± Lyle¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed together in frustration, an expression that I was all too

    familiar with. He used to always look at me this way whenever I made a fool of myself in public. ¡°When

    will I ever be afforded the reassurance that you¡¯ll be fine?¡±

    ¡°The joke¡¯s over. Curtains are drawn. Can I leave now?¡± I deadpanned.

    God¡¯s being particrly cruel today. I¡¯d just been fired from my job, Christopher was getting married to

    a woman who I would never be able to match up to, and when I was at the lowest of my low, I just had

    to bump into who else but my ex-husband and his mistress.

    Having fun watching the show from up there, God?

    ¡°I care about you, Yvonne. You can¡¯t not let me call you out on your bullcrap when it¡¯s clearly bit you

    back.¡± He aggressively tugged at my arm as if trying to shake me awake. ¡°You move out of there

    tomorrow, you hear me? If you need money, I¡¯ll transfer a million over to your bank ount right this

    second. For goodness¡¯ sake, you¡¯re ady of the Tanner family and my ex-wife! You can¡¯t let yourself

    be treated as a ything by a guy just for money! That reflects badly on me, too!¡±

    Ady of the Tanner family. I¡¯d never wanted to acknowledge that part of my identity, so Lyle bringing it

    up only made me want tough out loud.

    ¡°Stop acting like a knight in shining armor, alright? I would rather sleep on the streets than rely on your

    money,¡± I spat out. I didn¡¯t want to see him or anyone else. All I wanted was to find a quiet ce where

    no one would be able to find me so I could cry my heart out. ¡°Can I go yet?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Clearly taken aback by my outburst, Lyle shoved me away from him. Due to the height of my

    heels, I instantly stumbled backward and somehow ended up in the middle of the road. As I vaguely

    registered a throbbing pain in my ankle and saw a car speeding my way, a thought crossed my

    mind. Death doesn¡¯t sound too bad right now.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    Out of nowhere, arge hand forcefully pulled me back onto the walkway, and I crashed face-first into a

    familiar embrace. My nose hurt from the impact, but all I could do was stand there frozen as I stared up

    at Christopher.

    ¡°Let go of her!¡± roared Lyle.

    ¡°Yvonne is mine. Not someone for you to push around and bully like that. I¡¯d advise you to watch

    yourself, or else I will be forced to take severe measures against you.¡± Christopher¡¯s chest rumbled as

    he spoke, one arm wrapped around my waist. However, my heart didn¡¯t skip a beat as it would have in

    the past.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Yvonne is my wife! You¡¯re already engaged to someone else, so

    don¡¯t try to y around with her feelings any longer, Christopher! I¡¯m not scared of you just because

    you¡¯re from the Lane family!¡± Lyle walked up to us, trying to pry the two of us apart.

    Instinctively, my arms tightened around Christopher¡¯s body. If this was thest time I was able to touch

    and hug thisrge, broad body, then I was going to make the most out of this moment. At the very

    least, I wouldn¡¯t feel as upset in the future when I looked back on this moment.

    Perhaps I should be relieved that the news of Christopher and Monica¡¯s engagement had been made

    public through the mass media, instead of me having to witness it with my very own eyes.

    ¡°Correction. She¡¯s your ex-wife. If you didn¡¯t cherish her enough back then, you don¡¯t get the chance to

    do so now,¡± Christopher responded coldly. ¡°Besides, your fianc¨¦e is right behind you.¡±

    Lyle and I both looked behind him at the same time. Crystal was standing there since who-knows-

    when, staring at all of us anxiously as if trying to figure out how and where she should insert herself into

    our altercation.

    ¡°Come on, Lyle. You shouldn¡¯t try to help Yvonne if she clearly has other ideas. She¡¯s not going to

    ept your help even if you insist on it.¡± Looping her arm through Lyle¡¯s, she looked up at him with

    puppy-dog eyes. ¡°The baby and I are both getting hungry. Let¡¯s go and eat, okay?¡±

    ¡°You be careful!¡± With those parting words, Lyle finally led Crystal away from the scene.

    Meanwhile, Christopher tugged on my arm and walked off in a separate direction. He moved too

    quickly, so I soon found it hard to keep up with him, especially with my busted ankle. Before I knew it, I

    tripped and was hurtling towards the ground when he caught me and hoisted me back upright.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    He nced down at my leg and picked me up in his arms in a bridal carry without a second thought. If

    this were any other time, I would yell at him out of embarrassment and tell him to put me down, but now

    I just curled into him obediently without a singleint.

    I wish time would stop right here, right now.

    Mentally and physically fatigued from the events of the day and from not getting a wink of sleepst

    night, I eventually drifted off into unconsciousness in his arms.

    When I came to, we were in the house that I once thought of as perfect and a ¡°home.¡± Christopher set

    me down on the couch and dug out some ointment for my twisted ankle. Thankfully, there was no

    swelling, although it still hurt.

    After that, the man took off my top to inspect the sh wound on my arm. He pursed his lips upon

    seeing my messily changed bandage, carefully undoing it and reapplying some antiseptic cream before

    wrapping it back up with new, clean bandages.

    It might have been because of the tenderness of his actions and his tender touch, but I somehow fell

    asleepying there on the sofa. In the midst of my foggy dreams, I could vaguely hear a long sigh

    before I felt myself being moved to a softer, warmer ce.

    ¡°Stupid woman. Why didn¡¯t you call me if you knew I was mad at you? You didn¡¯t even greet me when

    we passed each other in the street. You¡¯re too stubborn for your own good.¡±

    He continued in an exasperated tone, ¡°Have you still not figured out what I¡¯m mad about? I¡¯ve only left

    you alone for two days, and look at the mess you¡¯ve gotten yourself into. If I hadn¡¯t gone to pick you up

    from work today, you would have gotten hit by that car! Seriously, don¡¯t you have any self-preservation

    instincts?¡±

    After a moment, he sighed. ¡°I used to find your stubbornness cute. Today, I really want to pinch you to

    death for causing me so much worry.¡±

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    Dreams were great. In there, Christopher exined everything to me. He was terribly worried too. How

    nice it would be if reality were the same. Silently, I wept. No one would know if I ever did that in a

    dream. I could cry to my heart¡¯s content without having to care what anybody thought.

    A pair of hands gently wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes. It must be Christopher¡¯s

    hands. They were so warm. I hoped I never had to wake up from this dream.

    ¡°Christopher¡­ Christopher¡­¡± I called his name in between sobs as I buried myself in his arms.

    I was soon awakened by the divine aroma of food. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I sat up on the bed.

    Christopher was in front of the dressing table, smoking quietly. An orange-reddish glow flickered near

    his lips while the wisps of smoke shrouded his dark eyes, so much so that I could not catch the light in

    his orbs.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. I¡¯ve prepared some food for you. Come eat.¡± Christopher stubbed out his cigarette

    and opened the windows, inviting the wind.

    I got up from the bed, allowing my warm body to be exposed to the air. Christopher grabbed a thick

    garment from the wardrobe and put it on me. ¡°It¡¯s gotten cold recently. You should wear moreyers.¡±

    I touched the cotton-based top covering me. It was a Chanel product that was quite expensive.

    Basically, the designer outfits in the wardrobe were all supplied by Christopher. I had never purchased

    such high-end fashion for myself. The size fitted me just right, and the style suited my taste. He knew

    every inch of my body better than I knew myself.

    Looking up at him, I was surprised to see how pale he was. I had not seen him in two days, yet he

    appeared as though he had not rested in a long time. Exhaustion loomed over him. There were dark

    circles under his bloodshot eyes, and the stubble on his chin had clearly been overlooked.

    Has he been that busy?

    I got dressed, took a quick shower, and came to the dining table. A marvelous meal containing all my

    favorite dishes had been prepared. Christopher¡¯s cooking skills were greatly improving. In the past, his

    food was either too salty or too nd; he sometimes added too much salt, and other times, not enough.

    Now, all the food he cooked was tailored ording to what I like.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Is this a farewell feast? I helped myself to a piece of crab. and managed to dig up some crab roe.

    Christopher grabbed a porcin bowl, his fair fingers holding onto the edge. So slender they were,

    much more eye-catching than the porcin bowl in his hand.

    Using adle, he scooped some soup and poured it into a bowl for me. ¡°It¡¯s chicken broth. Helps

    replenish the blood. Drink up.¡±

    I felt that our rtionship seemed to have taken a one-eighty. On the day he left, no matter what I said

    or how I acted, all he did was ignore me. He did not say a word. Now, he was the one who spoke, but it

    was my turn to go mum.

    I did not know what to say, and I dared not ask him when he nned to marry Monica. I feared I could

    not ept it if it were to happen soon. I also dared not ask him what he nned to do with me after he

    and Monica got engaged.

    I forced myself to gulp some food even though I did not have much of an appetite. When I put down my

    fork and intended to put away the food, Christopher stopped me. He chided me, saying that I had not

    eaten my fill. Stubbornly, he scooped more food onto my te and refilled my bowl of soup, sternly

    instructing me to gobble them up.

    Not wanting to disappoint him, I picked up the utensils to start eating. In a few short minutes, I emptied

    my te. When I was done, I took to clean up the table when he pulled me back and pressed me onto

    the couch. ¡°Your wounds aren¡¯tpletely healed yet. Just stay here and rest.¡±

    I merely smiled and said nothing. I looked on affectionately as he got busy in the kitchen. When he

    came out and lifted me onto hisp, I looked up and stroked his face. That was when I finally opened

    my mouth to ask, ¡°When shall I move out?¡±

    If Christopher wanted me out of his sight right then, I would dly oblige.

    When the man registered my query, his face fell. He tossed me aside and narrowed his eyes at me.

    Vigorous anger-filled those orbs as the raging storm around him sought to destroy me.

    He¡¯s mad again!

    A momentter, I heard him snort. He turned around and strode out, mming the door behind him. I

    was left alone, staring nkly at the closed door.

    Soon after, I came back to my senses. I rose to my feet and rushed to the door. I opened it and gave

    chase. I still wanted him to stay with me in the short time we had left.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    I thought I would be chasing after his shadow as I had done during the day, begging him not to leave.

    But I had barely made my way out the door when I saw him hastily making his way back. To my

    dismay, I could not stop myself in time for I was running too fast. I fell into his arms when our bodies

    collided.

    He had a firm chest, as solid as a rock, so when I bumped into him ¡ª nose first ¡ª the pain caused me

    to tear up. I pounded his chest with all my might, crying at the same time. ¡°You think you¡¯re all that just

    because you have sturdy pecs? You think you can have your way with other people?¡±

    He gripped my hand. Then, like a hawk who had caught its prey, he brought me inside and tossed me

    on the bed. He barked at me, ¡°Yvonne, you idiot! Do you want to piss me off? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? So what if I do? You¡¯re a jerk, a stupid jerk!¡± Following my aching nose, tears flowed down my

    cheeks as a way to conceal the pain in my heart. ¡°You think you¡¯re pissed? I¡¯ve been pissed for longer

    than you have!¡±

    I let you stay with me. I turned a blind eye when you got engaged to another woman. I allowed you to

    pretend not to know me when we crossed paths. Urgh, I want to bite you! I kept cursing him in my mind

    as I bit on his fingers, face, and neck. However, Christopher was no pushover. With his finger tightly

    gripping my waist, he started tearing at my clothes, biting my lips harshly whenever he could.

    Something like this could easily lead to another. I longed for his touch, for him to hug me, so much so

    that I deliberately rubbed myself onto him. He¡¯s obviously mine. Why should I give him up? I know I¡¯m

    cheap. If someone treats me well, I want them all to myself.

    But this was Christopher we were talking about. He has always been kind to me. If I could put aside my

    dignity for two years, as I did for Lyle, why can¡¯t I do it for Christopher? Why can¡¯t I strive to make him

    mine?

    I soon felt something hard poking my lower abdomen. Christopher had me pressed on the bed. Despite

    thispromising position, I was indignant. I turned over so that he was under me. But, for once, I was

    too aggressive, and both of us rolled onto the floor.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    He cushioned my fall, so I was fine. When I was on top of him, I extended an arm to grab hold of his

    belt. I fiddled with it but to no avail. It would note off. I was not familiar with belts, after all. So I

    changed my mind and aimed for his buttons instead.

    Christopher held my waist, wrapped his arms around me, and pushed me back. Of course, a woman¡¯s

    strength could notpare to that of a man, so I was instantly flipped over. We rolled around on the

    floor, Christopher and I, until we reached a corner of the room. Fortunately, the floor was soft and

    carpeted.

    Fighting at close quarters like this was particrly exciting. We exchanged blows like a game of chess.

    After a while, we were out of our clothes and facing each other. Christopher sank his teeth on my

    shoulder and I, not willing to be outdone, gnawed at his neck like he was a piece of drumstick.

    ¡°Now, do you know what you did wrong?¡± The man tightly clenched my jaw and sucked on my lips. His

    cold fingers traced across the wound on my arm before rubbed his cheek against it. His fingers

    gradually reached down and lifted my foot, providing him a better view when he examined my ankle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I really don¡¯t! Lyle¡¯s my ex-husband now, you know that. Do you still intend toe between us

    and whatever conflicts we have? You¡¯re unreasonable, you know? I did nothing wrong, and I never

    have.¡± I kept my chin up, refusing to give in.

    All of a sudden, Christopher entered me, not giving me time to prepare. I arched my back, unable to

    speak, then I leaned in his arms, convulsing all over. He merely paused, giving me time to adapt to the

    feeling, and when I did, he continued with his frenzy.

    I rolled around on the floor as Christopher had his way with me, but he was not satisfied. While he was

    doing that, he kept asking me the same question, probing for an answer. ¡°Say it, what have you done

    wrong?¡±

    I must have been dizzy by then. I remained stubborn as I tried to cooperate with him. ¡°I didn¡¯t do

    anything! You b*stard! Idiot! Liar! I¡¯ll bite you, mp you tight, suck you dry¡­¡±

    Christopher frowned at my response. He said nothing as he continued to torture me, and after each

    deed, he would lift my head and ask whether I knew what I had done wrong.

    ¡°I did¡­ nothing wrong¡­ You b*stard¡­ You¡¯re engaged¡­ F*ck off! Go look for your fianc¨¦e.¡±

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    Physical intimacy was a pretty strange act. I did not like the feeling at the beginning, but as things

    progressed I grew to like it. However, it gradually made me ufortable again. Yet, Christopher was

    still angry at me. He kept on biting my sensitive skin, demanding me to admit my mistake.

    In the end, I could not bear it anymore. I burst into tears, but my wailing did nothing to quell the beast

    within him. Instead, it somehow spiced up our little sport. It did not stop him from pursuing his own

    release.

    Right then, I came to aplete understanding of Christopher¡¯s terrifying physical prowess. I was

    exhausted from all the action, having lost every bit of strength that the only thing I could do was

    breathe. Sleep overtook me eventually.

    In a daze, I felt a hand stroking my face, and then my back. It offered a cooling touch. Christopher must

    be changing my bandages. When he began massaging my ankle, I finally managed to open my tired

    eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man leaned over to check on me, his face sullen. I noticed his hair was wet.

    Deep down, I was still mad at him, so I yelled, ¡°Just so you can continue!¡±

    ¡°Do you have to be like this?¡± Christopher¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way I am. Do you have a problem with it?¡± I turned my head away because I did not want to

    look at him.

    ¡°I swear, one of these days I¡¯ll break that attitude of yours!¡± Christopher let out a low growl as he lifted

    the covers and got on top of me again. I tried to struggle, but it had little effect on him. To a strong man

    like him, it was nothing more than a tickle or an itch.

    With no way out, I looked up at the ceiling and bit my lips. asionally, when it got too painful, I let out

    a whimper. It turned out that exhaustion could offset every single shred of joy, just like what I was

    experiencing then. Christopher and I had merged into one, but all I wanted to do was close my eyes

    and get a good night¡¯s sleep.

    In ancient times, this would be considered a kind of torture. They would keep the prisoner awake,

    prevent them from falling sleeping. Even if they wanted to, they would be woken. It was a form of

    mental torture. Christopher was definitely a jack-of-all-trades. Sometimeter, I fainted again.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    We did not reconcile. When I woke up, Christopher charged at me again. It was madness! I did not

    know how many days had passed, but we kept on going for some time, only stopping for food and to

    use the toilet. Other than those, I basically never left the luxurious bed. Christopher seemed to dedicate

    all his energy to be spent in these few, short days, and every time he would not stop until he had

    stripped me of my consciousness.

    Ring¡­ Ring¡­

    I woke up to the sounds of the wind chimes hanging from the window. When I opened my eyes, I felt

    odd. My body was in an erratic state ¡ª it did not feel like it was mine. Even the simplest action of

    peeling off the covers took a ton of effort.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made some soup for you. It¡¯s still hot. You should have some.¡± Christopher walked over to me and

    propped me up so that I was leaning against the headboard. When his broad hands wrapped around

    my feet, I flinched out of reflex.

    He chuckled when he saw my reaction. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson. I thought I could never

    tame you.¡±

    Devoid of energy, I just red at him. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    ¡°Huh, I guess you haven¡¯t.¡± Christopher knitted his eyebrows, looking equally troubled and defeated. A

    bitter smile crossed his face as he sighed. Holding me in his arms, he said, ¡°Is it really that hard to say

    you¡¯re sorry?¡±

    Clinging onto him, tears escaped my eyes. I could no longer hold them back. I had always been a

    sucker for the gentle approach. When Christopher chided me, I was adamant that I had done nothing

    wrong. Once his tone softened, even slightly, all my grievances poured out like a raging river, as though

    I had just found an exit.

    ¡°I was wrong, okay. Christopher, I was wrong,¡± I whimpered. ¡°Don¡¯t stay mad at me. Can you do that?

    I¡¯m scared¡­ I¡¯m scared that you don¡¯t care about me anymore.¡±

    ¡°Silly girl!¡± The man pressed his forehead on mine and gently wiped away my tears. ¡°Do you know how

    scared I was that day when I witnessed that man stab you with that sharp knife? Any closer and I would

    have lost you forever.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯ve let you down.¡± I could not control my tears. I knew always made him worry, getting

    myself hurt in turn. It was my fault.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve let me down. You promised me you would protect yourself, but it seems like you keep

    running into danger wherever you go. I¡¯ve even thought about how I won¡¯t have a reason to live

    anymore if you die.¡±

    Christopher stared deeply at me. There was a flicker of pain in his eyes, mixed with a shred of

    overwhelming anxiety and fear.

    I could tell that he was really afraid. Otherwise, how could a man as tough as he was¡ªa man who

    would not even blink in the face of a gunshot¡ªbear such a panicked expression on his face?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± I covered his mouth. ¡°If it helps, I promise, the next time I sense danger, I¡¯m going to

    avoid it like the gue. I won¡¯t go charging in again, guns zing.¡±

    ¡°You mean there¡¯s going to be a ¡®next time¡¯?¡± Christopher raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°No! Absolutely not! This is thest one.¡± I quickly waved my hands to show that I had learned my

    mistake. In my mind, I used to think Christopher got mad because he saw Lyle and I in each other¡¯s

    arms. He might have thought we still kept in touch. Hence, his disappointment turned into rage.

    I had never once considered that he was furious because I did not know how to protect myself.

    How am I worthy of this man¡¯s attention?

    ¡°The next time you see me angry, you shoulde forward to coax me,fort me. Don¡¯t get all

    tensed up and go off the deep end on your own. If you see me on the streets, you should stop me.

    Treat me to a meal or grab me a cup of coffee as an apology. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know me.¡±

    Christopher began to list out my faults one by one.

    Not to be outdone, I snapped back, ¡°Well, next time you see me in a bad mood, you are not to ignore

    me. Talk to me if you have any issues. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know I can be as stubborn as a mule. The

    more you rage, the more persistent I get. Can¡¯t we just talk things out?¡±

    ¡°Are you reasoning with me?¡± Christopher brushed my nose with the tip of his finger lightly.

    In the end, both of us promised that whatever happened in future conflicts, we would reflect on our

    mistakes andmunicate nicely. No more cold shoulders. Problem resolved.

    We still had other issues to settle, but as long as he would listen to me, the rest did not seem as

    important as I thought they should be. I did not ask about Monica because I did not want to ruin a good

    moment.

    Christopher did not mention anything to me either. I stayed at home to rest for the whole day. When I

    went outside for a short walk, I feltpletely alive. As I walked, I massaged my sore neck. Even with

    clothes on, I could see the dense row of hickeys Christopher had nted there. My mouth twitched at

    that. It would be a few days before I would dare to go out in public.

    Plus, I did not own a turtleneck sweater high enough to hide all the hickeys. People would notice them

    eventually, and that would certainly be embarrassing.

    Christopher, on the other hand, seemed to be full of vim and vigor. After walking a certain distance, he

    pummeled his back and sighed, ¡°Gosh, my back is killing me!¡±

    Rolling my eyes at him, I mumbled, ¡°And here I thought you¡¯re as fit as a fiddle. What¡¯s wrong? Is too

    much sex taking a toll on you? Figures.¡±

    The man smirked. He raised a brow proudly and said, ¡°Worry about yourself. My goal in life is to

    conquer you.¡±

    What does he mean by that? How disappointing. If that¡¯s the way he sees it, his mission was

    completed right after we had a one-night stand. Why does he have to call me his lifetime goal?

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lousy goal. Can¡¯t you think of something else, like conquering the sea of stars, for instance?¡±

    ¡°The sea of stars cannotpete with your beauty. I¡¯m sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, bother! Just shower me with praises, why don¡¯t you?¡±

    After a day spent loitering in the house, I waited for the sun to rise. I sat in front of the dressing table,

    staring at the faded hickeys in the mirror. They looked like a dense bush; Christopher had nted them

    so close to one another. Gah, I¡¯ll stay in for one more day.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a day off? You¡¯re just going to get a telling off if you go anyway.¡± Christopher

    grabbed my waist from behind.

    At that, I giggled. I had already been dismissed, so applying for leave was moot. ¡°No need for that. I

    don¡¯t want to work there anymore, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t go. You said you¡¯ll take care of me for

    the rest of my life. Does the offer still stand?¡±

    Christopher shot me a knowing look. ¡°Are you being bullied at work?¡±

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    Chapter 225

    ¡°No, my colleagues and manager at the office are very nice to me. I¡¯m just tired of going to work. You

    gave me an invitation, no? I¡¯m thinking of just trying my hand at painting and joining the selection this

    time. What do you think?¡± I murmured with a smile.

    ¡°Sure. No matter your choice, I¡¯ll support you.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t pursue the question further.

    In truth, I was nning to look for a job. I decided not to tell him about the trivial matter of me having

    been dismissed. After all, I would lose him in the end if he were destined to be engaged to Monica, so I

    had to learn to stand on my own two feet.

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t difficult to be independent. Just like before, there were plenty of jobs avable. I

    wasn¡¯t picky, so I didn¡¯t mind even if it were delivering newspapers or parcels as long as I could support

    myself. It was no secret that I was the ex-wife of Lyle Smith in the entire Avenport, so those white-cor

    employees naturally resented having me work at their office.

    After having disappeared for a few days, Sabrina suddenly appeared at the door of my apartment. She

    was dressed much more conservatively than before, with her dress falling below her knees.

    Nheless, her long and slender legs were still very alluring. Her makeup wasn¡¯t as heavy as before,

    the subtle enhancement rendering her refreshing and incredibly stunning.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    I was gobsmacked the moment Iid eyes on her. Whoa! Love is truly something else. It has

    transformed a tantalizing beauty, who once radiated bold sultriness, into an innocent maiden!

    ¡°Hey! Is it necessary to stare at me for such a long time when I¡¯ve just changed my dressing and

    makeup style? No matter how intent you scrutinize me, you can¡¯tpare to my beauty.¡± Sabrina

    nudged me with a snort.

    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m no match for your beauty. I was just astonished. Have you always had feelings for

    Zachary? There seemed to be sparks flying between the two of you back at Lane residence then.¡±

    Opening the door, I tossed the key on the table. When I turned around to pour Sabrina a ss of water,

    she snickered out of the blue. With a pair of men¡¯s briefs hooked on a finger, she brandished it in front

    of me. ¡°Look at the hickeys on your neck first before turning on me. From the sheer number of hickeys,

    I¡¯d say that the two of you have been going at it like rabbits for the past few days.¡±

    With my cheeks ame, I rushed forward and snatched the briefs from her hands before shoving them

    into the washing machine. I had messed around with Christopher on the couchst night, so I woke up

    veryte this morning. I had already checked my neck carefully when I eliminated all traces of our

    passionate night, so I didn¡¯t expect something to have slipped past me in the gap in the couch.

    Can I say we hadn¡¯t been going at it like rabbits in the past two days but the two days before that? If

    she showed up a few days earlier, neither I nor Christopher would¡¯ve had time to entertain her. Right

    then, we would¡¯ve been between the sheets, tussling on the bed.

    ¡°So what? Isn¡¯t it normal to be going at it like rabbits? It¡¯s only natural for a couple to be intimate. Don¡¯t

    tell me you¡¯re still at the stage of holding hands with Zachary. I¡¯m not going to believe that!¡±

    It was a casual remark, but Sabrina instantly looked as though she was going to break down in tears.

    She sprang to her feet, swishing her dress so much that she was shing me. Covering her face with

    both hands, shemented, ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me of that. I¡¯ve already employed every trick up my

    sleeve to entice him, but to no avail. I wore my most beautiful semi-translucent nightgown and flounced

    myself before him, yet he could calmly drape his jacket over me and sit there sipping tea. I¡¯m even

    wondering whether I¡¯m not feminine enough to beguile him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Aren¡¯t men very much aggressive in this aspect?¡± I rubbed my chin. Well,paring

    Christopher with him, they¡¯re as different as chalk and cheese!

    ¡°Aggressive, my foot! He¡¯ll even blush when we hold hands. Worse still, he forbade us from wearing

    matching outfits and hugging on the streets. Even kissing is only allowed after meeting my parents, and

    sex is reserved for after marriage. Last night, he even told me in all seriousness that the only things

    we¡¯ll be doing, now that we¡¯re dating, are holding hands, going to the movies, and having meals

    together. That¡¯s all!¡±

    Sabrina then threw herself onto the couch in a huff. ¡°I feel really defeated. I¡¯ve offered myself to him on

    a silver tter, yet he¡¯s still unmoved. Is he a saint?¡±

    ¡°What an innocent man!¡± I eximed in admiration, my eyes going wide. Ah, he sounds exactly like the

    kind of man who¡¯s particrly responsible! When a woman marries him, she¡¯ll definitely have no fear

    that he¡¯ll fool around outside.

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    Chapter 226

    ¡°Innocent my foot! He¡¯s secretly reading X-rated novels and lied to me that it was teaching materials for

    military use. If I hadn¡¯t spotted them when I was cleaning in the morning, I would¡¯ve really thought that

    he didn¡¯t know anything at all! What a jerk!¡±

    With an exceedingly frustrated expression on her face, Sabrina tapped her leg on the coffee table.

    Eyeing her, I dissolved intoughter, sauntering over and plopping down beside her. ¡°Well, I think you

    simply can¡¯t wait to get married, eager to make things official with your Prince Charming. In that case,

    why don¡¯t you just hold a grand wedding with Zachary? With that, the home run you¡¯re hankering after

    with be a reality soon enough.¡±

    ¡°My mother is still traveling the globe, and my father is trying to persuade her back so that he can work

    on giving me a brother. How is he to meet my parents when both of them are away?¡±

    Honestly speaking, the Zimmer family was indeed very bizarre. Their businesses were vast, but every

    patriarch had a cavalier attitude. In the previous generation, it was a renowned wastrel who invested in

    everything and suffered massive losses. In the end, he miraculously recouped his losses with a single

    project. And in the generation before that, it was a rake who was showered with affection ¡ª his life a

    mess with women fighting over him. He didn¡¯t pay any mind to the family business.

    As such, it was truly a miracle that the family hadn¡¯t gone bankrupt by the time Sabrina¡¯s father took

    over the reins. The man was unreliable as well, galloping all over the globe with his wife. He entrusted

    allpany matters to the vice president, so it was a wonder that he hadn¡¯t been swindled.

    Christopher had told me that he wasn¡¯ting back today since he had something important to handle,

    but I didn¡¯t ask him where he was going. Unlike me, he still had family and friends, so he naturally

    couldn¡¯t stick with me every day.

    Not in the mood to cook dinner, I took Sabrina out for a meal. On our way to dinner, we bumped into

    Zachary, who drove past with a group of men all dressed in military uniforms. It seemed as though they

    were protecting some big shot, so Sabrina didn¡¯t greet him impulsively. She merely wound down the

    car window and stared at him. The moment Zachary looked in our direction, he immediately shed his

    headlights thrice.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    It wasn¡¯t until he disappeared from sight did Sabrina marvel, ¡°How handsome! He¡¯s built ording to

    my specifications! It¡¯ll really be a travesty of our meeting if I don¡¯t put my stamp of ownership on him

    and bring him home.¡±

    I reached out and flicked the headlights a few times. Every time Christopher left, he likewise loved to

    sh his headlights thrice at me. I asked him what it meant, but he acted all secretive and refused to

    tell me.

    ¡°Sabby, was there any meaning when you shed the headlights thrice just now? Or was it simply to

    apprise Zachary of your presence?¡±

    At that, Sabrina beamed from ear to ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the meaning of that? You¡¯re really behind

    things, girl. shing the headlights thrice means ¡®I love you.¡¯ I was expressing my abiding love to him.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked. So, that¡¯s what it means by shing the headlights thrice. No wonder Christopher

    always shes his headlights at me! All at once, a sense of warmth suffused me. Fishing out the

    lollipop he bought me yesterday, I unwrapped it and ced it into my mouth. The sweet caramel taste

    spread from my tongue to my heart.

    I then sent Christopher a text: The lollipop tastes great. I love it! Remember to have your dinner.

    In no time, the man replied: I¡¯m having dinner now. My mother is having a fit, and the entire family

    doesn¡¯t know why. Meanwhile, my father is prepared to be punished however she sees fit. Women are

    truly scary when they get up in arms. Can you please don¡¯t punish me in the future? Then, he even

    added an emoji at the end.

    My fingers brushed against the image of the emoji. The familial bond among the Lane family is truly

    wonderful! From his words alone, I could sense that they were an incredibly happy family. I then

    countered in another message: What about kicking you out of the room instead, then?

    In response, Christopher sent a row of crying emojis before ending it with a hug, writing: Then, I¡¯ll suffer

    the punishment with you. I¡¯ll take the bottom while you take the top.

    Oh God, the conversation took a suggestive turn all of a sudden! What strange things were in those X-

    rated books he read that he has such a great desire to explore in bed?

    After ending the conversation with him, I glimpsed a banner on the wall outside the car window.

    Recalling Christopher¡¯s impending engagement to Monica, I asked, ¡°Sabby, when do you think

    Christopher is going to get engaged to Monica?¡±

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    Upon hearing that, my friend turned to me with a piercing expression on her face. Then, she rolled her

    eyes at me. ¡°Say, what¡¯s ying in your brain all day long, Eve? You¡¯ve got to be firm in some things

    and yield in others. Life is a gamble. Show your hand when you sense that things are amiss.

    Conversely, you can¡¯t waver if you think that you can win. Otherwise, you¡¯ll lose everything you have.

    Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Sabby, I¡¯m a bit lost now that you¡¯re speaking metaphorically with me.¡± My mind was chock-full of

    scenes depicting Christopher and Monica¡¯s engagement, my imagination supplying me with

    resplendent and grand images that I simply couldn¡¯t shake off.

    ¡°I mean, you have to be firm when you¡¯ve made your decision. Do you get it now?¡± Sabrina was

    rendered speechless at my obtuseness.

    Likewise, I was bbergasted. ¡°Can you please speak English?¡±

    Growing irate, Sabrina thumped the steering wheel hard. Then, she reached out and pinched my

    cheeks forcefully, only dropping her hands when my face was almost squashed. ¡°How could you have

    so little confidence in my idol? Is he a shameless jerk like Lyle?¡±

    At that, the corners of my mouth twitched, and I sighed. ¡°Sabby, if I hadn¡¯t known that you like Zachary,

    I would really suspect that you have a crush on Christopher. How on earth did he brainwash you that

    you trust him so much? It¡¯s as though you trust him in everything he does.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Zach said that Christopher is honorable and responsible. He¡¯s a man who will never

    change his mind once he has decided upon something. Zach definitely won¡¯t lie to me, so I¡¯m naturally

    in favor of my idol getting together with you!¡±

    Flooring the gas pedal, Sabrina drove me to the mall. As she pointed at the throng of womening

    and going, shemented, ¡°Look, people bustle and hustle around, but they all seek different things.

    A simple woman like you, for instance, seeks confidence. Come with me. I¡¯ll take you for a makeover

    so that you¡¯ll be a woman worthy of Christopher.¡±

    I felt that her words indeed made sense. Myck of confidence in Christopher wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t

    trust him. On the contrary, I didn¡¯t trust myself. Since he loves me so much, why am I so adamant

    about remaining dowdy?

    Thus, I tried on beautiful clothes one after another and bought tons of the trending new styles for every

    season at Sabrina¡¯s advisement to present myself better. Finally, we went to the cosmetics shop and

    bought the most popr cosmetics nowadays.

    When I paid with my card, it maxed out. I had no way of footing the bill, but Sabrina waved a dismissive

    hand and said to consider it a gift for my pursuit of happiness. ¡°You owe me a favor, so it means that

    your man owes me a favor. If there are any good projects in the future, I can ask my idol for them! This

    investment is undoubtedly worth it! Eve, you¡¯re sure to be my lucky star in due course!¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll tell him to keep the good stuff for your family business.¡± I gazed at my reflection in the

    mirror. I had to admit that I indeed looked good after the makeup artist touched up my makeup; my

    countenance was delicate and my smile was sweet.

    Just when we had exited the mall, Sabrina ruthlessly kicked me out of the car. iming that it wasn¡¯t

    appropriate to have me as the third wheel since she was going on a date with Zachary, she told me to

    ask her idol out to keep mepany instead.

    As I choked on the cloud of smoke she left behind, I was gripped by the urge to yell out that we

    shouldn¡¯t meet anymore since our friendship had now ended.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Trudging across the za, I sat down on the bench with a hand propped against my chin. I braced

    myself to watch the announcement of Christopher and Monica¡¯s engagement once again. Perhaps I

    might calm down after watching it a few more times. After all, confidence onlyes in desperate

    times.

    A whileter, Christopher¡¯s handsome countenance manifested on the huge screen. He was sitting on

    the couch casually in a dark gray suit with a reporter interviewing him at the side. Oh my God, it¡¯s the

    latest news! Even as I perked up my ears, my eyes remained riveted on the screen without blinking

    even once.

    ¡°Mr. Lane, has a date been set for your engagement with thedy of the Martin family?¡±

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    When I heard that, apprehension assailed me ¡ª I felt as though I was the person being interviewed. As

    I was afraid of hearing something I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept, my heart hammered wildly. Throughout

    it all, I held my breath in fear that I might mishear a single word.

    With a hand propped under his chin, Christopher lounged on the sofanguidly. It was a simple

    posture, yet he emanated regality, making many of the women standing below the screen shriek in

    excitement. A few brazen women even started whistling,mending his good looks.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to disappoint you about the engagement date. I¡¯ll be taking legal action against the media

    channels that used groundless gossip to attract readers or viewers to protect my rights. Monica and I

    are good friends who grew up together. Our rtionship is as close as siblings, and there are no

    romantic entanglements between us as rumored.¡±

    All of a sudden, Christopher¡¯s eyes turned cold and piercing. Stricken by terror, the reporter

    stammered, ¡°Um¡­ Then, what did it mean when you sent Ms. Martin roses during her piano recital?¡±

    ¡°This sister of mine loves roses, so she would¡¯ve probably been displeased had I given her any other

    flowers. I didn¡¯t want to upset her, for she wouldin to my mother, saying I bullied her. Honestly

    speaking, my mother loves her like a goddaughter, so I¡¯m also happy to have such a sister on whom I

    can shower my affections.¡±

    Picking up his teacup, Christopher took a sip of tea. As he dragged his finger along the porcin cup,

    the smile on his face widened. ¡°She¡¯s very popr in Avenport, so please don¡¯t impede her from finding

    her own happiness with false reporting. That will really ce me in a pickle.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh, it turns out that the two of you are god-siblings. In that case, what¡¯s your requirement for an ideal

    partner, Mr. Lane? Would you mind telling us that?¡± the reporter inquired.

    Lifting his head, Christopher looked right into the camera. His eyes shone with tenderness, and his

    gaze turned incredibly gentle. With a faint smile, he answered, ¡°My partner doesn¡¯t need to be

    incredibly smart. I find it adorable when she bumbles about. I like someone who¡¯ll act coquettish with

    me and love eating my cooking. Even if it¡¯s half-cooked, she¡¯ll still eat it without any change in

    expression. Most importantly, she¡¯ll only love me. Then, I¡¯ll treasure, indulge, and protect her. I will

    make her the happiest woman in the world.¡±

    ¡°It looks like your future wife will certainly be the happiest woman in the world, Mr. Lane.¡±

    Right then, my heart was racing madly, threatening to pound right out of my chest. I couldn¡¯t control the

    smile blossoming on my face. As I ced my hand against my heart and sensed my heartbeat, my lips

    split into a grin, and I grinned like an idiot.

    The truth is, Christopher was well aware of my concerns. He didn¡¯t use worthless words for trifling

    exnations tofort me. Instead, he employed such a method to confess his abiding love for me on

    the huge screen!

    His thoughtfulness hit me squarely in the chest, making me fall head over heels for him once more. If

    he were in front of me then, I would definitely throw myself at him and blurt out everything I want to tell

    him.

    How can he be so good to me? He gives me everything I want in the best way possible.

    I love you, Christopher Lane! I love you! These words echoed in my mind on a loop, and I sprinted all

    the way back to our house. Yesterday, I was wondering about moving out, but I now flung myself onto

    the bed like a child. A bubble of bliss enveloped me as I rolled all over the bed.

    The urge to send Christopher a message to tell him of my present feelings hit me, but I then felt that it

    wasn¡¯t solemn enough. In the end, I sat on the bed and awaited his return foolishly with my cell phone

    in hand.

    Even when I woke up in the middle of the night, groggy with sleep, Christopher still hadn¡¯te back.

    Despite thinking that he wasn¡¯t returning that night, there wasn¡¯t a trace of dejection within me.

    Surprisingly, I felt at ease although he wasn¡¯t by my side. I spread out the canvas again and started

    painting. Shortly after, a light bulb went off in my head.

    I should paint how happy I feel on this canvas and use it to join the youth art exhibition this time! I¡¯m

    going to show everyone my talent and no longer muddle through life. Most importantly, I want to

    transform myself into a woman who¡¯s worthy of Christopher instead of waiting for him to change my

    circumstances!

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    Happiness was a very abstract word. One could only sense it in contrast, but I could infuse my

    happiness in each stroke of my brush so that others could perceive it. I wanted to share it with them

    and have them envy me.

    The long night passed in a blur. When the first rays of sunlight flooded in, I took a good look at my

    painting. By then, the half-done painting I had intermittently worked on was basicallypleted. The

    only thing left was the final coating.

    Yawning, I decided to drink some water before getting some sleep. When it came to painting, it was

    natural to work overnight as inspiration struck, but extreme fatigue would also affect its quality. I

    couldn¡¯t allow the painting to have the slightest w, for I would be the butt of the joke if it happened to

    be eliminated during the first selection.

    Ambling into the kitchen, I got myself a piece of toast and stuffed it into my mouth. Then, I went to heat

    up some milk. At that precise moment, the sound of the door lock turning sounded. As soon as I heard

    it, I left the ss on the countertop and rushed out. I was greeted by the sight of Christopher with his

    back to me; he was closing the door and changing into slippers.

    I flew toward him, hugging him from the back. Going on tiptoes, I pecked him on the cheek. Christopher

    instantly turned and kissed me back. When our deep kiss ended, he tapped me on the nose.

    ¡°You missed me so much though it¡¯d only been a day since west saw each other?¡±

    ¡°A day without you feels like an eternity!¡± I boldly pushed him back and pinned him against the wall

    along the hallway. It was something he usually initiated, but I wanted to hug him tightly and savor his

    warmth right then.

    While kissing him, I unfastened the buttons on his suit jacket. After unfastening two of them, I slipped

    my hands into his clothes. I didn¡¯t know how else to express my love for him, so I could only resort to

    the most primitive way to please him.

    Sensing my urgency, the man¡¯s gaze smoldered, a ming fire zing in his eyes. With a heave, he

    carried me up. While suspended in midair, I hooked my arms around his neck and pointed at the

    bedroom. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bedroom!¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it in the living room?¡± Hugging me, Christopher rolled us onto the ground. Just like

    the heroic rescue scenes on television, we flew past the tiles andnded on the carpet. As we moved

    around on the floor, my clothes flew into the air like rags.

    Scooping me up, he ced me on the coffee table. As he kissed me, he carefully checked the injury on

    my arm. He didn¡¯t forget about my leg either, deliberately checking it over to ensure that it had healed

    entirely when he held it up to brush his lips along the limb. As he grazed his fingers along my instep, he

    murmured, ¡°Your legs really truly stunning, Eve.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you call my feet beautiful the previous time? It has now changed to legs, huh?¡± Gazing at him

    with zed eyes, I instinctively hooked my legs around his waist and raked my fingers across his back

    lightly. Then, I bit him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Mmph!¡± With a grunt, Christopher buried himself in me.

    My eyes went wide, and even the tinge of pain he brought me gave me great euphoria. When he was

    fully inside me, I sat up. Staring deep into his eyes, I stated in a slow and firm voice, ¡°Christopher Lane,

    have I ever told you that I love you?¡±

    Christopher was stunned for a moment, the expression on his face softening considerably. Sheer

    delight and excitement radiated from him. The turbulent emotions coursing through me robbed me of

    my speech, and I felt as though I was drowning as wave after wave of pleasure inundated me. With

    everythinging at me, I was soon drained of all energy.

    While Christopher frantically ¡°tormented¡± me, he demanded, ¡°Repeat your deration earlier right this

    instance!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ love¡­¡± I wanted to repeat it, but just when I had started speaking, he deliberately teased me by

    brushing his calloused fingers across my back. Then, he shifted us to the sofa.

    As he went deeper within me, words eluded me entirely. I almost fell to the ground, so I could only cling

    to his neck tightly and try my best to cleave at him.

    ¡°Be good and say it again, Eve.¡± When Christopher calmed down, he gazed at me deeply with so much

    adtion in his eyes that it almost overflowed.

    Completely lost in his tenderness, I started, ¡°I love¡­¡±

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    In the end, I still didn¡¯t manage to utter the entire phrase because Christopher was even more worked

    up than me, acting as though he had taken an aphrodisiac. We had just gone wild a few days ago, and

    he even grumbled about lower back pain. Now, however, he had no qualms carrying me and supporting

    my weight as I suspended midair without leaning against any other surfaces.

    At longst, he carried me back to the bedroom. Taking out everything he bought from the adult store

    back then, he started studying them one by one and even urged me to try them with him. I couldn¡¯t

    imagine my mortification if I truly used them, so I vehemently disagreed, stuffing them all into the closet

    and locking them up.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try them? I spent a fortune on them, so it¡¯ll truly be a waste if we don¡¯t

    use them all.¡± Christopher rubbed his face that was etched with stark regret against mine.

    ¡°No way! I prefer being a normal person.¡± I shook my head as I refused to contemte the idea.

    Although I was once married to Lyle and had even surreptitiously watched X-rated films that happened

    to contain kinky scenes as an adult, that was my limit. I would never do such a depraved thing.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh God, I¡¯ve been abnormal ever since I met you, Eve. You¡¯ve got to take responsibility for me.¡±

    Christopher pouted aggrievedly, his expression exactly like a little boy whose cell phone was

    confiscated by the teacher and his favorite game uninstalled after being caught ying it during ss.

    ¡°What else do you want when I¡¯ve already given myself to you?¡± Rolling my eyes, I moved my fingers to

    his waist and pinched him hard.

    Even as Christopher hissed in pain, he asked with a pout, ¡°Are you not going to try the toys with me?¡±

    All at once, I was rendered speechless. Ugh! Why is he still harping on that topic? Pulling the covers

    over my head, I feigned sleep.

    A few dayster, I furtively took mypleted painting to the art gallery for the selection and handed it

    to the staff. I didn¡¯t tell Christopher about it since I wanted to give him a surprise. As I stood there

    among the bustling crowd, I saw many people walking in with rolled-up paintings, anticipation shining

    brightly on their faces.

    ¡°It looks like thepetition will be intense.¡± When I made my way out, I spotted Crystal and the

    others. It was a huge group of people, including Lyle, Wendy, and the entire Tanner family. They were

    all surrounding Crystal and grandiosely sauntering in my direction.

    We met head-on, and Crystal acted as though she had seen an interesting toy. She immediately came

    forward and greeted me, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Yvonne? I heard you¡¯ve recently turned unemployed. Why are

    you here? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to find a job? This ce doesn¡¯t seem to have any suitable jobs for

    you here.¡±

    Right on the heels of that, Yvette added, ¡°Yvonne, stop pestering Lyle. He¡¯s doing great with Yvette

    now, and they even have a child on the way. Everyone will be troubled if you continue harassing him

    shamelessly, so why make yourself a nuisance?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a shameless woman, Yvonne Tanner! I just knew you¡¯re still hounding my son! You¡¯d

    better stay away from us, or I¡¯d rip your face to ribbons!¡± Wendy shielded Lyle behind her as though

    she was a hen protecting her chick. Puffing up her chest, she lifted her chin and looked at me

    disdainfully.

    Damn it! I must have forgotten to consult my daily horoscope before leaving home today. While I have

    no inkling what the hell they¡¯re doing here, I certainly wouldn¡¯t havee if I¡¯d known that they would

    be here.

    I took a gander at Nathan, only to be greeted by the sight of him standing beside Scarlett with his arms

    crossed and an indifferent expression on his face. He regarded me as aplete stranger. Oh, that¡¯s

    right. I am an outsider, after all.

    ¡°This art gallery is a public space. Can¡¯t I be here when the lot of you are here? When did the Tanner

    family have such great power?¡± I retorted through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Who knows what ulterior motive brought you here? What a skank! I just saw you entering the movies

    with a man a few days ago, acting all intimate with him. Can¡¯t you do something else besides seducing

    men? You¡¯ve thoroughly humiliated the Tanner family!¡± Natalie sneered.

    Good grief! She¡¯s really blind. I went to the movies with such a recognizable person as Christopher, yet

    she actually didn¡¯t recognize him and took him as some lowly man!

    Just then, someone suddenly shoved me. As I stumbled forward, I so happened to fall right into Lyle¡¯s

    arms¡­

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    I had no idea who pushed me since they were so many people milling around. Before I had regained

    my feet after stumbling into Lyle¡¯s arm, Wendy shoved me away. Tottering in heels, I reached out to

    steady myself, only to end up pushing Crystal away.

    Crystal¡¯s expression changed at once. All of a sudden, she leaned against the corner of the wall and

    clutched her stomach, shrieking, ¡°My stomach hurts! Ow, my stomach¡­¡±

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Lyle¡¯s expression turned frantic. Whirling around, he swung his hand across my face. ¡°I didn¡¯t

    know you¡¯re so vicious that you¡¯d actually make a move against a pregnant woman, Yvonne!¡±

    My head spun, and I saw stars at the blow. When I had finally regained my feet, I swung my hand with

    all my might andnded a heavy smack on the left side of his face. ¡°There you go in return! You clearly

    saw what happened earlier with your own eyes! Also, I¡¯ll never seek you out deliberately even if I¡¯d lost

    my mind!¡± I roared.

    Clocking the contempt in my eyes, Lyle¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t think you can go from

    rags to riches just because you¡¯re now hooking up with Christopher. You¡¯ll only end up ruined if you

    continue associating with him.¡±

    ¡°Even so, that has nothing to do with you!¡±

    ¡°Stop bickering with her! Send Crystal to hospital, quick!¡± Wendy dragged Lyle back. ¡°Oh God, I don¡¯t

    know whether my grandchild will be fine. You¡¯re such a b*tch, Yvonne Tanner! You¡¯re barren, so you

    want to hurt my grandchild, huh? I¡¯ll make your life a living hell if anything happens to Crystal!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Shaking off her hand, I spun on my heels and strode out of the art gallery. Nothing good ever

    comes out of bumping into them! A lot of outstanding paintings are on exhibition in the art gallery today,

    so one of them must be Crystal¡¯s. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have brought such a huge group of people

    here.

    A new school artist? I sneered. Back then, my talent was far greater than hers. And now, as long as I

    work hard, I¡¯ll definitely defeat her. What¡¯s so great about her, anyway? It¡¯s just a few years of

    experience abroad and having a good mentor, no? But when ites to painting, how many artists

    actually made it because of pointers from renowned artists?

    I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll never cross their minds that I¡¯m here to join thepetition. Fortunately, it¡¯s an art festival

    competition that has taken the world by the storm this time, so only venerated veterans make up the

    panel of judges. Otherwise, if she bes a judge with her new school artist title, I¡¯ll certainly find

    myself on the losing end.

    As I traversed the streets, my cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated that it was my father calling. The

    number was particrly familiar, but the scene was utterly unfamiliar. After all, my rtionship with my

    father had deteriorated to the point where we were strangers with nothing to be said between us.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I inquired cidly after answering the call.

    ¡°What did Lyle mean earlier? Are you really acquainted with Christopher Lane?¡± Nathan demanded.

    Haha, I just knew this would¡¯ve happened! No one noticed when Lyle said that, all having rushed over

    to Crystal to check on her pregnant self. Yet, he actuallymitted that to memory!

    ¡°So what if I am?¡±

    ¡°Stop beingbative with me when I¡¯m your father. Wait for me outside!¡± Nathan barked.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m busy!¡± Before I had even said that, Nathan had already hung up. Nheless, I wasn¡¯t

    going to wait for him like a fool. When I was crossing the road, my cell phone rang again. Finding the

    phone number rather familiar after scrutinizing it, I answered it.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Tanner?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Yvonne Tanner. May I know who¡¯s on the line?¡±

    ¡°This is Richard Whitrow, Vonnie. Do you still remember me?¡±

    I naturally knew who Richard Whitrow was, but I somehow felt that his voice was now colored with a

    hint of ttery. Hmm? Never mind if he¡¯s being amicable, but what¡¯s with this fawning tone? Why on

    earth would he ingratiate himself to me?

    ¡°Is something the matter, Mr. Whitrow?¡± I questioned in puzzlement.

    ¡°When are youing back to work, Vonnie?¡± Richard queried.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping your post for you.¡±

    ¡°Come back to work? But haven¡¯t I been dismissed?¡± I was at a total loss.

    ¡°Dismissed? Not at all! It was all a misunderstanding by my subordinate. How abouting to work

    tomorrow if you¡¯ve got the time? I told the others you were gone on a business trip. You¡¯re a permanent

    staff, so you can¡¯t simply be dismissed if you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. This is all on Cami. She

    misunderstood my meaning.¡±

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    Hearing that, I felt utterly bewildered and ttered. Even if I had been dismissed due to a

    misunderstanding, does the CEO himself have to phone me and ask me to go back? I¡¯m no one

    significant.

    ¡°Vonnie? Vonnie, are you still there?¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± I answered, snapping back to my senses. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not making a mistake

    here, Mr. Whitrow? I¡¯m just an admin staff, not a technical staff.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. Well, it¡¯s decided, then. Come to work tomorrow, and your attendance will be

    counted as full.¡± After saying that, Richard promptly hung up.

    As I stared at my cell phone, I bit my lip lightly. Only when pain registered did I realize that it wasn¡¯t a

    dream. ¡°How baffling! Could it be that God blessed me with good news since I¡¯ve already suffered a

    misfortune today?¡±

    Later, I told Christopher about the matter. A mysterious smile bloomed on his face as he rummaged in

    the closet. ¡°No wonder you haven¡¯t been going to work in the past few days. Since you¡¯ve been idle

    lately, it¡¯s good for you to go to work so that your imagination doesn¡¯t run wild when Ick time to keep

    youpany.¡±

    Still, mystification engulfed me. I propped a hand under my chin in contemtion. ¡°Well, I just find it

    perplexing. I¡¯m nobody in thepany, so why are they regarding me so highly? Could it be that

    they¡¯ve discovered that I¡¯m actually the kind of rare talent who has to be nurtured?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a gift from God.¡± Christopher handed me an evening gown. ¡°Here, O¡¯ talented one. Attend

    a party with me tomorrow in this, okay?¡±

    ¡°You want me to attend a party with you? What party is it?¡± Holding the evening gown out, I regarded it

    carefully. It was a stunningly beautiful gown he had specially prepared for me with matching

    undergarments in the same color.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we¡¯re there. Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯ll just be a few friends of mine. It¡¯s just a small gathering

    with no one significant. As my girlfriend, you¡¯ve got to make me proud lest those jerks disparate me as

    a saint who hasn¡¯t touched a woman in years.¡±

    Picking up the pink panties, Christopher brandished them before me with a smirk. ¡°Do try them on. I

    picked them especially for you, but I might have gotten the size wrong.¡±

    Duh! He must be wanting to see me change in front of him. A saint, he said? If he¡¯s a saint, there¡¯s no

    normal man in this world!

    Ignoring him, I stuffed everything into the closet with the pile of sex toys. I wasn¡¯t going to change

    before him. While we had had many wild exploits, I was still shy to do so. After all, he always stared at

    me with a prating look in his eyes every single time.

    His gaze often perturbed me, making me feel as though I was his prey.

    That night, Christopher didn¡¯t do anything to me before sleeping. Conversely, he quickly fell asleep. At

    that rare turn of events, puzzlement swamped me. Is this the result of overindulgence? Should I buy

    some terrapin or the like and cook it for him? Otherwise, what if his manhood shrinks from a nutrient

    deficiency in the future?

    After sleeping for a while, the man rolled over and hugged me. Blinking open his bleary eyes, he

    groggily checked whether the covers were still intact around me. Upon noticing that I was not asleep,

    he muttered, ¡°Why are you still awake?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of methods to nourish your kidneys. It¡¯s indeed true that men can¡¯t overindulge when

    they¡¯re young. It looks like I can¡¯t let you have your way too often, or I¡¯ll be crying my heart out if you

    really can¡¯t get it up anymore in the future.¡±

    Christopher blinked when he heard that, awareness and amusement slowly returning to his eyes.

    Flipping the covers, he rolled himself over me and bit my lip. ¡°Eve, do you know that you¡¯re a minx?

    You¡¯ve almost drained me of everything.¡±

    ¡°Then, get off me. Why are you so enthusiastic now?¡± By then, I could already sense his stiffness

    pressing against me.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling rather needy since you can¡¯t even sleep. Why don¡¯t I sacrifice for a bit and satisfy

    you once?¡± Though he said that, I knew it was a joke. He would never relent once he started until he

    had his fill.

    As Iy on the bed, despondency flooded me. Is this really fine? Won¡¯t it lead to impotence?

    Once he fell asleep, I stealthily crept out of bed and took out all the sex toys in the closet. Then, I

    stuffed them into the deepest recesses of the closet in the living room. Hah! He¡¯s not going to find them

    now. What an utter pervert to always have them on his mind!

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    Thinking that I was concealing things very well, I crawled back into bed secretly, smiling and preparing

    to close my eyes. I did not expect that Christopher was actually awake, and just as I closed my eyes,

    he opened his and smirked.

    ¡°Are you still awake?¡± I was startled and felt guilty as I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve awoken me again. Don¡¯t roll around and go to sleep!¡± Christopher held me tight in his embrace

    like an octopus clutching my body. ¡°Eve, I need to remind you that I¡¯m a normal man, and I need to

    rest. If you keep seducing me, we¡¯ve got a problem. So, be a good girl.¡±

    I hit his chest with my head and red at him angrily. As if I was the one seducing you! Hmph! It was

    obvious that the man was talking to himself. After doing it three times just now, I knew he was aroused

    once again.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Heading back to the office after one week, I heard murmuring the moment I walked into the hall. I did

    not bother but went straight to the thirteenth floor. Mave, who was furiously typing on the keyboard in

    front of the desktop, greeted me warmly when she saw me walking in. Then she took the breakfast

    from my hands.

    ¡°Vonnie, you being away on a business trip is a torture to me because I did not have even one good

    breakfast. Knowing you¡¯re back today, I could cry with joy.¡± As she wolfed down the food, Mave

    mumbled indistinctly.

    ¡°You ought to move closer to the office so you wouldn¡¯t have to be in the subway that early. Then you

    would have time for breakfast.¡± Iughed.

    Of course everyone thought I went on a ¡°business trip.¡± Bute to think of it, have I be the main

    character? I mean¡ªhow lucky am I to not needing to look for a job and instead could have the job

    come looking for me?

    ¡°I would like to but room rentals in the city are too high, and I would have to spend half of my sry on

    it. Only the basement room rentals are cheaper, so it¡¯s better if I live further away. At least, my home is

    comfortable and safe,¡± Mave replied sadly. ¡°I envy those living in the city.¡±

    I smiled without saying a word. In the past, I had lived in a basement too, and it was really unpleasant.

    After that, Mave finished her breakfast and patted her chest, indicating that she would do half of my

    work today so I could rx a little and finish up quickly.

    When I got off work, I received a phone call from Nathan. I swear that man was shadowing me like a

    stalker. Like Yvette, he would call me often, even at work, and I was really fed up with that. After all, it

    was only the first day back at work, and he¡¯d easily found me. Could it be that I lost my job because of

    Yvette and that I got it back because of Nathan?

    One yed good cop and the other bad cop; either way, I hope they did not y too well.

    Nevertheless, I had overestimated Nathan as I had heard the secretary talking to the manager. The

    Tanner family and thepany I work in did note to an agreement. Even though mypany was

    small and our orders were not many, it was still humiliating for the Tanner family to be rejected. Nathan

    must have been upset.

    To be honest, I was gloating over Nathan¡¯s bad luck, so when I met Nathan, I smiled. ¡°Dad, why are

    you here?¡±

    Nathan ordered some coffee and snacks for me. ¡°What are you talking about? As your Dad, do I need

    a reason to see you?¡±

    ¡°Dad, if you just eat with me without discussing some agenda, perhaps, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± I picked up the

    fork and took some mousse cake. It was too sweet for me. Though I liked the sweetness of lollipops, I

    did not like cake.

    This was because every year when my birthday came around, I could only take the leftovers of

    Crystal¡¯s birthday cake. It just happened that her birthday was two days after mine so I was always

    forgotten. After she had shared with everyone else, she would bring me a small piece to show off and

    say, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, dear Yvonne, I forgot that your birthday was two days ago. Please ept this piece

    of cake as your birthday present from me.¡±

    Right then, Nathan mmed his cup of coffee on the table and said icily. ¡°You were brought up in the

    Tanner family where you were fed and clothed. Can¡¯t you contribute to the Tanner family in some way?¡±

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    He was right¡ªI was brought up with the Tanners. As a kid, I was treated like a princess by my father.

    Those memories had be so vague that I could barely remember them. Our family of three had

    once been so happy.

    ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you disown me? It was even published in the papers. Everyone in Avenport knows. I¡¯m

    only the firstborn of the Tanner family by name.¡± Steadily, I lifted the cup of coffee to my lips and

    sipped. The bitterness suited the atmosphere of the moment.

    ¡°How dare you even mention that! If you had agreed to marry Mr. Lucas of the Goldstein family, our

    family would be listed among the top richest and not a third-rate little household.¡± At the mention of this

    incident, Nathan¡¯s face became ck like thunder.

    ¡°Tell me, do you and Christopher have something going on?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Prior to this, when Lyle had threatened that he would tell you about this, I had guessed that

    you would ask me, and I was right. Nevertheless, Dad, you must understand that I have no control over

    a man¡¯s decisions. If I do, then why would Lyle divorce me?¡±

    ¡°Since you are already Christopher¡¯s mistress, what¡¯s so hard about using your feminine wiles? Just

    take a page from Yvette¡¯s and Crystal¡¯s books, for goodness¡¯ sake! They do everything better than you

    do. If you had been smart enough to marry Christopher Lane, I would have nothing toin about

    you.¡± Nathan shot me a hateful nce as if to say I was good for nothing.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Hearing that had me sick to my stomach. My own father had just called me somebody¡¯s mistress, and

    he was feeling shameful about it while, at the same time, he wanted to get some benefit from that. How

    ironic!

    ¡°So, Dad, are you sure that there¡¯s something between Christopher and me?¡± I spoke inly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it. Crystal has told me everything. I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s okay for you to hook up with

    Christopher, but try to keep it under wraps, or you would disgrace the Tanner family. He would never

    marry you, so you might as well get some benefit for the Tanner family while you still can. When he

    dumps youter, I can still give you a hand. Keep in mind that the Tanner family is your family,¡± Nathan

    said this with displeasure with a grunt.

    I must admit that Nathan was totally shameless when he talked about benefits. He did not know how

    despicable he sounded. That man could even say such things in front of me, his daughter, without

    flinching.

    Right now, he was being totally unreasonable, just like the time when he wanted me to marry Lucas.

    ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t need my help at all. Crystal is a famed new school artist, and long ago, she even saved

    Christopher. Let her talk to him on your behalf. Even the crumbs that fall through the hands of the Lane

    family are enough to feed the Tanner family. Besides, I¡¯m sure Crystal is more than willing to help you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Is Crystal the type who helps others for a reward? She is a public figure, so you

    must not do anything that ruins her reputation.¡± Nathan¡¯s expression turned serious.

    ¡°Is my reputation unimportant, then?¡± I could not help asking.

    ¡°You have no reputation to speak of!¡± Nathan sneered. ¡°If you still think of me as your father, just do as

    I say.¡±

    Indeed, it was true¡ªI had no reputation. When I divorced Lyle, which, by the way, was not my fault, the

    public condemned me for my ipetence andughed at me for being an unworthy wife. They also

    made fun of me foring between Crystal and Lyle.

    I took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Dad, I just can¡¯t figure out why you don¡¯t think of me as your daughter

    but as an instrument to exploit. Did you really love me when I was a child, or was it all just my

    imagination? You treat Yvette well and love Crystal like your own daughter but refuse to show me any

    care nor concern.¡±

    Nathan gazed deeply into my eyes for a moment, and aplicated emotion shed across his dark

    eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the eldest, so you should bear the heaviest burden.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so, but I cannot help you with this. Dad, ask someone else.¡±

    I was the eldest, the firstborn, of the Tanner family¡ªjust howme could this excuse be!

    My phone had been vibrating just now, so I went to a street corner to check it. There were a lot of

    missed calls from Sabrina and Christopher. Suddenly I remembered that I had promised to apany

    Christopher to a friend¡¯s gathering. I forgot it all when I was with Nathan just now.

    Oh, dear! Christopher is surely angry.

    Just then, a call came from Sabrina, and she yelled at me the moment I answered it. ¡°Yvonne, what

    game are you ying? It¡¯s my idol¡¯s birthday today, and we agreed to celebrate together. How dare you

    disappear? Are you looking for trouble? Come over here at once!¡±

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    Chapter 235

    It took me a few minutes to digest Sabrina¡¯s words. What have I done? Christopher remembered my

    birthday and always made breakfast for me. When I was down, he bought the type of lollipop I liked,

    getting it sent by despatch no matter how far.

    And yet, I could not even remember his birthday. Yesterday, he had said mysteriously with an

    expression of expectation on his face that we would have a gathering. I saw that but did not give it

    much thought, presuming that he just wanted to meet some old friends.

    Oh, God. What have I done? Why haven¡¯t I ask when his birthday was? Even if I had not asked, I

    should have called Sabrina and asked about the gathering when he told me about it.

    This was all Nathan¡¯s fault. When he came, I missed the ride to the party when Christopher came to

    pick me up. To make things worse, I even forgot about the whole thing. Christopher must be really mad

    at me.

    ¡°Sabby, where you are now? I¡¯ll hurry over instantly,¡± I asked her urgently.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know where it is?¡± Sabrina raised her voice in exasperation as if she didn¡¯t know what

    to do with me. ¡°Yvonne, you go get dressed ande this instance! As for the gift, you can give mine

    to him. We are¡ª Hey! Why are you taking my phone¡ª¡± Toot¡­ Toot¡­ Toot¡­

    At this crucial moment of our conversation, suddenly, Sabrina¡¯s phone went dead, and there was

    silence.

    ¡°Hello? Hello, Sabby? Sabby?¡± I cried out loudly a few times. Seeing that the call had dropped, I

    stomped my foot in frustration and jogged back to the office entrance. I looked around, but there was

    no red Maserati anywhere nearby.

    Hence, I decided to call Christopher, but his phone was turned off. I pped my forehead, totally at a

    loss. ¡°This is bad. Christopher will definitely be mad at me. What have I done? How could I have

    forgotten something so important?¡±

    I walked around in circles like someone who had lost their way. I wanted to look for Christopher, but I

    did not know where to go. After some time, Sabrina called again. When I saw her name on the screen,

    I answered the phone at the fastest speed I could. ¡°Sabrina, where are you guys? Hurry up and tell

    me.¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s voice was solemn as she spoke in a low voice. ¡°Eve, things are bad, and I mean really bad.

    Because you weren¡¯t here, my idol was enraged. Thus, when he received a call from Monica, he left for

    her ce immediately.

    ¡°What?¡± I groaned inside with tears in my eyes. ¡°In that case, do you know where they went?¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you. They went to Centurion Jungle Park and said they were going to

    watch the fireworks. You¡¯d better get here right now. I don¡¯t care how, but you must get my idol back, or

    I¡¯ll hate you for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going straightaway!¡±

    I hung up the phone and dashed to the taxi stand. Since I was afraid to miss Christopher again, I

    decided to hail a taxi to take me straight to Centurion Jungle Park. Following the path paved with

    cobblestones, I went in and looked around the park.

    Just then, I saw a couple kissing in the woods. The man¡¯s silhouette was just like that of Christopher¡¯s,

    and the woman he had pinned against the tree trunk was dressed very provocatively. They were so

    engrossed in their make-out session that they did not notice me.

    My heart was filled with pain, but then fury swept over me suddenly. Without much thought, I pushed

    everything I knew about being low-key and discrete to the back of my mind, all of which were ingrained

    into me since I was a child.

    The anger within me gave me immeasurable courage I never knew I had. Right then, I walked over in

    strides and grabbed the man by the waist.

    Then, I pushed him aside, stood in front of him, and said ferociously to the woman, ¡°Let go of my man!

    You listen to me¡ªnot only did we hold hands, hug, and kiss, we even watched movies, shower

    together, and make passionate love in bed! We did everything a married couple would, so you have no

    chance to be with him.¡±

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    ¡°What? But you told me you only love me earlier!¡± The woman¡¯s unfamiliar voice rang out, roaring at

    the man.

    I took a second clearer look at her face. Wait a minute. That¡¯s not Monica¡­ And this man¡­

    My neck creaked as I turned my head mechanically and saw the bewildered man. It was not

    Christopher, but someone whose figure and size looked so simr from behind; thus, I was mistaken.

    Along with my anger, my courage vanished.

    ¡°I have no one else but you!¡± Then, the man red at me and yelled, ¡°You crazy b*tch! Where the hell

    did you evene from? I don¡¯t know you at all. Open your eyes and see clearly. You¡¯d better watch

    what you say or do, or I will call the cops and have you sent to an asylum.¡±

    ¡°Sh*t, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry, guys. I¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± I apologized repeatedly, admitting it was

    my mistake. It was so embarrassing that I wanted to dig a hole to bury myself. Thus, I left the grove

    glumly soon after that and stood alone in the huge park, totally at a loss of what to do.

    Just where is Christopher? Did he bring Monica to another park to make out?

    Just then, my eyes fell on therge screen with colorful shing lights in the distance, and I

    remembered the words Christopher said during the reporter¡¯s interview.

    Although Christopher would not actively go and seduce a woman, it would be a different story if Monica

    went out of her way to seduce him. After all, only a few men could resist if such a beautiful woman

    were to offer her kisses.

    I called Christopher again, but his phone was still turned off. Not knowing what to do, I sat on the

    ground and fiddled with a tuft of grass mindlessly. ¡°Christopher, where are you? I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be

    angry, okay? I really didn¡¯t forget your birthday on purpose. Didn¡¯t I say thatmunication is key? You

    didn¡¯t tell me what this party was for, so it wasn¡¯t a pleasant surprise as you imed. Well, it was a

    surprise but certainly not pleasant at all.¡±

    ¡°Do you realize your mistake now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I realize that I was wrong. As long as you forgive me, I will do anything you wish.¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Will you ignore my calls again? Will you break your promises to me?¡± His low voice was heard, and,

    for some reason, he sounded like he was trying to suppress hisughter.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. I swear¡ªit won¡¯t. It was an ident this time.¡±

    As I mumbled by myself, I suddenly felt that something was not quite right, so I jumped up from the

    ground and looked in front of me. There was Christopher, standing on the bridge by theke, panting.

    Apparently, he had run all the way here. When I saw him, I ran over quickly and stood in front of him.

    Looking up at this handsome man, I wanted to wish him ¡°Happy Birthday,¡± but I was at a loss for words.

    Christopher started questioning me like one would query a child. ¡°Tell me, where did you go right after

    work?¡±

    I told him honestly about how Nathan came to see me. ¡°I really didn¡¯t forget about it. In fact, I even had

    my gown with me all the time, as I was afraid that I would embarrass you in front of your friends.

    Unexpectedly, Dad stopped me at the entrance, and I couldn¡¯t leave him there like a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Even then, you should pick up my calls!¡± His face was stern as he folded his arms and raised his chin.

    He was slim and a head taller than me. From my position, I could only see his perfectly angled chin.

    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± I raised my hand like I was swearing an oath. ¡°I promise, from now on, even if I¡¯m

    having my shower, I¡¯ll pick it up your call right away. Will this do?¡±

    Christopher stretched out his huge palm and rubbed the top of my head until my hair looked like a

    bird¡¯s nest. ¡°I shall forgive you because of your sincerity, but I really loved hearing what you said to that

    woman just now. Can you please repeat it again?¡±

    I was speechless to know he had heard that, and I blushed deeply. ¡°That¡¯s so embarrassing, so no, I

    won¡¯t repeat it!¡±

    ¡°You really won¡¯t do it?¡± Christopher took a step forward and held me in his arms.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s time to ept the punishment!¡± Christopher held my face and brought his lips to mine. The

    man vigorously pried my teeth open and began the sweet assault within my mouth. He deliberately

    extended his tongue to the base of mine so that I was almost breathless.

    ¡°Say it! Say that I¡¯m your man!¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    Holding on to his neck and being stuck within his embrace, I was pushed back against the railing of the

    wooden bridge by Christopher. The bridge swung a little as if it would fall apart at any moment. I held

    onto him even tighter as I was afraid of falling.

    He started with a kiss before slipping his fingers into my shirt. Annoyed with how tight my top was, he

    pulled it up and caused it to rub against my face.

    My head was hazy, and my body was on fire. He pushed toward me even more and made my body

    inclined outward.

    I could almost see our reflections on theke. When the wooden bridge was making a creaking sound,

    I tensed up.

    If the bridge fell immediately, then I would be the first woman who drowned while kissing her

    boyfriend. Everyone in Avenport wouldugh at the news of my death until the end of time.

    In a distance, I could see the couple whom I saw earlier walking out of the small forest and caught what

    we were doing. I could even hear what they were saying, though barely.

    ¡°Wow, is that the woman from earlier? Is she doing something lewd with her boyfriend over there? The

    sign says not to enter. Aren¡¯t they afraid that the bridge might copse?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. After they fall, we can just call the ambnce and share it on Twitter.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t nning to do it there, are they? That woman¡¯s top looks like it¡¯s about toe off.¡±

    I desperately tried to stop Christopher from continuing after hearing their chatter, but he seemed to

    have no intention of halting. Instead, he slipped his other hand into my skirt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s dangerous¡­ Someone¡­¡± I tried to press his hand down.

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯m a good swimmer. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Christopher gently bit my earlobe

    before moving to my neck.

    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the issue here. I saw the couple stretching their necks trying to see what we were

    doing.

    My god. Do you people have to do this?

    Thankfully, Christopher¡¯s punishment didn¡¯t mean something far more embarrassing for me. He quickly

    let me down and blocked their line of sight with his body. He helped to pull my shirt down before

    hugging me tight and roared at the busybodies, ¡°What are you looking at?! Never seen lovers being

    intimate before?¡±

    I could feel my cheeks burning as I looked at him like a fool.

    The man embarrassedly pulled the woman away, but the woman wanted to stare at Christopher longer.

    My danger rm was ringing, so I pushed myself out of his embrace, and, with my arm around his

    neck, red at the woman. ¡°This man is mine!¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re hot stuff just because you have a handsome boyfriend? Maybe he¡¯s just a kept man!¡±

    The woman then pulled her boyfriend away in a huff.

    I couldn¡¯t help but giggled. ¡°Did you hear what they just called you, Christopher?¡±

    ¡°Well, the only person being kept is you.¡± Christopher grinned and purposefully bumped against me

    with his hard rod.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Jerk!¡± I pouted before gently punching him. ¡°Your friends are waiting for you. I think we should go and

    meet them, lest they wait for us even longer.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass. We¡¯ll just drink, y cards and shoot the sh*t. It¡¯s boring. When they¡¯re drunk, they¡¯ll

    start saying nonsense, and I don¡¯t feel like punching anyone right now. Let¡¯s find somewhere to eat

    instead. I¡¯m starving. This is your fault,¡± Christopher said fiercely.

    I pouted again before holding his hand tightly as we crossed the bridge. I really didn¡¯t want to bear

    another second of the risk of falling off the rotting structure.

    After we walked out of the bridge, I saw Christopher was looking a little depressed, so I whispered to

    him, ¡°Happy birthday, Christopher!¡±

    ¡°Happy birthday, my ass. There¡¯s no present for me. Hmph.¡±

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the present. I¡¯ll definitely get you one,¡± I quickly swore, as I really want to get him

    something he really liked even though I had no idea what that was. ¡°You know, you¡¯re the son of a rich

    family. Can¡¯t you stop speaking so rudely? It makes you look bad.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so rude about how I talk? Everyone has a w in some way. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m getting really hungry.¡±

    He fastened his pace as I attempted, again and again, to catch up with him and grab his hand.

    After failing two times, he held my hands tightly. ¡°Your hand is freezing. Can¡¯t you wear something

    warmer, you id*ot?¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°What if you don¡¯t like me if I¡¯m too smart? So, it¡¯s better for me to be a little stupid, because

    I¡¯ll look cuter that way.¡±

    ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Christopher knocked on my head a couple of times.

    We eventually arrived at a fancy restaurant and ate a morous meal. When it was time to pay up, I

    took the initiative and treated him. After I swiped my card and saw the long string of numbers, my heart

    started aching. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going bankrupt because of a meal. I knew I should¡¯ve saved more.

    ¡°Christopher, I want you to remember that I spent the money I had saved up over the years just to treat

    you to this meal. Even though I have known Sabrina for so many years, I never treated her to such an

    expensive meal. So, you should be grateful that I¡¯m willing to spend all my savings to make you happy.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°You are such a niggard. Didn¡¯t I give you a card already?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one treating you! I can¡¯t use your money to do that. If you want to know how much a woman

    loves a man, you can tell by looking at how much the woman is willing to spend on him. Got it?¡± I

    pounded my chest with pride.

    Christopher raised his eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be the opposite?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for women!¡± I replied in a serious tone.

    We romantically strolled back home instead of calling a taxi. We held each other¡¯s hand and kicked the

    roadside pebbles. It was a lot of fun. When I saw an empty soda can, I wanted to pick it up, but

    Christopher kicked it and uratelynded into a trash can.

    I was swooning over how dashing my prince was.

    ¡°Stop! Give me your money!¡± Two guys jumped out of nowhere and stopped us as soon as we walked

    into an alley. Boy, they mean business.

    I gasped and hid behind Christopher.

    ¡°Mugging?¡± Christopher looked at the two with amusement.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Give me all your money. The guy can f*ck off while the girl stays. If you don¡¯t listen to us,

    I¡¯ll show you my impressive knife tricks.¡±

    I grinned. Christopher is an aplished fighter. There¡¯s no way I need to be afraid of these punks.

    ¡°What are you two smiling at, f*ckers? I¡¯ll show you-¡±

    Before the mugger could even finish his sentence, Christopher bolted toward him and kicked the knife

    in his hand away. Christopher then followed up with a sweeping kick that knocked both of them down.

    Then, he raised his leg before stomping on both of the muggers as they groaned in pain.

    I swooned even harder as I stared at him.

    Christopher grinned when he saw me admiring him. ¡°Are you enamored with my dashing figure?¡±

    I suddenly hugged his neck and leaped into the air. He quickly held my hips up and hugged me tightly. I

    then unleashed a barrage of kisses on his face. ¡°How can you be this cool and handsome, Christopher!

    I¡¯m absolutely crazy for you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy for me? But you didn¡¯t even prepare a present for me. Hmph.¡± Christopher had

    completely shattered the romantic atmosphere.

    I held back the urge to groan and roll my eyes back at the same time.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    After returning home, I forced Christopher to stay in the living room before sprinting to my wardrobe. I

    tried to find the thing I was looking for, but it wasn¡¯t there anymore. I thought I changed the location of

    the item already, but it seemed like Christopher still managed to find it.

    I opened the bed drawer and rummaged through the items inside before picking a rather provocative

    clothing.

    ¡°Yvonne, why are you locking me outside? Open up.¡± Christopher knocked on the door.

    ¡°Give me a second! I¡¯ll be out soon!¡± I quickly went into the restroom, wore that sexy outfit, and

    checked out how I looked in front of the big mirror before looking away rather embarrassingly.

    There¡¯s even a tail at the back. Who the hell designed this thing? I thought to myself as I put on a cor

    with a bell and a headband with cat ears.

    I read through some of Christopher¡¯s porn before I walked out of the room, flustered. He was eating

    apples when I approached him with my hands up and half-kneeling in front of him. ¡°Meow. Your present

    has arrived, Master. Does this satisfy you, meow?¡±

    The apple in Christopher¡¯s hand slipped out as he stared at me,pletely stunned. He wanted to say

    something, but he choked on his own saliva before that could happen. I gently patted his back as I sat

    on hisp. ¡°Meow. Master, there¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯m all yours tonight, meow.¡±

    Christopher turned and pushed me onto the couch. He eagerly kissed my neck all the way up to my

    lips. ¡°I¡¯m very, very happy, Eve. I love you so much.¡±

    I shook the bell on my cor as Christopher yed with my cat ears and continued to kiss me.

    I followed what I read on his porn and gently eximed, ¡°Master!¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Christopher became instantly turned on. He transformed into a ravenous beast and we made love

    endlessly as he demanded that I continued to call him ¡°Master¡± throughout the night. I don¡¯t know what

    that was all about but¡­ he was all turned on.

    After it was over, my headband was taken off, and I couldn¡¯t find the cat tail anymore. My makeup wore

    off and the thin clothing I was wearing was torn to shreds.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Christopher!¡± Even though I was still in a daze, I reminded myself to tell him that.

    Otherwise, that petty man would find some other excuse to ¡°punish¡± me, which I didn¡¯t necessarily

    dislike.

    A few dayster, the piece I submitted to the exhibition was epted and passed the initial screening.

    That was within my expectations, as it took me quite a lot of effort toplete that piece.

    The exhibition crew told me that my piece would be disyed in the exhibit room, which was another

    way of them asking me to attend the exhibit and get interviewed, along with the other contestants.

    My first reaction was to refuse, but the crew informed me that the interview would be a very important

    part of the exhibition. That was because there would be a lot of famous artists attending the reception,

    and it would be beneficial for my future development in the art circle. However, I still refused.

    I hated it once things weremercialized, especially art. If people liked my art, then that would be

    enough for me. There was no reason to see me in the flesh. Although, I did promise the organizer that,

    if my art managed to make it into the next exhibition, I would show my face.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    Even though I was shifting my focus to art, I still hadn¡¯t abandoned my work. Without inspiration, I

    couldn¡¯t create good work. So, in order to receive more inspiration, I would drive around and enjoy the

    view outside.

    Creating art wasn¡¯t likepleting a mission, where I could just sit in front of my canvas and forced

    myself to draw. If I did that, the end result would just be terrible. However, I needed to finish my next

    piece within a month¡¯s time for the next exhibition, and I still had no idea what to draw. I couldn¡¯t take

    my sweet time like before and remained unaplished. I would be undeserving to be Christopher¡¯s

    partner otherwise.

    Since I was bored, I sent a message to Key to update him about my current situation. He was very

    happy with my achievement so far and encouraged me by providing me with a couple of suggestions

    for my current piece.

    After a while, I typed: It¡¯s been a while since you went online. Did something happen?

    It took a long time before Key replied, ¡±I went to a rather remote area. There was no inte ess nor

    a phone line, and I had to work hard every day to earn money. I have only returned recently.¡±

    If Key is working in such an awful ce, his family is probably not that well off. I grinned and

    asked, ¡±You know, Avenport is a pretty good ce. Even ordinary people like us can find a living there.¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Key sent a couple of stickers depicting a doll grinning maliciously, much like how Christopher often

    smiled at me. Key then replied, ¡±If you ever find a suitable man, then just marry him. Don¡¯t be a

    spinster. If he asks your hand in marriage, don¡¯t reject it.¡±

    A spinster? I wished but I am a divorcee.

    I pouted and typed, ¡±I¡¯m not a spinster. If you say something like that to a girl, you¡¯re doomed to live a

    lonely life until the day you die. Understand?¡±

    Key sent me an emoji of a despised look. ¡±You should go back to drawing now. Don¡¯t bezy, okay? I¡¯m

    still waiting for you to be super famous so I could show off to everyone that you¡¯re my friend. If your art

    failed to make it into every exhibition in the country, then please don¡¯t tell anyone that we are

    acquainted.¡±

    I held my chin as I wondered. Even if I said I know Key, who would who he is? I don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s

    a man or woman, or if he¡¯s tall or short. I have never even seen his face before. The only thing I could

    tell from our conversations is that he¡¯s kind of an airhead.

    After going through two more drafts, I put down my brush because it just didn¡¯t feel right. Christopher

    saw how conflicted I was, so he approached me and put me on hisp before giving me a ticket. ¡°If you

    don¡¯t know what to draw, how about we get some time off and help you get some inspiration?¡±

    ¡°How can we find inspiration?¡± I looked at the ticket and noticed it was for a cruise. ¡°Sabrina told me

    before that she had a ticket for a 10-day cruise. Is this from her?¡±

    Christopher sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t need to take a ticket from her or anyone if I want to go on a cruise. This is

    a ticket for an S-ss package. Once we go on a trip out on the sea, I can guarantee you that

    inspiration will flow into your mind like a river.¡±

    ¡°But this is a 10-day cruise. Will we make it in time?¡± I considered.

    ¡°Then, just bring your art supplies with you, idiot. You can¡¯t say no to this. You forgot to prepare my

    present after all, so consider this reimbursement.¡± He pulled me onto the bed and hugged me tightly.

    I didn¡¯t like his muscr chest, so I moved down a little more andy my head on his soft belly. I then

    poked his waist and grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t get too overzealous, Christopher. It¡¯s only your birthday that I

    forgot. You¡¯ve been reminding me of that fact every day for the past month now. If you do it again, I¡¯m

    just going to ignore you.¡±

    I was a little pissy about how he still wanted to take advantage of me even after I have already made

    up for my little blunder.

    Christopher suddenly pulled out a small red box from his pocket and opened it up to reveal a ring

    inside. He lifted it toward me and proposed, ¡°Eve, will you marry me?¡±

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    It was the first time Christopher proposed to me in such a serious manner. No romantic dinner, no

    bouquet of fresh flowers. He was staring at me genuinely as if he already made his decision long

    before he opened his mouth.

    Tears welled in my eyes as I held my mouth, trying my best not to cry.

    ¡°Eve, I know there¡¯s a lot going on beneath your cheerful facade, and I want you to know that I¡¯m willing

    to bear your burden and protect you until death do us part. If you marry me, I¡¯ll make you the happiest

    woman in the entire world.¡±

    I was absolutely ecstatic, and I almost reached my hand out to let Christopher put the ring on me.

    However, I hesitated. It was not because I didn¡¯t want to marry him, but there was one more thing I

    needed to ask before I made my decision.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I choked as I gazed upon his handsome face, ¡°Do you really mean it?¡±

    ¡°Of course I mean it. You got two choices, Eve. One, you kiss me and I help you put the ring on you.

    Two, you wear the ring yourself, kiss me, and say that I¡¯m your man and no one can steal me from

    you.¡±

    Even when Christopher was proposing, he was still a sweet-talker. I was feeling all emotional, but that

    made me chuckled a little. I whispered, ¡°Is there a third option?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°Of course. You take the ring, kneel down, hold my hand, and ask me if I¡¯m willing to marry you. Then,

    I¡¯ll say I do until death do us part, and I¡¯ll tell you how much I love you and I¡¯ll never let you go.¡±

    Christopher spoke softly as if he was afraid that his loud voice would scare me.

    ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± I know I¡¯m being silly right now because even though I love Christopher very much, I still

    can¡¯t give him a straight answer after he proposed to me. If Sabrina were here, she¡¯ll probably just put

    the ring on me herself and scold me for being so pathetic.

    ¡°No buts! I don¡¯t ept any other options. Now, Darling, what¡¯s your choice?¡± He stared at me deeply.

    I took over the red box and examined the ring inside. It had an 18-carat diamond embedded in it. I

    didn¡¯t wear it immediately; instead, I whispered to Christopher, ¡°I really want to say yes, but I feel like

    I¡¯m being unfair to you.¡±

    Christopher opened his mouth, but I closed it with my hand. ¡°When I needed help the most, you were

    there for me. You are my dream, and I was so addicted to you that I chose to rely on you and hang on

    to you. You¡¯re like a shining star hanging in the night sky, lighting up the path in my darkest hours.

    Not only did my own family refused to help me when I was at my lowest point, but they also kicked me

    aside. Do you really want to be with someone like me? I only chose to rely on you because I didn¡¯t

    have anyone else to turn to. What if you realized that my love for you isn¡¯t as deep as your love for me?

    If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m only being unfair to you. You¡¯ve been so nice to me that I don¡¯t know if I could¡­¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± He pulled my hand away and pressed his finger on my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I chose to help

    you. You¡¯re not being unfair to me. If this is really what you have just said, as in your love for me is

    iparable to my love for you; then I¡¯m willing to wait for you to close the gap, even if it takes a

    lifetime for you to do it. Relying on me isn¡¯t inherently a bad thing. After all, it means you trust and love

    me enough to do that. You just need to ept me slowly and steadily. If you can¡¯t catch up to me, then

    I¡¯ll just walk toward you.¡±

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    Christopher put the ring on me and smiled. ¡°See? It¡¯s that easy. Now that it¡¯s on you, you can never pull

    it out.¡±

    Looking at the ring, I thought it was sweet, but I still felt a little uncertain.

    ¡°You silly girl. Just because you had a failed marriage before doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll always end up with

    the same fate. I won¡¯t be someone like Lyle. He had it all but wasted it. He is the dumbest guy on

    earth. I won¡¯t do that though. Hey, put the ring on for me.¡±

    I stared into his eyes and saw his warm, loving gaze. Then, I was hopelessly mesmerized. All I could

    do was followed his order and obediently pushed the ring into his ring finger.

    Suddenly, Christopher stood up, hugged me, and spun around joyously. ¡°Haha! You belong to me now,

    Eve, so don¡¯t even think about loving another man. Of course, if you dare, I¡¯ll just kill that person right in

    front of you.¡±

    ¡°Put me down!¡± I was starting to get dizzy.

    ¡°Nope! I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Heughed childishly as he kissed me. In the end, we fell down onto the

    big bed together. He continued tough while I couldn¡¯t move due to the dizziness.

    Christopher immediately stood back up and rummaged through the drawers. I asked, ¡°What are you

    looking for?¡±

    ¡°Your ID, of course! We should register our marriage right now since you already epted my

    proposal. I can¡¯t wait to make you part of the Lane family,¡± he excitedly replied.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too fast?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I initially nned to marry you the moment you divorced Lyle. However, you would definitely

    oppose the idea then, so I didn¡¯t bring it up. Now that you have agreed to my proposal, I won¡¯t feel at

    ease if we don¡¯t get the marriage certificate immediately.¡±

    When he finally found all the necessary documents, he tried to pull me outside, but I managed to stop

    him. ¡°But Lyle hasn¡¯t given me the divorce certificate yet!¡±

    Like a magician, he pulled the divorce certificate out and dangled it in front of me. ¡°He thought he could

    y me like a fool, but I still managed to obtain it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Why would he give it to you?¡± Lyle was convinced that I would be miserable after I left

    him, and believed that I would crawl back to him for help. That is why he never gave me the divorce

    certificate. He wanted to have the upper hand and was waiting for me to beg him and be grateful to him

    for whatever help he was willing to throw at me. Hence, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll allow me to marry another

    man.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Christopher raised his chin proudly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can stop me from iming you as my wife.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him. I had a feeling that he ckmailed Crystal to give him the divorce certificate.

    Christopher put a coat on me, stuffed me into the car, and prepared to drive us out of the gate. Sabrina

    waved at us when she walked in.

    Christopher rolled down the window and shouted, ¡°We¡¯re too busy getting married! Please excuse

    yourself and don¡¯t interrupt our big moment!¡±

    He then stepped on the gas and zipped past Sabrina.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    When I divorced Lyle, I never thought I would go back to the City Hall so quickly. I could never imagine

    that I could still find happiness after that.

    I thought I would just be Christopher¡¯s side chick at most, staying beside him until he eventually got

    bored with me. However, Christopher proved me wrong and used his love to change me bit by bit.

    Even though Ick confidence and didn¡¯t have the courage to marry him, he was still willing to stay by

    my side until I finally agreed.

    Standing at the entrance, we saw arge crowd of different people. Some were happy and some were

    sad while some got married and some got divorced.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, quickly. What if the employees are getting off work soon?¡± Christopher agitatedly pulled me

    toward the counter.

    ¡°No sighing. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be smiling at the fact that we¡¯re getting married?¡± Christopher then

    pinched my cheeks and pushed the edges of my mouth upward. I didn¡¯t even know what to say. When

    he was serious, he looked handsome; when he was childish, he looked cute.

    ¡°I was just feeling a little emotional that I woulde back here.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you have never thought about marrying me before?¡± Christopher intentionally looked at

    me sternly. ¡°Eve, how dare you y with my feelings. You need to take responsibility as my woman.¡±

    ¡°What responsibility? I¡¯m already here. What more do you want from me?¡± I yfully poked at his waist.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Of course, I thought about marrying him. However, I was just too afraid and couldn¡¯t think of what might

    happen in that future. In fact, I didn¡¯t want to be disappointed and feel even more miserable.

    Getting a marriage certificate was quite easy. When we left the City Hall, I was holding a small red

    book. On the other hand, Christopher was holding on to the green one, which showed that I was

    officially divorced from Lyle. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this one safe. If someone wants to talk about your rtionship

    with Lyle, I¡¯ll just show them this and tell them that you belong to me.¡±

    ¡°Who carries a divorce certificate on them every day? Are you stupid?¡± I didn¡¯t even want to imagine

    that scenario ying out for real.

    ¡°You already know if I¡¯m stupid or not, Darling.¡± He smiled and gave me a kiss. ¡°If you want to scold me

    in the future, do it inside our home, Dear. I¡¯ll get embarrassed if you do it in public.¡±

    ¡°Cut that crap! Just don¡¯t do something stupid!¡± I eximed shyly. I felt a lot happier and more at ease

    marrying Christopher than when I did with Lyle.

    Even though there were still obstacles that I had to face down the road, I felt like I could crush them all

    with Christopher by my side.

    ¡°Since we are already married, how about you start calling me Darling now? You always called me

    Christopher or Chris.¡± He held my waist and whispered into my ear, ¡°Come on. Call me Darling.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± I pouted, kissed him on his lips, and shouted, ¡°Darling!¡±

    Christopher exploded with joy. He took out his phone and nced at the time. He also made me took

    out my phone before he announced, ¡°It is now a quarter past eleven, we have made the vow and I

    dere Christopher Lane and Yvonne Tanner man and wife!¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    After the marriage, it was time for the honeymoon. Christopher was full of joy as he busily packed our

    suitcase. He wanted to take me on a cruise for our honeymoon. Once again, Imented his tricks. At

    first, he talked about having fun on a cruise. Then, as he continued speaking, it turned into our

    honeymoon.

    Sabrina looked at him, then at me. She had a yful expression as she gave me a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re

    awesome, Eve. You managed to get a rich husband so quickly. Now I don¡¯t need to worry about you

    anymore. It makes me sad to think that I¡¯ve married off my daughter.¡±

    I could indeed tell that she was happy, much more so than when she got married herself. It¡¯s great to

    have such a friend. ¡±What do you mean you¡¯ve married off your daughter? That¡¯s so weird. Anyway, I

    got married, but you didn¡¯t give me any gifts yet.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve prepared it for you long ago.¡± She patted her handbag then took out a small bag. ¡°It¡¯s

    all in here. It¡¯s what you¡¯ll need. Learn well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± I asked as I took the bag and opened it, then immediately closed it again. Blushing, I

    turned back to look at Christopher, who was still packing the clothes. I then groaned and said, ¡°What¡¯re

    you doing, Sabby? Why¡¯d you give me such things?¡±

    Inside, there was a set of sexy underwear and a little yellow book. Based on what I knew about her, it

    was definitely a book filled with illustrations and graphic exnations.

    She mysteriously leaned closer to me and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s very important, especially when a man and a

    woman be one. If you don¡¯t perform well and take the initiative, you¡¯ll be at a loss. Keep him in the

    palm of your hand, and don¡¯t let him escape. Get it?¡±

    I was not going to tell her that he always took the initiative when it came to such matters. In addition,

    his tricks could crush whatever she gave me in a minute. ¡°Okay, I know. But you should keep it low. If

    he hears you, he¡¯s going tough at me again.¡±

    Just then, Christopher yelled toward the living room, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Dear. Come and help!¡±

    Then, he ced a bunch of colorful clothes on the bed. As he picked out the clothes with a

    contemting expression, he pointed to the ck bra and said, ¡°I think you look the sexiest in this. But

    the pink one¡¯s also pretty cute. But my favorite¡¯s the red one. Which do you think I should bring?¡±

    Shocked by his words, I rushed in and quickly stuffed them all into the suitcase. I then said in

    annoyance, ¡°Can¡¯t you bring them all? What¡¯re you so confused about?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± He poked himself in the head and looked as if he had suddenly been enlightened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I

    think of that?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Sabrina leaned against the door andughed as she winked at me. ¡°Remember to bring my

    gift, Eve. Enjoy your honeymoon.¡±

    At that moment, it was as if Christopher had only just realized there was someone else in the house.

    He frowned at her and said unhappily, ¡°Why¡¯re you still here? We¡¯re going on a honeymoon and aren¡¯t

    bringing anyone else. Even if you want to be a third wheel, I wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡±

    I punched him lightly a few times in response, for his words were bing increasingly brazen and

    crooked.

    ¡°Even if you want me as a third wheel, I don¡¯t. Anyway, I¡¯m going home to find Zach. Oh right, he says

    he¡¯ll take me to a candlelit dinner today. I wonder if I¡¯ll have the chance to be deflowered tonight.¡±

    As she walked off, she continued to murmur, ¡°Or I can try some enhancement pills. That fish brain. I¡¯ll

    make sure to do it today.¡±

    I was stunned after hearing her words. How desperate is she recently that she¡¯s thinking of such a

    crooked idea? Just as I wanted to go forward and remind her not to do anything weird, Christopher

    pulled me back. ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in other¡¯s affairs. You only need to spend your honeymoon happily

    with me. You can also think about the things we can do on the cruise.¡±

    He had heavily emphasized the word ¡°things.¡± Thus, as soon as I understood his meaning, I pinched

    him on the waist and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ve been thinking about this all day!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    Before we left for the cruise, I was originally wearing a skirt. However, he insisted I wear the clothes he

    prepared. He then took out a set of matching outfits with the same pattern and style. There was also a

    printed picture of SpongeBob on the chest.

    Although it was somewhat childish, I looked fine in it. However, it became a little strange as soon as he

    put it on. After all, a fully grown man wearing such childish clothes had to look weird.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Nevertheless, he had no realization of it at all. After changing, he spun around a few times in the mirror

    and eximed, ¡°We¡¯re really born to be a pair. Even our clothes are the same.¡±

    I was speechless at that, for I could not deal with such a serious-faced narcissist.

    As there was no sea in Avenport, we had to take a ne to Coldbridge first. In reality, I was looking

    forward to the trip, since frankly, the word ¡°honeymoon¡± was very foreign to me. When Lyle and I had

    gotten married, he did not even return the night before, hanging out with Benjamin and the others.

    Then, when he waster sent home, the sky had already brightened. Furthermore, he was so drunk

    that he did not even bother about me. For the next month, he went outte at night and only came

    home early in the morning every day. He did not even speak much to me. Therefore, I did not

    remember about the honeymoon.

    Once we got to the port, a little girl selling flowers stopped us and said to Christopher, ¡°Handsome

    mister, why don¡¯t you buy some flowers for this prettydy? You look so happy together. How can you

    not her buy some flowers?¡±

    He turned to me and smiled, then said quietly, ¡°That makes sense. Give me eleven roses and make it

    look pretty.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± The little girl then quickly bundled the roses up and gave them to him. Subsequently, she held

    out her hands. ¡°That¡¯ll be one thousand and one hundred. Thank you, mister.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so expensive. Is this a scam?¡± I asked, surprised by the price. I had long heard that Coldbridge

    had many scammers but did not expect to meet one as soon as I arrived.

    ¡°Compared to your happiness, miss, one thousand and one hundred is merely a small part of it.

    Besides, my roses aren¡¯t ordinary roses. They¡¯re called Loving You A Thousand Years. It represents

    this mister¡¯s love for you. Don¡¯t you want to have it? Happiness is priceless,¡± the girl replied, clearly

    spouting nonsense with a straight face.

    I rolled my eyes at that. Does even a little girl now know how to say such things? She¡¯s giving

    countless excuses.

    ¡°I love what you said. Anyway, I have lots of money!¡±

    Despite my protests, Christopher calmly paid the money then handed the roses to me. He smiled and

    said, ¡°Darling, these flowers are for you. I hope you¡¯re always as beautiful as they are.¡±

    I pouted and shook the ordinary-looking flowers. No matter how you look at it, they¡¯re mere roses. And

    she still said happiness is priceless? Hah! As if! It¡¯s only because she saw us wearing expensive

    matching outfits.

    ¡°What a spendthrift,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be a spendthrift for you!¡± he said before holding my hand and walking toward the

    entrance to the cruise. ¡°Anyway, a man makes money just so that his woman could spend it. If you

    don¡¯t even spend it, what¡¯s the point of me making money?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should spend so carelessly. Next time, if you want to buy something, you have

    to ask for my consent,¡± I replied, still upset about the huge amount paid earlier.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    The ship¡¯s whistle then sounded before it slowly moved further away from the dock, heading toward the

    horizon. Several seagulls in the sky were alerted by the sound and flew away together while squawking

    loudly.

    I was fascinated. After all, it was the first time I was on a cruise. I flung Christopher¡¯s hand away and

    ran toward the ticketing gate. However, another couple happened to turn the corner at that moment and

    ran into us head-on. As a result, both parties were stunned.

    I frowned slightly as I looked at Lyle and Crystal in front of me. There was an ominous feeling in my

    heart, seeing them at the ticketing gate as well. Well, isn¡¯t this just my luck! Do I have to see them while

    on my honeymoon?

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here, Yvonne?¡± Lyle asked. He was holding onto Crystal¡¯s hand and frowned when

    he saw me.

    Stepping backward, I walked into Christopher. However, I did not continue retreating and merely let him

    put his arms around my waist. He said softly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    ¡°Yvonne, are you going on a trip with Christopher?¡± Crystal asked, looking at us inquisitively. ¡°What a

    coincidence. Lyle and I are going too. Why don¡¯t we group up? It¡¯s good to have people watching out

    for you.¡±

    Oh, f*ck off. I hated when Crystal looked at others with her eyes squinted. Every time she did that,

    anything she said or came out of her mouth would not turn out to be anything good. Although she

    looked gentle and was smiling from ear to ear, she was definitely thinking about how to deal with me.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be too troublesome,¡± I said coldly.

    ¡°What do you mean by that, Yvonne? We¡¯re cousins, and you also used to be with Lyle. In any case,

    we grew up together. I know you¡¯re hurt because I¡¯m together with Lyle. I¡¯ll apologize, okay?¡± she

    replied.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want my perfect travels to be unpleasant because of some people. Only a fool

    would invite trouble in,¡± Christopher said as he held my waist and red at Crystal. Then, he took my

    arm and walked past the pair.

    Just then, Lyle yelled for us to stop. He stared at our sped hands, seemingly very angry since his

    expression was full of rage. I was confused by his reaction. I¡¯m not even rted to him anymore. Why¡¯s

    he acting as if I cheated on him?

    In retaliation, I leaned into Christopher and kissed him. At the same time, he turned over and held my

    face in his hands. Then, we exchanged a deep, wet kiss. After we broke apart, I breathed unsteadily as

    I asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Do you have to be with him?¡± Lyle shouted as he clenched his fists tightly.

    ¡°I can feel that you care a lot for your ex-wife. But as your friend, Lyle, I have to give you some advice.

    Take good care of your woman. Don¡¯t go around fantasizing about other¡¯s wives,¡± Christopher replied.

    A displeased gaze then flickered across his eyes. It was obvious that Lyle¡¯s words angered him.

    Although that minor episode happened, it did not affect our travels. We soon threw away all thoughts of

    the other couple and ran toward our ship. While facing the salty seas and with the seagulls hovering

    overhead, hisughter was sweet and beautiful.

    ¡°Slow down, Christopher. I can¡¯t keep up,¡± I said as I chased after him.

    He then turned back and gave me a wicked smile. ¡°I can¡¯t be slow. Our family custom is that after

    getting married and while taking public transport, the man has to get on first before he helps to pull the

    woman up. Otherwise, he¡¯ll be under his wife¡¯s control forever. I want to be on top.¡±

    What? Is there such a custom? Ipletely forgot that he loved to joke around. Thus, I did not notice

    the implied meaning in hisst sentence before immediately running after him. However, after a while, I

    realized that I could not catch up. Thus, I rolled my eyes and pretended to sprain my ankle. I shouted

    out, then squatted down.

    ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡± Indeed, he instantly looked back at me.

    When he got closer, I forcefully pulled him backward and quickly ran to the deck to stand somewhere

    high up. He was standing where I previously was with his hands in his pockets, looking at me

    affectionately. Then, I smiled triumphantly at him and said, ¡°I got here first. Haha, you¡¯re done for.

    You¡¯re going to be under my control for the rest of your life.¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Subsequently, he walked in time with the traffic flow and slowly approached me. Once he was close

    enough, he pulled me into his arms and smiled. ¡°Idiot. I¡¯ve already been under your control a long time

    ago.¡±

    In response, I jumped up and kissed him on the cheek, then said cockily, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Anyway, I¡¯ve

    won. You can¡¯t escape from me forever.¡±

    ¡°Did Sabrina teach you this? Don¡¯t worry. I brought the wedding gift she gave you. You can take a good

    lookter.¡± After he spoke, he then blew lightly on my ear. ¡°It turns out my darling likes being the top so

    much. You should¡¯ve told me earlier. I¡¯d be delighted to let you do so.¡±

    Instantly, I choked on my saliva once I realized that I was being teased again. ¡°Assh*le!¡±

    The both of us then began to chase each other on the deck. Meanwhile, at a distance, Lyle and Crystal

    kept staring in our direction with a dark look in their gaze.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    As expected, Christopher was indeed from the Lane family. His ticket was not only for first-ss but

    was also for a luxury suite. There were only four luxury suites on that cruise ship. Just as the ship

    started to move slowly, I unpacked my suitcase and opened the windows. From my position, I could

    see the scenery outside and the situation on the deck.

    The sea was endless, and there was nothing else except the sea all around us. For a moment, I felt a

    flicker of panic. After all, I had an irrational fear of water.

    At that moment, Christopher had ordered a couple¡¯s set meal and brought me over to the table to eat.

    ncing at the meal in front of me, I thought it looked quite exquisite. However, the utensils were a

    little unique. There was only one drink but two straws. Moreover, the main point was that there was

    only one knife and fork. I picked up the fork and yed around with it, then asked, ¡°Did they deliver it

    wrongly? We¡¯re missing one set.¡±

    ¡°Let me teach you how to eat it!¡± He then took the knife and started to cut the steak, beckoning me to

    help. After I poked the meat with the fork, he leaned over and opened his mouth. ¡°Feed me!¡±

    Ah, after messing around for so long, the goal¡¯s to feed each other. It¡¯s a couple¡¯s meal, alright. I ced

    the meat in his mouth, and he took it willingly. Then, he suddenly pulled me into his arms and pushed

    the meat into my mouth. After moving it around my mouth a few times, he took it back into his and

    swallowed it. He then licked his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s not bad. Let¡¯s dig in. I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell eats their meal this way? Can¡¯t you ask for another set of cutlery from the waiter?¡± It¡¯s so

    weird to eat like this. I then took a bite and savored the taste. It was tender, fragrant, juicy, and very

    delicious.

    Satisfied, I swallowed it, then moved to pick up a second piece. Noticing that he was giving me a pitiful

    look, I put on an innocent expression and replied, ¡°Come on, Chris. Go ask for another set, and we can

    enjoy our meals properly.¡±

    Seeing that I was gloating, he then leaned in and took my lips into his mouth. Before I could recover

    from my shock, he had skillfully taken the meat from my mouth. As he chewed, he said, ¡°This is the

    only method to eat a couple¡¯s meal. Don¡¯t be stubborn, darling. Hurry up and feed me.¡±

    At that moment, I desperately wanted to kill the person who had designed such a way of eating. Fine,

    I¡¯ll let it slip this time since it is pretty romantic.

    In the afternoon, as the boat rocked and swayed on the sea, so did our bed. However, it was not

    because the boat was moving. Instead, it was because Christopher was.

    After all, sparks would surely fly after having a couple¡¯s meal. Moreover, we were married.

    Nevertheless, I still found it weird that we were staying in bed despite being out and exploring; thus, I

    kept refusing his requests. However, he would not ept it. He looked at me, pretending to look upset

    and saying he had a hard time before finally marrying me, but I wouldn¡¯t even give myself to him.

    Since he already put it that way, there was nothing else I could say. Thus, Ipromised. I stopped

    pushing him away and instead embraced him. Then, pressing his lips together, he forcefully pulled

    apart my clothes. Shocked, I hurriedly covered my chest, but he poked the back of my hand and smiled

    wickedly. ¡°You¡¯re my wife. It¡¯s only natural to do this.¡±

    Thus, the first day we got on the cruise, I had no time to admire the sea view nor its vastness. All I

    knew was the rocky bed. As I continued to ponder, I pressed my face to the window.

    After drawing open the curtains, I found that the windows were the reflective ss type. Therefore, I

    could clearly see the people walking around on the deck, yet they could not see me. Some couples

    were holding hands while others were quarreling. At that moment, Lyle and Crystal were also standing

    on the deck and talking. They were talking about something, and then she forcefully shook off his hand.

    Afterward, he chased after her but got pped in return. As he stood in ce, his expression turned

    mncholy. Then, he suddenly looked up at the windows. I was startled by it and trembled, feeling as

    though he had seen me through the ss.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Christopher¡¯s kiss lingered on my corbone as his fingers ran across my smooth back and

    slim waist. He whispered, ¡°You¡¯re so tight, darling.¡±

    I blushed at his words, then shouted, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too big!¡±

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    The next day, under my protests, he finally stopped our fun in the suite. Hence, we got changed and

    headed outside to watch the sunrise. Standing on the deck, he hugged me from behind as we stared

    into the sky, watching the sun slowly rise.

    ¡°Sir?¡± After a while, a tall man came over. He had been watching the sunrise on the deck when he

    noticed us. He looked at Christopher in surprise, then turned to stare at me intently.

    Feeling embarrassed by the stare, I turned my head and cleared my throat before Christopher pulled

    me behind him. He said in displeasure, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Sean? How dare you look at my wife.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t; I didn¡¯t know she¡¯s your wife,¡± Sean replied as he blushed and looked away. He then said

    embarrassedly, ¡°So, it turns out you¡¯re already married, Sir. Zachary said you had a girlfriend, but I

    thought he was trying to lie for you. This is great. The others in the team have always guessed that you

    were actually gay. Now, we can interact with you freely, and our girlfriends don¡¯t need to worry about

    you stealing their men.¡±

    I snorted and tried to hold back myughter. When Christopher red at me, I quickly turned away.

    Sean was just too funny, so I could not hold it back anymore. Thus, even with my back turned to them,

    my shoulders did not stop shaking inughter.

    Christopher gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Who said that? I¡¯ll kill him.¡±

    Only then did Sean realize what he had just said and covered his mouth. His face turned red, but under

    Christopher¡¯s oppression, he eventually said righteously, ¡°It¡¯s Zachary.¡±

    I did not believe that Zachary, who was such an honest person, would gossip about Christopher that

    way. Sure enough, Christopher raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Come to the back with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d better not, Sir. I really didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Sean replied, dumbfounded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one minute to think. After that, you cane to talk to me at the back, or you can jump

    down right now and swim back to Avenport.¡± Christopher then ced me onto the chair beside the

    deck and patted the top of my head. After saying he would be back in a while, he walked toward the

    corridor, cracking his knuckles on the way.

    I leaned back on the chair and smiled widely. Their rtionship¡¯s interesting. Since he called

    Christopher ¡°Sir,¡± he was probably part of the team back in the military. But would people in the military

    be so idle that they coulde on a cruise?

    As I pondered, I propped up my chin and stared into the golden-red sunlight. It was not too dazzling

    and was instead warm andfortable when it shone on my body.

    ¡°How interesting, you¡¯re actually here watching the sunrise. We were heading to the dance party over

    there. Would you like to join us?¡± Crystal said, lifting her skirt as she walked over and had the same

    smile she had when she first saw me on this cruise. Next to her were several familiar women. They

    were probably from her circle of friends in Avenport.

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks!¡± I replied before yawning and sprawled across the chair. Consequently, the

    hickeys on my neck were exposed. Noticing that Crystal was staring at my neck, I sat up straight and

    pulled on my cor. Christopher, you son of a gun. I told you not to leave a mark on my neck, but you

    did it anyway.

    ¡°What¡¯s with your neck, Yvonne? Were you bitten by mosquitoes? I brought some ointment on board.

    Why don¡¯t I apply it for you?¡± She then suddenly stepped forward and pulled my cor away. However, I

    did not react in time. I only regained my senses after all the hickeys on my neck were exposed.

    Instantly, my gaze turned cold, and I pped her hand away before readjusting my top.

    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± She then suddenly covered her mouth and eximed, ¡°Did you really be someone

    else¡¯s mistress, as Uncle Nathan said? How could you do that? You can tell us if you have any

    difficulties. We¡¯re a family.¡±

    I already knew that she would bring me trouble. And to nder me, she even involved Nathan. As a

    result, I replied coldly, ¡°Oh, are we? Don¡¯t try to act like we¡¯re close.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Crystal eximed, looking at me like she was wronged.

    ¡°Crystal, why are you so bothered about a b*tch like her? Back then, she broke you and Lyle up. It¡¯s her

    retribution now that she¡¯s a mistress again. I mean, just look at all the marks on her body. How crude.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Another girl then said, ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s only worthy of being someone¡¯s mistress. I¡¯m just curious as to

    which man will fall for such a woman.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some random rich man? Some old, fat, and ugly man.¡±

    Upon that, several of them then began tough.

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    Chapter 249

    ¡°Don¡¯t badmouth Yvonne like that. She has no other choice too since she doesn¡¯t specialize in

    anything. Even though Lyle does give her monthly stipends, she¡¯s too used to spending all of it. The

    money is simply not enough for her,¡± Crystal snapped as she pretended to defend me.

    I did not bother entertaining the show that she put up and stood up to leave. However, a woman

    gripped my hands and demanded, ¡°You filthy slut, apologize to Crystal right now!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ask your rich coal mine boyfriend toe and get you. Otherwise, we¡¯re not going to let you off

    the hook that easily,¡± the others chimed in as well.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares toy a finger on my wife.¡±

    I could never imagine Christopher as a rugged big boss of the coal miningpany. Just when I was

    about to kick the woman away and get away from the scene, Christopher¡¯s voice rang in my ears. The

    man came over with big strides.

    His beige overcoat rustled in the gentle wind. Christopher¡¯s handsome face glistened in the sunshine,

    looking like Apollo himself. The corner of his lips curled into a mischievous grin. Meanwhile, his

    upturned eyes shed with a cold glint, stumping the woman surrounding me.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    His features softened as he made his way to my side. Circling me in his embrace, he asked gently,

    ¡°Sorry for beingte. Are you all right?¡±

    I shook my head and managed a smile. ¡°No one would darey a finger on me when I have you behind

    my back. I¡¯ll punch those who dare to.¡±

    Hearing that, Christopher tousled my hair fondly and buttoned my shirt. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s

    right. Just punch those bullies. I will cover for you if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± The women were dumbstruck at the sight of him. They widened their eyes in disbelief

    when they noticed his gentle manners when coaxing me. ¡°Mr. Lane, how are you rted to Ms.

    Tanner?¡±

    Still circling me in his embrace, it was as if Christopher had just realized that we were, in fact, not

    alone. After giving me a peck on the forehead, he narrowed his eyes at the group of women and said

    impassively, ¡°Yvonne is my wife. Now that I¡¯m here, could you repeat yourself about how you want to

    teach her a lesson?¡±

    ¡°Your wife? But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Crystal cried hysterically at the revtion.

    ¡°Yeah, how is that possible?¡± A woman forced a smile and said, ¡°Are you kidding, Mr. Lane? You¡¯re

    such an outstanding man. Why would you marry a woman like Yvonne? You¡¯re just trying to get her out

    of this sticky situation, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has the right to question whatever happens between my wife and me. Please get

    the hell out of my sight if the lot of you have nothing else you want to say. Otherwise, you¡¯d have to

    forgive me for roughing you guys up on the way out.¡± Christopher snorted, and pointed into the

    distance. ¡°Piss off!¡±

    The group of women scurried off, leaving only Crystal frozen in the spot. She then looked nkly at me

    while muttering ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡± over and over again to herself until a woman came dragging her

    away. The look of disbelief and shock on her face was not something I¡¯d easily forget.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue watching the sunrise after those pesky people left.¡± Christopher let me sit on hisp as

    we watched the sunrise on the horizon.

    I leaned against his shoulders and stared at his charming side profile. After some time, I asked in a

    small voice, ¡°Is it really okay?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Is it really okay, for you to admit about our rtionship like that? That I¡¯m your wife?¡± We had only

    gotten married, but Christopher already made things public so soon. Those gossip girls would definitely

    spread the wind after getting back. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they twisted the story, leading to a myriad

    of versions of them. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate if the Lane family heard about it as well.

    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Christopher ced his chin on top of my head, then turning to burn his eyes into

    mine.

    The fervent staring gamested for quite some time before we burst into a chuckle. I snuggled against

    his chest and said, ¡°Yes, I am afraid. The gap between your family and me is so wide that it¡¯s terrifying.

    But with you around, I¡¯m not afraid of what¡¯s toe.¡±

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    The sea breeze was unrelenting. I burrowed myself in Christopher¡¯s chest like a small child. After

    getting into afortable position, I closed my eyes and basked in the blissful moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring you to meet my family after we get back, okay?¡± Christopher lifted my chin and

    looked into my eyes.

    I hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°What if they don¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Their approval, or otherwise, will not change my feelings toward you. My Mom and

    Dad did not get blessings from their parents anyway, but they held on and stayed together till the end.

    You just need to follow me and call them Mom and Dad too.¡± The tenderness in his eyes was beguiling.

    ¡°What about Monica? The Lanes like her so much, especially Darius. It¡¯s so obvious from the way he

    treated her that time back at the Lane family party.¡±

    ¡°What a downer.¡± Christopher tapped on my head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you time and again that I only see

    Monica as my little sister. I don¡¯t have to like her just because my parents are fond of her. Let¡¯s just

    work hard together so that they are willing to ept you.¡±

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t ept me no matter how hard I try?¡± I sighed and pinched his waist. ¡°I¡¯m ming

    this all on you. Your super-rich family is making me feel as if I¡¯m still dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Then just keep on dreaming. I¡¯m going to be your prince charming and love you like you¡¯re my

    princess.¡± Christopher grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not bad at all to be loaded, you know. At least I can provide you

    with the very best that way. Hmm, the cruise ship is sailing into the international waters. They¡¯re going

    to have an auctionter. Let¡¯s get a few pieces for Mom and Dad as a gift.¡±

    ¡°You have to let me know what your parents like. You had no idea how freaked out I was about the

    walnut cookiesst time! Thank goodness they actually liked it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our parents now, and why would I keep something like that from you? I really have to punish you

    for having that little confidence in me.¡± Christopher slipped his hands underneath my shirt and pinched

    a little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to be pent up in the room all day. That is no different from just staying at home.¡± I

    felt his bulge against me and hurriedly stopped him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can rest while we enjoy the view. I won¡¯t drain you of all your energy.¡± Christopher

    smiled wickedly and eyeballed me. ¡°You have to train your stamina after we get back home. It¡¯s a

    problem that you can¡¯t keep up with me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again. Shut up and just enjoy the view.¡± Seriously though, how did he manage

    to say all those without even blushing? I would always turn crimson red from even thinking about it. We

    had done practically everything there was to do with each other, and yet I was still abashed by the

    notion of it.

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    There was not much sunrise to enjoy after he kept fooling around. On the other hand, the sun was

    starting to sting my eyes as the sea breeze turned cool. Christopher took off his coat and draped it over

    me as he led me, and we took a walk on the deck.

    After some time, he received a call, and his face turned grim. He turned toward me and said, ¡°Why

    don¡¯t you get back to the room first? I¡¯m going to look for Sean. He needs to discuss something with

    me. I will bring you to the cocktail party in the afternoon.¡±

    I did not protest. After he left, I strolled for a bit before returning to the room. I should take a nap,

    especially after the crazy sleepless night yesterday. Yawning, I made my way over to the VIP area on

    the third floor.

    When I was walking down the hallway, someone pulled me so forcefully over to the side, that I almost

    bumped into the wall. Lifting my head, I noticed I was staring into Lyle¡¯s bloodshot eyes.

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    Chapter 251

    Lyle was like a wounded beast, breathing heavily as he stared at me with bloodshot eyes. His cold rage

    was so terrifying that I retreated in fear. As I stepped backward, he took a step forward. I retreated step

    by step until I was finally up against the wall. I had nowhere else to escape.

    ¡°What are you up to now, Lyle?¡± I roared.

    His eyes were fixated on me. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and seized me by the throat. ¡°I heard

    from Crystal that you¡¯re married to Christopher. Is that true?¡± he asked coldly.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Let go of me¡­ugh¡­¡± The grip on my throat tightened and I could hardly breathe, and my vision

    blurred. Why is he going crazy again? I tried to pry his fingers from my throat, but he wasn¡¯t going to let

    me go. Instead, he tightened the chokehold on my throat.

    ¡°Tell me, are you married to Christopher? Why would you do that, Yvonne?¡±

    ¡°Let go¡­¡± I grabbed his arm and wed at the hand that was on my throat. His grip was so tight that

    tears pooled in my eyes. As I struggled to breathe, I felt a surge of anger in me. All of a sudden, I lifted

    my leg and kneed him in between his legs.

    Lyle let out a howl and released his grip on me. He was bent over, grimacing in pain, and his hands

    were on his crotch.

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    I took the opportunity to keep a distance between us by taking two steps back as I stared at him

    cautiously. It took him a while to straighten up before he red at me and roared, ¡°Yvonne, are you

    really together with Christopher? Why would you want to be with him? Have you forgotten about who

    you are? Must you wait till he dumps you before youe to terms with it?¡±

    My face turned grim as I stared at him coldly. I fumbled with my hands behind my back until my hands

    came in contact with the door. When I realized I could push open the door, I calmed down and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business who I¡¯m with, Lyle. Are you using me of being unfaithful? Am I not

    allowed to be with other men even though we¡¯re divorced? That¡¯s utter nonsense.¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you know? I don¡¯t care about the things you¡¯ve done to me, and yet you hurt me over

    and over again. A crush on me for eight years? That¡¯s just bullshit. It must have been you that caused

    Grandma to refuse her consent to my marriage with Crystal. How can you be so cruel, Yvonne?¡± Out of

    anger, he grabbed my hand, almost breaking my wrist.

    ¡°Let go of me, b*stard!¡± I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around his words. What did he mean by the things I¡¯ve

    done to him? What had I done to hurt him throughout our married life?

    Suddenly, he rushed towards me and gripped my lower jaw to kiss me. I mped my lips shut to

    prevent him from pushing his tongue down my throat, but he kept forcing his mouth on me like a mad

    dog. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pped him across the face. Hard.

    Lyle was taken aback as he stared at me nkly for a moment.

    I rubbed my mouth in disgust and spat on the floor. But I still couldn¡¯t rub off the revulsion in me after I

    wiped my mouth on my sleeve. Just as I predicted, Grandma did not consent to their marriage. She

    was always seething in anger whenever Crystal¡¯s name came up. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t give them

    their blessing.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I the one who gets hurt every time?¡± I stared at him, exhausted. I always felt helpless when I

    had to deal with his stubbornness and irrationality. Hecked basic empathy, and I was always

    enved in his dictatorship.

    ¡°Why are you still pestering me? We¡¯re divorced now. Didn¡¯t you say you want to marry Crystal?

    Grandma dislikes Crystal, and you¡¯ve known this all along. Instead of throwing a tantrum at your ex-

    wife, you should think of how to make Grandma give you her consent. Can we just put an end between

    us, Lyle? Don¡¯t make me hate you. I¡¯ve tried very hard to preserve the good memory of you saving me

    from drowning when we were young.¡±

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    Lyle pressed his lips into a thin line, and gingerly touched his face where I had pped him. With sad

    eyes, he said, ¡°It hurts, Yvonne. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with me. I don¡¯t want to lose you. What

    am I supposed to do now? Why do you have to be with Christopher? From the beginning, that man has

    ill intentions, and he¡¯s not a good person. Please believe me. Don¡¯t be with him.¡±

    What¡¯s wrong with him? I don¡¯t understand how this man¡¯s mind works. I let out a sigh and rubbed my

    temple before saying, ¡°So, you want me to continue to be your doormat? You want me to be with you

    so that you can walk all over me and do whatever you want to me? We¡¯re adults now, Lyle. Time to

    grow up and be a man.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so full of yourself. No doubt Christopher ys a role in that,¡± Lyle said with gritted teeth.

    I replied coldly, ¡°You have no say on the matter between Christopher and me. If you¡¯re here to

    determine if I¡¯m married to Christopher or not, then let me tell you this, we¡¯re married. Satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop following me, Lyle. Go back to Crystal and don¡¯t pester me anymore. I¡¯ve really had enough of

    you. You¡¯re so annoying, don¡¯t you know that?¡± As if I was avoiding the gue, I pushed the door open

    and quickly locked the door after mming it in his face.

    Lyle knocked on the door several times before finally turning to leave. I breathed a sigh of relief when I

    was certain that he was gone. Sometimes, I had the misperception that Lyle loved me. Of course, I

    knew that his love for me¡ªif he even loved me at all¡ªwas iparable to his love for Crystal.

    He always felt that the women around him should be in love with him. And even if he were to break off

    the rtionship, he expected the woman to be still in love with him. I¡¯m not a fool. Why would I wait with

    a broken heart for him toe back to me?

    He wanted both women to himself. How can a man love two women at the same time? If he really

    does, then he¡¯s a jerk.

    I leaned against the door and let out a deep sigh. When I lifted my eyes, I locked eyes with two pairs of

    eyes in the room. My pupils dted with horror as I stared at them. At that moment, I was so stunned

    that I forgot to breathe.

    There were two men in the room, and they were lying in bed together. One was lying on top of another,

    and they were only covered up to the waist with a thin quilt. It was obvious what kind of activity they

    were doing in bed. Both are men. Or am I dreaming?

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    ¡°You should leave, miss. You¡¯re intruding,¡± the man below the other man said angrily as he red at

    me.

    His sweet, feminine voice gave me the goosebumps.

    ¡°What are you staring at? Get out.¡± After seeing how shocked I was, he wrapped his arms around the

    man above him and started fidgeting. He deliberately stretched out his leg from the quilt and dug his

    hind foot into the man¡¯s back.

    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, and in the next instant, I lifted my hand to cover my eyes. What the hell?

    That¡¯s something that I can¡¯t unsee.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to barge in. I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± I didn¡¯t dare to lower my hand from my

    eyes for fear of seeing more than I should. I turned around quickly, and since my eyes were still

    covered, I ran into a wall, painfully injuring my face.

    ¡°Get out of here!¡± the man who was on top roared. He threw an object at me, and it struck my foot. The

    object rolled on the floor and came to a stop right in front of me. My eyes widened in embarrassment

    when my brain registered that thing on the floor as the sex toy that Christopher wrote about.

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    I quickly opened the door and ran out, not stopping until I reached the third floor. With my heart

    pounding in my chest, I shut the door behind me.

    Earlier on, Christopher¡¯s friend teased him for being gay. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had just witnessed two

    gay men having sex, and it was a jarring sight.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep, so Iy in bed with flushed cheeks. After a long while, Christopher finally returned. He

    appeared disheveled as though he had gotten into a fight, and there were even bruises on his arm. I

    quickly went to retrieve the first aid kit and tended to his wounds.

    Christopher leaned back on the couch with his eyes half-closed. A momentter, a message popped up

    on his phone. At a nce, I saw that it was a picture of a man. As I looked at the picture, it dawned on

    me that the person seemed familiar, so I asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    Christopher replied, ¡°He¡¯s the bad guy. Please be careful in the next couple of days, and try not to go

    out, Eve. Once the ship docks at Summerbank¡¯s port, you¡¯ll disembark first. I have a few matters to

    take care of.¡±

    I remembered his other identity and had the recollection of the horrible gaping wound in his chest. I

    couldn¡¯t help but start to worry as I asked softly, ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Nothing bad will happen to me.¡± He yed absently with a few strands of my

    hair as he exined further, ¡°Sean¡¯s cover has been blown, so it¡¯s not easy for him to get into action.

    Since I happen to be more famous, those people won¡¯t keep their guards up around me. I couldn¡¯t

    possibly watch my friends get into danger. I hope you can understand that.¡±

    I nodded with a heavy heart. ¡°I understand. I can¡¯t help but worry. You have to be careful, Chris.

    Whatever you do, please remember that I¡¯ll be waiting for you toe back to me.¡±

    Christopher looked at me, and he suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°What were you thinking, Eve? We¡¯re

    just dealing with a cunning man, and we¡¯reying low to avoid raising suspicion. Were you thinking of

    me as a lonesome hero in some gunfight movie?¡±

    Is that not the case? I blinked in confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯re silly, Eve. Do you think anyone can simply buy a gun?¡± He broke into a peal ofughter,

    clutching his stomach as it was starting to ache forughing too hard.

    I¡¯m so silly. Otherwise, why would I have the impression of him in body armor, with AK47 in his hand,

    and grenades attached to his waist belt? I spent way too much time watching TV indeed.

    Christopher changed his clothes, and both of us nestled in bed for an afternoon nap. When I woke up,

    an image shed across my mind. I became anxious all of a sudden and shook Christopher to rouse

    him from his sleep. ¡°I know that man. I know him. Wake up!¡±

    ¡°What man?¡± Christopher sat up in bed. ¡°You went to find another man behind my back?¡±

    ¡°Knock it off. I¡¯m being serious.¡± I grabbed his phone from the bedside table and opened the text

    message from this afternoon. I pointed at the man in the picture and said, ¡°I saw him this afternoon. If

    you¡¯re looking for him, I know where he is.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s eyes glinted with delight and asked urgently, ¡°Where did you see him?¡±

    I flushed in embarrassment and recounted the shameful event that I witnessed this afternoon to him.

    But I left out the part about Lyle. When I finished, I pointed at the photo and said, ¡°That¡¯s the man. He¡¯s

    the man on the bottom, and he¡¯s the one who talked in a strange tone. He was in room 2046 on the

    second floor. I remember him clearly because he red at me.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Christopher asked gravely.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± I nodded.

    Christopher picked up his phone and quickly made a call to Sean. He gave him the address and said,

    ¡°Get the men to keep a close eye on him, Sean. Let¡¯s catch him when we have the chance. Once John

    is caught, we¡¯ll be able to get him to confess to the serial case.¡±

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    He ced the phone down and pulled me into an embrace for a kiss. ¡°You¡¯re my lucky star, Eve. Sean

    and the others have been searching the ship for two days, but they couldn¡¯t find that man. It¡¯s a good

    thing that you bumped into him.¡±

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    ¡°Hahaha. Sounds great,¡± I smiled awkwardly. There was no way I was going to thank Lyle, but I have

    definitely heard about John.

    I got invited to a party in the afternoon, so I went and got ready at my dressing table. The initial thought

    was to go with a more enigmatic appeal, with some heavy eye shadow, but it turned out a little too

    seductive for my liking. Christopher¡¯s teammates would be there as well, so I really do not want to give

    them the wrong impression.

    Thus, I removed the makeup and went with something clean and simple. In the end, after applying

    some lipstick, the reflection inside the mirror looked cute and elegant, just the way I wanted it. So, I

    gave my reflection a firm nod of approval before nagging at Christopher to get dressed.

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    It looked like he was deep in thought with a stern look on his face. I had to shout at him repeatedly

    before I got a response. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t like these sorts of events? Why are you so excited all

    of a sudden?¡± Christopher snapped out of it and spoke.

    ¡°Not all of the people on the boat are from Avenport, so there will only be a few familiar faces. I¡¯m going

    to be fine. No one¡¯s going to care.¡± I told him as I picked up my sapphire ne. Sabrina

    rmended this ce to me so I could rx.

    It would have been so much better if Lyle and Crystal were not here, though.

    So, after Christopher changed into something more formal, he took me by the hand and we went to the

    entrance of the hall together. A receptionist came along and gifted us a rose, which Christopher handed

    to me before we walked in.

    While we were there, I figured that someone would definitely recognize Christopher since he was a

    prominent person in Avenport. He should be famous enough that even people from other ces would

    know about him. And lo and behold, people started approaching us and greeted him hospitably.

    After a bit of conversation, Christopher came to me and held out his hands to me. ¡°O fairdy, may I

    have the pleasure of dancing with you?¡±

    So, I ced my hand in his, and he led me onto the dance floor. ¡°Let it be known. I¡¯m not much of a

    dancer. I still remember the look on Darius¡¯ face when I stepped on his feet back then.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can teach you.¡±

    Christopher and I twirled around on the dance floor for a bit. Our movement was somehow perfectly

    graceful. ¡°It¡¯s finally my turn.¡± Christopher leaned into my ear. ¡°I was so jealous of Darius back then. I

    actually wanted to snatch you away from him. Now, I can finally have you in my arms in front of

    everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your brother, for god¡¯s sake. How could you be jealous of him? You remember how old your

    nephew is, right?¡±

    ¡°Even if he¡¯s my brother, he¡¯s still a man. He got lucky to be able to dance with you before I do,¡±

    Christopher huffed.

    After the dance, he took me to the buffet area to look for something to eat. Christopher knew me very

    well. He knew that I was there because I liked to try out all the delicious cuisines served. So, he picked

    out all the food that looked appetizing and brought it over to a table just for the two of us. We sat there

    and enjoyed the food while watching the people dance.

    Soon enough, I noticed that he was staring. ¡°What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°Come closer.¡± He gestured for me to get nearer to him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you wipe it off.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I leaned forward. Christopher raised his hand and caressed my face for a brief moment before

    pulling me in all of a sudden. His hand pressed on the back of my head as he stamped a kiss onto my

    lips. His lips shifted around mine as they slowly pried them open, intruding forcefully with passion.

    It was the first time he kissed me for so long. There was nothing I could do but ept it. I did not even

    have time to react.After a while, I fell into his arms, limp. There were a lot of people there

    at the moment, so I felt embarrassed and nudged him away.

    That said, Christopher did not let go. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I see him. He¡¯s at my eight. I need to confirm how

    many men he brought with him. Just stay like this for a bit. y along for me.¡±

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    Hearing what he said, I immediately froze and acted like we were still kissing. Christopher¡¯s lips shifted

    from my cheeks to my forehead as he concentrated his attention on the dance floor, just like in the

    movies.

    They do the same thing in the movies! How exciting!

    ¡°Wow. Those two have been at it for quite some time now. That guy must be an exceptional kisser.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could get a kiss like that. Maybe I should try flirting with him. I¡¯m much prettier than that woman

    with him.¡±

    I kept quiet. I knew it was an act, but it still felt awkward. I moved my neck a little, ufortable as I

    heard people talking about us and felt their eyes on the two of us. Don¡¯t you dare mock me like that! I¡¯m

    only a tad palepared to Crystal and Monica. I¡¯m definitely prettier than most average janes!

    A momentter, Christopher helped me up. I noticed that lipstick was smeared all over his mouth and

    burst out into augh. ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re wearing lipstick too now. It¡¯s doesn¡¯t look half bad. I¡¯ve never

    actually realized how charming you look until now. You might even be prettier than Crystal if you wore a

    dress!¡±

    Christopher proceeded to wipe his mouth, and my mouth as well while he was at it. ¡°Your lipstick tasted

    really sweet. We¡¯ll pick up where we left off next time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject!¡± I got nearer to him, fluttering myshes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put on a dress

    some time and let me take a look?¡±

    ¡°Stop fooling around!¡±

    Right as I was just about to show my cute side by retorting coquettishly, Lyle appeared and cleared his

    throat. He was looking at us with a straight face. Seeing him made me let out a sigh. What does he

    want this time? It feels like none of what I said actually got to him.

    ¡°Something wrong, Mr. Smith?¡± Christopher sat beside me, preventing Lyle from doing that.

    So, Lyle sat opposite of us and looked at us with his piercing gaze. ¡°Christopher, who would have

    thought that you had the guts to marry the used shoes I threw out..¡±

    My expression immediately darkened after hearing that. This b*stard¡¯s definitely looking for a beating.

    ¡°Used shoes?¡± Christopher narrowed his gaze. ¡°You know full well whether or not it¡¯s used. As far as I

    know, you never even touched Eve. As to who the real used shoes are, it¡¯s rather obvious, if I may

    say.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Lyle took a nce at me with a sinister look on his face before tapping on the table with his finger

    and sneered. ¡°I never touched her because she¡¯s filthy. Mr. Lane, you don¡¯t know, do you? Right after

    we got married, she went ahead and slept with some other guy in a hotel. Who knows? Maybe there¡¯s

    more. Are you sure that¡¯s not by definition, a used pair of second-hand shoes? There¡¯s a chance she

    might even be seeing people behind your back.¡±

    His word left me in shock as I stared at him. I could not believe what I was hearing nor fathom the

    consequences of that statement if the man I was with back then was not Christopher.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Lyle Smith!¡± I grabbed the drink on the table and sshed it onto his face. ¡°You¡¯ve made it, Lyle Smith.

    You¡¯re the first person that I actually wholeheartedly hate. Congrattions.¡±

    Lyle touched his face and looked at me mockingly. It was like he was telling me that there was no

    escape, that I would always be living in his shadow, and no one could have me even if he cast me

    aside.

    ¡°Are you upset? You didn¡¯t tell him, did you? Tell him. Tell him how you spent the night with that man,

    how you enjoyed it to your heart¡¯s content. The marks on your body said it all back then.¡±

    How could someone so despicable actually exist! It was like it was his life¡¯s mission to destroy my life,

    and that left me trembling in anger. If it were not for Christopher pulling me back, we would be throwing

    punches at each other.

    ¡°Rx, darling,¡± Christopher calmed me down and patted my shoulder. Then, he stood up all of a

    sudden and flung his fist straight into Lyle¡¯s face before kicking him in the gut. The kick was so

    powerful, Lyle fell back to the floor along with the chair. However, it was not enough for Christopher, so

    he went ahead and kicked Lyle again in the chest.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    Lyle got up immediately with his hands on his stomach. ¡°Christopher.¡± There was no anger in his voice.

    On the contrary, Lyle was smiling. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good, right, using a used product? Yvonne was mine.

    Why did you have to take her away from me?¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Christopher held his hand in front of me, signaling for me to help him wipe it. So, I took out

    some tissue. After I was done, he threw the tissue onto the floor and curled his lips. ¡°I should actually

    thank you for leaving Eve all alone and giving me the chance to slip in. Thank you for making Eve mine

    and mine alone. You¡¯re a good guy.¡±

    Lyle was stunned after hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± He gasped.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible!¡± Christopher pulled me into his arms and turned to kiss me before continuing,

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know that I befriended you just because of her? Did you think it was really

    because of your talent? Why would I marry some other man¡¯s woman?¡±

    Lyle was shaken; he staggered backward and sat down. He looked at Christopher, then at me. ¡°You¡¯re

    lying, lying! Christopher Lane, what you said makes no sense. I left Yvonne at the hotel, and she was

    drugged. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve met you. You¡¯re overseas back then.¡±

    ¡°Coincidentally, I got back that day. Sorry about that, Lyle. Did you think I approached you without a

    reason?¡± Christopher looked at Lyle like he was looking at a clown.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! That¡¯s too much of a coincidence!¡± Lyle was starting to waver as he looked at us.

    Despite that, I felt no sympathy for him. This time, I sumbed to my hatred. Back then, I would

    always worry that Crystal might toy with him. But at that moment, my only wish was to see him suffer.

    What did I do to deserve such treatment? Did I do something during the eight years that made him this

    way? Where did the kind and gentle Lyle I knew go?

    At that moment, Lyle suddenly shot up from the chair. ¡°So you had ulterior motives all along? How

    despicable of you to beying hands on a friend¡¯s wife!¡±

    ¡°I merely acquired a treasure that you decided to bury. You did not appreciate it, so why not give it to

    someone else that did? You know this better than anyone else. I¡¯ll settle everything with you after we

    return.¡±

    After that, Christopher took me by the hand, and we left the hall.While we were leaving, I took a

    glimpse at Lyle. He was sitting there with a nk face, looking distraught.

    I closed my eyes as my heart sank. I felt weak, so I leaned on Christopher. ¡°What do I do, Christopher?

    This is the first time I hated someone so wholeheartedly. I don¡¯t want to waste my energy on someone

    I¡¯m trying to forget, but Lyle is just too much. He never considered the consequences of his words.¡±

    He wanted to utterly destroy me. If it were not for Christopher, if the man that night was not Christopher,

    I might as well jump ship and kill myself then and there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll pay him back for everything he did to you,¡± Christopher said as he plucked

    away a streamer from my hair and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. No matter what anyone thinks, we

    are happy together.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I looked back towards the direction of the hall. Crystal was talking to Lyle, but he shoved her

    aside and left.

    It did not seem like their rtionship was as strong as I thought. They always seemed to find their way

    into an argument whenever they met.

    That night, probably because of what happened, I heard a sudden gunshot in my sleep and

    immediately opened my eyes to find a gun pointed at my head.

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    The cold metal pressed tightly onto my forehead, sending chills down my spine. I stayedpletely still

    and did not dare to make a sound. I was afraid that any movement would alert the person in front of me

    and cause him to pull the trigger.

    Never had I imagined something like this happening to me. I thought that this would only happen on

    TV. At that moment, Christopher was about 10 feet away from the bed, looking at me anxiously as he

    signaled for me to stay calm with his eyes. That said, his hand was shivering with a gun in it.

    I could feel how tense he was just by looking at him as even his fingers were trembling.

    ¡°You better stay put, or my finger might just identally pull the trigger.¡± The guy with the gun smirked

    and raised my chin with his other hand.

    It was then that I realized that that man was actually one of the gay couples I saw on the second floor

    in the afternoon. He did not sound feminine like then. Currently, he sounded vicious and menacing. In

    that case, he was just faking it in the afternoon.

    Sometimes, people¡¯s minds be sharper and clearer when their lives are at stake. For me, now

    was the moment. I recalled the person called John and the kidnapping. Christopher and Darius also

    mentioned him at the hospital. The man was a mafia leader in the underworld for some good, long

    years.

    The realization made my pupils constrict. Fear started spreading throughout all my limbs. My lips were

    shivering even though I was not speaking. No wonder Christopher looked odd when he talked about

    him. He was worried that I¡¯d get scared.

    The man had blood flowing from his abdomen, and he exerted pressure on it as he sat down beside

    me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, John,¡± Christopher spoke calmly.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Hearing that, John burst out intoughter and grabbed my neck. ¡°Mr. Lane, I think you¡¯re confused

    about the situation. I¡¯m the one with the right to demand here. You should be the one listening to me, or

    your girl here dies with me. Now, step back and toss that gun away. I¡¯m not going to say that again.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at my pale face and his gaze turned profound. ¡°This is

    between you and me.¡± His voice was cold. ¡°Are you sure you want to involve innocent people? You¡¯ve

    committed countless sins and caused the death of your wife and children. Do you really want to

    continue on that path? It¡¯s not going to end well for you.¡±

    ¡°I said to toss that gun aside!¡± John eximed and mmed the gun handle on my head.

    The hit got me a little dazed. I could feel something warm flowing from the top of my head. It stung my

    eye, but I dare not touch it. The only thing I could do was grit my teeth and try my best to not make a

    sound.

    I should not drag Christopher down at times like this, and I definitely should not do anything that might

    distract him. That was the only way we both survive from this.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Christopher eximed as soon as he saw me get hit. His face was white as a sheet, and I could

    see that he was staring at his gun. So, I quickly signaled to him with my gaze not to do what John said.

    If he did, we both would be doomed.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± John saw that Christopher was hesitating, so he smashed my head with the

    gun again. I bit my lips, but I still could not stop myself from letting out a faint grunt. My body was

    sliding downward unknowingly, so John immediately pulled my hair and pointed my face towards

    Christopher.

    ¡°Do you want to see your woman get beaten to death?¡± John asked, gesturing to hit me again.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Christopher eximed. He looked at me for a moment before tossing his gun to the corner of

    the room shortly after, biting his lips as he did. Right then, I started to panic. What could I do to save

    the both of us? Why do I always cause problems for Christopher?

    If it was not for me, Christopher would have subdued John with ease. But instead, he was forced to

    toss his weapon away.

    Right then, the boat shook violently for a short moment. It swayed from side to side like it was about to

    tip over and made me roll towards the other side of the bed. John got caught up as well. So, when I

    heard him grunt, I immediately reached out for the gun. He was quick to react and pointed the gun back

    at me.

    Bang! A gunshot cut through the dark silence.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258

    The bullet flew past my ear and the shock wave rendered me deaf for a short moment. I could not hear

    anything as I gritted my teeth and saw Christopher tackling John to the ground.

    He shouted at me before he fought John, but I could not hear a thing. Nevertheless, I could still move,

    so I crawled my way to the corner of the room and found the gun that Christopher tossed away,

    pointing it towards the two.

    That said, they were moving too fast, rolling about on the floor. I dared not pull the trigger for fear of

    hitting Christopher. ¡°Stop moving or I pull the trigger!¡± I shouted. It was the only thing I could do.

    I was not familiar with guns, and that particr one was quite heavy.

    At that moment, I suddenly heard a sharp whistleing from outside. There were faint screams as

    well.

    ¡°The ship is sinking! Everyone run!¡±

    ¡°The ship hit a mine and water ising in! Run!¡±

    The voices kept echoing in my head, and my heart sank. It was a one in a million chance for someone

    to experience a cruise ship leaking at that day and age, so, to make sure, I dived towards the door and

    opened it.

    This time, the voices were much clearer. ¡°The ship is sinking, everyone! Get out of here right now!¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, go! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Christopher was caught in John¡¯s chokehold at the moment. ¡°The

    lifeboats are just outside.¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving without you!¡± I shouted as I raised the gun again.

    ¡°Christopher Lane! You¡¯ve killed so much of my men and destroyed my hideout!¡± John pulled a knife

    out of nowhere. ¡°Today, you¡¯re dying with me!¡± He stabbed the knife into Christopher¡¯s chest.

    ¡°No!¡± Out of reflex, I pulled the trigger.

    Bang! Another gunshot. This time, it hit the mark. Blood sttered all over, and John fell to the floor.

    His knife fell to the floor as well and made a nging sound while I stared at the gun. ¡°Ahh!¡± I screamed

    as I tossed the gun away.

    I just killed someone. It was not the time for thoughts like that, but my mind was overwhelmed with fear.

    Meanwhile, Christopher used whatever strength he had left to stand up and walk to me. ¡°It¡¯s alright!

    Everything¡¯s fine now, but we need to hurry!¡± He grabbed my hand and immediately started running

    outside.

    With a heavy heart, I stumbled my way outside the bedroom with Christopher. The corridor was already

    empty, but there were faint screams and criesing from the direction of the ship deck. There were

    also explosions going on that sent heat waves throughout the ship, swaying it violently.

    I used all my remaining energy to run forward, somehow losing my shoe along the way, but I had no

    time to dwell on it. Nheless, I kept stepping on things and it hurt.

    On the second floor, I saw a lot of people running in front of us. Everyone was panicking as the space

    was filled with men cursing and women crying. A woman fell just beside me, but I did not even have

    time to consider helping her up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop. We need to keep going. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Christopherforted me as we

    kept on running. His grip on me was very tight. I could tell that he was really scared about losing me.

    That said, death was slowly creeping up to us as the ceiling above us suddenly copsed. I did not

    have time to react and watched as the ceiling came crashing down.

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher wrapped his hand around me and rolled to the side as splinters of wood flew

    everywhere. Dust clouded the area, and I felt a sharp paining from my leg. My leg was hit by a log,

    so Christopher quickly pushed it away and pulled me up.

    ¡°Can you still walk?¡±

    I gave him a firm nod. The fear I felt at the moment was strong enough to overwhelm any sort of pain.

    Other than that, there were other people that got caught in the copse. Some fell to the floor and

    stopped moving after a bit of struggling. Blood wasing out of their mouths profusely as they cried

    and pleaded for help. Nevertheless, many left their wife and children to their demise, and there were

    corpses everywhere. It was a living hell.

    I had to steel myself and act like I could not see nor hear the man that was holding on to my foot,

    pleading for help. I swiftly made my way out of his grip and continued forward. I don¡¯t want to die. And I

    don¡¯t want Christopher to die either.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    Luck was not on our side. When we arrived at the escape route, the door was actually locked. A pretty

    girl hurried over and tried to open it. When she realized it was not going to budge, she immediately

    broke down and started banging at the door. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I¡¯m only eighteen! There¡¯s so much I

    haven¡¯t done. Please!¡± She started crying.

    ¡°Step aside!¡± Christopher shoved the girl aside and took a look at the lock. Once he realized that there

    was no way to unlock it, he backed away and started kicking the door. It took a few kicks, but the door

    eventually budged and looked like it was about to fall.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    A man behind picked up a chair from the floor and shouted, ¡°Let me do it!¡± He smashed the chair onto

    the door as soon as he finished.

    The metal door finally copsed and the crowd flocked through. As soon as that happened, I was

    squeezed to the side and got separated from Christopher. I called out to him repeatedly and reached

    my hand out, but I could no longer see him. At that moment, I wanted to cry.

    But then, I saw Lyle and Crystal rushing out from the crowd on the other side. They were headed to the

    deck as well, and when they saw me, Lyle told me to go with him to the lifeboats.

    ¡°I need to wait for Christopher! You guys go without me!¡± I flung Lyle¡¯s hand away and took a step back,

    searching for Christopher¡¯s silhouette in the crowd.

    ¡°You idiot! Die with him then!¡± Lyle took off with Crystal while I stayed there shouting Christopher¡¯s

    name as I moved towards the direction of the lifeboats.

    When I reached the deck, I saw that Christopher was looking everywhere for me, so I finally calmed

    down. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± I shouted at him.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher pushed his way through the crowd and pulled me into his arms, his palm covered in

    sweat. There were a lot of people on the deck. Everyone was moving around, even though the crew

    and sailors were trying their best to maintain order. They told everyone that the lifeboats were enough

    for everyone and that we should not panic.

    Nheless, no one listened. Everyone kept shoving forward in hopes that they could get on the

    lifeboats first. Some even dragged the women and kids off the lifeboats. Morals meant nothing to them

    in the face of death.

    Meanwhile, I could feel that the ship was slowly sinking because the sea level was getting really close.

    I figured I might be able to sink the ship with just a powerful stomp as I waited in line with Christopher¡¯s

    hand tightly in mine.

    Christopher took out his phone and fiddled with it for a bit. It looked like he was trying to send a

    message even though it was impossible for any phone on board to get a signal at sea. That said, after

    a while, Christopher wiped away his sweat and spoke, ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be fine. I¡¯ve sent out a

    message via satellite transmission. Rescues will be on their way soon enough.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many people on this ship since it¡¯s not the holiday season. So, I got confirmation that the

    lifeboats are enough for everyone here.¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re with me, I¡¯m not worried.¡± I tried my best to smile more nonchntly and rxed

    because I noticed how nervous Christopher was. He was sweating profusely even though it was near

    the end of autumn.

    I figure he was worried about me since he usually would not even bat an eye even if he shot someone.

    It was a long wait as we watched the lifeboats leave one by one with passengers on them. The nt of

    the ship was getting extremely serious as the left side was almostpletely pointing downwards. It

    was said that the area we were in was used as a location for military practices, so there were mines

    that were yet to be disarmed. It was marked as a restricted area, but that cruisepany somehow did

    not get the news.

    At that moment, I could see Crystal at the front of the line. She pulled her cor and suddenly bumped

    into the man at the very front. ¡°Mister. Is it okay for me to stand beside you? I¡¯m a little scared. I have

    no idea how long do I need to wait.¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260

    The man took a few glimpses of Crystal¡¯s exposed cleavage and pulled her in. ¡°Hehe. Sure. Stand

    beside me. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    From my angle, I could see it very clearly. How Crystal was intentional facing away from Lyle and how

    she pulled the man¡¯s hand into her shirt, licking her lips coquettishly. ¡°You¡¯re so kind, mister.¡±

    I was disgusted, seeing that Lyle waspletely unaware of what went on as he tirelessly tried to get a

    signal. I shook my head. Lyle trusts Crystal too much. It¡¯s totally different from how we used to be.

    But then, Crystal smiled and turned towards Lyle. ¡°Lyle,e quick. This kind man here is willing to let

    us cut the queue.¡±

    Lyle hurried over, and soon there was amotion at the front, but I did not concern myself with it.

    Right then, there was another explosioning from the left side of the ship.

    This time, it was fairly close. As soon as that happened, smoke blurred out my vision, and the ship

    started shaking violently. Fire burst out as splinters flew everywhere. The people at the epicenter of the

    st were instantly engulfed in me.

    The people around it, however, were not as lucky. Their bodies were blown into pieces. There was

    even a head that flew from the st towards me and Christopher. We were both on the floor at the

    moment with me in his embrace, so all I could feel was the heat until that head appeared beside my

    hand.

    It was the head of a fine young man, eyes wide open and covered in blood.

    Life was fragile. You could be alive and kicking for one second and blown to bits in the next. No one

    would care about what happened to the remains, and it would just sink into oblivion along with the ship.

    However, when I saw the head, I did not even make a sound. I did not even have time to be afraid

    because a man pointed at the st and shouted, ¡°The lifeboats got destroyed! We¡¯re all doomed!¡±

    He was crying, a six-foot-tall man, crying, while I was doing my best not to shed a tear.

    ¡°There are rafts over there. Let¡¯s go!¡± Christopher did not panic. On the contrary, he became calmer,

    pushing through the crowd with me in his hand. After a brief moment, he was afraid that we would get

    separated again, so he decided to tie our hands together with the rope he picked up along the way.

    Suddenly, the mast snapped because of the shaking and fell directly towards me. I froze up and closed

    my eyes, not knowing what to do. I was in shock, and my legs just would not budge.

    Christopher immediately shielded me with his body as the mast barely missed us, falling right beside

    us.

    The tremor I felt as it smashed onto the ground reminded me how close death was at that moment.

    ¡°Lyle, Lyle! Are you okay? What happened? Wake up! Is there someone who can help us?¡± Crystal was

    crying while holding onto Lyle¡¯s hand.

    I turned around and saw that Lyle was lying on the ground with Crystal in front of him. It looked like he

    pushed her out of the way and got hit by the mast. His leg was under it, mangled. ¡°Crystal, leave me be

    and run!¡± Lyle¡¯s face was pale as snow.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    I turned towards Christopher and met eyes with him. He instantly understood what I was thinking and

    headed over to Lyle with me. We tried pushing the mast away, but it was just too heavy.

    ¡°Come help!¡± I shouted at Crystal seeing that all she did was cry.

    With that, Crystal immediately got up and helped us. With our forcesbined, we managed to push

    the mast away, letting Lyle escape. That said, he could only stand with Crystal¡¯s help as his left leg was

    covered in blood.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    There were a lot of people passing us by. They were heading towards the rafts, and all I could do was

    hold on to Christopher¡¯s hand and follow the crowd.

    I made sure that Lyle and Crystal were on their way as well before following Christopher ahead. He

    seemed to know the ship fairly well and quickly found a raft. He immediately released it and threw it

    onto the sea before reaching out to me.

    As soon as I reached out, someone shoved me aside and jumped into the water, heading straight for

    the raft. Nevertheless, Christopher demonstrated some Herculean strength as he pulled the man back

    and threw him on the floor before jumping in with me, pushing me towards the raft.

    I was actually afraid of the water as I had a few traumatizing experiences, but our lives were at stake,

    so I actually forgot all about it and swam for it

    Eventually, I got my hands on the raft and climbed onto it with Christopher. But it was not over. More

    and more people started climbing into the raft. The maximum capacity of a small raft like that was six,

    so it looked like we were about to tip over.

    The man that pushed me also got on, took a knife out of nowhere, and lunged towards me. Christopher

    noticed it and quickly shielded me as the knife stabbed into his abdomen.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I wrapped my hands around him. But before I could say anything, the raft capsized, and

    everyone fell into the water. Christopher¡¯s blood dyed the sea red, and I could feel that he was slowly

    sinking. Even the rope tying us together was getting loose, so the only thing I could do was hold on to

    him with all my strength.

    Right then, the capsized raft floated towards us, like a sign from heaven telling us it was not our time to

    die. I quickly pushed Christopher onto the raft. And just when I was about to get on myself, someone

    grabbed my leg.

    ¡°Christopher Lane, if I can¡¯t kill you, I¡¯ll take your woman instead.¡± John appeared out of nowhere and

    dragged me back into the sea. Heughed menacingly and shoved my head under the water.

    I waspletely caught off guard, unable to move from the amount of force he was using, and took a

    few gulps of seawater as I struggled to break free. When I did, he would push me down right away.

    That said, I still noticed Christopher jumping in and kicking John away with my blurred vision.

    ¡°Get on the raft, quick!¡± Christopher grabbed me and swam towards the raft once again. I was gasping

    for air when I eventually got on the raft. ¡°Give me your hand!¡± I reached out to him.

    Nevertheless, John was persistent. He ignored the pain in his wound and swam over, punching

    Christopher where he got stabbed. It was a critical hit, and Christopher lost all his strength. His hand

    slipped out of mine.

    ¡°Christopher!¡±

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Just go, leave me!¡± Christopher dragged John into the sea as he shouted.

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving you!¡± I cried out, trying my best to grab hold of his hand, but he was dragged

    further and further away.

    ¡°Hahaha. If you want me dead, Christopher, you need toe with me as well!¡± John waspletely

    insane at that point. He had forgotten all rationality as he wrapped his arm around Christopher¡¯s neck.

    No matter how much Christopher hit the wound on his chest, John would not loosen his grip.

    Christopher tried choking him but to no avail. The two were caught in a deadlock and were slowly

    sinking. Only their heads can be seen.

    ¡°Eve. Go.¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving you! If we die, we shall die together!¡± I stood up on the raft and dive into the sea,

    allowing the cold to engulf me once again. My whole body started shivering as my feet froze up.

    ¡°Yvonne Tanner. Don¡¯t do this!¡± Christopher roared. ¡°Get back on right now. If not, we¡¯re done!¡±

    ¡°So be it! We¡¯re not surviving this anyway! You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily!¡± I struggled in the water

    for a brief moment but found my bearing soon after and swam towards them. By then, both of them

    were fully submerged.

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    I dived my head into the water and looked around. I found Christopher sinking deeper into the waters,

    so I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist and brought him to the surface. While I was looking

    around for the raft, I pped his face. ¡°Christopher, wake up! John¡¯s dead! We¡¯re still alive! Don¡¯t leave

    me. Please! I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡±

    At that moment, Christopher¡¯s eyes were closed, and he did not move. His face was rid of any signs of

    life. Even his breathing was turning faint, but the only thing I could do was apply pressure onto his

    wound and swim faster. When I saw a raft, I yelled out, ¡°Let us on! Please! I beg of you!¡±

    The raft slowed down. Some men helped both me and Christopher get on. I let Christopher lean on me

    as I continued to press on his wound, doing my best to slow down the bleeding. I even gave him CPR

    in case he did not get enough oxygen.

    After a long while, despite all that, Christopher was still unconscious. I was starting to panic.

    ¡°Christopher, you lied to me. You told me you would take care of me for the rest of my life, that you

    would introduce me to your parents. You haven¡¯t done any of that. How could you lie to me?¡±

    I used all my strength to pound at his heart, clearing the water out of his mouth. I wiped away the tears

    that fell onto his face and listened for a heartbeat. But all I could hear was a very faint beating, and it

    was growing weaker.

    I could no longer hold it in and started crying. Christopher was the only person that ever treated me

    well. I could not even think about going on living without him.

    ¡°Christopher. Are you really going to leave me alone? Is life really worth living without you in it?¡±

    I paused. ¡°We didn¡¯t even have a wedding yet. I want a grandiose wedding that would tell the world I¡¯m

    married to you. I want all the women out there to be jealous of an ill-fated woman like me for finding a

    man like you. I want your parent¡¯s blessing. Can you please wake up? I¡¯ll do anything you ask,

    anything. As long as you wake up.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°Is death the only way for us to be together?¡±

    If Christopher really died, there would be no point for me to continue living. He was the one that gave

    meaning to my life. I was happy because of him and he was the reason why I¡¯m alive.

    I continued to pat on his chest like a machine, and kissed him.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°You dummy. I told you to leave without me. I¡¯m going to have to punish you when we get back.¡± As I

    was at the brink of despair, Christopher coughed and opened his eyes. Hearing that made me tear up.

    ¡°How could I do that? What would I do if I turned around and lost you?¡± I wiped away my tears, but

    more came down.

    The raft was drifting aimlessly at sea. From afar, we could see that the ship waspletely

    submerged. There were not even remnants of it left on the surface as the sun slowly rose. Even though

    we were surrounded by the sea, the heat was unbearable. We had no food or clean water. Maybe

    death was the end of us.

    In the end, all we could do was to die slowly like everyone else on the ship. Some got swept away by

    giant waves, while others starved to death. I held on to Christopher with all my strength and felt his

    breathing slowly dwindle.

    Christopher still had the knife in him, but I dared not pull it out. I knew full well that it would only cause

    him to bleed out if no medical attention was given promptly after. It was the first time I actually regretted

    not studying medicine. If I did, I could at least help Christopher alleviate some pain at the moment.

    ¡°Lyle, I¡¯m scared. Are we going to die? I don¡¯t want to die. There are so many things that I still want to

    do.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Rescue is definitely on its way. I¡¯ve sent out a signal before all this. I¡¯m not letting you die

    here.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re hurt. What can I do? I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Crystal started crying.

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    I turned around to see if there was anyone else on the raft. Lyle and Crystal were there, but they

    weren¡¯t looking good. Lyle¡¯s wound was deep, and I could even see the bones jutting out from his skin.

    I stared up into the sky silently, praying for the sun to set sooner, or else Christopher¡¯s wound would get

    infected because of the heat.

    My prayer seemed to work because dusk eventually fell. I tried to see if there was anything around us,

    but all I could see was the deep, dark sea. Since we had no GPS, we couldn¡¯t go anywhere even if we

    wanted to. We were truly lost and stranded on the sea

    A long, long timeter, I was starting to get parched. Christopher¡¯s lips were cracking from theck of

    water too, so I tried to get some water from the sea. No good. It¡¯s salty. This¡¯ll kill us. Christopher can¡¯t

    drink this. The gravity of our situation made my heart sink.

    Stars started twinkling as night finally graced us. Thanks to them, we saw an ind that was standing

    right before us. The sight of the ind ignited the mes of hope within us, and we quickly rowed

    ourselves there in excitement.

    I helped Christopher up to the sandynd of the ind. There was somebody talking in the distance,

    and we thought it was a boating into the pier. Thinking it was salvation, we quickly went in the

    source of the sound, but much to our disappointment, they were also survivors just like us. When we

    found them, they were huddled together in the basin.

    The stragglers seemed to be hunting for food on the ind. When they saw us, they quickly huddled

    closer around a big fish they caught. But when they realized our group was wounded and weak, they

    let their guard down. ¡°Get out. This is our territory,¡± they barked.

    I ced Christopher against the trunk of a big tree and tore a piece of cloth down from his shirt to cover

    up his wound before bandaging it. I didn¡¯t know if it would work, but this was better than nothing.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    It was a blustery night. As the waves crashed against the beach, I could feel gusts of cold win buffeting

    against me. Oh, so that¡¯s why they¡¯re in that basin. There are a couple of trees around them that can

    protect them from the wind.

    ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re gonna be fine. I¡¯m not letting you die, not after we escaped the ship.¡± I caressed

    his face hopefully.

    Christopher held my hand and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you die, Eve. I promise.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± I gnashed my teeth, then I stood up to survey our surroundings. There was a big reef

    that could keep the winds at bay not far from us. I took Christopher there and put his jacket on the reef

    beforeying him against the reef. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some food and water. You stay put. I don¡¯t want you to

    tear your wound.¡±

    Just when I was about to scrounge for supplies, Christopher held my hand. ¡°Be careful. Those guys we

    met earlier are dangerous, so don¡¯t get into any fights.¡±

    I nodded solemnly and handed him a little stone for peace of mind, then I left to search the ind for

    supplies. There were a few trees here and there, but aside from that, it was barren. No matter where I

    looked, it was sand, sand, and more sand. Left with no choice, I took a dive into the sea for some

    fishing.

    I wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by fear this time, and I forgot all about my trauma because there was only one

    thing on my mind at the moment: to get some food for Christopher. We had tost until the rescue

    team¡¯s arrival.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of seafood was edible, but I could recognize an abalone when I saw

    one. Abalones are sulent. Shouldn¡¯t be a problem eating them raw. I came across a sharp stone

    between the reefs¡¯ crevices, so I picked it up and pocketed it forter use.

    Food was easy, since all I had to do was swim around. There was always seafood around, but water

    would be a problem. Humans could go for a week without food, but only three without water.

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    I trotted back with my haul: a few abalones and half a coconut husk. When I came back, I saw a bunch

    of people running toward a marsh, and I followed them.

    When I got near the marsh, I realized that there was a natural puddle with some drinkable water in it,

    much to my delight. I quickly scooped some up with the coconut husk before going back to Christopher.

    ¡°Here, I found some water.¡± I fed him the water I scooped. ¡°I¡¯ll get you more in a bit.¡±

    After Christopher had his fill, I finished the rest of the water in the husk. It was really earthy, but at that

    moment, it tasted like nectar. Once we rehydrated ourselves, I pried the abalones open with the sharp

    rock I picked up and fed it to Christopher.

    ¡°Let me do it myself.¡± Christopher took the abalone from me and sucked its flesh out.

    Raw food tasted bad. It only took one bite, and I almost puked everything out. I hated the smell of

    seafood in the first ce, but for survival¡¯s sake, I covered my mouth and swallowed the abalone

    despite my stomach¡¯s protest. This was a remote ind. I was lucky to even have food in the first

    ce.

    That replenished some of my strength. I went to check on Christopher¡¯s wound and cleaned it with

    water. ¡°I wish we had medicine around. What should I do, Christopher?¡± I was starting to worry for him.

    With that deep wound on his body, it would be hard for him to survive no matter how powerful he was.

    He fought with John underwater after he was wounded. If he was any other guy, he would have fainted

    a long time ago. The only reason hested that long was because he was worried about me.

    Christopher leaned against the reef, his eyes half-closed. ¡°I can go on for a few more days. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Even talking was a big hurdle for him.

    ¡°Shh, shh. Don¡¯t talk. Just rest.¡± I turned away so he wouldn¡¯t see my tears.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    A slight rustle in the night woke me up immediately. I picked up the stone I put beside me before I slept

    and raised it high above my head. I thought someone was attacking us but turned out it was just

    Crystaling over and gobbling up my abalones. At the same time, she was looking at me carefully,

    while I put my stone down.

    Since I said nothing, Crystal took it as a yes and dragged Lyle over, literally. She dragged Lyle by his

    leg, much to my disagreement, but I said nothing about it.

    After she fed Lyle the rest of the abalones, she wrapped her arms around her legs and sat there quietly.

    Lyle wasn¡¯t looking too good. Since the mast crashed down on his leg, it rendered him immobile, so

    Crystal had to do everything for him. But her survival skills were next to zero, and she couldn¡¯t even

    hunt for seafood.

    I left them to their own devices and turned back to Christopher. When I touched his forehead, the heat

    coming off of it made me frown. Dammit. Murphy¡¯sw. Of course he has a fever after sustaining that

    kind of injury. He was starting to get delusional since he didn¡¯t realize I was beside him. ¡°Run, Eve.

    Leave me,¡± he mumbled.

    I pursed my lips and teared up again, but I held it back. It wasn¡¯t the time to cry. I had toe up with a

    way to pull us through this no matter what. When I checked his wound again, I realized that it had

    gotten worse. It wasn¡¯t bleeding, but the knife was still buried in his body, and the flesh around the

    wound was already darkening.

    At this rate, Christopher will die. But I had no better idea to save him. All I could do was make a crude

    nket out of leaves and hang it beside him to protect him from the winds. Then I went to scoop some

    water so I could cool him down with it.

    I didn¡¯t sleep a wink that night in case something were to happen to Christopher. Later that night,

    Christopher woke up and held my hand. He stared at me for a long while before he said, ¡°I¡¯m freezing,

    Eve. Hug me.¡±

    Iy down beside him and hugged him as hard as I could. He used to do the same thing before this

    whole crisis happened. Whenever we were sleeping, he¡¯d ask me to hug him, and I would call him a

    child. But now I realized those were the blissful days.

    I started regretting my obstinance back then. I¡¯d throw a lot of tantrums, but Christopher would forgive

    me every time. Even so, I wasn¡¯t satisfied.

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    Christopher¡¯s fever subsided at daybreak. I heaved a sigh of relief and took the strip of cloth from his

    forehead. At the same time, the sun rose from the horizon, covering the earth with its light.

    As its golden rays pierced through the veil of night, the sea turned a beautiful shade of reddish-gold.

    Far, far into the horizon, the sea captured the reflection of the sun on its surface. If I didn¡¯t look closely,

    I wouldn¡¯t know which was the sun, and which was the reflection. The new dawn brought with it a

    gentle breeze that brushed against the ocean, sending ripples flowing everywhere.

    It was the first time I saw such a gorgeous sunrise. It would have been a romantic sight if not for the

    hellscape I was in.

    Christopher was leaning on my shoulder. ¡°Nice sunrise,¡± he croaked.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s nothing on you.¡± I touched his cheek and brushed my fingers across his face. Come to

    think of it, I¡¯ve never taken a good look at him before.

    Christopher was amused by my response. ¡°Someone has a glib tongue today. You never praised me

    before.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m still not praising you, because it¡¯s the truth.¡± I rubbed my face against his cheek to calm myself

    down. Can we reallyst until the rescue team¡¯s arrival?

    ¡°I know; I¡¯m hot.¡± Christopher chuckled, but even a simple movement like that was tearing his wound

    open, so he shut his mouth on the spot. ¡°Eve, do you know what it means when someone shes his

    car¡¯s spotlights three times?¡± he suddenly asked.

    I nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not telling you the answer yet. Let¡¯s save it until we get home. And tell

    me what¡¯s the rtionship between airnes and love.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Christopher kissed me lightly, but before he could retreat, I held his cheek and returned a deep

    kiss. His lips are freezing. He would have kissed me back, but now¡­

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    After our lips parted, Christopher jokingly said, ¡°I see you love to show your affection in public. What a

    little tease you are. I bet you won¡¯t be this daring when we¡¯re alone, but please make the first move

    next time. You¡¯ll be on top, and I¡¯ll be at the bottom.¡±

    I knew he was just teasing me to ease the situation, so I yed along with him and forced a smile.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be on top. You¡¯ll be following my lead then.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my queen.¡±

    I went to the beach again. I wanted to get enough food for Christopher, but I didn¡¯t have enough

    strength to haul the big fish, while the abalones were hidden in the deeper sea. Since it wasn¡¯t abalone

    season, there were only old abalones left in the shallow seas. I didn¡¯t dare venture deeper in case I

    was attacked by something.

    Good thing there were ms on the beach though, and they were in season. Some of them were taken

    by the other survivors, but since there weren¡¯t many of us, there were plenty of ms to go around. I

    picked them up and ced them on my hem, but the moment I ced them on the campgrounds,

    Crystal came over and took more than half away.

    I gripped her hand tightly to keep her from leaving. ¡°Put them down,¡± I growled.

    Crystalined, ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m your cousin. So what if I take your food? It¡¯s free, isn¡¯t it? Do you

    have to be such a scrooge?¡±

    ¡°I said, put them down.¡±

    Crystal noticed the murderous tone in my voice, so she pouted and put them down. ¡°Laugh all you want

    now, but you¡¯re getting it once we get back,¡± she threatened.

    I shoved her away and enunciated, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re taking the things I don¡¯t want, but if you¡¯re

    taking my stuff without permission, I can and will hurt you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just cruel!¡± She shot me a nasty re.

    ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± I barked.

    I pried the shell open, cut off the inedible parts, and handed it to Christopher before digging into one

    myself. When I realized Crystal was still there, I frowned. ¡°Crystal, you have to be more self-sufficient.

    You can¡¯t just rely on your simps to save you from a pickle every time.¡±

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    Crystal¡¯s face turned pale and haggard when she seemed to think of something. Simrly, I caught a

    glimpse of Lyle staring at me with his face puckered. I paid no heed to the duo and continued treating

    Christopher¡¯s wound.

    When I headed out to retrieve another bucket of water, I finally figured out the reason behind Lyle¡¯s odd

    expression. He might have taken my statements personally when I told Crystal to leave with the things I

    no longer wanted.

    What the hell? Wasn¡¯t he the one who abandoned me in the first ce? He was the one who had an

    affair with Crystal and insisted on filing for divorce with me! Stop making it seems as if I¡¯m the one at

    fault!

    Immediately after Crystal finished our leftovers with Lyle, they made their way out to get themselves

    something to eat. Staring at the duo¡¯s departing figure, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder would we make it

    until others showed up to our rescue.

    We weren¡¯t even aware of our precise location, let alone those unaware of the trip. I thought the rescue

    team might only reach us when we were dead.

    It felt dreadful to spend another minute on the deserted ind. asionally, someone would yell at the

    top of their lungs in frustration.

    Others had tried to start a fire to attract the fisherman¡¯s attention, notifying them there was someone

    stranded on the deserted ind. On top of that, some of them had put on an SOS sign using leaves

    and branches.

    We would take turns to be on the lookout for passing ships in the hope of someone showing up to our

    rescue. Unfortunately for us, not a single ship had shown up over the past two days.

    Everyone was slowly overwhelmed by fear and a sense of insecurity. To make things worse, we were

    almost running out of water. In other words, we might pass on due to dehydration. It was then I

    sneaked my way to get myself a bottle of water.

    Crystal, who couldn¡¯t bring herself to fall asleep, went after me. She kept a serving of water in a

    coconut husk when she noticed what I was up to.

    The moment we showed up to get another serving of water the next day, a few buff-looking women,

    who had made it to the shore ahead of us, stopped us from getting near the source of water.

    ¡°It belongs to us! You better stay away from it in the future!¡±

    Actually, the water there would merelyst them for about two days.

    When I tried to approach them, one of them pushed me away with all their might and warned me at the

    top of her lungs, ¡°I¡¯ll take you out if you don¡¯t take our warnings seriously!¡±

    After I returned to Christopher¡¯s side and got him something to drink, I ripped the hem of my shirt and

    started cleaning his wound.

    Christopher stopped me and asserted, ¡°It¡¯s fine! We need to save up as much as possible!¡±

    I shook my head, insisting on cleaning his wound. The moment I undressed him, an awful stench

    coming from his wound wafted into my nose.

    Unable to pull myself together, I started shivering in fear with my hands covering my mouth to stop

    myself from crying.

    Holding me in his arms, Christopher said, ¡°Eve, we were once stranded on a deserted ind where we

    were dispatched to deal with a formidable foe. He blew up our ship and stopped us from getting in

    touch with others. On top of that, they had their canons ready to take us out.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t aware of the reason he had brought up something of that sort out of nowhere. I tried to stop

    him and get him to preserve his energy, but he insisted on carrying on.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°We almost ran out of water and food back then too. It was then one of the heavily injuredrades of

    ours told us to devour him as our source of protein since he wouldn¡¯t make it out alive. At the very

    least, he wished to ensure we could survive.¡±

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    Unable to imagine the sort of things they had to go through, I started trembling in fear. Afraid of the

    things awaiting them, I urged, ¡°Christopher, that¡¯s enough!¡±

    He caressed my cheeks and added in a gentle tone, ¡°Just listen to me, okay?¡±

    Staring at me in the eyes, he carried on, saying seriously, ¡°Initially, we were against the idea. However,

    we didn¡¯t have much of an option as we had finished everything avable for consumption. At that point

    in time, we merely had our guns to defend ourselves from our aggressive foes.¡±

    After pausing for a few seconds, he added, ¡°In the evening, Sean returned with a chunk of meat after

    returning from a stroll. He told us he was lucky and found a rabbit in the woods. Immediately after he

    made something out of it, he asked us to finish our meal as soon as possible.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    There was no way Sean could have gotten his hands on a rabbit! It must have been a chunk of human

    flesh! I need to resist the urge to retch!

    ¡°I beat Sean up with all my might the next day. Instead of retaliating against me, he allowed me to beat

    him up to a pulp. When I copsed to the ground, he started treating my wounds with his eyes

    brimming with tears. He told us he couldn¡¯t bear to leave his mother alone. On top of that, he couldn¡¯t

    bear to leave hisrades to death.¡±

    Christopher had a small smile on his lips whenever he mentioned anything about up Sean. That told

    me a lot about how he felt; he obviously missed the mischievous friend of his a lot. ¡°In the end, we were

    able tost until the day we were rescued because of the mysterious chunks of meats Sean brought

    us. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s quite a smart man?¡±

    ¡°Mmm!¡± Instead of bringing up something else, I responded with a nod as I couldn¡¯t bring myself to

    carry on with the conversation.

    Sighing, Christopher grunted, ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get to see Sean again! I can¡¯t believe that fool has

    disappeared into thin air halfway through his mission! To make things worse, he has lost the target! I¡¯ll

    have to teach him a lesson when we¡¯re back!¡±

    Gritting my teeth, I assured him with a determined look, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make it back soon!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the day wille. However, if you can¡¯t get anything to eat within the next few days, just¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Aware of the things he was up to, I stopped him from convincing me to resort to

    cannibalism as a countermeasure. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die! I will stop you from dying at all costs!

    Christopher, don¡¯t you dare leave me alone! Otherwise, I¡¯ll start hanging out with another man and have

    an affair with him! Since you¡¯re no longer here to keep mepany, I¡¯ll get them to take care of me

    instead!¡±

    Christopher¡¯s expression immediately darkened when he heard me. He resisted the racking sensation

    in his body and brought himself up, warning me with his brows furrowed, ¡°No! You¡¯re not allowed to

    give up on yourself!¡±

    I red at him in the eyes, but I was at a loss for words to reprimand the heavily injured man in front of

    me. In the end, I stuffed the abalone into his mouth. ¡°Since you¡¯re feeling great today, hurry up and

    finish this!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yvonne¡ª¡± He was about to say something else, but I managed to stop him in the nick of time. He

    had no choice but to finish the abalone as instructed. I shoved the food into his mouth and found him

    adorable due to his puffed cheeks.

    Christopher, who was in bad shape, was no longer his handsome self. He now sported a pale and

    haggard look ¡ª long gone was his mischievous and vicious smirk. Nheless, he was the one and

    only I had in mind.

    ¡°Eve, you need to stop fooling around and listen to me!¡± The man let out a deep, throaty cough right

    after speaking.

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    Chapter 268

    Christopher ended up choking on the piece of abalone I had stuffed another into his mouth to stop him

    from striking up a conversation.

    He gulped down a few mouthfuls of the water I handed him. After he caught his breath, he reached

    over in an attempt to caress my cheek.

    I ced his palms on my cheeks and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to listen to you! Just hang in there with me,

    Christopher! Since your siblings are the bigshots around here, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only a matter of time until

    they reach us! Are you telling me you don¡¯t have faith in your family? Well, guess what? I¡¯m pretty sure

    they¡¯re going to reach us soon!¡±

    The man responded with a self-deprecating smirk and swirled his wrist to take a nce at his watch.

    Truth be told, the watch was no longer functioning. I removed it on his behalf and muttered, ¡°Has water

    entered it? Actually, it doesn¡¯t make any difference even if you¡¯re aware of the time, seeing as to how

    we¡¯re stranded.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher put on the watch on my behalf and whispered, ¡°This is thetest type of watch in the

    market. It has a global positioning system installed. I have identally spoiled it, so I¡¯m afraid the

    battery is no longer working as well as it¡¯s supposed to. Take this to a ce with moonlight and expose

    it to the light as much as you can. If it works, I want you to mess around with it as soon as it reaches

    twelve o¡¯clock. It¡¯ll notify others of our precise location.¡±

    I nodded and took note of his instructions. Although there were a lot of stars, we hadn¡¯t been able to

    see the moon the past few days. I secretly prayed we would get to see it soon; perhaps it would nt

    seeds of hope in all of us.

    After spending another few hours in the middle of nowhere, I was on the verge of dehydrating due to

    the scorching sun. Unable to withstand the thirst, I continued gulping my saliva to keep myself sane.

    Afraid that I would identally finish all of Christopher¡¯s water, I started searching high and low around

    the ind in the hope of getting us both something to eat. I tried gathering water from a gigantic tree,

    but luck just wasn¡¯t on my side.

    When I started chewing the leaves, I grew increasingly thirsty due to the astringent vors of the

    leaves. In the end, I started chewing a few strands of grass to alleviate the awful stench in my mouth

    for temporary relief.

    I carried on with my journey and continued searching for something edible left behind by others along

    the beach.

    It was then I heard the voice of a woman moaning. The sounds made me think someone had sustained

    a serious injury and was in desperate need of help. As soon as I rushed over and figured out the things

    going on, I was overwhelmed by a sense of disgust.

    It turned out that Crystal and Lyle were in the middle of a raunchy session. The injured man was

    leaning against the gigantic boulder, allowing Crystal to let loose of herself.

    I couldn¡¯t believe they had the mood for something of that sort when they were on the verge of losing

    their lives.

    Hold on a second! Just how unlucky am I to run into them whenever they¡¯re in the middle of a raunchy

    session?

    Afraid I would startle the intimate duo, I tiptoed my way away from them to save us the trouble of

    embarrassing one another. When I stumbled upon something hard on my feet, I leaned over in

    anticipation of getting myself something edible.

    Unfortunately, it was a mirror. When I was about to leave, I heard Crystal asking Lyle, ¡°Yvonne has

    hidden a bottle of water! Shall we deceive her and get her to hand it over to us?¡±

    Lyle hesitated, seemingly against the idea. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very wise of you.¡±

    ¡°Lyle, I¡¯m not going to give up on you and I just yet! Since Yvonne has made up her mind to join

    Christopher in hell, it¡¯s a waste of water! If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be better if she hands it over to us!¡±

    ¡°What exactly are you up to?¡± Lyle asked cautiously.

    ¡°Yvonne has always been a sympathetic woman! Ask her to do you a favor of treating your wound! I¡¯ll

    sneak my way over and steal her bottle of water away from her when she¡¯s upied!¡±

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    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still trying to get her hands on my water even when she has acquired Lyle¡¯s water

    and hidden a bottle away!

    Immediately after I returned with the mirror, I told Christopher the things awaiting us. He handed the

    bottle of water to me and instructed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m not thirsty at all!¡± I tried to stop him, but he repeated himself with a stern look, ¡°Just listen

    to me for once!¡±

    As I couldn¡¯t think of anything to turn him down, I reached for the bottle and pretended as if I had been

    drinking. I ended up feeling thirstier when I had a taste of the water on my lips.

    Immediately after Christopher had a mouthful of water, he held me in his arms and forced his tongue

    into my mouth with all his might. Initially, I thought he wanted to kiss me, but it turned out he wanted to

    keep me hydrated.

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    I thought of pushing him away, but I was afraid of hurting him. When I tried closing my mouth, I felt

    water running down my chin. It was then I opened my mouth and kept the water in my mouth instead of

    swallowing it.

    Christopher started tickling me when he noticed me refusing to swallow the water. Unable to resist the

    sensation, I ended up swallowing the mouthful of water before I burst out groaning.

    He finally moved away from me and praised me with a bright grin, ¡°You should¡¯ve just listened to me.¡±

    I red at him in the eyes as I was against the idea of wasting the water I had kept for him.

    A few secondster, a man approached us with his pouch of water. I could vividly recall him as one of

    the first few to set foot on the ind. Staring at him in the eyes, I secretly reached for a stone as a

    safety precaution.

    He marched over with his eyes glued to my torn shirt. His eyes narrowed to a slit. ¡°Although you¡¯re

    merely above average, I guess you¡¯re not half bad aspared to the fierce-looking ones over there.¡±

    Seconds after he finished spitting out his remarks, he showed us his water and asked as if he was up

    to no good, ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty?¡±

    I secretly gulped and answered in a callous tone, ¡°No!¡± Truth be told, I felt a strong urge to snatch it

    away from him, but I was aware I wasn¡¯t a match for him.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to change your mind when the man next to you is about to die? Why

    don¡¯t you join me? As long as you please me, I¡¯ll promise you a mouthful of water on a daily basis!¡± He

    leaned over with a vicious smirk. When he was about to reach me, Christopher stopped him with all his

    might.

    He ended up breaking the pervert¡¯s arm. As a result, the other man ended up shrieking in pain.

    Christopher warned the man, who was trying to shrug him off, ¡°Get out of our sights at once!¡±

    As soon as the man fled the scene, I retrieved the water he dropped and handed it over to Christopher.

    ¡°Hurry up and finish this before he makes his way back!¡±

    At my suggestion, Christopher hurriedly gulped down the water and started panting heavily. After I

    undressed him, I noticed that he had identally torn his wound again. The fluid gushing out of his

    wound indicated that the wound had suppurated.

    Worried his condition might worsen, I was no longer thrilled by the water we had just acquired.

    When I heard someone approaching us, I turned around and saw Lyle staggering his way over with the

    aid of a tree branch. He stumbled and fell when he was about to reach us.

    Instead of rushing over to his aid, I ignored him. He was taken aback by the fact I couldn¡¯t care less

    about him. As a result, he continued shrieking in pain next to us.

    It must have hurt a lot, huh? Of all the ces he¡¯s hurt, why isn¡¯t the organ around his pelvic area the

    one that hurts?

    He continued begging with an aggrieved front, ¡°Yvonne, can you please help me up? It hurts so much!¡±

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    I crouched in front of him and deadpanned my question, ¡°Where¡¯s Crystal? Why has she left you

    unattended?¡±

    Afraid of looking at me in the eyes, he turned around and murmured to himself, ¡°T-That picky eater is

    trying to get us something to eat.¡±

    Lyle caught me looking at him with a contemptuous look. A few moments of silenceter, he sat upright

    and asked, ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m sure you hate me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The moment I recalled him stopping the raft and rushing over to our rescue, I thought of doing him a

    favor to help him up. However, I changed my mind when I heard his question. I took my sweet time

    before making my way over to help him up.

    Lyle expressed his gratitude with a bright grin. ¡°Thank you so much, Yvonne. I knew you weren¡¯t going

    to leave me alone.¡±

    I pretended as if I was too weak to help him up and unfastened my grip at thest minute. Once again,

    he was rendered incapable of speech due to the racking sensation he felt when he fell back to the

    ground.

    ¡°Oops! You¡¯re not going to me me when it¡¯s not my fault for being such a weak woman, are you?¡± I

    remarked sarcastically.

    Indeed, I felt sorry on his behalf. However, I wouldn¡¯t allow him and Crystal to take advantage and

    make a fool out of me again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Yvonne! It¡¯s my fault for getting myself injured in times of emergencies!¡± Lyle brought himself

    up and continued caressing his wound with an aggrieved look. Instead of asking me to help him up, he

    changed his mind and leaned against the trunk of the tree to take a breather.

    After a short while, he asked, ¡°Yvonne, do you think we¡¯re going to make it out alive?¡±

    Staring at the scorching sun, I shook my head in return; I wasn¡¯t certain we would make it out alive.

    Unwilling to waste my time with him, I shrugged my shoulders and stated in return, ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why have you rushed over to my rescue?¡± Lyle started cleansing the festering wound

    on his leg after directing the question at me.

    Smirking, I asked in return, ¡°Why have you brought up the same thing over and over again? Why don¡¯t

    you tell me the reason you had rushed over to my rescue when everyone wanted me dead back then?¡±

    Lyle nced at Christopher, looking as if he had something else to tell me. I turned around and made

    my way to Christopher¡¯s side when I saw that he had fallen asleep. After cing my jacket over him, I

    ced my hand on his forehead to see if he was feeling fine.

    When I was about to head out to get ourselves something to eat, Lyle broke the silence and said,

    ¡°Actually, it was nothing more than an ident. I thought they were in the middle of something fun and

    rushed over to ensure I wouldn¡¯t miss out on anything.¡±

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    I wasn¡¯t particrly surprised by the truth. Instead of feeling hurt, I asked with a smirk, ¡°Although it was

    just an ident, the fact remains that you had saved me, hadn¡¯t you? Is it really necessary for me to

    justify my actions? Consider it a favor from a stranger in your life.¡±

    ¡°A stranger?¡± Lyle¡¯s thoughts were written all over his face.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if we¡¯re merely strangers in one another¡¯s life? I won¡¯t have to feel bad even if I¡¯m

    holding a grudge against you!¡± I started removing the fins of the fish using the mirror I had acquired and

    hung it on top of the trees.

    Out of the blue, Lyle asked, ¡°If Christopher and Crystal never showed up, are you going to file for

    divorce with me?¡±

    Aware that Christopher had been roused from his sleep, I leaned over and kissed him on the lips. My

    lips curled into a smirk when I caught him pretending to be asleep. In an attempt to make fun of him, I

    forced my tongue into his mouth to arouse him.

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    It was then I caught something stiff in between his thigh. I flicked it using my finger and found out it

    barely even budged in spite of the powerful flick. Nothing could stop an aroused man from letting loose

    of himself.

    Christopher looked at me in disbelief and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of breaking it?¡±

    ¡°Consider it a punishment of yours for trying to deceive me! Are you afraid I¡¯m going to tell him some

    sort of secret or something?¡±

    Christopher held me in his arms and shrugged his shoulders before he answered in a nonchnt

    manner, ¡°I¡¯m only afraid of him falling for my exceptional wife again.¡±

    ¡°Stop making fun of me!¡± When I flicked Christopher¡¯s forehead, I noticed Lyle seemed to be

    anticipating a reply. Therefore, I answered in a callous tone, ¡°Is that even possible, Lyle? Why don¡¯t you

    stop deceiving yourself?¡±

    A few minutes after Lyle went dead silent, I caught a glimpse of Crystal sneaking her way to our base

    with something wrapped in leaves. Christopher and I exchanged nces when we caught her handing

    it over to Lyle.

    Instead of taking it over from her, the man pushed her away. Irked by his response, she reprimanded

    him and started unfolding the things inside the leaves with her back facing us.

    We tried out best to resist the urge tough, but we couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore when we heard

    Crystal couching and retching. Soon, she cast the thing in her hands away.

    We burst outughing when Lyle asked Crystal, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The woman yelled at us with her face puckered, ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re such a vicious woman! What the heck

    is in the bottle? Where¡¯s the water?¡±

    I could barely catch my breath since it wasn¡¯t even my idea to begin it. Christopher was the one who

    had suggested storing the water using the coconut husk. Immediately after he filled the bottle with

    something else, he swirled it in front of me and announced, ¡°She needs to get herself ready for the

    things awaiting her after she had the audacity toe after us.¡±

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    I was startled by the man¡¯s mischievous idea ¡ª it made him seem like a delinquent. It was then he told

    me stories about people in the army ending up being mischievous. He even bragged about how he was

    the most good-looking delinquent out there.

    The shameless Crystal approached and threatened me, ¡°Yvonne, how dare you do this to your cousin?

    If you refuse to hand it over to me, I¡¯ll tell them you are hiding something from them!¡±

    I nced at her and asked in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Are you sure? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll just tell them

    you¡¯re also hiding something from them! What do you think?¡±

    Startled by my question, Crystal stuttered before stomping her way away.

    It¡¯s time to teach this pretentious woman a lesson for being overly greedy! I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s trying to

    get her hands on my water when she has been hiding hers away from us all this while!

    I couldn¡¯t wait to start the evening. As soon as I ensured Christopher was fine, I walked in the direction

    of the beach in anticipation of the moon showing up.

    I removed my shoes and walked along the beach to enjoy the gentle waves crawling to the shore. After

    a short while, I saw Crystal losing herself in a train of thought on the beach.

    The woman brought herself away immediately after she caught sight of me. I paid no heed to her and

    continued waiting for the moon to show up.

    After a short while, I heard someone rushing over. The moment I turned around, I saw the silhouette of

    a man. He pinned me to the ground before I could grasp the situation.

    He continued pping me in the face and yelled, ¡°You should¡¯ve epted my offer instead of getting

    on my nerves! No one ising to your rescue anymore!¡±

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    It was the man who had shown up in the morning. I recalled the sound I hearding from the source

    of water over the past few days when I caught him ring at me in the eyes.

    I was aware of the sort of activities he had been engaging with the rest of the women. Others wouldn¡¯t

    stop getting in my way even when I had been trying my best to stay away from them.

    ¡°Get away from me!¡± I started retaliating against the man and was about tounch a power kick at him.

    He was surprisingly strong for a man who had been starving over the past few days.

    ¡°It pleases me the more you scream for help! Your man can¡¯t even walk without others¡¯ support! There¡¯s

    no way he¡¯s rushing over to your rescue!¡± he guffawed and started undressing me.

    I was utterly disgusted as he continued running his hands across my thigh. Immediately after I grasped

    a handful of sand, I cast it in his direction. As a result, he shrieked and unfastened his grip.

    When Iunched a powerful kick in his direction, he swiftly grasped my legs and pulled me over to stop

    me from crawling away. I started howling in pain when I ended up falling and knocking onto a sharp

    boulder.

    As soon as he crawled his way over, he rendered me incapable of motion and started guffawing once

    more. ¡°I prefer having fun with a woman who¡¯s capable of putting up a fight! Go ahead and continue

    retaliating against me!¡±

    My shirt had long been torn into pieces as I needed something to bandage Christopher¡¯s wound.

    Instead of ripping my shirt further, the perverted man ran his fingers through the torn shirt.

    In the nick of time, I caught a glimpse of Crystal sashaying her way over. In a final attempt to get myself

    rescued, I yelled, ¡°Save me, Crystal!¡±

    Instead of rushing over to my rescue, she tucked her arms and pulled a face at me. When she made

    sure no one was there for me, she waved at me and marched away from the beach.

    As vicious as Crystal might be, I thought she would offer her help. It turned out I was wrong and

    shouldn¡¯t have gotten my hopes high.

    ¡°Are you seriously asking her to save you when she has tipped me off and sent me here? She¡¯s your

    cousin, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll have some fun with her immediately after I finish the session with you! It¡¯s not half

    bad when I get to have so much fun before dying!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe Crystal was the mastermind behind my misfortune. It wouldn¡¯t make any difference

    even if others were nearby; they couldn¡¯t care less about a stranger. To make things worse, I was quite

    a distance away from our base.

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    I thought it was a chance for me to run away when he started undressing in front of me. It was then he

    kicked me again. When I thought it was over for me, the man on top of me grunted and passed out on

    top of me.

    ¡°Eve, it¡¯s fine!¡±

    Immediately after Christopher pushed the man away from me, I rushed over to his side, wailing at the

    top of my lungs, ¡°Christopher! Christopher!¡±

    I repeated his name over and over again. When I was safe in between his arms, torrents of grief

    streamed down my face as I could no longer suppress the emotions I had been holding back.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s going to be fine!¡± The man patiently caressed my back, assuring me that everything would

    be fine. Seconds after I returned to my senses, I regretted crying in front of him as that would make him

    concerned about me.

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    When I raised my head and looked at him in the eyes, he muttered with a frown, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have

    asked you to tag along with me! It¡¯s my fault for getting you involved!¡±

    I covered his mouth to stop him from ming himself since it was nothing more than a natural disaster.

    In fact, we might be destined to brave through the challenge together.

    ¡°Christopher, even though I¡¯m afraid of dying, I don¡¯t mind dying next to you! At the very least, we get to

    spend thest moments in our lives together!¡± I proimed.

    Sighing, he shared his thoughts with me. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not ready to leave the world as well. I still have

    so many things on my bucket list to do with you. We¡¯ll take it easy for the time being. Perhaps the moon

    will show up soon.¡±

    When I was about to turn around to check on the watch on my wrist, Christopher covered my eyes and

    urged, ¡°No! Stop turning around!¡±

    I saw the man in the puddle of blood through the gaps of his fingers. He had been stabbed in the neck,

    but I wasn¡¯t intimidated at all as I had gotten used to such gory scenes.

    As we continued marching our way back to our base along the sea, I brought something up for a

    change of mood.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time at a beach, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be goin anywhere near the beach in the future.¡±

    ¡°Guess what? It¡¯s the same for me.¡±

    He turned around when I leaned over in an attempt to kiss him on the lips. We ended up kissing one

    another.

    Instead of being overwhelmed by lust, we had a great time appreciating one another¡¯s presence in the

    midst of chaos.

    ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s kind of romantic?¡±

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    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    ¡°After all, my only wish is to spend the rest of my life with you. Don¡¯t you think it feels as if we¡¯re doing

    just that? I mean, you look just like an old geezer who¡¯s about to die.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re supposed to make fun of me when you look just like an old hag as well?¡±

    When the moon showed itself, I ced the watch on the beach in an attempt to get it working.

    Unfortunately, luck wasn¡¯t on our side ¡ª the watch didn¡¯t even budge.

    To make things worse, Christopher, who was in a deep slumber, staggered and fell. I found out he had

    caught on a fever again. Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal, he might pass on without proper medical

    attention.

    Despite spending the entire night taking care of Christopher, his condition remained the same. To be

    precise, he got increasingly frail to the point he couldn¡¯t even sit upright without others¡¯ support.

    I was on the verge of breaking down and felt a strong urge to yell in an attempt to take things out.

    On the other hand, Crystal retrieved the water she had hidden ahead of others and had a mouthful of it.

    When she caught Lyle staring at her, she turned around and ignored him.

    Lyle, who was heavily injured, could no longer move around. He groveled himself at her mercy and

    begged, ¡°Crystal, please give me a sip!¡±

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t even have enough for myself! Since you¡¯re about to die, why don¡¯t you leave the rest for

    me?¡± Afraid he woulde after her water, she ran away and put on some distance between them

    before finishing her drink.

    Crystal then asked in a callous tone, ¡°Lyle, Haven¡¯t you promised me to keep me safe at all costs?

    Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to honor your promise? Since you love me as much as I do, it¡¯s not a big deal

    for you to sacrifice yourself to keep me alive, isn¡¯t it?¡±

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    Lyle¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as it was the first time Crystal showed her true colors in front of him.

    Meanwhile, Christopher refused to drink and said, ¡°Eve, you need to save it for yourself!¡±

    In an attempt to force him into submission, I had a mouthful of water and leaned over to force the water

    into his mouth. Afraid of wasting the liquid, the man had no choice but to swallow it when he felt it

    gushing down his chin. After a few mouthfuls, he announced, ¡°You need to stop, Eve!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and preserve your energy as much as possible!¡± I got another dampened cloth to clean his

    wound. After much hesitation, I walked in Lyle¡¯s direction and shared some of our limited water with

    him.

    ¡®Y-Yvonne¡ª¡± Lyle gulped down the mouthful of water, his eyes glued to me with an odd expression.

    I must have lost my mind for showing others mercy in times of emergencies. However, I just couldn¡¯t

    stand watching someone passing on in front of me. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m doing you a favor. You¡¯re

    on your own from now onwards.¡±

    When I brought myself away, a chubby-looking woman rushed over to Christopher¡¯s side and snatched

    the bottle of water away from him. I immediately dashed after the fleeing woman and yelled, ¡°Hand it

    back to me!¡±

    ¡°It now belongs to me since I have gotten my hands on it! You¡¯re the one who needs to stay away from

    me!¡± She knew I wasn¡¯t a match for her in terms of strength after being dehydrated for such a long

    time. I couldn¡¯t even withstand a push of hers and ended up falling.

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    Unwilling to set her free, I pounced on her and begged her to be merciful. ¡°Please return the bottle of

    water to me! My husband needs it for his wound! Otherwise, he¡¯s going to die due to infection!¡±

    ¡°Since he¡¯s going to die, it¡¯s time for him to the livings a favor! Get out of my way immediately!¡± The

    womanunched a kick in my direction. I was exhausted to the extent I could no longer shriek.

    Nheless, I refused to let go of the bottle of water and tried to snatch it back from her.

    Her party had gone through an emotional breakdown when they found out they were out of water. They

    couldn¡¯t even be bothered by the presence of the man on the beach.

    I couldn¡¯t afford to lose our only bottle of water as Christopher¡¯s life would depend on it. In a final

    attempt to defend the water, I bit her with all my might. She shrieked in pain and pped me in the

    face, identally sending the bottle of water flying the moment she unfastened her grip.

    We ended up spilling the entire bottle of water on the beach. I tried to salvage whatever was left, but

    the only thing left in my hands was a handful of dampened sand.

    On the other hand, the woman tried to finish the water left in the bottle, but there was merely a drop

    left. She ended up sitting on the beach and eximed, ¡°We¡¯re done! It¡¯s only a matter of time before we

    all die from dehydration!¡±

    As I sat next to her with a handful of sand, my mind was all over the ce. I felt overwhelmed by a

    sense of despair.

    Out of nowhere, the woman turned around and pinned me to the ground, starting another fight when

    she was the one at fault. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! I¡¯d get to live for another day had you stopped getting in my

    way!¡±

    I made myself sit upright when I was about to pass out. In an attempt to defend myself, I started

    attacking the woman with a stone. The moment blood gushed out of her wound, she started wailing in

    pain.

    Immediately after she stopped picking on me, I pushed her away and rushed back to Christopher¡¯s side

    to defend him in fear of the woman picking on the frail man.

    She buried her face in her hands and sprinted in the direction of the sea while yelling, ¡°There¡¯s no way

    I¡¯m starving to death! I¡¯d rather drown myself to set myself free from suffering!¡±

    Immediately after she finished yelling, she dove into the sea with rigorous waves. No one bothered to

    rush over to her rescue. Soon, she was nowhere to be seen.

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    Mother nature didn¡¯t bother showing the poor woman any mercy. It felt as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal when

    someone had justmitted suicide in front of us.

    I returned to Christopher¡¯s side and started shivering in fear after taking a seat next to him. ¡°Eve¡­¡±

    When I heard Christopher¡¯s voice, I ran my fingers across his wound, resisting the strong urge to cry.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Christopher! I shouldn¡¯t have poked my nose into others¡¯ business!¡±

    ¡°E-Eve, promise me to stay alive¡ª¡± Christopher held me in his arms, but his voice was barely audible

    after repeating the same thing over and over again.

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    Afraid of suffering from severe dehydration, I resisted the urge to cry when I felt torrents of grief

    streaming down my cheeks. I knew I had to pull myself together to take care of Christopher.

    We snuggled in between one another¡¯s arms to keep ourselves warm. Although his body was frigid, I

    felt a strong sense of security as Iy next to him.

    After a long time, I turned around and whispered, ¡°Christopher, are you hungry? I¡¯ll go get you

    something to eat.¡±

    Immediately after I finished my question, I fell into a deep slumber and had a dream. When I saw

    someone rushing over to our rescue, I urged them to rush Christopher to the hospital.

    When I tried yelling for help, I finally roused from my sleep and brought myself up. I tried running my

    hands around to reach for Christopher, but the man was nowhere to be seen next to me.

    I finally returned to my senses and found out that Christopher had fallen once again. Had I failed to

    notice him breathing, I would¡¯ve thought he had passed on due to his haggard look.

    ¡°Christopher, wake up! Wake up and look at me! Haven¡¯t you promised to keep mepany

    throughout the rest of our lives? Are you leaving me?¡±

    I shrugged him with all my might in an attempt to wake him up. Unfortunately, he remained

    unconscious. In contrast to his frigid body, his forehead was scorching hot.

    What am I supposed to do to keep him alive? Unable to pull myself together, I burst into tears and

    wailed at the top of my lungs. In an attempt to wake him up, I held him in my arms and kissed him on

    the lips.

    ¡°Christopher, wake up! I have finally figured out the meaning behind the signal! It means I love you,

    doesn¡¯t it? Are you going to leave me alone when I haven¡¯t even confessed the sort of affection I have

    for you? As soon as you wake up, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±

    I wailed, ¡°Can you hear me, Christopher? We¡¯re not even halfway through our lives! You¡¯re not allowed

    to leave me alone just yet! If you give up on yourself, it¡¯s over for you and me! I¡¯ll join you in hell if you

    die!¡±

    His eyes remained shut tight as I continued kissing desperately him on the lips. He had stopped

    responding to my words and actions to the point where I could barely feel his breath.

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    Chapter 276

    Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to get myself out of the dire

    situation. ¡°Can you stop pulling my leg, Christopher? You¡¯re just trying to give me the shock of my life,

    aren¡¯t you?¡±

    After a moment, I shrieked, ¡°Stop pulling my leg, Christopher! I¡¯m afraid of losing you! Wake up and talk

    to me! We¡¯re about to reach the best part of our lives after bracing ourselves through the worst! Stay

    with me, Christopher!¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, pull yourself together!¡± Lyle yelled when he noticed I wouldn¡¯t stop from catapulting in the

    direction of the sea as if I had lost my mind.

    He must have thought I was about tomit suicide. However, that wasn¡¯t the case ¡ª I had no

    intention to give up just yet. I merely wished to get Christopher something to eat.

    In the end, I found an oyster in the sea and returned to Christopher¡¯s side with the oyster without drying

    myself.

    ¡°Christopher, I found an oyster! I¡¯m sure it tastes great! Hurry up, and give it a try! You¡¯re going to be

    fine after finishing it!¡±

    I shucked the oyster and ced it next to Christopher¡¯s mouth. When he didn¡¯t respond to me, I tried

    stuffing it into his mouth after chewing it, but it didn¡¯t work. The food gushed out of his mouth instead.

    It was then Crystal approached me with her arms tucked around her waist. ¡°Since he¡¯s about to die,

    why don¡¯t you save it for yourself? At least you¡¯ll get to live another few days.¡±

    ¡°Stay away from me!¡±

    The moment I threw the oyster in her direction, she rushed over to pick it up and reprimanded me,

    ¡°Hand the food over to me instead of wasting it if you¡¯re not going to finish it!¡±

    Staring at the shell of the oyster, I lost myself in a train of thought as I suddenly recalled the experience

    of cannibalism Christopher had shared with me. I bit my finger with all my might and stuffed it into

    Christopher¡¯s mouth once the blood started gushing out of my wound.

    That was the sole source of hydration and nutrition avable for the man. Unaware of the things going

    on, Christopher continued sucking my blood and running his tongue across my wound. When I moved

    my finger away, he licked his lips and muttered, ¡°G-Give me more¡­¡±

    I continued biting my finger before stuffing it into his mouth. He finally returned to his senses after

    sucking my blood. I then held him in my arms and instructed in a hushed voice, ¡°Take all you need if it

    keeps you alive.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It was a tormenting experience; there seemed to be no end to our misery. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself

    to stand anymore.

    I shakily supported myself with a stick and brought myself to the beach to get myself something to eat

    after ensuring Christopher was still alive. There was no way I could make my way to the sea anymore.

    Otherwise, I would end up being a meal of the nasty creatures in the sea. I was so fragile to the point I

    couldn¡¯t even withstand the waves hitting the shore and ended up falling again.

    I crawled my way across the beach and ended up bruising myself all over the body. It felt awful

    whenever my wounds came across the seawater. After searching high and low, I finally found a hermit

    crab behind a huge boulder.

    Without a second thought, I swallowed it, aware that I needed something nutritious to keep the supply

    of blood for Christopher. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could pull myself together for another few days, but I wouldn¡¯t

    give up as long as the man was still alive.

    By the time I returned to the base, I saw Crystal searching for something to eat around Christopher.

    She started cursing when she failed to get her hands on anything edible. After she made her way back

    to Lyle¡¯s side, she kicked him in frustration before taking a seat next to him.

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    Chapter 277

    Lyle, who had been roused from his sleep, brought himself up and leaned against the trunk. He

    secretly gulped as Crystal drank her serving of water in front of him. Instead of saying anything, he

    continued lying down on his back, looking as if he had given up on life.

    I ced the watch on the rock and kept my eyes glued to it. It was a night with a full moon, so I hoped

    to see something happen. To stop myself from seeing things, I rubbed my eyes with all my might and

    continued staring at the watch.

    Unfortunately, luck wasn¡¯t on our side¡ªthe watch had remained the same throughout the entire night.

    Holding Christopher in my arms, we spent another night next to one another.

    When it was about dawn break, I thought I was seeing things when I saw something closing in from

    afar. A few minutester, I knew it wasn¡¯t just another hallucination. Immediately after I returned to my

    senses, I sprinted in the direction of the beach and started waving with all my might.

    ¡°Is that a ship? Are we finally getting saved?¡± Out of nowhere, someone yelled and brought the rest of

    the party to the beach. Some of them started openly praying that it was a ship.

    I was never a religious person as I had never experienced any sort of miracle throughout my life. It was

    the first time I started praying, hoping it was a ship.

    God, can you hear me? If you can hear me, please send a ship our way! Stop taking Christopher away

    from me! Just show him some mercy if I¡¯m not worthy of it! At the very least, please keep him alive!

    Instead of being stranded on a deserted ind, Christopher deserves another chance to live! It¡¯s fine if

    I die, but he has better things to do with his life!

    I don¡¯t mind trading my life for his if it¡¯s the thing it takes to keep him alive! He¡¯s going to be upset for

    quite some time, but it¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll be d if he¡¯s willing to share the incident we have

    gone through together with his grandchildren in the future!

    As the mysterious thing closed in, an uproar broke out among the crowd when we ensured that it was a

    ship. Someone started yelling in order to attract the attention of those on the ship.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally getting rescued!¡±

    I rushed my way back to Christopher¡¯s side and announced with a bright grin, ¡°Wake up, Christopher!

    There¡¯s an iing ship! We¡¯re going to be fine in no time! Wake up, ande after me! I¡¯ll rush you

    to the hospital as soon as we board the ship!¡±

    However, the man remained unconscious throughout my entire speech. Gritting my teeth, I brought him

    up and staggered our way to the beach, yelling when I noticed the ship had docked at the beach, ¡°Hold

    on a second!¡±

    The ones on the ship seemed to speak a foreignnguage. I couldn¡¯t understand a thing they said, but I

    was certain that they were in the middle of a discussion.

    I tried to board the ship with Christopher, but a scrawny man on the ship stopped us. He tried his best

    to establishmunication between me with his limited vocabry. ¡°No patient! He put us at big risk!¡±

    ¡°No! He¡¯s just stabbed by someone! Can you please do me a favor and give us a ride? I need to rush

    him to the hospital as soon as possible!¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°No! You cane on board only if you leave him behind!¡± He made himself clear he wouldn¡¯t allow us

    to board the ship and threatened us with a knife.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Those who had long boarded the board were afraid of being deemed contagious. Thus, they yelled at

    me, ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to them and leave him alone? It has been such a long time since he hasst

    been conscious! I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s over for him!¡±

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    Chapter 278

    I got down on my knees and started begging the man, ¡°Can you please give him a ride? I¡¯ll stay here if

    you promise to rush him to the hospital! He¡¯s from a wealthy family! As long as you save him, he¡¯s

    going to bring upon you an abundance of wealth!¡±

    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± As a result of the man¡¯s brutal kick, I almost fell. I stopped them from leaving and

    continued begging them to be merciful. I knew they were our only hope of leaving.

    All of a sudden, Lyle and Crystal were forced to get off the ship. They had managed to sneak their way

    up the ship when Lyle concealed his injured leg.

    After Crystal was forced to alight from the ship, she started ripping her shirt apart, looking as if she had

    lost her mind as she yelled, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt! Look! I¡¯m fine! Please let me board the ship! I¡¯m willing to do

    anything as long as you allow me to board!¡±

    The man¡¯s lust was written all over his face. He asked with a contemptuous look, ¡°Are you going to

    abandon your husband over there?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re not rted to one another! We¡¯re merely acquainted after being

    stranded for such a long time! Please let me board the ship!¡± Crystal wrapped her arms around the

    man and snuggled against him with a pitiable front.

    The man pinched her ass and instructed with a vicious grin, ¡°Well, hop on board then!¡±

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Lyle yelled with his eyes brimming in tears, his lips quivering against his will.

    Crystal jumped on board without a second thought and announced, ¡°Stop yelling at me! I have no

    intention to join you in hell! I¡¯m the champion of the uing nationalpetition! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m

    going to die on a deserted ind!¡±

    She looked at those on the ship and added, ¡°I¡¯m not as foolish as Yvonne over there! I¡¯ll allow her to

    join her husband in hell! I¡¯ll do anything it takes as long as you give me a ride!¡±

    Lyle went dead silent when he heard the woman¡¯s remarks. I had never seen him being as despair as

    such throughout the years. It felt as if Crystal¡¯s statement was thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s

    back.

    ¡°Your friend over here has made the right choice. What about you? Have you made up your mind?¡±

    The scrawny man crouched in front of me and ran his de across my hand gently.

    ¡°Can you please save him? As long as you save him, I¡¯m willing to do everything and anything!¡± I

    continued begging with a hoarse voice in an attempt to gain their sympathy. He shrugged me off and

    announced in a callous tone, ¡°Stop wasting our time! I¡¯ll give you another minute to make up your

    mind!¡±

    All of a sudden, the first man to be denied onboard jumped on the ship and yelled, ¡°Stay out of my way!

    I have no intention to die just yet!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    He forced his way through those guarding the ship and made his way to the dock, announcing with a

    proud grin, ¡°I have finally made it on board! I¡¯m going to make it out alive!¡±

    Seconds after we heard a deafening bang, the man with a proud grin stared at the wound on his chest

    and started leaning forward. In the end, he copsed in front of me.

    It was then I found out they would never allow those with injuries to board their ship. Immediately after

    they got themselves ready, they departed with those onboard.

    Once again, the ship disappeared under the horizon of the sea, leaving the three of us behind ¡ª we

    were doomed.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279

    The despaired Lyle had his eyes glued to the departing ship with tears streaming down his cheeks.

    Ironically, after betraying me for an affair with Crystal over the past few years, she turned her back

    against him when he needed her the most.

    When I felt something on my hand, I lowered my gaze and caught Christopher weeping. Although he

    was unconscious, he couldn¡¯t stop tears from falling streaming down his cheeks.

    I knew he was aware of the things going on in spite of being unconscious. He was upset I hadn¡¯t

    honored my promise of leaving him when he was on the verge of death.

    I wiped his tears dry and kissed him on the forehead. ¡°Christopher, you need to stop crying and start

    cherishing my presence! I know you¡¯re going to be angry, but it¡¯s your fault for hitting on me in the first

    ce! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving you behind!¡±

    As torrents of grief continued streaming down his cheeks, I raised my volume and warned him after

    wiping his tears on his behalf, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to cry! If you don¡¯t stop crying, I¡¯m going to be mad

    for real!¡±

    I kissed him on the lips immediately after I finished warning him. We rested on the beach for some time

    until I regained the strength to bring him back to the base.

    Christopher was the only one I cared about. Immediately after I bit my finger again, I stuffed it into the

    man¡¯s mouth. Despite knowing that I was almost at my limit after repeating it so many times, I still

    stubbornly drizzled as many drops of blood I could.

    After a long time, Lyle, who had spent a long time on the beach, finally staggered his way to our side

    and took a seat at a spot near us. Staring dead ahead of him, he said, ¡°You should¡¯ve left, Yvonne.¡±

    Chuckling, I turned around and looked at him in the eyes with a serious look. ¡°You¡¯ll never understand

    the feeling and the urge to keep someone safe at all costs.¡±

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    He lost himself in a train of thought and turned around, facing me with his back after a few minutes.

    Unable to suppress the urge to cry, he started sniffling once more.

    It felt awful to be stuck in an endless loop of misery. We had been so close to making our way out of

    the ind. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying due to the overwhelming sense of helplessness I felt.

    Staring at the departing ship, we fell into a vicious cycle of despair as we were aware no one would

    show up to our rescue anymore.

    When I made my way to the base of the other party, I found a half-finished fish and some water. I

    brought the water back for the unconscious Christopher and had him finish it.

    It started raining when I looked up at the sky in an attempt to stop myself from crying. To be honest,

    raining was a cause for celebration, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore. I made a simple tent to

    get Christopher sheltered from the rain. Unfortunately, my effort was to no avail as he was soon

    completely drenched.

    I held him firmly in my arms and got myself a few mouthfuls of rainwater to keep myself hydrated. No

    longer could I withstand the pent-up fatigue after holding out for such a long time.

    Am I having a fever? Are we going to die soon? Hopefully, our skeletons won¡¯t get tossed around by

    people when this ce turns into a tourist hotspot in the near future¡­

    In the middle of the night, the moon showed up after the heavy downpour. There was nothing special

    about the watch even after exposing it to the moon. Thus, I thought Christopher had lied to me about its

    features again.

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    Chapter 280

    It was an ordinary watch that Christopher gave me so that I would feel more reassured. I picked up the

    watch and fumbled around at the pusher and crown, but to no avail. The watch hands were still

    motionless.

    Feeling defeated, I flung it onto the ground and let out a screeching wail before covering my face in a

    sob.

    Why is God always so cruel to me? Why doesn¡¯t he grant me my veryst wish on earth? I only want

    Christopher to live. Is that too much to ask for?

    ¡°Christopher¡­Christopher¡­¡±

    Somewhere on the ground, unbeknownst to me, the minute and second hand of the watch started to go

    around. They continued to do so for a few rounds before it stopped with a click, as though something

    had been unlocked inside the clockwork. The sound was feeble against the crashing ocean waves

    around me.

    In an attempt to sustain Christopher¡¯s life, I bit my fingertips to feed more blood into his mouth.

    However, they were all damaged by too many cuts and abrasions for me to get much fresh blood. As I

    grew more desperate, I picked up broken ss and slit my arm open. Once fresh blood started to

    dribble down my arm, I quickly positioned it on Christopher¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Yvonne, you should live on¡­¡± uttered Lyle weakly. He saw what I did and furrowed his brows

    disapprovingly. ¡°You¡¯ll be able tost for at least two more days if you stop doing that.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and watch Christopher die in front of me.¡± Leaning my icy cold body against a rock,

    every breath I took wasborious. Even a short reply like that had rendered me panting uncontrobly.

    ¡°Only if¡­ Only if¡­¡± Lyle¡¯s voice shook. He was unable to finish his sentence.

    I was too weak to analyze what he meant by ¡°only if¡± when my vision started to blur. Before long, my

    vision went ck, and I could no longer see anything. Christopher¡­

    I fell into a trance, alternating between being unconscious and a dazed state. I would hold onto

    Christopher when I was awake. When I passed out, I remembered dreaming. In my dream, I was

    wearing a white wedding gown and walking down an aisle. At the end of the aisle stood Christopher,

    whose gaze was fixed steadily at me.

    The man looked extra handsome in a suit that brought out the color of his sparkly, animated eyes. He

    then extended a hand toward me, taking my hand in his as I stopped next to him. Christopher, finally,

    we can be together, forever.

    I want us to have many children. You¡¯ve always stopped to watch children y in a yground, and

    you said that you wanted me to bear your child. Let us do just that.

    We won¡¯t use birth control. I¡¯ll love all of our children equally with all my heart. If it¡¯s a boy, you¡¯ll bring

    him to his ser game practice. Or we send him into the army, so he¡¯ll train to be as strong as his

    father.

    If it¡¯s a girl, I¡¯ll dress her up like a princess. Imagine how happy we¡¯ll feel being surrounded by all our

    kids.

    I was still lying on the rock when I woke up again. I shifted my body closer to Christopher and once

    again fell asleep in his embrace.

    Suddenly, I started to hear a distant sound of a spinning propeller. I let out a slight smile. I must be

    hallucinating. I wouldn¡¯t be hearing the sound of a ne flying across the sky otherwise.

    In my trance-like state, I sensed someone trying to take Christopher away from me. I flew into a

    frenzied fit and kept yelling, ¡°No, don¡¯t hurt him! Please, I beg you. Don¡¯t hurt him. Let him go!¡±

    My effort was in vain as he was eventually taken away. The next thing I knew, someone came to my

    side and tried to move me around. When I opened my eyes and realized someone was trying to give

    me first aid treatment, I grabbed his hand abruptly and cried, ¡°Never mind me! Save Christopher first.

    Save him now! I¡¯m fine. I really am.¡±

    ¡°Miss, please calm down. Someone is already tending to Mr. Lane right now. Please stay still.¡±

    ¡°Never mind me! Save him first. Give him all the medication. Please do whatever you can to save him,

    even if it means sacrificing my life. I need him to live¡­¡± I begged them over and over again even

    though I couldn¡¯t make out who was in front of me due to my blurry vision.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Just then, a man held my hand firmly and spoke in aforting voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Yvonne.

    Christopher is safe now, so please calm down and let the doctors do their work.¡±

    It was a soothing voice; it sounded like my father when he used tofort me when I fell sick as a

    child. I finally rxed my body and fell into a slumber.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281

    In a daze, I felt someone lift my body onto some sort of carrier that kept moving up and down. I tried

    but failed to open my eyes to see where I was.

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner is in a dire state and running a high fever. Not only has she lost too much blood, but she

    has also contracted a viral infection. She needs urgent medical attention, but our ne doesn¡¯t have

    enough supply for her O-type blood.¡±

    ¡°Please make sure she¡¯s okay. Do whatever it takes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±

    Who¡¯s talking? I tried to open my eyes, but my effort was once again in vain.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Christopher¡­ Christopher¡­¡± I called out his name, wanting to hear his voice to make sure that he

    was okay. I needed to know that he was safe and sound and tended to medically.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. Chris is safe now. You, on the other hand, have lost too much blood. You¡¯re in a

    critical condition. You need to get better so you can see Chris again, right?¡±

    That¡¯s right. We have been rescued. I need to rest and recuperate so that I¡¯ll have the energy to look

    after Christopher.

    I was dreaming again. I knew this was not real because I saw my mother, whom I had not dreamed

    about since I turned ten. Deep down, I even resisted addressing her as my mom. But now she

    appeared in my dreams again.

    The image of her was clearer than ever. Still looking young and beautiful, she stood in front of me as

    though she was one of my best friends. She took my hand in hers and smiled brightly at me. ¡°Eve,

    you¡¯re all grown up now. That¡¯s really good.¡±

    I wanted to speak, but I couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Instead, I looked at her aloofly.

    ¡°Eve, you have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you over the years. I¡¯m so sorry that you have had a

    rough life. But I had my reasons for leaving you many years ago. Can you please forgive me?¡±

    Should I forgive her? Is it fair that she gets to abandon me for her own benefit? I stared at her for a few

    moments before bursting into maniacalughter. This is a dream, after all. Why should I be so serious?

    She can say whatever she wants. I only need to lend her an ear that¡¯s all.

    When I awoke to a peaceful piano melody, I tried to trace the source of the ethereal and graceful tune.

    It was so beautiful that it almost brought tears to my eyes. I started to move my fingers and finally found

    the energy to sit myself up. My surrounding was pitch ck, and I couldn¡¯t see anything in the dark. It

    must be nighttime.

    Trying to get my bearings, I realized I was tucked into a soft nket with drips attached to my arm. Just

    then, my memories started rushing back to me ¡ª I had been on a honeymoon trip with Christopher.

    Our ship had sunk, and we drifted onto a deserted ind where we were rescued atst.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I cried out. But there came no response.

    I fumbled about on the wall for a switch for the light in the room. Instead, I found a call button and kept

    pressing it.

    Before long, my door was pushed open, and someone came over to check on my drip. ¡°How are you

    feeling? Do you feel any difort?¡± a male voice rang in front of me.

    I remembered this voice. It belonged to Darius. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m okay, apart from feeling weak all

    over. Darius, was it you who rescued us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We received Chris¡¯ distress signal and found you guys. Thankfully we got there in time.¡± The

    man¡¯s voice shook a little at the mention of the incident.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Christopher? Is he okay? Is he awake now?¡± I asked anxiously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His condition has stabilized. It¡¯ll just take a while for him toe to,¡± Darius exined.

    ¡°Can I see him now?¡± I asked carefully while breathing a sigh of relief. Despite being reassured that the

    man was fine, I wanted to see him with my own eyes for my peace of mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Your body is still too weak after all the blood loss. You¡¯re going to have to rest up.

    Getting up and moving about is not an option,¡± Darius patiently declined my request.

    At once, I turned disappointed. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s okay? You¡¯re not lying to me? The wound on his

    lower abdomen looked really bad. I¡¯m worried.¡±

    Darius was amused by my incessant questions. He smiled slightly and said, ¡°Why would I lie to you?

    Chris is my little brother, of course I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s okay. I assure you, he really is no longer in

    danger. You should get some rest. When you¡¯re better tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring you to see him.¡±

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    Chapter 282

    It would seem discourteous on my part if I continued to insist on seeing Christopher, so I finally nodded

    in assent. After all, this is Christopher¡¯s big brother, I couldn¡¯t pester him like I did Christopher. I also

    realized that Darius was the first inw I had met since Christopher and I got married.

    I did not expect to meet one of Christopher¡¯s family members again as an inw in this kind of

    situation.

    ¡°Would you like to eat something?¡± Darius asked, concern in his tone.

    At the mention of food, I realized I was starving, after all. I had only had scrapes to eat on the deserted

    ind. It was nothing short of a miracle that I had survived. Now that I was nice and warm, I felt like I

    could stuff all my favorite food into my stomach in one go.

    However, I was informed that my body was too fragile to withstand any greasy food, so I was given

    some chicken soup instead. Moreover, Darius reminded me to have it slowly and in small bites so as

    not to over-burden my digestive system. I almost burst into tears when I held the warm soup in my

    hands. At that moment, I was so thankful just to be alive.

    When someone tried to feed me the soup, it suddenly urred to me that my surroundings were still

    pitch dark. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys switch on the lights in the room? How are you able to see the soup

    clearly?¡±

    The room fell into an awkward silence following my question. After a long pause, I sensed that Darius

    was standing next to me as I could almost feel his warm breath on my face. Feeling embarrassed, I

    asked, ¡°Is there a ckout?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ Yes. Why don¡¯t you get started with the soup? I¡¯ve already sent someone to get some candles.

    Go easy with the hot soup,¡± Darius spoke with an uneasy tone as though he was trying hard to

    suppress something.

    As I slowly sipped the soup, I had never felt happier in my life. Once I finished everything, Darius

    summoned a few doctors to check on me. He asked me to close my eyes, and I did as I was told.

    Then, a doctor gently pried open my eyes to evaluate their condition.

    After a while, the group of doctors left my room. They stopped at the door to discuss matters among

    themselves. I tried but failed to get any of their attention regarding my condition. Not long after that,

    Darius came back to the room and fetched me a ss of water.

    As I sipped on the water, I heard some children making noises from outside my room, followed by an

    adult¡¯s voice, ¡°Slow down, or you¡¯re going to fall on the slippery floor.¡±

    ¡°Grandma,e chase after me! I¡¯m Superman, and I¡¯m going to fly to the sun!¡±

    ¡°I told you to go slower, my dear. You have to be a good boy to be a Superman.¡±

    ¡°Grandma, the sun is so bright today. But why is time going so fast? I can¡¯t keep up with it!¡±

    I let out a smile while listening to the child immerse himself in an imaginative world where he was

    portrayed as a superhero. He must have been no more than three or four years old. As a kid, I used to

    imagine myself as a fairy traveling to Earth from the moon.

    Suddenly, the smile froze on my lips as I started to feel a chill down my spine. The kid just said that the

    sun is so bright today. So it¡¯s not nighttime, and there isn¡¯t a ckout either.

    My body started to tremble uncontrobly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yvonne? Is something wrong?¡± Darius

    asked.

    Instead of replying, I listened closely to the noises outside the window. That was when I heard noises

    made by car engines running and bells ringing on bicycles. Just outside the room, people chattered

    about the sun being not warm enough for the past couple of days. My heart sank, and I was left in a

    trance.

    ¡°Darius, the wind is a little strong. Can you please shut the window for me? Also, why is the sun not

    warm at all?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. Hang on.¡± The man took a few steps toward the window before he stopped abruptly. He then

    strode to my bedside, and I could sense him looking intently at me. Slowly, I spelled out the words one

    by one, ¡°Darius, I can¡¯t see anything. Have I gone blind?¡±

    The man next to me fell silent for a moment before he finally uttered, ¡°You¡¯ve figured it out?¡±

    For some reason, I managed to eke out a wistful smile and asked, ¡°Is there any chance of me regaining

    my eyesight? Or are you saying I won¡¯t be able to see Christopher¡¯s face ever again?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

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    Chapter 283

    ¡°The doctor said your braincked oxygen due to excessive bleeding, which subsequently affected

    your optic nerves¡­¡± Darius stopped halfway. Despite the terrible news, I admired myself for being

    exceptionally calm.

    ¡°Can my eyesight be restored, or will I be blind forever?¡± I askedposedly. Despite my vision loss, I

    still faced Darius directly as if I was staring at him.

    ¡°It depends on how well your body recovers. So, it can be temporary or¡­¡± Darius heaved a sigh as he

    exined the situation to me.

    ¡°I understand!¡± I put on a smile and continued, ¡°I¡¯m d I saved Christopher with my eyes. My only

    wish is that he is safe and sound.¡±

    Given the desperate situation back then, I thought both Christopher and I would die. Hence, I thought I

    ought to rejoice in our good fortune, even though I had lost my vision. At the very least, Christopher

    and I were alive and could feel the warmth of the sun.

    After all, I believed we would soon meet our maker.

    ¡°You¡¯re so kind-hearted. Rest assured that I¡¯ll personally make sure the doctors do their utmost to treat

    you. Who knows if you¡¯ll recover a few dayster?¡± Although Dariusforted me, I felt that his words

    were of little to no effect.

    ¡°Can I visit Christopher? I mean, can I see him now?¡± I asked cautiously. Even though I couldn¡¯t see

    anything, I couldn¡¯t put my mind at ease without knowing that he was safe and sound.

    ¡°Sure!¡± The man didn¡¯t decline my request. He asked the nurse to get a wheelchair and help me sit in it.

    Despite the simple movements, I began to pant and feel dizzy, as if I would copse anytime.

    When the door opened, I could instantly feel the perfect warmth of the sun. Instinctively, I reached out

    to try catching a ray of sunshine and put on a broad smile.

    After the initial panic faded away, I was in awe of how I had survived.

    As we walked toward Christopher¡¯s ward, Darius draped a piece of outerwear on me and said, ¡°Chris is

    now in a sterile room. So, you¡¯ll have to wear this before going in.¡±

    Once we entered the room, the enchanting piano melody stopped. Then, someone greeted Darius and

    stared at me for quite some time. Judging from the voice alone, I remembered her as Monica.

    ¡°Are you Ms. Tanner?¡± When Monica addressed me, I could vividly feel her hostility against me. Given

    that Christopher and I had been hugging when Darius found us on the deserted ind, Monica and I

    had be love rivals.

    I tidied up my hair to look more energetic as I replied, ¡°I¡¯m Yvonne Tanner!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for saving Chris. I appreciate your kindness very much. I¡¯m touched because you risked

    your life to save him even though you¡¯re merely an outsider.¡± Monica came up to me and wheeled my

    wheelchair toward the ward.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    I was unfazed by her provocation, for all I could think of now was Christopher. After the piano melody

    stopped, I could hear the clicking sound of the medical equipment. Christopher was lying on the bed

    quietly and didn¡¯t move an inch when I came up to him.

    I could imagine that he was pale-faced and frowning. As soon as I held his hand, Monica pushed my

    hands away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him, or you might mess with the drip on his hand.¡±

    I caressed my hand, looked at her, and argued coldly, ¡°I¡¯m Chris¡¯ wife and not an outsider. Besides, I¡¯m

    d to have rescued him by myself. The outsiders don¡¯t have to thank me for that.¡±

    The entire house fell silent once my words fell. Besides, Monica also tried very hard to steady her

    breath. After a while, she replied in dissatisfaction, ¡°Ms. Tanner, you¡¯re indeed humorous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡± Given that I had survived the danger, I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to take advantage of me.

    Besides, living on the deserted ind for many days taught me a lesson¡ªI was unwilling to lose

    Christopher anymore, even if it meant I had to risk my life.

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    ¡°Monica, would you mind giving us a minute? I would like to have a word with Ms. Tanner.¡± Darius

    came in and told Monica.

    ¡°Darius, I¡­¡± Monica stood still, for she was unwilling to concede defeat.

    ¡°By the way, Dad called me just now and said he wanted to talk to you. Can you call him back?¡± Darius

    added.

    The woman hesitated for a while but eventually left, though unwillingly. Deep down, I appreciated

    Darius¡¯s help, for he had purposely sent Monica away to give me some time to be with Christopher.

    Also, he didn¡¯t oppose the rtionship between Christopher and me, or else he would probably stop

    me from seeing his brother.

    I wanted to touch Christopher¡¯s hand again but was careful not to mess with the drip. Darius came up

    to help me reach Christopher¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside. However, you can¡¯t stay here

    for a long time because the temperature here is low.¡±

    I nodded while holding Christopher¡¯s hand tightly. Once Darius closed the door, I kissed Christopher¡¯s

    hand and said, ¡°Christopher, we¡¯ve survived. Although I can¡¯t see you now and might never see you

    again, I¡¯m so happy that we¡¯ve endured the darkest days. Are you happy about it too?¡±

    Even though I knew the man couldn¡¯t respond, I continued talking to him. At the same time, I moved my

    fingers to draw his face in the air. I still remembered how good-looking he was even though I couldn¡¯t

    see him now.

    His face was probably pale, but I still remembered him as the perfect man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep for too long. I wish to have long conversations with you and try everything we have always

    wanted to do. If you continue sleeping, I will hardly be able to move around because no one is going to

    help me.¡±

    Overwhelmed by the relief of surviving, I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. Meanwhile, I could

    feel his heart beating healthily.

    ¡°As they say, there is always a rainbow after the storm. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll live happily ever after.¡±

    If Christopher was awake, he would take me into his arms andnd a p on my buttocks when he

    saw me in such a state. When we were on the deserted ind, he would do it to me and heart-

    wrenchingly say that he had to punish me for not listening to him.

    After that, he would kiss me ferociously and coquettishly call me silly.

    After staying beside him for a while, a doctor and a nurse came in to perform a check-up on him. When

    I asked the doctor about Christopher¡¯s condition, I was told that the man was recovering quickly.

    Nevertheless, he needed a long time to recover fully, for his lower abdomen was injured due to wound

    infections.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    With that, I put my mind at ease and returned to my ward with Darius. After a while, I unknowingly fell

    asleep on the bed. Darkness still surrounded me when I woke up, but I heard a man and a woman

    arguing loudly outside my ward.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in. The patient has to get enough rest.¡±

    ¡°Let me in! I want to ask the b*tch where she left Crystal. Both of them were on the deserted ind.

    Why is she alive, yet Crystal is still missing?¡±

    ¡°Make way. The patient inside the ward is my daughter. Don¡¯t I have the right to visit her?¡±

    Then, someone banged on the door and yelled, ¡°Yvonne, get out now and give Crystal back to me, or

    I¡¯ll show you no mercy!¡±

    I frowned once I recognized Natalie and Nathan¡¯s voices. We were all in a desperate situation back

    then, yet they expected me to take care of Crystal, my so-called cousin.

    ¡°Mr. Tanner, your daughter is badly injured and needs to rest. Are you sure you want to continue

    making noises here?¡± Since the Lane family¡¯s bodyguard couldn¡¯t stop them from creating trouble,

    Darius came to the ward in person to persuade them.

    ¡°Apologies for the noise, Mr. Lane. We wish to meet our useless daughter and ask her about our

    niece¡¯s whereabouts. Since I¡¯m her mother, can you please let us in?¡±

    While Natalie behaved aggressively, Nathan begged Darius for permission to enter the ward. After

    hesitating for a while, I stated loudly, ¡°Darius, please let them in.¡±

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    I thought I ought to deal with the Tanners¡¯ affairs by myself and didn¡¯t wish to give Darius any trouble.

    Moreover, I knew very well that Natalie would keep throwing tantrums until she could see me. As such,

    I didn¡¯t want her to keep disturbing the patients in the nearby VIP wards.

    Instantly, Natalie flung the door open and stomped into the ward. She grabbed my cor and bellowed,

    ¡°Yvonne, tell me where Crystal is now. Is she still alive? Say something!¡±

    Deep down, I couldn¡¯t help but admire Crystal. Although she had lost her father at a young age, her

    mother cherished protected her at all costs.

    Suddenly, someone rushed up to me and pushed Natalie¡¯s hands away. ¡°Mrs. Tanner, please behave

    yourself.¡±

    I felt touched to see Darius standing up for me. Even though I was lying in the hospital, he stayed here

    and continued to protect me.

    ¡°Natalie!¡± Nathan pulled his sister to the back, for he knew that they had to behave themselves before

    Darius.

    However, the woman ignored him and shrieked insanely, ¡°If my daughter is already gone, why should I

    care about anything? Yvonne, tell me where Crystal is. Did you leave her on the deserted ind?

    You¡¯re a wicked b*tch! How could you do such things to your own cousin?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Yvonne, can you tell us whether you left Crystal on the deserted ind? Is she dead or alive?¡± Nathan

    chimed in coldly.

    I heaved a sigh quietly. Although I had lost my vision and was wrapped in thick bandages on the bed,

    my dad was only concerned about Crystal. He did not care about me.

    As I couldn¡¯t hold in my dissatisfaction, I lifted my hand to show them the bandages and asked, ¡°Dad,

    are you not worried about me? I¡¯m badly injured now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re alive and well, aren¡¯t you? On the other hand, Crystal is still missing. Don¡¯t be childish and tell

    us where she is now,¡± Nathan sneered.

    I snickered and replied in disdain, ¡°Lyle was also rescued, wasn¡¯t he? Why don¡¯t you ask him? I believe

    he knows perfectly well where Crystal is.¡±

    When Christopher and I were rescued, Lyle had been right beside us. Given that Darius was kind-

    hearted, I believed he also ensured that Lyle received treatment in the hospital. Nheless, sorrow

    would weigh down on the man for a long time; his psychological pain was worse than his physical

    injury.

    ¡°Lyle said he doesn¡¯t know where Crystal is. He is badly injured and has just woken up. Since you guys

    were together, are you telling me that you have no idea too?¡± Nathan questioned in a deep voice.

    Meanwhile, Natalie reached out a hand to p my face but was stopped by Nathan halfway. As such,

    she only pointed her finger at my face and yelled furiously, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us, I¡¯ll send you to heaven

    to meet my daughter. Don¡¯t ever think you can stay alive if she¡¯s dead!¡±

    At that time, I admired Crystal even more for having a mother who protected her so well. When I was

    on the ind, I used to dream about my young and beautiful mother.

    ¡°Crystal left in a cruise ship owned by a foreigner before we left the deserted ind. By the way, it¡¯s a

    Jetroinian ship. She might be alive and kicking and is about to visit you.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! If what you said is true, why didn¡¯t you board the ship with her?¡± Nathan red at me as

    though he was interrogating me.

    Iughed contemptuously and answered, ¡°The owner didn¡¯t allow injured people to board the ship.

    What do you think is the reason that Lyle was still on the deserted ind? Since you always imagine

    that I secretly killed Crystal, I wonder if that is because you always imagine killing me.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Is this how you¡¯re supposed to talk to your own dad?¡± Nathan fumed, his face flushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. Back then, several survivors boarded the ship and left. Feel free to find out the

    Jetroinian ships which entered the sea area. Your precious daughter and niece might have returned

    before you get the information.¡±

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    Chapter 286

    After Natalie and Nathan left, I could finally get some rest. However, sadness lingered around me

    because I had realized that none of my rtives visited; none of them cared about me.

    Fortunately, I still had my good friend¡ªSabrina. During the second day of my stay in the hospital, the

    woman came to visit me when I exited Christopher¡¯s ward. She pulled my hands and nced at me

    from head to toe for a while, checking me all over. With relief and guilt, she said, ¡°It was my fault to

    organize the cruise tour. The ident wouldn¡¯t happen in the first ce if I didn¡¯t suggest Christopher

    bring you along to the cruise ship.¡±

    I patted her hand and let out a faint smile before saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Look, we¡¯re alive and well.¡±

    Sabrina wiped away her tears and said sobbingly, ¡°Look at what happened to you. I wouldn¡¯t be able to

    forgive myself for the rest of my life if you and Christopher died on the deserted ind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I think I still look as beautiful as ever.¡± I cradled my chin and pretended to be serious as I

    continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m a lot more gorgeous than most womentely?¡±

    ¡°What a narcissist!¡± Sabrina pursed her lips and chuckled at my joke. ¡°You¡¯re never going to be more

    beautiful than me. Zach said I¡¯m the most beautiful woman in the world, particrly when I¡¯m naked.¡±

    ¡°Whoa!¡± I replied while curling my lips into a mocking smile, ¡°Does it feel good to stop being a virgin?

    Anyway, I guess Zachary has never seen any naked women before. Since he has no one else to

    compare with, he can only think you¡¯re the most beautiful woman.¡±

    ¡°Not at all! He actually said I¡¯m hotter and more beautiful than any famous beauty queen.¡± Sabrina

    poked my forehead and handed over a slice of an apple to me. ¡°Eat your apple already. Zach is loyal to

    me. Anyway, you might be hotter than me, but one can hardly tell the difference once the lights are

    turned off.¡±

    I begged to differ¡ªmen could always tell the difference.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, I recalled a crazy moment I had experienced when I was with Christopher. He purposely took

    out something that he bought from a sex shop and asked me to wear it. Since I had fair skin, he

    thought I would look sexy with the two flowers on my tits.

    Deep in thought, I blushed and coughed slightly to avoid the embarrassment of thinking such things. I

    moved to get a slice of the apple, but I identally touched the knife instead. Shocked, Sabrina threw

    the knife to the floor and checked my wound. ¡°My goodness! Why are you so careless? Didn¡¯t you see

    the knife just now?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t cut myself!¡± I showed my hands to Sabrina to prove it. Later, I touched my bed to find the slice

    of apple but to no avail. As I thought it was under my nket somewhere, I said, ¡°Get the slice of apple

    for me. I don¡¯t want to sleep on itter.¡±

    ¡°Eve, what happened to your eyes?¡± Sabrina asked shockingly.

    At that moment, I realized that I had forgotten to tell her about it. As such, I exinedposedly,

    ¡°Well, I lost my vision temporarily due to excessive bleeding. I¡¯ll recover a few dayster, haha.¡±

    She stared at me without uttering a word. After a while, she rushed out of the ward and didn¡¯t stop even

    though I called her name. The door was closed, but I could hear that she sobbed from time to time. I

    couldn¡¯t help but put on a wry smile.

    Later, when I felt like visiting Christopher, I wheeled my wheelchair toward his ward. I got familiar with it

    and could feel the surroundings with the senses of hearing and touch. The nurses told me that he had

    woken up for a while in the morning but became unconscious again.

    Since it was a sign that he was recovering, all of us felt overjoyed. Before going into his ward, I

    stretched and moved my legs to ensure that nothing was in front of me. Then, I stood beside his bed

    and fixated my gaze on where he was lying.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, since you¡¯ve just woken up for two days, you should get more rest. If you need anything,

    feel free to instruct the bodyguards in the corridor. They will prepare anything you need.¡±

    I was shocked to know that someone was in the ward. A few secondster, I recalled that she was

    Christopher¡¯s mother, Julia.

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    Chapter 287

    Although Christopher¡¯s parents came to the hospital frequently these days, I hadn¡¯t bumped into them

    until today. Now that we finally met, I felt that I wasn¡¯t mentally ready for the encounter.

    ¡°How are you, Mrs. Lane?¡± Although I couldn¡¯t see anything, I still pinched my fingers nervously and

    didn¡¯t know where toy my gaze.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. The Lane family owes you a lot because you saved Chris. I¡¯m more than grateful to

    you,¡± Julia said gently. ¡°You were sleeping when I visited you yesterday. Now, you seem to have

    recovered a lot. Anyway, feel free to tell me whenever you need anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need anything. The nurses here take good care of me,¡± I immediately replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Julia then came up to me to wheel my wheelchair out of the ward. I turned around and

    gazed at him as I left reluctantly. After all, I wished to stay with him all day if I had a choice.

    ¡°Chris woke up for a while this morning. Injecting too much anesthetic for him will harm his heath, yet

    he will feel the pain without it. Therefore, the doctor said it is best to let him sleep rather than inject any

    anesthetic. Anyway, let¡¯s go out and talk.¡± Julia exined his situation to him considerately, probably

    because she knew that I was worried about him.

    However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel perturbed by the sense of distance. Besides, when the doctor checked

    up on me yesterday, she and Monica had happened to pass by my ward. I heard that she talked to

    Monica affectionately; she used the same tone she always did when she spoke with Christopher. In

    other words, she probably treated Monica as her daughter-inw.

    We went to the garden outside and stopped at the pavilion, where some patients loved catching some

    sun. Julia asked her subordinate to help me sit in the wheelchair and handed some food to me. I loved

    the fruits and ate quite a lot because they tasted sweet, soft, and delicious.

    ¡°Feel free to have more. These dates are air-freighted from Italy and help replenish blood. I think you

    can¡¯t buy these from the markets.¡±

    My heart sank upon hearing it. Deep down, I felt that the dates symbolized a huge gap between

    Christopher and I. He was rich enough to afford fruits that were air-freighted. On the contrary, I thought

    apples were expensive and always saved them for him whenever I could.

    ¡°Chris is a stubborn kid. He always strived to be the first in everything at school and refuses to admit

    defeat. There was a time when he learned Taekwondo, and someone defeated him. He cried and

    asked his dad to teach him fighting skills. Weughed and exined that a five-year-old kid could

    hardly fight a seven-year-old kid. However, he continued learning fighting skills for two months and

    eventually defeated the kid.¡±

    Then, the woman stared at me meaningfully and continued, ¡°He wants to be the best in whatever he

    does. So, I¡¯m always worried that he is overly strong-willed and can¡¯t stand it when peopleugh at him.

    You won¡¯t hope that people willugh at him one day, will you?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Lane.¡± I was startled and unsure of how to respond to her statement. Deep down, I wondered if

    she was hinting that people wouldugh at Christopher because of our enormous gap in social status.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Although the Lane family isn¡¯t noble in Avenport, we are still widely respected. The reporters will

    spread any news about us. Besides, since my eldest son is a politician, we can¡¯t afford to have any bad

    news.¡±

    I stopped eating the dates she offered. After marrying Christopher, I used to imagine numerous times

    about my first encounter with his parents. Honestly, it was a lot better than what I had imagined before.

    In the eyes of others, I was a notorious girl. After all, I had once been framed for taking things without

    permission, bullying my sister, and even attempting to steal money at a party. Even though I had never

    done such things, no outsiders would believe me.

    ¡°We appreciate your kindness for saving Chris and everything you¡¯ve done for him,¡± Suddenly, Julia

    proposed, ¡°May I suggest epting you as my goddaughter? I promise to treat you like my daughter. If

    you wish to get married, I can rmend some good young men for you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±

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    Chapter 288

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lane. It¡¯s very kind of you to offer me such a thing, but I cannot ept this.¡± I did not

    want the Lane family to be indebted toward me, nor did I want to be their goddaughter. I loved

    Christopher, and nothing would ever change that.

    ¡°Why not you sleep on it?¡± Julia insisted with a faint smile, ¡°Think about your future. You¡¯ll regret this

    when you¡¯re older.¡±

    ¡°I understand what you mean, Mrs. Lane, but I¡¯ve already made up my mind. I know what I want. I¡¯m

    sorry I¡¯ve disappointed you.¡± I turned and looked at the caretaker, signaling her to push me out of the

    garden.

    I thought about what the woman said as I left. I knew what she meant. She wanted me to give up my

    rtionship with Christopher because I was far from being the best wife candidate for him. In her eyes,

    only someone like Monica would be good enough for him, but she was wrong.

    Christopher and I had been through life and death together. We had stuck with each other throughout,

    and nothing would stand in our way¡ªnot even his family.

    Although what she said was sensible and unoffending, and I could understand her heart as a mother, I

    stood my ground and refused to budge.

    When I saw Christopher again, he was sleeping soundly on the bed. I reached out to touch his face

    and y with his eyshes. ¡°Hey, are you still gonna continue sleeping? I¡¯m already surrounded on all

    fronts by our enemies. Are you not gonna do anything?¡±

    The man moved away ufortably and grunted, ¡°Run, Eve. Run¡­¡±

    I was overjoyed to see that he was awake. I leaned closer and whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯m here, Christopher.

    We¡¯re safe. We¡¯re at the hospital now.¡±

    Christopher held my hand tightly without replying, and that was when I realized he was just dreaming.

    A wave of emotions washed over me as I looked at him, and I cupped my hands around his. ¡°I¡¯m fine,

    Christopher. I¡¯ll stay with you. I won¡¯t ever leave you. You said you¡¯ll treat me like your queen the day

    you put a ring on my finger. I¡¯ll stay right here and make sure you keep your promise.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I rested my head on his bed and soon fell asleep. In my dream, he was calling out to me desperately.

    He was running out of breath, shouting as if he thought he had lost me. When I woke up again, he was

    still holding my hand.

    I smiled and nted a kiss on his lips.

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to wake up. You¡¯ll only get to see me in your dreams if you continue sleeping. Am I

    pretty in your dream? I think I look better in real life though.¡±

    Beep! Suddenly, one of the machines beside Christopher rang loudly and sharply. I groped frantically,

    looking for the call button but to no avail.

    I was getting anxious. I shouted for the nurse and reached for Christopher, but somehow, I identally

    knocked something. A mellow thud sounded. The next thing I knew, hot liquid scalded my hand, and I

    panicked. I simply could not let anything happen to Christopher.

    The first thing I could think of was not myself but him.

    ¡°Somebody, help!¡± I shrieked at the top of my voice and struggled to stand up, but I tripped over the

    bench and fell.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! There¡¯s broken ss all over!¡± Monica¡¯s voice resounded in my ears as she ran in.

    I sat still helplessly as I tried to understand what was going on. I could not see what was happening,

    neither could I see how Christopher was.

    A disturbance followed. Doctors and nurses swarmed in to check on him while someone helped me up

    and treated my wound. My hand was burning with pain, but I quickly clung to the person attending to

    me, asking if Christopher was fine.

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    Chapter 289

    ¡°His hand is burnt,¡± Monica reproached, ¡°Can you please leave? I¡¯ll keep you updated on everything

    once we sort things out. There¡¯s nothing you can do here. We even need to take care of you.¡± She then

    turned to someone and instructed, ¡°Can someone please bring Ms. Tanner back to her room?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I need to know if he¡¯s okay.¡± I held on to the table and shook my head

    profusely.

    ¡°Stop making things difficult for us! There¡¯s nothing you can do. You can¡¯t even see! Who knows if you¡¯ll

    hurt Chris again?¡± It was Julia speaking this time. It was obvious that she was infuriated. I wanted to

    defend myself, but there was nothing I could say. So, I fell into silence and let the nurse take me out.

    For the past two days, the nurse had been taking care of me, making sure I was able to get through the

    day doing everything I wanted to. This was the first time ever since I lost my sight that I felt as if I was

    actually handicapped.

    Gripped by frustration and resentment, I rubbed my eyes hard, trying to regain my sight, but I still could

    not see a thing. Atst, I sat back in my wheelchair in despair.

    I would not be able to take care of Christopher in this state. Although he would still love me the same, I

    felt brazen to still covet staying with him given my inconvenient situation now.

    Bitterness gripped me at this thought.

    After some time, I attempted to get out of the wheelchair to go over to the bed, but because I had

    remained seated for too long, my legs felt numb and weak. I slumped to the ground and sat there

    without moving, letting my disability sink in.

    A knock came from the door, but I did not reply. After a brief silence, someone opened the door, and

    rapid footsteps followed. ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Tanner?¡±

    It was Monica. Although the woman disliked me, she was still kind at heart. At her question, I nodded

    my head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call for help? The nurses are all outside.¡± She helped me to the bed, and I pulled

    the nket over without saying a word.

    It did not feel nice receiving kindness from a love rival.

    ¡°Chris is fine. The heart rate monitor was faulty. They¡¯ve already gotten it fixed.¡± I could feel her sitting

    down and looking at me.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I replied with a sigh of relief. I badly wanted to restore my sight.

    ¡°You should get some rest. This is my family¡¯s hospital, so don¡¯t worry about the bill. Darius has

    contacted some of the best ophthalmologists from abroad. They will be here in two days. I¡¯ll do my best

    to help you in every way I can. After all, you saved Chris.¡±

    Monica leaned closer, and I could feel her breath on me. The scent of her perfume wafted in the air,

    causing me to back off instinctively.

    Monica then uttered, ¡°I know Chris doesn¡¯t like me, but when I look at you, I can¡¯t help but wonder what

    it is in you that he sees. I¡¯d readily give my life to save him like you did if I were you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a more suitable match for him. I¡¯m aware of that,¡± I said dryly.

    ¡°Yes, but he doesn¡¯t like me,¡± she said candidly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I lost him to someone like you, but let

    me make this clear. I will not give up. Neither will I go easy on you because of your misfortune.¡±

    I scoffed before I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. Everything I did for Christopher was out of my own

    free will. Although I paid a dear price for my love, I never once regretted my choice.¡±

    ¡°But I regret his choice. I can never ept the fact that he chose a divorcee and a blind woman. Chris

    is such a perfect man. He deserves the best, not someone like you.¡± Monica did not even try to censor

    her hatred toward me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about what you think. I don¡¯t think Chris cares either,¡± I retorted firmly.

    ¡°But I care, and so do his parents. How can you be so selfish, Ms. Tanner? Chris had high prospects in

    the army if he kept up his performance, but he had to give all that up if he wanted to you. He worked

    hard for his dream for four good years, but all his effort went to the drain because of a woman like you.¡±

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    It then urred to me that I had never once considered Christopher¡¯s dream.

    To me, he was someone who nevercked a thing. He had everything anyone could ever dream of.

    When I first knew him, I had thought of him as a prodigal spoiled brat.

    ¡°His dream was to be a military leader so he could protect the country, but one day, he decided to give

    it up and leave the army. Everyone was confused by his decision, but when I saw you, I finally

    understood why he stopped pursuing his dream. If you really love him, you should stop standing in his

    way. You should let him chase after his dream without any reservation.¡±

    I never once thought I would one day be a stumbling block to the path of the person I loved most.

    I wondered what else Christopher had sacrificed for me.

    However, it was exactly because he had given up so much for our rtionship that I could not just opt-

    out. ¡°Ms. Martin, your advice is well-received, but I will never let go of him. Giving up right now will be

    the biggest disservice to him after all he has done for me.¡±

    At that, Monica red at me in disbelief and anger. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe you can be this selfish.¡± I

    believed she wanted to say something blunter, but because she was born ady, she could not bring

    herself to utter any despicable words.

    ¡°Is this Ms. Martin or her jealousy talking?¡± The door suddenly opened, revealing Sabrina, who stood at

    the entrance. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s selfish here, Ms. Martin. All you can think of is how great you areBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    and how Christopher is worthy is you, but too bad, he¡¯s not interested. You knew Eve lost her sight

    because she saved him. I can¡¯t believe you still have the audacity to discredit her sacrifice like this. You

    should keep your jealousy in check. Not even the thickest makeup can cover that up.¡±

    Sabrina berated Monica mercilessly after she walked in.

    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, Ms. Zimmer. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong.¡± Monica tried making her case.

    ¡°The truth is that you¡¯re coercing Christopher¡¯s lover to leave him because you wanted to marry him

    yourself. You¡¯re so low,¡± Sabrina remarked tantly, ¡°How about you make a move first?¡±

    Although I could not see a thing, I could sense that Monica was deeply offended. I cried out at Sabrina

    to ask her to stop. After all, Monica knew Christopher a lot earlier than I did. I had always felt guilty

    toward her. Besides, she just helped me out just now. I would still need to be courteous toward her.

    ¡°Do think about what I¡¯ve said, Ms. Tanner,¡± Monica turned toward me and said before leaving.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to consider. Eve is already married to Christopher, so there¡¯s nothing you can do!¡±

    Sabrina eximed, mming the door behind Monica. After that, she came back to my side and shook

    me hard. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really affected by what she said. She

    might seem confident and gentle, but she¡¯s a serpent. She¡¯s just using Christopher¡¯s dream as an

    excuse to ward you off.¡±

    I turned toward my friend with tears welling up in my eyes. ¡°What should I do, Sabby? I really do think

    what she said makes sense. Why am I so useless? I don¡¯t want him to give up anything because of

    me.¡±

    ¡°Come on, do you really take her seriously? You shouldn¡¯t waver just because of what she said. Have

    you forgotten everything Christopher has done for you? He instantly rified the misunderstanding

    about his engagement just because you were sad over it. Is this still not enough for you to see how

    much he cares for you?¡±

    Sabrina ruffled my hair and sat down. ¡°Stop beating yourself over something that is not even your fault.

    I¡¯ll get angry with you if you keep sulking.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t see a thing now, Sabby. Something happened just now, and I tried getting the nurse to

    come to check on Christopher, but I ended up spilling hot water on him. Does this mean I can only sit

    by and watch without being able to do anything in the future when he¡¯s sick? I won¡¯t be able to take

    care of him. This is so unfair!¡± I ranted, covering my face with my hands.

    Sabrina chided, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as fairness when ites to love. A rtionship is reciprocal;

    both parties need to make sacrifices. Cut this crap out or I¡¯m not gonna talk to you anymore.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m not confident, to begin with. Christopher¡¯s family is just too good for me,¡± I said bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve

    thought about it a lot of times. I wouldn¡¯t mind if he were an ordinary man from an ordinary family. I

    don¡¯t need a fancy house or bottomless cash. All I want is a man who I cane home to every day

    after work and spend my life with.¡±

    ¡°No one gets to choose the family they are born into, so there¡¯s no use thinking about it. You¡¯re not bad

    yourself. You¡¯re a Tanner.¡± Sabrina nudged me in the arm.

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    ¡°Yeah, I wonder who said I was the worst among all the children in wealthy families. I didn¡¯t even have

    the money to buy clothes for myself. You had to pay for everything for me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the past. What matters is that you¡¯re with Christopher now. The picture is already out

    there on disy at the art exhibition. Both of you have just undertaken another important milestone in

    life when y¡¯all got married, so don¡¯t you even dare think about quitting. I¡¯ll be the first to give you a good

    lecture before Christopher does.¡±

    I sigh, thinking about the drawing. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that anymore. I can¡¯t see a thing now.¡±

    ¡°Can you please stop being so pessimistic, Yvonne Tanner? You¡¯re driving me nuts! I would¡¯ve left you

    all on your own so you could wallow in your tears if not for Zach.¡± I felt like she was on the verge of

    beating me to a pulp, but she held her anger in seeing me in dire straits. I had a bandage on my hand,

    after all, and I probably looked weak and frail.

    I burst outughing, imagining the expression on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Sabby. You¡¯re even more agitated than I am.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am!¡± she cried out.

    I cleared my throat and held my head high. ¡°You should stop having unrealistic expectations about

    Christopher. He won¡¯t fall for you. Don¡¯t you even go near him. I¡¯ll get together with Zach and get

    pregnant with his baby if you do.¡±

    ¡°Like you¡¯ll really do that.¡±

    Both of usughed out loud as we bantered.

    Sabrina¡¯s visit lightened my mood. I had been caught in limbo after I lost my sight, but I felt much better

    with her around.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zach only has eyes for you. He¡¯s not my type. I prefer someone passionate and

    dominant,¡± I teased.

    ¡°It seems like you know yourself well. Don¡¯t worry; you might get to see someone like that in a few

    days¡¯ time. It¡¯s just a matter of time before you regain your sight. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid about.

    You¡¯re not even afraid of death.¡±

    What Sabrina said was true. There was nothing that unnerved me¡ªnot even death.

    It turned out that no man was an ind. We all needed someone to support and listen to us at some

    point in our lives. With Sabrina keeping mepany, I felt better. I did not even refrain from going over

    to see Christopher when his parents were around. I even held his hand and talked to him when they

    were around.

    The doctor informed us that Christopher was recovering quickly and that he would be awaketest by

    tomorrow morning. I was exhrated when I found out about it and told Julia I woulde again the

    next morning.

    I overheard her talking to Darius when I was out in the corridor. She told him I was a good woman. If it

    were not for my reputation and my divorce, she would have fully supported Christopher and my

    marriage.

    After taking some medication in the afternoon, I felt dizzy and ufortable. I figured I might have

    stayed indoors for too long, so I went to the garden to get some fresh air.

    When Darius saw me in the garden, he came over to talk to me, but I felt my head was spinning around

    and could not hear a word he said. I soon cked out as he was still talking.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with her brain nerves. I suspect that she was infected by a virus on the

    ind. She will consistently lose a lot of blood and may even develop brain cancer. There¡¯s no cure for

    it.¡±

    I could vaguely hear someone speaking as I tried to shake myself back to reality. Are they talking about

    me? Am I dying?

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    I had no idea how long I was unconscious for. It felt like a century had passed, but at the same time, I

    felt as if I was still in touch with the ticking time. I had not exactly passed out, but rather, I was unable to

    open my eyes or give any response despite being aware of what was happening around me. It felt as if

    my soul was trapped in an immobile shell.

    I could feel someone breathing and sobbing beside me, and I wondered if they were sad.

    Although I regained consciousness after some time, I continued keeping my eyes shut since I was

    unable to see anything anyway. I could hear Julia and Gordon talking.

    ¡°The doctor did a medical checkup. It¡¯s really brain cancer. She will feel dizzy on the onset of the

    disease, but she will eventually fall unconscious for days. She won¡¯t be able to eat as well because she

    will throw up if she does,¡± Julia said.

    ¡°But everything was fine with her when I came yesterday. She even called me Dad when I talked to her.

    How is this even possible?¡± Nathan questioned.

    ¡°She¡¯s lost too much blood, and she¡¯s contracted the disease. Some viruses are highly potent ¡ª they

    show symptoms very quickly. The doctor said this is a rare disease. There¡¯s no cure so far.¡±

    Julia¡¯s voice started breaking as she talked to Gordon. ¡°What am I supposed to tell Chris? You know

    how much he loves her. He won¡¯t be able to ept this.¡±

    ¡°Should we let her know? She saved Chris, after all.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I might not agree with their rtionship, but I can tell she¡¯s kind and loyal. What should

    I do¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Everything will be okay. I¡¯ll go talk to the doctor now. Ask Darius to get the best doctor when

    hees over. I want all the experts to look into this matter.¡± Gordon coaxed his wife as if she was a

    child, trying to calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell her about it when she wakes up.¡±

    I finally understood what was happening. This exined why I had been feeling dizzy the past two

    days.

    It turned out what I heard earlier on was right.

    I was really going to die because of cancer.

    I could feel my body quivering underneath the nket. I had no idea how things ended up resulting in

    this. Just when I was thinking about how I should continue life with Christopher, life dealt me a fatal

    blow.

    The event that happened on the cruise had taught me that life was fragile. I was grateful to get a

    second chance at life after I was saved. Although I had many questions about why all this happened to

    us, and even when I was facing tremendous pressure from Christopher¡¯s family, I felt genuinely happy

    that Christopher and I were still alive. However, my joy was fleeting.

    Overwhelming grief suffocated me. I felt like running to the window for some fresh air. I also felt like

    running into Christopher¡¯s arms to cry my heart out, but I did not. Iy without moving an inch on the

    bed. It was not until Julia and Gordon left that I gave in to tears.

    No one could be calm and epting in the face of death¡ªneither could I. I was human like everyone

    else. I had my fears.

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    Sabrina said I was a courageous person because I would risk my life to save Christopher. That was

    true, but I could not ept the fact that death had pursued me relentlessly and cornered me once

    again. This time, I was ensnared by death without being able to do anything. I knew I would have no

    choice but to leave Christopher soon enough.

    People always said there would be rainbows after a storm, but clearly, my rainbow never came. God

    was so unfair. He usually closed all the doors and left one window open, but he did not this time.

    I cried myself into another slumber. I had nomand over my body as I slipped into

    unconsciousness. When I woke up again, it was already time for me to take my evening medication.

    The nurse passed me some tablets and a ss of water.

    No one came to tell me about my sickness, which made me wonder if I had been dreaming just now.

    With this futile hope, I looked at the nurse and asked timidly, ¡°Did anyone alter my medical record?¡±

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    The nurse took a look at my medical record and fell into silence. ¡°Ms. Tanner¡­ I¡¯m sure the doctors will

    figure a way out,¡± she muttered.

    Her words fell on my ears like a final verdict that sealed my fate. The ss in my hand slipped to the

    ground and shattered. I was not dreaming.

    ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Tanner?¡± the nurse cried out and ran to grab a towel to dry my hands. My heart

    warmed upon receiving kindness from a stranger.

    ¡°Sorry to trouble you,¡± I said, trying to put on a smile. ¡°Could you pour me another ss of water?¡±

    The nurse got me some water, and I took my medication under her watchful gaze. I sat back in my bed,

    listening intentionally for my own heartbeat. I wondered if my heart would stop beating anytime soon.

    Sturdy footsteps soon echoed down the corridor outside and stopped right outside of my door. I turned

    my head toward the door, anticipating someone. ¡°Darius?¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± It was Gordon.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks, Mr. Lane.¡± I lowered my head, bracing myself to hear the bad news.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± There was hesitation in his voice. Before long, he cleared his voice and changed the topic. ¡°I

    know my wife doesn¡¯t like you dating Chris, and I hope you don¡¯t mind her honesty. She tends to

    overthink things, but rest assured, I approve of this rtionship. You might find our family intimidating,

    but I will readily wee anyone my son loves. I don¡¯t really care about finding a daughter-inw with

    good family background. I¡¯m sure my son made the best choice.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lane. That¡¯s very kind of you.¡± Our exchange was purely for cordiality¡¯s sake. I was not

    in the capacity to demand the family to ept me. After all, I was a dying person.

    ¡°Get some rest. Darius will bring the doctorster.¡±

    The man did not break the news to me in the end. He was worried I would not be able to take it. I could

    tell he had my best interests in mind. To be honest, I knew Christopher¡¯s family was genuinely amiable

    and kind. I would be the most blissful thing in life if I were still in my best health and could gain their

    blessing, but that wish would remain unfulfilled at this rate.

    The day felt unbearably long. I did not go to see Christopher because I was afraid I would break down

    in front of him. I did not know how to let him know I would be leaving him for good.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He would not be able toe to terms with it.

    A few doctors came in not long after, bringing some machines to do a thorough check-up on me.

    ¡°Please do everything you can to save her. She¡¯s my friend,¡± Monica said to them.

    She probably knew about my situation, else she would still be spiteful and snarky. I could tell she felt

    bad for me from her tone alone.

    It was a familiar tone I used to hear growing up. I had lived on the kindness of people, and it was not

    like I had a choice not to now.

    When everyone finally left, I turned aside and gave way to my emotions. Life was slipping away second

    by second, but there was nothing I could do. My tears were my only futile protest against the

    imminence of my death.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Ms. Tanner?¡± Darius¡¯ sudden voice startled me. I did not know there was

    someone else in the room. I wiped away my tears quickly and shook my head.

    ¡°You should think on the bright side. It will be good for your mental health too.¡± He walked over, and I

    could feel his gaze falling on me. ¡°You look a lot like your mother when you don¡¯t speak. I remember

    she would sit quietly in the library buried in her books as I looked at her.¡±

    Darius must have known my mom really well. Deep in my heart, I had always yearned for motherly

    love. That was why I was jealous of Crystal. ¡°Could you tell me about my mom? She left when I was

    still young, so I could not remember a thing about her. I don¡¯t even remember how she looked like

    now.¡±

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    Darius sat down and let out a deep sigh. ¡°She was a dashing woman. She was beautiful, and she was

    good at her studies and dancing. Many guys at our university were head over heels for her. They would

    go to the library just to see her,¡± he said, his voice drifting as his mind thought about the distant past.

    ¡°Back then, my designated seat in the library was right opposite your mother¡¯s. A lot of the guys would

    come to me asking me to give up my seat to them. When your mom found out that some seniors were

    pressuring me to change my seat with them, she thought of a good idea. She suggested I ask them for

    money in exchange for my seat, and that was exactly what I did. That was how I ended up getting

    money from them every day. Your mom never went to the library ever again, though. She went up to

    the rooftop to read. We were all so young and carefree back then. I¡¯ll always remember her sweet and

    friendly smile. Her eyes curved in a crescent shape every time she smiled, you know?¡±

    ¡°She must have been really beautiful,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°She was the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen. She left an impression on every man who beheld

    her.¡± I could tell from Darius¡¯ voice that he was pleased reminiscing about the past. ¡°But your mother

    loved your dad, and only him. That¡¯s why everyone boycotted your dad back when we were at

    university.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°She must really love him, right?¡± I finally uttered the burning question I had kept hidden over the years.

    I had wondered if Mom really loved Dad all this while. If she loved him, why would she leave? If she did

    not, why did she marry him in the first ce?

    ¡°Of course she loved your dad.¡± Darius was taken aback that that was even a question. ¡°She loved him

    relentlessly. They fell in love at university, got married, and then they had you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t understand. What happened between them? My dad ended up having another woman,

    and my mom left.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what happened eventually as I graduated before she did. When I heard news about her

    again, she had already left Avenport.¡± Although I could not see his face, I could tell he was feeling

    regretful and resigned.

    A brief silence ensued. ¡°Could you tell me how long I have left?¡± I looked up and finally confronted my

    fear.

    Darius was surprised by how direct I was. He chuckled bitterly. ¡°So you knew? Dad and Mom were still

    thinking about breaking it gently to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s better to know about it sooner thanter.¡± I forced a smile and swallowed my tears back.

    ¡°The doctors say you have three months left. You will lose your sight in the beginning.¡±

    ¡°And after that? You can be honest with me. I already knew about it anyway.¡± I closed my eyes,

    expecting the worst.

    ¡°You will lose your sense of smell and hearing. They also said you will start to faint more often,¡± he said

    slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I promised to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Things happen, but I have to say, three months is really too short.¡± I could not believe my life

    woulde to an abrupt end after twenty-two good years. I could have had a long and happy life, but

    fate could not allow me that luxury.

    I was afraid; there was no denying it.

    I finally understood why the elderly would break down in tears when they knew they were going to die

    although they were already advanced in years. Death was disconcerting.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Martins to get the best doctors. You have to hang in there.¡±

    It was easier said than done. My sickness was out of my control, and I felt helpless. When I went over

    to see Christopher again, my eyes were red and swollen from all the crying I did. No one said a word

    when they saw me.

    Monica, who had been ying the piano, left to give us some space.

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    I sat down beside Christopher silently. There were so many things I wanted to tell him, but words failed

    me. I was choking in tears as I recalled his face. There woulde a time when Ipletely forgot his

    face, and I would return to dust.

    I held his hands to my face gently, recalling his evil smile, his brows bending in a yful curve, his wink

    when he pranked me, and his heartyugh.

    He would push me to the bed when he was angry. I recalled how he would demand me to call his name

    when we made love. He would kiss me passionately and bite my neck when he got carried away. He

    was already spent when he rested against the rocks on the deserted ind, but he still asked me to live

    on.

    Christopher was the perfect man every girl would dream of. He might look like a yboy on the

    outside, but he actually took our rtionship seriously. He was not someone who gave up easily, and

    he cherished our rtionship dearly; he did everything he could to keep it.

    That was why I had fallen for him.

    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m so scared. What should I do? There¡¯s really nothing I can do this time.¡± It was the first time

    I called someone that term of endearment after I said it to Lyle on the first day of our marriage. After the

    man rebuked me severely for doing so, I had not dared do it again.

    I did not call Christopher darling after we got married either. He would beg me to, but I refused because

    I wanted him to keep asking.

    I regretted what I did. I should have called him that whenever I could. Now life had given me a harsh

    punishment ¡ª I only had three months left.

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    I suddenly felt Christopher¡¯s finger moving against my face. I could not see if he was awake, but I could

    feel him sit up and gaze at me up close. I could feel his breath beating against my skin as he muttered,

    ¡°Eve? Why are you crying? What did they do to you?¡±

    I shook my head slightly and smiled at him. All he could think about was me even when he was not

    well.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Sleep here with me. I¡¯ll hug you to sleep so you won¡¯t have any nightmares anymore.¡± Christopher

    wrapped his hand around my waist, and Iy down beside him, avoiding the injury on his lower

    abdomen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put you to sleep,¡± he said softly, patting on my back. He moved his head closer and bit my ear

    lightly. ¡°I had a nightmare too. I dreamed that you went missing. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re still here when I

    woke up.¡±

    Incipient tears welled up in my eyes as I whispered, ¡°It¡¯s just a dream.¡±

    ¡°I even dreamed that we were stranded on an ind when we went on vacation. It was so scary. We

    should get some sleep. We will forget all about it after that.¡± His voice trailed off as he spoke.

    I shifted closer to hear what he was speaking. ¡°I love you, Eve¡­ Please don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±

    His words brought me to tears. His breathing soon turned stable as he fell back into slumber. He had

    another dream not long after he dozed off¡ªprobably a good one¡ªbecause he was chuckling in his

    dream.

    I snuggled beside him, savoring every moment I had with him greedily. It was not until the doctors

    came in to check on the man again that I got up.

    After they were done, Monica asked the nurses to leave and sent me back to my room herself. I could

    sense her gaze on me as she helped me to my bed. Weirdly enough, I felt a warm drop of liquid on the

    back of my hand as I moved. Is Monica crying? I brushed the thought off immediately. There was no

    way she would cry for me.

    She suddenly fell to her knees and implored me, ¡°Ms. Tanner, I beg of you, could you please don¡¯t go

    and see Chris anymore? Don¡¯t see him again after he wakes up, please.¡±

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    Chapter 296

    I was dumbstruck at once. I never once thought Monica would go on her knees and say something like

    this. I was dying, and there was no point trying to separate me from Christopher anymore.

    ¡°What do you mean, Ms. Martin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t be saying this, but I really don¡¯t want to see Chris devastated. He will

    really lose it if he sees you like this when he wakes up fully.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Martin, you know I only have three months left. Christopher is my husband. I should spend my

    remaining days with him. Who are you to stop me from seeing him?¡± My body stiffened as I questioned

    her unreservedly.

    ¡°Are you depriving me of the chance to spend myst days with the man I love?¡± I asked harshly.

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Monica asserted as she cried, ¡°You know how much he loves you. He

    will be over the moon to see you tomorrow, but he will plunge into the deepest abyss when he sees you

    in this state. This is just too cruel for him.¡±

    She looked at me intently and moved closer. ¡°Do you know why I hate you so much after I saw you and

    him together? Given your reputation and family background, there¡¯s no reason for me to be jealous of

    you. I¡¯m better than you in all regards, but I know Chris well. He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t change his

    mind once he has decided on something. Nothing can ever sway him. I can imagine how broken he will

    be when he knows you¡¯re about to leave forever.¡±

    Monica held on to my hand beseechingly. ¡°You can hate me, or even hit me. I don¡¯t care, but please,

    don¡¯t go and see Chris anymore. This is me begging you. This will be too much for him.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re asking for, Ms. Martin? This is the cruelest request you can make.

    Christopher is the only thing I¡¯m living for now.¡±

    I sat motionless as her words resounded in my head. Indeed, there was a kernel of truth in what she

    said. Christopher would be over the moon when he saw me, but I could imagine his despair when he

    found out about my disease.

    Losing hope once was bearable, but holding on to hope only to lose it again would be crippling. I had

    experienced it myself, and I almost went crazy. There was no way I wanted Christopher to go through

    the same thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Monica was disconcerted as she looked at the dejection on my face. ¡°It¡¯s all

    my fault. I care too much for Chris. I would fight you for his love on level ground if you were all healthy

    and well. I would dly take you as an equal rival. Who knows, we might even be friends. You¡¯re

    a good-natured person, Yvonne, and I know we would be good friends if we met at a better time, but

    please, could you spare Chris?¡±

    I shook my head in determination. ¡°No. I¡¯m not leaving Christopher. I promised I would die with him. I

    promised him we would face everything together. Please, don¡¯t make me do this!¡±

    What she said zapped me like a lightning. I shook my head in denial and shouted at the top of my

    lungs, ¡°Get out, Monica Martin! Get out! You care for Christopher, but so what? I¡¯m the person he loves!

    Not you!¡±

    Ipletely lost it andmbasted her, ¡°I only have three months left. I will have Christopher with me for

    only three months. You can do whatever you want with him after that! You can marry him, and you guys

    can a family together. Why can¡¯t you leave me alone? Get out! Now!¡±

    I grabbed the pillow beside me and lunged it at her. Monica knelt on the ground, unmoving even when

    the pillow hit her. She apologized over and over to me as I shouted in a frenzy. I lifted my hand and

    swept across the table, sending the tray and cups flying across the room.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I will die with Christopher. I will never leave him!¡±

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    Chapter 297

    There was no shattering of sses. Instead, there was a deep thud and Monica¡¯s sharp cry of pain.

    The cup must have hit her.

    ¡°Please, Ms. Tanner. Could you please consider leaving Christopher alone? You know how guilty he

    will feel if he finds out about this,¡± she uttered.

    ¡°Get out!¡± I howled at her with all my might.

    Why must it be me? Why? We had been on a vacation when death brushed by us. Just went we

    managed to break free from its ws, it came knocking at my door again.

    When Monica finally came back to her senses, she stood up and apologized seriously, ¡°Forgive me. All

    I could think of was Chris. I really shouldn¡¯t have said such things. I should¡¯ve thought about you too.

    Just forget everything I said. I shouldn¡¯t havee in the first ce.¡±

    Monica stood still for a second and before long she turned around and locked her gaze on me.

    ¡°Perhaps he might think you died on the seas. That would be better for him. At least he will be spared

    of the grief of watching you die right in front of him.¡±

    With that said, she closed the door. I was left alone again in the cold room, separated from the warmth

    of the outside world. I felt so cynical about life all of a sudden. A voice in my heart told me that I should

    have died on the ind.

    It would be better if I had sacrificed myself for the man I loved and died there and then. I would not

    need to go through the agony of facing my own death or think about how Christopher would take it if I

    had died, but life was fixated on ying a joke on me.

    I had survived. I was delighted when I knew both of us had made it out alive, but I was quickly faced

    with death again.

    Soon after, night descended, and dizziness took hold of me again. Although it felt worse than the other

    episodes I had earlier, I did notpletely ckout.

    I panted desperately as Iy in my bed. Just when I was feeling better, Darius came in and brought me

    some candies. At the sight of them, my eyes lit up briefly. I did not have a habit of eating lollipops when

    I was a kid, and even after I grew up, I did not have a chance to enjoy such indulgence.

    Darius told me that my mom had a sweet tooth; she used to love lollipops. I had a try, savoring the

    sweetness on my tongue, but somehow, it had a slight taste of bitterness to me. It was probably

    because I was too caught up in my sorrow.

    ¡°The bodyguard told me something happened in the afternoon. Did Monica say something to you?¡± I

    could tell Darius was concerned.

    I shot him a smile and shook my head. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. I¡¯m just not used to her showing me pity. I have

    my ego too.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go to Anndur? They have the best experts over there, and they have seen more

    cases of your diseasepared to the doctors here. They might be able to cure your disease if you go

    abroad. They have better technology over there too.¡±

    ¡°Anndur¡­¡± His proposal gave me hope, but I did not want to leave Christopher behind. I could not

    bear to be apart from him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide after Christopher wakes up. He¡¯ll be so mad if I leave him alone. He always gives me the

    silent treatment when he¡¯s angry.¡±

    I could not sleep the whole night. When Darius told me Christopher had woken up, I got off my bed and

    stumbled my way to his ward, but I could not muster my courage to enter.

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°Darius, tell him I died. I don¡¯t want to see him.¡±

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    Chapter 298

    I spent every second of the past four days praying that Christopher would wake up sooner, but when he

    finally did, I could not bring myself to see him. No matter how much I hate Monica, I had to admit that

    what she said was true.

    I knew she had no ill intentions, but with just a few words, she had managed to change my mind. It

    would be easier for Christopher to ept my death if they told him I died on the ind.

    If he knew I died because of a terminal illness¡ªand that he was the cause¡ªhe would never walk out of

    the guilt.

    Behind the door, I could hear Christopher struggling to speak with his weak voice.

    ¡°Where is Yvonne? She was with me on the ind. Did you see her, Mom? She¡¯s the girl who gave you

    walnut cookiesst time.¡±

    ¡°Chris¡­¡± Julia was hesitant.

    ¡°She¡¯s my wife, Mom. She did everything she could to save me. Please, tell me where she is now.¡±

    Christopher was getting agitated. His voice became more assertive, but it soon broke into a violent

    cough.

    ¡°Calm down, Chris. She¡¯s still resting in her ward. I¡¯ll bring you over to see her when you¡¯re feeling

    better, is that okay?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to see her now. How can I rest here without knowing she¡¯s doing fine?¡±

    A loud thud followed right after, and amotion ensued. Julia and Gordon were shouting, and the

    noise grew louder as it got closer to the door. I grabbed Darius¡¯ hand, preventing him from opening it.

    I recalled how determined I was when I told Monica I would stick to Christopher even in death, but now

    that I heard his voice, I knew I loved him too much to let him go through the pain of watching me die.

    Christopher was my guardian angel. He treated me like a gem and protected me over and over again. I

    was the first thing that came to his mind after he woke up. There was no way I could let someone like

    him suffer because of me.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Darius asked.

    I closed my eyes as tears flowed down my cheeks. I covered my mouth, hoping Christopher would not

    hear me. ¡°Bring me back to my room. I don¡¯t want to see him,¡± I said, tugging Darius on his hand.

    Darius was evidently surprised at my request. He asked if that was really what I wanted, and I insisted

    with feigned calm. The moment I got back to my room, however, Ipletely lost it.

    I kept telling myself life was good. I had a man who loved me dearly, and I had everything anyone ever

    wanted in life. It was just that my joy was short-lived. I should not be so selfish as to bring the person I

    loved most with me down the vortex of misery.

    ¡°Chris is really worried. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to see him?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Darius, I only have three more months to live. There¡¯s nothing I can do to make Christopher feel

    better.¡±

    Darius watched me silently, not knowing what to say.

    My body was still shaking uncontrobly although I had stopped crying. I took a deep breath and turned

    toward Darius, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Christopher about my illness.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯ll just be a matter of time before he finds out. He¡¯s a smart guy. There¡¯s no way we can hide your

    condition from him.¡±

    I scooped the nket in my embrace and held on tightly to it, shaking my head. ¡°Don¡¯t even tell him I

    survived. Just say I died on the ind, my body was washed away by the tides, and no one ever found

    me. It will be easier for him to ept that I died on the ind.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Darius then said after a sigh, ¡°You don¡¯t have to shoulder this

    on your own. Chris is a responsible man. He will go through this with you till the very end.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how difficult it is for me to ept my sickness? How can I put Christopher through the

    same thing and demand that he watch me die in his embrace? It will be better for him to not see me at

    all. He will forget about me very soon anyway.¡±

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    I did not know if my decision was right, but I knew one thing for sure. There was nothing more

    heartbreaking than seeing your loved ones die before your very eyes. I would never leave Christopher,

    no matter how much the Lanes despised me.

    I was confident that we would pull through it together and finally earn their recognition despite how

    difficult it could be. After all, we had been through thick and thin together.

    We had been stranded on the ind for a good whole week. We had depended on each other then and

    made it through.

    Likewise, I felt inferior in front of Monica because of her beauty and family background. The woman¡¯s

    words put me to immense shame, but Christopher¡¯s smile was enough to fade all these disheartening

    emotions. I would have held on to the end no matter what we faced, but not this time.

    Darius finally caved to my adamance. He changed me to another room directly above Christopher¡¯s at

    my request. I wanted to be closer to him before I left.

    I sat on the balcony, listening to what was happening downstairs. Monica came to see me once as if

    she could not wait for the moment I left.

    I could read in between her lines that she wanted me to leave the hospital entirely.

    ¡°My family has other hospitals in Avenport. I can ask them to get you transferred so you can get the

    best treatment. Rest assured that I will ask them to do everything they can to help you. There is stillBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    hope.¡±

    Her voice was surprisingly soothing and calm. That was how she usually spoke. Her voice was like a

    breath of fresh air to everyone who listened to her. I figured someone as gentle as her would treat

    Christopher well.

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Ms. Martin. I already said I won¡¯t see him. He¡¯s still sick, so there¡¯s

    no way he will be able to walk around the hospital.¡±

    Although I knew in my head that Monica was not an inherently vice person, my heart could not seem to

    be friendly toward her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have been more sensitive.¡± After a brief silence, she walked over and stuffed

    something in my hand. ¡°This is the least I can do for you. Five million is enough to cover a lot of

    expenses.¡±

    I frowned, trying to get my head around what she was saying. I was soon reminded of the cliche scene

    where the other evil woman would throw money at the wife, demanding that she leave her husband.

    ¡°What is this supposed to mean, Ms. Martin?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± she hurried to exin herself, ¡°I just want to thank you for everything

    you did for Chris. Although you did it voluntarily, I¡¯m still grateful for what you did. I¡¯m happy that there¡¯s

    someone else who loves Chris so much. Even if you¡¯re my love rival, you¡¯re still someone I respect. I¡¯m

    sure we would¡¯ve been friends if we had met each other earlier.¡±

    Friends? I thought of Sabrina. She was someone who had her own mind and was verbal about it.

    Sometimes, she would even try to weasel herself out of a difficult situation, although her arguments

    might be strained.

    ¡°I know what¡¯s happening at home, so take this. I¡¯m sure Christopher would do the same. He would do

    everything he can to make things easier for you.¡±

    True. Christopher loved me. He had already asked to see me twice today after he woke up. He threw

    things in anger when they rejected his request. He even got into a fight with Julia refused to take his

    medication.

    It was not until Gordon came in that Christopher finally gave in and fell asleep after that. I bet they gave

    him sleeping pills.

    I fidgeted with the card in my hand and called on Monica just as she was leaving. ¡°Take this back. I¡¯m

    not going to use your money. If I leave Christopher, I¡¯ll do it on my own ord. I¡¯m not doing this

    because of anyone else. I don¡¯t need your pity.¡±

 Chapter 300

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    ¡°I¡¯ve already got the ticket. You¡¯re flying tonight. Is there anything you want to do before you leave?¡±

    Darius asked, handing me the flight ticket.

    ¡°I just want to see Christopher. Nothing else.¡± I clenched the ticket in my hand.

    ¡°What about your family?¡±

    Nathan was the only family member I had, but he only came to the hospital once after I got admitted.

    He came not because he was worried about me, but because he was worried about Crystal. He did not

    even call.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. They wouldn¡¯t care less if I were to disappearpletely out of their lives. They might be

    surprised, but they¡¯ll not look for me.¡±

    Darius came over and gave me a hug. ¡°Take me as your brother. I¡¯ll always be here to help. Are you

    sure you don¡¯t want to go to Anndur? You might have a better chance of surviving over there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to spend my remaining days in theboratory doing all sorts of tests. I¡¯d rather

    spend my time in peace. Thanks for everything you¡¯ve done for me, Darius.¡± Then, I hesitatingly asked,

    ¡°Did you¡­ Did you like my mom too back then? You said she was beautiful.¡±

    The man was caught off guard by my direct question. He stood still for a good few seconds.

    I had found out about this matter on my own. Darius was older than my mom by roughly ten years.

    Given this age gap, he would not have known my mom¡¯s likes and dislikes, even if they were

    schoolmates.

    However, he knew that Mom loved to wear white dresses. He also knew she liked to keep her ck

    hair long, and that she liked having spicy shrimps. He even knew what her favorite movie and song

    were ¡ª Gone with the Wind and Love Story.

    There was no way he could know so much if he took her just as his junior. This exined why he had

    been so nice to me the first time we met. He had even helped me out at the ball his family hosted.

    It took him a while to answer my question. ¡°Your mom is a star that attracts everyone¡¯s attention. She

    has an irresistible charm, and I have to admit that I fell for her too.¡±

    ¡°Were you guys ever together?¡± I asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°Well, she loved your dad, and no one could put them apart. Besides, I¡¯m the eldest son of the Lane

    family. I can¡¯t just marry anyone I like.¡± His voice betrayed the regret and helplessness he felt.

    I finally understood that Darius had once loved my mother unrequitedly, but he had sumbed under

    the pressure of his family.

    Although I had fallen out of favor in my family, I still knew enough to know that every family that was

    involved in politics. They needed someone strong and decisive at the helm in order to protect the

    family.

    I knew Darius¡¯ wife was also heavily involved in politics.

    Then, a strange thought popped into my head. What if Mom had married Darius in the first ce?

    Would she have been happier? Darius will never do what Dad did. He will never have an affair and

    even bring home another child.

    Mom must have been deeply hurt by what Dad did back then. That¡¯s probably why she left without me.

    I was a reminder of the betrayal she felt. She gave her whole heart to Dad, but all he did was stab a

    dagger in her heart with his own hands.

    This outrageous thought put a smile on my face. I could not have dated Christopher if Darius were my

    father. I did not want to be his sister.

    I stayed in the hospital for just one day. Christopher would ask to see me the moment he woke up. Iy

    on the floor listening for his movement downstairs, longing that I could go past the ground and touch

    him, but all I could feel was the cold hard ground.

    It pained me to tears to be able to hear him but not touch him.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301

    The door opened, and I heard two people walking in. Still, I paid no mind and continued groveling on

    the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s not healthy to lie on a cold floor like that.¡± Julia and Gordon lifted me off the cold tile and helped me

    get back into my wheelchair.

    ¡°Did you guyse here to chase me away, too?¡± I choked out as I covered my eyes with both hands.

    I didn¡¯t want to cry, but the tears flowed against my will. Both of them inhaled sharply at the sight; they

    hadn¡¯t meant to make me shed tears.

    Julia sighed and slipped her hand in Gordon¡¯s so she could pull both of them into a deep bow. I couldn¡¯t

    see them, but I could feel it because the sound of their breathing went from above my face to about my

    waist.

    ¡°What are you guys doing? Please get up. I don¡¯t deserve this.¡± I quickly tried to pull them upright.

    ¡°You do. You deserve this for everything you¡¯ve done for my son. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through so

    much, child,¡± Julia said as she walked toward me and pulled me into her arms. ¡°You have no idea how

    grateful I am toward you. I don¡¯t even know what to say to you. I can¡¯t believe you never thought of

    yourself and did everything for Chris¡¯ sake.¡±

    I let out a small smile as Iyfortably in her embrace. How warm, I thought. Is this what a mother¡¯s

    love feels like? I knew Christopher was lucky for having such good parents, but I didn¡¯t feel jealous at

    all. After all, he treated me just as well.

    All I wanted was for his loved ones to be able to heal the wound I knew I would inflict after I left. I

    wanted him to be able to look forward to things and continue living happily without me.

    ¡°Monica said you turned down the offer of money. To be frank with you, that was my idea. I¡¯ve seen a

    fair share of people in my years, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you. You¡¯re the best youngdy I¡¯ve

    ever met. Please don¡¯t overthink our intentions. All we want is to give back to you. Please take the

    money, alright? We won¡¯t be able to live it down if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any money from you. Instead of giving me cash to repay me, just love Christopher more.

    Pay more attention to him, and please don¡¯t let him get depressed. Let him live his life however he

    wants with whoever he wants and let him be happy. Also, he¡¯s picky with his food and hatestro

    and onions, but he especially loves spicy food, so¡ª¡±

    I couldn¡¯t continue any further due to the lump of emotions that had wedged itself in my throat. It

    emerged in a thick sob. I want to see him. I want to caress his cheek, and I want to see him onest

    time.

    ¡°You should go and see him,¡± Julia said as she patted me on the head. Her tone was firm as if she had

    just made a huge decision to say that.

    I looked up at her in disbelief before shaking my head frantically. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. If I go, I¡¯ll never leave. If I

    see him, I won¡¯t be able to let him go.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctors gave him a sedative, so he¡¯s fast asleep. Go and say goodbye. It¡¯s the only

    thing I can do for you now.¡±

    I walked back into the ward on unsteady feet. The expensive VIP hospital ward was practically a hotel

    suite; it was equipped with a living area and a kitchen. My eyes skipped past all that, and I felt myself

    being wheeled in Christopher¡¯s direction. Once they had pushed me close enough for me to reach out

    and touch him, Julia and Gordon left quietly.

    I cautiously called out Christopher¡¯s name softly. When he didn¡¯t respond, I reached out and stroked his

    hand. His skin was no longer cold and mmy. Instead, he was warm and full of life, and it felt just like

    how it did back when he held my own hands and caressed them too.

    I carefully crawled into his embrace and ced his arm over my waist. My tears flowed freely and

    silently. His arms were my own personal safe haven, and whenever I was with him, it felt like he could

    block all the negativity, pain, and suffering away from me.

    ¡°I will miss you so, so much, Christopher. We beat everything ¡ª even a shipwreck ¡ª but I guess I

    wasn¡¯t strong enough to conquer my own lifetime. I bet I must have been a terrible person in my past

    life for God to punish me like this.¡±

    I stroked his face carefully. He had lost so much weight that he was practically skin and bones at this

    point. I gently kissed his forehead and then pecked him on the lips.

    ¡°If I could go back in time, I would never have gone and met you. That way, you¡¯d always be happy and

    could live your life as Christopher Lane.¡±

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    Chapter 302

    As I spoke, Christopher¡¯s finger suddenly twitched slightly, and I jumped in shock. Thinking he was

    about to wake up, I ducked to the side and fell silent. After awhile, he continued lying still.

    He always needed to hug something when he went to sleep as if it made him feel safer. The moment I

    laid down once more, he reached out and hugged me. He even nuzzled into my neck before falling still

    once again with an arm around my waist and one hand in mine.

    I nestled my head into his chest, and the sound of his firm, strong heartbeat nearly sent tears to my

    eyes once again. All I wanted was to stay in the embrace of this man; I never wanted to let go.

    I stayed in his arms the whole afternoon. I knew the sun was moving and as our shadows stretched

    along with it, I knew they were always entwined no matter how long and far they extended. I picked up

    my phone and took a picture of Christopher¡¯s sleeping face.

    Even if I couldn¡¯t see, I could at least protect this little bit of happiness. Once I left, I could always keep

    this fond memory with me on my phone.

    The thought of having to leave the hospital ward crushed my heart like a steamroller, and I felt physical

    pain at the thought of walking away from him. Perhaps Christopher and I were truly connected at heart,

    because the moment I tried to take my hand away, he clutched at it like a drowning sailor at sea

    holding onto a piece of driftwood.

    He was murmuring in his drug-induced sleep, ¡°Eve, don¡¯t go. Please don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t leave me, Eve¡­¡±

    I finally managed to wrestle my hand away. The moment I left, my tears cascaded down like a waterfall,

    and I could barely hold back my wails. I was sobbing his name even after I left the hospital. The entire

    way, I couldn¡¯t bear to turn and look back in Christopher¡¯s direction.

    I was terrified that I would change my mind if I was near him again.

    Darius had nned everything out perfectly. He found Jenny, a caretaker to watch over me. All of my

    luggage was packed and prepared by her, and since I was still blind, she was the one who wheeled me

    through the airport.

    My surroundings were raucous with chatter, and my head started to hurt again. I started to grow

    nauseous and even retched slightly, but nothing came out.

    Of course. I haven¡¯t eaten anything the whole day. There¡¯s nothing for me to vomit.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ms. Tanner?¡± Jenny passed me a handkerchief to wipe my mouth with as she looked

    at me in concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s hurry in. I don¡¯t want us to miss our flight,¡± I replied mildly.

    Julia and Darius followed behind me. They stayed silent the whole way to the boarding gate; the only

    sound they made was whenever Darius¡¯ phone rang, after which he would quickly shut it off and

    continue following.

    Suddenly, someone rushed toward me and clutched at my shoulders firmly. The person panted heavily

    as if they were out of breath, and I felt them ring at me. I felt as if their stare was about to pierce

    through me. Soon after, I heard Sabrina¡¯s voice chide, ¡°Yvonne, how could you? Why didn¡¯t you tell me

    anything? Do you even see me as a friend? I¡¯m never talking to you again! How could you leave me to

    worry? Is that what friends do?¡±

    ¡°Sabby!¡± I gripped her hands tightly and felt tears well up in my eyes once again. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep

    it from you, but I didn¡¯t know how to tell you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology! If Darius hadn¡¯t called me to tell me you were leaving, I would never have

    known! You silly girl, how could you treat your friend like that? I know your favorite brand of underwear!

    Do you really think you can keep anything from me?¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s voice was harsh, and she was yelling as if she hated my guts, but I could feel her tears

    sshing on my arm and cheek the whole time as she held me tightly.

    I would have felt likeughing before this, but now all I could do was hug her back wistfully, knowing I

    would never be able to hear her reprimanding me yfully after this.

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave, Yvonne. Are you insane? I¡¯d never let you leave just like that.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303

    Christopher felt as if he was drowning in a long, infinite dream. All he could do was watch helplessly as

    the love of his life slowly walked away from him. As if turning off a lightbulb, the world around him

    slowly dimmed as she walked away, never toe back.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher cried out as he sat up in shock. The wound on his abdomen cracked open with the

    force of his actions, but he paid it no mind as he stumbled toward the door.

    I have to find her. I have to find that silly girl! No one will stop me this time.

    He only managed to walk two steps before his legs folded, causing him to fall to the ground. He winced

    in pain but continued staggering to his feet, trying his best to leave the room. Each step felt like he was

    walking through water, and he finally made it to the door after trying for what felt like ages. As if he had

    reached the promisednd, he shoved the door open with all of his might.

    ¡°Chris, what are you doing? Go back and lie down! Your wound just scabbed over. Don¡¯t make it open

    up again,¡± Monica cried out as she ran toward him and tried to help him back onto the bed.

    ¡°What do you want to do? Stop moving and talk to me, okay? I¡¯ll help you. Please just stop moving.¡±

    ¡°Screw off!¡± Christopher bellowed as he swung an arm at Monica. Instead of her falling over, he

    stumbled under his own strength and fell down once again.

    ¡°Are you okay? Just stop moving, alright? You¡¯re bleeding!¡±

    In a flurry of panic, Christopher was sent back to his bed by his bodyguards. The doctor helped him

    check his wound again, and the man was speechless from the pain he felt. All he could do was take

    shallow breaths in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing pangsing from his stomach. In his pain, he

    looked around the room hoping to see that familiar figure, but to his dismay, he saw nothing.

    ¡°Your wound has opened up again. Please be careful, Mr. Lane. You were in aa for half a month,

    and the infection from your wound spread to both your lungs and intestines. You only started

    recovering recently, but if it res up again, we might not be able to help any further.¡±

    The doctor continued to warn Christopher about the dangers of his injury as he cleaned the man¡¯s

    wound. If something really happened to him, the entire Lane family would have their heads, and the

    doctor would definitely lose his job.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a woman who got sent to the hospital with me? Where is she?¡± Christopher finally

    managed to speak.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The doctor blinked. He had been instructed to only follow certain orders and said in faux-

    confusion, ¡°There are plenty of patients who get admitted every day, so I¡¯m not sure. Pay attention to

    your wound, alright? Make sure it doesn¡¯t get infected again, Mr. Lane.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Yvonne. Yvonne Tanner!¡± Christopher stated, raising his voice this time.

    ¡°I would need to go to the hospital chief¡¯s office to find out,¡± the doctor said as he tightened up the

    bandages. After that, he scurried out of Christopher¡¯s ward. Lying really isn¡¯t something I¡¯ll ever get

    used to.

    Christopher sat up almost immediately after the doctor left the room. He tried to get off the bed once

    again. Upon seeing his attempt to do so, Monica immediately rushed forward to hold him back.

    ¡°Christopher, please stop moving! You¡¯re injured!¡±

    ¡°I need to see Yvonne!¡± the man said harshly.

    He had been out for so long, so he hadn¡¯t been able to catch a glimpse of her even until now. He knew

    he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest until he found her. Somehow, he had a gut feeling that something incredibly

    terrible had happened while he was out of it. He was terrified that something had happened to Yvonne

    while he wasn¡¯t there to stop it.

    ¡°If you want to see her, you should wait until you¡¯re fully healed first,¡± Julia couldn¡¯t help but chide as

    she walked in.

    Christopher¡¯s gaze sharpened at the sight of his parents walking in, and he said coldly, ¡°Mom, did you

    guys hide her somewhere? I knew it. You two locked her away to keep us from seeing each other just

    like you did back then when you locked Darius up so he wouldn¡¯t marry a woman you didn¡¯t like!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing this for your own good,¡± Julia retorted with a sheepish look at her son. She wondered why

    both of her sons were so stubborn. If she hadn¡¯t stopped her son from marrying that woman who hadn¡¯t

    the slightest interest in him, who knows what would have happened?

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304

    ¡°For my own good?¡± Christopher scowled with a steely expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you locked Yvonne

    up. Did you think that would stop me? I¡¯d rather die than marry another woman. Yvonne is the only girl

    I¡¯ll ever love. If you guys want someone else so badly, you guys can go get married. I¡¯m never going to

    love another woman the same way I love Yvonne, and I know she¡¯ll say the same!¡±

    ¡°You and Yvonne are i-ipatible,¡± Julia said as she turned around to hide her guilt from Christopher.

    ¡°As parents, we only ever do things for your own good. Can¡¯t you trust us? If we hadn¡¯t stopped your

    brother back then, can you imagine how humiliated he would have gotten? Are you going to make us

    go through that again?¡±

    Julia couldn¡¯t help but start crying again as she spoke.

    Christopher¡¯s steely gaze softened at the sight of his mother¡¯s tears. He pointed to his wound and said

    steely, ¡°Mom, you have no idea how good of a person Yvonne is. She deserves more love than it is

    humanly possible to give. Look at this wound. Do you think I¡¯d have been able to live on a deserted

    ind for a week with this injury if I were alone?¡±

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    His voice softened further at the mention of Yvonne, and his eyes warmed up with a hint of a smile.

    ¡°The time I spent on that ind was the most hopeless I¡¯d ever been. We had only live fish to eat that

    we had to catch with our bare hands. Since I was out ofmission, Yvonne was the one who had to

    catch the food for us even though she was afraid of water. She used all the clear water we had to clean

    my injuries and to keep me hydrated. She searched throughout the whole ind for any edible roots

    and herbs every day, and even though she must have been dying of thirst, she never once wasted a

    drop or took any for herself.¡±

    Julia could sense Yvonne¡¯s determination through Christopher¡¯s simple descriptions. She could tell how

    brave Yvonne had to be to go through all of that for Christopher.

    If Julia were in Yvonne¡¯s ce, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to do the same thing. She couldn¡¯t fathom

    why someone would go to such great lengths for someone who was about to die. But there Yvonne

    was, still willing to butt heads with them.

    Monica pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress her gasp of shock. Even during hisa,

    Christopher constantly murmured Yvonne¡¯s name. Sometimes he would mumble for her to leave, and

    sometimes he would whisper for her to live happily.

    She was shocked when she first heard it, but over time, Monica finally understood how much that

    unassuming woman hadpletely taken over Christopher¡¯s heart. She was already the apple of his

    eye, and Monica had never been more jealous of someone. I met Christopher first! Why did Yvonne

    have to appear and ruin everything? After all, Yvonne was still just a woman with a bad reputation who

    had gotten abandoned by her husband.

    Monica didn¡¯t regret doing everything she did. It might not have been the right thing to do, but her love

    for Christopher truly conquered all. Ever since they were fifteen years old, her family had joked about

    the two of them getting engaged. She had been infatuated with Christopher then, and her feelings

    hadn¡¯t changed one bit.

    Now that that woman was gone, Christopher and Monica would definitely settle down and have a

    happy family together. By then, she would no longer have anything to worry about.

    Monica calmed down slightly at this thought. She had still gotten the guy she loved at the end, and

    Yvonne was no longer there to interfere. Monica was finally the one and only pick for Christopher once

    again.

    ¡°Mom, you always told me thatpatibility is the most important in finding love. Since I¡¯ve already

    found that someone, all I want is for you to give me your blessings and not your disapproval,¡±

    Christopher said as he leaned back against the headboard, tears beginning to mist over his eyes.

    He continued firmly, ¡°Do you know how silly that woman is? When we ran out of water, she didn¡¯t

    hesitate to bite her finger open so I could drink her blood. When a boat came and allowed all uninjured

    people on board, Crystal managed to leave Lyle behind without a second thought. But, what did

    Yvonne do? She stayed by my side and took care of me. I know she thought I had no clue, but I was

    only in a daze! I wasn¡¯t cked out! You have no idea how much I wanted her to leave me behind then.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s ridiculous? We literally fought against death itself to be able toe together

    once more, so how could you be willing to split us apart again? Please don¡¯t take her away from me. If

    you hurt her, you¡¯re hurting me, too.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice broke at the end of his sentence.

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    ¡°Chris¡­¡± Monica choked out through a sob. She finally understood that she could never measure up to

    Yvonne. As unimpressive and weak as she seemed, Yvonne had a kind heart that Monica knew she

    could never beat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Monica. I¡¯ve always only seen you as a sister and nothing else. Please, I¡¯m begging you

    guys. Let me see Yvonne. I just want to know if she¡¯s well and if she¡¯s getting properly treated, okay?¡±

    Christopher stood up once more and pushed Monica¡¯s helping hand away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to discuss this any further until you¡¯repletely healed. Got it? We¡¯ll have this talk once

    you¡¯re fully well. You can¡¯t even stand properly now. What will you do even if you do see her?¡± Julia

    rushed out of the ward after she finished speaking.

    At the sound of her son¡¯s low sobs and yelling, she finally let her tears fall. ¡°What do we do?¡± she asked

    Gordon. ¡°Did we really do the right thing? I don¡¯t know what else we could have done. Christopher¡¯s my

    child; my flesh and blood. I don¡¯t want to go through the same thing that happened eight years ago. Will

    he do what Darius did and try to estrange himself? Even now, he clearly still holds that against us. He

    barelyes home and always treats us so coldly. Did I do something wrong for trying to love my

    children?¡± Julia bbered.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Gordon pulled her into his arms andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t think of it like that. You¡¯re just doing your job

    as a mother. Even though Darius may still be cold toward us, he still makes sure toe back on

    special asions and always brings gifts when he does. Now that he¡¯s all grown up, he knows why we

    did what we did, and Christopher will as well.¡±

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s true. I really hope that¡¯s true,¡± Julia choked out and began sobbing uncontrobly. As of

    right now, she was not the strong, hardheaded businesswoman; she was simply a mother worried sick

    for her children.

    However, once Christopher put his mind to something, no one could stop him. Even though he was still

    weak to the point that he could barely walk, he still managed toe up with a way to escape. He

    called his bodyguard, and after chasing Monica away, he told the man that he needed to take a walk.

    The bodyguard was confused and didn¡¯t know what to say, but Christopher red at him coldly and

    said, ¡°Am I a criminal or something? Don¡¯t I deserve even the privilege of taking a walk?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Mr. Lane. It¡¯s just not suitable for you to go out in your current state as your injury could

    get infected. Ms. Julia specifically ordered for us not to let you out,¡± the bodyguard replied meekly as he

    shuffled backward slightly in fear of getting hit. Christopher was notorious for scuffling with every single

    bodyguard hired by the Lane family without fail.

    As someone who had managed to work their way to being a high-grade official in the army,

    Christopher¡¯s punches were in no way the flimsy jabs one might expect of a rich young master.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only take a stroll on the corridor. I won¡¯t go outside, so let me out,¡± Christopher demanded.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get that arranged right now.¡± The poor bodyguard was terrified of angering Christopher any

    further.

    The man was soon wheeled out of the hospital ward and immediately went to the nurse¡¯s station to

    look at the patient records. After paging through it for a while, he felt his heart sink. Yvonne isn¡¯t here.

    Did they transfer her to some other hospital?

    He put down the records and massaged his temples in frustration. He had nned to always protect

    Yvonne after their honeymoon and had vowed never to let her get in the way of trouble. Despite

    everything, there was no way of predicting that awful shipwreck. He hadn¡¯t known that he would be in

    such a longa either.

    That woman must have been through many things. The mere thought of Yvonne getting pushed around

    by his family members sent a pang through Christopher¡¯s chest. He knew his parents weren¡¯t

    needlessly mean, but they could say things without thinking.

    Before turning a corner, Christopher heard a familiar voice and held up a hand, indicating for the

    bodyguard toe to a stop.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just tell him Yvonne¡¯s dead? This isn¡¯t going to end well either way. He¡¯ll eventually sense

    that something is up.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while longer, Monica. Chris¡¯ injuries have finally begun to look better. I don¡¯t want him to

    copse after hearing the news.¡±

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    Chapter 306

    ¡°Chris is so persistent! Today, he would either ignore me and stare out of the window in a daze, or he

    would pester me for Yvonne¡¯s whereabouts! Each time he asks me that question, I get so nervous that I

    have no idea how to answer him.¡± Monica heard the sound of a wheelchair approaching just then. Her

    eyes shed with joy and she went on, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Chris was secretly so deeply in love with a

    woman! No wonder he rarely went home since he came backst year. Even if he does go home, he¡¯s

    always in a hurry to leave. He has been very opinionated since he was young and very obsessive

    about the things he loves. I just can¡¯t bring myself to tell him!¡±

    Meanwhile, Julia waspletely oblivious to Christopher¡¯s presence behind her. She shook her head

    sadly at Monica, her face creased with concern.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I speak to him instead? Darius is very busytely, and Gordon isn¡¯t the best person for this

    job. Let me do it. Although he¡¯ll get angry, it¡¯s better than him being angry with all of you. Sorry for

    troubling you, Monica, but thank God you¡¯re around! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble! I¡¯ll do anything for Chris! That thing with Yvonne isn¡¯t our fault. Chris will understand,¡±

    Monica said with a smile. That woman is dying anyway! I¡¯m not doing anything wrong; I¡¯m just making

    ns for myself.

    ¡°What were you two talking about? Why don¡¯t you repeat what you¡¯ve just said?¡± Christopher appeared

    around the corner suddenly and asked in a cold voice.

    Upon that, Julia and Monica whirled around in panic. Christopher was staring at them, and his entire

    body was shaking in rage. He looked as if he wanted to rip them apart.

    ¡°Chris!¡± Monica eximed.

    ¡°I asked you to repeat what you¡¯ve just said! What do you mean Yvonne is dead? She cannot be dead.

    I survived! So, how could she possibly be dead?¡± Christopher roared as he violently pushed himself

    upright from his wheelchair. At the very next second, he fell to the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Chris, please don¡¯t be too upset. We didn¡¯t mean to hide this from you. Get up quickly!¡± Julia said

    rather nervously. She was stunned by Christopher¡¯s sudden appearance. I wasn¡¯t ready to tell him yet!

    How could he have overheard us?

    ¡°Tell me what you two were talking about! I want to know the truth! Stop lying to me!¡± Christopher

    grabbed Julia¡¯s hand and said in a serious tone, ¡°Mom, I want to know the truth. I want you to tell me

    the truth.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Ms. Tanner is currently in a hospital in the city. Why don¡¯t you focus on getting better first?

    Once your injuries are healed, I promise you that I¡¯ll take you over to meet her. Please get up now,¡±

    Julia said. Then, she quickly masked her expressions to hide her nervousness.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± Christopher had never felt so agitated before in his life. He could have sworn that he had

    heard Monica say that Yvonne was dead. How could she be dead?

    ¡°Yes, really! I promise you that you¡¯ll meet her soon,¡± Julia said in a soothing tone.

    ¡°Julia, let¡¯s not lie to Chris anymore! Even if we manage to hide the truth from him today, what about

    tomorrow or the day after that? He¡¯ll find out eventually! Let¡¯s just tell him the truth now. Chris, actually

    ¡ª¡± Monica cried out, her voice cracking with pain.

    ¡°No! No, you can¡¯t tell him!¡± Julia cut Monica off and shook her head vigorously.

    ¡°Monica, tell me!¡± Christopher said firmly to Monica. ¡°Tell me everything you know!¡±

    ¡°Chris, we¡¯re so sorry. We didn¡¯t want this to happen either.¡± Monica met Christopher¡¯s eyes, and her

    heart trembled at their intensity. After a while, she lowered her eyes and whispered in a low voice, ¡°Ms.

    Tanner has passed away. She couldn¡¯t wait for our rescue ne to reach her.¡±

    At that moment, Christopher felt as though the very ground had fallen away from under his feet.

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°No way! That¡¯s impossible! You¡¯re all lying to me! She was with me, and she never once let go of me

    while I lost consciousness. I suffered such serious injuries and survived, so how could she die? You¡¯re

    lying to me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. When we reached the deserted ind, we only found you and Lyle. We saw her shoes on the

    beach, but there was no sight of her. Lyle said that she had gone into the sea to look for something to

    eat, but she never reappeared after that. We really tried to look for her, but we couldn¡¯t find her

    anywhere!¡± Monica could not bring herself to look at Christopher¡¯s face. Hence, she just kept talking

    with her head down. She was also trying to convince herself that this was the truth.

    ¡°No way! I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe even a single word you¡¯ve just said! I¡¯m going to find Yvonne.

    No matter where she is, I¡¯ll find her!¡±

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    Chapter 307

    In the end, I did not heed Sabrina¡¯s words and left Christopher. When I left, she cried bitterly and lightly

    punched my chest in protest. She swore that she would not care about me anymore after this. Then,

    she strongly said that I should not have let the man who loved me get away.

    Yes, I¡¯m an idiot. It was clear that Christopher¡¯s heart was mine, and yet, I left him. It was cruel of me.

    I begged Sabrina not to tell Christopher where I was going. She promised me through her tears and

    wanted to send me off, but I refused to let her. If Sabrina left too, Christopher would definitely be

    suspicious. He was a very perceptive man, and he would sense that something was wrong.

    Yeringham was a beautiful small town. Unlike other cities, there was none of that urban traffic noise. It

    was a quiet and tranquil town located by the sea, full of beautiful, sun-kissed girls selling fishes and old

    fishermen always singing their old tunes. The entire town depended on the creatures of the sea for

    their livelihood.

    In the daytime, a chorus of children¡¯s voices reading out loud could be heard from the nearby school. It

    was a pleasant sound. Listening to their innocent voices seemed to wash away all the heaviness in my

    heart.

    The small cottage that Darius had prepared for me was located beside a church. I was never really a

    believer, but aftering to this town, I went to the church to pray every single day. I prayed for the

    same things each time ¡ª that Christopher would be safe and happy¡­ and at peace.

    The priest of the church was an old man. He always told me that as long I prayed piously, my prayers

    would be granted.

    However, for me, it did not matter whether what the priest said was actually true. After all, spiritual

    comfort was better than nothing.

    I did not know whether Christopher was sad to find out that I had died, but I knew that he would slowly

    learn to forget me and try his best to put on a happy face for his friends and family. Maybe he would

    sometimes think of me in the middle of the night when he had trouble sleeping, but he would be fine.

    The living would always find a way to move on from the dead.

    Sitting on this wheelchair with the sunshine warming me and the salty ocean breeze washing over me,

    I felt the vitality of the sea flowing through me.

    Since I could not see with my eyes, I was used to moving through the world with my other senses.

    Although the world was dark to me and I could see nothing, I could still feel the warmth of the sun on

    my skin and the softness of the grass beneath my bare feet.

    Eventually, I learned how to walk and began to explore the town with a walking stick. Sometimes, I

    spent the day practicing braille or learning how to write again. Whenever I went out exploring, Jenny

    woulde with me out of concern for my safety and call out if there was anything in my path.

    I was very thankful for this kind-hearted girl. She stayed by my side during this dark period of my life

    and gave mefort and encouragement when I needed it the most. On the days when I refused to

    take my medication, she would cajole me and convince me to carry on with this life.

    Once, I wandered onto the school grounds, where the children were ying on the field. When they

    saw a stranger on the grounds, they curiously gathered around me and began asking me questions. I

    bent down and gently ruffled their hair and gave them the candies that I had in my pocket.

    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so beautiful! You¡¯re the most beautifuldy we¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    The children¡¯s candid praise made meugh out loud. Children really are such precious treasures, and

    they really do heal the soul.

    Day by day, my body became weaker and weaker. In just three days, my vertigo had gotten worse. The

    medication no longer helped, and I began to throw up after eating anything. I leaned back in my

    wheelchair, feeling very faint. At that moment, I began to doubt what Darius had said.

    The doctor had given me three months to live, but looking at how quickly my health was declining, I

    would be lucky to live another two months. Since I was unable to keep any food down, my body began

    tock nutrition.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, why don¡¯t we go to the hospital in town? What else can we do about you being unable to

    hold down any food?¡± Jenny gently suggested as she cleaned up after yet another vomiting episode.

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°This is such a small town; we won¡¯t find any cure for me here. Let¡¯s not even bother,¡± I rejected

    Jenny¡¯s suggestion in a weak voice.

    ¡°We can still try our luck. It would be good if the doctor can ease your vomiting so you can eat more,¡±

    Jenny persuaded. In the end, I gave in to her, and we went to the hospital.

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    Chapter 308

    As I had expected, the doctor could not really find out what was wrong with me. He said that I had an

    endocrine disorder that had upset my stomach and advised me to walk around more in the sun and

    take some medication to help with my vomiting. I wanted tough at his diagnosis; if only his advice

    could actually cure me, I would definitely go to sleep with a smile that night.

    Surprisingly, after taking the medication that the doctor had prescribed, I really did stop throwing up. I

    could enjoy my meals again. Meanwhile, Jenny was overjoyed and hailed the doctor as a genius. I

    thought that was really cute of her.

    After that, I called Sabrina on the phone. The moment she picked up, she asked me in a very dispirited

    tone, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Except for the asional dizziness, I don¡¯t have any otherints. Lately, I¡¯ve been able

    to eat more too.¡± After updating her about my condition, I asked her, ¡°Sabby, if you could spare the

    time, could you please pay Christopher a visit at the hospital and see if he¡¯s okay? I¡¯m very worried

    about him.¡±

    ¡°I am in the hospital right now!¡± Sabrina said gravely.

    My heart skipped a beat at her response. Is Christopher really just nearby? Right away, I asked her

    earnestly, ¡°How is he? Is he resting? Are his wounds healed? Is he eating well?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gone, so how can he be okay?¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s words made my heart ache. I felt as if someone had taken a hammer and shattered my entire

    heart into tiny pieces.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hear for yourself?¡± Sabrina turned her phone to speaker mode, and I could hear the

    sounds and voices from the background. All of a sudden, I heard Julia crying and Christopher yelling¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word you say! How could Eve be dead? You must be hiding her somewhere! We were

    together all along, and I survived! So, how could she have died?¡± Christopher shouted stubbornly with

    tears in his eyes. He refused to believe Julia and Monica.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. We found her shoes on the beach, and that¡¯s it. I¡¯m so sorry! We really tried to look for her,

    but we couldn¡¯t find her!¡± Monica leaned closer to Christopher and whispered to him,¡± I didn¡¯t know that

    you had such a close rtionship with Ms. Tanner. Stop torturing yourself like this, okay?¡±

    ¡°Chris, please listen to me! You haven¡¯t eaten anything in three days. Your body can¡¯t take this!¡± Julia

    begged her son.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Let me go! I¡¯m going to find Yvonne myself!¡± Christopher angrily swept

    everything off the table and walked barefoot toward the door.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Chris, please don¡¯t act like this! Please?¡±

    ¡°Get off me!¡±

    p! The sharp sound cracked through the air, stunning Christopher. Gordon lowered his hand and

    stared coldly at his son. ¡°Stop making a scene! You¡¯re a twenty-year-old adult. It¡¯s time to grow up!¡±

    Christopher touched his cheek gingerly and looked at Gordon. Then, he asked in a deliberately slow

    voice, ¡°Dad, I know you would never lie. Tell me, where is Yvonne?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ dead!¡± Gordon closed his eyes as he could not bear to look at the pain etched his son¡¯s face.

    ¡°Is she really dead?¡± Christopher asked gravely.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s dead. She sacrificed herself so that you could live. You shouldn¡¯t waste your life away like

    this and let her death be in vain,¡± Gordon answered in an equally solemn tone.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­ She¡¯s really gone¡­¡± Christopher kept repeating the same line over and over again to

    himself. Suddenly, he coughed out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

    ¡°Chris!¡± Everyone in the room eximed as they rushed forward to help him up.

    Christopher suddenly reached out and grabbed the shoe in Monica¡¯s hand and hugged it to his chest.

    Then, he started sobbing, and his entire body began to shake with all his suppressed grief and despair.

    Every single beating heart in that room ached for him.

    ¡°Eve¡­ Eve¡­. My darling Eve¡­¡±

    I pressed my hands to my lips to stop myself from crying out loud, but tears were flowing endlessly

    down my cheeks. Christopher¡¯s grief tugged at my heart. At that moment, I wanted so badly to return to

    him and tell him that I was still alive.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Christopher let out an anguished roar. Hearing him so clearly over the phone almost tore me

    apart. I steadied myself and tried to stand up but stumbled to the ground.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309

    I did not know how long I was unconscious. I only knew that I woke up in my bedroom to the sounds of

    Jenny sobbing. She stopped when she saw that I had awoken and asked me if I felt any pain. I shook

    my head and pressed my hand against my chest. My heart hurt so badly that I could not breathe.

    My head was also throbbing with pain. I must have hit it too hard when I fell to the ground. My entire

    body felt ufortable. Just then, I opened my mouth to say something, but instead, I coughed out a

    mouthful of blood. When Jenny saw that, she screamed and threw herself at the telephone to call the

    doctor.

    I blinked a few times. Something was wrong. Was I hallucinating? I could actually see Jenny crying into

    the phone. I could see her tears falling, and her choked-up expression.

    I shook my head lightly, but I could still see the scene in front of me. Although my vision was blurry, I

    could still see! My eyes widened in surprise, and I looked at Jenny incredulously.

    The doctor came by to check on me. He said that I had coughed up blood because there was a blood

    clot in my body and coughing up the blood was actually good for me.

    My mind wandered as I kept staring at the scene around me in a stunned daze. While the doctor was

    listening to my heartbeat, I suddenly grabbed his hand and said excitedly, ¡°Doctor, I can see with my

    eyes! You are holding a stethoscope in your hand, right?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, you¡­¡± Jenny squeezed my hand and asked eagerly, ¡°What am I wearing right now, and

    what kind of hair clip do I have in my hair?¡±

    I smiled and replied, ¡°You¡¯re wearing a blue jacket with a white shirt underneath, and your hair clip¡­

    they look like red cherries. There are two cherries, right? My vision is quite blurry at the moment.¡±

    Upon that, Jenny¡¯s hands began quivering in excitement. She undid the hair clip and handed it to me,

    ¡°Look, Ms. Tanner, you¡¯re absolutely right. You can see again!¡±

    After that, I was brought to the hospital again. In that small hospital, I was put through a series of

    careful tests. When the test results came out, the doctor was even happier than I was.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, your visual impairment was caused by a blood clot in your brain that was pressing against

    your optic nerve. Now that the blood clot is beginning to dissolve, your vision will soon recover as well.

    Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I can see again soon?¡± I gently touched the corner of my eyes. My vision had

    plunged into darkness again after being able to see for a short period of time earlier.

    ¡°Of course, as long as you take care of yourself well,¡± The doctor replied and prescribed me several

    medications. ¡°Stop all other medications and just take these herbs. After you finish these, your vision

    should bepletely back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Stop taking my other medicines?¡± I frowned.

    ¡°Doctor, Ms. Tanner can¡¯t stop her other medications. Her illness¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny, let¡¯s listen to the doctor¡¯s advice.¡± I did not want to take the cancer medication anymore. They

    made me feel worse than I already did. Since I only had a few months left in this world, I wanted to

    bask in all its glory.

    Eventually, I would be nothing but dust, but I did not want to slowly fade away into the darkness.

    The doctor was an old TCM practitioner who prescribed weird medications. He crushed some herbs

    and added the mucus from a certain type of locally-caught fish. This concoction was to be applied to

    my eyes. He also told me to change the dressing every day and avoid looking at anything that would

    hurt my eyes.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The fish mucus emitted an unpleasant smell. My entire body was covered in its stench, and it made me

    very ufortable. Once I exited the hospital, the pedestrians quickly crossed the road to avoid me.

    Right then, a small school-aged kid ran up to me and asked curiously, ¡°Miss, did you just eat a lot of

    garlic? Why is there garlic paste on your eyes? Are you feeding them? Can my eyes eat garlic as

    well?¡±

    When I heard his question, my lips twitched in amusement. I ruffled his hair and smiled, ¡°This is not

    garlic. But anyway, I hope your eyes won¡¯t ever have to eat garlic.¡±

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310

    I did not allow Jenny to tell Darius about my eyes. If he found out, he would spread the news, and

    everyone woulde to visit me. Then, Christopher might find out that I was still alive, and all our

    efforts would have been in vain.

    I left Christopher because I did not want him to know anything about me anymore.

    Yeringham was very far away from Avenport. One was in the north and the other in the south; the two

    locations were two thousand kilometers apart. I was very certain that Christopher would not be able to

    find me here.

    Meanwhile, Jenny was very concerned about me stopping my cancer medications. She sat down next

    to me with my medicine in her hand and asked, ¡°Ms. Tanner, what will happen if you don¡¯t take your

    medicine? Is recovering your eyesight worth the risk?¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Jenny, you know as well as I do that my illness has no cure. Why don¡¯t we choose the treatment that

    will actually heal something?¡± I touched the bandage on my eyes and smiled. ¡°How wonderful would it

    be to see again. I can look at the beautiful marigolds blooming in the town, go down to the beach to

    watch the fishes swim, and gaze at the rising sun. It¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯ll die soon, but it¡¯ll be amazing to

    be able to enjoy the beauty of this world before I have to leave it behind.¡±

    Jenny fell silent instantly when she heard what I said. I knew that she was upset right then. Besides, I

    could hear her sniffling to herself quietly at the back.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry. There are many beautiful things in this world to be enjoyed and explored, like the

    innocence of young children. You know what? Let¡¯s go to the schoolgrounds! I like to spend time with

    the kids.¡±

    There was only one school in this small town where children and teenagers of all ages went to. They

    were there even on Sundays. When I arrived, the children were gathered around a man who was telling

    them a story. The man had a soft voice, as gentle as the ocean breeze that was caressing my cheeks.

    He sounded quite familiar. It was like I had heard his voice somewhere before.

    ¡°Then, Snow White and her prince lived happily ever after. The moral of the story is that happiness is

    always right in front of you. You kids must do well in school, alright? Cherish your lives!¡±

    ¡°Mister, tell us another story! I want to hear the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves!¡±

    ¡°Ah, the prettydy is here too! Tell us a story too, Miss!¡± One of the children noticed my presence and

    called out to me.

    A group of them ran toward me,ughing happily. The man was surprised to see me and shouted,

    ¡°Yvonne, why are you here?¡±

    I still could not recognize who this man was. After all, I had attended many parties and met a lot of

    people throughout my life. Thus, I asked in a rather embarrassed tone, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t see. You are?¡±

    When the man heard my question, he smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°It seems like I¡¯m rather forgettable.

    You really don¡¯t remember me at all?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ve been in poor health recently, and my memory is not doing too good either. So please forgive

    me. Can you remind me of your name? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to recall if you give me your name.¡± I truly

    did not expect to run into anyone I knew in such a secluded town.

    I could only hope that this man was not Benjamin or anyone close to him. He was thest person I

    wanted to see in my current state. Thinking of Benjamin suddenly reminded me of Crystal, and I

    wondered where she had gone. If she did not return, Nathan and Natalie would likely head to the

    hospital and cause a scene. That would definitely not go down well.

    The man sighed, and then, a coughing fit came over him. After a while, he said, ¡°We met before in the

    hospital when you crashed into my ward¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucas? I eximed in surprise, recalling the scene that he had described.

    I had gone to the hospital to visit my grandma on that day and hid in his room to avoid running into

    Crystal and Lyle. At that time, he had talked to me in such a gentle manner, and his voice had a

    distinctive mncholic quality to it. It was no wonder that his voice sounded so familiar.

    ¡°Yes, so you do remember! I was the Lucas who was kicked out of the house instead of bing

    engaged.¡± Lucas smiled.

    Must he bring up this story every single time? It¡¯s a rather awkward thing to say! Did my refusal to

    marry him affect him so badly? Honestly, I didn¡¯t think it would. After all, he is a son of the Goldstein

    family, and his father is the chairman of the Goldstein Corporation! Even if he doesn¡¯t have the best

    reputation, I¡¯m sure there are still plenty ofdies who would want to marry him.

    ¡°What happened to your eyes? Were they injured?¡±

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311

    ¡°I got into an ident and I¡¯ve lost my eyesight temporarily. But, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be able to see again in

    a few days,¡± I answered as I leaned against the wheelchair. ¡°What about you? What are you doing

    here? As the sole heir to the Goldstein family, shouldn¡¯t you be working your butt off at the Goldstein

    Corporation? I can imagine you attending countless meetings with the upper management and going

    through piles of paper. What brings you here in this small town?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never interfered in the family business. I¡¯m here on vacation. I was told that this town was a

    perfect ce for a getaway, so here I am,¡± Lucas answered.

    We were catching up when a bunch of kids approached us. ¡°Oh, so you both know each other? That¡¯s

    awesome! Now, you can tell us a story together. We can¡¯t wait to hear it,¡± The kids urged as they held

    onto our arms.

    We couldn¡¯t bear to turn down their requests upon their enthusiastic expressions. Hence, we spent the

    entire afternoon at the school and even had lunch there.

    I noticed that Lucas¡¯ was very weak. He¡¯d start panting and coughing every time we walked around. I

    guess it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that I met him at the hospital thest time. He must be a chronic invalid. I

    guess that makes the two of us.

    We both exchanged countless conversations about which medication was the worst among the lot. I

    was surprised when he told me he had bought a ce in town. In fact, it was the house right next to

    mine. Who knew we¡¯d live so close to each other.

    There was an ufortable tingling sensation in my eyes the moment I switched medications.

    However, the feeling of nausea had decreased ever since I stopped taking the medication from

    Avenport. I was rather impressed by the significant change.

    I felt more energetic and could walk around with the help of a cane. I would have been out all day and

    wouldn¡¯t require Jenny¡¯s care if it weren¡¯t for my eyes.

    As for Lucas, he was a typical mncholic prince. It was a contagious feeling that had passed on to me

    whenever I was with him. For instance, he would murmur a quote when we watched the sunset.

    He would also sigh at the sight of a blooming flower. ¡°A blooming flower marks the start of its withering

    process. Sadly, a flower begins to wither when it blooms at its best.¡±

    When we admired the sea, he would say, ¡°The sea is heartless. It swallows everything it desires.¡±

    Oh my god! I¡¯m starting to wonder how he grew up to be such a pessimistic guy. The second time we

    watched the sunset. Once again, I heard him say a mncholic quote. I instantly grabbed a handful of

    sand and threw it on his head.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that for?¡± Lucas asked in confusion.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Goldstein, you seem to have a very pessimistic view of life. Can¡¯t you think of something nice

    to say instead of expressing so much negativity as you witness the beauty of nature? Look, I know that

    sunset is bleak, but why focus on the bad when you can admire its beauty? One may be sad as a

    blooming flower would soon wither to dust. But please remember this, it had once served its prime. And

    that is what life is all about.¡±

    ¡°Now look at me, I can¡¯t see and am on the verge of dying. Yet, I choose to believe in hope and enjoy

    all the good things in life while itsts. I wouldn¡¯t want toy in a corner, waiting for death to knock upon

    my door.¡±

    Lucas was stunned for a long time once I bombarded him. He then came back to his senses and swept

    the sand off his head. ¡°Oh, Yvonne, you¡¯re such an interesting person! I believe my life would be

    completely different if we got married back then.¡± Heughed out loud.

    Damn it, why are you always bringing that up? Didn¡¯t you resent me because I dumped you during the

    engagement?

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    We began to chase after each other on the beach as the sun set. Although I wasn¡¯t able to see

    anything, I had a great time. Lucas deliberately ced some sand on my feet and I fought back by

    throwing a handful back at him. Momentster, he paused and asked, ¡°Are you really going to die?¡±

    I lowered my head to hide my expression before I lifted my head with a smile. ¡°Yeah, I am. So I¡¯m trying

    my best to enjoy every moment I have left in my life.¡±

    When I looked at Lucas, my mind immediately drifted to Christopher. I guess I would be much happier if

    he were by my side. Hence, I decided to give Sabrina a call. I took out my phone and dialed her

    number. I was surprised to hear Christopher¡¯s voice when the line got through.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312

    I didn¡¯t know why Sabrina¡¯s phone was with Christopher. Yet, I was overjoyed to hear the familiar raspy

    voice; I almost cried out in joy. I quickly held back my tears as I remembered the doctor¡¯s words. Stop

    it, I can¡¯t cry now if I want a speedy recovery.

    At that moment, Lucas was pouring me a cup of tea. I quickly handed him the phone and begged him

    to speak on my behalf. I also mouthed Sabrina¡¯s name to remind him of the subject.

    Lucas did not understand at first as he took hold of the phone. However, something clicked in his mind

    as he responded, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m looking for Sabrina. Could you pass the phone to her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s out at the moment and won¡¯t be back anytime. I can pass on the message if it¡¯s urgent.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse. I could sense the exhaustion and dullness in his voice. It

    was as if his soul was sucked out of him. He was unlike the usual Christopher who was full of life that I

    knew.

    I couldn¡¯t be more excited as I held my breath and listened to his voice. I didn¡¯t think I could still hear

    his voice. This is such an amazing feeling! How I wished Lucas could exchange a few more words with

    Christopher. That way, I could listen to his voice a little longer. I tugged Lucas¡¯s sleeve and pleaded

    silently.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. But, may I know who I am speaking to? Why do you have Sabrina¡¯s phone with you?¡±

    Lucas knew what I wanted and acted upon it in an instant.

    ¡°I¡¯m her friend. And you are?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Sabrina¡¯s friend who lives overseas¡­¡±

    Both Lucas and Christopher did not exchange many words before Christopher decided to hang up. I

    was d that I called Sabrina¡¯s phone with a new number that had international roaming. The number¡¯s

    coordinates were located in Yaleview and Christopher wouldn¡¯t have known that this number had

    anything to do with me.

    I held the phone and pressed my face to it as I desperately tried to feel Christopher¡¯s warmth. I bit my

    lips, trying to stop myself from crying. I miss you so much, Christopher. How I wish I could hold you in

    my arms instead of listening to your voice.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you and Christopher lovers?¡± Lucas asked in surprise.

    ¡°No, not lovers. He¡¯s my one true love that has been through life and death experiences with me.¡± I

    ced my lips on the phone, pretending that I was kissing Christopher.

    ¡°Things won¡¯t end well if you decide to be with him,¡± Lucas replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m dying, so what happy ending would there be?¡± I couldn¡¯t see Lucas¡¯s expression, so I

    didn¡¯t notice the signs of worry and warning in his eyes. I merely thought he was empathetic of my

    situation.

    I choked as I recalled all the times I¡¯ve spent with Christopher. I raised my head high to prevent myself

    from crying. However, it was toote. I could feel the tears flowing down my cheeks uncontrobly.

    I looked out of the window towards the direction of Avenport. It was the city where Christopher was, two

    thousand miles away from me. I made a hugging gesture as I thought to myself. Christopher, you must

    live happily, even if it means that I¡¯m gone¡­

    I received Sabrina¡¯s call at night when Lucas returned home. Sabrina told me that Christopher knew it

    was me all along. He even asked her about Lucas. So, I briefly told her about my encounter with Lucas.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to meet him onest time? Christopher has been very out of it. All he

    does every day is roam around the house with your shoes in hand. Besides that, whenever Zachary

    and I visit him, he¡¯d warn us not to disturb him. He wanted to watch the sunset with you in peace.¡±

    I lowered my head and touched my ring finger where I once wore a diamond ring. It was now empty; I

    could no longer feel the ring and be reminded of the eternal promise that it held.

    ¡°Sabby, I missed him more than anyone else. But, I¡¯m dying and I¡¯ll disappear forever. So what¡¯s the

    point for me to see him again? I don¡¯t want to break him further.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, do as you please. These are some of the things I can¡¯t interfere with. For instance, this. Oh,

    speaking of which, Darius mentioned that he sent you a new medication. It¡¯s a new medication from

    Anndur. Are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I feel less nauseous now.¡± I didn¡¯t n to tell Sabrina that I¡¯ve stopped consuming any medication

    for a few days now. In fact, I don¡¯t n to take any from now on. I feel much better despite suffering

    from the asional dizziness. But, it wasn¡¯t as frequent as before.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good news! You must take your medication on time, okay? I¡¯ll visit you in a few days.

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313

    ¡°Don¡¯t, Christopher isn¡¯t in a good condition these days. Why don¡¯t you both spend more time with him?

    Please ask Zachary to visit him more frequently. He might feel better with somepany around. You

    can always visit me next month. I¡¯ll be able to see you by then and bid my best friend goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Eve, I¡¯m getting married,¡± Sabrina said.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting married?¡± I was stunned. Man, she¡¯s moving really fast with Zachary. It didn¡¯t seem like

    a long time since they first dated each other. I was surprised when I found out she had hit all bases in

    such a short time and now marriage? I remembered how I used to tease her about her wild imagination

    of dating the man of her dreams. Yet, she could only watch Christopher and I make out in the room.

    She cried out sadly as she hugged a pillow in her arms,ining of being a virgin still.

    I paused for a moment before my face lit up into a smile. I was overjoyed. ¡°Congrattions, Sabby!

    You¡¯ll be a great wife and I know you¡¯ll live a happy life.¡±

    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ¡°What am I going to do, Eve? I really want you toe and be my bridesmaid. I also want you to be

    the one who catches my bouquet at the wedding. You¡¯re my best friend. Remember we promised to

    be bridesmaids for one another no matter who ties the knot first and receive the bouquet. I can¡¯t

    imagine what I would do if I don¡¯t see you at my wedding.¡±

    Sabrina burst out crying. All the sorrow she had been suppressing all this while exploded at that

    moment. ¡°Eve, why did you have to live such a life? You went through so much to meet the right man!

    Why can¡¯t you live a happy life?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Sabby, don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re going to make me cry too,¡± I trembled as I struggled to keep my tears from

    falling. My heart ached in pain as I couldn¡¯t do anything tofort her but only listen through the

    phone.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, all I what to do now is cry. Can¡¯t you just let me cry for once?¡± Sabrina snapped. ¡°You

    probably don¡¯t know this but Monica has been lurking by Christopher¡¯s side ever since you left. The

    Lane family is also trying their best to make Christopher fall in love with her. They might end up married

    and giving birth to a child. No one would remember who you are by then. How can you be so stupid to

    allow your man to be taken by someone else?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so dumb, Eve! You are the worst dummy I¡¯ve ever met!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. Yet, you still choose to be my friend.¡± I smiled in tears.

    I noticed she sounded tired after talking for hours. So, I pretended I was tired and called it a night. I

    held my walking stick in one hand as I tried to find my ring that was supposed to be on my bed.

    However, I started to panic when I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere.

    I realized I haven¡¯t held the wedding ring Christopher gifted me because of my condition. Yet, I do know

    for sure that I didn¡¯t lose it at sea. I remembered holding Christopher¡¯s hand and our rings touched the

    day before I was rescued.

    Perhaps I dropped it somewhere in the house?

    I desperately tried to recall as I frantically searched my dressing table. However, it was nowhere to be

    seen. I panicked and shouted, ¡°Jenny, Jenny! Come quickly!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jenny rushed in. I quickly made signs and ced my hands forward. ¡°My

    ring, it¡¯s missing. Please help me find it! It was the ring that Christopher gave me during our wedding.¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll find it for you this instance!¡±

    It was past midnight as Jenny and I rummaged through the cupboards, searching for the ring. We

    looked everywhere, the dressing table and the suitcases. Then, we searched through the bed. We

    even took out the sheets but still found nothing.

    I sat down on the ground and my lips started to quiver. I began to panic as I couldn¡¯t find the ring and

    my body started to tremble.

    ¡°Perhaps you dropped it on the ground? Let me sweep the floor,¡± Jennyforted. She quickly swept

    around the house but found nothing.

    ¡°What am I going to do? I can¡¯t believe I lost my wedding ring.¡± I sat on the ground, feeling helpless. I

    left the love of my life and lost our wedding ring. Does it mean that we shouldn¡¯t have gotten married in

    the first ce?

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, I just realized you weren¡¯t wearing the ring when you were on the ne,¡± she said.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314

    Christopher sat in the garden as he stared at the sunset. He was painted orange by the color of the sky

    which made him seem even sadder and lonely. His hot tea had gone cold. Yet, it did not stop him from

    taking a sip.

    His left hand curled into a ball as he clenched it so tightly his entire arm was trembling. It was as if he

    was suppressing something. A sense of emotion shed past his eyes before it quickly disappeared

    into his dark eyes.

    Monica had been standing behind him for a long time now. Atst, she decided to approach him as she

    poured the tea in Christopher onto the grass and handed him a new cup of hot tea. ¡°Don¡¯t drink cold

    tea, it might affect your recovery.¡±

    Christopher tilted his head and eyed Monica coldly. ¡°I told you, don¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m in the

    garden,¡± he said.

    Monica frowned at Christopher¡¯s words. He hasn¡¯t been the nicest to me. Yet, he has never spoken to

    me in this way. I wonder what made him change? I don¡¯t feel any sense of regret doing what I did in the

    past. I know I¡¯ll find a way to break through the current situation as long as he¡¯s by my side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, okay? I¡¯m merely worried about you,¡± Monica whispered as she tugged his sleeve.

    However, Christopher did not say a word but stared at her with coldness and sarcasm in his eyes. It

    was as if he was staring at a joke.

    Monica staggered backward when her eyes met his. She felt so naked as Christopher¡¯s piercing gaze

    seemed like it could look into her heart and thoughts.

    Monica gritted her teeth as she stepped forward. She squatted down in front of Christopher and held

    his hand. ¡°Chris, you know how I feel about you all this while. I don¡¯t know if I could do what Ms. Tanner

    did for you, but I know I¡¯d do the same for you in that situation. You¡¯re my number one priority.¡±

    ¡°Stop torturing yourself like this, Chris. How I wish you¡¯d be the old Christopher that I¡¯m familiar

    with. Stop this, okay? Your parents are worried sick. Why don¡¯t we try things out? Let go of the past

    and start anew with me. I¡¯ll try my best to make you happy. All I need is one chance.¡±

    ¡°Just because you love me, so you did all that?¡±

    Christopher sneered, he knew what kind of person Monica was since young. She may seem kind and

    gentle, yet it couldn¡¯t mask her cold and selfishness on the inside. She desired to obtain a good

    reputation and recognition as a pianist. Thus, she framed someone else in a blink of an eye. She made

    herself seem like a goddess which every girl longs to be. Yet, Christopher saw through her tricks.

    Monica didn¡¯t understand what he meant. So, she quickly nodded her head. ¡°Of course, I love you

    more than anything and I would do anything for you. So please, Christopher, just give me a chance.

    Give us a chance, perhaps things would be different as long as you try.¡±

    ¡°But my heart belongs to someone else, Monica. You know that,¡± Christopher said. He didn¡¯t mean to

    hurt her. She was like a little sister to him. However, he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart

    as he spat such harsh words at her.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Nothing matters more than my love for you, Chris. I¡¯ll try my best to make you fall in love

    with me.¡± Monica was in tears. Her heart was shattered into pieces when Christopher said those words.

    ¡°Hmph, but I don¡¯t want to try!¡± Christopher shouted. ¡°Do I look like a fool to you? Is that why you¡¯re all

    putting on a show just to make a fool out of me?¡± He pointed at himself.

    ¡°Chris, what are you talking about?¡± Monica was stunned. She had a feeling Christopher knew

    something.

    He opened his clenched fists and revealed a dazzlingdy¡¯s ring. Christopher continued, ¡°This is the

    wedding ring I got for Yvonne and I found in the ward next to mine. Every one of you imed that she

    had a sea burial. Then, tell me, why would her ring appear in my ward?¡±

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    The next day, I continued my search for the ring with a sense of feeling that I would find it very soon.

    Unfortunately, I found nothing.

    I was very upset and didn¡¯t want to do anything else for the day. Lucas visited me with some chicken

    soup, but it didn¡¯t help me cheer up. Apparently, his servant made extras so he decided to share it with

    me as it was good for health. Subsequently, he began to cough as soon as he finished his sentence.

    I rested my chin on my hand and leaned against the wheelchair. ¡°Why are you always sick? We met at

    the hospital thest time and now you¡¯re here, recuperating.¡± I asked in concern.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been sick since young and spend most of my time in a hospital. My dad had done a lot to

    keep me alive and well. Hence, I¡¯m able to walk freely now. I wasn¡¯t able to do so a few years back. I

    would be locked up in the house if he found out that I was out.¡± Lucas coughed as he tried to finish his

    words.

    I wondered why there would be tons of scandal about him if he spent most of his time in the hospital.

    He was someone who couldn¡¯t leave the house with such a health condition. Therefore, the scandals

    didn¡¯t add up. It¡¯d only make sense if he was bullied by others judging from his health condition.

    ¡°I guess you must have pissed off someone in the media industry.¡± I firmly believed that there must be

    a mastermind behind all this. For example, there were rumors about me when I was a kid. I was

    described as a vicious and ruthless woman who bullied my sister.

    Nheless, I had Yvette and a cousin sister who stayed in my house. Lucas was an only child. So

    how did end up in such a mess?

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°I guess so. Iughed the entire day when I heard the news that I was dating a female celebrity and

    even got her killed. I was down with a high fever and was on drips. I was so weak that I couldn¡¯t even

    move a finger. Thus, how could I mess with a celebrity at that time? Yet, I was grateful to have a

    healthy body.¡±

    Lucas fed me a spoonful of chicken soup. But, I was too embarrassed to be fed by a man. So, I turned

    my head away and said softly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ce the soup on the table? I¡¯ll have the soup once

    Jenny returns.¡±

    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s wrong with me helping you out as a big brother. Besides, I don¡¯t meet someone I

    know in a foreign town like this.¡± he insisted.

    I had to drink the soup in the end as I failed to persuade him to do as I say. The soup tasted very weird

    and I didn¡¯t enjoy it. ording to Lucas, there were a bunch of medicinal herbs added to the mixture. I

    wondered if he did this on purpose to get back at me for dumping him.

    ¡°So, tell me, what does the Goldstein family residence look like? Is it simr to the Lane family? The

    Lane family residence was like a European-style castle. It¡¯s breathtaking, they even have a little cruise

    situated by theke. Although it was a man-madeke, they bought a cruise ship to enjoy the scenery

    by theke. Therefore, I¡¯m very curious about what the Goldstein family residence looks like?¡±

    I remembered my dad told me that my mom left us for the eldest son of the Goldstein family.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you ask?¡± Lucas was surprised.

    I took a few mouthfuls of the soup andughed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just curious.¡±

    He is about the same age as me, so he probably wouldn¡¯t know much. Yet, the eldest son of the

    Goldstein family was his uncle. Perhaps he¡¯d know something I don¡¯t?

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not as amazing as you¡¯d think. Our house is an ancient artifact that was coated with the smell

    of rot. I hated staying in that house. Maybe it¡¯s because I was trapped there most of my childhood. To

    add on, my dad would return home exhausted and would often throw tantrums¡­¡± Lucas paused.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this but that cruise ship was bought during Christopher¡¯s twenty-eighth

    birthday. Everyone was envious of his lifestyle and how he could live life as he pleased.

    I was surprised when he shifted the topic to Christopher and was not sure of what to say. Simrly, my

    mind drifted to the first time when I met him. He leaned against a couchzily with two beautiful women

    by his side. He twirled his wine ss and smiled at me wantonly.

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    My encounter with Christopher was as simple as this. Like most of the other rich yboys, he was

    extremely wild during parties. While drinking and gambling, he would always have a beautiful woman

    by his side. Back then, Lyle wanted to coborate with Christopher on a project.

    I could not remember much except for the fact that he sent a pair of beautiful girls to Christopher, who

    immediately burst outughing. Hugging the two girls, he walked upstairs. When he turned around, he

    deliberately shot me a nce and raised his eyebrows arrogantly. He was so mboyant.

    I then contemted it further. ording to what Christopher said, he might have already set his eyes

    on me back then and was nning to steal me away from Lyle.

    Our first time happened in a private room on the second floor of the bar. Although he pretended to be

    very skilled, he was still a bit amateurish when we did it. The man teased me, but his actions did not

    reflect his words.

    Back then, my mind was set on taking revenge on Lyle. I was nervous, scared, and even flustered. As I

    was drunk, I just wanted to vent my emotions. I had never thought that we would progress till that

    stage.

    Those memories had be a pleasant thing of the past. I could not help but savor these memories,

    reminiscing his every single gaze and action. I loved how proud and narcissistic he was when he was

    cooking.

    I also loved it when he hugged me, especially those broad shoulders of his. When he pinned me under

    his body, he would always be very excited. Yet, he would kiss me with such gentleness. He loved to call

    me Eve when we slept together. Sometimes, I would y along with him and call him my lover boy.

    When that happened, he would get exceptionally excited. As if a burst of energy was surging through

    him, he would move so forcefully that I lost all control of my senses. I would not even know who I was

    until he yelled out loud and copsed on top of me.

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    At that moment, he would cup my face and kiss me endlessly. With his fingers running through my hair,

    he would plead me for a second time. This time, he wanted toe in from behind. He said my back

    was exceptionally beautiful¡ªmore so than anything he had seen.

    I slept soundly that night. However, in my dreams, I felt a tightness in my chest. When I opened my

    mouth, a warm liquid spurted out. I wiped my mouth and saw the bloodstains all over my hands.

    Tasting the metallic stench of blood, I was utterly shocked. I immediately yelled for Christopher in a

    panic.

    When Jenny heard my voice from outside, she hurried in.

    ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯m going to die soon! I vomited blood.¡± My hands iled in the air. In a

    moment of carelessness, I fell down to the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ms. Tanner. I¡¯ll call the doctor over now. Please, hang in there!¡±

    While I was in a daze, Jenny helped me to the bed. Lying there weakly, I started sobbing. No matter

    how strong I was, no matter how much I pretended to be nonchnt, I could not hide my fear of death.

    The doctor was very dutiful. Even though he was woken up by Jenny in the middle of the night, he was

    not angry. Instead, he was even more anxious than I was. After giving me a careful check-up, he

    heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear. It¡¯s normal for you to vomit out blood. There are too many toxins in your body

    because you¡¯ve taken too many inappropriate medicines. Not all medicine can be taken, you know? I

    don¡¯t know what medicine you¡¯ve taken that harmed your body so much. The medicine I prescribed to

    you is meant to eliminate the toxins from your body. Now that it¡¯s fulfilling its function, it¡¯s normal for you

    to vomit out blood. They¡¯re just clots in your body. Within the next half of the month, you can take off

    the bandage around your eyes.¡±

    ¡°But why do I feel so weak, as if all the strength had left my body? I feel like I¡¯m going to die

    immediately,¡± I asked in despair.

    ¡°People don¡¯t die so easily, so don¡¯t you spout nonsense! Just take your medicine, and you¡¯ll be fine.

    It¡¯s just an eye disease. I¡¯m a professional in treating that, okay?¡±

    When I heard what he said, I felt an inexplicable urge tough. He did not even manage to detect my

    brain cancer, so how could he possibly call himself a professional? If I actually died sometimeter, he

    might be surprised and realize that his medical skills were still unpolished.

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    However, he was right about one thing. After I woke up, I felt significantly better. Despite vomiting out

    so much blood, I was actually more energetic. When I walked, I was not as weak as before.

    For some reason, the house started leaking after the rain. While Jenny went to get someone to fix it, I

    was bored. Hence, I wheeled myself out and wandered around aimlessly. Before Jenny left, she had

    reminded me sternly that I should not venture outside casually. If I had to leave, I must bring Lucas

    along.

    However, I was not a child. If so many blind people could live independently, I could too. When Jenny

    noticed my nonchnt look, she directly summoned Lucas over. I spread my arms out to Lucas

    helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when my friend¡¯s even more worried than I am.¡±

    ¡°Just like my servants.¡± Lucas pointed at his bodyguards and servants behind him. ¡°Three of them need

    to follow me, or I¡¯m not allowed toe out.¡±

    I burst outughing. Now that I was feeling more energetic, my mood was better too. ¡°Let¡¯s visit the

    school. I miss those kids.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of the same thing too. I brought a kite because the sea breeze¡¯s pretty strong today. I¡¯ll

    teach them how to fly a kite. You should join us!¡±

    I did not know how many kites Lucas instructed his servants to buy. However, when the shop owner

    heard them speak, he was so excited that his voice trembled. He patted his chest and promised that

    not only would he deliver the kites to them, but he would also teach the kids.

    The kids cheered as they ran into the shop and rushed out with a kite in hand. Those who did not

    manage to get their hands on the big kites took the smaller kites meant for toddlers.

    Sitting on the beach and listening to their joyful voices, I smiled. Darius really knew how to find a

    suitable ce. When I said that I wanted a peaceful and tranquil ce, he found this small town for me.

    It was the best fit for me.

    Since I could not see, I sat in the wheelchair and listened intently. The kids were running on the beach,

    while the breeze blew gently. Even though I could not see it, I could still imagine the scene of the kites

    flying in the sky.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    An older boy walked over and shoved a kite into my hands. ¡°Ma¡¯am, my kite can fly the highest. It¡¯s

    extremely pretty too. I named it ¡®Blessings,¡¯ and I¡¯m giving it to you now.¡±

    Blessings¡­ What a great name!

    These kids probably did not understand the troubles of not being able to see. However, instead of

    anything bad about my eyes, they kept trying to think of ways to cheer me up. They¡¯re such beautiful

    angels!

    Upon that thought, I subconsciously ced my hand on my stomach. I used to be pregnant with

    Christopher¡¯s baby. It¡¯s a pity that my baby is gone¡­

    While holding the kite in a fluster, I wheeled my wheelchair forward carefully, afraid that I would drop

    the kite. But I was not paying much attention, so I identally let go of the strings. I quickly bent down

    to pick them up. However, at that moment, someone walked over, picked the strings up, and stuffed it

    into my hand.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Although I could not see, I could hear that it was an adult¡¯s heavy footsteps. Thinking that

    he was Lucas¡¯ bodyguard, I thanked him and asked, ¡°Did the kite drop?¡±

    The person did not answer, and I could feel an intense gaze staring at me. Feeling awkward, I ignored

    him and started fiddling around with the strings clumsily. Suddenly, the man beside me snatched the

    strings and ran around me for a while. After he stopped, he returned the strings to me.

    I guessed that he helped me because the kite was about to fall. Hence, I said gratefully, ¡°Thank you.

    This is a blessing that a kid gave me.¡±

    Despite that, the man remained quiet and stood beside me without saying anything. After a while, the

    wind became stronger, and the footsteps around me became messier. Just as I was feeling dizzy and

    quite chilly from the cold wind, a warm coat draped around me. Someone buttoned the coat for me

    meticulously, and I felt warm again.

    Thinking that he was Lucas, I smiled and said, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re sick like me, but why are you still draping

    a coat around me like a gentleman? Wear it quickly! If you start coughing again, your bodyguards will

    kill me.¡±

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    ¡°Just wear it, and stop resisting,¡± insisted Lucas impatiently.

    I shot a nce in the direction of his voice. However, for some reason, the direction seemed to be

    off. Am I disoriented because the wind¡¯s too strong?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. The wind¡¯s too strong, so it¡¯s unsuitable for us two sicklings to stay here.¡± Lucas then

    took the strings away from me.

    However, I was reluctant. ¡°I want to stay here for a little while longer. I don¡¯t know if I can be in such a

    comforting environment in the future.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nice for a girl like Jenny to be alone at home. If a stranger enters, it¡¯ll be dangerous for her,¡±

    said Lucas hesitatingly. His tone sounded a bit weird as if he was suppressing something. Thinking that

    his illness was acting up again, I stopped insisting and left with him.

    His bodyguard pushed my wheelchair forward. He was much more thoughtful than Lucas. When Lucas

    pushed my wheelchair, he was not that stable and would sometimes roll it over the pebbles. However,

    this bodyguard was very skilled. As expected from a professional who¡¯s been trained to take care of

    Lucas.

    When we returned, Jenny was instructing the others to fix the rooftop. As she was busy, I did not

    disturb her. I was about to enter the house to drink a cup of warm water when someone passed one to

    me.

    I could feel it beside my mouth as if the person was feeding it to me. Thinking that he was Lucas, I said

    exasperatedly, ¡°I can¡¯t see, but I can still move my hands. Not only have you fed me chicken soup, but

    you are feeding me water. Have you fallen in love with me?¡±

    I was joking, but Lucas immediately stood up from the chair and waved his hands in denial. ¡°Don¡¯t

    spout nonsense, Yvonne. I only helped you once because you were unwell. Must you tease me like

    that?¡±

    It was not a simple task to tease Lucas. In the past, he would rebuke me by saying that he was my

    fianc¨¦ and that I should remember him. I could already sense the resentment in his voice.

    I chuckled. ¡°Who¡¯s the one who kept reminding me that you¡¯re my fianc¨¦? It¡¯s rare of you to get this

    nervous.¡± When I said that, I could feel that the atmosphere was bing tense. I shivered and

    wrapped the nket tighter around myself.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Lucas ced a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat. When he saw the man, who was

    standing at one side, ring at him with bloodshot eyes, his heart thumped wildly. Why did he show up

    here? He looks so pathetic. His mustache is unshaved, and his eyes are bloodshot. It¡¯s like he hasn¡¯t

    slept in days.

    From the moment that man appeared, he had been staring at Lucas with such resentment that it was

    as if thetter had done something to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Why did you take it so seriously?¡±

    ¡°I always feel awkward when you joke, okay? I¡¯m d that I can make you equally awkward. Oh, right. I

    told Jenny to cook some fish today. Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner?¡± I asked with a smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± As if something was chasing him away, Lucas stood up from the chair and ran

    toward the door. Suddenly, he stopped and said to me, ¡°Um, I¡¯ll leave one of my bodyguards with you.

    Just order him around. It¡¯s unsafe to not have a man looking after your house. I heard that it¡¯s quite

    dangerous here, with many homeless peoplemitting crimes. He can protect you, and you can just

    order him around. You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Lucas!¡± Why is he leaving his bodyguard with me? I was about to call Lucas back, but he had

    already left.

    My mouth twitched as I nced beside me and said to the air, ¡°Sir, there are only two women here. It¡¯s

    a bit inconvenient for us, so why don¡¯t you go back?¡±

    Despite so, the bodyguard did not say anything. Instead, he wheeled me to the sofa and helped me sit

    down. Then, he turned up the heater in the house, passed me an unpeeled orange, and walked to

    another ce. From what I remembered, it was the kitchen.

    ¡°Sir? Sir?¡± I tried to call him back, but he ignored me. He mmed the kitchen door shut as if he was

    furious.

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    The door mmed against the wall loudly. I widened my eyes, wondering if bodyguards nowadays had

    such a fiery personality. After a while, Jenny came down, and I told her that Lucas had left a bodyguard

    to take care of me.

    She immediately ran to the kitchen to take a look. Then, she came out and told me, ¡°Ms. Tanner, the

    bodyguard looks homeless. He¡¯s so dirty; it was like he had just rolled around in the dirt. Also, his

    cheeks are so pale. Did Mr. Goldstein find him on the streets? But¡­¡± Jenner cupped her cheeks and

    said excitedly, ¡°he¡¯s really handsome, just like a movie star!¡±

    Perhaps, Lucas wanted to help this homeless man out. Since he did not have a good excuse, he left

    the man with me. However, that man did not seem quite willing to stay here and even got angry at me.

    I moved closer to Jenny and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t order him around, okay? His temper seems quite foul.¡±

    Jenny mumbled her acknowledgment before helping out at the kitchen.

    Dinner was very sumptuous. There were six dishes and a bowl of soup. As Jenny and I could not finish

    the food, I nned to summon the bodyguard to eat with us. However, after he passed me my te, he

    sat beside me directly.

    I was a bit speechless by his actions. Well, isn¡¯t that rude! It¡¯s as if he¡¯s the owner of this house. He

    even roamed the house just now. Could he be one of those homeless criminals that Lucas mentioned?

    At that, I trembled, feeling scared by what I just imagined. Just as I was thinking about it, someone

    ced a spoon beside my mouth. I could feel the warm food on it. For a moment, I could not help but

    reveal a flustered expression. Why does everyone love to feed me? What¡¯s going on?

    ¡°Um¡­ Lucas fed me soup as a joke. I can eat on my own, so you can just ce the cutlery and te

    by my hands. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±

    Nheless, the man ignored my wishes and insisted on cing the spoon beside my mouth. I

    nced at Jenny helplessly. ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir, Ms. Tanner isn¡¯t used to others feeding her. You¡­ Ahem!¡± Suddenly, Jenny changed the topic and

    said to me, ¡°Ms. Tanner, if he¡¯s feeding you, you don¡¯t have to be that courteous. Since someone else

    is paying him instead of us, there no need to keep refusing.¡±

    Since Jenny was not on my side, I had no choice but to eat silently. For some reason, the dishes were

    exceptionally delicious today, and they even tasted familiar. I remember eating simr dishes back in

    Avenport¡¯s restaurants. When I was fooling around with Christopher in the hotel suite, he asked the

    restaurant to send over some dishes that tasted simr to these. However, the dishes here tasted

    better and fresher.

    I drank more soup and savored it happily. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had such delicious soup.

    Were you a chef previously?¡±

    Instead of replying, the man poured another bowl of soup for me. Jenny asked him, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you

    speaking? Are you a celebrity or a model? You look so handsome, so your voice must be nice too,

    right?¡±

    Still silent, the man insisted on feeding me first before having his own dinner. The atmosphere felt really

    weird. After eating, he moved the dirty dishes to the kitchen. Without seeking Jenny¡¯s agreement, he

    wheeled me out directly.

    Surprised, I yelled, ¡°Where are you bringing me? Jenny! Jenny!¡±

    I did not know what Jenny was doing, but she did not seem to hear my calls at all. Soon after that, the

    man had brought me out of the house and to the park. Then, he stopped and passed me a white cane.

    Only then did I realize that he wanted me to exercise after eating. Holding the white cane, I stood up

    and walked around on the grassy field. The man followed behind me silently without saying anything.

    Hence, I could not help but ask, ¡°Are you unable to speak? Don¡¯t misunderstand me, though. I don¡¯t

    intend to mock you. Since I can¡¯t see anything, I have no right tough at you either.¡±

    The man looked at me for a long time. I could even sense his gaze sweeping over my body from head

    to toe. Still, he remained silent. I had probably guessed the truth, for he did not reply to me.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

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    There was a round object rolling toward me, but I didn¡¯t notice it. Thus, I stepped on it and started

    toppling forward. However, the man next to me quickly pulled me back. I held his hand, which felt cool

    and smooth. Immediately, I thought of Christopher.

    Perhaps, I really miss him too much. If not, why do I think of him every time there is a man nearby.

    Besides, Christopher would never let anyone call him a mute.

    I could feel that the man was furious because he had kicked away the thing that made me lose my

    footing almost instantly. I didn¡¯t know how scary the expression on his face was, but the boy who came

    chasing for his ball suddenly stopped in his tracks and cried.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    As soon as I heard the kid wailing, I tugged at the man¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hostile. He¡¯s just a child.

    Besides, I¡¯m not hurt.¡±

    Remaining silent, the man just took my walking stick from me, held my hand, and continued to walk

    forward, almost as if thinking that this way was the safest. What a considerate man¡ªgentle and

    thoughtful, just like Christopher. Perhaps something huge had happened at home, and it molded him

    into the wandering vagabond that he was today.

    I held his hand tightly, imagining that I was holding Christopher¡¯s hand and naturally leaning toward

    him. We were really close to each other, and I thought that a tough man like him would push me away

    or distant himself, but he did not say a word. Instead, he pulled me closer so that my shoulder was

    against his arm.

    We walked side by side, holding hands, into the sunset and toward the beach. After walking for a while,

    I said to him, ¡°You are very simr to my husband. He can cook, too, but the food he cooks is not as

    delicious as yours. Yet, in my opinion, it is the best food I have eaten in my life.¡±

    The man suddenly stopped, and I could feel that he was looking at me again. I smiled and said, ¡°Jenny

    told me that you¡¯re handsome, but you¡¯re definitely not as handsome as my husband. He¡¯s the most

    handsome and attractive man I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.

    ¡°He¡¯s as thoughtful as you are. He always thinks ahead and remembers things that I couldn¡¯t recall. He

    takes care of me in every way and spoils me. Sometimes, it seems to me he¡¯s treating me like a child.¡±

    As I talked, my eyes became dry, and they felt really painful under the gauze bandages. Recently, the

    dosages for the medication became more and more that it made me so ufortable. I then crouched

    down and clutched at my forehead while biting my lips in agony. ¡°Pleasefort me and don¡¯t let me

    cry. I mustn¡¯t cry.¡±

    He patted the back of my hand gently a few times in rhythm and then took my hand and pointed toward

    the distant sunset. I was still feeling bad, and I whimpered, ¡°I miss him so much all the time. There is

    not a single moment that I do not think about him. Every day, I count the days to see how much longer I

    can live. Then I think about how much longer I will miss him. Even though those are just thoughts of

    him, they still make me happy. Even so, I feel like crying because I really want to see him so badly.

    Out of nowhere, he put a stalk of flower into my hands. I sniffed the soothing fragrance from the rose

    and calmed down. Right at that moment, I remembered that everything was cheap in this town, all

    except for roses. Where did he get the rose from?

    ¡°Sir, you have taken a rose from me, and it costs one hundred. But since you treat your wife so well, I

    shall give you a 20% discount. Please pay me eighty because I have to rece it. I need it to propose

    to my girlfriend.¡±

    Only then did I understand that this man actually got flowers from a passerby tofort me. Upon that,

    I chuckled out loud. He was adorable, just like Christopher.

    Then, I took out a one hundred note from my pocket and handed it to the passerby. Smiling, I said,

    ¡°Sorry, here¡¯s one hundred. Please keep it. I wish you sess in your marriage proposal.¡±

    On the third day of his arrival, I decided to give him a nickname, ¡°Ss,¡± because he was always silent.

    I told him about this, and the man neither agreed nor disagreed. Anyway, whenever I called the name

    ¡°Ss,¡± he woulde.

    When Lucas came as a guest, I told him, ¡°He is an excellent bodyguard. He is tough enough to do

    repair jobs like plumbing and gentle enough to cook exquisite dishes. Strangely, you allow him to stay

    here with me. If you discover what he is capable of, you will surely regret.¡±

    Oddly though, after I said that, Lucasughed aloud in quite an awkward manner and said, ¡°I can¡¯t

    afford that. Besides, it¡¯s better for you to discover them so that you can use his services. Oh, and don¡¯t

    forget to pay him. Haha¡­¡±

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    I sensed that Lucas had been very secretivetely. He did note to my ce often, and when he

    did, he only stayed for a short while. After a few words with me, he would praise Ss before he left,

    saying how awesome Ss was.

    In the morning, when I woke up, I would take the calendar and tore a page from it. Each time, the 3-

    month calendar would have one page less. In the blink of an eye, it was much thinner. It seemed that

    there was not much left of the remaining days.

    Ss hung the calendar back in ce and wheeled me out for breakfast. I did not have much appetite,

    but he insisted that I eat, so I took a few mouthfuls. At that, I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a month

    already. Tell me, when a person¡¯s life is on a countdown to two months, what can she do?¡±

    I did not expect him to say anything because he had never spoken to me. However, today, he seemed

    to be pondering over something. After a while, he brought over a printing block and put it in front of me.

    Then, he ced my hand on the block. It was the type of block that the blinds used, where we could

    feel the words on it by touch.

    It was a simple phrase, and I was able to recognize it after feeling it a few times. He had written: Spend

    every day meaningfully with the person you love.

    Ugh! Even though he knew that I could not be with Christopher, he just had to mention this, huh? I

    tossed the block aside and sighed. ¡°I would not be meeting him. I¡¯m already dying, so I do not want him

    to see me suffering as I die.¡±

    After a while, Ss wrote another sentence for me. This time it was a bit longer, and I took a long time

    to feel it to recognize it. It read: You believe that this is the best thing to do. Perhaps he is in pain now

    because you have left him, and he would rather be with you.

    I was silent for a long time, lifting my eyes to the ceiling. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Ss, and you won¡¯t

    understand. It is so painful to watch the life force of someone you love slowing ebbing away. On the

    deserted ind, I held Christopher in my arms. He was dying like how I am now. His whole body was

    cold, and his breathing shallow and weak. At that moment, I wished that I could die first, so I wouldn¡¯t

    have to let him see this. I didn¡¯t want to be so cruel!¡±

    Soon after that, Ss quickly wrote another sentence. He seemed quite urgent as I could hear his rapid

    breathing. After writing it, he put my hand on the board once again, and my fingers slid across the

    text: He is willing to face it with you. This is not cruelty but love.

    ¡°Please stop! Please don¡¯t say anymore!¡± I was afraid I would be swayed if he went on. From the time I

    knew Christopher, we had never been apart for such a long time. There was once when we were away

    from each other for a week, and I almost went crazy.

    I had not seen him for a month, except for that one time I called Sabrina but called Christopher by

    mistake. I heard Christopher¡¯s voice through the phone, and that was already more than enough for

    me.

    ¡°Ss, I don¡¯t know your story. As for me and my husband, we were destined for suffering. It took a lot

    of determination on my part to leave him, so please do not weaken my resolution. What if I really can¡¯t

    take it anymore, and I go back to him?¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    That night, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was back at sea, and there was Christopher, lying on the

    reef, dying. His lower abdomen was bleeding, so I put pressure on the wound and kept shouting his

    name, but he did not respond.

    Then, a boat came, and I tried to move toward the beach with him on my back. After a few steps,

    someone suddenly pushed us to the ground. Soon, the boat sailed away and left us on the beach. I

    shouted in fear when it went further and further. Screaming on top of my lungs, I wanted the boat to

    stop, but no one aboard paid any attention to me. Everyone looked at me with an indifferent expression

    on their faces.

    There was nothing I could do but stare helplessly at Christopher¡¯s gradually weakened breathing while

    his body slowly turned cold. Desperate and afraid, I wailed and cried aloud.

    ¡°Christopher¡­ Christopher¡­¡± I jolted up from the nightmare and felt around the bed beside me, fearful

    and afraid. However, there was no one. I then became desperate and started wing in the air.

    Because I was so flustered, I toppled the water bottle on the table identally. I then lost my bnce

    and fell out of the bed.

    However, a pair of strong arms lifted me up, and I fell into a warm embrace. For some odd reason, it

    felt all too familiar, and my heart started thumping. At some point, the bandage had slipped, and I saw

    Christopher through the gap of my bandage, carrying me carefully and gazing at me tenderly.

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322

    ¡°Christopher, is it you? Is it really you?¡± I stretched out my hand and stroked his face. Carefully, I

    caressed his cheek little by little, following the contours of that familiar facial features.

    ¡°This dream is so real that I can feel your tears.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    I fell into Christopher¡¯s arms and nuzzled against him with my cheek. There were stubble on his chin,

    so it was quite prickly against my skin. I then whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You see, I finally dreamed about

    you, so you should be happy. If you cry, it will make me cry too. The doctor said that my gauze will be

    removed in the next few days, so I mustn¡¯t cry. Can you smile? Christopher, you look the most dashing

    when you smile.¡±

    Christopher was in tears, but he still smiled at me, with tears welling in his eyes. Seeing that they were

    about to fall, I lifted my head and kissed the tears from the corner of his eyes. They say that men do not

    cry, but my man was crying for me.

    ¡°Chris, I miss you so much. Really, I do. I have never stopped thinking about you for even one second.¡±

    My lips went over his eyebrows and his nose and finally stopped at his lips. I lingered there for a

    second, and my tongue pressed against his lips to part them slowly.

    He did not move but just let me kiss him. The man only watched me ever so intently as if he could not

    see enough of me. I thought this had to be a dream. After all, Christopher had never let me kiss him

    without reciprocating.

    ¡°Chris, please kiss me. I want you to kiss me,¡± I whined at him. To me, it was all just a dream, so I

    naturally did not take it seriously. However, he cupped my face in his hands, and a tear rolled down.

    It really broke my heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you sad. Are you angry that I left? I really

    didn¡¯t know what else to do. I had a nightmare just now. I dreamt that you were in my arms, and your

    life was slowly draining away. I felt so hopeless and upset. It was as if the sorrow of the whole world

    was drowning me. Chris, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry¡­ mmm¡ª¡±

    Perhaps I said ¡°sorry¡± one too many times. Because all of a sudden, he moved toward me and locked

    my lips with his in a kiss that was passionate like before. His tongue entered my mouth and explored

    even the gaps between my teeth.

    I was dizzy from his kiss, and my head was swimming. Perhaps I was drunk; otherwise, I would not be

    dreaming about Christopher. Then, I started to undress him andy on top of him.

    ¡°Chris, please hug me. I want you to hug me even if it is just a dream. It¡¯s good that I dreamed about

    you. It¡¯s all worth it. Hearing your voice was more than I could ask for.¡±

    Nheless, Christopher did not speak but just let me unbutton his clothes. After I had done

    unbuttoning his clothes, I felt for the zipper on my own dress, but it was not to be found. These clothes

    were prepared for me by Jenny, so I did not even know what kind of clothes I was wearing. After

    fumbling for a good minute without sess, I pouted and looked at Christopher.

    ¡°Chris, please help me. Why are you so dull in this dream? Usually, you¡¯re so quick to react. C¡¯mon,

    hold me.¡± I wanted to indulge myself so that even if it were not real, at least, it was a beautiful dream.

    Upon that, Christopher¡¯s hand moved from my face downward gradually and lingered on my

    corbones. His fingers traced my corbones gently, moving in circles, and finally, sliding them into my

    clothes, instantly sending electric waves through my body.

    I licked my lips and looked at him with desire.

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323

    Christopher caressed my body, and when his fingers were running across my smooth back, he said

    suddenly, ¡°You fool, I don¡¯t want you! You left me all alone. I don¡¯t want you anymore.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Hearing those words leaving his lips left me crying helplessly. I then kissed his face and said, ¡°No,

    Chris, I did not do it on purpose. I may never see you again, so please don¡¯t be so cruel to me. All that

    is left of my life is 60 days. Please do not be cruel to me even if it is just a dream.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s cruel! Why did you abandon me?¡± Christopher repeated this phrase

    questioningly and coldly. Then he gently pushed my hand away.

    Feeling at a loss, I crawled over to him, looking at him through the gap in the bandage. Then, I tried my

    best to arouse his desire, while crying and saying, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to, Chris. Please don¡¯t be angry,

    okay?¡±

    With those words, I sat on him hard and started moving at a slow rhythmic pace; it was an exercise I

    had not done for a long time. The sudden pain in my lower abdomen made me feel terribly

    ufortable, but it did not hurt much as I was so happy. I was with Christopher again, merged

    together as one. He was still like how I remembered¡ªhot and throbbing.

    However, Christopher froze as he was surprised by my sudden action. ¡°Are you mad? Get up. Did it

    hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, it did not hurt at all!¡± In reality, it did hurt, but I enjoyed it so much because the person inside me

    was Christopher.

    Right away, Christopher straighten up, held my waist, and positioned himself on top of me. When he

    entered, he wept as he said, ¡°You foolish woman, I really thought of abandoning you. From now on, I¡¯ll

    ignore you and leave you.¡±

    As he spoke, he thrust forcefully. Though I was in pain, I felt his tenderness. Hence, I gazed at him,

    clearly infatuated, and wrapped my hands around his neck. But Christopher bit my lip and spat, ¡°How

    can you be so cruel, Yvonne? I hate you. I really hate you! How can you be so cruel to me?¡±

    I raised my head high and curled my body into an arc,pletely letting go of myself to amodate

    him. Even in my dreams, our sense of coordination was perfect, I kissed his tears, and my lips kept

    lingering on his cheeks. ¡°Chris, this dream is so real, I really don¡¯t want to wake up.¡±

    Quickly, his actions became rough. The man wrapped my legs around his waist and did not allow me to

    lie down. He wanted me to sit up while holding him, so he could kiss my lips and nibble on my

    earlobes.

    My body was still very weak, after all. Doing such vigorous exercise, I gradually fell into semi-

    consciousness. Like before, Christopher did not stop, and I worked hard to show the best side of me

    until I passed outpletely.

    That beautiful dreamsted for a long time. I kept hearing Christopher calling me a foolish woman in

    my ear, saying that I was cruel. Then, he would bite my lips hard and thrust into me, again and again.

    When I woke up, I felt dizzy, and my whole body was numb, but I did not feel any pain. I just felt weak.

    It was dark in front of me once again. Surprised, I touched the bandage in front of my eyes and realized

    that it was fresh. Someone changed it for me while I was still asleep.

    ¡°Jenny!¡± I called, still feeling dizzy. As a habit, I tore a page from the calendar. My ears felt prickly and

    ufortable, and I really wanted to scratch at them.

    Jenny did note, but I heard heavy footsteps.

    ¡°Is this Ss?¡± I asked.

    The man patted my arm to indicate he was.

    ¡°My eyes are itchy. The doctor said that I can remove the bandages tomorrow, but it¡¯s itchy and

    ufortable. Could you please take me to the hospital? Remember to call Jenny with me.¡±

    The man carried me out of bed and put me in a wheelchair. Before I could turn around and scream, I

    was already in it. I looked in his direction and felt that I was probably overreacting and making a fuss,

    so I just pretend that nothing happened.

    Ss then wheeled me into the bathroom and helped me wash up. He was serving me more carefully

    than one served a queen, but when his huge palm was on my face, I had to say I did feel a little

    ufortable.

    Is he¡­ taking advantage of me?

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324

    I called out to Jenny. I wonder where she is. She had been cking off ever since Ss¡¯ arrival. I had to

    ask Ss for help whenever I couldn¡¯t find her.

    I felt a cut on the back of his hand as he was washing my hands. ¡°Why is there a cut on the back of

    your hand? Does it hurt?¡± I asked, feeling concerned.

    Ss kept quiet, looked at me, paused for a moment, and then continued to wash my hands. After I

    washed up, he carried me to my bedroom and put me down on the bed. It felt so foreign yet so familiar

    to be in his arms.

    His embrace felt a lot like Christopher¡¯s. I would have mistaken him for Christopher if not for theck of

    his unique cool scent.

    Ss stopped me as I reached out and tried to rub my itchy eyes. He wheeled me downstairs and fed

    me breakfast. I called out for Jenny a couple more times during breakfast, but she was still nowhere to

    be found. Did she have a new boyfriend or something? Why is she always not around when I need

    her? I twitched my lips in annoyance.

    ¡°Ss, my eyes are getting really itchy. Please take me to the hospital now.¡± It was getting so itchy that I

    badly wanted to scratch my eyes.

    Ss immediately wheeled me out and took me to the only hospital in town. I heard Lucas calling out to

    me from afar. I smiled and waved him over. ¡°Lucas, I dreamt about Christopher yesterday night. I¡¯m so

    happy.¡±

    Somehow, Lucas kept quiet for a brief moment and it felt as though he was staring at me.

    Then, he replied in a somewhat awkward tone, ¡°Whatever makes you happy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my eyes felt really ufortable today. The doctor said I¡¯m supposed to remove my dressing

    tomorrow, but I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I wonder if my eyes are healing properly.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is it not today? Today is the 19th. You must have got it wrong,¡± Lucas eximed.

    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was 17th yesterday when I checked, but you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s

    19th now? Stop pulling my leg.¡±

    There was an awkward silence for a good few seconds, then I heard Lucas saying something.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I couldn¡¯t hear him because his voice was too soft.

    ¡°N-Nothing!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together. Ss is a really good cook. The more the merrier, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. Hurry on. I¡¯ll leave you two to it then.¡± Lucas dashed off in no time.

    I noticed that Lucas and Jenny had been acting very weirdly around metely. It was as if I¡¯m the only

    one who was sane.

    The old TCM practitioner smiled in relief when I told him about my itchy eyes. ¡°The medicine is working

    its magic. I will remove your eye dressing in a little while. Try to open your eyes then. But remember,

    don¡¯t open your eyes immediately, try to do it slowly to let your eyes adapt. You¡¯re on the road to

    recovery if you can see some dim light.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± I nodded calmly. I didn¡¯t really care much about my eyes since I¡¯m already terminally ill. What

    difference does it make to me when I¡¯m about to die?

    I decided to leave my sight to fate. However, life would be much more difficult for me if I were to lose

    my eyesight. Jenny¡¯sziness had been getting to me. It felt really ufortable to have a man take

    care of my needs. He was even responsible for washing all of my clothes now.

    I wonder if he felt as embarrassed as I was when he washed my lingerie.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325

    My itching finally stopped after being treated with some medicinal herbs by the old TCM practitioner.

    The guy was really amazing even though he had shaky hands due to old age. It took the old TCM

    practitioner a long time to remove my eye dressing.

    After removing the medicinal herbs from my eyes, he said in a warm friendly tone. ¡°Ok, try to take a

    peek. Don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡± I took a peek and saw the old TCM practitioner smiling kindly at me. My vision was blurry since

    my eyes were narrowed. I tried to widen my eyes a little more and my vision cleared up. I smiled in

    delight. Finally, I can see again.

    The sun shone through the partially opened door onto the ground and over me. I raised my hands,

    stared at my palms, and reached out tentatively to touch my face. ¡°Wow, the sun is beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Ss, I can finally see what you look like!¡± I turned around with a smile, but he was nowhere to be

    found. Jenny stood timidly in his ce and stared at me nervously. She jumped with joy and threw

    herself into my arms when I told her I can see again.

    ¡°Jenny! You must be Jenny!¡± It was my first time seeing Jenny¡¯s face. She looked exactly like how I

    imagined her to be, a plump and cute girl. ¡°Where is Ss? He was still here a moment ago. Where did

    he go?¡±

    ¡°S-Ss¡­ uh.. he left after sending you here. He probably has something urgent to attend to.¡± Jenny

    scratched the back of her head and nced nervously at the door.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Something urgent?¡± I felt a little disappointed that Ss wasn¡¯t around to share my joy. After all, he had

    been taking care of my needs for more than two weeks now. Hence, I considered him as a friend.

    ¡°Thank you for healing my eyes, doctor. No doctor from the big city dare guarantee that I will be cured.

    Thank you so much.¡± I instructed Jenny to pay the old TCM practitioner well with the money Julia gave

    me since I didn¡¯t need that much money for myself.

    However, the old TCM practitioner refused to take more than I was charged. In the end, I told him to

    spend the excess money on the kids.

    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t strain your eye, and don¡¯t stare directly at the light. Cover your eyes with a piece of

    cloth or get yourself a pair of sunsses when you get back hometer.¡±

    I was finally able to leave the wheelchair behind. Even though the old TCM practitioner failed to treat

    my brain cancer, at least I could see now. I shouted for Ss as I ran all the way home, but no one

    responded. As I passed by the disy rack in the living room, I identally saw my reflection and

    stopped in my tracks. My neck was full of hickeys.

    Where did these hickeyse from? Wasn¡¯t it just a dream? I dreamt of Christopher making love to

    me yesterday night. But why would there be hickeys on my neck if it was just a dream?

    I panicked and quickly fumbled around my bedside table for my phone. Today is 19th. Did I actually

    sleep through the entire day? The crazy sex I had with Christopher wasn¡¯t just a dream. It really

    happened.

    ¡°Ss is Christopher?¡± My heart skipped a beat as I rushed downstairs. I grabbed Jenny¡¯s hand and

    asked, ¡°Ss is Christopher, am I right? Please tell me!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jenny hesitated before nodding. ¡°Yes, Ss is Christopher. He revealed his identity on his third

    day here.¡±

    It really is Christopher. I stood there, stunned for a moment. But I quickly came back to my senses and

    ran all the way to Lucas¡¯s ce. I pushed the door open and shouted, ¡°Christopher, where are you?

    Come on out, Christopher.¡±

    Lucas looked at me sadly. ¡°He just packed his bag and left just now.¡±

    What? My mind went nk. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I ran towards the bus station and

    shouted for Christopher¡¯s name. He must be mad at me. He kept telling me he was going to dump me

    that night. It must be true. Why else would he leave now when I finally regained my sight?

    Christopher was nowhere to be found even after a thorough search all over town. In the end, I found

    myself crying my heart out on the beach.

    All of a sudden, a man appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my hand, and put a ring on my ring finger.

    He said softly, ¡°You forgot your ring, so I¡¯m sending it to you.¡±

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326

    I never thought that Ss and Christopher were one and the same person. No wonder it felt so foreign

    yet so familiar to be in Ss¡¯ embrace. His cooking tasted familiar and he knew me well. Now I know

    why Lucas and Jenny were always acting weirdly around me whenever Ss was around.

    As it turned out, they were trying to give us some privacy. They just wanted us to spend more time with

    each other.

    But where is Christopher? I searched every corner in town and shouted his name again and again, but

    he was still nowhere to be found.

    He must be mad at me for leaving without saying my goodbyes. He thought I was dead and was mad

    at me for not telling him about it. There were many reasons for him to be mad at me. Why else would

    he call me a cruel woman when he was making love to me that night?

    Feeling dejected, I squatted down at the beach where we first met and sobbed. ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m sorry,

    it¡¯s all my fault. I miss you. Please don¡¯t avoid me. I¡¯m really sorry. Please, don¡¯t leave me.¡±

    ¡°Will you still hide things from me in the future?¡± Christopher asked in a fierce tone.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, never again!¡± I wouldn¡¯t be crying over something I had lost if we had never met. I couldn¡¯t bear to

    have Christopher leave my side ever again. I didn¡¯t know if I could carry on without Christopher by my

    side during my final stage of life.

    ¡°You stupid woman, haven¡¯t you ever considered how sad I will be without you by my side?¡±

    I turned around and saw Christopher standing by the beach with the setting sun reflecting in the water.

    He looked so charmingly handsome as he stood there quietly staring back at me.

    I dreamt about this man countless times. I had also imagined him standing right before me as I caress

    his cheeks.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I stood up and looked at him doubtfully. I was even starting to wonder if I was

    hallucinating. Why else would he be standing motionless over there? My vision started to blur.

    I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until tears rolled down my cheeks and fell onto the back of my hand.

    ¡°Christopher, Christopher!¡± I shouted for him a few more times as I inched towards him. I was afraid he

    would disappear into thin air if I moved too quickly. My legs turned to jelly and I almost fell face down to

    the ground.

    Christopher suddenly moved. He rushed up to me, helped me up, and pulled me into his arms. I

    reached out to caress his cheeks and pinched myself. This is real.

    ¡°This is not a dream,¡± I cried.

    Christopher unclenched his fist, revealing a delicate female ring. That was my wedding ring. I was

    down for days on end when I first lost it. Why is it with Christopher now?

    Christopher slid the ring onto my ring finger and said, ¡°Silly woman, you forgot to take your ring with

    you. I found you because of this ring. I won¡¯t let you leave my sight ever again from now on, not even

    for a brief moment.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as I threw myself into his arms. We had been through a lot, but he still

    managed toe back to me after being separated for thousands of miles. I couldn¡¯t bear to push him

    away again after all that had happened.

    Wey in each other¡¯s arms for the entire afternoon on the couch. Nobody said a word as we simply

    enjoyed each other¡¯s presence. We were happy to stay by each other¡¯s side.

    I didn¡¯t tell him about my terminal illness nor how many days I had left to live. Christopher also kept

    quiet about how he found me. We were doing our best to make each other happy.

    It wasn¡¯t until I received a call from Sabrina that I realized we had been spooning for the entire

    afternoon.

    ¡°What is it, Sabby?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Eve, Christopher is nowhere to be found. The Lanes are going crazy trying to reach him.¡±

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327

    I looked back at the silent Christopher. He had his eyebrows raised without the slightest means to

    speak to Sabrina. Thus, I could only exin to her myself. ¡°Sabby, Christopher¡­ is here with me.¡±

    ¡°What? How did he manage to find such a remote ce? Did you tell him?¡± Sabrina eximed as she

    simply couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°No. I only found out today. I¡ª¡±

    Christopher impatiently interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m right here, doing well. Tell my family to stop creating a fuss. It¡¯s

    annoying. I will visit them with my wife in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Christopher, how¡­ how did you find Eve? Did Zach tell you?¡± Sabrina asked cautiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s not him. Ugh¡­ Do you know that you¡¯re very annoying? Everything was going smoothly until you

    called. Are you happy now? The next time you¡¯re doing it with Zach, I¡¯ll call and make him work¡ª¡±

    Toot¡­ Toot¡­ Toot¡­

    Sabrina hung up the call instantly as she couldn¡¯t stand the impatient Christopher.

    Meanwhile, Christopher casually tossed the phone to the couch and continued to hug my waist while

    leaning against the sofa. I quietly nced at him. Ever since I met him on the beach, he had a sullen

    look, and he never smiled. Now, he returned to his usual tone of speech, but he was still not smiling.

    His face was cold and emotionless, just like a zombie.

    Thus, I reached out and carefully poked his cheek. ¡°Christopher!¡±

    Even so, he remained still and ignored me, so I leaned over and nuzzled against his chest. Then, I

    nudged his cheeks even harder and called out his name, ¡°Christopher¡­¡± I dragged thest syble on

    purpose. Even I got goosebumps from hearing my own voice.

    ¡°What?¡± He turned his head and asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to call out your name.¡± I gave him a coy smile.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± He turned his head away and ignored me. After a while, he got up and walked to the kitchen. I

    wanted to follow him, but before I could go into the kitchen, he casually mmed the door in front of my

    face.

    I touched the tip of my nose and sighed before I quietly returned to the living room. Then, I noticed

    Jenny sticking her head in. She made sure that Christopher wasn¡¯t around before rushing in, then she

    handed me a piece of white silk cloth. ¡°The doctor gave this to you. He said to use it to cover your

    eyes. It¡¯s good for your eyes, and you can see through it.¡±

    I took the silk cloth and secured it to my eyes. It was soft and had a feather-like weight. After covering

    my eyes with it, everything appeared a tad blur, but I could still see clearly.

    I knew Christopher would not be angry at me for too long. After all, we both knew about the condition of

    my illness. However, his sudden appearance ruined our ns. At that point, I didn¡¯t even know what

    would happen in the future.

    After that, I sneakily gave Darius a call to tell him that I was safe so the Lane family would not worry

    about me. In the end, I asked him, ¡°Darius, did you tell Christopher that I¡¯m here?¡±

    I figured if Sabrina and Zachary didn¡¯t say anything, then the only possible culprit would be Darius. He

    was in a rtionship with my mother back then, and he also had a good impression of me. Additionally,

    he wasn¡¯t with the person he loved, so he wouldn¡¯t want Christopher to end up in his shoes.

    Darius didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Chris is a very clever person. He reckoned that you are still alive with just a few

    clues, and he begged me not to keep anything from him any longer. Yvonne, I do respect you, but I¡¯m

    sorry for ruining your ns. Even so, I don¡¯t regret it as we have no right to decide on Chris¡¯ behalf. He

    should make his own decisions.¡±

    Upon hearing those words, I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Indeed, we¡¯re not God, and we don¡¯t have the

    right to decide anything for anyone. However, I selfishly made decisions for Christopher. I wanted what

    I thought was the best for him, but that wasn¡¯t what he wanted.

    After some time, Christopher came out of the kitchen. He sat on the sofa and waved a finger at Jenny

    pompously. Instantly, Jenny quickly ran toward the kitchen.

    ¡°You! Sit down and don¡¯t move!¡± I wanted to look, but I was petrified when Christopher red at me.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328

    As usual, Christopher prepared a feast, all of which was the food I loved and a bowl of potato and leek

    soup. I drank the soup while quietly looking at Christopher.

    ¡°Christopher, this soup tastes very simr to what I used to have at your hotel. Although it tastes better

    now, it¡¯s just too familiar. Did you make the soup that I used to drink there?¡±

    Christopher continued to eat his food. After a while, he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. Seeing that I was still

    looking at him intently, he then put some food onto my te and said fiercely, ¡°Can you be any

    dumber? You took a year just to realize such a trivial matter. Are you an idiot?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I am an idiot. I almost forget who I am when I look at you.¡± I smiled gleefully while sipping on my

    soup that warmed my heart whenever I drank it. Christopher did a lot of things for me even when I

    didn¡¯t notice it.

    I discovered them bit by bit, and when I realized it, it made me love him even more. At that thought, I

    continued to gaze at him lovingly while drinking my soup. Right then, I hope time could stand still so I

    could watch him forever. Christopher, on the other hand, was tired of me constantly watching him, so

    he put down his cutlery and asked, ¡°What the hell are you looking at?¡±

    I chortled when he snapped at me. After all, he was most terrifying when he was dead silent. I could

    still remember the time when he gave me the silent treatment, and it was horrible. Christopher once

    told me that his mother still cared for people even when she was angry. He was just like his mother, so

    that meant he had already quelled his anger.

    After dinner, Christopher took me out for a walk. As usual, I had a bandage covering my eyes, but I

    could already see the outside world. He walked alone in front of me, so I stretched out my hand to hold

    his.

    Immediately, Christopher vigorously shook it off, but I held on. He shook it off once again, yet I clung to

    his arm as if I was holding on to dear life.

    ¡°Let go!¡± Christopher demanded with an icy voice.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I shouted and pouted. At that point, my eyes were red and swollen.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Christopher yelled, then shoved me away.

    I looked at my empty hands, then gazed towards Christopher, who was walking in front of me. I stood

    there for a long while, holding in the tears back.

    He was still angry at me. But he didn¡¯t know that I was nning to leave him again. I knew he was mad

    at me for leaving, but this feeling was worse than when I got injured and sick.

    I didn¡¯t want him to be angry.

    Seeing how angry he was, I lowered my head and shed my tears in silence until Christopher started

    walking again. I wanted to speak, but the nauseous feeling that was long gone suddenly returned, and

    it felt terribly ufortable. I staggered a few steps beforending on my bottom.

    Everything was spinning around me, and I felt my stomach churning as if it was about to throw up. I got

    down on my knees and spewed out everything I ate that afternoon. As I continued vomiting, the ground

    gradually became a pool of blood.

    ¡°Christopher¡­¡± I tried my hardest to locate Christopher. However, he was standing by the beach,

    throwing rocks into the water, oblivious to what was happening to me.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± I covered my mouth and felt the perpetual stream of hot liquiding out of me, and I

    couldn¡¯t stop feeling afraid. My eyes had healed, so the bloody vomit must be the after-effects of brain

    cancer.

    ¡°Yvonne, hang in there. I¡¯ll call Christopher over.¡±

    Fortunately, Lucas was nearby. After hearing what he said, I hurriedly grabbed him and tried to speak,

    ¡°Don¡¯t rm him. Please help me get rid of the blood. I can¡¯t let him see it. He will worry if he sees this

    much blood. Take me back. There¡¯s medicine in the house. I¡¯ll be fine after taking my medication.¡±

    After I said those words with all my strength, I became even dizzier. I felt as though I was on a roller

    coaster.

    ¡°Why are you still this stubborn even at this stage?¡± Lucas became anxious.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t let him see me like this! I¡¯m begging you!¡± I held on to Lucas¡¯ arm and pleaded.

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329

    When I got home, I called for Jenny to get me a change of clothes. She was crying the whole time

    when she rummaged through my closet. Meanwhile, I was struggling to straighten my body and take off

    my blood-stained clothes for Jenny to hide them. After everything was done, Iy on the bed.

    ¡°Jenny, when Chrises home, tell him that I¡¯m sleepy.¡±

    Then, I fell into a deep sleep. While I was unconscious, I felt someone holding my hand and bringing

    me close while giving me warmth. I felt snug and at ease. Upon that, I smiled with my eyes closed.

    When I woke up, it was already dark. I saw Christopher sitting on the edge of the bed under the orange

    light while staring at me unwaveringly. I rubbed my eyes groggily and smiled at him. ¡°I was too tired, so

    I came home. Don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    ¡°You fool!¡± Christopher grabbed me and held me. ¡°You broke your promise. You said you would tell me

    wherever you¡¯re going. You promised.¡±

    I smiled quietly. Thank God he didn¡¯t see me vomiting blood.

    After I slept for the entire afternoon, I wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy at all. I nestled in Christopher¡¯s arms, but I

    couldn¡¯t fall asleep. After a while, I looked at his face, then looked out the window and saw the

    reflection of the beautiful night sky reflected on the surface of the ocean. I saw the bright moon

    surrounded by glittering stars, and I could hear the perennial sounds of waves washing the beach.

    ¡°You wanna go out and have a look?¡± Seeing that I was staring at the beach, Christopher whispered.

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t sleep. I felt like going for a walk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Christopher got up and put on some clothes, then helped me to put on mine. He

    wrapped me up in a thick jacket and walked me out while holding my hand. That night, the sea breeze

    was strong, and it messed up my hair. My eyes felt a little sore, so I squinted my eyes and tried not to

    look too far away.

    Christopher flipped the hood of my jacket over my head. When he saw that my eyes were tightly shut,

    he bent over and carried me in his arms. In shock, I opened one of my eyes and asked, ¡°What are you

    doing?¡±

    ¡°You wanted to see the night view, so I¡¯ll carry you there.¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Okay!¡± I rested my head on his shoulders while he carefully walked forward with me in his arms. When

    he put me down on the beach, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you not angry anymore?¡±

    ¡°That depends on your performance!¡± He huffed softly and turned his head away childishly. I pursed my

    lips and smiled as I tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek.

    As I stepped back, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back. He looked at me

    amorously and kissed my lips. It wasn¡¯t a passionate kiss but a gentle one; one that was so soft as

    though he was scared that it would hurt me.

    Just like that, with our lips touching, our eyes met. I saw the sorrow and pain he suppressed in his

    eyes. It was almost imperceptible if I didn¡¯t look closely.

    I knew that he was upset about how I was counting down to myst days and the thought of me leaving

    him behind. The thing I feared the most was happening in front of me. I vomited blood today; soon, I

    might even end up in a hospital without the strength to eat, and Christopher would suffer even more

    than what he had right now.

    ¡°Christopher, you¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t say it because I knew he would be angry if I said it. So I whispered the

    rest of it silently in my heart. Christopher, you shouldn¡¯t havee.

    He let go of my lips and kissed my forehead, and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re thinking about secretly leaving

    again, aren¡¯t you? This time, I will really be angry.¡±

    I quickly shook my head, pretending that nothing happened, but he always saw through me effortlessly.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± I asked. After all, I have arranged everything thoroughly. With Darius helping

    me, there should be no mistakes.

    ¡°The next time you lie, please don¡¯t ask Darius for help. He¡¯s the worst at lying.¡± Christopher looked into

    the distance and pointed far away. ¡°Look.¡±

    I followed the direction of his finger and saw a beaming lighthouse. ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful lighthouse.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s where home is.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment. Avenport?

    After a while, Christopher turned to me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll bring you home, okay?¡±

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    I initially thought I would decline Christopher¡¯s request, but it turned out that I epted it without

    hesitation when I saw the anticipation in Christopher¡¯s eyes. At that moment, I forgot who I was and

    only had one thought in mind¡ªI would agree to it no matter what he said.

    When Lucas saw me out, Christopher kept hugging me and ring at him. A momentter, he said with

    a long face, ¡°You don¡¯t have to see her out, for I¡¯ll take good care of my wife.¡±

    Lucas felt a little awkward upon hearing Christopher¡¯s direct remark. After all, Lucas was gentle and

    always spoke tactfully. Hence, I kicked Christopher gently and shed Lucas an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me all this time. It¡¯s my honor to have you as my friend.¡±

    ¡°I hope I can hear it from you again when I meet you next time. Anyway, cherish your time,¡± Lucas said.

    ¡°Of course!¡± I would be delighted if I still had the chance to meet Lucas again.

    We flew first-ss and returned to Avenport in a few hours. Once I got off the ne, I recalled the

    despair I had when I left this ce.

    My feelings now were different, yet I was still someone who was about to die. However, I wasn¡¯t afraid,

    for Christopher was always with me.

    Once we got home, Christopher carried me to the couch and helped me wash up as though I was

    crippled. When it was about time to have medicine, I took out the pills from my bag.

    I hesitated, for I would feel ufortable every time I had the pills. Although the doctor exined that

    it was alright, I didn¡¯t want to cough up blood before Christopher.

    ¡°What do you prefer having for lunch?¡± Christopher sat beside me and asked.

    ¡°How about eating out? I want to eat something simple but delicious,¡± I blinked and replied smilingly.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s eat outter.¡±

    Since the sunlight was dazzling, I covered my eyes with the cloth given by the doctor to avoid hurting

    them again. The beautiful tune from the piano filled the restaurant, and I gazed at Christopher as he

    was eating. Right then, he was like the most beautiful being that I had everid my eyes upon, and I

    was very reluctant to move my eyes elsewhere.

    ¡°Hey! Is that you, Eve?¡±

    I turned around and saw Mason and Mary. Delighted to see my old friends, I stood up and greeted

    them smilingly. ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, it¡¯s been a long time. Are you here to have dinner with Mr. Ziegler? How

    sweet!¡±

    ¡°Haha, please spare me, for I¡¯m already a middle-aged woman. Besides, aren¡¯t you with your husband

    as well¡ª¡± Mary was startled once she pointed at Christopher. A momentter, she asked in disbelief,

    ¡°Chris?¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Mary, it¡¯s been a long time. Come and have a seat.¡± Without hesitation, Christopher pointed at me and

    introduced me to them. ¡°This is my wife, Yvonne. Since you guys are friends, why don¡¯t we have dinner

    together? However, I think dinner should be on you because you still owe me one.¡±

    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s my treat tonight.¡± Mason and Mary were shocked upon seeing us dating. After sitting down,

    they kept looking at me and only ordered whatever the waitress rmended. I chuckled and couldn¡¯t

    understand why they were so shocked to find out that Christopher and I were together. After all, the

    news about our rtionship had been widespread.

    After a while, Mary heaved a sigh and patted my hand. ¡°We¡¯re aware of your rtionship with Mr. Smith

    and also heard that you got a divorce. If a man doesn¡¯t love a woman anymore, she should get a

    divorce to ease the pain. Besides, Chris is a good man.¡±

    I smiled at Mary gratefully and replied, ¡°Thank you. Even though I¡¯ve divorced Lyle, I hope it won¡¯t

    affect your coboration with the Smith family. After all, the family is still influential, especially since

    Sharon is in charge.¡±

    However, I could feel the reluctance in Mary¡¯s gaze. She probably wanted to ask me if the Lane family

    knew about it but held her tongue.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Suddenly, I heard Lyle¡¯s voice from behind.

    Speak of the devil. I turned around and confirmed that it was Lyle.

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    It had been two months since Ist met Lyle, and right now, he looked disheveled and not as imposing

    as before. Moreover, perhaps due to his previous injury, his left leg was less agile.

    ¡°Well, well, Mr. Smith. Would you like to have dinner together?¡± Christopher proposed casually.

    Although Christopher was merely inviting him out of courtesy, Lyle pretended that he couldn¡¯t tell the

    connotation and sat beside me right away. Hence, I pursed my lips and red at him in disdain.

    Didn¡¯t Crystal treat him terribly? Why is he still in the mood to show off before me? I believe he¡¯ll have a

    lot more problems in the future if he doesn¡¯t control his bad temper.

    Mary despised husbands who mistreated their wives. Considering that we hadn¡¯t separated back then,

    she bit her tongue and didn¡¯tment about it. Now that we got divorced, she lectured Lyle

    straightforwardly. ¡°Mr. Smith, since you and Ms. Tanner got divorced, I don¡¯t think it is appropriate for

    you to sit beside her. Otherwise, others might misunderstand you, and it won¡¯t serve Ms. Tanner well. It

    is all a matter ofmon sense.¡±

    Unperturbed, Lyle pulled a long face and began criticizing me. ¡°Yvonne, are you that impatient to let

    everyone know that we got divorced? Besides, why are you meeting Mrs. Ziegler? Are you nning to

    persuade her to terminate her contract with the Smiths? I¡¯ve never known that you¡¯re such a wicked

    woman! You¡¯ve betrayed Grandma, who misses you even until today!¡±

    While pursing my lips in dissatisfaction, I felt sorry for Sharon. Also, I could imagine that she was

    heartbroken many times for having a grandson, who was often confused and acted on impulse.

    I could still let it go if he only threw tantrums at Christopher and me. However, he wasn¡¯t qualified to be

    a CEO as he could not even hold his temper even with Mason and Mary here.

    Lyle, Lyle, when will you be more mature? I heaved a sigh and thought to myself.

    Although I didn¡¯t refute Lyle¡¯s allegations, Mason couldn¡¯t tolerate it. Hence, he mmed the table and

    berated, ¡°Mr. Smith, Ms. Tanner persuaded us to keep our contract with your family even though you

    got divorced. Don¡¯t you feel guilty for speaking ill of her? Regardless of what happened, she was once

    your wife. How can you be so cruel just because you found someone else?¡±

    Lyle¡¯s expression turned grim upon hearing it. A momentter, he pointed at Mason and said, ¡°Hehe,

    you¡¯ll surely stick up for Yvonne. After all, she had slept with you in exchange for the contract. You

    pretend to be lovey-dovey with your wife in public but betray her secretly. What makes you think you

    have the right to criticize me?¡±

    Lyle paused for a while and continued, ¡°I wonder how many times you guys had slept together? Don¡¯t

    you dare think that no one realizes it just because you¡¯re good at concealing it! Do you think everyone

    is an idiot?¡±

    Deep down, I was shocked by his ability to stir up a ho¡¯s nest.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Meanwhile, all colors drained from Mason¡¯s face once Lyle finished. After ncing at Mary anxiously,

    he calmed down and yelled, ¡°Young man, you can¡¯t just say whatever you want! When you¡¯re

    ndering us, have you thought that you¡¯re hurting your ex-wife?¡±

    ¡°Well, you definitely won¡¯t admit it, or else your wife will be mad at you. Nheless, I witnessed it by

    myself.¡± Lyle stared at Mason ferociously as though he was about to devour Mason.

    As I couldn¡¯t bear listening to the nonsense, I interrupted, ¡°If you want to dwell on it, tell us exactly how

    you witnessed that Mr. Ziegler and I have an affair. Besides, tell us why you acted like nothing

    happened if you saw it.¡±

    Lyle pointed at me in disdain and snickered. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make it clear today to show your true colors.

    Back then, the Ziegler family wasn¡¯t interested in signing a contract with the Smith family. When my

    grandma knew that you went to see Mr. Ziegler, she asked me to go with you. After all, an ordinary girl

    might get the short end of the stick in negotiations.

    So, I followed you and saw you and Mr. Ziegler entering a hotel room. Are you going to deny it?

    Besides, you stayed in the room throughout the night, and Mr. Ziegler drove you home the next day.

    You might wish to think that I wasn¡¯t around, but unfortunately, I hid in my car outside the hotel and saw

    it with my own eyes.¡±

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    ¡°So you stood there and watched as your wife get into the room with another man. You didn¡¯t bother

    stopping me or doing anything; instead, you turned around and left. Then, you showed up on the

    following morning to catch us in bed together, so that you can hold it against me.¡±

    I felt Christopher holding my hand, and that got me to grin. The truth was that I no longer cared about

    what Lyle did to me. Time could heal all wounds, and all I wanted at that moment was to enjoy the love

    I shared with Christopher, which had helped me ovee so many hurdles.

    Lyle¡¯s expression stiffened. I could rte that he was truly angry at the time, and he wanted to get me

    in trouble, but heter got a call from Crystal wand that gave him the courage to do what he did then. I

    am sure he wanted to get back at me thinking that I have betrayed him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but snigger. Seeing that, Lyle¡¯s expression took a sharp turn. Fury rose within him before

    he retaliated, ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. You still can¡¯t deny that you slept with Mr. Ziegler!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Smith!¡± growled Mrs. Ziegler before I got to speak up. It was likely that she couldn¡¯t bear to

    continue listening, so she calmly pointed out. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tarnish a woman¡¯s reputation when you

    know nothing. Ms. Tanner and my husband weren¡¯t the only ones in the room that night. I was there

    too.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making such a heinous lie just to cover up for your husband,¡± insulted Lyle.

    ¡°And I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a man who is that eager to show off how he was cheated on,¡±mented

    Christopher. He tended to remain quiet, but he always hit the bull¡¯s eye whenever he spoke.

    It seemed like Mary had never dealt with someone as unreasonable as Lyle because she responded by

    massaging her temple in exasperation. After that, she continued, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d protect my

    husband and his mistress if he cheated on me? A lot happened that night, Mr. Smith. A malicious

    businessman used some underhanded tricks to attack me, and I almost got a divorce. Ms. Tanner

    happened to stumble upon the truth, so she got my husband and me into the same room and cleared

    the misunderstanding. That is the only reason we remained married and loving all these years.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe it. The truth remains. Naturally, if you insist on getting to the bottom of it

    all, you can look into the surveince footage in the hotel. You¡¯ll see that I am only telling the truth.¡±

    I remembered what happened that day¡­ Or, to be more urate, I remembered everything that

    happened during that time. It was the third month we got married, and I was sweet and loving to Lyle,

    so he had started to pay attention to me as well.

    That night, I went to negotiate a business deal, but I ended up learning how someone was going after

    Mrs. Ziegler. They even got a stranger into her room without her knowing. I immediately went over to

    exin the situation to Mr. Ziegler, who was making a scene and insisting on getting a divorce.

    Fortunately, I made a short recording when I learned the truth, and that ultimately cleared the air for

    them.

    Lyle suddenly changed after that night. At the partyter that month, he left me alone in the hotel room,

    even though I was drunk and drugged at the time.

    ¡°That is not possible!¡± blurted Lyle. He was a little lost. The truth that he had firmly believed for years

    was suddenly revealed to be a lie. He probably couldn¡¯t ept that.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    That didn¡¯t matter to me, though I finally understood what had happened. I chuckled aloud before

    sipping some tea and pointing out. ¡°Is this why you kept calling me a slut? Or why you have remained

    disrespectful to me in the two years that we were married? Crystal isn¡¯t the only reason why you

    behaved that way, right?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, I¡­¡± said Lyle after his entire body trembled. It was as if he had just been dunked in icy water,

    and he was sweating profusely.

    The truth was extremely insulting. In the past, Lyle would talk to me in a strange tone whenever I went

    out to meet up with Mr. Ziegler. The former¡¯s passive-aggressive taunts had always made me

    especially troubled, and I never knew how to respond to him.

    ¡°Lyle Smith, you are such a hypocrite. You assumed that I had sex with another man in exchange for a

    lucrative contract; but, you enjoyed the benefits brought about by that contract. Most importantly, you

    hated me for the very same thing you enjoyed. No wonder you¡¯ve always acted strangely whenever I

    drop by the Ziegler family¡¯s ce to discuss extending the contract. You even insisted that I dress up

    for the meetings. Have you ever considered being stronger and challenging yourself to get the contract

    without sending me in?¡±

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    Things had progressed to that extent, and it was inappropriate to keep bothering the Zieglers, so I

    respectfully apologized to them. After that, I left while holding Christopher¡¯s hand. Honestly, I would say

    that it was nauseating to deal with something like that.

    I had made a mental note to never get in touch with Lyle again. What a troublesome a*s.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± called out Lyle, who exited the restaurant, ran after us and was blocking our path.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked impatiently.

    ¡°Was it really all just a misunderstanding?¡± asked Lyle in an emotionally crushed state as he looked into

    my eyes. Why the hell is this grown man looking so sad for no reason? It looked as if Lyle felt wronged

    and was upset about missing out on something great.

    ¡°Mrs. Ziegler had already told you everything. Why bother asking me if you don¡¯t believe it?¡± I asked

    before grinning and adding, ¡°The truth doesn¡¯t matter, though. It¡¯s no longer important. Our rtionship

    is in the past, and an adult shouldn¡¯t hold on to the past like that. You should go to Crystal and lead a

    life with her.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne¡­ Yvonne!¡± called out Lyle. He refused to back down and even tried to hug me. However,

    Christopher wasn¡¯t going to let him get close. He pulled me into his arms and stopped Lyle from trying

    anything.

    ¡°We will leave now if there is nothing else you have to say, Mr. Smith. I am on a date with my wife, so

    it¡¯s probably best if you don¡¯t get in our way.¡±

    I never even looked at Lyle again. Instead, I left with Christopher. The wind was a little chilly at the time,

    so Christopher wrapped us both up in his windbreaker and helped me readjust my scarf. When I got

    into the car, I heard Lyle shouting from behind me in a very sad voice.

    He ran over and mmed his palm against the window, so I had no choice but to roll it down. I waited

    for him to speak.

    Lyle was nervous about expressing himself, so he mumbled for a long time before he finally forced

    some words out of his lips. ¡°Yvonne, I have thought about building a life with you. I truly considered it

    back in the days,¡± said Lyle.

    ¡°But you missed your shot. No one would wait forever, and everyone will inevitably leave after being

    ignored for too long,¡± I pointed out. I was Lyle¡¯s secret admirer for eight years and was married to him

    for two years. That was ten years of my life.

    I waste the most precious and most youthful time of my life on him. Fortunately, I was young. I was

    lucky to have met Christopher after all that ordeal, but I couldn¡¯t help tearing up a little. Why couldn¡¯t I

    have met Christopher earlier? If I had, I would have had more than two months with him. Fate couldn¡¯t

    force me to leave him after these precious two months.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± eximed Lyle before he suddenly held my wrist, ¡°You¡¯re crying. That means you still love

    me, don¡¯t you? We can start over.¡±

    What the f*ck? This narcissistic id*ot is only capable of interpreting my tears that way. I swung my hand

    a few times, but I couldn¡¯t break free of him. I was about to bite the guy¡¯s hand when Christopher

    stopped me and pinched Lyle¡¯s hand hard. There¡¯s no saying how he actually managed it with just a

    pinch, but Lyle let go immediately. His eyes, however, kept staring at me as if his heart were burning

    with unending love.

    ¡°Yvonne, I love you!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but you are crossing a line here. I am your friend¡¯s wife so please do go off-limits. You should

    know that,¡± I warned him. Just then, I noticed that Christopher had led my hand away, and that got me

    to roll my eyes at him. He¡¯s not speaking up or helping me at all! He is just watching as I struggle with

    this mad man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bite the guy. I worry that you¡¯d get infected with something nasty,¡± scolded Christopher before he

    tapped my forehead a little to punish me. After that, his expression turned serious, and he said, ¡°Oy,

    Lyle. Stop being an a*shole and move out of the way.¡±

    Christopher hit the gas upon finishing his words. The car sped ahead and left Lyle in the dust. Iter

    noticed that Christopher was holding my hand while driving, so I reminded him in a worried tone, ¡°Let

    go now. You¡¯ll give me a heart attack if you keep driving while holding my hand like this.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher stopped the car all of a sudden and turned to me. He had his puppy eyes on like he had

    just been wounded, and he opened his arms before requesting, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you cried in front of

    your ex-husband. I¡¯m jealous, and I demand a hug.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help smiling at the big baby who was being coquettish again. My eyes were watery when I

    leaned into his arm andmented solemnly, ¡°How great would it be if you were the one I met ten

    years ago? My life wouldn¡¯t be as short if that were the case.¡±

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    ¡°We¡¯ll be together forever,¡± promised Christopher as he held me tightly in his arms.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I felt like crying again. I couldn¡¯t believe that there was nothing I could do to fight death. What will

    Christopher do if I were to die? He is so fiercely loyal and emotional. He¡¯d probably be especially

    heartbroken.

    I hadn¡¯t stayed in Avenport for a while, but so much had happened there. That was especially true

    within the Miller family. At first, Benjamin was deemed to be the heir of the Miller family, but for some

    unknown reason, Benson became the center of attention and even went on the news after I got

    back. Didn¡¯t Benson and Crystal go to the same school back in the day?

    I guess that means Benjamin has since fallen from grace. He¡¯s probably having a hard time now. I

    pointed at the tv screen and asked curiously, ¡°What happened? Are the Miller brothers fighting?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s not surprising, though. One brother¡¯s an illegitimate child of a mistress while the other is

    the legitimate son. It¡¯d be weird if they are civil to each other,¡± replied Christopher. He had brought me

    over to the store to buy some clothes, and he insisted that I pick his outfit for him.

    I chose two outfits for him, and he looked especially dashing in both. It was as if he was a model, and I

    felt ever so envious because I was not the type that could pull off just any outfit.

    ¡°I met the boys a few times and thought that the two siblings interacted well together. They even hung

    around Crystal like a team and didn¡¯t seem to be at odds.¡±

    The drama had always been abundant within rich families, and Benjamin¡¯s situation with Benson was

    just like how things were between Yvette and me. I used to be envious of Benjamin¡¯s ability to ease the

    tension and interact well with his siblings. Turns out, they simply have different battlefields. Men fight

    for power, and that makes the argument betweendies look like nothing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t actually think that they were sharing Crystal, do you? There was definitely apetition

    between them¡­ I mean, unless Crystal can somehow split into two or something,¡± replied Christopher

    as he stared at me like I was an id*ot. In an instant, I felt dissed, so I secretly stepped on his toe.

    What I never anticipated was that I would meet Benjamin soon after. He actually dropped by in person

    to look for me. Huh¡­ that¡¯s strange. We don¡¯t know each other well and never interacted outside the

    public. The only time we ever spoke was when he passive-aggressively insulted me.

    I was actually surprised to hear that he didn¡¯t marry Crystal, who didn¡¯t seem to be really into Lyle. She

    acted like Lyle was just a toy she wanted to take away from me. Unfortunately, Benjamin was the kind

    of guy who would sacrifice himself for the woman he loved and actually set Lyle and Crystal up.

    My guess was that Crystal only kept Benjamin hooked and never got together with him because he

    never made the first move. Lyle was more passionate and always took the initiative.

    ¡°Yvonne Tanner, tell me where Crystal is right now!¡± demanded Benjamin as he stormed toward me. He

    kicked the grocery I just bought aside, and it was obvious that he was here to cause trouble.

    I noted how he hadn¡¯t shaved and looked exhausted with his bloodshot eyes. I almost pped in

    admiration. This man is under tremendous stress from work, but he is still so determined that he made

    the time to ask me about Crystal. I didn¡¯t need to ask or wonder how he learned where I was living

    because I knew that Lyle must¡¯ve yed a role in that.

    I sighed as I massaged my head. Once again, I repeated, ¡°Crystal was with Lyle, so can you guys

    please ask him about her whereabouts? Why is everyone targeting me? Is it because I seem like an

    easy target to bully?¡±

    ¡°Lyle refused to say anything, and I saw how he was chasing after you earlier today. Tell me. Did you

    seduce Lyle and get him to hide Crystal away? Don¡¯t overy your hand, Yvonne. I know that you have

    been bullying Crystal ever since you were a kid, and I won¡¯t hold back if you don¡¯t give me a

    satisfactory answer today.¡±

    Benjamin cracked his knuckles. He looked like he would assault me if I didn¡¯t tell him the truth.

    At that moment, I regretted asking Christopher to go to the other side of the city and buy some fresh

    seafood. He¡¯d be gone for a long while, and that gave Benjamin the opportunity toe and harass

    me.

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    I poured myself a ss of water and drank it to calm myself down because I could feel my fury

    affecting my heartbeat. After that, I turned to Benjamin and replied, ¡°You are so imaginative that it¡¯s a

    shame you¡¯re not a novelist. I¡¯ve made things clear when Natalie first went to the hospital and made a

    scene. I don¡¯t care if you believe me, but I will repeat this onest time. A ship from Jetroina came and

    took Crystal and the others away. Why do you insist on assuming that she died? Do you expect me to

    just lie and say that I have killed her?¡±

    ¡°If that is the case, then why can¡¯t we find her? And why hasn¡¯t she contacted us?¡± growled Benjamin

    before he pushed me. I stumbled backward and identally got a medical report to fall onto the floor. I

    reached out to pick it up, but Benjamin beat me to it.

    I finished the water in my mug before I refilled it with some boiling water. If Benjamin were to attack me,

    I would ssh the water on him. ¡°How is it my fault that she isn¡¯t getting in touch with you? My gosh,

    we¡¯re all adults, so can we be rational? Do you really think that I spend all my time thinking of ways to

    hurt Crystal? I¡¯m not that free, you know? I have to cook for Chris, and you should leave as soon as

    possible. If you don¡¯t¡­ well, just don¡¯t me me for making things worse when Chrises back and

    kicks your a*s.¡±

    Benjamin stared at me in astonishment after he read the medical report. It was likely he never thought

    that I was dying, and his hands trembled a little before he asked, ¡°Is this legit?¡±

    That was the result of the initial test, and I had been keeping it hidden in my bag the entire time. It was

    likely that Christopher identally left it lying around when he was looking for something else. I

    retrieved the report and threatened, ¡°That is none of your business. Shouldn¡¯t you leave now? I can call

    the cops and tell them you broke into my home if you stay. Well, your reputation is tarnished anyway,

    so I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t mind adding trespassing onto the list of bad coverage the media has on

    you?¡±

    Benjamin scoffed after he got over his initial shock. He insulted, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about using your

    medical condition to get Lyle to pity you, are you? Is that how you n on making him get back

    together with you?¡±

    I knew it. Benjamin is still the same old guy he has always been. Regardless of the situation, he would

    never say anything nice to me. I sighed at his incredible imagination once more. Then, I tore the report

    into pieces and threw it in the bin before saying, ¡°Just keep your eyes on your pal and don¡¯t let him

    come around to pester me, okay? Please f*cking leave now.¡±

    I parted my hair and picked up a hair clip to tie it up. Benjamin, however, stiffened upon seeing that. His

    expression took a sharp change, and he suddenly rushed over to take my hair clip away. He shouted,

    ¡°How dare you steal from Crystal. I knew it. You are a despicable person.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Give it back! My mom left that for me,¡± I demanded quickly. The

    only possession my mom left me, the only thing that survived all those years, was that diamond hair

    clip. That was why I kept it. What is wrong with him?

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°F*ck off!¡± growled Benjamin as he pushed me away and insisted, ¡°This belongs to Crystal. There¡¯s no

    way I¡¯d let you keep it as your own. You better pray that she is fine or I wille after you!¡±

    Benjamin turned and left after saying his piece. I chased after him, but he was already inside the

    elevator when I got there. I pressed the buttons. Unfortunately, the elevator had already left.

    ¡°F*ck! Lunatics are everywhere,¡± Iined as I stomped on the floor. I was going to chase after him,

    but I thought about the situation. Mom is nowhere to be found, and I¡¯ll be gone soon. What¡¯s the point

    of getting her hair clip back? At the end of the day, we will all be forgotten. Gah, Benjamin can keep it if

    he wants it so much. It¡¯s not that expensive, anyway. It¡¯s annoying how he ruined my mood, though.

    Christopher came back with a stack of books. Those books were all about cancer and what to look out

    for when caring for a cancer patient. The truth, however, was that there was no point in reading them

    anymore.

    Neither one of us wanted to leave the house after dinner, so he hugged me on the couch and buried his

    face in my neck.

    I could feel that the man was crying internally. Tears never left his eyes, but I knew that he was

    heartbroken, and I tried to offer somefort. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find the right words, so I ended

    up kissing his lips to try to ignite his lust and distract him. My fingers slipped past his neck and crawled

    under his shirt.

    Christopher picked me up and took me to the bedroom where we made passionate love. He kept

    hugging me and refused to let me go. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I realized that the

    lamp by the desk was still on. I turned over and saw that Christopher was reading. He was focused and

    made sure that he never missed even an alphabet written on the pages. That gripped my heart.

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    He is trying to save me. He made many calls and managed to hire every avable doctor in the two

    days that we were back. An expert from Anndur would be heading over as well, but the good

    doctor¡¯s flight would onlynd on the day after.

    Christopher received a call after we had our breakfast. He told me he was heading out of the house,

    but he didn¡¯t tell me what he would be doing. My guess was that the Lane family had called him. He

    had already returned to Avenport, after all, so he had to visit his family. I love the man, but I couldn¡¯t

    ask him to abandon them for me.

    Hence, I helped him with his tie even though I was reluctant to part with him.

    A new month had started, so I wondered how much time I had left.

    I got the trash in a bag before I opened the door and threw it in the collection area. I was about to close

    the door when I suddenly caught someone hiding around the corner and spying on me with bloodshot

    eyes. Frightened, I jumped and hurried to close the door.

    Unfortunately, I was toote. The man hiding around the corner rushed over and used his foot to stop

    the door from closing entirely. He panted after that.

    I rxed a little when I took a closer look and realize that the lunatic in question was Lyle. Thank the

    heavens that he is not some robber or criminal. Unfortunately, as the fear within me dissipated, the

    hatred in me bloomed. Iined impatiently. ¡°Lyle Smith, haven¡¯t we already made things clear?

    What are you still doing here? Are you here to ask about Crystal as well? You saw her get on the ship

    with your own eyes, so will you please stop pestering me over her?¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I have received countless calls after I got my old number back. Everyone was asking about Crystal,

    and I heard all sorts of insults and curses. At that point, I really hoped that Crystal would show up. I

    might actually hunt her down and bring her back just to get some peace and quiet.

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t make things clear. It is not clear at all,¡± insisted Lyle before he forced his way into the

    house and said, ¡°I regretted my decision, Yvonne. I truly regret the way I treated you. What should I

    do? I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±

    What did regret feel like? It was probably best described as that immense heartache that burned one¡¯s

    soul upon thinking about a person or an incident. That was the first time I saw that on Lyle¡¯s expression

    when I looked at him closely.

    He didn¡¯t say anything but just look at me fixedly.

    There was a time when we shared a bed, and we were so close that all he needed to do was reach out.

    If he had tried, even a little, to get to know me, or if he had a passing thought of doing right. I wouldn¡¯t

    have left him.

    Unfortunately, it was toote when he finally learned everything. I had left when he turned around and

    tried to be better. He was an id*ot who cared for a fake treasure chest and lost the real prize in the

    process.

    He was so devastated that he almost killed himself when Crystal abandoned him on that forsaken

    ind. At that time, he was ridiculously jealous of Christopher. I was the woman who was supposed to

    love him; instead, I was taking care of Christopher now. We were supposed to go through thick and thin

    together, but Lyle practically tossed that love away.

    ¡°Our rtionship is in the past. Seriously, don¡¯t you think that it is a little toote to say all this now?¡± I

    comined as I red unhappily at him. I gestured the door to get him to leave.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not toote,¡± said Lyle. He acted like he had suddenly gone nuts and hugged me tightly in his

    arms before he added, ¡°We can start all over. We can pretend that this is just the beginning. You are

    only twenty-two, and I am just twenty-three, so we¡¯re just two youngsters. Yvonne, please give me

    another chance.¡±

    ¡°Let go of me, you a*shole! What do you take me for? An emotionless doll that you can treat however

    you want?¡± I growled and was so angry that I pped him across his face. That p was so hard that

    my palm was going numb, but he didn¡¯t react to it. He simply pushed me onto the coffee table.

    ¡°Go on, p me. Your anger will dissipate, and you will return to your old self after that. Yvonne, you

    were supposed to be mine. You were my wife. Christopher is the one at fault. He seduced you and

    blinded your judgment, and that is why you left me. Tonight, I want you to be my wife. We can have a

    future together, Yvonne.¡±

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    Lyle acted like he had gone crazy. He attacked me without any reason, and his lips licked my face

    endlessly to try to kiss me. I kept my lips shut and turned my face to try to push him away.

    Unfortunately, Lyle seemed determined to have me. He never gave me the opportunity to fight back,

    and he reached out to tear my clothes apart.

    ¡°Stop it. Stop this madness, Lyle!¡± I shouted. I was truly horrified because I had been feeling weak

    lately, and I no longer had the strength to fight Lyle like I used to. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to pick

    up the items on the coffee table. Lyle¡¯s madness got me dizzy, and my vision blurred. My entire body

    felt weak.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t! I want to be your husband, Yvonne. From now on, we will be the most loving couple ever.

    Forget all about Christopher. Do you remember you were married to me before he came along?¡±

    reminded Lyle. He tore my clothes apart and buried his face in my neck. He even tried to tear my

    undergarments.

    I was so infuriated that I was trembling. I struggled but couldn¡¯t break free, so I kept shouting and

    begging for help. The door was open, but no one was in the corridor. No one came to help.

    ¡°Let me go. Lyle Smith, you a*shole. You want me to hate you. Is that it? Are you really that adamant

    about making me hate you?¡± I shouted. My headache was getting worse, and it was as if someone had

    hit me hard on my head. My vision was turning ck as well, and I could barely see the beast in front

    of me.

    At the same time, something kept swirling inside my throat. I had never had a headache like that

    before, and it was only getting worse. My heart felt terrible as well, and the rhythm of my breathing was

    off. I suddenly had a bad feeling about it. My condition is worsening. Am I going to die now?

    Lyle turned me around and was about to force himself on me when my body finally gave up on me. I

    vomited blood. Blood was spewing from both my mouth and my nose, and I had never seen that much

    blood before. It was as if my body was like a fountain show. I tried to stop myself from vomiting too

    much blood by covering my lips with my hand. Unfortunately, the blood kept flowing and crawling down

    from the gap between my fingers.

    I was scared. If I die now, I won¡¯t be able to see Christopher onest time. No, this can¡¯t be. This

    cannot be! I struggled to reach for the phone on the couch. I wanted to see him onest time, and I

    refused to fade away just like that.

    ¡°Y-Yvonne!¡± blurted Lyle. He had taken his shirt off and had already stuck his body to me. However,

    when he saw me vomiting blood like that, he got scared and nervously called out my name.

    ¡°Christopher¡­ Christopher¡­¡± I said weakly and prayed that he would be home soon.

    Just then, my blurred vision detected a tall figure entering the room and pushing Lyle onto the floor.

    The figure punched Lyle mercilessly, and as he did so, he cussed. He even stomped hard on Lyle¡¯s

    back. I reached out to Christopher and asked for him, ¡°Christopher¡­¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eve. We¡¯ll go to the hospital now. I¡¯ll take you over right away!¡± promised Christopher as

    he rushed over while panicking. He took his coat off to cover me up before he ran right out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, Chris. We have some medicine at home. Can I just take a pill instead

    of going to the hospital?¡± I asked. My entire body was freezing, and I could feel a chilly aura seeping

    out of me. Even an embrace as warm as the one from Christopher couldn¡¯t warm me up.

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. We¡¯ll go to the hospital. Don¡¯t be scared. I will be by your side the entire time.¡±

    Christopher set me down on the backseat of the car before he sped toward the hospital. I caught his

    hands trembling as he drove. Perhaps it was because I was about to die, but I felt calmer than I had

    ever been. I didn¡¯t feel ufortable even after I vomited all that blood. If anything, I felt less burdened

    and more rxed.

    It was just as the books had described, and it felt like I was floating towards the light.

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    ¡°Christopher!¡± I called out as I forced myself to sit up. I leaned against the backrest and stared at the

    guy without blinking. If I must die in the next few minutes, then I want to at least etch this man¡¯s face in

    my mind.

    I scanned his face while calling out to him. Christopher actually wanted me to call him Chris or darling,

    but I preferred calling him Christopher. That name carried a different meaning in my heart because that

    was what I called him when we first met. It got me feeling warm and fuzzy, and safe.

    Christopher carried me out of the car and ran toward the hospital. Lyle rushed over as well. He

    probably never anticipated that his attempted rape would get me to vomit blood and might even kill me.

    Hence, he looked like he was scared out of his wits

    Christopher held me in his arms and lifted his leg to kick Lyle aside. After that, the former rushed

    toward the hospital. I never pitied Lyle. I simply draped my arm around Christopher and buried my face

    in his neck.

    ¡°You are too handsome, Chris. I don¡¯t think I will ever get tired of watching you, even if I spend my

    entire life doing so. What should I do about it?¡±

    ¡°You should stay and stare at me forever!¡±

    Christopher took me to the emergency room. A number of doctors were standing by to examine my

    condition, but I didn¡¯t want to let Christopher go. I kept holding his hand and requested, ¡°Please stay by

    my side. Don¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will be right here. I won¡¯t budge. Be good and cooperate with the doctor. We will be out of here

    soon,¡± promised Christopher as he held my hand tightly.

    I kept staring at him and refused to even blink. My eyes remained open until the doctor gave me some

    sedatives. That got my eyelids heavy, and my vision blurred, but I never let go of his hand. I demanded

    unreasonably, ¡°Chris, you¡¯re not allowed to slip away, okay? I want you to be the first person I see

    when I open my eyes. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will stay by your side forever, and I will watch you. Listen up, Eve. You are my wife. We¡¯re

    married, and I¡¯ll be waiting for you to wake up so we can have a grand wedding reception. You¡¯re not

    allowed to sleep forever. Do you hear me?¡± said Christopher as he held my hand and nted a kiss on

    it. I couldn¡¯t see well, but I knew that he was crying.

    Warm droplets kept dripping onto the back of my hand before they rolled down. It was so hot that I felt

    like it might scald me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Chris. The Christopher I know is a manly dude who didn¡¯t even frown when a bullet tore

    through him. He¡¯s not a crybaby, so don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± I cooed. I tried to reach out to caress his face, but

    I missed him a couple of times.

    Christopher grabbed my hand and ced it on his face. His voice was raspy, and it was obvious that

    he was suppressing his sobs when he lied, ¡°I¡¯m not crying. My eyes are just watery because some dust

    flew into them. This is all your fault, you know? You can¡¯t even walk right, and I had to carry you, so I

    couldn¡¯t protect my eyes from that gust of dusty wind. I will have to spank and punish you for it when

    you recover.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being mean again, but I like it when you tease me. Christopher, I am so d to have met you.¡±

    Maybe it was because of the medication, but I lost my vision once more. Darkness filled my eyes.

    Unfortunately, just before I lost my sight, I saw Lyle barging into the emergency room. I pointed in that

    direction and requested, ¡°Chris, I don¡¯t want to see that man. Will you chase him away? I don¡¯t want to

    be bothered even at thest moments of my life.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will kick him out right now. I will keep him away so that we¡¯re the only ones here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonne. I-I didn¡¯t know that you were sick, and I am so sorry,¡± said Lyle, whose voice was

    getting softer and softer until it disappearedpletely. The doctor put a pin on my finger soon after,

    and I guessed that they were measuring my heartbeat.

    My anxiousness prompted me to wave my hand in the air. Luckily, Christopher came back soon after. I

    grinned in that direction and asked, ¡°Chris, am I pretty?¡±

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    ¡°Yes. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m pretty, and you¡¯re handsome, so we are a match made in heaven,¡± I said as I

    caressed his face. My breathing could no longer get my body to keep functioning, so with great

    difficulty, I added, ¡°Except right now, I really hope that you have never met me.¡±

    ¡°No! Meeting you is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I have no regrets!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t make out what Christopher said afterward, and I felt weaker while my senses went numb. At

    that point, I couldn¡¯t even tell what the doctor was doing. All I knew was that I was getting colder, and

    my surrounding was bing quieter. I was the only one left there, and I was slowly descending into

    darkness¡­

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    I never realized that death was that sorrowful. I definitely didn¡¯t know that closing my eyes for thest

    time would be that pitiful. Christopher¡¯s heartbroken screams filled my ears, but as time passed, his

    voice became softer and more distant. The ceiling above me turned dark, and that darkness slowly

    spread until it consumed me.

    It was a ce without light, and I felt like I was the only one there. The dead silence told me that no

    one was there and that no one would go there either.

    I thought that I would stay in that darkness for a long time, but I soon saw a dim light. It felt like the light

    was waving at me, so I ran toward it as quickly as I could. In the end, I stepped into the light.

    I opened my eyes slowly and saw that Christopher was right in front of me. His eyes were bloodshot as

    he stared, and I reached out to caress his face. He held my hand quickly and put it on his cheek.

    I tested the waters by pinching his cheek a little. He was soft and warm. Am I dreaming?

    I stared at Christopher and parted my lips to speak. Unfortunately, no sound came. So this is a dream.

    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk. You developed a fever, and your throat is severely inmed, so you can¡¯t talk now,¡±

    exined Christopher softly as he helped me adjust my nket.

    This dream is so surreal. Christopher even exined why I can¡¯t speak! Just then, a doctor came in

    and injected some medication into my saline bag. The medication looked colorful and got me to rub my

    eyes a little. Those colors made me certain that I must be dreaming.

    I had never seen medication in that color before.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Is Eve up?¡± asked Sabrina. I forced my eyes open, and as suspected, I saw Sabrina heading over

    quickly. She was hugging Zachary¡¯s arm and was staring at me with a worried gaze on her. Glee

    donned her face when she saw me opening my eyes. ¡°Eve, how are you feeling?¡± asked Sabrina, ¡°Is

    there any difort?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t feeling off, but my head was feeling dizzy. Everything felt surreal, and it was like I was

    hallucinating. I couldn¡¯t speak, so I pointed at my lips to tell them that I had something to say.

    ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± asked Sabrina before she gestured for Christopher to pour some water.

    Christopher, however, never moved a muscle. He replied, ¡°The doctor just injected your throat with a

    strong medication, so you can¡¯t drink water for now.¡±

    I wet my lips a little. Yep, this is definitely a dream. There is no other exnation as to why Christopher

    wouldn¡¯t let me have some water.

    Sabrina crouched beside me and said, ¡°You gotta get better quickly, okay? My wedding preparation is

    done, and all that¡¯s left is for someone to fill in the spot of the bridesmaid. I am so nervous now

    because my baby bump is about to show. If you can¡¯t make it to my wedding before my baby grows too

    big, my parents will learn about my secret, and they will kill me.¡±

    I bulged my eyes. I can¡¯t believe that Sabrina is pregnant. My gosh, they work so quickly! They had just

    gotten together, and now they¡¯re expecting, I thought before I gave Sabrina a thumbs up. After

    considering the situation, I gave Zachary a thumbs up as well.

    Zachary scratched the back of his head like he was embarrassed, but Sabrina grinned in exasperation.

    Sheined, ¡°For some unknown reason, I feel like punching something when you give me a

    thumbs up like that. Oh, I almost forgot. When will you be free? We¡¯ve looked into the almanac and

    we¡¯d like you to be our baby¡¯s godmother. Will you do it?¡±

    I grinned and nodded slightly. Thinking back, Sabrina and Zachary had been fooling around for some

    time, so it was expected that she got knocked up. One¡¯s passionate while the other is shy, but they¡¯re

    both inexperienced. They probably never even thought about birth control measures. I guess it¡¯s only

    natural that she¡¯d gotten pregnant.

    ¡°Come on, Eve just woke up, so don¡¯t wear her out. Please go show your love off somewhere else,¡±

    said Christopher impatiently to chase the visitors away. Sabrina red over at Christopher, but she

    tugged at Zachary before leaving while pouting.

    Christopher turned back to me. He noticed how I was staring in the direction where Sabrina had left, so

    he stroked my hair tofort me. He promised, ¡°If you want, we can try having a baby as soon as you

    recover. I will love our child, regardless of whether we have a boy or girl.¡±

    I pointed at myself to tell him that I wanted our firstborn to be a girl. Daughters are nice. They are more

    caring, and it¡¯s better if the girl is a little older. If my son turns out to be a mischievous prankster, he will

    have to deal with the age gap first before he even considers going after his sister.

    ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll have a daughter first,¡± replied Christopher, who got my message and nodded.

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    I didn¡¯t know how long I was drowsy, but when I opened my eyes again, I was ambushed by the bright

    sunlight. That got me to close my eyes instinctively to let them adjust a little before I open them again.

    The warm light spread out on me and the entire room, and it painted the white walls into a beautiful

    gold.

    Christopher opened the door and saw that I was up, so he poured me a cup of warm water. My throat

    was dry, so I downed every drop. Still, I was thirsty, so I stared at Christopher with my puppy eyes and

    requested, ¡°Can I have some more?¡±

    I was especially afraid of being parched after returning from the ind. Even the slightest hint of thirst

    would prompt me to drink a ton of water. I wouldn¡¯t feel safe until I had done that. Christopher poured

    me another ss of water, and I felt alive after I finished it.

    I cleared my throat a little and was d that my voice was finally less raspy. The next thing I did was to

    rub my tummy and say, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Did you get me anything to eat?¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be hungry once you¡¯re up, so I had someone prepare this for you,¡± answered

    Christopher. He opened a thermos sk and ced it next to me. I held my spoon and sipped some

    soup. The taste was exquisite, so I bit my spoon and stared at Christopher as I drank. My smile had to

    be rather bright at the time.

    ¡°Christopher, I used to go to the restaurant to have the soup you prepared. Iined that it tasted

    bad when I first tried your cooking. Strangely, the soup tastes better after that. Did you secretly learn

    how to cook?¡±

    Christopher showed no signs of being embarrassed despite the fact that I caught him doing something

    romantic from behind the scenes. He held his head up high and lied, ¡°I am talented in everything, so I

    didn¡¯t need to learn at all. I just watch the chef do it once and had it all down. Look at how you¡¯re

    gloating. You must feel so honored to drink the soup I prepared.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I am so very honored,¡± I replied with a smile. I sweated a little after finishing my soup, so I

    lay down on the soft bed and curled up in the nket. Throughout the entire process, I felt like I had

    forgotten something important. Then, it happened. My eyes suddenly bulged, and I turned to

    Christopher before I held his hand urgently and asked, ¡°How am I not dead?¡±

    Christopher was speechless. His lips twitched a little, and he probably thought that I was a little dumb

    for asking a question like that. He ended up knocking on my head a little and scolded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you

    reacting a little too weirdly? Also, never use the d-word again, got it?¡±

    ¡°Okay, but how is my condition? Don¡¯t lie to me, Christopher. I want to know the truth,¡± I requested

    while hugging his neck. I needed him to face me and look right into my eyes so that he couldn¡¯t lie.

    Christopher stared at me. His expression was a little strange, but after a while, he carried me like a

    princess and walked toward the door. He informed, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the doctor, and he will tell you

    everything.¡±

    I felt anxious upon learning that I have to talk to the doctor again. It haunted me, and I worried that I¡¯d

    hear bad news, so I kept rubbing my fingers nervously. It was so bad that I didn¡¯t even feel

    embarrassed when Christopher carried me and walked past all the nurses and doctors there.

    My doctor was reading a report when he saw me enter. He greeted me with a smile, but the first thing I

    did was to ask the doctor about my condition.

    The doctor cleared his throat a little before exining simply, ¡°The toxin in your body has more or less

    been cleared, and the blood clot in your eye has also dissolvedpletely. You won¡¯t have any trouble

    or lose your vision again. All you need to do is rest well and recuperate.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blurted and blinked. What is that supposed to mean? I thought before I pointed at my head

    and swallowed hard. I asked nervously, ¡°W-what about the tumor in my head?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re actually fine, Ms. Tanner. A woman with the same name as you came to the hospital on the

    day you did. The time of two appointments was also close, so I mixed up your medical reports and

    ended up giving you the wrong news,¡± answered the doctor, who finally moved his hand away from his

    eyes. The fresh bruise showed that he had been punched earlier. Still, he apologized bitterly, ¡°I am so

    sorry, Ms. Tanner, for all the trouble I caused.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    My mind turned robotic and spun as I tried to catch up with what the doctor said. Mixed up¡­ does that

    mean¡­? ¡±So, I don¡¯t have cancer. Is that it?¡± I asked numbly.

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    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Tanner. Your physical condition isn¡¯t ideal, but it¡¯s treatable,¡± replied the doctor with

    his head down.

    I turned to Christopher. His sharp gaze was throwing daggers at the doctor, and it was as if he wanted

    to skin the doctor alive. I tapped him gently before asking the doctor, ¡°Then, why do I keep vomiting

    blood? Also, I get nauseous and dizzy all the time, and I felt l like I was about to die. The headache

    was ridiculous as well.¡±

    ¡°The thing is, Ms. Tanner, we didn¡¯t make a mistake about you being infected. We prescribed you a

    number of pills, and one of them was an antidote for the poison. Nausea and dizziness were the

    antidote¡¯s side effects. You vomited blood because the antidote was working and was expelling the

    toxin for you. As for your headache, that happened because you have been taking the antidote for a

    while and have lost too much blood.¡±

    So everything is just a side effect? I twitched my lips a little but remained calm when I asked, ¡°Does

    that also mean I got nauseous and vomited because my liver couldn¡¯t handle the high dosage and

    acted up? Wait, then my headache from the previous night is just because I lose too much blood and

    have a fever?¡±

    ¡°Uh, Ms. Tanner, you are physically weak at the moment, but you will be fine after recuperating. There

    won¡¯t even be any after effects,¡± informed the doctor before he stood up and handed me the medical

    report so that I could take a closer look.

    I took the report and examined it. All I was certain of was that I was not dead¡­ Or rather, I would

    survive. I won¡¯t be haunted by cancer and will lead a long, happy life with Christopher.

    ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Tanner,¡± said the doctor before extending his hand to shake mine.

    I took a step forward and ced the report on the desk. Just as the doctor thought that I would shake

    his hand, I threw a sudden punch and bruised his eye. ¡°F*ck you!¡± I shouted.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    He screamed and covered his eyes before looking at me and scolded, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you

    people? Stop punching me or I¡¯ll call the cops!¡±

    I punched his other eyes and waited until he had both hands on his eyes before I kissed his cheek. ¡°I

    freaking love you, doc,¡± I said.

    After that, I turned around and flung myself into Christopher¡¯s embrace.

    He had already opened his arms and was waiting for me. We held each other tightly and kissed like

    there was no one else in the room. We kept kissing until someone knocked on the door. That got us to

    part reluctantly. When I look into his eyes, however, I grinned sweetly and in satisfaction. Without

    saying another word, I dragged him to my hospital room where a nurse was writing something on the

    logbook. I practically chased the nurse out before closing the door and locking it in one swift move.

    I tackled Christopher and got him onto the bed after that. As I took his clothes off, I requested,

    ¡°Christopher, love me. Use your kisses to tell me that this is all real. Tell me that I¡¯m not dreaming.¡±

    What I had just gone through¡­ It was soical and ridiculous that it felt as if I was a character in a

    novel. I was in utter disbelief.

    Christopher pulled me and got me onto the bed as well. He kissed me passionately until I was out of

    breath, then he teased, ¡°No dreams canst for days in a row like that, my little id*ot.¡±

    ¡°I will live! I can¡¯t believe it,¡± I imed before I pinched my arm and cried sadly, ¡°What do we do? I

    pinched myself, but it didn¡¯t hurt at all. This is just a dream!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pinching my arm, so it¡¯d be a miracle if you¡¯re the one who feels the pain,¡± replied Christopher,

    who thought that my emotions were running too wildly. He pulled me into his arms and bit my lips. That

    got me to yelp, which in turn, gave him the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth.

    I lost myself in that passionate kiss and hugged Christopher tightly. At that moment, I was finally

    convinced that it was all real. I got so excited that I felt like crying andughing at the same time. The

    issue that got us struggling for so long turned out to be nothing more than a misunderstanding.

    Thinking back, the old TCM practitioner I met on the beach was telling the truth. I am physically weak

    but am actually free of any deadly illnesses. This is why he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to live, Christopher. It¡¯s so wonderful.¡±

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    If someone were to interview me right now and ask me how I feel, I would most certainly curse the crap

    out of the doctors. They were the reason I made all those extreme decisions and nned for my death

    while secretly distancing myself from Christopher. We were lucky that Christopher was persistent and

    came after me. If he hadn¡¯t, we might¡¯ve lost each other forever.

    In fact, if he was even a little less firm¡­ he might¡¯ve already married someone else and had a child by

    the time I learned that I was actually fine.

    Christopher locked my hand in ce and stopped me from moving about too much. He gestured the

    bag of saline attached to me and cooed, ¡°Be good. They haven¡¯t removed the needle yet.¡±

    I pouted a little. Darn it. This man wouldn¡¯t touch me, even though it¡¯s so romantic. Shouldn¡¯t we be

    celebrating? My eyes glowed differently when I grinned mischievously. I held Christopher¡¯s face and

    asked, ¡°Do you know what I really want to do now?¡±

    ¡°Tell me. I will stay by your side and do whatever you want to,¡± promised Christopher as he caressed

    my face.

    ¡°I want to go home,¡± I replied before I hopped onto the floor. I didn¡¯t even turn around and look at

    Christopher before dragging him toward the door. Needles, medications¡­ there was no point in having

    any of that anymore. Everything was just a joke. When I was unaware of my illness, I felt fine and it

    didn¡¯t matter what I eat or do. The false diagnosis was what got me so stressed that I lost my appetite.

    With every misinformation cleared, all I wanted was to go home.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave yet. You have to stay here a few days for observation,¡± said Christopher, who took

    a few steps ahead to stop me.

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine now. Hell, I am as healthy as a horse. Hurry and catch up or I¡¯ll get mad,¡± I teased

    before I unsessfully cracked my knuckles and showed off my non-existing muscles. I continued to

    drag him toward the elevator.

    ¡°Eve, you¡¯re still a patient. You shouldn¡¯t be so reckless,¡± advised Christopher in exasperation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You must spoil me and do whatever I want today to celebrate my newfound life. I¡¯m gonna

    bite you if you keep dragging your feet like that,¡± Iined. I also made an exaggerated biting

    gesture before I grabbed a cab to go home. Immediately after Christopher opened the door, I pushed

    him to the wall and tore his clothes off. As I did so, I gestured for him to do the same to me.

    I didn¡¯t realize that Christopher was still leaning against the wall until I had already taken my hospital

    gown off. He remained clothed, but his eyes shone with amusement. That got me to kick him a little

    andined, ¡°Your wife is already half-naked. I¡¯ll question my self-worth and beauty if you keep

    standing motionless like that.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s gaze suddenly burned with passion. He gently led me closer to him and had his body

    stuck on me. He deliberately positioned me so that I could feel how hard he was. Then, he whispered

    into my ear, ¡°Are you getting ready to bite me?¡±

    I blushed. He was being too straightforward. It had been a while since we were that unrestrained with

    one another, and I was surprised to learn that I was not used to it.

    His warm breath spread out on my skin, and I detected a hint of minty scent. That was the unique scent

    of the shower gel he used, and I greedily took in that familiar, pleasant odor. If I could, I would drown

    myself in it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just going to bite you. I¡¯m also going to lock you in ce. Are you scared?¡± I challenged

    Christopher with my head held up high, even though I was blushing hard.

    He spun us around and switched our position. In just a second, I became the one with my back on the

    wall. He lifted my chin and nted a kiss on me. ¡°Darling, as you wish.¡±

    We started messing around near the door. Then, he carried me, and we yed on the carpet in the

    living room. My annoying shirt hung on my shoulders and refused to fall away, but he refused to take it

    off for me.

    I finally got the annoying shirt off and threw it away when we reached the couch. That was when I saw

    him taking a cigarette out to have a puff. I snatched the cigarette away and demanded, ¡°I want more!¡±

    ¡°You have just recovered, and it¡¯s risky to exhaust yourself like that. Be good.¡±

    ¡°You know, men who can¡¯t satisfy their women will be humiliated. Christopher, are you sure¡­ Mmm!¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Naturally, there was no way Christopher would let any of that happen. Our conversation began with

    something like¡­

    ¡°Again,¡± I requested, ¡°I want you again.¡±

    ¡°You torturous little minx. Don¡¯te crying to me afterward,¡± said Christopher.

    Unfortunately, our conversation ended like this.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had enough,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who started this, so you have to be responsible for it,¡± insisted Christopher.

    Oh no¡­ is it toote to apologize for my misdeed?

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    I stayed at home for a few days to recuperate, and Christopher treated me like a queen during that

    period. Life was too good, and after the scare we experienced, we learned a valuable lesson. It was

    crucial to live in the moment.

    I was lying on the couch and eating some fruits when Sabrina and Zachary dropped by. Christopher

    was still treating me like a queen and was feeding me after he peeled everything. I got to just sit back

    and watch tv without even lifting a finger. It was incredible!

    Zachary was a boring man and couldn¡¯t bear to see all that, so he inched over and told Christopher,

    ¡°You have got to stop this. If this goes on, you will end up being a henpecked husband.¡±

    ¡°And what is wrong with that? It just means that my idol is doing right by my dear Eve and is treating

    her well. Do you have something against henpecked men?¡± demanded Sabrina as she pinched

    Zachary¡¯s ear. Zachary thought that he had kept his voice down, but I happened to turn off the tv at that

    time, so we ended up hearing everything clearly.

    ¡°N-no, not at all. Henpecked men are all amazing men, and we should learn from them. Don¡¯t be angry,

    okay? Increased blood pressure might hurt the baby,¡± said Zachary as he massaged his ear. He

    scratched his head awkwardly and added, ¡°Also, everyone¡¯s watching, so please don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± said Sabrina as she tossed Zachary a re. She pped the dust off of her hands and

    sat on the chair before shemanded him to peel a grape for her.

    That got us tough aloud. Now that is what I call a henpecked man! I am certainly not as fierce as

    Sabrina. The way Zachary smiled at Sabrina showed that he didn¡¯t mind. It proved just how much they

    loved each other.

    Sabrina handed an invitation card to me and grinned while saying, ¡°It¡¯s so amazing. Good fortune

    keepsing our way. By the way, remember to doll up and be as beautiful as possible on my

    wedding day, okay? I¡¯m too beautiful, and you can¡¯t steal my thunder no matter how beautiful you are,

    anyway. Still, you have to stand proud as the date of my idol and be the incredible goddess who

    matches up to him.¡±

    Goddess¡­ It felt strange to hear someone using that word to describe me. I stood up and stretched a

    little before I sighed and pointed out. ¡°I think there¡¯s a better chance for me to show up as a mortal

    maid. The environment I grew up in had definitely restricted my imagination.¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms and waited until I instinctively nted a kiss on his cheek before he

    said, ¡°You are a goddess and the goddess I will spend the rest of my life worshipping.¡±

    I giggled and rested in his arms.

    Sabrina rolled her eyes andined, ¡°There you go, showing off your love again. Alright then,

    remember to show up on time. If you¡¯rete to my wedding, I will topple this little ship we call friendship

    and never talk to you again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will show up early even if it means I have to step on burning coal. I promise I will show

    up in a beautiful dress and watch as you marry the love of your life.¡±

    I got Sabrina¡¯s wedding invitation right after I recovered from my illness. It truly was an amazing time

    because we both found the love we were looking for. Christopher took me out after walking Sabrina

    and Zachary out. We went to pick out a dress for me, and Christopher seemed focused when he did

    that.

    ¡°Eve, how about we go to the Lane residence today? I want to introduce you to my parents and make

    our rtionship official. We¡¯re already married, but I want to throw a grand wedding reception.¡±

    ¡°M-meeting your parents?¡± I blurted as my eyes bulged. Anxiety coursed through my veins, and I

    asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little hushed?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Eve. You love me so much that even my parents won¡¯t have an excuse to keep us apart. We

    have to strike while the iron is hot and get them to ept you as a part of the family. That way, my

    mom will stop worrying about my rtionships. Things will be bad if she ambushed me and set me up

    on blind dates,¡± informed Christopher with a straight face on.

    ¡°Wow, so Monica isn¡¯t the only one being sent? More women areing your way? Thank the

    heavens that we¡¯re living in the modern age. Otherwise, I might have to deal with your mistresses

    before we even got married.¡±

    ¡°Well, there is nothing we can do about it. It¡¯s your fault for having such an incredible husband. I am so

    good that if we were living in the high middle ages, I would be a lord or a king. I would still love you and

    only you, though,¡± said Christopher, who took that opportunity to be corny.

    ¡°Oh, shut it. Let¡¯s head over today and at least make an appearance.¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I was nervous. Christopher and I had been through so much before we finally settled down, the

    challenge ahead of us¡­ I will fight to the end, even if my mother-inw is mean, or if she turned out to

    be a backstabber like Natalie and Scarlett.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy some gifts and head over now.¡±

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    Chapter 344

    I was dragged into the gift shop soon after. When I was picking the gift with Christopher, I found out that

    something was off. Did Christopher just con me into visiting his family? He knew that I was nervous

    about it, so he deliberately triggered my nerve by talking about his mom setting him up on blind dates.

    That is what got me to agree to visit his family! Oh, that sneaky b*stard.

    Christopher told me that we would be buying some gifts, and I thought that he would be getting

    something especially wonderful. I assumed that he would get rare gemstones or ssic paintings that

    the rich seemed to like. They probably won¡¯t be happy with just random things.

    Yet, Christopher brought me to a random supermarket and bought two boxes of walnut cookies as gifts.

    It was just like thest time, and the way he was going through the motions got me to shake my head in

    disapproval.

    ¡°This is way too half-hearted, Christopher. I may be penniless, but I still grew up as a member of the

    Tanner family. No daughter-inw will ever buy gifts so cheap on her first visit. This won¡¯t do. Let¡¯s go

    buy some more stuff.¡±

    Christopher dragged me back to him and insisted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Walnut cookies are fine. There¡¯s no

    point in buying anything else anyway because I called home yesterday and told my mom that I will be

    bringing you over. Everyone is waiting for us now. The chef at home is really good, so remember to

    chow down. You don¡¯t need to hold back.¡±

    He called home yesterday¡­ I slowed down. That man had always done something behind my back,

    but he did everything for my sake. I never needed to worry about those misceneous tasks.

    I recalled how things were after Lyle proposed. We were already preparing for the wedding, and it was

    only right that we visit his family. However, he suddenly said that he had to run some errands that day

    and refused to pick up the phone afterward. Wendy bullied me when I visited and made things so

    embarrassing for me. She even nudged me while I was pouring tea and got me to scald my hand.

    I didn¡¯t know what Wendy told Lyleter that night, but he never came to see how I was doing. He even

    scolded me over the phone and thought that I was disrespectful toward Wendy by leaving early.

    Christopher was perfect, even without beingpared to Lyle. That got happiness to blossom in my

    heart, but I deliberately put on a grouchy expression and said, ¡°You called your mom on the night

    before? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? What have you done behind my back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thought I¡¯d surprise you. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    ¡°Surprised? Yes. Happy? Not really,¡± I lied, then circled my arms around his waist to pinch him a little.

    When he went to answer his phone, I slipped into the gift shop on the other side and bought some

    expensive gifts before sneaking them into the bag. I got acquainted with Christopher¡¯s parents and

    brother after we returned from the ind, but I still thought it was better to get nicer gifts.

    I was holding Christopher¡¯s hand when I stepped foot into the Lane residence for the second time. We

    were smiling lovingly as we entered the house, and I didn¡¯t feel anxious at all. The courage to face

    anything and the determination to be with Christopher were the only things I felt.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Darius was ying with his kid when he saw us. He smiled warmly and greeted, ¡°Wee. Our

    parents are waiting inside, and we have an extra guest tonight.¡±

    ¡°Is this my future aunt? Hi, my name is Dn Lane,¡± greeted a boy before he put his hand out and

    requested, ¡°I¡¯ve already called you aunt, so where¡¯s my reward?¡±

    ¡°You little rascal,¡± said Christopher before he got some cash out of his pocket and handed it over to the

    boy. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to buy robots anymore, though. Seriously, can¡¯t you get something else

    instead?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but as a man, I shall remain loyal to my robots,¡± said Dn, who ran into the house with

    the money in his hand. As he ran, he shouted, ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa,e quick. Uncle brought his

    future wife here. She¡¯s a nicedy.¡±

    I blushed hard when I heard how the boy called me Christopher¡¯s future wife.

    Julia and Gordon came out from the house and saw how I was standing healthily in front of them. They

    seemed pleased, and Julia said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. Come and take a sit.¡±

    I followed them along and saw Monica inside the living room. That was when I understood what Darius

    meant when he saw there was an extra guest.

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    Christopher frowned as well when he saw Monica there. He had a grouchy expression on, and it was

    obvious that he was upset. I secretly tugged his arm and got him to ease up. His expression turned

    warmer when he gestured me to Julia and Gordon before introducing me, ¡°Mom, Dad, this is Ms.

    Yvonne Tanner. You guys already know each other, but I think it¡¯s only right to make an official

    introduction. She is the woman I courted for two years before we got together, and we are dating with

    marriage in mind.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lane. This may not be the first time we meet, but here are some gifts. I hope you¡¯ll

    ept it,¡± I interrupted. I could tell that Christopher was about to tell everyone that we were already

    married, so I cut in. After that, I handed the gifts over.

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Ms. Tanner,¡± said Julia before she gestured for the servant to put the things away. Her

    gaze seemed a littleplicated when she waved and had Monica sit right next to her. After that, she

    turned to me and asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I feel much better now. As it turned out, it was just a misdiagnosis, and I will recover after getting some

    rest. Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Lane,¡± I replied with a smile. I noticed that Monica had been

    staring at me, and her gaze seemed off. However, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. She seems

    especially quiet today and isn¡¯t behaving as proud. Is this change because Christopher is around?

    ¡°Why are you calling her Mrs. Lane? You¡¯re supposed to call her mom now. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯ve

    already gotten our marriage certificate. You¡¯re not thinking about messing with me, are you? Don¡¯t even

    think about it, Yvonne Tanner,¡± said Christopher before he let go of my hand and retrieved the weddingN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ring, which I hid in my bag. He put it on me while everyone was staring and insisted, ¡°Are you messing

    with me because you know that I will never marry anyone else? We¡¯re already married, so how dare

    you refer to yourself as my girlfriend? Let me be clear. You are stuck with me, and I will never leave, so

    call her mom now!¡±

    I was speechless. For a second there, I felt like massaging my head. I didn¡¯t know that Christopher had

    already told his family about how we were already married. That got me lost, and the way he threw a

    tantrum made it so that I didn¡¯t even know where to put my hand.

    I peeked. Gordon didn¡¯t react much to it. In fact, when we first met, he had told me that he was not

    against Christopher and me being together. Julia, however, stiffened. It took her a while before she

    pretended that she never heard anything. She told me, ¡°Dinner is ready. This is the first time you drop

    by, Ms. Tanner, so let¡¯s have dinner together before you leave.¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah, sure. Haha, I happen to be hungry, too,¡± I replied. I thought that the situation was turning a

    little awkward, so Iughed. My mind was wrecked as I tried toe up with a way to ease the tension.

    I secretly kicked Christopher the second we sat down. Didn¡¯t we agree to go slow? Why trigger

    everyone like that when they already know about how much we care for each other?

    ¡°Chris,e sit here,¡± requested Julia when she saw how Christopher was instinctively sitting beside

    me. The seat she pointed at, however, was right next to Monica¡¯s.

    ¡°Mom, my girlfriend is here, so why are you asking me to sit close to you? Just ask dad to get the

    dishes you want for you. If he won¡¯t do it, you can get Shelley to do so. I need to stay by Eve¡¯s side

    because this is the first time she¡¯s here. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll feel too embarrassed to dine with us, so I have

    to take care of her.¡±

    After saying his piece, Christopher told me that we were having Chanaen food and got me to start

    eating. He even switched the dishes around, so that my favorite dishes were right in front of me. It was

    obvious that he was telling me to act like I¡¯m home.

    I secretly peeked at Julia once more and noted how her expression seemed to have darkened even

    more. The truth was, I would definitely be on the receiving end of some concealed, passive-aggressive

    insults if nothing had ever happened between Christopher and me. Fortunately, they already know all

    about us, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to say anything.

    Julia cleared her throat a little. ¡°Please feel free to act like you¡¯re home, Ms. Tanner. You saved Chris¡¯

    life, and that makes you the family¡¯s savior. We should¡¯ve thrown you a weing party earlier.¡± She

    got me some food after she finished her piece.

    I thanked her quickly. It didn¡¯t take long before my favorite dishes piled up on my te. Christopher was

    eating while piling my te up, so I nudged him to get him to behave.

    Just then, Julia ambushed me with a sentence. ¡°Ms. Tanner, how about I take you in as my

    goddaughter? I don¡¯t have a daughter, and you are our family¡¯s savior, so you¡¯re perfect as my

    goddaughter.¡±

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    Goddaughter? I put my cutlery down and was troubled. At the end of the day, Julia liked Monica more.

    The former¡¯s stance had been clear from the second I stepped into the house. She wanted Christopher

    and Monica to get together.

    Christopher was upset about that. He pointed at Monica and said, ¡°Mom, if you want a daughter that

    much, then you can just take Monica in as your goddaughter. We¡¯ve known each other for so long

    anyway, and I¡¯ve always regarded her as my sister.¡±

    ¡°Stop making a scene!¡± growled Julia angrily before she mmed her cutlery onto the table. Her

    breathing was uneven at the time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Watch your blood pressure,¡± said Monica as she hurried over to stroke Julia¡¯s back.

    ¡°Oh,e on now. The kids are all here, so why are you letting yourself get so riled up? Let¡¯s eat up,¡±

    said Gordon to coo Julia as if she was a kid. He even got some food and fed it to her, ¡°Here, try this. I

    cook this for you. It¡¯s your favorite.¡±

    The more I look at it, the more Gordon¡¯s cooing style seemed familiar. That was when I suddenly

    realized that was how Christopher cooed me. The only difference was that Gordon was a little grimmer

    while Christopher was a little more rxed. I guess he learned it from his dad.

    Julia ate it before she nudged Gordon and whispered, ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s not appropriate. The

    kids are watching.¡±

    Still, Julia stopped talking about taking me in as a goddaughter. That being said, it didn¡¯t take long

    before Julia instructed, ¡°Monica loves the dish right beside you, Chris. Get some for her.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that right away,¡± replied Christopher. He put some more food on my te before he picked

    up the entire te of the dish Julia was talking about. Then, he ced the te beside Monica and

    imed, ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t know that your taste has changed. Chow down. You and my mom are the only

    ones into this dish, though. No one else cared much for it.¡±

    Julia put her cutlery down once more. She stared at me with aplex expression before iming,

    ¡°I¡¯m full. You guys can eat up.¡±

    ¡°Jules!¡± called out Gordon. He stroked his beard when he noted how his wife was ignoring him. That

    got him to grin at me and say, ¡°Please enjoy your meal. I need to go now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check up on Julia,¡± said Monica before she stood up as well.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the few of us were the only ones left there. I noticed that Christopher remained

    seated, so I asked softly, ¡°Is this really okay? Shouldn¡¯t you chase after her?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. My mom is just throwing a tantrum, and everything will be fine soon,¡± replied

    Christopher before he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just eat.¡±

    I had lost my appetite by then. ¡°Is this really just a tantrum, though?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be? Think about it. She lost her temper in front of you, and that means she regards

    you as a part of the family. She never does that in front of others,¡± insisted Christopher before he fed

    me some food.

    I honestly hoped that was the case. I shoved the food down my throat and nned on leaving

    immediately after, but Christopher insisted that I take a walk in the garden. He even pointed at the

    cruise ship on theke and winked at me.

    I blushed a little. What we did earlier on the other cruise ship was simply too embarrassing. No matter

    what, I would not follow his lead again. I had a very different mission to aplish that day.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher was going to drag me over, so I shook my head before flinging his arm away. I didn¡¯t dare

    to dilly dally after that and ran to the other side of the garden immediately. I had just reached the door

    to the living room when I heard someone talking.

    ¡°I am not being materialistic, but Yvonne was married to another man in the past. Have you boys even

    thought about what the consequences would be if Chris marries her?¡± said Julia. Those words got me

    to pause. I stood out there and started eavesdropping.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s Alyssa. Her life is involved. Have you guys even considered that?¡±

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    Who is Alyssa? And why is her life on the line? I can¡¯t believe that something like this actually has

    anything to do with the love I share with Christopher. I was confused and couldn¡¯t make heads or tails

    of what was going on.

    ¡°So she was divorced. Big deal. She met the wrong guy, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s not allowed to find

    love again. Come on, Jules. You¡¯re a woman. Why do you insist on making things difficult for another

    woman? Besides, I think this daughter-inw is pretty amazing,¡± replied Gordon before he added

    weakly, ¡°As for the issue involving Alyssa¡­ Well, we can do something about that in the future.¡±

    ¡°Why do I make things difficult for another woman? Is that really the issue here? Do you really take me

    as such a mean woman? I¡¯ll admit that Yvonne is an amazing woman with a graceful aura. She is a

    rare and great woman,¡± said Julia.

    She then added hesitantly, ¡°But Monica¡¯s mom saved my life. In fact, she died in the hospital because

    of that. I took Monica in and loved her like a daughter this entire time, and she likes Chris. That is why I

    agreed to make her a part of our family. How will I face Alyssa in the afterlife if I make things so bad for

    her daughter?¡±

    My heart trembled. Wait, so that¡¯s the problem? Julia is okay with me being a part of her family, but she

    is burdened by all that past.

    ¡°We know that, but you saw how the kids are. After everything they¡¯ve been through, are you really

    okay with breaking them up? You saw how Chris was after Yvonne left. I honestly worry about what

    might happen if they are separated again,¡± said Gordon in a worried tone.

    ¡°But what about Monica? She told me not to worry about her just before she left, and she is such a

    good girl. I won¡¯t be this sad if there is a way to do right by both of them.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± grunted Darius, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa. Heined, ¡°We may owe the

    Martin family, but Chris is an adult! He has his own n and life, and he is not a tool for you to repay

    your debt with. Mom, you should take his well-being into ount, instead of forcing him to marry a

    woman he doesn¡¯t love. Seriously, all this just because you owe someone else a debt? This is

    despicable.¡±

    ¡°Darius, how can you say that?¡± said Julia, who looked a little taken aback.

    ¡°How else am I supposed to phrase it? This drama is from your generation. We are innocent of it. Yet,

    we are supposed to bear the burden for you as your children without ever considering our own well-

    being? Are we unfilial just because we don¡¯t want to spend the rest of our lives living in misery?¡± roared

    Darius before he pushed his chair away and sped out of the living room. I had never seen Darius being

    so out of control before.

    He had always been grounded and reliable, so I saw him as someone who would never spiral out of

    control.

    ¡°Darius!¡± called out Julia as she chased after him.

    I quickly crouched down and pretended I was simply admiring the beauty of the potted nt in front of

    me. At that moment, I was terrified of being seen, but I was lucky. Both Julia and Darius were too

    preupied to notice me.

    I stood up and turned around to see that Gordon was actually standing by the door. I wanted to crouch

    down again to hide away, but I was toote. Gordon already saw me, so Iugh dryly. Getting caught

    eavesdropping. This is so embarrassing.

    ¡°Hi, Mr. Lane. I just got here. I saw Darius and Mrs. Lane walking away earlier. Were they in a hurry?¡± I

    asked to make things less awkward.

    ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s Chris?¡± asked Gordon, who didn¡¯tment on my terrible lie.

    ¡°He was with me earlier, but I don¡¯t know where he is now,¡± I answered quickly.

    ¡°Please tell him to meet me in the studyter.¡±

    That was my first official visit and things didn¡¯t go as nned, but I stayed there that night. Christopher

    was their son, and I already married the guy, so there was nothing wrong with me staying there. It¡¯s too

    cowardly to keep shying away like this.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    I considered the situation. His family already knew that we were legally married, so it¡¯d just be weird if I

    keep backing away like that. Hence, I decided I might as well stay the night. I wasn¡¯t brave enough to

    share the room with Christopher, though. Instead, I went to the guest room Julia prepared for me.

    I could tell that she was struggling and conflicted because she was quite cold when she spoke to me,

    but her words were polite. At the end of the day, she was a leader who used to dominate the business

    world, and I couldn¡¯t read through her poker face at all.

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    Chapter 348

    I couldn¡¯t sleep that night. My mind kept thinking about Christopher and Julia, and about how everyone

    was troubled. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to me Julia because I would probably be conflicted too if I were

    in her position.

    Monica¡¯s mom died while saving Julia, and that was why Monica lost her mom at a young age. Julia

    raised Monica as her daughter¡­ or more urately, the former raised thetter while assuming that

    thetter would marry into the family in the future. Everyone would be happy if Christopher fell in love

    with Monica and married her. Unfortunately, I showed up out of nowhere and disrupted that peace.

    Under those circumstances, Julia was considered incredibly strong to be able to remain civil with me.

    I slowly became drowsy as the night progressed. Suddenly, I felt the nket bing heavier. I could

    barely breathe under all that weight. Am I being haunted? I heard that huge houses like these tend to

    be haunted¡­ I trembled, and the more I thought about it, the more scared I became.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    I woke up instantly. At first, I wanted to open my eyes to see what was going on, but I worried that I

    won¡¯t see anything if I open them. It would be even scarier if the weight remained, even though there

    was nothing there. I was drowning in fear until a hand slid under my pajamas. That got me to fling my

    eyes open and grab the hand beforeining, ¡°What the hell, Christopher? Don¡¯t you know that a

    person can get a heart attack if they get too frightened?¡±

    Christopher didn¡¯t seem bothered about being caught at all. He even lifted the nket and crawled right

    under it. ¡°I frightened you? Come on. You didn¡¯t think that there¡¯ll be any pervert in the house, did you?¡±

    Naturally, I wasn¡¯t going to admit to something as embarrassing as suspecting ghosts, so Iined,

    ¡°There is a pervert in the house. You!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­. well, I am here to do something dirty. s, mydy, having sex in the dark is one of the best

    things on Earth. Give yourself to me, for you are mine tonight. Let me teach you the pleasure of being a

    woman,¡± said Christopher in a weird ent before he kept his head up high and smiled mischievously

    at me. His finger traced my face before he licked me and asked, ¡°Are you ready for my assault?¡±

    I blushed. Oh my gosh, how corny can the guy get? He is acting up more often, and things just got

    worse after my misdiagnosis is confirmed. It¡¯s like he suddenly turned into another person. He kept

    hanging out around me all day and demanded hugs every now and then. He even let his lust run wild

    without warning! What the hell? Gah, I bet he¡¯s only behaving this way because he knows I am too nice

    to reject him.

    That thought prompted me to push Christopher away and pull the nket away from him. Then, I

    warned, ¡°Oy, don¡¯t you misbehave now. We¡¯re at your family home, and your mom is upset enough

    about our situation. It¡¯s a miracle that she didn¡¯t chase me out, so don¡¯t do anything that will make

    things awkward for everyone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My mom doesn¡¯t walk around the house in the middle of the night. Besides, you¡¯re my

    wife. Isn¡¯t it sinful for you to abandon your husband and let him sleep on his own?¡± replied Christopher

    before he crawled under the bed again and held me tight. His hand started wandering once more.

    I struggled for a bit, but I couldn¡¯t push him away, so I negotiated with him. When he hovered over me, I

    said angrily, ¡°Just once. You¡¯re not allowed to be too reckless, and you must leave afterward. This is

    your family home, and regardless of the situation, you should still consider your mom¡¯s feelings. I will

    give you the silent treatment if you don¡¯t reel it in.¡±

    ¡°Fine, just once. It¡¯s better than nothing,¡± replied Christopher while having a scowl on. He was

    obviously unhappy with that arrangement.

    Turned out, I was too na?ve. Men never mean it when they said that they would only do it once. His lust

    was not something that could be settled in one go. He wouldn¡¯t stop even if I tried to reject his

    advances. He¡¯d kiss me until I lost my mind and couldn¡¯t get a word out. If I struggled against him, I

    would be punished so severely that I ended up begging for mercy and tearing up a little.

    In the end, Christopher stayed in my room for over two hours. He only got up reluctantly after I got all

    teary and called him an a*shole. As he put his clothes on, he said, ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered yet, so we

    should pace ourselves. Let¡¯s go do a full-body check-up tomorrow. I¡¯ll collect what you owe me once we

    are certain that you have recovered.¡±

    ¡°A*shole,¡± Iined before tossing a pillow at him, ¡°Get lost!¡±

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349

    Christopher chuckled and pinched me a little before he snuck out of the room. Naturally, he had to go

    out through the window. Before he left, he squeezed my bosom. ¡°I feel that they have gotten bigger.

    The books are right. Boobs need to be massaged regrly so they can grow bigger.¡±

    I grabbed another pillow and threw it over. By then, Christopher had already jumped to the other side.

    He was so athletic that I was a little jealous. I felt all sticky at the time, so I went to take a shower. That

    was when I heard my phone vibrating.

    I dried my hands and got my phone from my bag. To my surprise, no one was calling me. What¡¯s

    strange was that the sound of a vibrating phone kept echoing in the room. I looked around and finally

    found Christopher¡¯s phone under the bed.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    My lips twitched. That man¡­ He must¡¯ve tossed his clothes randomly to the side and didn¡¯t even know

    that he had dropped his phone. I picked the phone up and checked the screen to see that the call was

    from a person who only saved as thirteen in Christopher¡¯s contact list. I didn¡¯t know if I should ept

    the call and wanted to get the phone to Christopher immediately. Unfortunately, our rooms were too far

    apart, and the caller might hang up before I reach his room.

    I rushed to put my clothes on, but the phone had stopped vibrating. The person called a second time

    right away, and it sounded like an urgent matter. I hesitated for a moment before I epted the call and

    said, ¡°Hi, you¡¯re looking for Christopher, right? He¡¯s not here now. Do you mind waiting for about ten

    minutes? I will have him call you back soon. May I know your name?¡±

    There was a short silence from the other end. ¡°Yvonne, is that you?¡± asked an excited person who

    sounded youthful and strong.

    ¡°And you are?¡± Is he Christopher¡¯s friend? I blinked.

    ¡°This is Sean. We met on the cruise ship,¡± replied Sean.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re fine,¡± I said. Things were hectic earlier, so I almost forgot about the guy.

    I thought about him, but I never asked Christopher if everyone was alright. I didn¡¯t want to risk

    reminding him of the sad past.

    ¡°Yeah, everybody survived. I need to speak to Sir. Please have him call me right away because he

    repeatedly told me that it is urgent and to call him as soon as the investigation bore fruit.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about John, right?¡± I asked nervously. My reaction was justified because John truly

    traumatized me. He was the first person I shot, and he became so crazy that he wanted to drag us to

    the sea with him and drown us. He was such a lunatic.

    ¡°No, he is dead. Don¡¯t worry, Yvonne,¡± replied Sean before he added, ¡°I am not in a position to tell you

    what it is about, though. I¡¯m sure Sir will share this with you soon enough, so please don¡¯t ask about it.¡±

    Sean being that mysterious only got me to feel more nervous. Did something big happen?

    I asked Sean to wait for a moment. After that, I put on my clothes and held the phone before heading

    over to Christopher¡¯s room. I scanned around and made sure that no one was around before I sighed a

    breath of relief. My gosh, we¡¯re married, but we¡¯re still sneaking around like teenagers.

    I was going to knock on the door, but Iter realized that it wasn¡¯t closed properly, so I pushed it gently.

    ¡°Chris, it took me a lot of courage toe to you tonight, but I really want to know,¡± said a woman.

    Through the gap of the door, I saw that Christopher was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed and

    was ying with his lighter. Standing in front of him was none other than Monica.

    My eye twitched and immediately backed out. I spied and acted like I was an essory on the door.

    Christopher lit up a cigarette and took a few puffs before he said, ¡°You already know my answer, don¡¯t

    you? You profess your love to me every year since you were eighteen, and I¡¯ve always rejected you

    and made things clear. I never even leave you any room for imagination. How many times do I have to

    tell you? I only see you as a sister.¡±

    Monica¡¯s gaze turned dim. She had her head down and asked, ¡°But I really don¡¯t understand. Why am I

    nothingpared to her? We met first, and I fell in love with you before she did. Why would you

    choose Yvonne?¡±

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing like that in love. All it takes is a fated meeting, that¡¯s all. Not everyone¡¯s gonna

    be a perfect fit, and just because you came earlier doesn¡¯t mean you get to call dibs on anyone.

    Humans aren¡¯t objects.¡± Christopher¡¯s lighter made a clicking sound as he closed it. ¡°Do you get it

    now?¡± He looked up calmly.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ve always loved you, Chris. Why can¡¯t you love me back?¡± Monica started

    crying.

    ¡°Because the one I love is Yvonne. And there¡¯s no question about that. I never regret falling in love with

    her, even if she only has three months left to live,¡± Christopher answered.

    Monica sobbed. She tried to hug Christopher, but he pushed her away. Seeing that, Monica resolved

    herself. She suddenly unbuttoned her skirt, and it fell to the ground, revealing her naked body.

    Monica held Christopher¡¯s face, forcing him to look at her. She was going to kiss him, while I almost

    barged in. Let him go! I¡¯ll take it from here! I thought.

    Fortunately, I managed to hold myself back. I had faith that Christopher could resist any temptation

    since he did choose to be with me out of all those women out there.

    Just when Monica was about to kiss him, Christopher blocked her out with his hand. ¡°Why are you

    doing this?¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t do this to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Chris, am I not feminine enough? Am I not attractive to you?¡± Monica was already crying. Once again,

    she went up to Christopher and sat astride on hisp, putting his hand on her chest.

    ¡°See? I¡¯m not that bad? At least notpared to Yvonne. Why don¡¯t you try me out? Maybe you¡¯ll

    change your mind. Chris, you can take me whenever you want. You¡¯re the only one I love. I can¡¯t

    imagine falling for anyone else. I-I can sleep with you even if you don¡¯t love me.¡±

    ¡°Monica!¡± Christopher shoved her off him and stood up. ¡°If that¡¯s all you want to talk about, then you

    should leave.¡± He turned away. ¡°I won¡¯t change my mind about this. Sex isn¡¯t the only thing in a

    rtionship. It¡¯s a dance between two loving souls. What you¡¯reparing is just the physical aspect.

    It¡¯s not the most important thing.¡±

    ¡°Chris!¡± Monica hugged him from behind, sobbing. ¡°B-But I don¡¯t understand. When did you fall in love

    with Yvonne? You changed aftering back from that trip. I-Is she that important to you? Is it more

    than my love for you? But you have just met her!¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. I¡¯ve noticed her when I was still a teenager. Love was still an alien concept to us back

    then. You haven¡¯t even fallen in love with me, but I have fallen for her since then, and that has never

    changed. A man¡¯s love begins the moment he takes interest in a woman.¡± Christopher pushed Monica

    away again.

    This time, he picked her skirt up and helped her wear it with his eyes closed. Then, he tossed a jacket

    on the couch to Monica. ¡°It¡¯s cold out there. Have a safe trip, and be careful.¡±

    ¡°B-But I¡¯ve loved you for a long time too, Chris. I-I don¡¯t want to let you go. I really don¡¯t want to do

    that!¡±

    I was still observing the situation quietly outside the room. Whenever Christopher brought me up, his

    eyes would light up, as if I was right there before him. On the other hand, I got more and more

    surprised as the conversation went on. He¡¯s already had his eyes on me back then? Is that true? Or is

    he just trying to calm Monica down?

    Back then, he was the young master of the Lane family, while I was just a poor girl who was bullied

    constantly. Logically speaking, we shouldn¡¯t even have met.

    And then the sound of my ringtone broke the silence of the night.

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    Chapter 351

    I frantically killed the call, but my phone fell down and rolled into the room through the crack of the door.

    When I looked up, Christopher was alreadying up to me, obviously realizing I was here.

    I tried to run away, but Monica was faster. She ran out in tears, but she froze for a moment when she

    saw me. Then, she got even sadder and ran away with her face in her hands. This time, I could hear

    her muffled sobs even though she was already some distance away from us.

    I felt like banging my head against the wall. I got caught both times in the act. Man, I¡¯m an id*ot.

    Christopher leaned against the doorframe, smirking at me. ¡°Come in,¡± he said.

    ¡°Huh, the moon¡¯s looking mighty fine tonight, Chris. I¡¯m just here for some moon-sighting. I can¡¯t sleep,

    you see. Well, you do your stuff. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    I smiled awkwardly, but I was cursing my stupidity inside. What sort of an excuse was that? I obviously

    saw Monica trying to seduce him! Then I had a bad feeling about it, so I looked up. Wh-Why is he

    looking at me like he wants to gobble me up? I could feel him taking my clothes off with his eyes, much

    to my terror.

    ¡°So, do you need anything?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Oh, you left your phone back in the room, so I send it for you. Sean called you. I¡¯ll be going back to my

    room now. Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡± I scurried off like I had seen a ghost, but no matter how fast I tried to

    run, I couldn¡¯t outrun Christopher.

    Christopher dragged me all the way to his room, while I stared down guiltily all the way, like a child who

    was caught stealing. ¡°Um, it¡¯s gettingte, Chris. It¡¯s almost bedtime, so can I get back to sleep? We

    have to pick Sabrina¡¯s wedding gown for her tomorrow.¡±

    Christopher put me on hisp. ¡°So you heard everything.¡±

    I wanted to lie, but I knew he could see through me, so I nodded. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°So you saw Monica stripping herself too.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Then, Christopher smacked my butt. ¡°Don¡¯t you think of getting off the hook! You should have

    barged in when you saw that, but you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s because I trust you.¡± I scratched my head uneasily. It was normal getting hugged by

    Christopher, but doing it in his home felt ufortable for me.

    Noticing how uneasy I was, Christopher patted my back to calm me down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Sure,

    my family¡¯s powerful, but it¡¯s not asplex as you think it is. My mother¡¯s still trying to think this

    through, but she¡¯ll calm down once she gets over it.¡±

    ¡°So what about Monica¡¯s mother?¡± I asked. ¡°Can you tell me more about her?¡±

    ¡°It happened back when I was a kid. I was five years old, and my dad was the governor back then. He

    crossed someone he shouldn¡¯t, and they tried to sabotage him so he would lose his position. They

    hired someone to crash into my mom. It was supposed to be an empty threat for my dad, but Monica¡¯s

    mom was there too. She pushed my mom out of the way and was sent flying, then she died in the

    hospital.¡±

    I was starting to feel sad after hearing the story. No wonder Julia¡¯s so stubborn about this. This isn¡¯t

    something she can repay so easily. ¡±But you said no to Monica¡­ How are you going to break this to

    your mom?¡±

    ¡°You can call her mom since we¡¯re already married.¡± Christopher patted my head like I was a kid. Then,

    he took a lollipop out of the table¡¯s drawer and stuffed it into my mouth after he unwrapped it.

    ¡°She¡¯ll calm down with time. Monica will get it eventually. Don¡¯t tell me you want to back out again, you

    dummy. Do it and I¡¯ll spank you until kingdome.¡±

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t!¡± I chose to stand on the side of love this time. Nobody could stop me and

    Christopher now, but there was something bothering me. I looked at Christopher. ¡°Did you really fall for

    me back then? Why?¡±

    ¡°Take a guess,¡± Christopher said mysteriously.

    ¡°Dammit. I knew you were lying. I would have remembered it if I had known you then.¡± I puffed my

    cheeks.

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    I wanted to leave the Lane residence after staying for only one night, but Christopher made me stay for

    breakfast. Darius wasn¡¯t there though. He probably didn¡¯te back after he left the night before.

    Shelley was a woman of few words, so she didn¡¯t say much, but she did talk to Dn a bit. On the

    other hand, Monica was looking lively that morning.

    She kept telling us to eat as if she had forgotten everything that happened the night before. However, I

    realized she was acting like she was Christopher¡¯s wife, while I was just a mere guest. I didn¡¯t argue

    with her though, since Christopher filled my te with food after Monica told me to eat.

    Dn came to see us off when we were leaving. Shelley was holding his hand, staring at us in cold

    silence.

    Well, that piqued my curiosity. ¡°Hey, has Shelley always been this quiet?¡± I asked Christopher. ¡°I get the

    feeling she doesn¡¯t like me.¡±

    ¡°She has always been that way. Never smile at anyone aside from Darius,¡± Christopher answered

    calmly. ¡°But Darius seldom smiles at her either, so she doesn¡¯t smile these days.¡±

    I stopped asking about it. For some reason, I knew a lot had happened back when Darius was still in

    love with my mother, but my mother didn¡¯t know anything about it. It¡¯s not as simple as what Darius told

    me.

    He must have a reason to be so estranged from Julia and his family. Back when he found out Julia was

    forcing Christopher to marry Monica, he was even more furious than we were, and he got into a big

    argument with Julia too. I wondered if Julia forced him to marry Shelley.

    Christopher took me to the hospital on the way back, but this time, he didn¡¯t take me to the hospital we

    went tost time. Instead, I was taken to an expensive private hospital. A bunch of doctors and nurses

    surrounded me like I was the queen as I went for the checkups. When I came out of the room, I saw

    Christopher in the corridor, opening and closing his lighter.

    It was his little habit whenever he got nervous. I smiled and called out to him, then he looked back at

    me in confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been alrighttely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried. The checkups are just too slow, that¡¯s all,¡± Christopher growled at me for once, though

    I realized he was blushing. Oh my, he¡¯s getting shy. Is he really Christopher? But he¡¯s usually so

    shameless.

    I waited for the report nervously after all the checkups were done. Even though I wasughing at

    Christopher, I was also as nervous as he was. No, I had always been nervous, since I was worried I

    might get hit with something unexpected.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I didn¡¯t have to take the old meds, but the doctor gave me a new prescription. I had been feeling better

    lately, though I¡¯d still get ufortable sometimes.

    It had been a long time since the checkups were done, but the doctor was still looking through my

    report. My patience was starting to run thin, so I was about to tell him to hurry up, but Christopher

    straight up pulled the doctor by his cor. ¡°Take a closer look.¡± He pointed at the report on the table. ¡°Is

    there anything we should know?¡±

    This was probably the first time the doctor had seen someone acting so aggressively, so he stared at

    Christopher in shock. His momentary silence started to worry us, and tension rose when he started

    stammering.

    ¡°What the heck is going on? Tell me or I¡¯ll shoot you!¡± Christopher whipped a gun out and pointed it at

    the doctor¡¯s head.¡±

    I started coughing, but not because I wasughing. I choked on myself in horror; then, I quickly stopped

    Christopher from doing anything outrageous. ¡°Calm down, Christopher. The doctor probably needs

    more time to go through the report. Just give him a few more minutes, alright?¡±

    Christopher removed the gun from the doctor¡¯s head and mmed it on the table. ¡°You¡¯d better take a

    closer look,¡± he growled. ¡°Make one more mistake and you¡¯ll be getting it!¡±

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    Since when did Christopher have a gun on him? I have lifted his shirt before, so how did I not notice

    it? I found myself speechless at the thought of that.

    The doctor wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and said cautiously, ¡°I am looking for the cause of

    the problem, mister. Given the number of tests we¡¯ve performed, this is a lot of data to go through.

    From what I can tell, your wife is just a little anemic. Keep in mind that you¡¯re the one requesting for us

    to run these tests, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re trying to rip you off or anything! I can have the finance office

    refund half of the costs if you¡¯re dissatisfied with our services!¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s it?¡± Both Christopher and I asked in unison.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ The data on these reports show no signs of any major issues, so you are indeed healthy,

    ma¡¯am.¡±

    Seeing as the doctor was on the verge of breaking down in tears, I grabbed Christopher and took off

    before the doctor called the police. Pulling a gun on a doctor over an examination? I bet we¡¯d make the

    headlines tomorrow for such a bizarre incident!

    Christopher and I were both d to hear that I was all right and that I wasn¡¯t suffering from any terminal

    illness. I still had a long life ahead of me, which would give me plenty of time to hold his hand and do

    the stuff we love.

    Upon getting into his car, Christopher pinned me down in the back seat, and we had some pretty crazy

    sex. It all happened so quickly that I didn¡¯t even have the chance to refuse his advances.

    Sabrina held a very grand wedding and had an incredibly long list of guests. I woke up at six in the

    morning and hurriedly dragged Christopher out of bed, much to his annoyance.

    With one swift motion, Christopher pulled me back onto the bed and pinned me down as he went back

    to sleep. ¡°Why are you so worked up about someone else¡¯s wedding?¡±

    ¡°But I promised Sabrina I¡¯d head over earlier and be her bridesmaid! Come on, get up!¡± I exined

    while pushing against him, but he refused to get up. With no other options left, I decided to throw the

    covers off and tickle him instead.

    However, he reached out and grabbed me by the wrist before my fingers could even touch him. How he

    did that with his eyes closed remained a mystery to me.

    ¡°You naughty little girl!¡± He pointed at his cheek and motioned for me to kiss him or he wouldn¡¯t get out

    of bed. I then kissed him on his forehead, his cheek, his lips, and his chin before pulling at his arm

    again. ¡°There! You happy now?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s more like it!¡± Christopher then held his hands out for me to dress him as if he was some

    sort of king.

    It was already past eight when we got into the car. Sabrina called me and threatened to kick my butt if I

    didn¡¯t show up as promised. ncing at my white dress and the makeup on my face, I asked

    Christopher, ¡°How do I look as a bridesmaid? I don¡¯t want to embarrass Sabrina on her big day!¡±

    ¡°You look beautiful, but I think you¡¯re forgetting something here.¡± Christopher yawned and nted a

    kiss on my cheek as he continued, ¡°You¡¯re a married woman, and bridesmaids are supposed to be

    unmarrieddies.¡±

    I let out a cry in shock after a brief pause.

    ¡°Christopher and I may not have held a wedding, but we are still a married couple! What should I do if I

    can¡¯t be your bridesmaid, Sabby?¡± I asked Sabrina anxiously like a girl suffering from

    gamophobia.

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re married? I don¡¯t mind that at all!¡± Sabrina was pacing about in the house, asking me

    from time to time if she looked pretty in that wedding dress of hers. After what seemed like forever, she

    mustered the courage and asked, ¡°Say, do you think Zachary will suddenly change his mind and decide

    to not marry me? He hasn¡¯t been answering my calls since yesterday, nor has he called me all day. I

    gave him a call this morning, but he hung up on me in less than a minute! Has he gotten sick of me

    before we¡¯re even married?¡±

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Have you forgotten what you told me on the phone yesterday? You said your family has a tradition of

    not meeting the person you¡¯re about to marry or it¡¯ll bring bad luck!¡±

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    I couldn¡¯t understand what Sabrina was being so nervous about. Who would have known that someone

    so carefree about everything would be afraid of getting married?

    ¡°Really? I said that? Well, he could at least have someone else deliver a message or something! I still

    think he shouldn¡¯t have gonepletely silent like that! I haven¡¯t been able to sleep a winkst night,

    and he didn¡¯t even bother tofort me or say anything today. Something definitely isn¡¯t right, or he

    wouldn¡¯t have hung up on me so quickly!¡± Sabrina then put her hands on her hips as she continued

    mumbling to herself, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to make him pay when he gets here¡­ He won¡¯t be taking me with him

    so easily!¡±

    Oh, no¡­ What is Sabby up to this time? I got nervous when I saw Sabrina setting up some traps in the

    house, and I couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Sabby, this is your wedding, not someone else¡¯s! Make sure

    you don¡¯t go overboard with this!¡±

    ¡°He imed he was too busy to keep mepany because he was on some kind of special mission!

    How dare he call himself a member of the special forces if he can¡¯t even manage his time well? Hmph!

    I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m going to make him suffer for a bit today!¡± Sabrina pouted and dragged me over to help

    her out.

    ¡°Eve, what do you think a seven-year itch feels like? Would ite early for us? What if we get into

    fights often?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen. Given how nice a guy Zachary is, I think you¡¯ll be the one bullying him

    instead!¡± I replied while rolling my eyes at her.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Still, your rtionship with Christopher has been put through all sorts of trials, so it

    makes sense that you¡¯re so calm about this. What if Zachary has a childhood sweetheart or

    something? What if she shows up at our wedding and causes a scene? How am I supposed to handle

    that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen!¡±

    ¡°Say, what if¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, my god! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already worrying so much before you and Zachary are even

    married! You¡¯d better stop this crap or I won¡¯t speak to you again. Do you hear me?¡±

    After what seemed like a pandemonium at the house, Zachary was able to sessfully take Sabrina

    out of the house. Putting aside the buckets of water above the doors and the chairs coated with glue,

    everything seemed perfect.

    As Sabrina insisted on me being her bridesmaid despite my marital status, Christopher shamelessly

    took the ce of the existing groomsman and stood next to me. ¡°What, you got a problem?¡± he asked

    coldly when he saw Zachary staring at him.

    Zachary quickly shook his head, and Sabrina whispered something into his ear. He then looked like he

    had a sudden realization and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to toss the bouquet urately into your hands,

    Sir! That way, no one will be able to get their hands on it! You¡¯ll be able to hold your wedding smoothly

    for sure!¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ Much appreciated!¡± Christopher rubbed his palms gleefully as he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to get

    him wasted tonight! Let¡¯s see how he¡¯ll spend the night with his bride!¡±

    I¡¯ll never understand the friendship between men¡­ I thought to myself and let out an awkward chuckle

    in response.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Upon arrival at the hotel, we walked along the red carpet together as we made our way toward the

    event hall. I stopped in my tracks all of a sudden when I noticed a familiar figure in the crowd. The

    person also happened to turn around at the same time and shed me a sinister grin in response.

    ¡°Crystal?¡± I eximed in shock.

    Christopher followed my gaze and frowned when he saw her. After all, Crystal did try to seduce him on

    the ship.

    ¡°You head on over. I¡¯ll join you in a bit,¡± I said as I saw Sharon making her way toward us. She rarely

    attends such social events and should be resting in the hospital due to her recently poor health. What¡¯s

    she doing here?

    ¡°Long time no see, Yvonne! You look as great as ever!¡± Crystal raised her chin and shot me an

    arrogant smile as she continued, ¡°By the way, I heard you were diagnosed with some terminal illness.

    Is that true?¡±

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    Da*n Benjamin and his big mouth! Oh, well¡­ Looks like Crystal¡¯s information is outdated, and I don¡¯t

    n on filling her in! With that in mind, I replied calmly, ¡°So what if that¡¯s true? It¡¯s none of your

    business!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it is indeed none of my business. I think Monica would be pleased to hear about it,

    though! Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Crystal¡¯s eyes were filled with glee and anticipation like she was

    expecting to see a show.

    ¡°Unfortunately for you, your information is outdated. I¡¯m afraid that even Monica knows more about it

    than you do!¡± I let out a cold chuckle as I continued, ¡°What about you? How was your trip to Jetroina?

    Why thete return? Did you run out of money there or something?¡±

    The look on Crystal¡¯s face turned gloomy the moment I mentioned Jetroina. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Lyle!

    I¡¯ve been looking all over for you!¡± she shouted all of a sudden before throwing herself into Lyle¡¯s arms.

    Crystal shed me a smug wink as she nuzzled against him, but I felt nothing and simply stared at

    them emotionlessly. At this point, I¡¯m not even sure if I feel bad for Lyle or myself. He dismissed all that

    I¡¯ve done for him, only toe running back to me two days ago asking to have a fresh start with me.

    Heck, he even tried to force himself on me! Now that Crystal has returned, he¡¯s gone back to her

    again¡­ Has he forgotten what she did in the past? This is such a lowly form of love, but it¡¯s none of my

    business. I mean, why should I concern myself any further when he has already made his choice?

    With that in mind, I greeted him coldly, ¡°Hello, Mr. Smith.¡±

    ¡°H-Hello, Ms. Tanner¡­¡± Lyle¡¯s eyes darted around in an attempt to avoid my gaze. I figured he was too

    ashamed to look me in the eye after trying to rape me the other day, only to get beaten up badly by

    Christopher as a result. Despite his absurd levels of shamelessness, he didn¡¯t dare say anything with

    Crystal around.

    ¡°You should call her Yvonne like I do, Lyle! We¡¯re family, after all!¡± Crystal said with a giggle.

    Noticing his grandma in the crowd, Lyle brushed Crystal¡¯s arm off and made his way over. His attitude

    toward Crystal seemed to have changed as he was no longer blindly going along with everything she

    said. He probably learned to appreciate his family a little more after what happened.

    While Sabrina was perfectly fine with a married woman like me being her bridesmaid, her parents

    weren¡¯t. As such, her cousin took my ce after I walked her to the red carpet.

    Crystal continued to mock me from the side, but I ignored her as I didn¡¯t want to cause a scene on

    Sabrina¡¯s big day. This is one of the things I hate about big families! Even though Sabrina didn¡¯t invite

    any of these unwanted guests, we can¡¯t kick them out either, now that they¡¯ve arrived.

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    With that in mind, I made my way through the crowd in hopes of spotting Christopher, but he was

    nowhere to be found. Suddenly, Crystal pointed at a woman in the crowd and said, ¡°Guess who she is!¡±

    She¡¯s clearly trying to pick a fight with me if she¡¯s following me around like this, but she can¡¯t do

    anything if I keep quiet like this! With that thought in mind, I simply frowned and continued to ignore her.

    ¡°You may be ignoring me now, but you¡¯ll be begging me for mercyter!¡± Crystal chuckled and pointed

    at the woman as she continued, ¡°Her name is Nicole Williams, and she used to be Zachary¡¯s ssmate

    back in high school. You know, the kind who almost killed herself out of her love for him? Well, she¡¯s

    pregnant now. What do you think will happen if she calls out to Zachary during the ring exchange and

    says he¡¯s the father of her child?¡±

    I went pale immediately upon hearing that. How does Crystal know all this?

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    ¡°What are you up to this time, Crystal?¡± I asked through clenched teeth as I tried to suppress the

    burning anger within me.

    Crystal broke into a sinister grin. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m up to? I just want to piss you off as much as I

    can! You got pretty bold with someone like Sabrina supporting you, huh? Thanks to her spreading my

    scandal everywhere, people have been pestering me about it since my return! Heck, they even went as

    far as trying to have the press interview me! She should¡¯ve seen thising before trying to ruin my

    reputation!¡±

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Hearing that made me tremble all over in anger, and I was about to make my way toward the pregnant

    woman when Crystal grabbed me by the arm. ¡°I know it¡¯s normal for men to fool around before getting

    married, but¡­ For a pregnant woman to expose the truth at the wedding in front of everyone? Isn¡¯t that

    just exciting? Do you think Sabrina will choose to ept the fact that her groom was sleeping around,

    or will she call off the wedding altogether? Go on, take a guess! I¡¯ll even reward you for getting it right!¡±

    She¡¯s seriously nning on sabotaging a wedding this grand? I couldn¡¯t believe how far Crystal would

    go to get revenge on Sabrina for sticking up for me. ¡°Crystal, this is between you and me! Juste at

    me and leave Sabrina out of this!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that simply won¡¯t do! Sabrina has to pay the price for messing with me, and you¡¯re not going

    anywhere unless I say so, Yvonne!¡± Crystal said with a twisted grin on her face. I thought about asking

    for help but realized there was no one else I could trust. There¡¯s no telling how people would respond

    to this. If someone decides to start yelling and cause a scene, I¡¯d be ying right into Crystal¡¯s hands!

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy! You¡¯re really crazy, Crystal! How could you do such a thing? Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma

    coming back at you?¡± I tried my best to brush her arm off, but she maintained a firm grip and held a

    knife to my waist.

    ¡°Stop struggling or I¡¯ll stab you. It¡¯d be a shame for you to die now that you¡¯ve finally married

    Christopher, you know? Think about it, Yvonne. If you die, Monica will steal Christopher, and you

    wouldn¡¯t be able to do a thing about it! Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ It¡¯d be such a tragedy!¡±

    I froze upon hearing that and didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. This isn¡¯t like Crystal at all! As someone who

    always prioritizes her image over everything else, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d take a huge risk like this!

    Something must¡¯ve happened to her without me realizing it and changed herpletely!

    In my state of anxiousness and desperation, I softened my tone and pleaded with her, ¡°Please don¡¯t do

    this, Crystal! You can take your anger out on me however you like, and I won¡¯t even utter a single word

    ofint! Please, you have to stop that woman!¡±

    Regardless of whether that woman¡¯s story was true, her words were most certainly capable of ruining

    the best day of Sabrina¡¯s life.

    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare hurt you! You¡¯re the apple of Christopher¡¯s eye, remember? I¡¯d be dead if I so

    much asid a finger on you!¡± Despite what she said, Crystal kept that knife pressed against my waist

    and gave it a light jab.

    The ceremony wasing to an end, and it would soon be time for the ring exchange. I began to

    sweat out of anxiousness as I prayed for Christopher to show up and notice the state I was in.

    ¡°Have you gone mad, Crystal? Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, I want to make you suffer! But since you¡¯re begging me so nicely, I¡¯ll be kind enough to

    make you a deal. Have Christopher go on stage and announce that he¡¯ll marry me. After that, I want

    you to get down on your knees and tell everyone that you¡¯re the selfish, shameless homewrecker

    instead! You do that, and I¡¯ll have someone take the woman away. What do you think?¡±

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    I turned and red daggers at her. ¡°Crystal! Does your shamelessness know no bounds?¡±

    ¡°The show is about to start, Yvonne!¡± Crystal said while giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder. I saw

    the bodyguard next to Benjamin whisper something into the woman¡¯s ear, and she began making her

    way toward the stage. Her tummy seemed really huge and looked like she was in her third trimester.

    With no other option left, I was about to shout out loud and get everyone¡¯s attention on me when I saw

    Christopher running into the hall. He seemed to be in a hurry with sweat all over his forehead, and I

    also saw Monica following behind him.

    For some reason, seeing Monica here gave me the feeling that she had something to do with this

    incident.

    I then turned toward Crystal and shed her a faint smile. ¡°You know what, Crystal? I just remembered

    something! It¡¯s like you said, I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s woman. Do you really think you can just walk away after

    stabbing me in public? If I die, you¡¯re joining me in death!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me! You think I won¡¯t do it? Try me, b*tch!¡± Crystal shouted coldly.

    I calmed down a little when I saw her panicked response which confirmed my theory. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you

    at all, Crystal. You¡¯re so desperate that you can¡¯t even think straight. You should¡¯ve had someone else

    stab me, and I¡¯m sure those from the Miller family would be more than happy to do it for you. I¡¯m pretty

    sure you don¡¯t have the guts to stab me, so this is checkmate for you!¡±

    I then grabbed her hand holding the knife and headbutted her in the nose. Crystal reeled from the pain

    but managed to stop herself from crying out. Seeing as people have noticed ourmotion, I raised

    my hand and pped her hard across the face.

    ¡°Ah! You b*tch! How dare you hit me?¡± Crystal shrieked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all I¡¯m going to do!¡± I seized the opportunity to break free of her grip before grabbing a ss

    of red wine and sshing it all over her face. ¡°You should¡¯ve prepared yourself for the consequences

    when you decided to seduce a married man! Being Lyle¡¯s first love doesn¡¯t give you the right to just

    label me as a homewrecker, you know? What do you take us for? Complete id*ots or something?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true! I swear!¡± Crystal was quick to catch on and covered her face while looking at me

    helplessly. She even tossed the knife onto the table behind her without anyone noticing.

    I mmed my fist hard on the table and shouted, ¡°You know what you did, Crystal! And I haven¡¯t

    forgotten how you stole Autumnal Panorama and imed it to be your own work! Recing my name

    on it with yours doesn¡¯t automatically make it yours! I painted the Autumnal Panorama, and I was

    supposed to be the one attending the Eastsummer art exhibition! You¡¯re a fake, and you¡¯ll always be

    nothing but a fake!¡±

    People began gathering around us when they heard themotion, and I saw the pregnant woman

    making her way onto the stage. However, nobody noticed what she was doing as everyone had their

    eyes fixated on my confrontation with Crystal, much to my relief.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Shut up, Yvonne! I¡¯m your cousin, for goodness¡¯ sake! I know you really love art and all, but that

    doesn¡¯t mean you can just nder me like this! I¡¯m an acknowledged apprentice of the great Mr.

    Sawyer! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d use me of such horrible things, all for the sake of fame and fortune! Do

    you even have any passion for art? Or do you just see it as a mere tool for you to get rich and popr?

    It¡¯s my dream to be an artist, and I will not allow you to insult it like this!¡± Crystal sobbed as tears

    began rolling down her cheeks.

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    Chapter 358

    I didn¡¯t want to bring this up as it would only lead to more trouble, but I had to do so to ensure I had

    everyone¡¯s attention. I¡¯m sorry for causing such a scene at your wedding, Sabrina¡­

    ¡°I know art more than anyone here! What do you think, Crystal?¡± I was so relieved when I saw the

    woman get taken away that I nearly broke down in tears. The entire ordeal had onlysted five

    minutes, but it was so tense that it felt like an hour.

    Being the bootlicker that he was, Benjamin quickly rushed to Crystal¡¯s aid when he saw the Zimmers¡¯

    bodyguards dragging the woman away. ¡°Zachary, you got someone¡­¡±

    Realizing what he was about to say, I quickly grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and smashed it on

    his head to cut him off. Benjamin cried out in pain and fell to his knees, clutching his head in his hands.

    What I did was so shocking that I even found myself stunned in disbelief.

    In the past, I would always get bullied at parties and without fighting back at all. But now, I¡¯m holding

    my ground like a bada*s without anyone to back me up!

    As the shock slowly wore off, the entire hall went into an uproar as everyone regained theirposure

    and began discussing what had happened. I saw Zachary anxiously exining something to Sabrina in

    the distance before giving me an assuring nod. Finally¡­ the situation is under control¡­

    Feeling relieved, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and said with an awkward giggle, ¡°All right, the

    show is over, people! Come on, let¡¯s all return to our seats now!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Yvonne, you b*tch! How dare you bully my daughter? Have you no heart? First, you leave your cousin

    all by herself on an abandoned ind, and now this? Why are you always bullying her?¡± Natalie yelled

    as she shoved her way past the crowd.

    Nathan appeared shortly after and stood in front of Crystal as he shouted angrily, ¡°What the hell do you

    think you¡¯re doing? Crystal has always beenpromising and letting you have the good stuff! She

    even went as far as backing off when you wanted to marry Lyle! How could you insult her career like

    this? Are you not satisfied until you destroy her lifepletely? I wonder what I did to deserve a

    daughter like you!¡±

    I had gotten sick of hearing that line from him and picked at my ear as I said, ¡°By backing off, do you

    mean how she gave my husband intimate phone calls every now and then before forcing me into

    divorcing him?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Yvonne! You shouldn¡¯t nder them like this even if you and Lyle are divorced! What they

    have going between them is the purest form of love! It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking with that filthy mind of

    yours!¡±

    Natalie draped a coat over Crystal to cover her up before saying coldly, ¡°You didn¡¯t even know who

    your baby¡¯s father was because you were unfaithful in marriage, and now you¡¯re trying to destroy

    Crystal¡¯s career that she built with her own hands? If so, then don¡¯t me me for exposing you for the

    adulteress that you are! Unlike Lyle, I¡¯m not going to show you any mercy!¡±

    ¡°Apologize to Crystal right now, or I won¡¯t forgive you for this!¡± Nathan added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything to wrong her, Dad!¡± I frowned as I wondered if Natalie was the one who

    taught Lyle to do what he did.

    Having regained theirposure, those from the Miller family approached us and chimed in as well,

    ¡°Ms. Tanner! What has Benjamin done to warrant you to injure him like that? You¡¯d better exin

    yourself or I¡¯ll take legal action against you!¡±

    Right as I was on the brink of breaking down from stress and anxiety, a cold voice was heard from

    behind the crowd, ¡°Who daresy a finger on my woman?¡±

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359

    Benjamin¡¯s father was a merciless man. Ever since I was little, I had always been terrified of his

    minatory aura. Being suddenly confronted by him, my face turned pale. What do I say to him? I can¡¯t

    possibly tell him that his son is trying to help Crystal by ruining the wedding ceremony. I was only trying

    to divert everyone¡¯s attention.

    While I was caught in a quandary, Christopher¡¯s voice was heard out of nowhere.

    Upon hearing Christopher¡¯s words, everyone was stupefied. However, some of the people there

    thought that Lyle was the one who yelled out those words. ¡°Lyle, you aren¡¯t married to Yvonne

    anymore. Why are you still covering for her? Look what she has done to Crystal,¡± uttered Natalie, with

    a sullen look on her face.

    ¡°Lyle, you¡¯re like a brother to Benjamin. How could you say such a thing?¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Lyle had an awkward look on his face as he pondered on how he should respond.

    Gazing at his face, I almost burst outughing.

    Nathan was irritated at me for being frivolous at a time like this. He lifted his hand and was getting

    ready to p me. Fortunately, Christopher appeared just in time to stop him.

    He grabbed hold of Nathan¡¯s arm with one hand and let out a sinister smile. ¡°Mr. Lane, Eve is my

    woman. Even if you¡¯re her father, you can¡¯t just hit her. I¡¯ll be heartbroken if something happens to her.¡±

    ¡°What! There¡¯s no way Christopher Lane said that! I must be hearing things right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, is Christopher drunk or something? How could he say that? Does he not care about Monica

    anymore?¡±

    ¡°Stop joking around, Christopher. It¡¯s not funny.¡±

    I was baffled after hearing Christopher¡¯s statement. I was in a greater shock than when I first heard that

    Crystal had giarized my work. It¡¯s Christopher that we¡¯re talking about here. He¡¯s one of the

    wealthiest men in Avenport.

    The crowd was staring at Christopher as they opened a path for him. Even though his attire was a bit

    messy, itplemented very well with his evil charm.

    His cold demeanor made him look rather suave. All the girls in the crowd almost passed out because of

    his charm. ¡°Eve is my woman. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Nathan queried incredulously as he shook off

    Christopher¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Haha, very funny Christopher. You sure got us good. You should really stop joking around like that.

    What if Ms. Martin heard you?¡± Natalie uttered with a straight face.

    Christopher reached out his hand and pulled me into his arms in front of everyone. After that, he

    nced at Nathan and replied nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Lane, it seems to me that you don¡¯t know much about

    Eve at all. Have you ever really cared about her? You seem to care more about Ms. Yates than your

    own daughter from what I see.¡±

    Amused by what he said, the crowd startedughing. On the contrary, Nathan was livid.

    ¡°Christopher, you have taken this too far.¡± Nathan took a deep breath topose himself.

    ¡°Mr. Lane, Eve and I will pay you a visit on another day. Hopefully, you¡¯ll not show your contempt

    toward her.¡± Christopher winked at me with a smug look on his face. Just look at this ostentatious

    fellow, trying to act all cool again.

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360

    ¡°We are very d that you came to visit our home, Christopher. That being said, you shouldn¡¯t utter

    such a tant lie in front of everyone just to protect Yvonne. She¡¯s a divorc¨¦e who cheated on her ex-

    husband. You really shouldn¡¯t get yourself involved with the likes of her.¡± Natalie was doing her best to

    disparage me in front of everyone.

    ¡°Besides, everyone in Avenport knows that Ms. Martin is the only one for you. Both of you are destined

    to be together,¡± she added.

    Christopher gave her a cold stare and responded, ¡°Whether she¡¯s an adulterer or not, I¡¯ll be the judge

    of that. I pity Eve for having to deal with an aunt like you. It must¡¯ve been very hard for her. Oh, by the

    way, I still remember what your daughter did on that deserted ind. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to return

    the favor one day.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± ncing at Christopher¡¯s menacing eyes, Natalie was reticent to say anything.

    Christopher turned around to face Benjamin¡¯s father before uttering, ¡°Mr. Miller, regarding the whole

    incident between your son and Eve, we¡¯ll settle this in private, okay? I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±

    Mr. Miller nced at me with disdain before turning toward Christopher. ¡°Well, since you put it that way,

    we¡¯ll let Ms. Tanner go for now. Humph! Let¡¯s go.¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    After Mr. Miller took his men and left, the crowd surrounded us and was staring at us. I felt like I was

    being judged by them. A youngdy who was standing on my left murmured, ¡°Impossible. I must be

    dreaming right now. There¡¯s no way a woman like Yvonne is fit to be with Christopher.¡±

    I signaled Christopher to disperse the crowd by giving him a little bump on the shoulder. How did it

    come to this? I thought we could be furtive about this. Just 10 minutes in and our rtionship has

    already been exposed. This is not looking good.

    ¡°Let them stare as much as they want. No one would dare to mess with you again after this. I want to

    be open with our rtionship. If anyone dares to deplore our rtionship, I¡¯ll make them regret it,¡±

    Christopher whispered.

    I pushed him and replied in a yful manner, ¡°Okay, tough guy. I need to go see Sabby now. Can you

    hurry up?¡±

    Seeing us whispering into each other¡¯s ears, everyone thought that we were flirting with one another.

    They were staring at us in bewilderment. How could Christopher choose such a mundane girl to be his

    woman?

    ¡°Anyone else wants to have a talk with Eve? I¡¯ll wait right here.¡± Christopher slowly lifted his head up to

    nce at the crowd. The look on his face was rather petrifying.

    Terrified, the crowd lowered their head and replied, ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay then. If there¡¯s nothing else, you guys can continue on with the eating and drinking. It¡¯s a shame

    that the ceremony is over, I really wanted to give the bride a kiss in front of everyone.¡± Christopher

    grabbed my hand and brought me over to the seat in the first row.

    The table was full of dishes and wine. After sitting down on my seat, the vise that had been gripping my

    chest all day long finally loosened a little. A whileter, Sabrina and Zachary came over to our seats.

    Sabrina sat down beside me with a pale look on her face. ¡°Eve, thank you so much for your help just

    now. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Zach and I would¡¯ve be everyone¡¯sughing-stock. That being said, I¡¯m

    sorry for dragging you into this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re my most precious friend; so, I will do my best to help you naturally.¡± I was fraught with

    guilt as I said that. I can¡¯t believe Crystal has nned to hurt those around me just to get to me. She¡¯s

    even gotten Sabrina into this.

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361

    ¡°Has everything been dealt with?¡± I shifted my attention over to the pregnant woman sitting at the

    backstage. She must¡¯ve been instigated by Crystal toe in here. Without the invitation card given to

    her by Crystal, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter this ce.

    Sabrina had a mncholy look on her face as she uttered, ¡°She¡¯s such an abhorrent woman. Eight

    months ago, when Zach was still in the army, she tried to force the responsibility of her child onto him.

    If it wasn¡¯t for her baby¡¯s sake, I would¡¯ve taught her a lesson.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sabby. Because of my negligence, you ended up getting insulted. Nicole was my ssmate

    back in high school. I didn¡¯t know that she still has feelings for me.¡±

    Zachary was holding Sabrina¡¯s hand nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with me anymore, okay?¡±

    ¡°Humph, I¡¯ll forgive you only if you manage to do something that cheers me up.¡± Sabrina turned her

    head away from him.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that you guys were caught up in this quagmire. I am sorry.¡± I gave them a terse

    exnation regarding the whole incident with Crystal while rubbing my fingers. ¡°Sabby, you should

    refrain from contacting Crystal in the future. She¡¯s very troublesome and irascible. Trust me, you don¡¯t

    want to get involved with her,¡± I added.

    ¡°Oh, I see. I was wondering how it couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence that Zach¡¯s ssmate from high

    school suddenly appeared on our wedding day. Crystal must¡¯ve been the one pulling the strings in the

    dark. Humph, I¡¯ll make sure to pay her back two-fold if she ever gets married in the future.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± I quickly responded.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.. You worry too much, Eve. I can handle myself.¡± Sabrina let out a sigh.

    Gazing at the expression on her face, I knew she wasn¡¯t going to dismiss her grudge with Crystal so

    easily. Crystal is very cunning and mendacious. What if Sabrina ends up falling into her trap?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Zach is a smart guy. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to protect Sabrina from Crystal. If anything

    does happen to Sabrina, he¡¯ll be there for her.¡± Christopher passed me a ss of wine. After taking a

    sip of the wine, I finally came back to my senses. What exactly am I doing here right now? I took a look

    around and saw a lot of people still ring at me.

    ¡°Hey, I think we should go. The people around us are scrutinizing my every move.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s leave. We should get into a private room and enjoy ourselves there instead.¡± Christopher

    held my hand before heading toward the exit.

    Seeing as such, Monica quickly went after us. ¡°Chris, are you leaving already?¡± she queried with a sad

    face.

    ¡°Yeah, Eve and I have some matters to attend to.¡± Christopher held tighter onto my hand.

    ¡°Julia misses you a lot. You should visit her whenever you¡¯re free. She gets very lonely since Darius

    rarelyes home nowadays.¡± Monica was staring intently at Christopher. She didn¡¯t even spare me a

    nce.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be sure to pay her a visit together with Eve. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Monica took out an entry ticket to a piano recital and handed it over to Christopher. ¡°This is the

    entry ticket to my piano recital. I have saved this one especially for you.¡±

    Christopher was reluctant to take the ticket. ¡°Why is there only one ticket?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I was only able to save one ticket.¡± Monica finally decided to look at me as she uttered, ¡°Ms.

    Tanner, I forgot to save a ticket for you. I hope you won¡¯t be mad.¡±

    I waved my hand and feigned a smile in response.

    ¡°Chris, you¡¯ll be there right?¡±

    Monica shoved the ticket into Christopher¡¯s hand. Christopher reluctantly epted the ticket and

    inserted it into his pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises. I¡¯ve been quite busy recently, so don¡¯t get your

    hopes up. However, I will be bringing Yvonne along with me if I do make it to your recital. After all,

    you¡¯re her sister as well.¡±

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362

    I threw a sideways nce upon hearing Christopher¡¯s words. I appreciated his effort to keep a distance

    from Monica whenever they were in each other¡¯s presence. Even when they were standing next to

    each other, he would keep repeating that he saw her as a sister. He did all these just so I would feel

    more reassured.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    What he did not realize was that everything had changed from the moment I learned that I wasn¡¯t

    terminally ill. I had vowed to never leave his side after I saw hopes in the prolonged darkest times.

    If my experiences in life had taught me anything, it was this¡ªlive in the moment and cherish the

    present.

    After being given the opportunity to live again, I had decided to cast away my sense of insecurity.

    Unfortunately, I was disqualified from the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest due to my absence

    from the third quarter contest. Otherwise, I was convinced that in my current state of a peaceful mind, I

    would be able to create a better art piece.

    I walked out of the event hall and made a phone call to Sabrina. We agreed to meet up at night before I

    hung up the phone and got into the car. Christopher stuffed the concert ticket into my hands and said,

    ¡°Dear, I¡¯ll leave this to you, and I¡¯ll support every decision that you make.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should go,¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Christopher feigned anger. ¡°Are you trying to push your husband into the arms of another

    woman?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Since your mother was already displeased with us, we shouldn¡¯t make the matter worse for

    her. Besides, you¡¯ve already made it clear that you only see Monica as a sister, so I¡¯m not going to be

    jealous about her. Just go and I¡¯m sure your mother will appreciate it,¡± I trod carefully while observing

    Christopher¡¯s facial expression.

    As the man started to get worked up for real, I quickly added, ¡°Why don¡¯t Ie with you? It¡¯ll be like

    you treating me to a concert. Does that sound all right?¡±

    Only then Christopher¡¯s face lit up. He pinched my cheek yfully and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say no to you if

    you want to watch the concert. Just make sure you don¡¯t fall asleep during the session.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. My dream was to be a painter. Music is part of arts too, so don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t enjoy

    music,¡± I retorted. However, I must admit that I don¡¯t fully appreciate music concerts per se. Mmm¡­ I

    might really fall asleep at the concert.

    Christopher suddenly turned to me and asked in all seriousness, ¡°You mentioned that Crystal had

    stolen your artwork in the past. How did that happen?¡±

    Christopher¡¯s unexpected question took me by surprise. Since he knew I could paint, I was under the

    impression that he knew everything about me. But now, that notion was being challenged. ¡°You really

    don¡¯t know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± the man answered while furrowing his brows.

    I poked my finger on his forehead, trying to tten the frown. ¡°Sometimes I feel like you already know

    everything that has happened to me, and that you can do anything. And now it seems like there¡¯s a

    limit to the things that you know about me,¡± I teased.

    ¡°After all, I¡¯m only human. I can¡¯t really have everything covered,¡± the man said while pulling me into his

    arms, and patted my buttock softly before he resumed a serious tone, ¡°Stop fooling around. Tell me

    what happened.¡±

    I pursed my lips before I slowly exined, ¡°Frankly, it was a ratherplicated incident. A few years

    ago, I painted a piece of artwork, Autumnal Panorama. But for reasons unknown to me then, it fell into

    the hands of Crystal. I was kept in the dark all this while by many of my family members including my

    respected grandma and my dad. It wasn¡¯t until recently that I was told what happened.¡±

    ¡°It was indeed an excellent piece of artwork. Eve, you should have more confidence in yourself,¡±

    Christopher said while rubbing my nose.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking as though you have seen the painting yourself. Crystal ended up taking the artwork to

    Eastsummer. I believe it¡¯s still in one of their drawing rooms.¡± I shrugged. I used to be consumed by

    gloom and grief when I thought about my art piece that had been stolen. But now, I was confident that

    my best work was yet toe.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. I might have seen it with my own eyes,¡± the man said with a mysterious wink. But

    he kept his lips tight when I asked him to borate.

    ¡°You¡¯re tricking me again. There are less than ten people who had seen the painting.¡±

    ¡°What if I¡¯m one of the ten people?¡± Christopher then pulled out his phone and showed me a picture on

    his screen. My jaw dropped when I saw what was on it. ¡°How did you get hold of my temte and draft

    illustration?¡±

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Christopher kept his phone and looked at me expectantly.

    Well, how would I know? I gave him a nudge and pleaded, ¡°Please, I beg of you. I¡¯m really curious. It¡¯s

    fair enough that you knew about my hobby of painting. After all, I did paint a few times every now and

    again when I was younger. However, I don¡¯t even have the physical copy of the draft temte of this

    painting. So how do you have a scanned version of it?¡±

    ¡°You really have no clue? What a silly woman.¡± Rubbing his chin, Christopher seemed to be weighing

    his choices. In the end, the man decided to hold off telling me until the good news was released two

    dayster.

    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Why would I ask you if I have any clue at all?¡± Still not giving up, I started to

    move about on his body in an attempt to coax an answer out of him. As a result of that, I had

    inadvertently inmed the carnal urge in him as his eyes shone with zing desire in the next instance.

    Sensing how Christopher¡¯s lower region was reacting to me, I panicked and quickly jumped off his

    body. The next thing I knew, the man had driven the car into some woods. To put it simply, we had

    given the car a good shake whilst parked in the woods. Christopher only let me go because we were

    meeting Sabrina for the night.

    What a scoundrel!

    In the end, Christopher was still tight-lipped about how he came to be in possession of the draft work of

    my painting. I then recalled a conversation he had with Monica when he said that he had started paying

    attention to me, and then fell in love with me some ten years ago.

    At that time, I thought he only said that for Monica¡¯s benefit. But now, it seemed like he was telling the

    truth. I had been racking my brain to recall all the interactions I had previously had with Christopher, but

    my efforts were in vain. I arrived at the conclusion that this man was like a mysterious book. Each time

    I thought I had gotten to thest page, I would find out that there were more pages underneath.

    At night, we went to Sabrina and Zachary¡¯s presidential suite for the newlyweds¡¯ after-party. Many of

    Christopher¡¯s exrades were also invited to the party. One of whom was Sean. A new scar could be

    seen across one of his cheeks.

    All the friends gathered around and started to invent games to y with Sabrina and Zachary. One of

    which was to dangle an apple in between them, and the couple had to eat the apple with hands behind

    their back. Another game was to get a blindfolded Sabrina to correctly identify Zachary¡¯s hand from

    among the groomsmen¡¯s hands.

    It only took seconds for Sabrina to find the right hand. The bride took off her blindfold and let out a

    bright smile. ¡°This is a piece of cake. I had already engraved every detail of his hand in my memory

    when I was going after Zach and held his hand for the first time. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll make a mistake.¡±

    Upon Sabrina¡¯s revtion, some people cheered and whistled, whereas others started to tease the

    couple. Zachary flushed like a tomato instantly. ¡°It was me who went after you. It¡¯s just that I did it so

    subtly it wasn¡¯t obvious to you.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m curious as to how you have won Sabrina over. Why don¡¯t you share with us?¡± I joined

    the crowd and asked with an impish smile.

    Zachary finally relented and shared his story, ¡°I¡¯ve been in love with Sabrina since we were kids. She

    used to live across from me. While other kids thought she was rough and overbearing, I saw a different

    side of hers. Sabrina would bring some slices of bread to the park to feed the stray cats. Whenever the

    cats were injured, she would bring them home and tend to their injuries. She was such a kind person I

    couldn¡¯t help falling for her.¡±

    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re such a lovely childhood sweetheart! Cheers to you two! Here, you two are going to finish

    this drink together. Bottoms up!¡± I said while sliding over a ss of beer.

    Christopher already had quite a lot to drink as the night deepened. He held onto me and kept muttering

    that he wanted me to have a grand wedding reception, in which I would wear the fairest wedding gown

    and be the center of every girl¡¯s attention. After a while, he quietly led me to the balcony, and then

    rested his head on my shoulder before he whispered, ¡°Eve, we got married in such a rush I felt like I

    owe you a beautiful wedding ceremony. At that time, you were struggling to make a decision due to my

    family background. So, I had no choice but to act fast so that you wouldn¡¯t run away from me.¡±

    ¡°You fool!¡± I let out a smile and held him back. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you promise that you¡¯ll cherish me for all

    eternity? I¡¯ll need you to keep doing that, for if you don¡¯t, my heart will be broken into a thousand

    pieces.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to hurt you!¡±

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364

    The after-party went on untilte into the night. As I looked helplessly at a group of drunken men and

    turned to Sabrina for help, the woman was already on her way back to her bedroom with Zachary in her

    arm. She turned to me and said, ¡°Eve, I¡¯m gonna have to count on you to look after these men. After

    all, I¡¯m the bride, and tonight is my wedding night. You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±

    She was right and her argument was indisputable.

    Together with some hotel staff, we put every one of the men back to their respective bedrooms. After

    making sure they were all settled in, I went back to Christopher¡¯s room and gave him a nudge. ¡°All right

    now. There¡¯s just me here. You can stop pretending to be drunk.¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    The man continued to sleep soundly. I poked at him a few times and finally realized that he really was

    drunk.

    After our conversation at the balcony, Christopher said that he was nning to feign being drunk in

    front of his friends so he didn¡¯t have to drink so much. What a liar!

    ¡°Hah, good luck with the hangover tomorrow,¡± I muttered while covering him up with a nket. On

    second thought, worrying that he was going to have a bad hangover the next day, I decided to go out

    and get some hangover remedy at the drug store.

    On my way to the drug store, I walked past Lyle¡¯s parked car by the roadside and was d that no one

    was inside the car. Now that Crystal was back in the scene, there was no doubt she wouldtch herself

    onto Lyle and create all sorts of trouble. I sped up my pace to the drug store and decided to take a

    different route on the way back. As soon as I stepped into a small alleyway, I was met with an angry

    stray dog which started to chase after me. I panicked and ran deep into the alleyway.

    ¡°Lyle, please don¡¯t be angry. I swear I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. You see, you¡¯ve missed me too. Or your

    body wouldn¡¯t have reacted to me right now.¡±

    After sprinting for a few minutes, I was catching my breath in front of a big tree when I saw Crystal and

    Lyle yards away from me. Urgh! Of all the people in Avenport, I have to bump into them. Crystal kept

    rubbing her body against Lyle. As though that wasn¡¯t enough, she then slid her hand underneath the

    man¡¯s clothes for more actions.

    ¡°Stop it, Crystal,¡± uttered Lyle as he removed the woman¡¯s hand and rejected her for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m

    d that you¡¯re back and you seem to be doing well. But, I think it¡¯s better that we take a break from

    seeing each other for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Lyle, please don¡¯t do this to me. You¡¯re the most important person in my life. I¡¯ll be lost without you.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. She bit her lower lips and continued, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t approve of

    the things that I¡¯d done on that deserted ind. But you must understand, I was so terrified at that

    moment. I¡¯m only human, and any desperate human would do anything to stay alive when death is

    imminent.¡±

    ¡°What about Yvonne? She too was only human.¡± Lyle scoffed with a look in his eyes of utter

    indifference.

    ¡°Please don¡¯tpare the two of us. You¡¯re not regretting choosing me over Yvonne, are you?¡± the

    woman said as she slowly slid out of her dress and started to grind her body against Lyle¡¯s. ¡°I was in

    such distress that I couldn¡¯t think straight. I regretted the moment we left the ind. But those people

    on the boat wouldn¡¯t let me go back for you. Can you please believe me?¡±

    Only a fool would believe what she said. Even I can tell she¡¯s full of nonsense. Surely Lyle should know

    better. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand the woman¡¯s seduction.

    ¡°All right. I believe you.¡±

    Okay then. I seemed to have overestimated his intelligence.

    ¡°That¡¯s so great! I knew you still love me. Let¡¯s get married, Lyle. Didn¡¯t you want us to be married

    before? Let¡¯s do that and be a legally wedded couple.¡± Crystal started kissing Lyle, who finally gave in,

    and pressed the woman against a wall. As he did that, the corner of Crystal¡¯s lips curled up in a

    satisfactory smile.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365

    At this point, it would be no surprise that a passionate scene would ensue. I wanted to leave but was

    afraid that the stray dog would chase me again. As a child, Crystal had pushed me into a dog¡¯s kennel

    and the memory still haunted me so much so that I felt no love for small, cute animals.

    I squatted behind the tree and looked at the moon with my face in my hands. I wanted to confront those

    two and shout at them not to engage in such activities in public. Adults mighte across them or

    even worse, they might scare little children. Even if they did not scare little children, they might trample

    the grass and nts. We are supposed to take care of the environment.

    ¡°Crystal, are you really willing to marry me?¡± Lyle took Crystal¡¯s leg and twirled it around his waist. He

    pushed her against the wall, without the tenderness of the past but just lusty release of pent-up desires.

    ¡°Of course, Lyle, I have always wanted to marry you but you just can¡¯t forget Yvonne. I¡¯m jealous, don¡¯t

    you know? Every time we quarrel, it¡¯s because of her. You even went to see her to get back together

    again. I was really sad at the time.¡± Crystal put his arms around Lyle¡¯s neck while receiving the man¡¯s

    passionate advances and trying to say things that would arouse the man¡¯s sympathy.

    ¡°Lyle, I am giving you all that I have. Are you really ready to reject me? You see, your body still longs

    for me. Otherwise, why are you so excited? We fit so well. Stop being angry about those petty little

    things, okay?¡±

    ¡°Petty little things?¡± For a moment, Lyle¡¯s gaze turned cold and an evil smile crossed his lips. ¡°Well, we

    are not angry.¡±

    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t you propose to me?¡± Crystal muttered.

    ¡°Am I not proposing to you now? Look, we are joined together as one. You love my strength so much.

    Don¡¯t tell me you will take someone else.¡± Lyle voice came out in a shout.

    ¡°Oh! I love you the most. You feel so good. Come on, move harder!¡±

    ¡°You little slut. You are more and more lustful. Do you really want to marry me instead of Benjamin?¡±

    Their conversation turned more and more tant. Even if I covered my ears and did not look, I could

    not pretend that I had not heard anything. How long would the two of them continue their raunchy

    moments? Are they not afraid of someoneing here and robbing them seeing their vulnerable

    position?

    By the tone of Lyle¡¯s voice, it seemed as if he had no intention of marrying Crystal. I felt gratified.

    Crystal had been so arrogant and in the end, if no one wanted to take her hand in marriage, it would

    serve her right. I really wanted to tear her heart out when she found a pregnant woman to spoil

    Sabrina¡¯s wedding ceremony.

    I took out my mobile phone and yed out the sound of police sirens, appearing to be louder and

    louder, as ifing up the alley. Lyle suddenly eximed, ¡°There is a caring, hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Let¡¯s continue in the car then. You carry me on your back.¡±

    After the two had fled some distance away, I stood up from behind the big tree andughed so hard

    that my whole body shook. Hopefully, Lyle would not be traumatised by the incident.

    Grandma had never been fond of Crystal. From the incident of the banquet when I confronted her and

    Grandma held back Lyle to prevent him from interfering, so many things have happened. I hope Lyle

    will follow grandma¡¯s advice to marry another woman. It¡¯s not that I want Crystal to remain a spinster,

    but I¡¯m more worried about grandma. After all, she treats me very well.

    If I had to make a choice, I would always choose to protect someone closer to me.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    After Sabrina¡¯s wedding ceremony, out of the blue, I received a call from the person in charge of the

    National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest. They said that my painting was well received and hoped that

    I could attend the banquet of young artists they had organized and be interviewed by reporters.

    I thought I had heard it wrongly. ¡°Hello, have you made a mistake? I had some health issues so I did

    not send in an entry for the present contest.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, you are so humorous! Your entry is already disyed at the exhibition. How can it be a

    mistake? It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t wish to be interviewed. Nevertheless, you muste for the banquet.

    There¡¯ll be many well-known masters there. Don¡¯t you feel tempted?¡±

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366

    Of course, I was tempted. Although all art lovers go abroad to learn painting from their admired

    masters, it was only because local painters would not ept disciples or they would just ept one or

    two. Some would not even show their faces.

    However, what did I paint and when did I send in the painting? Why do I have no idea?

    Christopher was holding popcorn and watching TV dramas with me. He was so bored he was about to

    fall asleep. Seeing me answering a call and then standing motionless, deep in thought, he asked,

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has something happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually a little confused.¡± I knocked on my head. ¡°The art exhibition organizer actually called

    me and said that my paintings received a good review. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? This time the

    organizers gave everyone two months but I haven¡¯t even touched a pen for two months. When did I

    give them the painting? Was it when I was sleepwalking?¡±

    ¡°Silly girl, maybe you were sleepwalking then?¡± Christopher pointed in the direction of the exhibition

    and said, ¡°Would you like to go and take a look? There are so many beautiful paintings on disy and

    there are also advantages for you to look at other people¡¯s paintings.¡±

    ¡°Great, let¡¯s go now. I can¡¯t wait. If I got it wrong, it will definitely impact my life.¡±

    I hurriedly asked Christopher to drive us to the exhibition but when I saw the painting there, I was

    stunned and looked back at him in disbelief. Isn¡¯t this the painting ced at home, covered by a

    canvas?

    ¡°Come closer, so you can see it clearly.¡± Christopher took my hand, walked down the corridor step by

    step; then, he pointed to the painting and said, ¡°Look, it¡¯s a perfect and beautiful painting. Otherwise, It

    will not be ced in the most central position.¡±

    Gently and carefully, I stroked the picture frame. Then, my eyes fell on the picture and for a while, I felt

    a little teary.

    The whole painting presented a dark gray mode. Even the background was a bleak grayish ck.

    Dpidated dposing fallen leaves and the dried grass looked deste. A bird perched on a tree

    lifted its head as if wailing in sorrow and the sky was covered with dense dark clouds, staining the

    ground with a dark brown tone.

    A woman with disheveled hair was lying on the ground, facial features unseen. Under her feet was a

    huge gray-ck whirlpool, as if about to suck her in as her feet had be blurred and were already

    partially inside the whirlpool. She raised her head to the man standing in front of her with the light of

    infinite hope shining in her eyes.

    The man was a tall fair figure in bright colors contrasting sharply with the surroundings as if he was

    from another world.

    His handsome facial features were exactly the same as Christopher¡¯s with strong edges. He looked

    handsome, y boyish, and mischievous with an air of cynicism. However, his gaze at the woman on

    the ground was soft and gentle. His right hand was extended towards the woman and the sunlight

    breaking through the clouds shone on this outstretched hand, giving it a golden glow.

    His slightly parted elegant lips seemed to say, ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you away from this hell.¡±

    I titled this painting ¡°Salvation.¡± It was meant to be a gift for Christopher. When it was not finished, he

    wanted to see it every day. On the day it waspleted, we were having conflicts. After that, we went

    for our honeymoon and until now, I have not had the time to tell him that the painting was done. So, it

    was to my utter surprise to see it exhibited here.

    ¡°This piece is my gift to you. Now that you¡¯ve sent it here, it is no longer yours,¡± I murmured.

    This painting expressed the feeling of seeing hope and redemption when I met Christopher in my

    desperate circumstances. At that time, Ipletely regarded him as my one and only hope.

    ¡°I am the man in this painting. How could it belong to anyone else? I¡¯ve asked the organizers. They will

    disy it for a while, after which, there will be a charity auction. I will buy it back, then hang it in our

    home,¡± Christopher said with a smile.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367

    ¡°It feels weird having to purchase my own painting.¡± I was still reeling from the experience. Attending

    the Young Achiever¡¯s banquet was a huge surprise, but I was even more surprised by the fact that

    Christopher had submitted this painting on my behalf.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I mayck a lot of things, but the one thing that I don¡¯tck is money.¡± Christopher

    picked up my hand and ced it over his heart. ¡°During the entire month that you were gone, I stayed

    in our house every day, doing nothing and just staring into space, thinking of you. They told me that you

    were dead, but I never once believed them. You¡¯re such a silly girl that even God won¡¯t take you in. You

    still have so much living and growing up to do.¡±

    ¡°What a bast*rd! Why would you bring that up again? You¡¯re making me tear up!¡± I pouted and yfully

    punched Christopher.

    Christopher nted a kiss on the corner of my eyelid and said softly, ¡°I know better than anyone else

    just how much you love painting. I looked at this painting that you did for me and thought to myself that

    I must share this gift with everyone. I want everyone to witness the depth of our love. From the moment

    I saw your Autumnal Panorama, I knew immediately how passionate you were about art. So, I told

    myself that I must put you on that stage again and let the whole world witness your dazzling talent.¡±

    I wiped away my tears and held Christopher¡¯s hand in my own. Then, I asked him a question that had

    been troubling me for a long while, ¡°How did you know that was my painting? Christopher, you really

    are such a mysterious person! I feel as if you can see right through me. Tell me, is there anything at all

    about me that you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t know that you were going to marry Lyle. If I had known, I would have stopped you, but

    sadly, I was serving in the army at that time.¡± Christopher cupped my face, gazed into my eyes, and

    said earnestly, ¡°When I found out that you were unhappy in your marriage, I felt terrible and med

    myself for it. If only I had returned earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much.¡±

    I was surprised by Christopher¡¯s words. He talks as if we had known each other since we were young,

    but I really can¡¯t recall when and how I met him. Was it during that kidnapping incident? A lot of kids

    were involved at that time though¡­ and I barely said a word to anyone. Anyway, as far as he was

    concerned, it was Crystal who had rescued all of them back then, not me.

    It was amazing that, for all these years, I had faithfully guarded the secret of Crystal¡¯s glory. She had

    received a lot of perks because of her alleged heroic role during the kidnapping episode. Not long after

    that incident, she held an art exhibition. As a new school artist, the prominent families would usually

    have ignored her.

    However, in their gratefulness to her, a huge crowd had shown up at her exhibition. The media, too,

    had given her plenty of attention. After that, Crystal became some sort of celebrity in Avenport.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    However, the truth was that I was the one who had saved everyone at that time, not Crystal. I had not

    told anyone about that, not even Christopher. I was the one who had lured the two kidnappers away,

    secretly called the police, and busted the doors open. Unluckily for me, one of the kidnappers had

    knocked me to the ground, and I lost consciousness.

    When I came to, the person who was hailed as a hero was Crystal. I could only watch quietly as

    everyone rushed up to her and thanked her earnestly while she shamelessly told them that it was no

    problem at all. It should have been me receiving all that gratitude, not her.

    At that moment, I understood that Crystal was already an angel in everybody¡¯s eyes, so it was easy for

    them to believe that she had been the hero. If I had been the one standing in her ce, they would not

    have believed me so easily. Even if I had told them the truth, they would have thought that I only

    wanted to steal some attention.

    During that incident, I had begged the kidnappers to spare Christopher¡¯s life, but he would not have

    known about this since he had lost consciousness after being stabbed by one of them.

    ¡°Have we really known each other for so many years? Why don¡¯t I remember any of this?

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368

    ¡°Come with me! Let me show you something!¡± Christopher tugged me out of the exhibition hall and we

    left. Back at our home, he turned on hisptop and turned the screen to me. He pointed at an icon and

    asked, ¡°Look in here! Do you know what this is?¡±

    I nced at him suspiciously and clicked at the icon that Christopher was pointing at. My eyes widened

    at the contents. I flipped through the pages on the screen. It was a chat history between Christopher

    and a girl.

    The conversations were not flirtatious in nature; it was just two people sharing stories of their lives and

    sending encouragement and support to each other. The veryst message was a message that I had

    sent to Key when I was living in a small seaside town.

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The message read, Even though I had suffered a shipwreck at sea before, I can still appreciate the

    beauty of the ocean now as I stand on the beach of Summerbank. Tell me, Key, what should I do with

    my dying days so that thesest three months will not be in vain?

    There was no reply to that message, but on the very next day after that, Christopher had appeared in

    front of me.

    ¡°So, did you manage to locate me through this little nugget of information?¡± I was still holding theptop

    in my hands. My mind was still digesting this new revtion. No wonder Christopher had found me so

    fast and was so sure that I was alive; I had been messaging him all day every day unknowingly. It was

    as good as confessing the truth to him.

    I stared at Christopher incredulously. ¡°You are Key? The Key that I had been chatting with online all

    these years?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am Key!¡± Christopher nodded, then said in a somber tone, ¡°I told you we¡¯ve known each other

    for many years. Throughout all those years, you have shared with me all your thoughts and confessed

    to me your love for painting. Eve, we met much earlier than you can remember, and I know all your

    stories. For example, I knew that you would seek revenge by secretly adding salt into Crystal¡¯s water

    bottle whenever she teased you so that she would not dare to drink any water all day¡­ I also know-¡±

    ¡°Hold on, stop talking. Let me digest this. Why does it feel like we were actually dating online?¡± I

    blinked a few times, feeling a little mad. Back then, I had thought of Key as my confidant. I had kept no

    secrets from Key. Who would have thought that Key was actually Christopher? Doesn¡¯t this mean that

    Christopher knows all my embarrassing stories? Including the story of when I got my first period?

    I did not have a mother to prepare me for womanhood. I did not even know how to use a sanitary pad. I

    hadined to Key who had then sent me a video tutorial on how to use one. Back then, I thought

    of Key as my wiser, older sister.

    I could not bear to think about all the things that I had told Key anymore. It was just too embarrassing

    and all I wanted at that moment was to sink into the ground. I can¡¯t believe Christopher was the one

    who had taught me how to use a sanitary pad and that¡¯s not even the most embarrassing thing! I can¡¯t

    take this shame, but I don¡¯t think I can bear to look Christopher in the eye for the next three days!

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever confess your feelings to me? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡±

    ¡°Silly girl! How could a man confess his feelings so casually? If he does, then his feelings must not be

    true.¡± Christopher lightly nudged me.

    ¡°How could you be Key? How could such a tough guy like you use such a feminine nickname? I¡¯ve

    always thought that Key was female!¡± I was still in disbelief. When I first started chatting with Key, I was

    only thirteen years old, and Key was still young too.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it! ¡®Key¡¯ had seemed like a friendly name. Anyway, it worked, didn¡¯t it? It got

    you to start chatting with me!¡± Christopher said proudly and pressed a kiss on my forehead. ¡°So, you

    see, I¡¯ve already got you wrapped around my finger from the time you were thirteen! You won¡¯t be able

    to leave me now!¡±

    Due to my ill health andck of nutrition, I was small at thirteen years old. Isn¡¯t it a little bit too much

    that he liked me when I was thirteen?

    I yfully bit down on Christopher¡¯s arm and cried, ¡°You old man! You pedophile!¡±

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369

    When Christopher heard my exmation, his expression shifted. He lightly patted my cheeks and

    retorted, ¡°Eve, you¡¯re one year older than me. Should you really be calling me an old man?¡±

    My cheeks turned red immediately. He never failed to make me blush every time he called me by my

    nickname. He tilted his face towards me. His eyes were bright with a mischievous light.

    I yfully kicked him and snapped, ¡°So, you fell in love at just twelve years old then? You asshole!¡±

    Christopher smirked. He pulled me into his arms, spun me around, and pressed me against the wall in

    one smooth motion. ¡°Since you keep calling me names, I think I should live up to those names. Shall I

    do to you what an asshole would really do?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t had lunch yet. I¡¯m hungry,¡± I said, yfully patting his cheek as he brought his face close

    to mine.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do something fun first? When we get home, I¡¯ll make your food while you rx on the

    couch and watch some TV. How does that sound?¡± Christopher whispered suggestively to me as he

    rained kisses on my lips and neck. His hands strayed down to my belt and he expertly undid it with his

    fingers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ Fine¡­¡± I gave in weakly as Christopher¡¯s lips and hands became more and more persuasive.

    I could only hold onto his waist and let him have his way with me. This man is such an animal! When

    he wants it, he must have it regardless of the ce and time!

    However, what surprised me the most was the fact that Christopher was Key. Key had been a very

    special person to me. All those years, it had been Key whoforted me when I was upset. He

    encouraged me when I felt helpless and gave me ideas and inspirations when I had none.

    Key was ¡°the person¡± in my life from the time I was thirteen until I turned neen. I had thought of Key

    as family. I wrapped my arms around his neck. An intense feeling washed over me, over and over

    again, like waves crashing onto a shore. I asked Christopher in a low voice, ¡°Where did you disappear

    after I turned neen?¡±

    ¡°Well, I joined the army then. I had no way ofmunicating with the outside world while I was there. I

    left too suddenly, and I¡¯m sorry about that. I should have let you know where I was going.¡± Christopher

    pulled me tightly against him. ¡°Eve, if I had known that my disappearance would cause you so much

    pain, I will definitely have done things differently if I had a second chance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. As long as we are together now, that¡¯s good enough. Don¡¯t you think so, Key?¡± I said with a

    wink. I had called him ¡®Key¡¯ deliberately.

    Christopher¡¯s spirit lifted again when he heard me call him by his old online nickname. He kissed me

    again and said, ¡°Call me ¡®Key¡¯ again. I like it when you call me in that voice with that look on your face.¡±

    ¡°Key!¡± My lips twitched. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just another name for you? Lover boy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same person! It was Key who had brought us together!¡±

    After we made love, I still did not get that lunch that Christopher had promised to make for me. His

    phone rang and he reluctantly told me that there was an urgent work matter that he needed to attendContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    to. ¡°I have to go into the office right away. I¡¯ll get my assistant to send over lunch for you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all that trouble. I¡¯ll just make myself some lunch,¡± I said as I urged him to hurry up

    and go handle his work emergency.

    Christopher quickly got dressed and then, he asked me to tie his tie for him. After that, he left and I

    pulled on my own clothes and was about to walk into the kitchen to see what I could make for lunch

    when a knock sounded from the front door. Christopher must have forgotten to take something with

    him!

    I walked towards the door to open and called out, ¡°Chris, did you forget something? I knew it! You¡¯re

    usually so careful, but whenever there¡¯s an emergency, you¡¯re just a mess¡­¡±

    The rest of my sentence was caught in my throat as I stared in surprise at the person on the other side

    of the door. It was Christopher¡¯s mother, Julia.

    She was dressed immactely in a dress and a zer. Confidence and dominance radiated from her.

    She looked at me indifferently and said, ¡°Are you going to invite me in?¡±

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370

    Can I say no? I thought secretly to myself. Obviously, I can¡¯t do that. God sure has a sense of humor

    giving Christopher a mother like Julia! I knew that she had deliberately called Christopher away to the

    office so that she could see me alone. However, I had no choice but to invite her in.

    Although Christopher and I did not have a wedding, we were still married. This meant that Julia was my

    mother-inw, even if she was not fond of me, I still had to be cordial to her. I politely invited her into

    the house and poured her a cup of tea. Julia surveyed the state of the house. I saw her lips twitch

    disapprovingly when her gaze fell on the unmade bed. I hastily stepped forward and closed the

    bedroom door.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane! Here, have some tea!¡± Christopher had repeatedly requested me to address his parents as

    ¡®Mom¡¯ and ¡®Dad¡¯, but knowing that his mother disliked me, how could I bring myself to call her ¡®Mom¡¯?

    That would upset her even more.

    Julia stared at me for a while. Then, she sat down with a look of disgust at the couch that I had just

    tidied up a moment ago. She kept silent and went on to scrutinize me.

    Well, the house is messy, but I can¡¯t help it! Your son and I just had it on the bed and the sofa, and if I

    had not stopped him, you would probably have walked in on us making love on the carpet right now! I

    thought helplessly to myself.

    ¡°You don¡¯t go out for work? Do you just stay at home all day?¡± Julia finally spoke. She sounded

    displeased.

    ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Is Julia actually taking an interest in me? Is she starting to ept me? I really was na?ve to

    be so optimistic even in such circumstances. Julia had made sure her son was out of the way before

    she came over. She obviously had no good intention if she did not want Christopher around during her

    visit.

    ¡°As a woman, it¡¯s absolutely fine if you don¡¯t work. As long her husband has the money, he¡¯ll be able to

    provide her with everything that she desires. If nothing else, the Lane family definitely is not short of

    money.¡± Julia delicately sipped the tea that I had poured for her.

    Then, she frowned and said, ¡°This tea was given to Gordon by someone who came to visit from the

    capital. It was just a small box of loose tea leaves. It disappeared from our house the very next day. I

    thought Darius had taken it, but it turns out, it was Chris who had brought it here.¡±

    I smiled nervously. I did not know what to say to Julia¡¯s remark. Christopher had brought home that box

    of tea leaves. He had said that it was very good tea and he wanted to enjoy it at his own pace, but I did

    not know how to appreciate it and had drunk it as if it were my everyday breakfast tea. I had kept it in

    the kitchen, oblivious to the fact that it was such a special tea.

    ¡°Well, Chris really likes tea. I guess that¡¯s why he bought it here,¡± I said with a nervous chuckle.

    Julia nced at me reproachfully and said quietly, ¡°Chris likes ck tea, not green tea.¡±

    I could not say anything and pretended to be oblivious to her insinuation. Yes, Christopher hates green

    tea! In fact, he¡¯d rather drink in water than green tea. I¡¯m the one who loves green tea. I know that

    the tea is good, but I didn¡¯t know exactly how special it is.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, I think you know the reason for my visit.¡± I should be grateful that Julia was speaking

    frankly to me instead of ying games with me.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, please just speak your mind.¡± Julia and I looked at each other unwaveringly, neither one of

    us was willing to back down. ¡°There are some things which, I¡¯ll do to the best of my ability for you if you

    ask of me. However, there are also some things that I will not agree to even if you were to point a gun

    to my head because those are the things that I cannot concede to.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair!¡± Julia ced her cup back on the table. Her tone was cold and arrogant as she continued,

    ¡°Chris has always been a very independent child. We have never interfered with his decisions and we

    allowed him to do whatever he wants. He grew up with Monica and they had a great rtionship all

    these years. I¡¯ve always thought that he would marry her.¡±

    Julia picked up her cup of tea again and stared coldly at me over the rim of the cup ¡°If I really wanted to

    drink this tea, I could easily buy it for myself. There are many ways for me to get it. Simrly, if I wanted

    you to leave Chris, I could easily do that. I have many ways of getting what I want, but I chose toe

    to you directly. Do you know why?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371

    The porcin mug slowly cooled down. My heart started to sink as I realized that there was a long way

    to go before Julia would finally ept me. At the very least, I had to calm her worry and solve the

    problem about Monica.

    Rather than lowering my head, I looked her straight in the eye and said, ¡°I know I may seem worthless

    in the face of the Lane family¡¯s reputation, but I¡¯m not going to hide anymore. Whether you think I¡¯m

    only going for Christopher¡¯s money or his power, I¡¯m here to tell you that all I want is to be with him.

    Being able topletely recover is the greatest gift God could ever have given me, because with my

    recovery came another chance to spend my life with Christopher again.¡±

    The atmosphere became slightly chilly after those words left my mouse. Julia¡¯s expression had also

    be sour and she sighed in response. ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re a good person, but life can¡¯t always be

    about love. Alyssa was my best friend back then and we already made a promise when the two of us

    were pregnant. If we both had sons, they would be sworn brothers. If we both had daughters, they

    would be closer than actual sisters and if we had one boy and one girl, they would get married. After

    we gave birth to one boy and one girl, we made a pact to get them married. Alyssa died because of

    me, and I promised that Christopher would marry Monica and give her a happy and carefree life. Ms.

    Tanner, wouldn¡¯t you do the same in my situation?¡±

    ¡°I would not,¡± I said determinedly. ¡°Mrs. Lane, you¡¯re a good friend and a good wife, but I must say

    you¡¯re not a good mother. Sure, you¡¯ll be living up to your friend and your husband¡¯s expectations, but

    you forgot about the most important person in this situation. Shouldn¡¯t you consider your son¡¯s

    situation?¡±

    Julia seemed like she was about to say something, but I took a deep breath and got the courage to

    wave my hand to stop her. ¡°When you wanted Christopher to marry Monica, all you thought about was

    your friend and honoring your friendship. You have put Monica¡¯s feelings above your own son¡¯s. Is that

    fair to him?¡±

    ¡°Christopher is still a man. He¡¯s been close to Monica since they were children. He may think he

    doesn¡¯t have feelings for Monica now, but feelings can be slowly developed after they get married,¡±

    Julia quickly rebutted, raising her volume to mask her obvious panic.

    ¡°What if that doesn¡¯t happen? I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m the only one who can win his heart, but the truth is that

    the love we share is not because of simple things like appearances or reputation. We were constantly

    shifting and evolving through our life and death experiences and still chose to go back to each other

    after all. Appearances and reputation are but simple essories to our love. You probably don¡¯t

    believe me, but if Christopher were a poor man, I would still marry him nheless.¡±

    I walked over and sat next to Julia. ¡°Chris really cares a lot about your opinions. That¡¯s why he waited

    until now toe clean to all of you. All he wants is your blessings, and I ask that you give that to us if

    nothing else.¡±

    I was praying with all of my heart that she would finally say yes. Even if she never fully epted me, all

    I wanted was that Christopher was happy. His mom always treated him as some form of tool, trying to

    give him off to another woman to fulfill her promise. She may not see that as a problem, but it would

    definitely be a big problem in the long run.

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Never ever!¡± Julia suddenly mmed her palm on the table loudly and said, ¡°You¡¯re pretty good with

    your words, huh? What makes you think you deserve to get married to my son and into my family?

    What right do you have?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, I-¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Julia no longer wanted to listen to me and pulled out a thick stack of checks, mming them

    down in front of me. ¡°Here¡¯s ten million. Take it and don¡¯t bother my son ever again.¡±

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372

    ¡°Ten million?¡± I looked at the checks in my hand and couldn¡¯t help butugh. Back when I left the

    ind, he offered to give me a million too. However, I couldn¡¯t turn that down and ended up taking the

    check, even though I didn¡¯t use any of that money. In fact, I had already torn that check into pieces and

    threw it away when I found it a few days ago.

    ¡°What, is that too little? I¡¯ll dly give you another ten million,¡± Julia barked.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, you don¡¯t get it.¡± I shook my head in disappointment. ¡°I know you would never have done

    this. You¡¯re not this kind of person. What happened? What made you change your mind? You¡¯re not

    only humiliating me but also Christopher. Is our love something that can be broken with money?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Julia yelled in frustration. She stood up and hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°I didn¡¯te here

    to negotiate anything with you. I only came here to let you know that Monica and Christopher¡¯s

    wedding is still going to carry on, no matter what you have to say.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, are you really willing to treat Chris as some sort of repayment? Just like Darius said, Chris

    is a living, breathing human being. He¡¯s not some sort of doll that you can pass around. He has his own

    thoughts too.¡±

    ¡°Enough! This money is a deposit. After they get engaged, I¡¯ll give you another ten million. That should

    be more than enough for you to live the rest of your lifefortably. Stop being so greedy. Don¡¯t worry

    about things that were never yours, to begin with.¡±

    Julia strode toward the door with her bag in hand. By the time I caught up to her, she had already

    walked into the elevator. I stopped the doors from closing and looked at her. ¡°Mrs. Lane, didn¡¯t you and

    Mr. Lane face problems too when you were getting married back then? If your mother-inw had

    thrown a check at you, would you not lose it?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Julia said with a steely expression.

    ¡°All I want to know is why you¡¯re trying to drag on the tragedy that struck your own marriage all those

    years ago. Since your and Mr. Lane¡¯s marriage was looked down upon as well, you know what it feels

    like to face that challenge. Why would you want to do that to your own son?¡±

    Julia blinked and she was seemingly taken aback for a while before she fell silent. I watched as the

    doors closed and the numbers on the screen go down.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Julia¡¯s departure was as sudden as her arrival. I stood in the corridor, the check for ten million still held

    tightly in my hand. That was a huge sum to someone who was penniless and had a reputation like me.

    I actually started regretting arguing with Julia so much. It was as if she had taken my bravery away with

    her when she left. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest and I was more nervous than ever. She

    was one of the most powerful women in Avenport. Getting interrupted and talked back to must have

    been a new experience for her. Crap, am I already on her cklist?

    I was never going to tell Christopher what happened. I had already calmed down by the time he got

    back and had also hidden the check away. I knew I would return the check to her the next time we met.

    However, when I walked past the mirror, I realized why Julia had been staring at my neck with such a

    strange expression on her face.

    Hickeys covered almost every inch of my neck and they were impossible to miss. I might as well have

    hung a bright sign on my neck that said, This is what we have been doing at home!

    The next day, I went out to buy some paints to prepare for my next exhibition. Suddenly, I got a call

    from Nathan. My first instinct was to hang up, but on second thought, he was still my father after all.

    Hence, I should at least hear what he had to say.

    ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m at Fiesta Hotel. I need you toe over here right now,¡± Nathan said immediately after I

    picked up.

    I scoffed and said, ¡°Can you just say whatever you need to say? If you¡¯re going to scold me, you might

    as well do it over the phone. If I talk back and get your blood pressure up, that wouldn¡¯t be good. I¡¯ve

    beenbeled as disrespectful and unfilial for so long, I might as well prove the name.¡±

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373

    ¡°Come over when I tell you so. I¡¯m your dad. Do I need to make a reservation to see my own daughter?

    It doesn¡¯t matter which big shot you¡¯re married to, I¡¯m always going to be your dad. You will need my

    blessing for you to get married. Nothing will change that.¡±

    I had to admit that Nathan¡¯s words really did strike me in the chest. If he didn¡¯t attend my wedding and

    started spreading nder about me on top of that, it would truly be a disaster.

    ¡°What a good father you are, threatening me with my very own happiness,¡± I scoffed sarcastically

    before hanging up.

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    I nced at myself in the mirror. I was slowly bing more and more radiant under Christopher¡¯s

    loving care. Even my eyes seemed to have be more foxy, resembling Julia¡¯s slightly. When I

    stopped smiling, they had a faint intimidating aura to them, but when I smiled they curled up in an

    endearing way.

    I must be going crazy. As if I could actually be Julia¡¯s daughter, Iughed inwardly.

    After changing into a full Chanel outfit that Christopher had bought for me, I put on some light makeup

    and admired myself in the mirror. It was true: a woman could never be ugly as long as she knew how to

    dress herself up.

    I walked toward Fiesta Hotel and immediately got escorted to a private room. Suddenly, a middle-aged

    man who looked mildly familiar started walking toward me. I assumed he was going to walk by and

    moved aside to give him space when he suddenly stopped in front of me. As he looked me up and

    down in a judgmental manner, he asked, ¡°Ms. Tanner?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me. May I know who are you?¡± I asked in confusion. If one attended a party, there might be

    people who you¡¯ve never even heard of before, who knew exactly who you were. Now that Christopher

    had so openly announced our rtionship, I knew I had gained quite a reputation among this

    community.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the cunning minx. You definitely shocked all of us with that little stunt you pulled to go

    from a nobody to a somebody. Still, I suggest you remember who you are and stop trying to climb this

    ladder. Trying to get too high will only result in a bad fall. You should take a proper look at yourself and

    know that you should stay in your ce. Stop trying to go after something you don¡¯t deserve,¡± the

    middle-aged man said with folded arms. After his sudden speech, he walked past me and off into the

    distance.

    Despite my confusion, I still made a motion of gouging his eyes out behind his back as he walked

    away. It was bad enough that he was insulting me, however, I didn¡¯t even know who he was. I turned to

    ask the employee who was escorting me if he knew who he was.

    ¡°He¡¯s known as Mr. Martin,¡± the employee replied.

    I didn¡¯t know which Mr. Martin I had offended, so I just shook my head and epted it as my bad luck. I

    walked toward the private room and opened the door only to see Nathan and Yvette in the room.

    Nathan knew very well that I did not get along with Yvette, and our rivalry was second only to the one I

    had with Crystal. I couldn¡¯t believe he had the audacity to bring her along.

    I sat down in front of him and asked, ¡°What could be of such importance that you needed to talk to me

    face-to-face? You were even willing to threaten the happiness of my marriage to see me.¡±

    ¡°Can you be more respectful to Dad? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s doing this for his own good. You were the one

    who started all of this and now the whole Tanner family is involved in your mess. He came here to talk

    things out, so you¡¯d better be more polite,¡± Yvette started whining.

    ¡°Enough. Cut to the chase. What did I do that could possibly have caught you all up in a mess?¡± I

    asked as I leaned against the chair casually. My expression was clearly impatient, but Nathan should

    have known better. He never delivered any good news, and with Yvette around everything sounded

    even worse.

    ¡°Take a look. Everything is right here,¡± Nathan said with an insulted look on his face. He stared at me

    with an angry re and continued, ¡°You better give me a proper exnation after this. I spent so much

    time and effort building up the Tanner family to where it is today, and I won¡¯t allow anyone to break it

    down.¡±

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374

    I was taken aback. Nathan¡¯s direct words made me realize how serious this was. I picked up the

    document and read through it. It was a signed contract that proposed a project so big that the Tanner

    family wouldn¡¯t be able to ept any other smaller projects due to the sheer manpower needed for it. It

    was obvious that this contract was very important.

    I noticed that it was signed by a ¡®Mitchell Martin¡¯. I soon remembered that that was the name of

    Monica¡¯s father. Clearly, this was an agreement between both the Martin family and the Tanner family.

    ¡°This contract is the lifeline of the Tanner family right now. We¡¯ve already started producing the

    merchandise in the factories we own and had to invest in even higher quality machinery due to the

    terms in the contract. We¡¯re running low on funds right now because of that. However, as long as we

    keep going for a bit longer and pass the products to the Martin family by the end of the month, our

    company will rise even further,¡± Nathan exined casually.

    I knew what he meant. In short, this contract was extremely important and the resources needed had

    drained the Tanner family¡¯s pockets, leaving them entirely susceptible to the Martin family¡¯s decisions. I

    smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the Martin family is threatening to end the contract despite

    the liquidated damages?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the case. The Martin family is clearly trying to push us into a corner and we can¡¯t do

    anything about it. Only you can help us now,¡± Yvette said as she poured me a ss of water. Her voice

    had suddenly gone all quiet and timid as she said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want the Tanner family to be ruined

    too, would you? After all, you¡¯re still a Tanner no matter what. You can¡¯t deny that.¡±

    ¡°What is Mitchell Martin up to? He can¡¯t possibly do something like that just because he doesn¡¯t like the

    Tanner family. What are his terms?¡± I could already guess what he wanted in return, but I still asked in

    hopes that my guesses would be wrong.

    ¡°Easy peasy. He wants you to leave Mr. Lane. It¡¯s not that hard, is it, Eve? After all, you two were never

    meant for each other in the first ce. Are you really willing to ruin the Tanner family for him? We have

    a lot of projects that are in some way rted to the Martin family. We can¡¯t risk getting on their bad

    side,¡± Nathan said straightforwardly.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    Never meant for each other? I nearlyughed out loud at that. How could that be possible? We had

    gone through so many life-and-death situations that at this point, I couldn¡¯t picture a future without him.

    He had tried to get to know me since I was thirteen. My father had no way of knowing how much we

    loved each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s an absolute joke. You out of all people shouldn¡¯t be saying that we weren¡¯t made

    for each other. You¡¯re just scared of getting on the Martin family¡¯s bad side and in exchange, you¡¯re

    willing to give up my happiness. Am I right?¡± I scoffed coldly. I knew I had wasted my timeing all

    the way here. I might as well have asked him to talk it out over the phone so I didn¡¯t have to run all the

    way over here to face all this.

    ¡°I know you spent a lot of time trying to win over Mr. Lane and it might be a waste for you to let go of

    him just like that, but he and Monica are already widely known in Avenport to be a couple. Are you

    willing to break apart their years of love and friendship like what you did with Crystal and Lyle? The

    moment Crystal returned, Lyle was willing to leave you for her. Once Christopher does the same for

    Monica, you¡¯ll wish you took my advice in the first ce.¡±

    I hated the way Nathan spoke with such confidence as if he was simply trying to give me advice for my

    own good.

    I scoffed again and said, ¡°So you know that Lyle and Crystal are in the wrong too, huh? To think that

    you always painted me in a bad light. What a turn of events.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s in the right or wrong here. Of all the men out there, you have chosen to go after Christopher

    Lane? Is that someone you deserve to be with? Are you really willing to be a mistress for the rest of

    your life?¡±

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375

    I sighed exasperatedly. I already knew what Nathan was trying to say, and I already realized who I had

    bumped into on the way here. Obviously, that was Mitchell Martin, Monica¡¯s father. It was no wonder he

    would speak to me in such a tone.

    Nathan had always assumed I was just Christopher¡¯s mistress. He had even tried to make some

    connections through me so he could coborate with the Lane family. Now that Mitchell was causing

    problems, Nathan didn¡¯t even think twice before demanding that I leave Christopher.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Eve. Before this, at least you were officially married to Lyle. Now you¡¯re just a mistress.

    Where¡¯s the fun in that? The Tanner family may not be one of the most prestigious families in the

    community, but we are still respected. You don¡¯t have to sink that low. If you¡¯re really having a hard

    time, you could alwayse back. We¡¯ll be waiting with open arms,¡± Yvette said with a sickly

    sharine smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to say no to that. If I returned to the Tanner family, I might get buried alive by all of you,¡± I said

    with a smile. ¡°Who was the one who told you I was Christopher¡¯s mistress? Was it Mitchell?¡±

    ¡°What else could you be? Do you know how the tabloids are making you sound? If I hadn¡¯t been so

    busy at thepany, I would have asked you toe back. Did you think Christopher announcing

    your rtionship would have helped you clear your name? Anyway, you should move out of his ce

    as soon as possible. If you have nowhere else to go, you can always move back in with us until after

    Mr. Lane and Ms. Martin¡¯s wedding.¡±

    Nathan was clearly getting impatient at the sight of my nonchnce and casual insults. He seemed to

    be just a step away from picking me up by the neck and shaking me if I didn¡¯t give him the answer I

    wanted.

    I hate you so much, I cursed inwardly. Even though he was my father, I had hated him for a long time.

    He never spoke to me like how a father should speak to his daughter. He treated me like I was a

    stranger and was even willing to immediately assume that I was just Christopher¡¯s mistress.

    I burst out intoughter, the type that caused tears to stream from my eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but p the

    table in my fit of giggles.

    ¡°Why are youughing? Shut up!¡± Nathan¡¯s anger finally boiled over at myughter and yelled in

    frustration.

    I finally managed to stopughing and rested my head in one hand as I said carelessly, ¡°Oh, my dear

    father. You really don¡¯t care about me at all. Do you really want me to leave Christopher? I¡¯m already

    married to him. I¡¯m officially protected by thew. Have you ever heard of a married woman getting

    pulled away from her marriage by her father, let alone watch her husband get married to another

    woman? That¡¯s a crime, you know. Have you ever heard of bigamy?¡±

    ¡°You two are married? Impossible!¡± My words had clearly shocked Nathan to the point where all he

    could do was stare at me with his mouth hanging open in surprise.

    ¡°Stop lying, Eve! How could someone like Christopher Lane possibly marry you? He¡¯s the modern

    Prince Charming and the ideal type for all the girls in Avenport while you¡¯re just a divorced woman.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Even if you don¡¯t want to leave him, you shouldn¡¯t make up such lies,¡± Yvette said softly, looking at me

    cautiously with a hand over her mouth.

    Is my happiness truly that uneptable to these people? I couldn¡¯t believe that even my blood rtives

    weren¡¯t willing to believe me, so I said mildly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you, but Christopher is my

    lawfully wedded husband now. As for him being Prince Charming,¡± I looked at Yvette with a smirk

    before I continued, ¡°too bad that your Prince Charming has married me, Cindere. Perhaps you

    thought of yourself as one of her wicked sisters? Either way, please forget about that fairytale of yours.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what rtionship you have with him. Now, the Martin family is driving us over the edge

    because of you. You would better settle this. If the Tanner family gets ruined because of you, I¡¯m not

    going to let you go easily.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that I¡¯ve heard about it, I¡¯ll still help you guys out even though you¡¯ve never seen me

    as a daughter.¡±

    I stomped out of Fiesta Hotel angrily. When I arrived at the door, I realized something. Why was Julia

    suddenly trying to start problems with me?

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I met Julia after all. She treated me rather well when I was in the hospital, and

    apart from asionally being hesitant about my rtionship with Christopher, she had never picked a

    fight with me. She had even cried after hearing about my terminal disease.

    She may have been a powerful businesswoman, but she was still sensitive. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have

    been so sentimental and wouldn¡¯t have been so torn over my marriage with Christopher. When I went

    to visit his family thest time, she barely said anything offensive. Her attitude today had been truly out

    of the ordinary.

    When I thought about that and how Mitchell had approached the Tanner family, this was all obviously

    one of the Martin family¡¯s tricks. Mitchell must have told Julia something for her to act so differently

    from usual.

    Is Monica involved in it all?

    I didn¡¯t know how to tell Christopher any of this. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to, but the Tanner family¡¯s

    problems needed an urgent solution. Even if I didn¡¯t tell him, my father would still have found a way to

    make a fuss and spoke to him directly.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    I was distracted throughout the whole day. Apart from nearly slicing my hand open while making dinner,

    I was even distracted after the meal when Christopher made his usual advances on me in our

    bedroom. While thinking about whether to tell Christopher about it, he wrapped my legs around his

    waist and pinched my face lightly. ¡°How are you still distracted at such a moment? Am I being punished

    for not satisfying you?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I said hurriedly.

    After he was finally satisfied, he held me in his arms and let me rest my head against his chest. He

    caressed my bare back gently and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve never been this distracted before.

    Did something happen while I was gone?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. The art exhibition has been pestering me to attend all these parties and get interviewed, and

    I¡¯m not really up to that but I do want to meet some of my favorite artists,¡± I randomly strung together an

    excuse and managed to steer the conversation in that direction. Thankfully, I had something else to talk

    to Christopher about. He was well-educated on art as well and our conversations about it were usually

    rather long.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be stressed about? Go if you want to and don¡¯t go if you don¡¯t feel like it. You¡¯re joining

    the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest after all, not some random party with nobodies. As for

    your favorite artists, just tell me their names and I¡¯ll invite them to our house. I can ensure that you¡¯ll

    see them tomorrow,¡± Christopher said with a smile.

    ¡°What a simple and quick solution! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± I joked back and nuzzled my head into

    Christopher¡¯s stomach. ¡°Can¡¯t youe up with a more reasonable solution? Those artists won¡¯t be

    happy if you force them toe over. I know how they are and with their egos, they only bend to talent,

    not brute force.¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of talented people. Some are just more low-key than others,¡± Christopher said as he

    pulled the nket over me and lit a cigarette from the bedside table.

    ¡°Like you, for example?¡± I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Why, how did you guess?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so self-absorbed.¡±

    I couldn¡¯te up with a better idea, so I decided to consult Sabrina and listen to her thoughts on it.

    She had always been the more opinionated one after all. When I reached her house, Zachary was the

    one who opened the door. He was still in pajamas and looked as if he had just gotten up. I looked past

    him and into the house but couldn¡¯t find Sabrina. ¡°Where¡¯s Sabby?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping. Give me a second, I¡¯ll try to get her up.¡± Zachary may have been married to her,

    but he still smiled like a teenage boy with his first love.

    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping?¡± I said as I looked at the afternoon sky. It was already around three or four p.m.

    Even if she waszing around, she would have gotten up by now. What happened?

    ¡°W-well, she was really tiredst night, so-¡±

    ¡°I got it! No worries, it¡¯s nothing urgent at all!¡± I said and hurried away as if I were being chased.

    I had already forgotten that Sabrina had just gotten married and was still in the honeymoon phase with

    Zachary. Why would I be so silly to pester her?

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377

    I didn¡¯t go to Christopher because this was a fight between women, and it would seem pointless for

    Christopher toe forward. After deliberating about it, I finally decided to look for Monica.

    In order to find the cause of the problem, I went to Monica to see what she had to say. After all, she

    saw herself as a goddess, and it would not look good on her if her family ended up bankrupting the

    rival¡¯s family. Thus, she wouldn¡¯t want her reputation to be tarnished.

    I was pretty proud of my intelligence since I was able to consider the root problem ande up with

    such a strategy. I would never have thought of this if it were before. Under normal circumstances, I

    would go to Christopher for help eighty percent of the time.

    The Martin family resided on the mountainside in an antique-styled mansion. When I arrived, there

    were many housekeepers in the garden. Monica would be performing in two days so she must be

    preparing for the concert. Before I got close to the mansion, I heard the pleasant sound of a piano from

    afar.

    It sounded beautiful and ethereal, but the melody was woven with notes of sadness and sorrow, as

    though the song was telling a tragic story.

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The servant led me to the piano room and constantly reminded me not to disturb Monica practicing the

    piano and told me to wait. Since I was here to seek her help, I had to bear with it; so I waited obediently

    on the bench outside. After a few moments, I got a little bored and went out for a walk.

    The melody of the piano continued to engulf me with the sensation of despair, putting me in agony.

    Music could really affect someone¡¯s mood. As I walked in the door, I was surprised by the interior of the

    room.

    The walls of the small room were full of Christopher¡¯s photos of different sizes. Each of them captured

    the captivating charm of Christopher.

    Some of his younger photos looked awkward, unlike the current beautifully evil Christopher. However,

    there was one thing inmon. All of them had Christopher and Monica in the frame.

    Those photos were like telling a love story between childhood friends and the memories of them

    growing up together.

    It would be false to say that I wasn¡¯t jealous. For many years, it wasn¡¯t me who stood next to

    Christopher, but Monica. However, Christopher only met me when I was thirteen. We had known each

    other for seven years on the inte. If he hadn¡¯t left Avenport, the time of when we first met would

    have been even earlier than the time I met Lyle.

    ¡°I have known Chris for a very long time.¡± Monica walked into the room in her glittering heels. She

    pointed and said, ¡°Look. Everyone who knows us thinks we are in love and will be married to each

    other.¡±

    I didn¡¯t notice that the piano had stopped. The piano room became quiet, and all I could hear was the

    tter of heels.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as firste, first served in love,¡± I replied softly.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then, it is not wrong for me to do something for my love, right? I just want to save my

    rtionship.¡±

    Monica had her arms hugged. Her tone was soft and not rushed. She had the gentlest temperament

    among the women I have met, a perfect exposition of a gentlewoman.

    I had to admit that she was right. I came to ask her not to take action against the Tanner family, but not

    a single word came up in my mind after hearing that.

    ¡°That said, you must know why I¡¯m here. I am sure your father¡¯s dealing with the Tanner family must be

    your doing, right?¡±

    ¡°Is it that important to know if it was my doing? We¡¯re a family of business people. We focus on the

    results.¡± Monica smiled and continued, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t tell Chris. This is a fight between women

    after all.¡±

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378

    ¡°So I havee to the wrong ce. Additionally, you won¡¯t stop your father from suppressing the

    Tanner family, right?¡± I asked in a deep voice.

    ¡°Of course. Why would I help my rival?¡±

    Monica walked to the portrait and ran her fingers over it. She looked at Christopher delicately and said,

    ¡°I treated him as my significant other since I was eighteen. He is my husband and my lover. Whenever

    he liked something, I would try my best to like it and to ept it. I never enjoyed savory food, but he

    liked them a lot, so I forced myself to like it too. I loved him with all my heart, so how could I stand and

    watch him being taken away from me?¡±

    ¡°So your intentions are the same as your father. The Tanner family will be spared only if I leave

    Christopher, right?¡±

    ¡°Not to leave him, but to give him to me!¡± Monica continued to emphasize word by word. ¡°Chris was

    supposed to be mine! I¡¯m only taking back what is rightfully mine! The Tanner family is insignificant in

    the eyes of the Martin family. Perhaps, you¡¯re cruel enough to ignore the fate of the Tanner family.¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Give him back to you?¡± I instantly lost some respect for her. We talked together when I was on the

    brink of death, and I always felt that she was a decent girl from a respectable family. I thought that

    Christopher would be happy to be with her if I were to die, but now I was starting to despise her.

    ¡°Monica, have you forgotten something? Chris is not an object. He belongs to himself, and no one

    else.¡± I raised my tone at once.

    Monica sounded calm and gentle even when she was angry. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m always grateful for all

    the things you have done for Chris. There is no need to be persistent. Think about it, being together

    with Chris won¡¯t necessarily be good for you, but there will be more benefits if you leave him. I heard

    that you¡¯re participating in the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest, and the manager happens to

    be a member of my family. All you have to do is to say the word, and you can win any position you

    want.¡±

    I began to regreting over to look for Monica. All women would go to great lengths for their loved

    ones, and even Monica was no exception. Why did I even assume that she was different? Even a

    goddess like her would be a mere mortal after she had lost her love.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you got the first ce when you participated in the Prix Musica that time.¡± I sneered.

    Monica mmed the table and shouted, ¡°Be mindful with your words. Don¡¯t insult my skills.¡±

    ¡°Then, please don¡¯t insult my art and my love.¡± At this point, there was nothing more for me to say to

    her. I turned around and left the mansion. At the entrance, I heard Monica yelling at me from the

    garden. ¡°Yvonne, I must admit that you are right, but I will not give up on Chris no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the suitable person to cheer you on. Goodbye!¡±

    The negotiation failed. How should I save the Tanners now? Although Nathan was harsh on me, I was

    still a member of the Tanner family, and that was an undeniable fact.

    I sighed in my heart. In the end, I still had to go to Sabrina. When I was about to call Sabrina and ask

    her out, I met Christopher outside the Martin residence. He was in his orange Maserati, holding his

    head while casually looking at me with Mitchell sitting beside him. The atmosphere between the two

    wasn¡¯t pleasant, and it became worse after they saw me.

    My first instinct was toe up with an excuse for me to look for Monica. I contemted between

    discussing piano with her and talking about the concert. In the end, I could only smile and wave at

    them. ¡°Hello, Mitchell. Hi, Chris. I have something to do. I gotta go.¡±

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379

    I left in a hurry, and Christopher did note after me; he was still sitting in the car. I wasn¡¯t sure what

    they were talking about in the car, but the two were not in a good mood, and I could vaguely hear them

    arguing. I didn¡¯t know why, but I had the feeling that Christopher had found out about my family affairs

    once again, and he came to meet up with Mitchell because of me.

    ¡°Gosh. How could this man know everything? How could he be so omnipresent as though I am a pet

    that only needed to have fun and eat well? I won¡¯t have a sense of aplishment this way,¡± I

    muttered. However, I couldn¡¯t hide the smile on my face.

    I didn¡¯t walk too far away because I was curious to know what Christopher would say to Mitchell to

    solve this mess. So I snuck back quietly and hid behind a tree with some leaves on my head,

    pretending to be a tree, and started eavesdropping.

    I have been veryfortable with eavesdropping recently. I didn¡¯t feel any pressure at all. I must have

    had the potential to be a paparazzo and the most outstanding one too.

    ¡°Mitchell, we should continue our topic at hand. I suggest you take the matter into serious

    consideration. After all, doing this would not hurt the harmony between our two families, but it will also

    bring great fortune to the Martin family. What do you think?¡± A soft expression shed across

    Christopher¡¯s face.

    I assumed he was happy to see that I actually have the guts to confront Monica.

    He has always wanted me to stand up against those who insulted me.

    ¡°Chris, do you really want to go against the Martin family for a lowly divorcee? We¡¯re both men. I don¡¯t

    care about you being a womanizer, and I don¡¯t mind you being with several women before getting

    married. However, you can only marry Monica. What¡¯s so bad about Monica? Why do you treat her this

    way?¡± Mitchell spoke with a cold face. The admiration he had for Christopher earlier had turned into

    anger.

    I was a little sad when I heard that. I was just a divorced woman, but any man could insult me as they

    wish. Unfortunately, this was the world we lived in. Even in the era which preached gender equality,

    everyone would have the same view on a divorced woman.

    ¡°Mitchell, I¡¯m fully aware of the qualities I¡¯m looking for in my wife. I hope words such as a lowly

    divorcee won¡¯te out of your mouth the next time.¡± Christopher¡¯s tone became especially cold.

    ¡°As for Monica, there is nothing bad with her, but I only see her as my sister. Why do you want to marry

    your daughter to a man who doesn¡¯t love her? Do you think you¡¯re doing her a favor?¡± Christopher

    didn¡¯t back down. He would never let anyone stop him from marrying me.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Lane family owes the Martin family a life. I didn¡¯t mention it for so many years only

    because I didn¡¯t want to be guilty of ckmail. But I¡¯ll have you know that I would do anything for my

    daughter.¡±

    Mitchell had a dark expression. His mind was in a state of chaos. ¡°If Alyssa hadn¡¯t sacrificed herself,

    could the Lane family evene to where it is today?¡±

    My heart throbbed. So that was the reason why Julia was not willing to acknowledge my rtionship

    with Christopher. Now, Christopher is facing the same problem, and I want to know what he will say.

    It was a difficult situation for Christopher. It would be ungrateful for him not to agree. At the same time,

    he couldn¡¯tply.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380

    Christopher knew that Mitchell would mention this matter. Indeed, the Lane family faltered because of

    this incident back then. After years of being under the tyranny of the Martin family, Christopher kept his

    composure and didn¡¯t panic when Mitchel brought the matter up.

    He calmly took out a file from his bag and presented it to Mitchell. ¡°Mitchell, what do you think of this

    document? We¡¯ll talk about the repayment once you¡¯re done reading.¡±

    ¡°Christopher, I have watched you grow up. My decision will not change even after reading it. Honestly,

    you have disappointed me. Unless you don¡¯t get married in this life; otherwise, your wife can only be

    my daughter, Monica.¡±

    Mitchell took the file and nced at it a few times. Then, his pupils widened. He became shocked as he

    read further, and his hands started to tremble. Christopher lit a cigarette, inhaled, and puffed a cloud of

    smoke. ¡°Over the years, the Martin family did a lot of hical deeds to develop so rapidly, and Darius

    worked hard to cover up for you. However, you secretly received money from the Walker family and

    wanted to rece him during this year¡¯s election. It seems the Walker family has given you quite the

    benefits.¡±

    ¡°By the way, when I was in the armyst year, I was supposed to be promoted. I even prepared the

    script for my speech. Suddenly, I received a notice that my promotion was nothing but misinformation. I

    thought about it for a long time, but I just couldn¡¯t figure out the problem. Later, I identally saw the

    letter you wrote to my superior. Mitchell, I understand the feeling of you wanting to help the Walker

    family since you are the illegitimate child but hasn¡¯t the Lane family done a lot for you over the years?

    You seem prettyfortable with getting rid of the Lane family.¡±

    Mitchell¡¯s expression changed drastically. He trembled incredibly with the papers in his hand, and he

    was gasping for air. After a moment, he asked, ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Walls have ears, and doors have eyes. No matter how great the debt, all the benefits you gained from

    the Lane family over the years should be enough to repay the Martin family. Darius has been collecting

    information between you and the Walker family since two years ago, but for the sake of Alyssa, I chose

    not to expose you.¡±

    My eyes were brimming with admiration when I looked at the confident Christopher. He was well

    prepared and took advantage of Mitchell¡¯s shorings. Did he know what the Martin family has done

    since the beginning? Is there anything in this world that my man cannot do?

    ¡°Regarding the Tanner family, I advise you to stop your actions. If you insist on pressing on the matter,

    it will only hurt Monica. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want your daughter, young and unmarried, to have a

    father who is put behind bars, right?¡±

    ¡®Are you threatening me?¡± Mitchell forced the words out of his tightly clenched teeth.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just giving you a piece of friendly advice. We are fully aware of the intentions of the Walker

    family. My father may have retired, but he isn¡¯t ignorant. Although we did everything in our family for my

    mother, we will never be a fool and let you have your way with everything.¡± Christopher raised his hand

    and looked at his watch. ¡°Mitchell, it¡¯s time for me to go back for dinner. It¡¯ste already, and my wife

    will not be happy. Let¡¯s call it a day.¡±

    Mitchell kicked the car door open and walked off angrily, but Christopher stopped him. He put the file in

    Mitchell¡¯s hand and said casually, ¡°Keep this as a souvenir and take your time to consider my advice.¡±

    ¡°Well yed, hmph!¡± Then, Mitchell stomped into the mansion. He must be extremely agitated by

    Christopher. Could my man be any cooler?

    ¡°Why are you still standing there? I¡¯m starving!¡± Suddenly, Christopher shouted in my direction. I was

    stunned for a while before realizing that he was yelling at me. I ran over quickly and sat in the

    passenger seat coquettishly.

    Say, will I ever not get caught for eavesdropping? People tend to spot me every time.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381

    After we reached home, Christopher took the ingredients from the refrigerator and made something

    simple. I decided to make caramelized pork ribs to make him happy. After cooking and making sure it

    tasted good, I served it to him happily.

    ¡°Darling, have a taste of your favorite dish.¡± Christopher ignored me and started to devour the food in

    front of him. His hands moved swiftly and elegantly, and I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you skip lunch

    today?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time, so go and make some more food for me,¡± Christopher ordered after he took a

    sip of soup from the spoon I fed him with.

    ¡°Right away.¡± I rushed to the kitchen at lightspeed and took out the caramelized pork ribs and fish in

    vinegar I had prepared previously. Those two were famous Chanaen dishes.

    Christopher must have been busy with Mitchell¡¯s affairs today, so he didn¡¯t have time for lunch. I waited

    for his pace to slow down before I said, ¡°Next time, let me know if you¡¯ll be busy. I will deliver the food

    to you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Christopher put down his cutlery, turned his head toward me, and put his hand out. ¡°Give it

    to me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked in confusion.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°The check for ten million that my mother gave you,¡± Christopher said casually.

    Ahem¡­ I choked on the soup, and l looked awful as I was confused. ¡°Christopher, is there anything

    that you don¡¯t know? I hid it so well,¡± I gasped.

    ¡°I know everything that I should know,¡± he said casually.

    I took out the check that I wedged between the pages of a book hidden deep inside closet and gave it

    to Christopher. ¡°Here, return it to Julia. I have no use for it.¡±

    ¡°Who said about returning it to her?¡± Christopher tapped my head with the check.

    ¡°What will you do with it?¡± I asked in a silly manner.

    Christopher put the check in my hand and said, ¡°My mother hasn¡¯t given you, her daughter-inw, a

    gift, right? Treat it as a gift from her. Cash it in tomorrow and spend it as you like. Let¡¯s have a feast to

    celebrate too.¡±

    I was utterly speechless. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too shameless?¡±

    Christopher sat me on hisp and said solemnly, ¡°Eve, you don¡¯t understand. Being shameless is my

    motto, and being a scumbag is my motivation. Bing a shameless scumbag has always been my

    ultimate goal. This amount of money will go to waste if you don¡¯t use it.

    I just couldn¡¯t win against him. I even find his words interesting.

    I didn¡¯t know what happened between Christopher and Mitchell after that, but it quickly resolved the

    matter on the Tanner family. I knew that because Nathan came to me happily the next day and said that

    everything was over. Even the way he looked at me has changed. Words like opportunity and profits

    were written all over his face.

    ¡°Yvonne, look. Christopher helped you resolve such a huge matter. He must care about you very much.

    Even if he marries Monica, you will still have your ce in his heart. Why don¡¯t you take the chance

    and have him share a small part of the Lane family¡¯s investment ns? This way, the Tanner family will

    prosper, which is also a good thing for you, don¡¯ you think?¡±

    I forced a smile as I sipped on my coffee on the couch. I didn¡¯t want to talk to Yvette as I was afraid that

    I might stir up some trouble if I spoke to her. My newfound courage was getting way out of hand.

    ¡°Yvonne, stop showing that face of disapproval. I¡¯m just telling the truth. I¡¯m doing this for you. If you

    don¡¯t take the chance to reap some benefits off him right now, you won¡¯t have another chance after

    he¡¯s married.¡±

    ¡°Yvette is right. The Lane family invested in a mine recently. If we, the Tanner family, inject some funds

    into it, even if it only ounts for a fraction, it will still be enough for the Tanner family to make a

    fortune. Talk to him about it, and I will pay youmissions. You don¡¯t have a job anyway, and you

    can¡¯t always rely on men for money.¡±

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382

    My head started to ache. Is it so difficult to ept the fact that I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s wife? I¡¯ve already told

    them the truth, but they chose to believe that I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s mistress. That¡¯s really something.

    Monica¡¯s piano concert was in the next two days, and I bought two tickets online for Christopher and

    myself so that we could sit together. I had no doubts that Monica presented Christopher with a VIP

    ticket, and there was no way I would be able to get my hands on a VIP ticket for myself. I just didn¡¯t

    want to sit separately from Christopher at the concert.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses from you today, Chris. We¡¯ve already made ns to attend the piano

    concert together. I¡¯ve already bought tickets for two, so don¡¯t bete,¡± I said into the phone while I

    sketched.

    I set the phone call on speaker mode, and I could hear some background noises from his end. It

    sounded like he was still in an important meeting, so I kept the conversation short.

    ¡°Why are you so enthusiastic? It¡¯s not even your concert. Don¡¯t worry. No matter how busy I am today,

    my mom will take care of things for me, so I¡¯ll have some time off in the afternoon. Just get dinner

    ready and wait for me toe home,¡± Christopher said, he sounded a little unhappy.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cook something nice for you and wait for you toe home. But you must remember to eat

    your lunch. If I find out that you¡¯ve skipped your lunch again, I¡¯ll go over there and feed you myself.¡± I

    pretended to make a contemptuous remark.

    ¡°Got it, my queen. Consider it done.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me your queen. Call me your darling wife.¡±

    After the call, I turned on myputer as I snacked on some fruits. Suddenly, I noticed that there was

    breaking news from the local headlines today, and it had topped the trending search in Avenport. My

    curiosity piqued, so I clicked on the news.

    The headline came into my line of sight. Monica Martin To The rescue¡ªChristopher Lane To Repay

    With Marriage. The Betrothal From Ten Years go.

    I frowned as I read the content of that headline news. It was reported clearly on how Julia was saved

    by Monica¡¯s mother, and how the betrothal came about. There was also a report on the marriage

    arrangement between Christopher and Monica.

    Why would they want this matter to be known by everyone in Avenport? What good does it do? It

    seems like it¡¯s done on purpose. Otherwise, why would this kind of news be in the newspaper when

    Christopher had publicly announced that we are together?

    I scrolled down to thement section below and saw that many readers had participated in the

    discussion by posting theirments.

    Sleepless Night: No wonder Christopher has been single for so many years. It turns out that he¡¯s

    already betrothed to Monica from years ago and didn¡¯t want to be involved in a romantic rtionship.

    Giggles: It¡¯s much more romantic than that. They¡¯re the perfect couple. If I were a man, I would bring

    her home as my wife.

    Trouble Finder: Arranged marriage never ends well. We don¡¯t know if Christopher loves her or not.

    Also, he did say that Monica¡¯s like a sister to him in a press conference earlier. I have protected my

    chastity for twenty-three years, so I know what I¡¯m talking about. Besides, his heart belongs to

    someone else, and that¡¯s definitely not Monica.

    Paradox: Trouble Finder, you¡¯re a fool for saying that. Someone like you has no right toment about

    someone¡¯s love life. It¡¯s a romantic affair, and you know nothing about it.

    First Half of My Life: It¡¯s obvious that Trouble Finder has no girlfriend and is jealous of others. I hope

    you remain a virgin for the rest of your life and be cursed to masturbate for the rest of your life.

    As I read further, I realized that thements were disrespectful and toxic. One person even went as

    far as to say that Christopher was an id*ot for having someone other than Monica as his girlfriend. I

    was so angry that I replied with a scathing remark as Christopher¡¯s Wife: You¡¯re the id*ot, and you

    come from a family of idiots. Christopher loves me, so what?

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    I felt childish for being a keyboard warrior after I posted the reply. Hence, I quickly deleted my

    comment. It seemed to me that Monica was using the public¡¯s opinion to oppress Christopher. What is

    Monica trying to do now?

    I had a bad hunch. Tonight¡¯s concert will probably not be a peaceful one.

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383

    I sat in front of theputer for a long time, scrolling through the news. Most of the news coverage

    was on the Lanes and the Martins, and I was starting to get bored from reading about it. Now that the

    people of Avenport knew about Christopher¡¯s ties with the Martin family, Christopher would be

    condemned by all if he were to refuse to marry Monica. Simply put, that was emotional ckmail.

    But these people hadpletely forgotten about one thing; Christopher and I were not bothered about

    these issues at all. Even if someone were to say anything mean about Christopher, he was not one to

    harbor grudges.

    I, for one, always had a bad reputation. I couldn¡¯t care less if word got around that I was a mistress,

    since that was what others used to call me. But I didn¡¯t like it when Christopher became their target of

    vilification.

    The Martin family was a heartless bunch. They knew they couldn¡¯t take me down; hence, they would

    rather use this approach to catch Christopher¡¯s attention in order to get him toply with their

    request.

    I wanted to call Christopher to let him know about the news and gossips that were circting online.

    After second thought, I decided against it. He had his hands full with work, and I didn¡¯t want to bother

    him with such petty news. Besides, he was bound to hear about the news from someone elseter.

    Christopher did not want to attend the piano concert, but I was the one who insisted that he attend

    it. Ironic as it may seem, but that¡¯s the way of life.

    I went to the salon to get my hair styled and had my makeup done wlessly. After I changed into the

    outfit that was rmended by the stylist himself, I heard him say, ¡°Miss, you look beautiful in this

    evening dress, and you¡¯ll definitely be the star of the party.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just ying a minor supporting role for tonight¡¯s event. I want to look good for my husband.¡± I

    twirled around in front of the mirror as I studied my reflection. I was quite pleased with the way I looked,

    and the narcissistic side in me thought I looked beautiful.

    ¡°A wedding reception? You look beautiful, and I¡¯m sure your husband must love you a lot.¡± The shop

    owner was a real sweet-talker.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I shook my head and said with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s not a wedding reception. I¡¯m doing this for my love rival.

    It¡¯s her piano concert, and I¡¯m going to be there to cheer her on.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The shop owner balked at me. He probably thought I lost my marbles.

    I burst into a heartyugh and walked out of the salon. As I was walking down the street, I made a call

    to Christopher. And then, I went into a caf¨¦ and waited for him toe and pick me up. After waiting

    for a long while, much to my surprise, Christopher did not show up. I nced at my watch and saw that

    there were only ten minutes left before the opening of the concert. Has Christopher decided not to go?

    Could it be he¡¯s caught up with some work?

    I stood up, and just when I was about to leave, Julia strode in elegantly from the caf¨¦¡¯s entrance. She

    was dressed in a ck suit, and she looked the epitome of a strong and sessful woman. Only this

    time around, she wasn¡¯t alone. She was followed closely by her personal assistants and bodyguards.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lane.¡± My eye began to twitch. Is she here to see me? Could it be she¡¯s going to force me

    to leave again?

    After I greeted her, I quickly dialed Christopher¡¯s number to find out where he was. To my dismay, I

    couldn¡¯t get through to Christopher, and his phone seemed to be turned off. My heart sank, and a frown

    etched on my face. I didn¡¯t know what was going on. I dialed his number several more times, but I still

    couldn¡¯t get through to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lane. Something came up, so I have to leave now.¡± I took my bag and was prepared to

    leave when the bodyguards stepped forward and blocked my way.

    I stopped in my tracks and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mrs. Lane?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere today. You¡¯ll stay here and wait till after the concert is over,¡± Julia said as

    she sniffed at the cup of coffee in her hand.

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384

    ¡°But why? I¡¯ve already promised Chris that I would go to the piano concert with him. He¡¯ll be angry if I

    don¡¯t go.¡± After I said that, I got around the bodyguard and headed for the exit. I had just taken two

    steps when I was stopped by the bodyguard again, and this time he was blocking the exit. Obviously,

    he was acting on the orders of Julia. I tried to shove him out of my way but to no avail.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Mrs. Lane. Why are you so against us?¡± If Julia was behaving this way all because

    of Monica¡¯s mother, then it was unfair. Truly unfair to Christopher and me.

    Julia¡¯s eyes were downcast, and there was a sorrowful look on her face. It was as though she recalled

    a particrly bad memory. The air was heavy with tension as I watched her swirl the coffee in her cup.

    I looked at the time again. The concert had begun, and Christopher did not return my calls. Come to

    think of it, Monica and the others are probably holding him back right now. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t leave

    me here all by myself.

    After a while, Julia lifted her head and said to me, ¡°Monica grew up without her mother, and she turned

    out to be a strong woman. She never tells me anything, and she never begs me. Not even once. But

    this time, she begged me to give her a chance to give it another try. I couldn¡¯t refuse her. And that¡¯s

    why I came here.¡±

    ¡°What about Chris, Mrs. Lane? He¡¯ll be sad for what you have done.¡± I shut my eyes, clenching my fists

    tightly.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit and do nothing, either. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll support her. She asked for the chance to try again

    today, so I promised to help her this once, no matter the oue. But, you cannot show up in front of

    Chris. Now that he has to choose a side, I won¡¯t have you meddling by turning up in front of him.¡±

    Julia tipped her head upwards to signal her entourage, and immediately a female personal assistant

    walked over to the caf¨¦¡¯s bar. After a brief exchange, someone changed the channel on the projector

    screen from light jazz music to the coverage of the piano concert. As I watched the broadcast, I spotted

    Christopher sitting in the VIP seat.

    He was leaning on the couch as he listened to Monica ying on the piano. Although there was a smile

    on his face, I could tell that he was fuming inside.

    Could it be that Monica asked Julia to stop me in order to get Christopher to attend her concert

    alone? It can¡¯t be that simple. Why do I feel like something is wrong?

    I struggled to tamp down my anxiousness as I paced around the table and looked at Christopher on the

    projector screen from time to time. He kept a smile on his face throughout the y, but he turned to

    look behind him from time to time. He was probably looking at the entrance, waiting for me to show up.

    He was already upset when he was asked to attend the concert, and for me not to show up would

    further agitate him. After all, as his wife, I was pushing him into the hands of another woman.

    I let out a sigh. After I had calmed down, I walked up to Julia and sat across from her. ¡°Mrs. Lane, I did

    not know that you would lose yourposure ande looking for me after what Mr. Martin said to

    you. As for the ten million, I have already taken it out. Since I¡¯m married to Chris, I¡¯m your daughter-in-

    ¡°Don¡¯t sugarcoat it. It doesn¡¯t work on me, so just give it to me straight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it simple. I made the decision to leave Christopher when I thought I was dying. I¡¯ve decided to

    stay by his side now that I¡¯m very much alive. And I will stay by his side until my veryst breath.¡±

    Julia ignored me. At this moment, everyone¡¯s focus was on the big screen when Monica stood up

    suddenly and said into the microphone, ¡°I love you, Chris. I have loved you for many years. Now that

    we are here, I would like to ask you a question. Will you marry me, Christopher?¡±

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385

    I jumped to my feet in shock when I heard that, knocking the cup of coffee over as I did. Is this the

    highlight for tonight? Monica confesses her love for Christopher in public and shows everyone her

    feelings for him?

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    The piano music came to an end, and the PA system was ying her famous song, Praise Of Love.

    Monica slowly walked up to Christopher with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Iposed this piece especially for you back then and yed it for you on your neenth birthday.

    Back then, I told myself that I would y this for you every year because I love you. We¡¯ve known each

    other for so many years now¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to be so proactive because of what you would say in

    response, but I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    Monica ced her hand on Christopher¡¯s face and asked seriously, ¡°Mrs. Lane has been treating me

    like her own daughter ever since Mom saved her life, and I too, have been treating her like my own

    mother. The Lane residence is like a second home to me, and I want to marry you, Christopher. I want

    to be your wife and look after you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?¡±

    The entire ce fell into a deathly silence as everyone stared at the screen, holding their breaths in

    anticipation as they waited for Christopher to respond.

    I knew Christopher loved me, so I knew what his answer was going to be. Even so, I couldn¡¯t help but

    worry that he would be moved by her proposal and end up saying yes.

    Momentster, loud apuse came from the crowd as they whistled and chanted in unison, ¡°Say yes!

    Say yes! Say yes!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and say yes, Mr. Lane!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my god! This is so romantic! They make such a great pair together! Just go ahead and kiss her

    now!¡±

    Everyone was losing their minds in the heat of the moment, and I felt bad for him having to deal with

    such a situation.

    Monica is clearly using the public to pressure Christopher into epting her proposal! By bringing up

    the history between their families, she would make Christopher look like an ungrateful scumbag if he

    said no. With Darius¡¯ involvement in politics, this would impact the Lane family¡¯s reputation as a whole!

    What a despicable move, tantly forcing Christopher into marrying her like that! If he agrees, I would

    still be regarded by everyone as a homewrecker even if we had gotten married before this!

    Had it not been for the fact that I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave, I would¡¯ve ran on stage and dered

    Christopher as my man, and that I would never give him up even in the face of death.

    The seconds continued to tick by, but Christopher remained seated andpletely unfazed as he

    stared at Monica.

    The chanting from the crowd grew louder, and Monica gave him a yful wink before she continued,

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting for your response, Chris. How about you give me a hug?¡±

    Christopher got up and began making his way toward her, each step drawing air out of my lungs. Time

    seemed to slow down from how fast my heart was beating, and I held my breath in anticipation when

    he was standing before her.

    Monica broke into a huge grin when she saw him approaching her. Right as she was about to give him

    a big hug, Christopher snatched the microphone out of her hand and shoved her aside. He then turned

    to face the crowd behind him and asked out loud, ¡°Are you all certain that you want me to ept Ms.

    Martin¡¯s proposal? You see, I¡¯m already married, so this would count as bigamy. I don¡¯t know about you

    guys, but I¡¯m not exactly fond about going to jail.¡±

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386

    ¡°Chris?¡± The smile on Monica¡¯s face was frozen in ce as she stared at Christopher in disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you this before, but I¡¯m already married, and I love my wife very much.¡± As if he

    could see me through the monitor, Christopher stared at the camera with a scorching look in his eyes

    as he said, ¡°My wife may not be able to y the piano or have any outstanding talents, but we¡¯ve

    known each other since we were thirteen. I¡¯ve always loved her, and being able to marry her is the

    greatest thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say I love her more

    than I love myself.¡±

    Tears welled up in Monica¡¯s eyes, and she held a hand to her mouth in response.

    ¡°All right, I hope those of you who were enjoying Monica¡¯s joke would not take it seriously. I am

    incredibly proud to have a brilliant sister like her! Now, let us continue to enjoy her amazing piano

    recital.¡±

    Christopher ced extra emphasis on the word ¡°sister¡± and gave her a cold re as he handed her the

    microphone. He then whispered softly into her ears. I could tell that he looked very pissed off.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Monica¡¯s tears continued to fall. It looked as if she couldn¡¯t care less about the recital or the cameras

    around her.

    Fortunately for her, the cameraman was smart enough to keep it focused on the dance performance

    during the intermission.

    s, Christopher did not let me down. You hold a special ce in my heart. Your existence is one that

    nobody could ever rece! You¡¯re my one and only lover boy! I thought to myself as tears slowly rolled

    down my cheeks.

    I then turned toward Julia and said, ¡°May I leave now, Mrs. Lane? I would very much like to go see my

    husband. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s losing his patience waiting for me, and it would pain me greatly to see him

    unhappy.¡±

    Having witnessed Christopher¡¯s determined response on the screen, Julia closed her eyes and

    motioned at the bodyguards to step aside.

    As I opened the door, Julia called out to me once again, ¡°What would you do if I were to insist on

    having Chris marry Monica? Threaten to kill yourself?¡±

    ¡°No way! Life is something incredibly precious! Besides, I can¡¯t be with Chris if I¡¯m dead!¡± I replied with

    a chuckle.

    ¡°You two do not belong together. I will put an end to your rtionship!¡± Julia dered coldly.

    I shed her a bright smile and said calmly, ¡°You won¡¯t, Mrs. Lane. As you said, there are lots of ways

    for you to tear us apart. Being Christopher¡¯s mother, you know him very well and have your methods to

    command his absolute obedience. That¡¯s what you did with Darius back then, right? So, why bother

    telling me all this instead of just doing it? Let¡¯s be honest, you actually approve of me being his wife,

    don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Chris marrying Monica was something both our families have

    decided upon many years ago, and that decision will not change so easily, so you¡¯d better watch out.¡±

    Julia then left the caf¨¦ with the people she brought along, whispering into my ear as she passed me by,

    ¡°Go to Room 302 of Fiesta Hotel right now, and you¡¯ll find out if Chris loves Monica.¡±

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387

    Christopher should still be at the recital, so why would I head over to the presidential suite at Fiesta

    Hotel? The thought of that shocked me deeply, and I ran up to her car as I asked, ¡°What do you mean

    by that, Mrs. Lane?¡±

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    Julia simply ignored me and told her chauffeur to start driving. The chauffeur then reversed the car a bit

    and drove past me so skillfully that it didn¡¯t even touch the hem of my shirt.

    It¡¯s been two hours, so the recital should¡¯ve ended by now¡­ I thought to myself as I checked the time.

    Not wanting to wait any longer, I quickly hailed a cab for Fiesta Hotel. I received a call from Christopher

    on the way there, and I asked immediately after answering the phone, ¡°Where are you, Chris? Are you

    in Room 302 of Fiesta Hotel right now? I¡¯lle see you right now!¡±

    While I heard no response from Christopher, Monica¡¯s voice came on the other line, ¡°Will you please

    look at me, Chris? I love you so much!¡±

    ¡°F*ck off!¡± What followed was the sound of heavy objects falling on the floor, and I even heard a ss

    cup being smashed to pieces in the background. It was so loud that it made my heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Stop trying to hold it in, Chris! The drug that my father gave you is incredibly powerful, and you must

    have sex within an hour after consumption or you¡¯ll be impotent for the rest of your life! You¡¯re not

    seriously going to give up on your manhood for Yvonne¡¯s sake, are you?¡± Monica asked while sobbing.

    ¡°I told you, Monica¡­ I only see you as a sister, and who in their right mind would have sex with their

    sister?¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was trembling when he said that, and I could tell from his heavy breathing

    that he was trying his hardest to suppress his urges.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want! Even if I must be your sister, I want to be one that you would hug and love like

    a normal woman! We¡¯re not rted by blood anyway, so what¡¯s the problem with giving me a hug? All I

    want is you, and I don¡¯t mind the fact that you and Yvonne are married! I¡¯m willing to sacrifice my pride

    and dignity if that¡¯s what it takes to be with you!¡± Monica kept trying to get closer to him, but Christopher

    would throw the stuff on the table at her whenever she did.

    ¡°Monica¡­ I¡¯ve made it very clear that I don¡¯t love you, nor do I feel anything else toward you! Yvonne is

    the only person I love, so you¡¯d better not do anything you¡¯ll end up regretting! Let me out of here right

    now!¡±

    ¡°No! I know you¡¯re very strong, being an elite member of the special forces and all. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve

    added some sedatives to the drug! I¡¯m doing all of this just for you, Chris! Are you that unwilling to let

    me touch you?¡±

    There was the sound of clothes dropping to the floor, followed by Monica¡¯s seductive voice as she said,

    ¡°Look at my amazing body! My figure is just as great as Yvonne¡¯s, and all you have to do is hug me to

    get that sweet release! How about you let me serve you in bed so you can ensure the safety of your

    manhood?¡±

    ¡°Get out, Monica¡­ I¡¯ll still treat you as my favorite sister if you leave now¡­¡±

    ¡°No! I want to be your woman, nothing else! We could have a baby! Once we do, you won¡¯t have a

    reason to see Yvonne anymore! She¡¯s been injured before, so she probably can¡¯t have kids anyway.

    I¡¯ve seen her medical records at the hospital.¡±

    ¡°F*ck off!¡±

    A loud noise was heard, and the phone seemed to be tossed far away as the sound that followed was

    the shrill beeping of the call being cut off.

    I can¡¯t believe that Monica actually gave Christopher such a nasty drug! Not only does it cause him to

    lose control over himself, but it could even cost him his manhood? This is unforgivable! Good thing

    Julia loves her son enough to tell me about it at thest minute, or I¡¯d still be searching for him at the

    recital! I nearly mmed my phone on the ground at the thought of that.

    ¡°Please drive faster, mister! I¡¯m in a hurry!¡±

    Hang in there, Christopher! I know you¡¯re under the influence of the drug right now, but please don¡¯t get

    her pregnant! We just got married so I don¡¯t want to be a stepmother so soon!

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388

    Thirty minutes have passed by the time I arrived at Fiesta Hotel, and my anxiousness had me on the

    verge of crying. Am I really going to see Christopher having sex with another woman? It wasn¡¯t easy

    finding a great man like him, so I really don¡¯t want to share him with any other women!

    As I had been frequenting Fiesta Hoteltely, the staff recognized me and told me Room 302 was

    upied when I asked about it. ¡°That¡¯s my friend in there, and it¡¯s her birthday today. I got her present

    ready and want to give her a surprise, so please give me a key card.¡±

    The woman at the front desk said with an awkward look on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,

    miss¡­ Please don¡¯t make it difficult for us¡­¡±

    I even tried bribing her with all the cash I had on me, but she still refused. In my state of desperation, I

    broke down in tears and knelt on the ground as I pleaded, ¡°Please let me in, I¡¯m begging you! I lied

    about the birthday surprise! That man inside is my husband, but he¡¯s here with another woman! Even if

    we do end up getting divorced, I have to confront them so I won¡¯t leave this marriage empty-handed!

    Will you please help me out, miss?¡±

    The woman then helped me to my feet upon hearing that and said, ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s a typical case of a

    scumbag husband having an affair with his mistress? All right, I¡¯ll help you out!¡±

    Women truly are capable of doing crazy things for the sake of love, and Monica is no exception. In fact,

    she¡¯s pretty much just like Crystal, minus the shamelessness. With the key card in hand, I approached

    Room 302 with the calmest look on my face.

    Having prepared for the worst, I swiped the card and opened the door. A sharp pain tore through my

    heart when I saw something moving about slightly under the cover. Oh, no¡­ Was I toote?

    I quickly ran forward and yanked the cover off, only to freeze in ce when I saw what was

    underneath. Monica waspletely naked, her limbs were bound by a necktie, and she had a sock

    stuffed into her mouth. However, there was no sign of Christopher anywhere.

    I removed the sock from her mouth and asked anxiously, ¡°Where is he? Tell me!¡±

    Feeling embarrassed from being seen in such a state by her rival in love, Monica shouted furiously,

    ¡°What are you doing here? How did you know about this ce? F*ck off! Get the hell away from me!¡±

    Her face was twisted, and she looked like she wanted to rip me to shreds.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°You im to love Christopher, and this is what you do to him? Slip him a nasty drug so you can force

    him into having sex with you? You think you¡¯re so great because you¡¯ve cast aside your pride and

    dignity for the sake of love? Well, you¡¯re not. This isn¡¯t love, Monica! You¡¯re just destroying him!¡±

    I raised my hand and pped her hard across the face after saying that. Monica was so shocked that

    she froze for a moment before yelling at the top of her lungs, ¡°You b*tch! How dare you p me? I¡¯ll kill

    you! I¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death! Untie me! Untie me right now!¡±

    At that moment, whatever elegance and grace Monica had waspletely gone as she screamed and

    cursed at me. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little pity for her when I stood there fully clothed, as I stared at

    Monica who was naked and writhing about helplessly, unable to hit me even if she wanted to.

    ¡°That p was for Chris. He has always loved you like a sister, and he never wanted to hurt you even

    after we got together. You, on the other hand, tried to hurt him. I don¡¯t mind if you threaten me or have

    someone set me up, but you should never have done that to him. You have no right to say you love

    him!¡±

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389

    ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s not true! I do love him! All I want is to be with him! I¡¯ve loved Christopher for so many

    years! I don¡¯t love him any less than you do!¡± Monica shouted at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°Then, tell me where he went! Tell me right now, or he¡¯ll end up losing his manhood forever! Is that what

    you want?¡± I stopped myself from pping Monica again and tried to remain calm as I still needed

    information from her. I wouldn¡¯t have been this mad if she targeted me, but I couldn¡¯t stand anyone

    hurting Christopher.

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Monica burst out crying all of a sudden and stammered incoherently, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would turn

    out like this! I just wanted for him to be with me, but he would rather bite down on his arm thany a

    finger on me! His bit himself until his arm was bleeding, and he even smashed a ss bottle on his

    head! I was so scared! I was already tied up by the time I came to, and he left the room saying he

    wanted to go see his wife! I don¡¯t know where he went after that!¡±

    The chilly wind blew across my skin as I stood outside my house, fumbling for the keys to the front

    door. I was in so much panic that I failed to open the door even after multiple attempts at it. Christopher

    said he was looking for me, so it¡¯s most likely that he went home, but¡­ He¡¯s not thinking straight right

    now¡­ What if he¡¯s not home?

    My body was trembling all over from the feelings of helplessness. It reminded me of the time I was on

    the ind and saw Christopher lying on the reef with his life ebbing away while I couldn¡¯t do anything

    about it.

    After a bit of pushing and kicking, I finally got the door open and ran into the house while calling out to

    Christopher. I searched the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom, but there was no

    sign of him anywhere.

    ¡°Where are you, Christopher? I¡¯m so worried about you!¡± I tried calling him on his phone again, but it

    was probably left in a corner of Room 302 as there was still no answer.

    I continued shouting his name while searching every corner of the house like crazy but to no avail.

    Eventually, I fell to the floor helplessly in exhaustion and despair. Christopher has bought this house

    just for me, so he wouldn¡¯t go looking for me anywhere else! Where on earth could he be right now?

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Right as I was struggling to hold my tears in, a hand reached out and gave me a gentle pat on the

    shoulder. I brushed it aside forcefully and shouted, ¡°Leave me alone! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m upset?¡±

    The hand touched me on the cheek again, and I spun around to see Christopher lying in the bathtub

    behind me. His body waspletely soaked, his face was unusually flushed, and his eyes looked

    nk even though he was touching me.

    I didn¡¯t know if he could even recognize me at the time, but I threw myself into his arms and hugged

    him tightly anyway. His lips brushed past my cheek before he rested his head on my shoulder, and his

    entire body had gone limp.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of willpower it took for him to tie Monica up ande all the way home. I

    felt my heart ache when I saw the bite marks on his forearm and the wound on the top of his head.

    I was unbuttoning his shirt when he grabbed my wrist and mumbled, ¡°Eve¡­ I want Eve¡­ Only Eve¡­¡±

    He tried to stop me from touching him, but he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. One of

    his hands was touching my waist, and I could tell he was trying desperately to resist it from sliding up

    my dress.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Chris! I¡¯m here! Look at me, Christopher! It¡¯s me, Yvonne! It¡¯s okay! You¡¯re all right now!¡± I

    undid the zipper on my dress and put on a warm shower before getting into the bathtub with him.

    ¡°Ah, Eve¡­ I¡¯m so d it¡¯s you¡­ Let me hug you tight¡­¡±

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390

    ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s not true! I do love him! All I want is to be with him! I¡¯ve loved Christopher for so many

    years! I don¡¯t love him any less than you do!¡± Monica shouted at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°Then, tell me where he went! Tell me right now, or he¡¯ll end up losing his manhood forever! Is that what

    you want?¡± I stopped myself from pping Monica again and tried to remain calm as I still needed

    information from her. I wouldn¡¯t have been this mad if she targeted me, but I couldn¡¯t stand anyone

    hurting Christopher.

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Monica burst out crying all of a sudden and stammered incoherently, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would turn

    out like this! I just wanted for him to be with me, but he would rather bite down on his arm thany a

    finger on me! His bit himself until his arm was bleeding, and he even smashed a ss bottle on his

    head! I was so scared! I was already tied up by the time I came to, and he left the room saying he

    wanted to go see his wife! I don¡¯t know where he went after that!¡±

    The chilly wind blew across my skin as I stood outside my house, fumbling for the keys to the front

    door. I was in so much panic that I failed to open the door even after multiple attempts at it. Christopher

    said he was looking for me, so it¡¯s most likely that he went home, but¡­ He¡¯s not thinking straight right

    now¡­ What if he¡¯s not home?

    My body was trembling all over from the feelings of helplessness. It reminded me of the time I was on

    the ind and saw Christopher lying on the reef with his life ebbing away while I couldn¡¯t do anything

    about it.

    After a bit of pushing and kicking, I finally got the door open and ran into the house while calling out to

    Christopher. I searched the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom, but there was no

    sign of him anywhere.

    ¡°Where are you, Christopher? I¡¯m so worried about you!¡± I tried calling him on his phone again, but it

    was probably left in a corner of Room 302 as there was still no answer.

    I continued shouting his name while searching every corner of the house like crazy but to no avail.

    Eventually, I fell to the floor helplessly in exhaustion and despair. Christopher has bought this house

    just for me, so he wouldn¡¯t go looking for me anywhere else! Where on earth could he be right now?

    Right as I was struggling to hold my tears in, a hand reached out and gave me a gentle pat on the

    shoulder. I brushed it aside forcefully and shouted, ¡°Leave me alone! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m upset?¡±

    The hand touched me on the cheek again, and I spun around to see Christopher lying in the bathtub

    behind me. His body waspletely soaked, his face was unusually flushed, and his eyes looked

    nk even though he was touching me.

    I didn¡¯t know if he could even recognize me at the time, but I threw myself into his arms and hugged

    him tightly anyway. His lips brushed past my cheek before he rested his head on my shoulder, and his

    entire body had gone limp.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of willpower it took for him to tie Monica up ande all the way home. I

    felt my heart ache when I saw the bite marks on his forearm and the wound on the top of his head.

    I was unbuttoning his shirt when he grabbed my wrist and mumbled, ¡°Eve¡­ I want Eve¡­ Only Eve¡­¡±

    He tried to stop me from touching him, but he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. One of

    his hands was touching my waist, and I could tell he was trying desperately to resist it from sliding up

    my dress.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Chris! I¡¯m here! Look at me, Christopher! It¡¯s me, Yvonne! It¡¯s okay! You¡¯re all right now!¡± I

    undid the zipper on my dress and put on a warm shower before getting into the bathtub with him.

    ¡°Ah, Eve¡­ I¡¯m so d it¡¯s you¡­ Let me hug you tight¡­¡±

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391

    With a smile on his face, Christopher tried to sit upright, but the effects of the drug were simply too

    strong. Although he was rock hard down there and burning up all over, he had little to no strength left in

    him.

    ¡°You used to tell me that I should be a little more proactive and move while sitting on top of you, right?

    How about you let me do the work for you tonight, Chris?¡± I stroked his cheek and leaned in to kiss him

    like how he usually kissed me.

    I started from his forehead and kissed my way down to his nose before finally reaching his throat.

    Seeing as his eyes were in a daze, I decided to please him and sat on top of his manhood. I shuddered

    from the painful, but pleasurable sensation inside me, and Christopher let out a satisfied moan in

    response.

    With both hands on my waist, he kept moaning while I worked my body as hard as I could. I kept going

    at it until I was exhausted, and he finally released himself inside me.

    However, that moment of relief was only temporary as his face became flushed again minutes

    later. That drug was probably one of those extremely powerful aphrodisiacs that would have

    undesirable side effects on the body even after releasing all that pent-up sexual energy. Christopher

    would probably need quite some time to fully recover from this¡­ I bet Julia doesn¡¯t know about how

    Mitchell has drugged her son, or she would never have agreed to it!

    With that thought in mind, I cursed at Mitchell as I continued to try and satisfy Christopher¡¯s needs.

    I was physically drained halfway through the night and could barely move a finger. Things were okay at

    first because of how weak Christopher was, but it became agonizing when he slowly regained his

    strength. He grabbed me tightly by the waist and pounded me like he was a pile driver. Each and every

    one of his thrusts was so forceful that I felt like I would fall apart at any moment.

    ¡°Do you even know who I am?¡± I clutched the corners of the bathtub and bit down on my lip as I tried to

    keep myself from being flying off.

    ¡°You¡¯re Eve, and you belong to me.¡± Christopher kept going at it throughout the rest of the night and

    eventually fell asleep at dawn.

    I didn¡¯t dare go to sleep as I was afraid that something would happen to him. This was the first time I

    had seen Christopher in such a weak and unusual state, which worried me greatly.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    I thought about calling for help, but Sabrina and Zachary were on vacation outside of Avenport, and I

    didn¡¯t really know anyone else I could depend on. After racking my brains for a bit, I thought of Darius

    and quickly gave him a call.

    Despite being a man who cared greatly about his appearances, he had rushed over in such a hurry that

    he wore his jacket inside out. He came into the bedroom, panting heavily as he had the doctor examine

    Christopher.

    Noticing that I was so weak and could barely stand, he helped me onto the couch before saying, ¡°Here,

    have a seat¡­ Now, mind telling me what the hell happened?¡±

    I told him everything I heard on the phone earlier and leaned weakly against the couch as I said,

    ¡°Monica doesn¡¯t have the guts to hurt him like this, so Mitchell must¡¯ve been the one who prepared the

    drug. Chris showed Mitchell the evidence of him helping the Walker family sabotage the Lane family. It

    would make sense to assume that Mitchell got mad and drugged him in revenge. I¡¯m just worried that it

    would have some nasty side effects on Chris¡­¡±

    ¡°Mitchell?¡± A cold glint shed in Darius¡¯ eyes, and he clenched his teeth angrily as he continued, ¡°That

    old fool must¡¯ve forgotten his ce after being under the protection of our family for so many years¡­

    How dare he use such an underhanded tactic on Chris? I¡¯ll make him pay for what he did!¡±

    ¡°All I want is for Chris to be all right.¡± I kept my gaze fixed on Christopher who was lying on the bed the

    whole time.

    ¡°You mean my mom knew about this?¡± Darius asked coldly all of a sudden. He was so angry that it felt

    like his rage would materialize at any moment. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she agreed to help that scumbag

    Mitchell do such a thing!¡±

    Fearing that I would say something I shouldn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t dare answer his question directly and gave him

    a vague response instead. ¡°Mrs. Lane was the one who told me to go find Chris at Fiesta Hotel.¡±

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    A loud knocking was heard on the door, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who it could possibly be at this

    hour. I dragged myself to open the door and was surprised when I saw Julia standing outside.

    She was still dressed in the same clothes from the night before, and her bloodshot eyes made it

    obvious that she hadn¡¯t slept a wink. ¡°Where¡¯s Chris? I have something very important to tell him.¡±

    I nced at the bedroom from the front door and hesitated for a bit before replying, ¡°He¡¯s inside.¡± Julia

    clearly doesn¡¯t know about the potent drug that Mitchell gave Christopher, but Darius is still very mad

    about it at the moment. They¡¯re bound to get into a fight if they see each other now¡­

    ¡°Why are you still standing in my way, then? I have urgent business, and I need to see my son right

    now! Put your clothes on, Chris! I¡¯ming in!¡± Julia then pushed me aside and barged into the house.

    Because I was very weak at the time, I lost my bnce and fell down after being pushed.

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    Earlier, Christopher got incredibly rough after regaining his strength, and he couldn¡¯t control his force

    even though he knew it was me. While showering, I realized I was bleeding down there and had

    bruises all over my body, especially around my waist where the slightest touch would hurt like hell.

    ¡°Mom? You¡¯ve got the audacity toe and see Chris after what you¡¯ve done?¡± Darius asked as he

    came out of the bedroom. He then helped me to my feet when he saw me struggling to get back up and

    sat me down on the couch nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll have the doctor examine you after he¡¯s done with Chris.¡±

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Are you kidding me? Do you want me to have a male doctor examine a

    wound on my vagina? I¡¯d rather kill myself than let that happen!

    ¡°Darius? What are you doing here?¡± Julia was surprised to see Dariuse out of the bedroom. Her

    eyes were wide in shock as she observed our interaction and noticed the wounds on my neck and

    arms. Her face went pale when she saw his clothes being worn inside out, and she took a step back in

    disbelief before pping me across the face.

    ¡°You b*tch! Are you seducing Darius too? I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    The p was so hard that it took me a while to regain myposure and realize what was going on.

    The sight of my wounds and Darius stepping out of the bedroom at five in the morning would indeed

    leave plenty of room for imagination, but she seemed to have forgotten the fact that Christopher was

    home as well.

    ¡°Have you lost your mind, Mom? How could you set your own son up like that? Have you lost all sense

    of logic and reason whenever Monica is involved?¡±

    Julia¡¯s lips were pale, and she pointed at us with trembling fingers as she asked, ¡°Me? Lose my mind?

    What have you two done, you insolent wretch?¡±

    Fortunately, the doctor came over to the door and asked me, ¡°Ms. Tanner, you¡¯ve been with your

    husband the whole night, right?¡±

    It felt a little embarrassing, but I was worried about Christopher and nodded profusely in response.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Doctor, how is my husband? Is he okay? What side effects will the drug have on his body? Is there

    any permanent damage?¡± I asked as I stood up and dragged myself toward the doctor, using the wall

    as support.

    Darius too, ignored Julia and ran up to us. ¡°How¡¯s my brother doing?¡±

    The doctor shot him a nce before replying calmly, ¡°Mr. Lane is incredibly fortunate that Ms. Tanner

    was able to find him and relieve his urges in time. However, that drug contains some ingredients that

    could lead to permanent impotence. It¡¯s often given to women at nightclubs and bars. While the

    damage isn¡¯t as bad when used on men, he would still require a lot of care to make a full recovery. He

    will be fatigued and experience weakness in his muscles for a few days. Remember, he must not have

    sex until his body recoverspletely, or it could also result in impotence.¡±

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    ¡°Is it that serious?¡± I let out a sigh of relief when I heard that it was curable and told the doctor, ¡°Please

    prescribe him some medication, and I¡¯ll make sure he takes them on time.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Mr. Lane¡¯s fever may go on for a while longer, but that¡¯s just a side effect of the medication, so

    it¡¯s nothing to worry about. He¡¯ll wake up once the medicine takes effect.¡± The doctor hooked

    Christopher up to an IV drip and touched his forehead as he continued, ¡°There, see? He¡¯s got a fever

    already. This means the medicine is working well, which is good news. We don¡¯t want it to remain

    dormant inside his system.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s fever was so high that it burnt my hand just touching his forehead, and I began to regret

    only pping Monica once earlier. Da*n it, I should¡¯ve pped her a couple more times for what she

    did to Christopher! She ims to love him with her life, and this is how she shows her love for him?

    Having finally calmed down, Julia turned toward me and asked, ¡°What on earth are you guys talking

    about? Why is Chris sick? What exactly happened to him? What is this drug that you mentioned?¡±

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    I know that look in her eyes. She has connected the dots and is asking me if Monica is the one

    responsible for Christopher¡¯s condition! As expected of a strong and independent businesswoman¡­

    With that in mind, I let out a sigh and nodded in response. Julia was shocked by the revtion and

    froze for a moment before regaining herposure. ¡°How did this happen? Monica wouldn¡¯t do such a

    thing¡­¡± she mumbled under her breath as she reached out to touch Christopher¡¯s forehead.

    Darius smacked her hand away and bellowed furiously, ¡°This is all your fault, Mom! Chris nearly

    became impotent, and for what? So you could repay Monica for her mother¡¯s kindness? Had Yvonne

    not called me for help, I wouldn¡¯t even know about this! Are you trying to get your son killed?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think this would happen! I didn¡¯t know!¡± Julia shook her head as she continued, ¡°Monica

    just wants Chris to give her a chance, and she kept begging me to help her out! I owe Monica her

    mother¡¯s life as well as aplete family, so I couldn¡¯t refuse her request. You should know this,

    Darius!¡±

    ¡°Let me make this clear. Chris isn¡¯t your tool for repaying the kindness of others! If that¡¯s our sole

    purpose for existing, then you shouldn¡¯t have given birth to us in the first ce! You know Mitchell has

    always hated our family, and you know he¡¯s the illegitimate child of the Walker family! God knows how

    much he has helped them sabotage us! I¡¯ve been telling you countless times to be wary of Mitchell, but

    Monica makes a single mention of Alyssa and you forget all about it! You¡¯re not worthy of being a

    mother!¡± Darius yelled at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Darius, I¡­ I really didn¡¯t know¡­ I¡­¡± Julia took a few steps back upon hearing that and looked like she

    was about to copse. I quickly stepped forward and caught her before she fell.

    Julia then turned toward me and grabbed me by the shoulder as she asked, ¡°Did Monica give him the

    drugs?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she did. Chris gave me a call while I was on my way to the hotel, and I heard Monica talking

    about him needing to have sex with a woman within an hour in order to avoid bing permanently

    impotent.¡±

    I know it isn¡¯t a good time to tell her the truth since she sees Monica as her own daughter and would be

    devastated after hearing what she did. However, keeping the truth from her would only give Monica

    more opportunities to set Christopher up in the future! Drugs like those are simply terrifying, and I love

    Christopher too much to worry about what Julia thinks of me. Even if she thinks I¡¯m trying to drive a

    wedge between them, I¡¯ll still tell her the truth!

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    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t believe you! Monica would never do such a thing! You¡¯re just trying to pit us against each

    other, aren¡¯t you?¡± Julia¡¯s eyes went wide, and she shook me violently while shouting in my face, ¡°It

    was you, wasn¡¯t it? You drugged Chris on purpose to divide us all!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! Calm down, Mrs. Lane!¡± My body felt like it would fall apart at any moment, and I nearly fell

    down due to the agonizing pain in my waist.

    Smack! I felt a stinging sensation spread across my cheek.

    Julia calmed down all of a sudden after pping me and simply stood there in silence. Not wanting to

    get hit with another one, I held a hand to my cheek and walked toward the bed.

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    ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still defending the Martin family? Hmph¡­ I¡¯m really disappointed with you, Mom!¡±

    Darius said coldly.

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Julia was consumed by sorrow when she saw the look of disappointment in Darius¡¯ eyes. She

    then turned around and walked out of the door without saying anything.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane! Don¡¯t you want to stay here until Chris wakes up?¡± I called out to her at the door.

    ¡°Look after him for me!¡± Julia said as she turned around and stared deeply at me before leaving.

    It was already afternoon by the time Christopher¡¯s fever subsided. My body was aching all over when I

    woke up next to the bed, and I gave Christopher a light smack through the cover while mumbling to

    myself, ¡°You really have be a monster this time¡­¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m a monster, then you¡¯re the one who made me one.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice came from beneath the

    cover.

    Still in a daze from waking up, I didn¡¯t realize what was going on and replied angrily, ¡°How can you

    me it on women when you guys are the ones fooling around out there? That¡¯s just shameless and

    irresponsible! Hmph!¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ It¡¯s not easy being so excellent, you know? It¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m always the most handsome guy

    around!¡± It wasn¡¯t until he reached his hand out of the cover and pinched me on the cheek that I

    realized he was awake.

    I then quickly touched his forehead to check his temperature and saw that it had returned to normal.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I feel weak all over, but I¡¯m otherwise all right. Man, I didn¡¯t think having excessive sex would feel this

    terrible!¡± Christopher struggled just to sit upright in bed and leaned against the headboard. He then

    winked at me as he continued, ¡°Honey, you nearly milked me dry this time! What are you, a subus

    that drains the life force of men?¡±

    Amused by his words, I lunged forward to give him a light pinch on the neck and said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s

    right! I¡¯m a subus, and I¡¯m here to punish men like you who love flirting around! You¡¯d better not let

    me catch you in bed with another woman again or I¡¯ll have you bedridden for three days!¡±

    Christopher snickered in response and caressed my face. ¡°That¡¯s odd, I feel like I¡¯m kind of looking

    forward to it!¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not funny! I¡¯ll probably die of a heart attack if this sort of thing happens again!¡± I gave him a

    smack on the head before fetching him a bowl of oatmeal from the kitchen.

    Christopher was clearly capable of eating it by himself, but he insisted on having me feed him instead.

    Shouldn¡¯t he be the one taking care of me after banging the hell out of mest night? With that in mind,

    Iy down beside him and demanded that he give me a massage in return. Because he was still very

    weak, the strength he applied to my body felt just right.

    Suddenly, there was the sound of knocking from outside the door. Thinking it was Darius, I got out of

    bed and opened the door. ¡°Darius, you came right on time! Chris has woken up¡­¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, I would like to see Chris!¡± Monica cut me off, staring at me with tear-filled eyes.

    I was so shocked by her sudden appearance that I froze on the spot.

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    ¡°Who is it?¡± Christopher called out from inside the house.

    I simply stood by the door and nced at Monica without saying a word. The look on her face turned

    nasty when she noticed the wounds on my neck and corbone. ¡°I said, I would like to see Chris!

    Please get out of my way!¡± she said arrogantly with her head held high.

    I hesitated at first but eventually stepped aside when I recalled Julia¡¯s words and how Christopher saw

    her as a sister.

    Christopher was sprawled out in bed with only a tiny bit of the nket around his waist. Noticing that, I

    quickly ran up to him and covered his body up fully. He¡¯s my man! Only I am allowed to see his body!

    ¡°How are you feeling, Chris?¡± Monica pushed me aside and stood in front of him.

    Christopher frowned in displeasure and held his hand out to me. Realizing his intentions, I took his

    hand in mine and sat down beside him.

    Monica swallowed hard in response, and I could tell she was trying her best to ignore my presence.

    She kept her gaze fixed on Christopher and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happenedst

    night, Chris. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight, and I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Will you please stop being mad

    at me?¡±

    ¡°Apology epted. I need to get some rest, so you can leave now if that¡¯s all you¡¯re here to talk about,¡±

    Christopher replied coldly.

    ¡°Chris, do you really hate me that much?¡± Monica¡¯s lips were trembling, and her reddened eyes looked

    like they were going to tear up again.

    Christopher simply chuckled and stared at her in disdain without saying anything.

    Unable to stand his gaze, Monica looked away as she continued, ¡°What happenedst night was Dad¡¯s

    idea.¡±

    ¡°What difference does it make?¡± Christopher responded with a sneer.

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    Monica turned around and shot me a nce before asking, ¡°Chris, can I have a word with you in

    private?¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms and held me tightly as he replied, ¡°Nope! I wouldn¡¯t want my wife to

    get jealous now! Besides, you¡¯ve got a bad record!¡±

    ¡°Why must you put me in such a difficult spot, Chris?¡± Monica¡¯s eyelids fluttered as tears began flowing

    down her cheeks. Unlike Crystal¡¯s pretentious and coquettish acts, she actually looked beautiful when

    she cried.

    I like how Christopher is being so protective toward me and all, but I should probably give them some

    space to talk things out. Hopefully, they¡¯ll be able to settle things once and for all.

    With that in mind, I pushed Christopher off me and stood up as I said, ¡°We¡¯re running out of groceries,

    so I¡¯ll make a quick trip to the supermarket.¡±

    Christopher grabbed me by the wrist in disapproval and refused to let me leave, so I leaned in closer

    and whispered into his ear, ¡°I¡¯ll give you thirty minutes to tell Monica that we¡¯re married and that we

    n on staying married. Get this all sorted out in one go, and I¡¯ll reward you with a hug when I get

    back, okay?¡±

    Christopher¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he heard about the reward and gave in immediately.

    Of course, the grocery shopping was just an excuse I came up with on the fly. I had just bought a lot of

    stuff the day before, so the refrigerator was still loaded at the moment. I ended up wandering around

    the mall aimlessly without buying anything and even had a hooligan approach me asking how much it

    would cost for a night.

    I rolled my eyes at him and waited till the thirty minutes were up before heading back. I had just arrived

    outside the apartment when I saw Monica running out crying. She was going so fast that I almost

    bumped into her if I didn¡¯t move out of the way quickly enough.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get ahead of yourself now, Yvonne! I won¡¯t lose to someone like you!¡± Monica yelled at me.

    ¡°Well¡­ I may not be as pretty as you are, nor do Ie from a wealthy family, but I would never do

    anything to hurt Christopher. How about that?¡± I said while picking up the groceries that I had dropped.

    ¡°That was just an ident, da*n it! Why won¡¯t you guys just ept it for what it is and move on

    already? Hell, even Julia scolded me because of it! Yeah, I gave him some drugs. Big f*cking deal!

    Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t enjoy it!¡± Monica shouted like a maniac.

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    Hearing that made me really mad, and I pped her across the face with so much force that it left her

    stunned for quite a while.

    After taking a moment to regain herposure, Monica charged at me while screaming angrily, ¡°You

    b*tch! How dare you hit me? Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won just because you seduced Chris! I won¡¯t lose to a

    wh*re like you!¡±

    ¡°You wait right here!¡± I forced Monica to the ground and ran back home to retrieve the doctor¡¯s medical

    report fromst night. I then shoved them into her hands and said coldly, ¡°Here, read this! Take a good,

    long look at the medical report for his diagnosis and see for yourself how serious it really is! This is the

    real world, Monica! We¡¯re not in some f*cking book or a movie where the drug just magically wears off

    the next day, and the person would bepletely fine afterward! Seriously, how na?ve can you be? Do

    you even realize what it means for a man to be permanently impotent?¡±

    Monica froze when she read through the report, only to rip it to shreds momentster. ¡°That¡¯s

    impossible! Dad would never lie to me! He said Chris would be fine!¡±

    I ignored her and made my way back to my unit upstairs. ¡°She hit you? This b*tch¡­¡± I muttered

    through clenched teeth when I saw Christopher¡¯s slightly reddened and swollen cheek.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a p. Besides, you told me to make it clear to her and resolve everything in one

    go, didn¡¯t you?¡± he said with a chuckle while giving my hand a little squeeze.

    ¡°What did you say to make her hit you?¡± I asked curiously.

    Christopher pointed at the table in front of him. ¡°Feed me an apple and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    My goodness, this guy has gotten too used to being spoiled! He¡¯s acting like a freaking child, but I just

    enjoy spoiling him like one.

    All Christopher had to do was open his mouth while I fed him the apple and some water. After finishing

    his drink, Christopher finally revealed the answer. ¡°I told her that I wouldn¡¯t have married her even if you

    didn¡¯t exist and that she shouldn¡¯t waste any more of her time on me. I also told her that we should

    maintain our distance as friends from now on because I don¡¯t want you to get jealous.¡±

    That was a little overboard, and I couldn¡¯t help but worry about what would happen next. It would¡¯ve

    been fine if it were some other woman, but Monica is from the Martin family which the Lane family is

    deeply indebted! Julia clearly wants Monica to be her daughter-inw, so it¡¯s possible that she would

    soften up if Monica begs her for forgiveness.

    Christopher had been physically weak for a couple of days like the doctor said and had spent most of

    his time lying in bed. I got a little nervous when Gordon dropped by for a visit at some point, but he

    didn¡¯t say much and left shortly after asking me to take good care of Christopher.

    It wasn¡¯t long before I stopped worrying about Monica and Mitchell as the people in charge of the art

    exhibition kept calling me and inviting me to attend the party.

    After giving it some thought, I decided to ept the invitation and attended the party in an evening

    gown that Christopher had prepared for me. Although it was just a party for an art exhibition, the venue

    was so well decorated that it looked as grand as a g event, with a red carpet at the entrance.

    ¡°What, are you so nervous that you¡¯re chickening out?¡± Christopher teased me when he saw me still

    sitting inside the car.

    ¡°Says who?¡± I rolled my eyes at him in response. Despite what I said, I was actually ufortable

    attending social events like these. With so many cameras around, a single mistake could easily lead to

    a lifetime of embarrassment and humiliation.

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    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Christopher then got out of the car, opened the door for me, and held out his hand.

    ¡°I thought you said you had an important meeting?¡± I asked as I was surprised.

    ¡°This event means a lot to you, so I¡¯m definitely attending it with you. Besides, no meeting is more

    important than you,¡± Christopher said while waving his hand.

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    Hearing that put a smile on my face, and I quickly took his hand before he changed his mind. We

    instantly became the center of attention the moment we set foot on the red carpet.

    Of course, Christopher was the one they were all interested in as they held up their cameras and

    bombarded him with questions. ¡°Mr. Lane, what is your rtionship with this woman next to you?¡±

    ¡°Are you investing and participating in the art exhibition, Mr. Lane? Why isn¡¯t Ms. Martin attending this

    event with you? You said you were already married when she proposed to you on stage during the

    piano recital. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°There have been tons of stories on the inte about your rtionship with Ms. Martin! They say you

    rejected her proposal by iming to be married because you wanted to propose to her instead! Would

    you mindmenting on that, Mr. Lane?¡±

    Being surrounded by journalists wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant experience, and it didn¡¯t help that they were

    all asking about Monica instead of me. Don¡¯t just ignore my existence, da*n it!

    ¡°I¡¯m here to attend the art exhibition press conference with this beautifuldy right here, so could you

    please keep your questions rted to the art exhibition? I believe I have stated multiple times in public

    that Monica is just a sister to me. There is nothing else going on between us, so please stop bringing it

    up.¡±

    Christopher held me carefully in his arms the whole time, keeping me out of reach from the journalists

    as we continued walking. As the journalists didn¡¯t dare get in his way, they could only follow him from

    behind.

    Eventually, a journalist decided to ask about me, ¡°Mr. Lane, is thisdy next to you a participant in the

    art exhibition as well? Which one of the paintings is her work of art? And how is she rted to you?¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms and gave me a kiss on the forehead before saying with a devilish

    grin, ¡°She¡¯s my wife, of course. Only my wife is worthy of being held in my embrace. As I said, I¡¯m

    already married. Please be mindful of that when you ask me any further questions because I will hit

    anyone who brings up Monica being my fianc¨¦e again. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to make me mad.¡±

    The journalists werepletely shocked by Christopher¡¯s words. After all, he was attending a public

    event with his wife just two days after announcing his marital status.

    Everyone was snapping away at us, and I found myself barely able to open my eyes from all the

    camera shes. Fortunately, we had already arrived at the end of the red carpet, and Christopher

    quickly led me into the building.

    Having finally escaped the journalists, I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

    ¡°Man, these journalists are really scary! Now I see why celebrities always have a group of staff

    escorting them wherever they go¡­ It¡¯s horrible being the center of attention. I felt like I was going to be

    smothered to death!¡±

    Christopher snorted defiantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, anyone who dares to bully you will have hell to pay!¡±

    While ncing about, my gaze fell upon a handsome young man in the crowd. He had on a white suit

    which gave off a gentle vibe, and his charming smile was something out of this world.

    ¡°Hey, Christopher! That¡¯s Spencer Lynch!¡± I gave him a gentle nudge while trembling all over in

    excitement.

    ¡°Spencer who?¡± Christopher got jealous when he noticed me staring at another man and spun my head

    back toward him. ¡°No ogling other men. You are to keep your eyes on me, got it?¡±

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    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! Spencer Lynch is the greatest and most handsome artist in the world! Unlike

    Crystal, this man is the real deal and has represented the youth of our country in the Eastsummer art

    exhibition! He¡¯s my idol, okay?¡±

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    Feeling overjoyed to see my idol, I brushed Christopher¡¯s arm off and squeezed my way through the

    crowd as I made my way toward Spencer.

    Due to his insane poprity, I couldn¡¯t get anywhere near him no matter how hard I tried. Eventually, I

    helplessly returned to Christopher¡¯s side and tugged on his sleeve as I begged, ¡°Will you please help

    me out here, Chris? I really want to get Spencer¡¯s autograph¡­¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Christopher refused to budge an inch.

    ¡°Come on, please¡­ I really want an autograph¡­ It¡¯s my dream to be a great artist like Spencer!¡± I

    even tried winking at him, but it didn¡¯t work at all.

    ¡°Pfft¡­ That man is nowhere near my level of handsomeness! He may look like a gentleman, but he¡¯s

    got a ridiculously feminine smile! You¡¯re better off staring at me instead!¡± Christopher was truly capable

    of being incredibly insulting when throwing a tantrum.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the most handsome one of all!¡± I then nced around and made sure no one was

    watching us before giving Christopher a quick peck on the cheek. ¡°There, will this do?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Christopher raised his chin defiantly, but eventually gave in to my pleas and helped me get

    close to Spencer.

    ¡°Mr. Lynch, can I have your autograph?¡± I pulled out a diary from my handbag and held it in front of

    Spencer.

    Right as he was about to sign it like he did with everyone else, he paused when he looked at my face

    and saw Christopher standing next to me. ¡°Chris? What are you doing here? Did youe here to see

    me?¡±

    ¡°My wife wants your autograph, so just hurry up and sign!¡± Christopher said impatiently.

    ¡°Thisdy here is your wife?¡± Spencer stared at me in shock upon hearing that. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was

    imagining things, but I felt like there was a look of displeasure and disgust in his eyes. That¡¯s weird¡­ I

    haven¡¯t done anything to piss him off, have I?

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Now, will you please hurry up and sign this? I¡¯m a busy man, so stop wasting any

    more of my time!¡± Christopher urged him again.

    Spencer let out a helpless chuckle and said, ¡°Chris, what happened back then was a

    misunderstanding. You¡¯re not still holding a grudge against me, are you?¡±

    That was when I realized the two of them were acquainted and whispered into Christopher¡¯s ear, ¡°Do

    you know him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a friend that I¡¯m not really close with,¡± Christopher replied.

    When Spencer returned the diary to me, I noticed he hadn¡¯t signed it at all. In fact, he even crossed out

    the partial signature he made before pausing earlier. Wait¡­ I thought Spencer was supposed to be a

    polite gentleman? Why would he do something so rude?

    ¡°We grew up together, and you say I¡¯m just a friend you¡¯re not really close with? How hurtful!¡± Spencer

    let out another helpless chuckle before shifting his gaze back toward me as he continued, ¡°I¡¯d be more

    cautious about marriage if I were you. It is something thatsts a lifetime, after all.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with my personal affairs. Wouldn¡¯t want you toe telling me

    later on that you fell in love with my woman or anything!¡± Christopher responded sarcastically with a

    sneer.

    I felt like I had screwed up big time when I realized they were not only acquainted, but also on bad

    terms with each other. Christopher hated Spencer, and Spencer didn¡¯t like me either.

    Of course, I knew better than to ask about their rtionship in a public area with so many people

    around. The paintings disyed on the wall were all masterpieces that had been selected for the

    exhibition.

    I was happily admiring a painting when I noticed Spencer approach mine and whisper something to the

    staff nearby. The staff then took my painting down and moved it somewhere inconspicuous.

    What the hell is the meaning of this? Is he deliberately trying to start trouble with me?

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The next thing I knew, a familiar figure entered my field of vision. Crystal walked up to Spencer and

    chatted with him like they were very close friends.

    Oh, I get it now! Crystal has brainwashed my idol! That exins why he was so rude to me earlier!

    Oh¡­ What a disappointment¡­

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399

    The man who came to the party with Lyle tonight wasn¡¯t Lyle but Benson, the most likely heir of the

    Miller family.

    Before attending the party, I nned to chat with my childhood idols. However, I lost interest once I

    realized that the ce was too noisy.

    After answering a call, Christopher said he had to leave to deal with something urgent. Hence, I sat in a

    corner and had a cup of tea while waiting for Christopher to pick me up.

    Not long after I sat down, a man who wore sunsses and held a walking stick pointed at my chair and

    said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve taken my seat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought it was empty.¡± I immediately stood up and gave the seat to him. Even though there

    were chairs everywhere, I didn¡¯t want to argue with a blind man.

    While the man constantly hit the floor with his walking stick, I remembered the terrible days when I lost

    my vision, as though the whole world was devoid of colors.

    I held his hand and said, ¡°Let me help you. The party is too noisy and might affect our hearing. Back

    then, I always wished that someone could give me a hand to avoid any embarrassment.¡±

    ¡°Back then? Did you experience vision loss before?¡± The man initially wanted to decline my help but

    eventually calmed down after listening to me.

    ¡°Yes, there was a time when my world was devoid of any color. Please sit down,¡± I replied smilingly.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The man answered in a gentle, calm, and pleasant voice.

    Unexpectedly, the moment we came up to the chair, Crystal appeared out of nowhere and sat on it.

    Then, she greeted me with a forced smile, ¡°Yvonne, what a surprise to see you here.¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°This man wants to sit on this chair. Can you please choose the next chair if you

    want to?¡±

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°What a joke! Since there are so many chairs around here, I can sit whenever I want. Why must I

    move? Don¡¯t you think you are too much?¡±

    Crystal crossed her legs and put on a wry smile. Then, she pointed at the man beside me and said,

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re indeed a ygirl. I mean, you seduced another man right after Christopher left. What a

    pity that he is handsome but blind. I wonder if this kind of man is your favorite? Also, do you feel

    ufortable once there is no man beside you?¡±

    My expression turned grim upon hearing that. Deep down, I believed Crystal hadn¡¯t learned from the

    past lessons. Last time, she instructed someone to mess up the wedding of Sabrina and Zachary but

    failed because of me. Afterward, both the Scotts and the Zimmers gave the Tanners a warning. Also,

    she wasn¡¯t aware that Benjamin had been abandoned by the Millers.

    I helped the man sit on another chair and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my trouble has affected you.

    Please excuse me, for I¡¯ll leave right away.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, why are you leaving so soon? Are you afraid that someone will find out you¡¯re dating another

    man? Well, you can¡¯t leave because I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how Christopher reacts when he

    sees you hooking up with another man.¡± As Crystal was speaking, she suddenly came closer and

    pushed me.

    As I was caught off-guard, I staggered and was about to fall on the man. Since I didn¡¯t want to hurt him,

    I tried my best to avoid him and close my eyes before falling t on my face.

    Deep down, I couldn¡¯t help but think Crystal was a curse to me, for I would be in bad luck whenever

    she was present.

    Suddenly, someone grabbed my waist swiftly and saved me from ruining my face.

    ¡°Watch out,¡± the man whispered in my ears.

    I nervously steadied myself and touched my face at once. After calming myself down, I felt lucky that I

    wasn¡¯t disfigured.

    Click! A reporter took a picture of us and left swiftly. At that moment, I realized that our postures were

    awkward.

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m only here to try my luck. Didn¡¯t you say that you have a good painting? Why don¡¯t we take

    a look?¡±

    ¡°Please, Mr. Stewart.¡±

    Meanwhile, I was disappointed to find out that Mr. Stewart, the most prominent painter in Hawen, only

    listened to one-sided stories. Besides, I thought Crystal was fully prepared and set up traps to defeat

    me.

    In the past, I would have already left without saying much. However, given that I hadn¡¯t cleared my

    name, I was reluctant to admit defeat. Overwhelmed with dissatisfaction and anger, I wanted to yell at

    them.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Suddenly, someone else yelled and stopped them from leaving.

    I turned around and realized that it was the man wearing sunsses and sitting quietly. He stood up

    and said calmly, ¡°Mr. Stewart, it¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m floundered by the way you wee me.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Julian gazed at him bewilderedly.

    The quick-witted Crystal immediately said, ¡°Sir, I understand that you have a special rtionship with

    Yvonne. However, this art exhibition is meant for the participants and some prominent painters in the

    country. So, I believe it¡¯s inappropriate for you to talk about the old times with Yvonne here.¡±

    Slowly, the man took down his sunsses, scanned Crystal coldly, and sneered, ¡°So, are you the new

    school artist, Crystal Yates? Well, I had the wrong impression that you are a stand-upedian.¡±

    ¡°You-¡± Crystal blushed all of a sudden.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at cooking up stories and twisting facts. Is this how the new school artist is supposed to

    behave?¡± the man continued sarcastically.

    ¡°Remington?¡± Julian pointed at him in surprise.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Remington Fowler, the only painter qualified to participate in Fleynia¡¯s art exhibition! He¡¯s

    now my idol!¡± After someone shouted, the crowd was exhrated and came closer.

    Meanwhile, I looked at Remington in disbelief. As a painter, I was well aware of the famous young

    painters in the country. If Spencer were my idol, Remington was a legend to me. I didn¡¯t even have the

    chance to even take a nce at his paintings, not to mention seeing him in person.

    As such, I found it hard to believe that such a prominent figure would be here.

    The moment Remington appeared, everyone forgot me instantly and surrounded him instead. Spencer

    gazed at me for a second and asked, ¡°Remington, is there any misunderstanding? How could you be

    so rude to Crystal?¡±

    ¡°I know very well if there is a misunderstanding. Anyway, I think you should wear sses, for your

    eyesight seems to have deteriorated recently,¡± Remington sneered. Since the security guards were still

    beside me, he continued, ¡°Since she attends the art exhibition upon invitation, do you still have any

    objection? If she isn¡¯t weed, should those who have invitation cards leave as well?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The person in charge immediately apologized to Remington.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°Did I break the rules for talking to her? Should I be driven away? Also, are you suggesting that we

    shouldn¡¯t talk to one another? After all, it will automatically mean that we are having an affair.¡± The

    person in charge dared not respond to Remington¡¯s series of questions but only apologized non-stop.

    ¡°Remington, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Why must you be so aggressive?¡± Spencer said in

    dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Well, we all know who is aggressive. After all, I witnessed everything when I sat over there. Ms. Yates,

    don¡¯t you think you should apologize to us?¡± Remington mmed the table and questioned her sternly.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Crystal never thought that her evil schemes against me would backfire. At that moment, she

    was startled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She gazed at Remington imploringly with her pitiful eyes

    as though she was wronged.

    ¡°Remington, forgiveness is a virtue. Let me apologize to you on Crystal¡¯s behalf. Please do her a favor

    and forgive her for once!¡± Spencer pulled Crystal to his back to protect her and confronted Remington.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401

    Sensing an awkwardness in the atmosphere, I was just about to persuade Remington, when we were

    interrupted by Crystal¡¯s dreary voice.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°Spencer, please do not be upset with Remington over me. It was my fault. I was worried about Yvonne

    and so I said something offensive. I¡¯m sorry, Remington.

    Harumph! Julian snorted and left in a huff, perhaps offended by Remington.

    I was fortunate enough to be treated as a distinguished guest because of Christopher and was seated

    at the main table with Remington. Unfortunately, Crystal was also at the main table which irritated me.

    There was a live exhibition as one of the artists sketched the scene of the mingling guests with just a

    few strokes of the pencil. I quietly stole a nce at Remington and then red at him rather angrily.

    With a tone of displeasure, I said, ¡°You can see quite normally, so why you pretended to be blind?¡±

    ¡°Not long ago, I had an eye infection. The doctor told me to avoid sunlight by wearing sunsses. I did

    not deceive you on purpose.¡± Remington smiled at me apologetically.

    He was so quick to apologize that it made me seem rather petty. Immediately, I felt embarrassed. In a

    low voice, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I have misjudged you. It was my fault that you got a tongueshing

    from Crystal. Thanks to your kindness, I did not have to make a quiet exit.¡±

    ¡°That was nothing. Please don¡¯t mention it.¡± Remington replied calmly.

    ¡°It is possible that this molehill would turn into a mountain.¡± I had to warn Remington. ¡°Just now, we

    were photographed by reporters. It is possible that the write-up in the papers would make it into

    something serious. I have a bad reputation, so you have to be mentally prepared.¡±

    ¡°That bad?¡± Remington asked curiously. ¡°Do you have a bad name?¡±

    ¡°Well, not that bad, but quite terrible!¡± Nobody has ever written nice things about me. Even my family

    members say that. ¡°If the reporters ask you forments. Just put all the me on me. Haha.¡±

    ¡°I can only tell the truth. As a man, I cannot put all the me on ady to avoid getting into trouble.

    That would be unbing of a man.¡±

    It was because of these words of his that Remington earned my utmost respect. He was truly a man of

    high morals and great talent, also someone beautiful, inside and out.

    ¡°Mr. Fowler, it¡¯s your turn to exhibit your skill. Pleasee with me!¡± A staff member of the organizers

    came close to Remington and whispered to him.

    ¡°Who will be doing the show with me?¡± Remington asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Yates!¡± The staff member replied rather awkwardly.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Remington smiled as he nced at Crystal who was ready and on standby near the

    easel. ¡°Ms. Yates¡¯ skills are beyond mine. Can I invite someone else toplete the Four Seasons

    Collection with me?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Lost in thought, I had a ss of water in my hand. Christopher had gone out for a long time and had

    not returned, so I was wondering what he was up to. Suddenly, Remington walked up to me and invited

    me to paint with him. I was initially taken aback and then, excited. ¡°Can I? I might do badly and affect

    your painting.¡±

    ¡°I trust my judgment.¡± Remington led me right up to the easel and pointed at the canvas. ¡°I¡¯ve seen

    your paintings and I know you are imaginative. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the Four Seasons Collection

    before. All you have to do is paint on the left side and leave the right side to me.¡±

    I felt really lucky. Vigorously, I nodded my head. ¡°Mr. Fowler, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make you proud.¡± Crystal

    stood glued to the spot with the paintbrush in her hand. She looked awkward and must have felt awful.

    This was probably what I meant when I quoted that ¡°people who set traps for others get caught

    themselves¡±.

    I held the brush, feeling excited as I stood next to Remington, thinking about how I should start after he

    had painted his first stroke. Suddenly, my mobile phone started to ring. I picked up the phone and saw

    that it was Sabrina calling me.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sabby?¡±

    ¡°Eve, something terrible has happened. Monica killed herself at home just now. She caused such a stir.

    You hurry over, or else, I fear my idol will be moved by her persistence.¡±

    What? Monicamitted suicide? My mind went nk and I asked anxiously, ¡°Is she safe now?¡±

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402

    In the end, I hurriedly left the banquet hall without doing any painting with Remington, the legendary

    figure I admired so much. I did not even have the time to exin to him the reason I left.

    If Monica died, this suicide woulde between the love Christopher and I shared and our love would

    be blemished. Even if we ceased to care about it, it would remain as a wound and a thorn in our hearts

    which could not be removed.

    When Christopher came to fetch me, he saw how lost I looked so he patted me gently on the shoulder

    and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s going to be fine.¡±

    ¡°Is she all right?¡± I asked anxiously.

    ¡°Doctors are doing their best to save her!¡± The expression on Christopher¡¯s face was rare. There was

    no devil-may-care attitude and his elegant lips were pursed tight. He was in low spirits and my heart

    sank, too.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    There was a crowd of reporters at the hospital entrance. Seeing our car approaching, they surrounded

    it, wanting to get some first-hand news. Fortunately, the Lane family¡¯s bodyguards came on time and

    kept them at bay; otherwise, we would not be able to get into the hospital.

    Outside the emergency room, Julia and the others moved about listlessly looking anxious and worried.

    When Mitchell saw me arriving with Christopher, he shouted angrily, ¡°Christopher, why did you bring

    this woman? Don¡¯t you think she has already caused enough misery for Monica?¡±

    ¡°Mitchell, you¡¯re thinking too far ahead. Since Monica tried to take her own life because of me and Eve,

    we shoulde and check on her,¡± Speaking harshly, Christopher hid me behind his back.

    ¡°You¡­ Christopher, very well! I have underestimated you. You and Monica grew up together. She

    would do anything for you. Do you have no guilty conscience at all?¡± Mitchell was distressed. He

    looked at me as if he could swallow me alive.

    ¡°I said it very clearly before. She is like a younger sister to me. Mitchell, you should know that only too

    well.¡± Christopher said in a calm voice.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± These words drove Mitchell crazy.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop bickering. Monica is still in danger. Can you keep quiet for now?¡± Julia turned

    toward us, raising her voice. The way she looked at me wasplicated. There was a lot of me and

    anger in her gaze.

    I felt that she was holding me responsible. After all, if not for meing into their lives, Christopher

    might have married Monica and nothing of this sort would happen.

    Still, how would so many reporters know about Monica taking her own life?

    Quietly, I went close to Sabrina and asked in a whisper, ¡°What actually happened?¡±

    Sabrina nced around before talking to me in a whisper. ¡°Monica was on the top floor of the hospital

    just now when she cut her wrist. Someone happened to video record that scene which she kept yelling

    that she wanted to be together with Christopher in her next life. It was literally a live telecast and

    everyone in Avenport knows that Monicamitted suicide because of you.¡±

    It was like a live broadcast! I felt a bad premonition. Why is this suicide incident so well-publicized just

    like Monica¡¯s confession? She is a public figure and so everything about the three of us will be the

    subject of gossip and discussion.

    Due to my previous bad reputation, I would be used of causing her death if Monica died. Moreover,

    I would bebelled as the third party who destroyed a happy couple¡¯s rtionship for the rest of my life.

    I was fearful and angry. If Monica really died, my rtionship with Christopher would be over. Julia

    would never agree to us being together.

    This move by Monica was really well calcted. She was willing to use her death as the price to drive

    Christopher and me apart.

    ¡°No, Monica mustn¡¯t die, she has to live.¡± I gritted my teeth and swore under my breath.

    No one knew how much pressure public opinion could have on one. In fact, it could even cause

    someone to end his or her life. Monica¡¯s mother died for Julia. If Monicamitted suicide and died

    because Christopher married me, we could no longer live in peace in the face of public opinion.

    For the first time, I realized that Monica was a more horrifying character than Crystal.

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403

    Crystal always found ways to get the men around her to do her bidding, maximizing her charm, and

    demeaning me at the same time. However, I could defend myself so she often failed.

    On the contrary, I waspletely defenseless against Monica. She used the simplest method to cast a

    shadow on the rtionship between Christopher and me so that we could not live together peacefully.

    ¡°Fortunately, she was discovered in time. The doctor rushed to the rescue as soon as possible, but the

    danger isn¡¯t over yet. Eve, please be alert. This is not that simple. There are reporters outside. I am

    afraid that the news tomorrow will be bad. It will be even uglier, so you have to be prepared,¡± said

    Sabrina as patted my shoulder.

    ¡°I understand!¡± Just now, I already had a premonition when I got the news. Tomorrow, I will be the most

    talked about woman in Avenport.

    The lights in the emergency room kept shing oddly and unexpectedly, making the patient¡¯s kin and

    friends even edgier. I could not help but pace in the corridor, trying to calm myself down.

    ¡°She won¡¯t live,¡± Christopher held me in his arms, speaking firmly and reassuringly.

    I felt confused. Could Monica do something so extreme for Christopher, even to the extent of giving up

    her life? Everyone knows for a fact that life is so precious and so fragile.

    Right at this moment, I saw Shelleying over with a newspaper which she hurriedly handed to Julia.

    When Julia read the news, she raised her eyebrows and suddenly came over to me, giving me a p

    right across my face. ¡°You shameless slut! You have killed Monica and you dare behave in such a

    sleazy way in public!¡±

    ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± Christopher swept me into his arms protectively and questioned his

    mother seriously.

    ¡°Are you asking me why? Take a look for yourself. Don¡¯t you know that this woman whom you treat like

    the apple of your eye has betrayed you behind your back?¡±

    Julia threw the paper in front of me. Mid-air, the picture on the paper could be seen to be the one taken

    at the banquet when I was with Remington after Crystal pushed me and he caught me just in time

    before I fell. From the angle at which the photo was taken, we seemed to be kissing.

    The attention-grabbing title of the article was ¡°Mr. Lane¡¯s Secret Wife Is Seen Kissing A Mysterious

    Man In Public. What Is Their Rtionship?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    I had never expected the picture taken only just now by the reporter could be published in such a short

    time and so quickly seen by Julia. In fear and confusion, I looked at Christopher to tell him I had been

    wrongly used. ¡°I did not do it.¡±

    I did not mind anyone¡¯s distrust or suspicion. However, I totally care about Christopher having any

    misgivings or mistrust over me.

    ¡°You cannot deny this. They have pictures to prove it. Don¡¯t tell us you¡¯ve only met this man for the first

    time.¡± Monica¡¯s suicide and this photo weighed heavily on Julia¡¯s mind and she lost it. She raised her

    hand again to hit me.

    I did not avoid her; instead, I looked at Christopher, still trying to exin, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. It was a

    misunderstanding. Chris, please believe me.¡±

    ¡°Mom, calm down!¡± Julia¡¯s p was stopped by Christopher who caught her wrist. ¡°I believe Eve is

    telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°Even now, you still believe her. She is a divorcee. If there is nothing wrong with her, why would the son

    of the Smith family divorce her? Chris, she must have cast a spell over you.¡± Julia¡¯s eyes narrowed and

    her words became harsher. ¡°You even obtained the marriage certificate without consulting us. If

    anything happens to Monica, I¡¯ll hold this woman responsible.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Christopher was furious as he said slowly and clearly, ¡°Will you be happy only if I marry

    Monica? Are my wishes and my thoughts not important? Am I your son or is Monica your daughter?¡±

    ¡°Chris, I¡¯m your mother! How can you speak to me in this manner?¡± Julia pointed a finger at

    Christopher, howling in fury.

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404

    Anger flickered in Christopher¡¯s eyes. He held me tightly in his arms and gritted his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t love

    Monica. I¡¯ve said this five years ago but none of you took it seriously. Do you want me to marry a

    woman I don¡¯t love ording to your orders, just like what Darius did? Are you happy to see me living

    like a zombie every day? Are you satisfied with meing back once a year? Is that what you want?¡±

    Suddenly, a hush fell over us as Christopher said that. There was a dead silence, and only Julia¡¯s

    panting sound could be heard. Fury kept rising in Christopher¡¯s eyes. After a while, Julia suddenly

    reached out her hand and pointed at me. ¡°What¡¯s so good about this woman? Are you willing to give up

    on your mom for this woman?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s willing to die for me. She would rather die than hurt me. Because she loves me with all

    her heart. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Christopher answered calmly. He even asked if the reason was enough

    after his sentences.

    I felt like crying. After all, he still came into conflict with his mother because of me. The two of them had

    almost fallen out. Monica had indeede up with such a brilliant n. She didn¡¯t even have to put

    much thought into it. Julia would go all out and seek justice for her. She could even turn a blind eye and

    pretend that nothing happened earlier.

    ¡°Monica can do whatever you¡¯ve just said. Why can¡¯t you just ept Monica? She can¡¯t live without

    you. She¡¯ll die.¡± Julia covered her face and started crying.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t live without Eve. I will die.¡± Christopher looked at Julia and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mom, I will

    not threaten you with death like Monica. However, I wish I could have your blessing because you¡¯re my

    mother, and you gave me life. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. But what about Monica? What is Monica going to do?¡± Julia lost control and sobbed

    softly.

    Christopher wanted to say something further. Without a second thought, I pulled his hand. Julia was his

    mother, so she shouldn¡¯t be forcing her into a corner. Christopher¡¯s attitude and Monica¡¯s persistence

    were going to hurt her.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I whispered.

    He stroked my head gently and kissed me on the forehead.

    All of a sudden, the door of the emergency room opened. Doctors and nurses pushed the hospital bed

    and walked out of the operating room. I rushed over almost immediately and grabbed the doctor¡¯s

    cor. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient? Is she out of danger now?¡±

    ¡°Miss, please calm down!¡± The doctor said with a displeased tone as he pried my hand away. ¡°The

    patient is still unconscious due to excessive blood loss. Fortunately, she was sent in just in time. She¡¯s

    out of danger now, and she will need to have a good rest. You are allowed to visit her in the Intensive

    Care Unit, but no more than half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Thank God she¡¯s fine!¡± I heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, I felt weak and exhausted after being too

    anxious for a long time. I rxed and leaned back against the wall, panting heavily.

    ¡°Stop being a hypocrite here!¡± Mitchell growled.

    Julia followed Monica¡¯s hospital bed toward the ward. She shed tears of joy and said, ¡°I¡¯m d that

    she¡¯s alive. As long as she¡¯s fine, everything can be solved. Monica, please don¡¯t do anything silly

    anymore.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Julia. I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. I was such a fool. Please stop crying. I was so sad when

    you told me that I have disappointed you yesterday. You¡¯re like my mother. I¡¯ve already lost Chris, so I

    can¡¯t afford to lose you anymore. If I have lost you too, then what¡¯s the point of living?¡± Monica said

    weakly, lying in the hospital bed.

    ¡°How could I ignore you? I was just upset. Be a good girl. Don¡¯t ever do anything silly again. This is too

    much for me. You can do anything you want. We can figure things out together. There¡¯s always a way

    out.¡± Julia wiped her tears away.

    ¡°Julia, I felt that I¡¯vepletely lost Chris this time. What should I do? I don¡¯t want to lose him.¡±

    Upon hearing that, a strong feeling of hatred filled my heart as I was disgusted to the core. Despite

    what happened to Christopher, Julia still treated Monica like her own daughter. And yet, Monica was

    threatening Julia with her own life. Julia, a sessful businesswoman somehow decided to

    compromise.

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 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405

    Christopher and I were standing outside her ward. Julia¡¯s sob echoed across the room. She really

    doted on Monica. To be honest, I was so envious of how she was getting love from an elder. It seemed

    that I didn¡¯t have that kind of luck. Most elders never really liked me.

    After a while, Julia pushed the door open and walked out of the ward. Then, she said to Christopher,

    ¡°Chris, Monica wants to see you. Go in and talk to her.¡±

    Christopher nced at me. I nodded at him. ¡°Just go. She isn¡¯t emotionally stable now. Only you could

    calm her down.¡±

    Christopher held my hand. He wanted me to go to the ward with him but I quickly stopped him. This

    was the worst time for me to go in. I was thest person Monica wanted to see.

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    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Let¡¯s go home together after this. Okay?¡± I smiled and gave him an

    encouraging look.

    Christopher let out a sigh and patted my head gently. Then, he turned around and walked into the

    ward. A heavy silence fell over the corridor.

    Suddenly, Julia started the conversation, ¡°I¡¯ve been treating Monica like my own daughter. Therefore, I

    don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± I nodded.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t! You won¡¯t understand. If Monica is obsessed with someone or something, she could be

    extremely stubborn and insane.¡± Julia took a deep breath and wiped away the tears at the corner of her

    eyes with a handkerchief. ¡°I hope you can stop meeting Chris for these two days. Think of it as a plea

    to you from a mother. Ms. Tanner, can you promise me?¡±

    At that moment, I really should have said yes. But Christopher was in the ward. We were only

    separated by a door. He could see us clearly through that door. I didn¡¯t want to let him down. I would

    never ever disappoint him for the rest of my life. Therefore, I shook my head and answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.

    I¡¯m afraid I have to let you down.¡±

    ¡°Do you really have to drive Monica to death?¡± Seeing the determined look on my face, Julia¡¯s

    expression turned grim. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯re someone who is understanding. But I¡¯m so

    disappointed with your behavior today. Ms. Tanner, even if you have Chris¡¯ protection, do you think you

    could be part of the Lane family if I don¡¯t agree?¡±

    I gave her a helpless and wry smile as I pointed at Christopher. ¡°Mrs. Lane, the man in the ward is my

    husband. You want me to give up on him and push him to another woman with my own hand. Do you

    know how cruel it is to him?¡±

    ¡°I¡®ve made it clear that I won¡¯t approve this marriage!¡± Julia paused for a few seconds. After that, she

    berated, ¡°Yvonne, I won¡¯t let you hurt Monica again.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, I respect you because you¡¯re Christopher¡¯s mother. However, I won¡¯t admit to what I have

    not done.¡± I stared right into Julia¡¯s cold eyes and enunciated each word slowly. ¡°Life is so precious to

    me. I¡¯ve struggled on the edge of death again and again. I¡¯m grateful for being alive today. I¡¯m so

    thankful to God for giving me an opportunity to be with Christopher.¡±

    I took a nce at Sabrina and smiled. ¡°When I came back from the deserted ind, I was so afraid to

    face you. I once tried to back away from you. Then, my friend told me that nothing scares me if I have

    nothing to fear¡ªnot even death. What is there to be afraid of? It¡¯s just that simple. I¡¯m willing to die for

    Christopher. Hence, why should I back down?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me? Who do you think you are? You¡¯re not Monica. It won¡¯t bother me at all if

    you¡¯re dead.¡± Julia scoffed and looked at me with disdain.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m aware of how precious life is. I would never act foolishly

    and take my own life. It just breaks my heart to see Christopher like that. Since you¡¯re his mother, can

    you please put yourself in his shoes and be a little more considerate? His wish means a lot to me,¡± I

    said as I ced my hands on my chest, with a sincere look that no one had ever seen before.

    ¡°After all, you just want me to fulfill your wishes. Shut up!¡± Julia shouted.

    ¡°No. I will support Chris¡¯ choice unconditionally. I will definitely not give up if he holds onto our love.

    Mrs. Lane, I believe you can understand how I feel especially when you were going against all odds to

    be with Mr. Lane back then.¡±

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406

    In the end, Julia didn¡¯t forcefully kick me out of the hospital with any tricks. However, she forbade me to

    see Christopher in the ward. I had no intention of going in too. Anyway, he couldn¡¯t possibly stay in

    there forever. I would just wait for him outside.

    ¡°Eve, I thought that I could finally attend your wedding. I guess the course of true love never did run

    smooth.¡± Sabrina took me to one side while saying that with a sigh. She seemed to be more troubled

    than I was.

    ¡°Well, as you said. The course of true love never did run smooth.¡± I smiled bitterly. Meanwhile, Zachary

    was at Sabrina¡¯s side all the time as if he was her guardian angel. The moment I got closer to Sabrina,

    he became extremely nervous. I asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s with that look? It¡¯s not like I will get into a

    fight with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. He is just worried about me because he has just be a father recently.¡± Sabrina

    smiled softly, patting gently on her belly.

    I stared at her stomach for a second beforeing to a realization. Immediately, I looked at her in

    surprise. ¡°You have a baby?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Sabrina nodded and whispered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling well after we got back from our honeymoon. So,

    Zach brought me to the hospital for a checkup. It just so happened that Monica was causing a scene at

    the hospital. If it weren¡¯t for her, I would be on a ne to Baykeep by now.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions! It seems like I¡¯m going to be a godmother soon. You have to be more careful now. Try

    not to go to crowded ces.¡± I had never given birth to a child before. But I had heard those matters

    that one should be paying attention to during pregnancy from some of my rtives. Therefore, I

    nagged Sabrina about it.

    As Sabrina listened, her brows drew together. ¡°Oh my god. Eve! Stop it! If you keep on saying, Zach

    will definitely force me to lie in bed every day and do nothing. He has already been so nervous to see

    me standing here right now as if I will be attacked by enemies anytime.¡±

    Indeed, Zachary was all tensed up. He looked like he was on the battlefield and I found him hrious. If

    Christopher wasn¡¯t in Monica¡¯s ward, I would definitely burst outughing.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better go home now. It¡¯s far from being peaceful here. What if some journalistse in

    and jostle each other? It¡¯s so dangerous.¡± I tried to advise Sabrina but she was too worried about me

    that she was reluctant to leave.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. In fact, you should have faith in your idol. He is a reliable person.¡±

    With that, Sabrina left after hearing my words.

    After a while, I felt a little hungry. I then realized that I didn¡¯t eat anything at the art exhibition. My

    stomach was growling now. I guessed Christopher must be hungry too. We only had a light breakfast

    this morning.

    Thus, I walked over to the door. Initially, I wanted to go back and cook something for Christopher.

    However, Mitchell¡¯s bodyguards stopped me before I could knock on the door to ask what he would like

    to eat. Apparently, they would never allow me to enter Monica¡¯s ward.

    I pursed my lips as I was about to speak. But when I heard their conversation from the room. All the

    words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat.

    ¡°Chris, didn¡¯t you say you liked me before? There¡¯s just not that big a difference between liking and

    loving. Then, why can¡¯t we just walk through the rest of our lives together?¡± Monica looked at

    Christopher as she asked slowly.

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference between liking and loving. Monica, you shouldn¡¯t have done that. You

    shouldn¡¯t have pushed me too hard. If you keep forcing me into a corner, you¡¯ll just drive me away. The

    truth is, the distance keeps growing between us,¡± replied Christopher casually as he leaned back on

    the chair.

    ¡°I was just trying to get my lover back in my own way. What¡¯s wrong with that? Chris, you and Spencer

    used to pursue me in the past. That means you have actually fallen for me even if it was just for a

    moment. Why did you choose to give up?¡±

    Monica struggled to raise her arms. It was such a deep cut that hurt her so badly. However, she had no

    regrets. As long as she could make Christopher by her side, she didn¡¯t care if she cut her arms and

    bleeding.

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    ¡°As you have said, it was in the past. Perhaps, I used to like you before. But you rejected me at that

    time and chose to be with Spencer, didn¡¯t you? Do you need my help to refresh your memory?¡±

    Christopher turned his head and looked at the blue sky outside the window. It wasn¡¯t some happy

    memory, so he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to think about it.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407

    ¡°But Chris, we were kids. It doesn¡¯t matter what we did when we were kids, right?¡± Monica tried to

    justify.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t it matter? Spencer ced a bet saying that he could get you within a month. I pursued you

    because I was trying to protect you. However, you knew about Spencer¡¯s fake affection toward you, but

    you epted him to take him away from your cousin. Why do you think I stayed away from you?¡±

    ¡°You hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± Monica smiled painfully.

    ¡°No, I finally saw through you. Under your kind and innocent appearance hides your hypocritical,

    vindictive, and narrow-minded self. I didn¡¯t want to use those words on you, but you should know better

    than me that you are not as innocent as you portray yourself to be.¡±

    Christopher lit a cigarette and took a puff. He put out the cigarette afterward after Monica started to

    cough. ¡°Monica, you¡¯re not an impulsive person. No matter what you did in the past, you¡¯ll still be my

    little sister. You knew that, so why do you have to take thest bit of love I have for you away?¡±

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    ¡°I did it for you! Christopher, why won¡¯t you love me? Can¡¯t you just love me? I even threw away my

    dignity for you.¡± Monica grabbed onto Christopher¡¯s finger and begged.

    ¡°No, you did it for yourself, and I¡¯m very disappointed with you, Monica. I didn¡¯t bother about what you

    did at the piano recital because I wanted to save you some face. However, you went too far this time.

    Do you expect me to marry you over some measly public opinions?¡±

    ¡°What you did only lessens the remorse I have for you, making it easier for me to confront you.

    Monica shut her eyes and sobbed. ¡°Chris, have you ever loved me even for a little bit? Please tell me.¡±

    He struck his lighter to mes, then covered the lid over to extinguish it. Christopher stood up and said

    confidently, ¡°Never once!¡±

    I silently froze as I retracted the hand that was about to knock on the door. Thinking that Christopher

    would being out shortly, I decided to wait beside the door. Those words that he said firmly to

    Monica relieved all the panic I had. I smiled delightedly and left the hospital.

    There¡¯s nothing left for me to do here. As long as Monica is okay and won¡¯t die, I¡¯ll be fine. What I

    should do now is to go home and make dinner for Christopher.

    When I was leaving, I paid particr attention to the front entrance and noticed a lot of journalists. I

    exited through the backdoor and got home safely. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t famous, so no one would know

    me even if I were exposed.

    After preparing dinner, I lounged in the living room, turned on theputer, and read today¡¯s news.

    That was when I realized the influence of Monica¡¯s suicide. The hundreds of millions of hits

    dumbfounded me, and her video topped the trending charts.

    After pondering for a moment, I clicked on the video. She was standing on the rooftop of the hospital,

    looking into the starry sky. The video had a crisp rity because someone happened to film the whole

    thing from a distance.

    I had to respect Monica¡¯s efforts. Her ns were brilliantpared to Crystal¡¯s. With those angles and

    crystal clear rity, it was evident that she coordinated this in advance to show the public that she was

    miserable, a woman having her lover robbed away by a witch. Needless to say, that ¡®witch¡¯ was me.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408

    When Christopher brought me to the hospital, he was calm and indifferent the entire journey. He firmly

    told me that Monica would notmit suicide, and I thought he was simply trying tofort me.

    Indeed, Christopher saw the video as well. With his intelligence, he must have found out about

    Monica¡¯s true intentions through the video. He knew Monica very well. It was just like what he said to

    Monica in the ward, that wasn¡¯t the way to love, but coercion.

    In the video, I could hear Monica¡¯s deste voice. She faced the camera with two drops of tears

    flowing from her eyes and said, ¡°Chris, if I say goodbye to you right here, right now; will you remember

    me as the woman who once loved you dearly?¡±

    ¡°Ever since I found out that you¡¯re with Yvonne, I was in despair. I tried to forget you, but I couldn¡¯t. We

    have known each other since we were kids and we were childhood sweethearts. I thought we would be

    together forever. However, ever since you met Yvonne, you¡¯ve changed. You said she¡¯s the one you

    love, and I¡¯m just your sister. But I treated you as my fianc¨¦ ever since I was eighteen.¡±

    ¡°I know there¡¯s no such thing as firste, first served in love. But we were doing great before she

    appeared. Things will be awkward when there are three of us. I¡¯m sorry, Chris. Goodbye.¡±

    The video stopped at that instant. They probably edited the following scene because it was too bloody.

    I frowned after watching the video. There was too much ambiguity in Monica¡¯s words. Nothing

    happened actually between Christopher and her, but I became the homewrecker responsible for

    destroying their rtionship in her story.

    My head started to hurt when I thought about it. I used to think Crystal was the troublemaker, but now,

    Monica was even more intimidating. The two must be in cahoots. One tried to destroy my career, the

    other tried to ruin my rtionship, but I would never be a coward. I would let Christopher deal with this

    matter.

    I packed the food in a thermal container and smiled heartily at the scrumptious dinner that I had made

    for Christopher. I gave him a call but he was still at the hospital, so I put on a pair of sunsses and

    took a taxi to the hospital.

    I circled to the back of the hospital to avoid the front entrance. When I was about to enter, a little boy

    suddenly passed by and identally tripped me over. I staggered a few steps before falling onto the

    ground. When I stood up, my sunsses had already fallen off my face.

    ¡°Little brat!¡± I muttered as I leaned over to pick up my sunsses.

    All of a sudden, I was surrounded by a bunch of journalists. I didn¡¯t know where they emerged from,

    and the surrounding camera shes blinded me.

    ¡°It¡¯s Yvonne! Yvonne from the Tanner family!¡±

    I tried to slither into the hospital, but the journalists never gave way. One of them even grabbed onto

    my clothes.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ms. Tanner, right? When you ruined the rtionship between the new school artist, Crystal, and

    Mr. Smith from Smith Corporation, you separated them for two years. Now that Mr. Smith and Ms.

    Yates are getting married, why would you ruin the rtionship between Ms. Martin and Mr. Lane?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, everyone calls you ¡°The Homewrecker¡±. As a woman, why are you obsessed with ruining

    the rtionship of others? Are you trying to pursue Mr. Lane?¡±

    ¡°Rumors are saying that you¡¯re pregnant and that you¡¯re using the child to pressure Mr. Lane into

    marrying you. Do you feel guilty about it? Your father already made a statement about your removal

    from the Tanner family six years ago and that everything you do will have nothing to do with them.

    Wasn¡¯t that the time when you ruined Crystal and Mr. Smith¡¯s rtionship?¡±

    I was overwhelmed by the bombardment of questions. I could only the word ¡°The Homewrecker¡±

    reverberating in my head. Also, a journalist hurt me by pressing his microphone against my chin. He

    was aware of it, but he never intended to take it away, so I started to show a hint of ferocity on my face.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°Get out of the way! I need to get in! Please make way!¡±

    ¡°Are you ashamed? Why are you so obsessed with being a homewrecker and ruining other¡¯s

    rtionships?¡±

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409

    The journalists¡¯ incessant questions were getting on my nerves. As the crowd kept jostling about,

    someone hit my hand, and the thermos I was holding fell to the ground, spilling the content inside. The

    scent of caramelized pork ribs wafted across the air. Hey! That¡¯s Christopher¡¯s favorite!

    ¡°Can you give it a rest?¡± I looked up and red at the journalist, but he wiped his hand calmly as if it

    wasn¡¯t his fault Christopher¡¯s lunch was spilled. ¡°Ms. Tanner, everyone saw you kissing with Remington

    back at the art exhibition? Are you dumping Mr. Lane for him? As far as I know, Remington is engaged.

    You guys have seen his fianc¨¦e, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    The crowd erupted into an uproar, and the journalists started calling me names. They were using this

    interview as a pretext for their witch hunt. I could even hear the female journalists cursing me behind

    my back.

    Just when I was about to cry, someone pulled me into his embrace, and a familiar warmth encased me.

    When I realized it was Christopher, I almost couldn¡¯t hold my tears back.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Christopher held me in his arms tightly, keeping the journalists away from me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I had nothing to be scared of now that Christopher was here.

    The reporters were afraid of the look Christopher was giving them, so they retreated. However, they

    refused to leave, and some of the bolder ones asked, ¡°Mr. Lane, are you really going to break up with

    Ms. Martin just for her? You know how much Ms. Martin loves you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Mr. Lane. You shouldn¡¯t give up on a great woman like Ms. Martin just for a divorced woman.

    That¡¯s really unfair for Ms. Martin.¡± A female journalist puffed her cheeks angrily.

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    Christopher looked at me. When he realized I was still shaking from fear, he patted the back of my

    hand to calm me down. And then he red at the journalists. ¡°I think you guys are getting something

    wrong. Yvonne and I are married. We¡¯re a legal couple now, so stop asking any irrelevant questions. If I

    get divorced because of this, all of you are getting it.

    ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, so stop with the childish act. Put yourself in my shoes. If someone tells you to

    break up with the one you love, just to be with someone you don¡¯t love because that someone loves

    you deeply, will you do it?¡±

    The reporters kept quiet for a while after that. A momentter, one of them said, ¡°Mr. Lane, that¡¯s not a

    fairparison. Ms. Martin has dated you for years, but now you¡¯re breaking up with her because you

    got a third party? That¡¯s unfair for Ms. Martin.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Christopher growled, his eyes gleaming with cold murder. ¡°You call my wife a third

    party again and you¡¯re getting it! I don¡¯t care about the consequences, and don¡¯t try to guilt-trip me.

    That won¡¯t fly here.¡±

    Christopher looked at the journalists coldly, and the journalists kept their heads low.

    ¡°Get this clear, Monica and I have been friends since we¡¯re kids, but we¡¯ve never dated, so Yvonne is

    not a third party. She has always been the one I loved, and I¡¯m sure about that. If you¡¯re so obsessed

    with the chronology, then I can tell you that I¡¯ve had a crush on Yvonne since I was thirteen.

    ¡°I can date whoever I want, and I¡¯m going to hold on to Yvonne even if the whole world disagrees with

    me. If any of you tries to confront Eve again, I¡¯ll make sure you regret that action.¡±

    The journalists were obviously shaken, and Christopher took me away while they were regrouping.

    Before we left, I looked back at the spilled food. ¡°I spent more than an hour making that. Now it¡¯s all

    gone to the dogs. What a shame.¡± I sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll make something for you tomorrow.¡± Christopher was still upset, but he calmed down

    slightly when he looked at me.

    I heaved a sigh of relief when we finally got to the backyard, but Christopher still wasn¡¯t looking

    happy. Oh, he¡¯s upset. I poked his cheek and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410

    I knew why he was so angry. He wouldn¡¯t mind it if the journalists were calling him names, but not if the

    attacks were directed at me. I didn¡¯t mind it at all though, but I couldn¡¯t stand the fact that the journalists

    were calling Christopher a two-timing cheat. I didn¡¯t want him to get ndered because of me.

    ¡°We are going to hold the biggest wedding possible after everything¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s see if those

    journalists woulde up with any stupid questions then.¡± Christopher held me by my cheeks.

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go with that. I don¡¯t really mind the usations though, so why are you so mad?¡± I

    chuckled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they called you a third party. You didn¡¯t even do anything.¡± Christopher puffed his

    cheeks like a little boy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind what they think, as long as you know that I¡¯m innocent. You¡¯re the one I¡¯m marrying, not

    them. Or do you think this will hurt our rtionship?¡± I stuck my tongue out and put on a rxed front.

    ¡°Of course it won¡¯t,¡± said Christopher seriously.

    I smiled at him. His answer reassured me a bit, but I was still feeling uneasy. I realized my bad

    reputation was troubling Christopher, and this made our rtionship much harder to handle.

    I was about to go home after consulting the doctor about Monica¡¯s situation, but then I came face to

    face with Crystal and Natalie. I was shocked to see them here, and so were they.

    I took a nce at Crystal¡¯s belly. She was wearing a tight-fitting shirt today, and she was slightly out of

    shape. I realized she had a little bump on her belly. Is she pregnant? I recalled her being pregnant four

    months ago. Back then, she told Lyle to break up with me because she was pregnant with his child. But

    when we got stranded on the ind, she didn¡¯t look like she was pregnant. Maybe she had a

    miscarriage.

    ¡°What are the odds, Yvonne? We just met earlier.¡± Yvonne snapped out of it and leaned against Lyle,

    grinning at me.

    Yeah, we just met earlier, and she was already telling everyone that Remington and I were dating. It

    was obviously a lie, but everyone bought it. If it wasn¡¯t for Remington, I would have to leave the

    exhibition in shame.

    ¡°Yeah, but I can live without seeing you around,¡± I said calmly.

    Crystal was unperturbed by my scathing remark. Instead, she smirked at us. ¡°You should be more

    sociable, or you¡¯ll end up getting the short end of the stick, just like how you are now. It¡¯s not your fault

    though. It¡¯ll get better once you learn how to act around people.¡±

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    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t like getting the short end of the stick, but if it means I don¡¯t have to be a piece of

    human scum like you, I¡¯d rather take the short end any day.¡± I took a step back when I realized Crystal

    wasing toward me. This b*tch is a time bomb. I¡¯m staying a hundred miles away from her.

    ¡°Can you stop talking? Crystal¡¯s pregnant now. She can¡¯t get angry, don¡¯t you know that? You¡¯d better

    not make her angry, or I won¡¯t let you off,¡± Natalie growled harshly.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s pregnant? Then get her away from me. I don¡¯t want to talk to her anyway.¡± Should I take a

    long way out? I don¡¯t want to argue with these b*tches.

    Crystal took an invitation out and handed it to me. ¡°Yvonne, I know there¡¯s been a lot of

    misunderstandings between us, but I hope you can attend my wedding. I want to share the happiness

    with everyone, especially you.¡±

    She held the red invitation card before me, giving me a challenging look. I didn¡¯t take it right away, so

    she raised her chin arrogantly. ¡°Why? Chickening out? So are you going toe with Mr. Lane?¡±

    I turned around, and I saw Christopher making big strides toward me. ¡°Of course. Can¡¯t turn down an

    invitation from you, can I?¡± He took the invitation from her. ¡°I¡¯ll be there to share the happiness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you foring then, Yvonne. The dinner will be held at Hotel Boreas three dayster. Since it

    is held by the Tanners, we¡¯d be expecting you toe on time. You are the youngdy of the family

    after all. It wouldn¡¯t look good without you being there.¡±

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411

    A family dinner, huh? And to think Crystal¡¯s the one sending me the invitation instead of them. What a

    failure I am. Nathan hadn¡¯t even called me up until this moment, nor did anyone send me an invitation.

    Nathan did call me to ask for my help when the Martins were trying to make them go out of business,

    but he never came to me again after that.

    I handed the invitation to Christopher and shrugged in dismay, while Crystal strutted away like a

    peacock. ¡°Do you think I should attend this wedding?¡±

    ¡°Of course you should. You are the youngdy of the family, aren¡¯t you?¡± Christopher puffed his chest

    proudly. ¡°You¡¯re my wife. You can go wherever you want, and nobody can stop you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, darling.¡± I grinned cheekily.

    Monica was hospitalized for two days, but Christopher never went to see her again after the first day.

    He was at home with me while I prepare my artwork. The exhibitionst time was a mess; however, an

    opportunity was still an opportunity, so I would definitely take another shot.

    If I could draw together with Remington, it would have been perfect, but such a perfect chance wouldn¡¯t

    come knocking twice.

    Christopher¡¯s phone was ringing incessantly, so I looked at him, wondering if he¡¯d take it. At that time,

    he was working on his PC and delegated tasks to his employees through an online meeting. I went

    over to him to see who was calling, and as expected, the caller was Julia.

    I handed the phone to him. ¡°Take it. She knows where we¡¯re staying anyway. She¡¯lle knocking if

    you don¡¯t take her calls.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s always the same thing with her. Taking her calls is just a waste of time.¡± Christopher turned

    away, stubbornly refusing to take the call.

    I didn¡¯t want Christopher to get into a fight with Julia because of me. He loved his family deeply, so I

    couldn¡¯t be so selfish. After a moment of silence, I took the call for him.

    ¡°You sure took your own sweet time, Chris. You don¡¯t care about me anymore, don¡¯t you? Come to the

    hospital right this instant or you¡¯re getting it!¡± Julia bellowed furiously.

    I looked at Christopher and nudged him, telling him to answer. Nope. He closed hisptop and turned

    away. Left with no choice, I said, ¡°We¡¯lle over right away, Mrs. Lane.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne?¡± Julia¡¯s fury was stoked further when she heard me. ¡°Monica¡¯s still in the hospital right now. I

    don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing, but don¡¯t you dare stop Chris froming over.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be right there.¡± I smiled awkwardly and hung up. Then, I dragged Christopher by the hem of

    his shirt. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Christopher knew he couldn¡¯t dissuade me, so he sighed and pulled me into his embrace. And then he

    put me on hisp before he leaned against my head. ¡°My mother can be really harsh. It won¡¯t end well

    for you if you go to the hospital.¡±

    I shook my head and leaned against his chest. ¡°But she¡¯s still your mother. You can¡¯t run from her your

    whole life. I know you¡¯re angry at her and Monica, but she¡¯s acting like this because she¡¯s worried

    about Monica. After all, she is injured. But Julia¡¯s a smart woman, so she¡¯ll know what you want once

    she thinks this through.¡±

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go then.¡± Christopher and I put away the canvas and art materials before we went to the

    hospital.

    But we realized something was off the moment we came into the ward. Everyone was staring at me

    curiously, as if my arrival was something to be surprised about.

    I tried my best to stay calm and greeted everyone, while Monica was staring at me darkly. To be

    precise, she was staring at Christopher and me, who were holding hands. Her face fell, and she bit her

    lips. She wanted to say something, but she remained silent as if seeing us together was torture for her.

    Julia noticed that, so she came up to me. ¡°I need to talk to you, Ms. Tanner. Pleasee with me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked and gave it some thought, then I nodded. Just when I was about to leave, Christopher

    held my hand. ¡°No,¡± he growled.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her, Chris. Don¡¯t get all jumpy, will you?¡± Julia shouted at him and tried to drag me

    out with her. However, Christopher stepped up to stop her. ¡°I said no!¡± he answered adamantly.

    ¡°Chris!¡± I pushed him softly, telling him to stop.

    However, he didn¡¯t let me go. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, I think it¡¯s time to make things clear once and

    for all. Let¡¯s not waste anybody¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re in the hospital, and Monica¡¯s still recuperating. You¡¯d better not

    make things worse.¡± Julia was starting to panic. She thought Christopher was going to say something

    bad, so she tried to stop him.

    ¡°What do you think, Monica? You don¡¯t want to drag this out anymore, don¡¯t you? Especially with how

    the media is talking about me. Honestly, they¡¯re getting on my nerves.¡± Christopher was still holding my

    hand tightly, but he was looking at Monica sharply.

    I had no idea what Christopher was talking about, but Monica wasn¡¯t looking too good. It was as if she

    was¡­ afraid. All the color drained from her face, and she clutched her head. ¡°M-My head hurts, Julia. It

    hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the doctor right away. They¡¯ll be right here, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Julia quickly called the doctor after

    Monica said she wasn¡¯t feeling well. A momentter, a doctor and some nurses came in to check on

    Monica.

    Monica was lying in the bed, looking as weak as a wilting flower. She was so beautiful and weak, or at

    least that was what I would think if I hadn¡¯t found out what she did. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would

    have felt guilty for hurting her.

    Christopher was gazing straight at Monica. ¡°I see. You¡¯re worried I might expose you,¡± he blurted

    something out, not giving her any chance to defend herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Chris. If you really hate me that much, you can leave. I¡¯m really

    tired, and I don¡¯t want to argue with you right now.¡± Monica held her head with one hand, her eyes half-

    closed.

    ¡°Chris!¡± Julia shouted. ¡°Get out!¡±

    ¡°You know what I want to say, don¡¯t you? You knew it all along.¡± Christopher ignored Julia and hugged

    me. ¡°After we came back from the ind, you told the doctor to spike my and Eve¡¯s meds with a

    debilitating drug, didn¡¯t you?¡± Christopher yed with my hair, asking Monica coldly.

    I froze up, for I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I couldn¡¯t believe Monica was already drugging me

    when she had just met me for the third time.

    ¡°Julia, I want them out, please. I¡¯m really feeling ufortable right now, and I don¡¯t want to see them.

    Please tell them to get out!¡± Monica suddenly screamed like a maniac, and she squirmed on her bed

    violently. The nurse was trying to inject some meds into her, but because of her sudden movement, the

    needle pricked Monica¡¯s arm and drew blood instead.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Julia went over to her in an instant to calm her down. ¡°Calm down, Monica. I¡¯ll chase them out right

    away.¡± Then she shrieked at us, ¡°You heard her! Get out! You¡¯re not wee here!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you, Monica? Scared of me exposing the truth.¡± Christopher refused to get out. ¡°I

    didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about this because I still think of you as my sister. But what did you do? You

    kept using my mother¡¯s guilt to hurt the woman I love.¡±

    ¡°Julia! Julia!¡± Monica started crying helplessly, clutching at the air. She looked at Christopher in horror,

    pleading for his mercy. ¡°Please, Chris. Please don¡¯t tell them! Please!¡±

    I nced at Christopher. This was the first time I saw him looking so determined. The me of fury was

    roaring in his eyes, threatening to engulf everything in its way. I had never seen Christopher looking so

    terrifying before. He looked like a different person, but I wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Instead, I huddled closer to

    him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell them what? About how you spiked my meds and kept me in aa? About why I was

    wheelchair-bound after I woke up? About how you yed a part in that?¡±

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413

    ¡°Chris!¡± I quickly checked on him. Christopher was already weakened back then, and Monica spiked his

    meds to keep him weak? He was even puking up blood left and right!

    ¡°How do you feel? Are you hurt?¡± I was on the verge of tears. Does Monica really love Christopher? If

    she really loves him, why did she hurt him so badly?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Got all of it out of my system already.¡± Christopher patted my hand, his gaze gentle. A

    momentter, that tenderness was reced by a fiery ferocity that targeted Monica.

    ¡°You thought nobody realized your little trick, but you forgot one thing. I used to be in the special forces.

    I was trained to recognize and resist the very kind of drug you spiked my meds with. I knew something

    was wrong with the meds the moment I woke up.¡±

    ¡°Chris!¡± Monica didn¡¯t struggle anymore, for she was already breaking down, but there was onest

    hope for her¡ªJulia. ¡°Julia¡­¡±

    Julia had been keeping her silent ever since Christopher started exposing Monica. She couldn¡¯t believe

    what she was hearing, but she had to ept it. When Monica called out to her, she finally looked up,

    but she wasn¡¯t struggling to pick a side anymore. This time, she was calm and determined.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s make things clear once and for all. Why did you spike Chris¡¯ meds, Monica? I want a

    reason.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Julia¡¯s sudden interrogation caught Monica by surprise. Monica kept stammering, but she couldn¡¯t

    even make a coherent sentence.

    Apparently, Monica had forgotten that Julia was Christopher¡¯s mother. She could let Monica get away

    with a lot of things, but she would never allow Monica to hurt her son. That was the line Monica should

    never cross.

    Julia was already starting to get annoyed with Monica after the problem with the medsst time. With

    the truth out of the bag, Monica might have finally erased thest bit of guilt the Lanes had for the

    Martins.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. You spiked Eve¡¯s meds too, making it look like she has brain cancer so the doctor would

    make a false report. I mean, it¡¯s your family¡¯s hospital anyway, so you¡¯re the boss. I bet all the medical

    staff was just following your orders.

    ¡°You knew Eve would fall into despair in the face of imminent death, so you bade your time after the

    report was out. Once the opportunity presented itself, you persuaded Eve to leave me, making her

    believe that¡¯s the only way I can be happy.¡±

    ¡°What? She masterminded the fake diagnosis as well?¡± The news was as much as a bombshell as

    Jetroina¡¯s destruction to me. I could still remember the day I broke away from Christopher. My heart

    broke into a million pieces, and whenever I thought of it, it was still very painful.

    I thought it was my health problem. I thought the doctor made a wrong diagnosis because I contracted

    some virus that made my condition look like brain cancer. But now you¡¯re telling me that was all just

    Monica¡¯s n? Oh my god, this woman is scary.

    I realized she was ten times scarier than I first thought she was. She even came up with such an

    borate n that managed to fool everyone without batting an eye. All because she wanted me to

    leave Christopher.

    ¡°Tell me the truth, Monica. I want to hear it from you.¡± Julia nced at me before slowly moving toward

    the left side of the room. She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, then she waved her hand. Her

    assistant went over to pass her a cigarette and lighter. At that point, I knew Julia was fully calm and

    collected, unlike how she was earlier.

    Monica was looking more and more fearful with every passing moment, but she suddenly buried her

    face in her hands and cackled like a maniac. ¡°Julia, Chris has told you everything. What more can I

    say? He knows everything I did. I don¡¯t think I could have said it better myself.¡±

    ¡°So you confess? Why then?¡± Julia put her cigarette out, staring at Monica quietly. I knew Julia was

    having a hard time processing the truth since this must be very shocking to her as well.

    ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Monica was stillughing, but she was wiping the tears that streamed down

    her cheeks. ¡°I knew something was up between the two of them back at Mr. Lane¡¯s birthday party, so I

    tailed Chris during the fireworks disy. Eventually, I found out he was meeting Yvonne on the ship in

    secret.¡±

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414

    I felt my face burst into mes and looked down at my shoes with clenched fists. Christopher and I had

    done much more than just ¡®dating¡¯ on that boat. Had Monica seen everything?

    She scoffed coldly and looked at me in disdain. Pointing at herself, she said, ¡°I had the exact same

    expression when I saw you two. After all, who were you? Just some pathetic divorcee who couldn¡¯t

    even keep an eye on her own husband. What did I have to be scared about? Besides, maybe Chris just

    wanted something new.¡±

    Monica wasn¡¯t wrong in the slightest. When I was with Christopher, even Lyle thought I was just selling

    myself off as a mistress. Crystal simply chose to ignore my existence.

    ¡°But when you two were rescued from that ind, I saw the two of you lying on that beach. Even

    though you were both on the brink of death, you were clutching each other¡¯s hands like a lifeline. It was

    as if even the end of the world wouldn¡¯t separate you. That was when I realized that you, Yvonne, are a

    threat. If I didn¡¯t get rid of you, Chris and I would never be together.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you poisoned me and made me think I was dying? Was it also the reason why you started

    acting all goody-two-shoes in front of me and made me think that I should leave Christopher for his own

    good?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cut her off.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Monica asked, scoffing again. ¡°You¡¯re the most gullible person I¡¯ve ever met. You

    didn¡¯t have a single opinion in your head and just followed whatever I said. If Sabrina hadn¡¯t said

    anything, you would have backed off since you started losing your eyesight.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you have to poison Christopher? Do you even love him?¡± If Monica wasn¡¯t all weak from

    blood loss in the hospital bed in front of me, I would have pped her a few times for Christopher¡¯s

    sake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get all high and mighty with me, Yvonne. I have never loved Christopher any less than what you

    think you feel for him. My love for him is so strong, I¡¯m willing to forego my dignity for him. If not, you

    wouldn¡¯t even have had a chance.¡±

    Monica pointed at Christopher and continued. ¡°How could I possibly let him see you? The moment he

    wakes up and sees you, he¡¯ll get back together with you no matter how much you changed. Do you

    know how well I know him? Someone as responsible as him would never let go of his own principles

    simply because of some idental factors.

    ¡°That¡¯s why-¡± she paused before continuing, ¡°I asked the doctor to drug him. Well, it was nothing

    serious¡ªpractically just some sleeping pills. As long as he woke up after you left, he would think that

    you died. It won¡¯t be long before he bes mine again.¡±

    ¡°Have you never thought about the fact that I would have figured something out when I didn¡¯t die

    eventually from my so-called illness? If I return, Chris still won¡¯t get together with you,¡± I said coldly.

    ¡°Of course not. If Chris thought you¡¯re dead, then the Lane family would get him to marry the woman

    who can take care of him and console him. Who could be a better candidate than me? Even if you

    were toe back one and half yearster, I would already be Chris¡¯ wife by now and nothing could be

    changed then,¡± Monica hissed. Her re was filled with envy and hatred.

    ¡°Sadly, Darius ruined everything. If he hadn¡¯t told Chris your address, he wouldn¡¯t have found you and

    we would have gotten married too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really a terrible person.¡± I stared at her, marveling at how she had everything calcted down

    to a tee since so long ago. How cunning could she possibly be?

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°Me, terrible?¡± Monica chuckled. ¡°Nothing is more terrible than watching the man you love slowly slip

    out of your grasp. I hate the fact that I didn¡¯te up with a better n to go against you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julia, but I¡¯ve never regretted the thing I¡¯ve done. The only person I felt bad for is you,¡±

    Monica said to Julia.

    Julia just took a deep breath before standing up and walking out. Her face remained expressionless but

    her posture betrayed her disappointment.

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415

    ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me, right?¡± Monica called after Julia at theck of a reply.

    Julia didn¡¯t look back and settled her gaze on the floor. She replied mildly, ¡°Either way, I do owe you

    something. I can¡¯t deny that. Rest well, alright? We¡¯ll talk about everything elseter.¡±

    I could sense Julia¡¯s sorrow. After bending over backward to treat Monica wholeheartedly, she found

    out that Monica had been plotting against the people closest to her the whole time. Anybody would be

    rattled by that. When I left the hospital, I could still hear Monica wailing and sobbing behind me.

    This time, there was no one tofort her.

    ¡°Chris, you should go home to check on Juliater.¡± I felt slightly wary. Christopher had told Julia the

    truth in order to stop her from protecting Monica, but the truth hurt. As always, the ones who cared the

    most got hurt the most badly. I felt that Christopher should go home and have a proper chat with his

    mother.

    ¡°Are youing with me?¡± Christopher asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should.¡± If I went along with Christopher at a time like this, it would just seem like I

    wanted to join in the drama. Julia needed time to calm down and she definitely didn¡¯t want to see my

    face around her. ¡°We have plenty of chances to go together in the future, so you should go alone for

    now. By the way, I¡¯m not leaving any dinner for you.¡±

    I shoved him into his car and helped him start the engine. ¡°Bye! You know distance makes the heart

    fonder, right? If I stare at your face for too long, I might start to get tired of it,¡± I joked.

    Monica¡¯s issues seemed to be settled for now, but the rumors floating around on the inte continued

    to emerge. Since the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest was such a huge event, all the

    participants¡¯ information had been dug up.

    As the ultimate ¡®third party¡¯, I received a ton of hateful messages on Twitter. They didn¡¯t just attack me,

    they attacked my art as well and scoffed that any high school student could draw better than I did.

    That was how cruel cyberbullying could be. The people behind the screens didn¡¯t care about the truth.

    All they wanted was to follow the crowd, and the crowd happened to hate me.

    I jolted awake in shock in the middle of the night. After sitting up, I couldn¡¯t stop panting. It felt like the

    hairs on my arms were standing on end and I couldn¡¯t shake that creepy feeling.

    Despite how I felt, I couldn¡¯t remember what I had dreamed about. It felt like I was standing in an

    endless, dark space with no one around me. I was rotting on my own, destined to be alone forever.

    Every time I had a nightmare, it was a premonition for something bad happening. I blinked and

    wondered if something was about to happen before I realized that the space beside me was empty.

    With a nce outside, I realized that the living room light was on.

    Why isn¡¯t Christopher asleep?

    I wiped off the cold sweat on my forehead and put on my clothes before walking out. Christopher was

    typing away on hisputer faster than I had ever seen him work, and he was murmuring as he typed.

    The Lane family business may have been busy, but I didn¡¯t think it warranted working overtime until

    three in the morning. I silently padded over to Christopher. Once I got near enough, I noticed that he

    was arguing with someone under a forum post.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    The title of the post was ringly insulting: ¡®The Woman Determined To Be A Mistress.¡¯

    Was it talking about me?

    I leaned even closer. The post had been written by an anonymous user and was basically ndering

    my every move. Even worse, nothing they were talking about was true. The post talked about how I

    had always liked seducing my seniors in high school and got an abortion when I was just fifteen. It also

    mentioned that I had a different boyfriend every month in my junior and senior years and that by the

    time I was in college, I had three boyfriends at the same time. I also had ¡®special rtions¡¯ with some

    CEOs throughout the years, apparently.

    Then, the post talked about how I started attacking those around me and set my sights on Crystal, my

    cousin¡¯s lover. Based on the post, I snatched him away from her but got bored of him in less than two

    years and switched targets to Monica¡¯s love, Christopher. In order to win him over, I slept with him

    countless times and finally won his heart after six months. After kicking Lyle to the curb, I was finally

    about to marry Christopher and be the wife of a CEO. The post made sure to call me the pinnacle

    of embarrassment for women everywhere, too.

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416

    It may have been a post ndering me, but the contents were so funny I couldn¡¯t take it seriously.

    However, thements below the post were even worse.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    river1911: ¡±How is she still alive? It¡¯s amazing that those guys haven¡¯t already killed her.¡±

    xx_love_xx: ¡±As a woman, she is lower than pond scum. How shameful.¡±

    m00nlights0nata: ¡±I know her. She¡¯s just a whore who loves to seduce taken men. Be careful!

    ¡°Are these idiots blind? Eve is the most well-behaved woman I have ever known. How could she have

    time to hook up with other guys? You¡¯re done for,¡± Christopher murmured as he typed furiously.

    christophene: ¡±Who has she seduced? Do you have any proof? Did you know that your brain isn¡¯t

    made for making up stories? Just wait for your own boyfriend to dump you. If you make up any more

    rumors, you¡¯re screwed.¡±

    m00nlights0nata: ¡±Don¡¯t get all high and mighty because you¡¯re using Christopher Lane¡¯s name as a

    username. Come and fight me if you¡¯re so mad. Yvonne deserves to get hated on. Why are you

    protecting her? I bet you¡¯re Yvonne herself. You might as well go hang yourself for all the sh*t you¡¯ve

    done.¡±

    christophene: ¡±Did she kill your family or burn down your house? Has she stolen your man? No

    wonder you¡¯re single with a mouth like a septic tank.¡±

    Christopher read the replies out loud as he typed them. He would jump fromment toment,

    retaliating against them as if he were an 18-year-old keyboard warrior.

    As I watched, I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Christopher turned around and was about to say something

    when hisputer ding-ed.

    m00nlights0nata: ¡±I¡¯m pretty enough to find a man who will take me as his wife, not as a mistress. Once

    a wh*re, you remain a wh*e. Ms. Tanner, you just wait for Christopher Lane to get rid of you.

    Christopher mmed a hand on the desk and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m going to get someone to hack into this user¡¯s

    laptop and expose all of her private information!¡±

    ¡°Chris, that¡¯s just some kid¡¯s talk. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said as I tugged his sleeve gently. I couldn¡¯t

    help but chuckle at the sight of his anxious expression. I couldn¡¯t believe he could be this cute.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If I don¡¯t get revenge on this person, I might as well get struck by lightning.¡± Christopher

    speedily dialed a number and hissed, ¡°In one hour, I want you to hack whoever wrote this post and the

    ounts of all the replies under it. Expose all their private information and post it on every single

    website avable.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lane, it¡¯s three-thirty in the morning!¡± the person on the other end protested sleepily.

    ¡°So what? You can have tomorrow off if you settle this right now. If not, you¡¯re fired.¡± Christopher hung

    up his phone and mmed it on the table.

    I squeezed in next to him on the sofa and leaned on his shoulder. He was ring at theputer

    screen like a child throwing a hissy fit, and I poked his cheek while giggling. ¡°You should be sleeping

    now. Why did you wake up to do something so pointless?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t pointless. How could I allow anyone to spread those sorts of stories about my wife? I had to

    do something,¡± Christopher said dully.

    ¡°They can say whatever they want, but we know the truth. What does it matter if they spread rumors

    like these? You¡¯re wise enough to know that the truth and is what matters. Why stoop to their level

    when you can justugh at them for being dumb?¡± I chuckled and snuggled into him even more. I knew

    he had been in a bad mood since the moment he came home, so Julia must have said something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty far-fetched constion,¡± Christopher said with a straight face. He buried his head into

    my chest. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell them off instead?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. As expected, Christopher still cared about what Monica did and Julia¡¯s

    attitude toward us. He might not say it, but they were people he cared about after all.

    ¡°Okay, then, wise boy. How do you want to go about everything?¡± I asked mildly.

    Christopher narrowed his eyes and they glinted coldly with his stare. ¡°I want to blow this up to the point

    that everyone hears about it.¡±

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417

    Blow it up? I thought, slightly disappointed. Is this still not a big enough issue? What exactly is he up

    to? I watched him narrow his eyes as they gleamed cunningly. I knew he was up to no good.

    The cocky mirth he had was enough to tell me that whatever he was going to do was serious. I might

    as well wait for him to pull out the big guns. After all, I wasn¡¯t wise myself. Sometimes, I¡¯d even call

    myself rather silly.

    The next day, I was painting when I heard some urgent knocks on the door. When I opened it, Nathan

    was in front of me. Despite my surprise, I asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s up, Dad?¡±

    Nathan craned his neck to look into the room behind me and asked, ¡°Is Mr. Lane in there?¡±

    I frowned and shook my head. ¡°He¡¯s at the office. If you need to discuss something with him, you¡¯d

    better go there.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Am I not allowed toe and see you?¡± Nathan scoffed coldly and squeezed

    right past me into the living room. When he caught sight of the easel propped up, his eyes shined and

    he said, ¡°Crystal said you were painting again, but I thought she was kidding. Are you really doing that?

    You should know where your own talent lies. Stop embarrassing the Tanners.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and said impatiently, ¡°I got kicked out of the Tanner family ages ago, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m sure

    it has nothing to do with any of you. Are you going to lecture me again? You can probably save it.¡±

    ¡°You selfish fool. If it wasn¡¯t for Crystal, I wouldn¡¯t bothering here to see you.¡± Nathan¡¯s expression

    was steely as he red at me. ¡°We¡¯re organizing a family dinner tomorrow. Invite Mr. Lane over so I

    can discuss something with him.¡±

    ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Christopher had already decided to go with me, but Nathan didn¡¯t need toe

    over to tell me especially. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like something fishy. What is

    Crystal up to?

    ¡°Just go when I ask you to! I don¡¯t care who you think you are now. You were brought up by the

    Tanners, so you shouldn¡¯t forget your roots,¡± he spat before leaving.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± I mmed the door. Sure, I may have grown up in the Tanner family, but no one treated

    me like I was one of them. Even their pets were more privileged than I was.

    Someone knocked on the door again. Thinking it was Nathan, I yelled, ¡°What else do you want? You

    came all the way here to force me to go, so it¡¯s not like I can turn you down! If not, you¡¯ll probably get

    Scarlett to emphasize how disrespectful I am at some other banquet, right?¡±

    ¡°Eve, it¡¯s me. Open up!¡± Sabrina called.

    The moment I realized it was Sabrina, I rushed to open the door. Out of breath, she started to rant.

    ¡°That b*tch Crystal openly bashed you online! She¡¯s probably waiting to use you as a stepping stone.

    She¡¯s purposely getting famous off this whole art fiasco!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, extremely confused.

    ¡°Take a look for yourself!¡± Sabrina dragged me to theputer and searched up a social media

    webpage.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Crystal¡¯s interview appeared. As the special guest of the National Youth Art Exhibition, Remington,

    Spencer and she got the chance to exhibit their own artwork. Afterward, there was a charity auction for

    those paintings. Crystal had painted a bunch of flowers and was answering interview questions from

    journalists.

    When they brought my name up, Crystal stiffened and her eyes went red. She looked down pitifully and

    wiped away some tears before saying, ¡°Y-Yvonne is a very strong-willed woman. As long as she wants

    something, she must have it. Still, please don¡¯t misunderstand her. She may have ripped Lyle and I

    apart, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. I don¡¯t know what happened between her and Mr. Lane, so I can¡¯t

    speak about that. Mr. Lane is one of Lyle¡¯s business partners, and Yvonne met him during a banquet. I

    don¡¯t know when they started having a thing, and all I can do is apologize for what they did to Monica.

    Please stop ming Yvonne. I¡¯ll apologize in her ce.¡±

    She was clearly blowing things out of proportion! Clearly, she was on Monica¡¯s side and rubbing my

    name even further into the dirt. I could already imagine how popr she would be after this interview

    blew up and how hated I would be.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418

    I hadn¡¯t told Christopher about that interview, and he didn¡¯t ask either. However, I knew he must know

    about it somehow. He was adamant on blowing the whole story up, after all.

    There were more and more articles popping up about me. It was as if some people were determined to

    pin every crime on me.

    The Tanner family banquet was held at a hotel. Rather than a family dinner, it was more like the

    discussion of Lyle and Crystal¡¯s wedding date. It waspletely pointless to invite me.

    I caught sight of Sharon at the hotel entrance. She was holding onto Lyle¡¯s arm for support and walking

    out of the car slowly, but the moment she saw me she started waving. ¡°Eve! Come help me.¡±

    ¡°Grandma, how have you been?¡± I asked, slightly taken aback. I was surprised as Sharon had been

    rather vocal about her distaste for Crystal and I knew that better than anyone. It shocked me to see her

    attending a family dinner to discuss the matters of Crystal and Lyle¡¯s wedding. Had she finally bent to

    Lyle¡¯s will?

    ¡°Pretty good for a bag of old bones like me,¡± she said with a sigh.

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    I realized how much older she looked. Her hair had once been salt-and-pepper, but now it was fully

    white. ¡°You¡¯re a strongdy, Grandma. I bet you will live a very long life.¡±

    ¡°Still as good with your words as ever,¡± Sharon said as she nced at Christopher, who was standing

    next to me. Her eyes shone and she said, ¡°I missed hearing you call me Grandma. You have to take

    care of yourself, okay?¡±

    ¡°You need to stay fit too.¡± Sharon¡¯s tone sounded a bit off, but I thought she was just reminiscing about

    the old days and didn¡¯t pay it much mind.

    ¡°Mom, go in with Yvonne first, okay? I¡¯ll go get Crystal. She¡¯s pregnant now, so we need to be even

    more cautious.¡±

    Wendy scoffed and red at me in disdain. She let go of Sharon¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what

    you¡¯re doing here, but don¡¯t you dare try to do anything that will break Lyle and Crystal apart again. If

    anything happens to Crystal, I will destroy you, no matter who you think you¡¯ve got on your side.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Smith. If my dad hadn¡¯t invited me, I wouldn¡¯t dream of being here.¡±

    ¡°Watch your mouth. How much more shameless can you be? You have divorced my son, but you still

    have your teeth sunk in him, don¡¯t you? Do you think you¡¯re some princess? My son isn¡¯t someone you

    can climb all over, you-¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, what have Eve possibly done to you?¡± Christopher said as he clutched my hand tighter.

    ¡°You need to watch the women you fall for, Mr. Lane. In the end, you¡¯ll only hurt yourself.¡± Wendy had

    always been brash. Even though Christopher¡¯s re could bore a hole through her, she didn¡¯t back

    down and still said whatever she wanted to. ¡°I¡¯m her former mother-inw, so I¡¯d know better. As a filial

    son, you should think about Julia¡¯s feelings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d argue that my mom¡¯s opinion is much more valuable than yours, and my choice is certainly better

    than Lyle¡¯s. Not everyone has luck imitating someone else,¡± Christopher said mildly.

    ¡°Enough. Shouldn¡¯t you go and bring your beloved daughter-inw? Stop embarrassing all of us,¡±

    Sharon said firmly with a knock of her walking stick.

    Wendy clearly wanted to say more, but at the sight of Christopher¡¯s re, she finally retreated. She still

    knew how powerful the Lane family was. With an unhappy stomp of her foot, she walked off as she

    continued to curse at me under her breath.

    Soon enough, Nathan arrived. It was a pretty weird sight¡ªNathan walking with Crystal as her uncle

    and me walking with Sharon even though I was Nathan¡¯s daughter. It would make more sense to switch

    Crystal and my surnames at this point.

    Lyle¡¯s expression darkened at the sight of me and Christopher standing together and he rushed over

    with shining eyes. ¡°Eve, what are you doing here? Do you still care about me?¡±

    I fell silent. Truth be told, I had already prepared myself when I saw him. By the time he walked over, I

    had already exchanged ces with Christopher. Looking up, I replied, ¡°Of course! You¡¯re about to

    be my cousin-inw. Obviously, I would care about you! I already got your wedding invitation. Just

    wait for my gift, okay? Congrattions!¡±

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419

    Lyle heard what I said and nced at Christopher, who was standing next to me. The spark in his eyes

    disappeared before he sneered, ¡°I had no idea that you cared so much about me. Please be sure to

    attend my wedding. I look forward to getting a wedding gift from you.¡±

    I frowned. Why does it seem like he¡¯s out to annoy me?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Smith. Eve and I will definitely attend your wedding. We won¡¯t disappoint you,¡±

    Christopher said with a smile as he hooked his arm around me, and there was a hint of malice in his

    eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, Lyle. I¡¯ve been standing too long, and the baby is kicking me inside,¡± Crystal whined. When

    no one was looking at her, she red at me, and there was a strange smile on her face.

    The dinner was more like torture for me. Not only did I have to endure Crystal and Yvette¡¯s stupid

    comments, but I also had to endure Wendy and Nathan¡¯s patronizing ways. And yet, Lyle¡¯s eyes

    seemed to burn a hole in me.

    Fortunately, Christopher was with me, and we carried on with our meals as we spoke softly to each

    other. After a while, Nathan turned to Christopher and said, ¡°Christopher, I heard that yourpany

    won a tender recently and that you¡¯re looking for apany to cooperate with. Instead of looking

    elsewhere, how about cooperating with the Tanner family?¡±

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    I plonked down my cutlery. This is the thing that Nathan wanted to tell Christopher? I knew about the

    tender. Christopher had put in huge effort to win it over. He even had to spend several days

    entertaining the parties involved and had gotten himself drunk every day in that period of time.

    ording to him, this tender was between the Lane family and their rival, the Walker family. He

    mentioned that the matter had to be treated with much caution. Otherwise, a minor slip would end up in

    a disastrous situation.

    ¡°You must be joking, Mr. Tanner. You can give my assistant a call and discuss this. If he thinks it¡¯s okay,

    then I have no problem with that at all,¡± Christopher said straightforwardly.

    ¡°How modest of you, Christopher. You¡¯re in charge of thepany; of course, you call the shots. I¡¯ve

    drawn up the contract. How about we split fifty-fifty? Eve, show Christopher the contract,¡± Nathan said

    as he handed me the contract.

    If I were to take the contract from him, it would mean that I agreed to that. I shut my eyes in disgust and

    quelled the disappointment in me. In the end, I¡¯ll always be disappointed in anything that Nathan does.

    Unfortunately, I can¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s my father.

    ¡°Fifty-fifty?¡± I mused with self-mockery. I¡¯m not a fool. There has to be a catch in Nathan¡¯s proposal. I

    took the contract from him, and just when Nathan beamed satisfactorily, I picked up the contract and

    tore it in half.

    ¡°What are you doing, Yvonne?¡± Nathan was stupefied.

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to be treated like a fool. Do you think of me as a fool, Dad? Or is

    Christopher a fool to you? Perhaps you think that you¡¯re the only smart one around here. Have you

    forgotten what happened after Mom left? You never even treated me as your own daughter, so why

    would I help you with such a thing? Fifty-fifty? Do you have any idea that Christopher spent more than

    two billion to win over this project? You think he had it easy?¡±

    I was infuriated to the point of seeing red, and I couldn¡¯t contain the rage within me. Most of the time, I

    would try to avoid having to deal with my father. Even when I had to deal with him, I would hold myself

    back whenever there was a conflict. But today, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m your father. It¡¯s the least you could do for the Tanner family. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re part of the

    Tanner family too,¡± Nathan roared.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m from the Tanner family. That¡¯s why it makes me wonder why you don¡¯t treat me as your

    daughter. Instead, you treat your niece like your own daughter. Take a look at the ones sitting next to

    you. They are your illegitimate daughter and your niece,¡± I said angrily before I bellowed, ¡°If possible, I

    don¡¯t wish to be part of the Tanner family!¡±

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420

    ¡°What rubbish are you talking about, Yvonne?¡± Nathan mmed his hand on the table and stood up.

    His anger finally boiled over at me for not relenting.

    ¡°I have my limits too, and I won¡¯t be treated like a doormat anymore.¡±

    I pointed at Crystal and Yvette before I bellowed, ¡°Look at these two. One took my father away from

    me, and the other drove my mother away. Sometimes I do wonder why I¡¯m a Tanner. If I were an

    orphan who was picked up from the streets, I wouldn¡¯t be so heartbroken over the things you¡¯ve done

    to me. I don¡¯t think I can carry on eating anymore, Dad. I¡¯ll be there at the wedding on time. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Yvonne. Dad only wants the Tanner family¡¯s business to flourish. There¡¯s no need for

    you to be angry. We¡¯ll amend the contract if you¡¯re not happy with the conditions listed. Besides,

    Christopher hasn¡¯t had a say in this yet.¡±

    When I reached the door, Yvette and Crystal hurried over to me and tried their best to dissuade me.

    ¡°Just cut the crap. Let¡¯s go, Chris!¡± I called out to Christopher.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too cocky, Mr. Tanner. There are some things that you shouldn¡¯t interfere with,¡± Christopher

    said with a cold smile as he crossed his arms in front of him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly have a wedding with Eve if her side of the family doesn¡¯t turn up. How about you

    sign the contract in exchange for a perfect wedding? That way, you won¡¯t be at any loss,¡± Nathan said

    with a glint in his eyes and a cunning smile on his face.

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Christopher shot him a re and asked with a cold smile.

    ¡°Eve¡¯s reputation is at stake, and she needs someone to clear her name. In times like this, her family is

    her pir of strength and support, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nathan countered as he ignored Christopher¡¯s

    sharp gaze.

    Christopher stood rooted at his spot, and his eyes fell on the woman in the corridor. There was a brief

    glint in his eyes before it disappeared quickly.

    I took big strides towards the stairs as I couldn¡¯t bear to stay here a minute longer. Didn¡¯t we agree to

    talk about Lyle and Crystal¡¯s wedding ceremony? So why are we talking about business? Moreover, a

    business worth two billion can¡¯t be taken lightly.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Eve,¡± Sharon called out as she walked towards me with the help of her cane. ¡°I can¡¯t

    stand the ruckus here. I¡¯ming with you.¡±

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    ¡°Slow down, Grandma!¡± I hurried over and supported Sharon. Just as we were about to head

    downstairs, Crystal suddenly came forward and grabbed my arm. ¡°You can¡¯t leave yet, Yvonne. I have

    something to tell you.¡±

    I was taken aback, and I instinctively pushed her to the side. Consequently, Crystal lost her bnce

    and began to sway at the top of the stairs. In horror, I quickly reached out to pull her hand to stop her

    from stumbling down the stairs.

    But just as I stretched out my hand, someone from behind me gave me a shove. As a result, I stumbled

    forward, and my stretched-out hand pushed against Crystal¡¯s shoulder. Crystal let out a piercing

    scream and went tumbling down the stairs.

    Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. My mind went nk, and I watched in horror as Crystal

    tumbled down the flight of stairs. And when shended at the bottom of the stairs, a pool of blood had

    formed between her legs. Within a few seconds, her long pastel yellow dress was blood-soaked.

    A high-pitched scream pierced the air. I was so shocked that I remained motionless as I stared nkly

    at Crystal, who was convulsing at the bottom of the stairs. By the time I turned around to look behind

    me, the person who had been standing behind me was gone.

    ¡°Crystal!¡± Lyle shouted frantically. At the sight of Crystal¡¯s devastating state, he whirled around and

    pped me hard across the face. ¡°How could you be so vicious towards a pregnant woman, Yvonne?

    Have you no heart?¡± he roared.

    My face was stinging from the p, and there was a numbness in my heart. I looked past Lyle and

    stared at Sharon, who was standing behind him. I was hoping that she would say something, but to my

    disappointment, she just stood there and said nothing.

    Why was I pushed?

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421

    ¡°Call an ambnce now! Please save my daughter!¡± Natalie wailed as she cradled Crystal¡¯s head in

    her arms.

    ¡°Crystal! My grandchild!¡± Wendy screamed as she came up to me and shook me violently by the

    shoulders.

    A heartrending chorus of screams and wails filled the air. I stood there in a daze until Christopher came

    to my side and held me tightly in his embrace. I was oblivious to what was happening around me until

    Lyle knocked Christopher to the ground.

    I turned around abruptly and looked at where Sharon was standing. She had been standing beside me,

    but now she was gone. I looked around the crowd and spotted her standing behind Yvette. Josephine

    supported Sharon by the arm, and there was a calm expression on thetter¡¯s face. It was as though

    everything that had happened had nothing to do with her.

    When she caught me staring at her, she calmly turned her gaze away and said to Lyle, ¡°Now¡¯s not the

    time to ask what happened. All that matters is to get Crystal to the hospital quickly.¡±

    Why was I pushed? I just looked at Sharon. As much as I wanted her to say something, there was no

    reaction from her at all.

    ¡°Yvonne, you b*tch! If something serious happens to Crystal and she dies, I¡¯ll make you pay for it. I¡¯ll

    sue you, and I¡¯ll make sure you go to jail,¡± Natalie said as she cradled Crystal. I flinched at her scornful

    re as I heard her frosty voice tinged with bitter contempt.

    Very soon, the ambnce arrived, followed by a police car. A policeman started questioning a few

    people at the scene before he came towards me and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been used of murder, Ms.

    Tanner. Pleasee with us to the police station.¡±

    ¡°Murder?¡± Throughout my entire life, I¡¯ve only killed one person, and that¡¯s John. The death of a

    heinous man like him leaves me with no guilt. But now, I¡¯ve inadvertently killed an unborn child.

    I looked at Sharon and asked, ¡°Do you have something to say, Grandma?¡±

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    Sharon stared at me for a moment before saying, ¡°This is nothing but a mistake. It¡¯s alright. Just follow

    the police to the police station. Christopher and I will make sure nothing happens to you.¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say, Grandma?¡± I pressed further.

    Why do others around me always take advantage of me? Have I been cursed?

    Sharon had always been someone who I respected. Even though I knew that she was only using me

    from her previous conversation with Lyle, it didn¡¯t stop me from respecting her. That was because I felt

    her love and care in so many little ways. And from the moment she handed me my mother¡¯s share

    agreement, I had an even greater degree of respect for her.

    I empathize with her, but why don¡¯t others empathize with me? Why do I always have to be

    exploited? Did she take advantage of me this way to stop Lyle from marrying Crystal?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Yvonne. I¡¯m still the one who cares about you the most,¡± Sharon said as she averted

    my gaze, not wanting to see the anguish in my eyes.

    Hot tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I thought no one else would be able to hurt

    me anymore because those who had hurt me before are now negligible to me. I thought I would never

    be sad and disappointed again. Sadly, I¡¯ve learned an important life lesson once again.

    I was in utter destion for being schemed by Sharon, whom I thought I could trust.

    With Christopher next to me, the police did not dare to take me away with them. Everyone knew that I

    was married to Christopher, and I was rted to the Lane family in so many ways.

    I did not want to cause any trouble to the Lane family, so I reassured Christopher and followed the

    policeman to a police car. When I got into the car, I turned around to look back at Sharon, but the

    shing emergency lights from the police car blinded me.

    ¡°You may be Mr. Lane¡¯s woman, but you can¡¯t flout thew. Please behave. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to

    adopt forceful measures.¡±

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422

    It was the first time that I entered a police station. As an upstanding citizen, I was instinctively in awe of

    the ce. When a policewoman brought me to the cell, I was dazed and stood still. Thinking that I was

    reluctant to enter, she warned me in disdain.

    Realizing her dissatisfaction and anger, Iughed at myself mockingly and said, ¡°Will you believe me if I

    say I didn¡¯t do it?¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to decide it because only the court can make a ruling. If Ms. Tanner considers

    bribing me, I suggest that you can save it.¡± With that, she pushed me into the cell forcefully and

    purposely handcuffed me near the iron bars.

    My wrist hurt whenever I moved my arm. However, the policewoman locked the gate and yelled, ¡°Be

    quiet!¡±

    I was insane to talk to her just now. After all, who else will ever believe me besides

    Christopher? Leaning against the iron bars, I recalled Sharon¡¯s indifferent expression when I left.

    After standing for a while, I began to feel tired, while my legs went numb. I couldn¡¯t sit down because I

    was handcuffed near the upper iron bars. Deep down, I believed that the police officer did it on

    purpose.

    After all, I would be furious if I read the news about ady pushing a pregnant woman down the stairs

    and killing the woman¡¯s baby.

    When I was brought into a police car earlier on, the journalists rushed toward it and began taking

    pictures. Hence, I believed I would be the headline of the news the next day.

    Besides, I felt I had an oversimplified view of human nature in the past. Now, I realized that everyone

    would make choices when it came to benefits. Many years ago, Sharon rece my Autumnal

    Panorama to send Crystal away. Now, she had abandoned me once again to stop Crystal and Lyle

    from getting married.

    Since my legs got increasingly numb, I had no choice but to stand on one of my legs and keep

    changing it with the other. As I felt dizzy, I leaned my head against the iron bars and closed my eyes.

    Suddenly, I felt that someone was touching me. Shocked, I opened my eyes and realized that it was a

    cellmate. Much to my surprise, she pped me and shouted, ¡°Da*n it! What a poor loser! You¡¯re

    wearing nice clothes but don¡¯t have anything valuable.¡±

    When she wanted to p me again, I kicked her and grabbed her hair tightly. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t irritate

    me.¡±

    The woman who pped me was shocked by my ferocious response. She stopped making trouble and

    lay on her bed. After a while, she suddenly asked, ¡°Are you a murderer?¡±

    Iughed sinisterly and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone. Do you believe me?¡±

    Upon listening to my response, the woman dared not ask any other questions. She murmured to

    herself, probably saying that I wasn¡¯t a pushover. Besides, she even waved her pocket knife in front of

    me for a while before lying on her bed.

    I heaved a sigh of relief, shrugged at her, and leaned against the iron bars. When the cells fell silent, I

    could hear some bizarre hissing sounds.

    It was indeed a terrible night to weather through. I could only keep standing and gazing around the cell

    to ensure that I was safe. Although the green lights that flickered in the corridor were creepy, I wasn¡¯t

    terrified. After all, I had experienced a lot of frightening nights on a deserted ind.

    The next morning, an older police officer opened the gate and said, ¡°You can go now.¡±

    My entire body was numb because of standing throughout the night. I stood still and merely shook my

    handcuff in response.

    Upon seeing that I was handcuffed, the police officer freed me immediately. Then, I dragged myself

    feebly as though I would copse in no time.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now!¡± Christopher was standing at the other end of the corridor. Upon seeing me, he

    strode forward and took me into his arms.

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423

    Having a sleepless night in the police station wasn¡¯t a big deal to me. However, my emotions erupted

    once I saw Christopher, and tears streamed down my face.

    After crying for a while, Christopher wiped away my tears and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up and

    go home. Don¡¯t worry. Everything has been solved.¡±

    Given Christopher¡¯s influence, I was sure that the police would release me sooner orter. Besides, he

    would have rescued mest night if I wasn¡¯t that popr recently.

    Besides tiredness and hunger, my heart hurt the most. ¡°Chris, did Sharon see you yesterday?¡±

    ¡°She asked if I could get you out. When I said yes, she left in satisfaction.¡± Christopher was considerate

    and didn¡¯t ask what happened between Sharon and me.

    Sharon probably thought that I wouldn¡¯t be in trouble. However, how can she ignore the consequences

    of that incident?

    I chuckled, feeling that I was too naive to think Sharon would wait for me outside to exin it to me.

    Christopher handed some breakfast over to me and held my hand to leave the police station. When we

    were leaving, the policewoman whispered, ¡°Shemitted murder and should be found guilty by now.

    Why is she being released? I¡¯m dissatisfied with it. If a criminal like her isn¡¯t punished¡­¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°Christopher, I felt that I¡¯m like a type of animal now.¡± I gazed at Christopher and pointed at my face.

    ¡°Do I look like a rat?¡±

    I¡¯m a rat that everyone hates!

    Christopher knocked on my head gently and replied, ¡°If you¡¯re a rat, I¡¯m a rat as well. Well, being mice

    means that we are fertile. In that case, we can have a nest of baby mice.¡±

    Imagining the nest of mice and my t belly, I said shockingly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a mouse. You can

    give birth to babies by yourself.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could do it, but God has decided it otherwise.¡± Christopher shrugged helplessly.

    I chuckled upon hearing the joke. Christopher came here in a ck Porsche and parked it by the

    roadside. When we walked toward it, some journalists showed up out of nowhere and surrounded us.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, why did you push Crystal down the stairs? Haven¡¯t you divorced Lyle already?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, some people said that you still love Lyle, and thus you are jealous of Crystal for having his

    baby. Do you regret getting a divorce?¡±

    ¡°It is confirmed this morning that Crystal had a miscarriage. Besides, their marriage was postponed

    from this month to the end of next month. What caused you to have such malicious thoughts and be

    cruel enough to kill an unborn baby?¡±

    My heart sank upon hearing their words. Although I hated Crystal for her arrogance, it didn¡¯t mean that

    I would harm an unborn and innocent child.

    Christopher shielded me carefully and continued walking toward the car. Once he opened the door, a

    journalist grabbed my hair and poured down some cold drink on my hair.

    As the cold wind blew, my body shivered while my lips turned blue.

    Overwhelmed by anger, Christopher threw a punch and a kick at the journalist. The journalist copsed

    immediately. I grabbed Christopher¡¯s hand and took him into my arms. ¡°Chris, calm down. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Given that the Lane family was involved in politics, the news about Christopher beating someone would

    affect the family¡¯s reputation.

    More journalists came forward upon seeing that. Meanwhile, the journalist who got beaten rolled on the

    ground and wailed, ¡°Mr. Lane beat me. He wanted to beat me to death. The Lane family is rich,

    powerful, and can do whatever they like.¡±

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424

    At that time, I got furious and more emotional than Christopher. I rushed toward the journalist to scratch

    him in retaliation. When the journalist stood up and wanted to hit me, Christopher was swift enough to

    throw a kick at him as fast as lightning and send him flying.

    Then, Christopher nced at the journalist¡¯s name tag and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m going to throw a kick three

    times more powerful than what I did just now. Does anyone want to try it?¡±

    Instantly, the journalists were stunned by Christopher¡¯s imposing aura and took a few steps back. As

    such, we could open the car doors and leave the scene. Nheless, I was unwilling to leave and

    wanted to deal with the journalists once and for all.

    Hence, I stepped forward to grab a microphone from a journalist and yelled, ¡°Listen up. You guys want

    to know whether I pushed Crystal, became a homewrecker, and harmed her baby. Well, let me get this

    straight.¡±

    Then, I mustered my energy and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m tired of all these questions. Even if I¡¯ve be a

    homewrecker, does it have anything to do with you? Do you guys have to kneel before Crystal because

    she raised you and paid you? The judge will find me guilty if I did something wrong. However, none of

    you should gossip about it.¡±

    I paused for a while and continued, ¡°If you want to ask if I feel guilty, my answer is clear¡ªI don¡¯t feel

    guilty. I have nothing to hide or fear, for I¡¯ve never killed anyone. Also, I did dig the graves of your

    deceased family members. Write whatever you want and continue making up stories, but I¡¯ll still live my

    life. All the more so, I¡¯ll live it better than all of you. Do you think mounting up public pressure through

    nders will force me to back down? I was once weak and would take any humiliation. However, from

    now on, I¡¯ll not be afraid of anyone anymore.¡±

    After that, I walked closer to a camera, pointed at it, and announced, ¡°To those who want to bring me

    down, scheme against me, or humiliate me, open your eyes and watch this. You can hurl all sorts of

    usations at me, but I¡¯ll notpromise nor surrender.¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Tears slid down my face as I was too emotional. However, I continued while emphasizing every word,

    ¡°I¡¯m not even afraid of death. So, what else would I be afraid of?¡±

    With that, I flung the microphone away and leaned against Christopher¡¯s chest. I shed him a smile

    and said, ¡°Chris, let¡¯s go home. I didn¡¯t sleep the whole night and feel really tired now.¡±

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go!¡± Christopher opened the door and held my arms as I got into the car. After we left, the

    journalists were still rooted to the ground and staring at us. I saw that they began to disperse when our

    car had driven away.

    I mustered all of my courage to stay strong earlier on. Once I couldn¡¯t see the journalists, my hands

    and my legs turned to jelly. I leaned on the seat while my heart pounded vigorously.

    A momentter, I blushed once I realized that Christopher was looking at me from the rearview mirror. I

    recalled I was very aggressive in front of the journalists just now, and Christopher would despise me for

    that. After smoothing my hair awkwardly, I asked, ¡°Was I rude? Did I frighten you?¡±

    However, Christopher shook his head and kept looking at me, making me feel uneasy. Once we

    reached the gate of our house, Christopher climbed from his driver¡¯s seat to the back seat. The next

    moment, he kissed me ferociously, so much so that I almost couldn¡¯t breathe.

    When I began to feel that I was losing consciousness, Christopher let go of me and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Eve, you were stunning and looked like the first time I met you thirteen years ago. I couldn¡¯t forget you

    ever since.¡±

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425

    Once I got home, I fell asleep and only woke up at about 6 p.m. Although I had caught up on my lost

    sleep, I still felt dizzy and didn¡¯t feel rxed.

    Then, I heard Christopher talking to someone, who sounded like a woman, in the living room. I listened

    carefully for a while and realized that it was Julia¡¯s voice.

    What is she doing here?

    I put on my clothes and came out of the bedroom to look outside. They were seemingly having a family

    meeting as Julia, Gordon, and Darius were all present.

    ¡°Chris, you were too impulsive today. How could you beat someone in public? Besides, you beat a

    journalist! Do you know serious the consequences can be?¡±

    Julia couldn¡¯t help but feel that many bad things were rted to Christopher recently. She probably

    thought that I am a jinx. How can he ever marry someone like me? I¡¯ll cause a lot more trouble in the

    future!

    ¡°They would continue to bully Eve if I didn¡¯t stop them. As a member of the Lane family, I will not stand

    by as someone bullies my wife.¡± Christopher leaned back on the couch, crossed his legs, and rested

    them on the coffee table.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just take her away? There were many ways to get out of that situation. As apany

    CEO, was it necessary for you to do it yourself? Besides, were you out of your mind the minute you

    saw Yvonne?¡± Julia bellowed as she was irritated by Christopher¡¯s indifferent manner.

    ¡°Well, I knew very well what was happening. That was why I would always protect Eve instead of

    someone who has been scheming against me.¡± Christopher hinted at something while fiddling with the

    nail clippers.

    Julia¡¯s expression turned grim upon hearing it. Although Julia¡¯s heart wrenched because of what

    happened to Monica, Christopher went against her all because she protected Monica.

    ¡°Gordon, did you see what happens to our son? He doesn¡¯t respect his mother at all.¡± Julia looked at

    Gordon helplessly and asked for his help.

    Gordon intentionally coughed and said, ¡°Calm down and talk nicely, or Chris will have

    misunderstandings about you. Why don¡¯t you tell him straightaway that you¡¯re here because you¡¯re

    worried about Yvonne? I mean, admitting it isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of.¡±

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m worried about Yvonne? I am not amused that she¡¯s ndered by others and drags the

    Lane family through the mud with her. Besides, I don¡¯t understand why she is so unlucky and has to

    encounter all kinds of unfortunate incidents.¡± Julia blushed, kicked Gordon in frustration, and turned

    away.

    Meanwhile, I felt touched upon hearing it. Although Julia disliked me, she remembered that I saved

    Christopher once and was still grateful for it.

    We were startled once our eyes met. I came to my senses and greeted Julia. However, she merely

    sneered and looked away, pretending that she didn¡¯t hear it.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Unperturbed, I apologized to Darius. ¡°Darius, I¡¯m so sorry for troubling you. It was all my fault. Chris

    beat the journalist because of me.¡±

    ¡°No worries. It was just a trivial matter. The journalist was sent by our enemy to create trouble.¡± Darius

    shed me a warm smile, waved his hand, and continued, ¡°Initially, our enemy will grab the chance to

    attack us because Chris beat the journalist. However, everyone shifted the focus toward you because

    of your deration.¡±

    ¡°Is that true?¡± I blinked my eyes and gazed at him in disbelief. Back then, I wanted to stop the journalist

    from ndering Christophe; nheless, I ended up mustering my courage to vent my feelings.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine now. However, the media will spread a lot of unpleasant news and rumors about you. Since

    Natalie has hired a lot of inte trolls to stir cause trouble, I¡¯m sorry that we can¡¯t overturn the situation

    at the moment,¡± Darius exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll stay at home for the time being,¡± I replied smilingly and shook my head.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t stay at home forever. The Lane family will settle this matter as soon as possible. For

    the time being, you should stay here for a few days,¡± Julia made a sinister remark and snickered

    without looking at me.

 Chapter 426

    Chapter 426

    I looked at her, then looked at Christopher. He shrugged at me with a helpless expression, and I burst

    outughing. Julia, who heard myughter turned around, and I immediately covered my mouth and

    looked at her with an innocent face.

    I suddenly realized that Christopher, who was from a wealthy family, did not grow up to be a jerk

    but became an outstanding man because he had very supportive and reliable family members.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    The next few days, I stayed at home and did nothing apart from painting. Sometimes, I would go on

    Twitter, but thements and discussions about me worsened when I looked at the trending page.

    Reading them would only infuriate me, so I closed the website.

    Although I was acting domineering and mighty in the presence of the journalists, I was actually nervous

    and didn¡¯t know what to do at that moment. Ever since Monica ndered me, I was at a disadvantage.

    That said, I had beenbeled as notorious since the time Crystal and Nathan ndered me.

    Now that Crystal made her situation worse, I was affected in the process and became amon

    enemy of most people.

    During the press conference, Crystal said, ¡°I won¡¯t me Yvonne, no matter what she did, because she

    is my cousin. We are from the Tanner family. We grew up together and ate from the same table. We are

    a family. But it was a pity for my unborn child.¡±

    I just smiled after watching the video and didn¡¯t care about it.

    Painting was a dream that I had for more than ten years of my life, but I was forced to give it up. Sadly,

    I had to give up painting because of the tough life I had then. Now, I would pick it up for the sake of

    Christopher.

    After I calmed down, I seemed to have gained more inspiration. I picked up the brush and started

    brandishing, pouring my emotions onto the canvas until I was interrupted by a knock on the door.

    I raised my head and massaged my sore neck. I was about toplete my painting, and I could finish

    the rest in three days. I got more satisfied the more I looked at it, as though I regained all of the passion

    I had lost in a single night. This painting would definitely stand out in the next exhibition.

    Crystal, I await your next move, and I will take back whatever belongs to me. I can face you even

    without Eastsummer and a master.

    ¡°Eve, I know you¡¯re inside. Can you open the door?¡±

    It was Lyle. I frowned as I wondered why he came looking for me at this hour.

    I walked to the door and looked through the peephole; Lyle was outside the door all by himself. Without

    letting him in, I opened the door and asked indifferently, ¡°What is it?¡±

    He was annoyed by the attitude I gave him. ¡°Yvonne, must you speak to me like that?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? You¡¯ve never appreciated the times when I spoke nicely to you.¡±

    Lyle looked like he was about to get angry, but he suppressed his anger after a while, stomped into the

    house, and sat on the couch. He saw that I was painting, and his eyes turned grim. ¡°I warned you not to

    get involved with Christopher, but you didn¡¯t listen. Look what you have be. With his influence, he

    could easily put an end to these rumors, but he did nothing. He doesn¡¯t care about you at all!¡±

    ¡°You came just to tell me this?¡± I despised Lyle for his self-righteousness. ¡°I¡¯m swamped. I have no time

    to waste on you.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, do you still want to be delusional?¡± He pointed his finger at me and shouted. ¡°Do you think

    you can still participate in the art exhibition? Believe it or not, with your current reputation, your painting

    would be thrown to the ground and stepped by everyone. They took down your painting at the

    exhibition today. It would have be scraps of paper if Christopher didn¡¯t have someone take it

    away.

    My eyes twitched as I was reminded of Crystal¡¯s influence on the art exhibition. My heart thumped, but I

    pretended to look calm. ¡°I¡¯m an artist, not a celebrity. My job is to paint, and my art has nothing to do

    with my personality.¡±

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427

    ¡°Yvonne, why are you still so naive even after so many years?¡± He scoffed and smiled disparagingly.

    I was about to chase him out of the house, but my phone suddenly rang. I thought Christopher was

    calling me, but when I rushed to pick up the phone, I heard an unfamiliar voice from a man. ¡°Ms.

    Tanner, due to the fact of your current reputation, you¡¯re no longer qualified to participate in our art

    exhibition. Your work has been delivered back to your home. Please take good care of it.¡±

    The voice was full of ridicule and mockery.

    ¡°Send to my home?¡± I eximed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my painting? Why can¡¯t Ipete?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, are you kidding me? Having someone like you participate in the art exhibition makes

    everyone think it is insulting to have you as a fellow artist.

    I stared at the phone in a daze feeling powerless. There had been scandals of other artists before, and

    those artists just disappeared without a trace.

    At that time, those were remotely irrelevant to me because one must first be a famous artist before a

    scandal could break out. The fact that I had a scandal even before I became an artist seemed funny to

    me.

    Lyle lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. Seeing me petrified with the phone in my hand, he said, ¡°As a

    new school artist, Crystal has an exceptional influence on the newer generation of artists. Now that

    you¡¯re exposed, how could they allow you to participate in thepetition? Even if you do participate,

    they will onlye up with countless nitpicks on your work to remove you from thepetition.¡±

    ¡°So you knew it all along?¡± I took a deep breath. I had always thought that Christopher and I had

    broken through the most challenging hurdle, but it seemed like our journey to happy ever after still had

    a long way to go.

    ¡°What do you think? Spencer and Julian only left Crystal¡¯s ward this morning.¡± Lyle stood up and

    walked to me.

    ¡°So you¡¯re here to ridicule me?

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    I gave him a stern look and said, ¡°Now that you had your fill, and I¡¯m already feeling miserable; what

    else do you want? Do you want to avenge your unborn child by having me dead?¡±

    ¡°Eve!¡± Lyle took a step forward and hugged me from the back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Eve. I can help you. If

    Christopher doesn¡¯t care about you, then I will!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I recalled thest time Lyle assaulted me and stiffened my body to struggle.

    ¡°Eve, I can help you. Please don¡¯t turn me down.¡± Lyle constricted me like a brute, and I was unable to

    move. He rubbed his head on my shoulders, and it gave me goosebumps.

    ¡°Look, Christopher doesn¡¯t even solve such a menial matter for you, which shows that he doesn¡¯t care

    about you at all. If he really cares about you, he won¡¯t let you fall into such a crisis, but he¡¯s nowhere to

    be found. It would be best if you forget about him. As long as you¡¯re willing to give me another chance,

    I will prove that I will be helpful to you. I will rify the matter for you and help you resolve everything. I

    will let everyone know that you are innocent.¡±

    As Lyle spoke, he turned me around to face him. ¡°Please trust me just one more time, okay? Give us

    both a chance. If you agree to dump Christopher and be with me, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want.¡±

    His words sounded familiar. Before I was divorced, Christopher did joke about something simr after

    we had our lovemaking. That was when I finally understood Lyle¡¯s intentions foring over. The trip

    to the deserted ind had affected him, causing his love for Crystal to wane, and he started to cling to

    me again.

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± I scoffed. ¡°If I don¡¯t agree to your terms, will you stand and watch as I burn? And

    help Crystal take me down together?¡±

 Chapter 428

    Chapter 428

    My response stumped Lyle. He let me go and sat back on the couch and lit another cigarette. He

    leisurely smiled and said, ¡°I have presented the way to glory right in front of your eyes. As long as

    you¡¯re willing to be my woman, I¡¯ll give you everything you want. However, if you¡¯re not willing to

    do so, you will be in a situation far worse than what you¡¯re facing right now.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± I shook my head and smiled. When did I be so desirable? He even

    threatened me to make me his woman.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just a suggestion. Eve, I am doing this for you. We were once husband and wife. Come back to

    me and be my wife again; be a loving daughter-inw. You¡¯ll just be returning to where you started.

    That¡¯s all.¡± Lyle turned on the TV casually as he spoke.

    The TV was showing an official news broadcast, and the report was about the incident on how I pushed

    Crystal down the stairs at the hotel. They even showed the screenshot of the hotel video and reported

    it as breaking news.

    Homewrecker Pushes The Actual Wife And Causes A Miscarriage, Almost Killing Two Lives.

    I looked toward Lyle and saw him looking at me with eyes of determination, expecting me to give in. He

    was filled with arrogance, just like when he proposed to me two years ago, waiting for me to go to him.

    That was probably the primary difference between Lyle and Christopher.

    Christopher would never stand and wait for me to go to him. He woulde to me, express his love for

    me, work hard to treat me well, and pamper me.

    ¡°I still remember that you were the one who proposed to me,¡± I said.

    ¡°I will rify with the journalists. I believe Grandma will also be willing to stand up and speak for you,¡±

    Lyle exined.

    I smirked and said to Lyle, ¡°I have three words for you. Take a guess.¡±

    Lyle paused for a moment, and suddenly, he showed a glimmer of excitement and joy in his eyes. He

    rubbed his fingers and said excitedly, ¡°I knew it. You still love me. Come here. Say those three words

    loudly to me now. It will be the most beautiful confession we ever have.¡±

    Lyle opened his arms, weing me into his embrace. I walked toward him, slowly closing in, and the

    smile on his face gradually became brighter and brighter.

    ¡°Eve, when we were on the ind, I was captivated by your kindness and beauty. Your tenacity and

    persistence attracted my love like a ma. I never knew that my wife was such a wonderful woman.

    I¡¯ve regretted countless nights for not treating you better. Fortunately, we still have a chance, I-¡±

    ¡°p!¡± The ringing sound of a p interrupted Lyle.

    Without showing any sympathy, I pped him real hard. Does he think that love can be obtained by

    threatening me? It is toote for regrets now.

    ¡°The three words that I wanted to tell you is¡ªf*ck you assh*le!¡± I smirked and said to him

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lyle was startled by my actions. He rubbed his cheek and was stunned. After a while, he

    raised his arms and wanted to hit me, but I didn¡¯t avoid him and just looked at him coldly.

    However, Lyle ended up not hitting me. He eximed with anger, ¡°Yvonne, know your ce. You will

    regret this. You think you will have a happy ending with Christopher, but it¡¯s impossible. This is thest

    chance I¡¯m giving you. I will marry Crystal at the end of the month. I hope you will not regret it.¡±

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t regret it. I would be relieved if he married Crystal. At least he would stop bugging

    me. I pointed to the door and spoke, mimicking Christopher¡¯s nonchnt expression. ¡°I have three

    more words for you. Do you see the door? Get out now!¡±

    That night, I received a package. It was from the art exhibition. Holding the box, I carefully opened the

    wrapper and took out all of mypeting art. Tears were pooling at the edge of my eyes. My works

    were all destroyed by people, and I couldn¡¯t see their original form anymore.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429

    I expected the package to be my paintings from the exhibition, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be destroyed.

    Apart from the third painting that Christopher took away, the other two were supposed to be collectibles

    to be kept in the gallery for future visitors to admire and copy.

    When I was in university, I saw many entries in thepetition. At that time, I imagined that one day,

    when someone wanted to learn to paint, they would treat my paintings as references and discover their

    inspiration through my paintings.

    When I took the two paintings out of the box, there were in shreds, and as their original painter, I

    couldn¡¯t piece them together. As the saying goes, a battle between women was a battle without

    gunpowder. But this wasn¡¯t a battle; it was simply a disaster for me.

    I carefully held the shredded pieces in my arms and cried silently. Monica and Crystal were so ruthless;

    theypletely destroyed me. If it weren¡¯t for my romantic rtionship with Christopher, probably even

    Christopher would have given up on me.

    I spread out a piece of paper and gathered the broken pieces, attempting to piece them back together.

    After trying for a while, I only managed to piece back a few parts. Everything looked crooked, and I

    scoffed at my ipetence.

    I was terrified and desperate, but I couldn¡¯t vent it out. In the end, nothing changed since the beginning.

    I was still a pitiful soul. The only change that positive change was probably having Christopher in my

    life.

    I didn¡¯t have his support and encouragement five years ago, not even his love. However, I have him

    with me now.

    I kept the paintings locked in the closet and walked to the easel to finish my painting to calm myself

    down. If no one would be willing to look at it, I could paint it for Christopher. He was Key, my confidant,

    and my lover.

    Christopher came home that evening looking tired and saw me sitting at the easel. He walked over to

    hug me and said softly, ¡°Have you been home all day? Did anything happen today?¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    I smiled and shook my head. I didn¡¯t tell him about my disqualification from the art exhibition and the

    fact that Lyle came today. ¡°I¡¯m getting famous now. People will surround me if I go out. I¡¯m not stupid

    enough to do that, so it¡¯s better to stay at home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Bear with it. Give it a few days, and everything will be fine.¡± Christopher held my face and

    kissed me gently on my cheek and then on my lips.

    I kissed him back, and my hand involuntarily wrapped around his neck. At this point, I could only

    remain calm with Christopher by my side.

    He bent over and picked me up and put me on the bed. He kissed my nose, eyes, then mouth, and

    guided me to respond to him. He ran his fingers over my corbone and moved downward.

    I gently grabbed onto his waist, tugged his necktie, and pulled him onto the bed. I turned around and

    sat on him, smiling at him while swinging the bra that I had taken off. ¡°I¡¯m not used to you being too

    restrained recently. Could it be that you¡¯re recuperating?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to recuperate. A good recuperation will keep us steady, am I right?¡± Christopher smiled,

    buried his face in my chest, and moved his hands all over me.

    ¡°So are you done recuperating, lover boy?¡± I gently ran my fingernails over his glistening chest. I

    lowered my eyebrows, exuding allure from my eyes, and my fingers flicked on his belt. ¡°Or do you want

    to continue to hibernate?¡±

    Christopher immediately turned over and pressed me under him, showing me how well he had

    recuperated. I could feel waves of explosion in my lower abdomen. I bit my lip as I sensed the pain

    given to me by Christopher.

    Even if it hurt, it felt good.

    When he reached the deepest part, Christopher suddenly held my face and said in a serious tone,

    ¡°Eve, do you trust me? I won¡¯t make you wait for too long.¡±

    I nodded without hesitation. ¡°My man has always been the strongest being in existence.¡±

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430

    For an extended period, I became very silent. Even with Christopher¡¯s care and affection, my emotions

    didn¡¯t change much. Humans were social animals, so when everyone rejected them, only those with a

    strong heart would not waver.

    I was never someone with a strong will. I would be lying to say that I wasn¡¯t affected by this incident.

    Sometimes, I even felt that I hadn¡¯t made any progresspared to ten years ago. When Crystal

    framed me ten years ago, I was alone and helpless. I knew the truth, but I couldn¡¯t say it out. Now,

    even if I said it, no one would believe me.

    I knew everything had to do with Crystal. I even knew the identity of the person who set me up. But I

    had no way to resolve the situation, and I had no choice but to be manipted by their schemes.

    ¡°Eve,e and see me. I have something to tell you.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t surprised when I received Sharon¡¯s phone call. What she did that day put me in such a

    devastating situation, and it had been going on for almost a month. Additionally, Lyle and Crystal¡¯s

    wedding would be held at the end of the month.

    Whatever was going to happen would happen, and there was no way to prevent it. Sharon must be

    anxious, and she wants to make use of me again.

    ¡°Sharon, I think I¡¯m no longer useful to you. What more can I do for you?¡± I calmly faced my troubles.

    Humans would be resilient when faced with an unfavorable situation. It would also make them

    steady and not be rash.

    ¡°Yvonne,e over. I¡¯m begging you,¡± Sharon pleaded on the other side of the phone.

    I held on to the phone and remained silent for some time before nodding in agreement. ¡°Hang in there.

    I haven¡¯t finished my painting yet. There¡¯s still a little bit left to do. How about tomorrow afternoon? I will

    be free tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Is Sharon looking for you?¡± Christopher popped his head up from theputer.

    ¡°Yes, she wanted to see me!¡± I didn¡¯t know why Sharon was looking for me, but I will never agree to

    whatever she asked this time. All of my respect for her had vanished back when the police took me

    away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I also have some matters to discuss with her.¡± Christopher skillfully tapped his way on the

    keyboard. I didn¡¯t need to look to know that he was arguing with the haters who were ndering me

    online. It was a very naive thing to do, but Christopher was enjoying it, as though it was the only way he

    could vent his anger.

    ¡°What¡¯s there for you to discuss with Sharon?¡± I asked as I was surprised.

    ¡°Just some menial matters that Sharon will definitely agree with.¡± Christopher pointed at the monitor

    and said, ¡°Haha, watch me argue with this guy to the point that he is speechless. He will certainly cry in

    front of hisputer.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°That¡¯s so childish!¡± I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m indeed younger than you, Eve.¡± Christopher took a handkerchief, wiped the paint that I

    identally sttered on my face, and sat me on hisp while hugging me.

    I leaned over and peeked. Initially, I thought everyone was ndering me on theputer.

    Surprisingly, many people were still saying good things about me. There were topics about emotional

    ckmailing and Crystal reaping all the benefits of me and that they were just a bunch of ignorant

    fools.

    What was most interesting was a person named Veracity. He shared a very long post, analyzing my

    affairs in detail.

    Everyone seems to think that Yvonne is a heinous woman. But why do I think otherwise? Look. As the

    eldest daughter of the Tanner family, Yvonne was kicked out of her family when she was eighteen

    years old, but they sent Crystal to Eastsummer to learn painting under a master as a disciple.

    As a new school artist, Crystal indulged in everyone¡¯s admiration, but Yvonne has always been an

    ordinary employee of the Smith family. Naturally, people who didn¡¯t know about it would have the

    impression that Crystal was actually the eldest daughter of the Tanner family.

    Yvonne married Lyle but got a divorce when Crystal came back from Eastsummer. Now that Yvonne is

    with Christopher, Crystal has a miscarriage. Wow, I got the chills just by thinking about it. I have never

    seen such a pitiful eldest daughter and such a heinous person. All of her benefits were taken away by

    Crystal. Are you all stupid or what?

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431

    I read it three times in a row, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. I felt happy and pointed to that post and asked

    Christopher, ¡°Did you hire him to write this? How could someone else know this much detail?¡±

    ¡°I will not use my trump card at such a meaningless ce.¡± Christopher blinked and said, ¡°This is

    someone smart. Not everyone is an idiot. The truth will always be in the hands of the wise.¡±

    Christopher teased me so much that I couldn¡¯t stopughing. If he was trying to cheer me up, he

    certainly did it.

    ¡°You finallyughed!¡± Christopher breathed a sigh of relief and patted my cheek. ¡°You haven¡¯t even

    smiledtely, so I didn¡¯t dare to smile in front of you. Come on, smile again. Let your darling have a

    good look at you smiling.¡±

    I was dumbfounded. I touched my cheek and realized that I had not been smiling a lottely. I didn¡¯t

    know why, but I just didn¡¯t feel like smiling. I bumped my head on Christopher¡¯s chest and showed him

    a bright smile.

    The mansion Sharon stayed in was dedicated to the elderly. The mansion was located on the

    mountainside because they liked to live in a quiet ce. I gently sighed as I stood in front of the familiar

    entrance of the mansion and smelled the faint floral fragrance lingering in the air.

    I never thought that I would be back here again in my life.

    As the morning breeze blew, the flowers in the garden were swaying in the wind. I remembered that I

    nted those flowers when Sharon first moved into the mansion andmented the dull scenery. After

    two years, the garden became a cluster of flowers, and they bloomed all year round.

    When I walked in, Sharon was watering the cactus lilies in the garden. When she saw me, she waved

    her hand at me and said, ¡°You¡¯re here, Yvonne. Quickly, help me water them. These cactus lilies seem

    to be able to recognize people. They didn¡¯t be blooming well until you came. Look.¡±

    ¡°Cactus lilies are very fragile, and it always takes more effort to grow them.¡± I took the sprinkler and

    meticulously hydrated the cactus lilies, then loosened the soil with a shovel.

    ¡°I really loved to look at these flowers. When it blooms, no peonies in this world couldpare to its

    beauty. It is so pure, like the desire in the human heart that will never stop.¡±

    After taking care of the flowers and seeing Sharon trimming the branches of the jasmine; I picked the

    prettiest flower and held it in my hand.

    ¡°I prefer jasmine. They have an elegant fragrance, and they are easier to manage. Just put one in the

    soil, and it will bloom beautifully. Because of their tenacity, they will survive any storms thate in

    their way, just like me.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s hand spasmed and identally snipped off the best-looking flower. She sighed and picked up

    the flower. ¡°What a pity, it¡¯s such a beautiful flower. Molly, take the flower in the house and put it in a

    vase.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for the trouble!¡± I took the flower and arranged it under the jasmine. ¡°The fallen leaves

    return to their roots. It must like it better here.¡±

    Sharon didn¡¯t persist, but she kept staring at me with her cloudy eyes. ¡°Yvonne, are you mad at

    Grandma?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the careless one. So I can¡¯t me anyone else. I will be more careful next time. I have

    learned my lesson.¡± I smiled faintly and looked back at Christopher, who was waiting for me. We learn

    from our mistakes. Even if I don¡¯t, I will still know who treats me well. Isn¡¯t that right?

    Sharon¡¯s expression changed. She was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should say sorry. Yvonne,

    please forgive grandma. My hands are tied as well.¡±

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    I picked a rose and ced it in a vase in the living room in the most visible position. Then, I said

    indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if I forgive you as it makes no difference. You don¡¯t have to be

    obsessed with my answer. You have Lyle as your grandson. It would be best if you put his interest first.

    After all, he is your grandson.¡±

    As for me, I am just an outsider. No matter how close our rtionship is, I would still be an outsider. I

    could see it clearly now. There is nothing more inseparable than the bond of blood.

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432

    In the end, Sharon didn¡¯t mention anything about forgiveness and had us stay for lunch. She brought

    me to the garden to avoid Christopher from listening. ¡°I know that Lyle went to see you. He had always

    been uncertain, but I could feel that he really wanted to start over with you this time. Are you really not

    going to consider it?¡±

    My suppressed anger finally broke out. I stomped on the flowers on the ground until their petals fell off

    and their rhizomes detached. Then, I pointed at the damaged flowers and asked, ¡°Tell me, is it possible

    for these flowers to recover to their original state? If you could change them back to their original form, I

    will promise you anything.¡±

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    Even at this point, Sharon still wanted to use me to stop Lyle from marrying Crystal. Did she really think

    that she could manipte me just because I wasn¡¯t angry?

    ¡°Yvonne¡­¡± Sharon¡¯s lips trembled and finally showed a look of guilt on her face. ¡°You¡¯re still angry with

    me. I never wanted to put you in this position. I just wanted things to go back to the way it was before.

    Back to when the three of us lived happily together.¡±

    I pointed at my face and smirked, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person to be easily deceived. Do you think you

    can get me head over heels and obey you with the small favor and benefits you throw at me? Do I look

    like a fool to you?¡±

    My heart sank. If Sharon didn¡¯t mention anything about this and just left it at the apology, I would at

    least retain a little bit of respect for her. However, she had the audacity to mention the episode where

    Lyle went looking for me.

    I could almost immediately figure out that Sharon was behind everything. First, she made me fall into

    desperation and then made Lyle appear as my savior, forcing me to go back to him. How terrifying

    could she be?

    I realized how stupid and naive I must have been. Everyone around me could manipte me over and

    over again. I was the only one who never thought of using or framing anyone.

    ¡°You have loved Lyle for ten years. I always thought that you would still want to be with him.¡± Sharon

    was at a loss. Her eyes were flickering, and she didn¡¯t dare to look straight at my face.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not steel-hearted. Why should I keep loving a scumbag who doesn¡¯t treat me like a human.¡± I

    yelled and interrupted Sharon. ¡°You have always been an elder who I respect because you¡¯re the only

    person who gave me the warmth. I have always regarded you as someone dear to me. I have always

    wanted to just respect you, love you, and treat you better, but I will no longer do any of that.¡±

    I shook my head vigorously as tears rolled in my eyes. It was painful to be hurt by someone who I

    cared for so much. Why did people who I cared about always end up hurting me?

    ¡°Yvonne, I apologize. Please calm down.¡± Sharon tried to hold my hand, but I shook her away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I shouted. ¡°Your actions are no different from Crystal and Monica. Have you ever

    thought about my feelings? I¡¯m only mad at them for manipting me because I don¡¯t care about them.

    But you, you broke my heart.¡±

    I have been suppressing myself, telling myself not to care or feel sad for the people who have hurt and

    manipted me. However, how could a person retract their feelings so easily after giving them to

    someone? Just like when I finally let go of Lyle after he has hurt me for such a long time. It was just the

    same when I had expectations for Nathan for such a long time, only to be disappointed again and

    again.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, Yvonne no longer wants to talk about the incidents that happened that day. How about we

    change the topic, or I could take Eve home, and I¡¯ll take my time to talk with you about the rest? I will

    slowly settle the score with you.¡± Christopher strode toward us and stood right next to me.

    Seeing that Christopher was here, Sharon didn¡¯t continue to press on the topic. Instead, she said to

    me, ¡°Yvonne, it was all my fault, but it was never my intention to hurt you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433

    I strolled in the garden causally. Meanwhile, Christopher was still chatting with Sharon in the living

    room. Although I did not know what they were talking about, Sharon seemed quite sad. asionally,

    she would look furious, as if she had been angered by Christopher.

    Christopher had the strange ability to provoke others, but make them helpless to do anything to him.

    Even Sharon would lose the upper hand when up against him.

    After standing under the tree for a while, Molly passed a ss of water to me. When she noticed my

    grim and furious expression, she could not help but say, ¡°Mrs. Smith¡­ Sorry, Ms. Tanner, please don¡¯t

    me Old Mrs. Smith. It¡¯s tough for her too. If not for the fact that she¡¯s out of solutions, she wouldn¡¯t

    have thought of you. Crystal¡¯s simply too despicable. She joined forces with the Miller family and got

    dirt on the Smith family about them evading taxes. She even threatened Old Mrs. Smith, who has been

    staying in the hospital for the past few days and was only discharged yesterday. Old Mrs. Smith is

    stuck in a situation too.¡±

    Crystal and Benson had joined forces and gotten dirt on the Smith family. However, I did not

    understand what Crystal was nning to do. ¡°Crystal is going to be married into the Smith family in the

    future. In that case, she¡¯s going to be part of the family. Why is she doing this? Isn¡¯t she helping the

    outsiders instead?¡±

    Molly wiped the tears from her eyes and exined, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the specifics either. After you

    left, Crystal¡¯s been acting extremely arrogant, especially with Mr. Smith backing her up. She has

    humiliated Old Mrs. Smith multiple times, even demanding that she transfers the stocks to her. If it

    weren¡¯t for Old Mrs. Smith¡¯s capabilities, the head of the Smith family might¡¯ve already reced.¡±

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    ¡°What about Lyle? Isn¡¯t he going to do anything about Crystal?¡± I remember that no matter how

    despicable Lyle was, he still cared about the Smith family. After all, the family was his backup. Without

    the family, Lyle would be nothing but a useless Casanova.

    ¡°Mr. Smith¡­¡± Wiping her tears again, Molly sobbed and borated, ¡°He¡¯s beenpletely hoodwinked

    by Crystal and listens to her every word. Initially, Old Mrs. Smith wanted to tell him the truth and expose

    Crystal¡¯s true colors to him. However, Crystal threatened that if Old Mrs. Smith dared to criticize her in

    front of Lyle, she would reveal the evidence that wouldnd the Smith family in trouble and get

    investigated by the authorities.¡±

    Everypany had its own shady activities. Although I was not part of it, I knew that Crystal must have

    gotten her hands on critical evidence that would greatly impact the Smith family.

    I was struggling to understand Crystal. As a woman who is going to be married into the Smith family,

    why is she trying to create such a huge ruckus? Is she not scared that Lyle would stop listening to her

    after everything was exposed? In that case, her life will be miserable.

    Unless¡­ she never cared about the Smith family!

    That thought shed across my mind and my eyes widened. The more I contemted it, the more

    likely it seemed. Crystal did not love Lyle at all but merely enjoyedpeting with me for him just to

    crush me. Everything she did was just to defeat me.

    Sharon disliked Crystal, which meant that she must have discovered her true colors. Otherwise, she

    would not go to such lengths to separate Lyle and Crystal.

    Is Crystal trying to ruin the Smith family and win Lyle over just because I used to love him?

    This was a ridiculous and unrealistic possibility. It was impossible that I was significant enough to

    motivate Crystal to keep targeting me because of the man I used to love.

    However, I had never understood Crystal¡¯s mind. After a passionate night with Christopher, Iy in his

    arms and panted for a long time before regaining my strength.

    With my eyes half-closed, I drew circles on Christopher¡¯s sturdy chest. After a while, he grabbed my

    hands and said, ¡°Stop fidgeting. If you can¡¯t get up tomorrow, you¡¯ll be angry at me again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep!¡± I sat up and said, ¡°Chris, I don¡¯t want Crystal to marry Lyle. She¡¯s too terrifying. I have a

    feeling that she¡¯ll ruin the Smith family. Although Sharon set me up and Lyle bullied me, I don¡¯t want

    Crystal¡¯s ns to seed, nor do I want her to keep up with her arrogant act!¡±

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434

    Christopher got up, leaned against the headboard and took out a cigarette. When he nodded at me, I

    passed him a lighter to light his cigarette. Smelling the faint scent of tobo, I smiled. Although I hated

    it when Lyle smoked, I loved it when Christopher did it.

    Perhaps it was because he looked exceptionally charming when he smoked. His fingers were long and

    well-defined, even more so than that of hand models. With the cigarette hanging between his lips, he

    took a small puff. Smoke lingered in the air while the cigarette glowed faintly, making him look

    extremely alluring.

    ¡°Why would you suddenly think of that?¡± Christopher took a few more puffs of the cigarette before

    kissing me.

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    Leaning against his shoulder, I said softly, ¡°Molly told me some weird things. I have a feeling that

    Crystal will do something horrible. She can¡¯t marry Lyle. No matter what, I still care about Sharon.

    She¡¯s a lonely old woman stuck in a tough situation. Shouldn¡¯t we do something about it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lyle won¡¯t marry Crystal. You¡¯re underestimating Sharon. She¡¯s been the head of the

    Smith family for so many years. Even though Wendy kept kicking up fusses, she still failed to gain any

    power. Do you think that she¡¯ll be bullied by Crystal? Let¡¯s just wait and see,¡± reassured Christopher

    with a smile as he poked my forehead gently.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m the only one who can get bullied.¡± I shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m a dumb girl, while all of you are

    such cunning maniptors.¡±

    Christopher lifted my chin and scrutinized me before pinching my chest. Despite the amused look in his

    eyes, he still feigned a serious look and said, ¡°Yeah, when you were growing, everything went to your

    chests. I like it.¡±

    I pped his hands away and yelled, ¡°Stop being a shameless rascal!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this to my wife, so it¡¯s fine,¡± Christopher smirked wickedly and buried his face in my chest.

    After a while, he raised his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m responsible for earning money, while you¡¯re responsible

    for looking pretty. Isn¡¯t that good?¡±

    I kicked him, turned around and snorted unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now!¡±

    ¡°Fine! You can sleep while I continue,¡± said Christopher.

    Continue with what? I was still thinking about hisment when he moved closer to me. Even though

    we had just done it earlier, he was still unsatisfied.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just do it? You haven¡¯t even rested for three minutes. Get off me!¡± Feigning anger, I turned

    around and chided him.

    Grabbing that opportunity, he held my head and kissed me. He loved hugging me from behind. Every

    time we did this, he would be exceptionally excited.

    While he panted, he said, ¡°We only did it once that night when we met. A normal man has to do it twice

    after a break.¡±

    Fine, he¡¯s right. I had no choice but to stay in that awkward position while he thrust himself into me.

    While I kissed him, my mind wandered to other irrelevant thoughts. However, when Christopher

    discovered that I was daydreaming, he taught me a good lesson.

    Unable to think about anything else, I could only ept his familiar advances.

    It was already deep into the night. With our limbs entangled on the bed, a passionate night ensued.

    In the middle of the night, I was jolted awake from my dream again. The nightmares kept guing my

    sleep, even though Christopher was right beside me.

    I must be too stressed recently. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and saw Christopher sleeping soundly.

    Stepping on the floor with my bare feet, I walked to the closet, opened it and took out the paintings.

    When I had nothing to do, I would put the scraps together. After a while, the final painting was starting

    to take shape. I tidied the remaining scraps and started to piece them together.

    Luckily, those people only tore the painting apart and did not dye them into a different color. Unknown

    to me, Christopher suddenly opened his eyes and nced at me.

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435

    When I woke up in the morning, I thought that Christopher had already left. Walking into the living room

    in a daze, I realized that Christopher was standing in front of the easel and staring at my painting.

    There was an ashtray beside him that contained a few cigarettes. It was obvious that he had been

    standing there for a long while already.

    Walking over, I nced at the almostpleted painting and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at this for so

    long? Didn¡¯t you see it yesterday already?¡±

    ¡°Of course I have to admire your painting properly. Didn¡¯t you love to take pictures of your paintings and

    email them to me in the past? You¡¯d even ask for my opinion. Now that I¡¯m by your side, why have you

    stopped doing that?¡± asked Christopher calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

    I raised my hand and touched the dried oil painting. Back then, Key was my confidante. Now that Key

    had be Christopher, my past habits were starting to disappear. It was probably because our minds

    were connected.

    I spent more than a month on the painting. Unfortunately, no one but Christopher could admire it now.

    I asked, ¡°Do you have anything to say about it?¡±

    Christopher cleared his throat. Stroking his chin, he contemted for a while before pointing at the

    painting. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. While the blending andyering of your previous two paintings seemed quite

    lacking, this painting was much better. It has the beautiful strokes of your Autumnal Panorama.

    Congrattions! You¡¯ve found your skills from six years ago.¡±

    Unfortunately, even though I had regained my skills, I was once again confronted by a difficult situation.

    The previous time, I had no choice but to give up. This time, despite being unwilling to give up, I had no

    choice but to ept my fate.

    Sometimes, I felt that I was quite pathetic. No matter how much I tried, I would still lose what I wanted.

    What I wished for was always very different from what I got in reality. Good things only went to others,

    while I could only watch on helplessly.

    ¡°This is great news! Why don¡¯t I draw a portrait for you?¡± I smiled and asked.

    ¡°Okay, I want you to draw us both together.¡± Christopher immediately agreed and said solemnly, ¡°Make

    me look better. In your previous painting, I looked so ugly. I¡¯m not happy.¡±

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    ¡°Sure, I definitely portray all of your handsomeness,¡± I said exasperatedly. No matter how skilled one

    was, no one could capture Christopher¡¯s charisma. He was just so perfect and charming.

    ¡°Can you give me this painting? I like it a lot,¡± asked Christopher as he pointed at it.

    ¡°Give it to you?¡± I blinked and said, ¡°Sure, since you¡¯re my only audience. Remember to frame it and

    hang it at a spot you deem most appropriate. Bring me there to see it too!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡±

    Time passed without a trace. Soon, it was the end of the month. On the day of Lyle and Crystal¡¯s

    wedding, Lyle called me early in the morning and bragged, ¡°Eve, I¡¯m going to marry Crystal today.

    Remember to attend our wedding on time!¡±

    My resentment for him intensified. How did I fall in love with such a petty man like Lyle back then? No

    wonder he likes Crystal. Indeed, birds of a feather flock together.

    ¡°If I don¡¯te, are you going to throw shade on me during your wedding? In that case, you can make

    her even more famous. That¡¯ll be the cherry on top, huh?¡± I said coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re smart, so you¡¯ll definitely know what I¡¯m trying to say. After today, you don¡¯t even have the right

    to regret it. Are you sure that you won¡¯t change your mind? This is yourst chance,¡± said Lyle

    arrogantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t need such a chance. If you¡¯re free, you should show more care to your future wife.

    Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show up at your wedding punctually.¡±

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436

    I hung the call, feeling pity for Sharon. Lyle was a reckless man who did not care about others¡¯

    opinions. All he cared about was his own happiness. He only married Crystal to anger me.

    Is marriage nothing but child¡¯s y to them?

    If possible, I only wanted to marry once and love one man until the end of my life.

    As Christopher had an important meeting in the morning, he did not have time to choose a gown with

    me. He ordered Sabrina and Zachary to apany me instead. I was amused by how seriously he

    was treating this.

    Afterying out a bunch of luxurious gowns in front of me, Sabrina told me to pick the most beautiful

    one that suited me best. Exasperated, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so dramatic, right? I¡¯m attending

    someone else¡¯s wedding, not mine.¡±

    She mmed the table and pointed at the gowns. ¡°Listen to me, Yvonne. Pick a gown that suits you.

    You must try everything without leaving a single one out. I¡¯ve hired a designer to choose your outfit and

    a make-up artist for you. You must make a grand entrance at the wedding and stun everyone with your

    beauty!¡±

    Scratching my head, I replied helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m there to attend the wedding, not to ruin it.¡± I already have

    a notorious name. There would definitely be journalists present at Crystal¡¯s wedding, so if I dressed up

    too extravagantly, they might write something out of context.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I keep a low profile now? Everyone already hates me so much, yet you¡¯re trying to make me

    stand out even more. The entire nation will know me and I¡¯ll be even more famous than the top

    celebrities.¡±

    ¡°Keep a low profile? No way! You already said that everyone hates you, so people will still notice you

    even if you keep a low profile. Change your clothes now! Don¡¯t forget who the bride is. Since it¡¯s

    Crystal¡¯s wedding, you better outdo her and let everyone see how beautiful you are. That way, you can

    avenge me too.¡±

    Sabrina stroked her t stomach and spat furiously, ¡°When I see Crystal¡¯s annoying face, I wish for

    nothing more than to p her. Only then will my anger dissipate.¡±

    ¡°Should I just ruin their wedding and stop Crystal from marrying Lyle? I think that¡¯ll be better. After all,

    none of us like her,¡± I asked in a sarcastic tone.

    Sabrina pped her hands and agreed, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Eve. Do you have any ns? Tell me

    secretly! I¡¯ll definitely agree wholeheartedly and help you at the crucial moment. I¡¯ll do just what you ask

    me to.¡±

    Looking at Sabrina¡¯s excitement, I shot a pleading gaze at Zachary, hoping that he would drag her

    away and allow me to pick a less shy gown. However, he was unwilling to cooperate at all. In fact, he

    said seriously, ¡°Sir instructed me to ensure that you pick the most beautiful gown. Since this is my task,

    I have toplete it.¡±

    I was so mad that I wanted to faint. Can¡¯t they be less uptight?

    ¡°Sabby!¡± I tried to convince Sabrina to give up.

    ¡°Someone help me take off her clothes!¡± She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Immediately, two

    servants came and dragged me to the changing room.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch me! These are my clothes! Zachary, aren¡¯t you going to restrain your wife?¡± I

    eximed as I tried to evade the rest.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll follow everything Sabby says,¡± replied Zachary calmly. He even added, ¡°Since this is what Sabby

    and Sir instructed me to do, I¡¯ll have to do it. If you refuse to cooperate, I¡¯ll summon some of my female

    colleagues over. They would definitely be willing to help Sir out.¡±

    A female soldier from the special forces changing clothes for me? That¡¯s too intense!

    While everyone fussed over me, I was so hungry that my stomach grumbled. Finally, I was allowed to

    leave the room and I walked out embarrassedly. The gown was so revealing that it was as if I was not

    wearing anything. It was almost against my principles to wear it.

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437

    I stood in front of the mirror,pletely stunned by the work the stylist had done on me. This was not

    the first time I got a makeover from a stylist, but my hairstyle today waspletely different from

    anything I had done before, yet it fullyplimented my makeup. The makeup artist had done an

    excellent job bringing out my best features.

    I instantly fell in love with my new look¡ª refreshingly sweet with just enough hint of sexiness in this

    attire. I didn¡¯t remember looking this beautiful in my life, not even on the day Lyle and I got married.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a walk outside and have some afternoon tea while waiting for my idol toe and

    pick you up for that party. You¡¯ll definitely be able to show off to that so-called new school artist with

    your nice set of knockers,¡± Sabrina said while giving my chest a little squeeze, and then did the same

    on hers. ¡°Maybe with some luck, mine will start growing again.¡±

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    Rolling my eyes, I smacked Sabrina¡¯s hand off my chest. It was ridiculous to think that I would use the

    advantage of my body to show Crystal up. All I wanted to do was to wear something appropriate while

    keeping a low profile when attending the wedding ceremony. Besides, I was curious about

    Christopher¡¯s cryptic prophecy that the wedding was doomed to fail.

    The man is so sure that the wedding ceremony is going to fall apart. I wonder how things are going to

    unfold at the wedding.

    Feeling people¡¯s gazes on me, I bent forward slightly in an attempt to mask my bosom. It wasn¡¯t my

    fault that I was gifted in such a way that pleased Christopher to no end. Whenever we were in bed

    together, he wouldment that God was wise to have blessed my chest instead of my brain.

    ¡°Yvonne Tanner?¡± Monica¡¯s voice rang from behind.

    I turned around and met with Monica, who was standing next to Crystal. Didn¡¯t Crystal just leave this

    ce not long ago? And now she¡¯s teamed up with Monica? That¡¯s strange. I suppose my enemy¡¯s

    enemy is my friend. Now that they have befriended each other, there will be plenty for them to talk

    about, such as devising ns to set me up.

    I narrowed my eyes and forced a smile. ¡°Ms. Martin, I didn¡¯t know you and Crystal are friends. But I

    guess it¡¯s no surprise. Birds of the same feathers flock together, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not entirely wrong, Ms. Tanner. Crystal and I are friends because we are both winners. On the

    other hand, a loser will always be losers,¡± Monica spoke softly, yet it was apparent she was taking a

    stab at me.

    ¡°Loser?¡± I smiled sarcastically. Perhaps I really am a loser, or my life wouldn¡¯t have been turned upside

    down by these people.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Martin. For someone who had carefully calcted her every move to scheme against

    others and ended up exposing herself and hurting those who care about her, you would know that

    better than anyone else, wouldn¡¯t you? So, tell me, how does it feel being dethroned like that all of a

    sudden?¡±

    I was in no mood and had no need to be on friendly terms with someone who had conceived such an

    borated and evil n to take Christopher away from me. It still frightened me to think that the

    woman had nearly seeded in doing that.

    I was fortunate enough to be with someone who was so stubbornly in love with me. If it wasn¡¯t for

    Christopher, I would probably be only finding my way back from a rural town right now, only to find out

    Christopher had already married Monica.

    Monica¡¯s expression darkened in the next instance. She gritted her teeth while giving me the death

    stare. ¡°It¡¯s still too soon to judge, Ms. Tanner. You think just because my n has failed, you have

    nothing else to worry about being with Chris? Don¡¯t be so naive. You¡¯re in such a dumpster that even

    Julia doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re worth her while. But I know her best. I can bet you anything there¡¯s no way

    she will ept you as her daughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, Chris still belongs to me, doesn¡¯t he?¡± It wasn¡¯t my usual style to talk in such a

    boastful manner. But since the subject was Monica, I found it unusually fulfilling to publicly ridicule her.

    ¡°You can dere victory all you want, but don¡¯t forget that your public image is as good as in the gutter

    right now. Everyone in Avenport knows you to be a vicious and maniptive woman. I¡¯ve destroyed not

    only your reputation but also your career prospect. At any rate, I think my n has worked out nicely.¡±

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438

    ¡°Your n did work out well. You and Crystal had indeed put up a good show,¡± I replied with a polite

    smile. Frankly, I didn¡¯t think anyone else in my position could stillugh. But knowing that Christopher

    would always be by my side, everything else just seemed pale inparison.

    ¡°You were going to have a loving and caring motherly figure in your life. Let me ask you, is it worth it to

    have thrown it all away?¡± I had always cherished everyone who cared about me; hence, I could never

    understand people like Monica who was extremely maniptive and would take people¡¯s love for

    granted.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need to answer to you. I¡¯ll just wait and see how you¡¯re going to handle this,¡± Monica

    retorted. She then pointed at the television and added, ¡°I suppose you have been avoiding the news.

    Oh well, even if you haven¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it, is there?¡±

    ¡°My goodness! What a vicious woman! I can¡¯t believe I used to sing praises about you being the

    goddess in our circle. At the end of the day, you¡¯re just another two-faced vixen. Such a waste for the

    good look you¡¯ve been blessed with,¡± Sabrina¡¯s voice rang as she stormed in from the door and

    stopped next to me.

    Crossing her arms, she continued to re at Monica. ¡°Do your family members know that you¡¯re such a

    pretentious hypocrite? You told everyone you attempted suicide for love. I think it¡¯s fitting that you

    should end up being alone. My idol is a clever man, that¡¯s why he can easily see through your

    pretense. Get the hell out of here before things get ugly.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, my advice for you is to carefully select your friends. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed your family

    business has taken a beating recently because of your close association with Ms. Tanner. Make the

    wise decision and distance yourself from her if you don¡¯t wish to be ostracized by your circle of friends

    and for the sake of your family business.¡± Monica leaned on the sofa. Her upper lip curled in disdain.

    At that moment, Monica and Crystal shared the exact same look on their faces as they red at me,

    theirmon object of scorn.

    I, on the other hand, was still trying to digest the information that was dumped on me by Monica. I didn¡¯t

    know that the Zimmers¡¯ family business was affected because of Sabrina¡¯s close rtionship with

    me. Someone must have been pulling the strings behind the scenes.

    I thought about what happened to the Smiths¡¯ family business and suddenly everything became clear

    as day. ¡°It¡¯s you and Crystal. What have you guys done?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Of course to take back everything that belongs to us.¡± Monica wiped her hands

    clean with a napkin. Elegant andposed, the woman slowly got up from her seat and let out a

    charming smile. ¡°Yvonne Tanner, let me ask you something. What do you think Christopher would do if

    he were to choose between you and profit gains?¡±

    What kind of options are these? I¡¯m certain that Christopher would not participate in such a demeaning

    game. But if he were to choose, I¡¯m positive that I am his only option, without question. Not because

    I¡¯m overly confident of myself, but I have total faith in him.

    ¡°You know what, now I get why you two get along so well. Crystal, too, used to ask me the same

    question about Lyle in the past. Want to guess what my answer to her was?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    I found Monica to be fascinating. She would easily lose her cool and get worked up when there were

    just the two of us. But as the parties to a conversation increased, so was her patience. Monica turned

    to me and slowly spoke, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. You are so confident that Christopher would

    choose you over profits. Truth be told, I think so too. But, what if the circumstances change, and he is

    now having to choose between you and his family?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t prepared to answer such a loaded and meaningless question. Not long ago, there was a

    popr hypothetical question circted on the inte¡ªIf your mother and wife fell into the river at the

    same time, who would you save first? Monica¡¯s question was not unlike this one. I shuddered to think

    what would happen if things dide to that.

    Instead of answering her question, I gathered myself and replied to her with another question, ¡°Are you

    suggesting that you would use some benefits as bait to keep your loved one by your side? Can¡¯t you

    see how ridiculous that is?¡±

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439

    ¡°Compared to seeing you in despair, it doesn¡¯t really matter if my way looks ridiculous.¡± After finishing

    her tea, Monica was now straightening her dress. She looked as beautiful as a paintinging to life.

    Only if the beautiful woman would stop attacking people with her words.

    ¡°Hey, you! Can you hear all the nonsense that you¡¯re talking about? Do you not see how insanely

    arrogant you are?¡± Sabrina couldn¡¯t contain herself and blurted.

    I gave the woman a little nudge and was about to say something when we were all disrupted by a

    familiar sound of car engine. Together, we turned toward the source of the sound and saw a red

    Maserati pulling up at the entrance.

    Before long, a pair of long legs stepped out of the car, followed by Christopher¡¯s handsome and

    perfectly symmetrical face. He was wearing a set of white suit, which gave out a different air than the

    usual ck ones.

    The white suit evened out his sharp but charming facial features. His slightly curled-up lips made him

    look more warm and approachable than usual.

    With his hands tucked in his pockets, the man strode toward my direction and stopped at about a yard

    away from me. A glint of delight shed across Christopher¡¯s eyes as hisser vision lingered on me.

    Embarrassed, I squirmed slightly and said softly, ¡°What are you looking at? Do you not recognize me?¡±

    The man suddenly took a big step forward, picked me up, and then swirled one round on the spot

    before he happily replied, ¡°You¡¯re exactly right! Who is this beautiful woman? I must make you my

    wife!¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. Put me down, Chris. We¡¯re in a public ce. People are watching.¡± I pounded lightly on his

    back while carefully holding onto his neck and shoulder.

    Christopher carefully put me back onto my chair, but his eyes were still glued to me. He raised an

    eyebrow and feigned a sigh. ¡°Gosh, now I feel very conflicted.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hisment made me feel self-conscious and started checking if something was

    wrong with my dress.

    The next thing I knew, Christopher took off his coat and covered me up. ¡°You look so beautiful I¡¯m not

    sure if I want others to see you this evening. I¡¯m getting jealous. I should be the only one who gets to

    see this side of you. Should I let you go to the wedding looking so smoking hot?¡± the man pondered out

    loud.

    Urgh! So this was his so-called worry. I rolled my eyes at him in response.

    ¡°Chris!¡± Monica finally interrupted. She had been watching my interactions with Christopher with her

    vengeful eyes.

    As though just realizing her presence, Christopher turned around and replied tly, ¡°Oh it¡¯s you,

    Monica. Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Chris, I er¡­ I mean, will you be my date to the wedding ceremony this evening?¡± Monica stammered.

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m with Eve. If you¡¯re in need of a date, I¡¯m sure Spencer will be thrilled to fill in that

    role.¡± Christopher held my hand and let out a polite smile.

    Monica was taken aback by the man¡¯s indifferent response. ¡°Chris, I know I had rejected you all those

    years back. But I was too young and stupid then. It¡¯s been twelve years now. You¡¯re not still mad at me,

    are you?¡± she desperately pleaded.

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    ¡°Ms. Martin, enough is enough. I think you¡¯d better stop here before you cross the line.¡± Christopher¡¯s

    expression darkened instantly. A chilling glint shed across the man¡¯s eyes.

    Monica felt a shiver down her spine and immediately stopped talking. She appeared to be stung by

    Christopher addressing her as Ms. Martin. Instead, the woman gave Christopher the wounded look.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be leaving now. See you!¡±

    On our way to the wedding reception, I couldn¡¯t help but feel troubled by my conversation with Monica

    earlier. I had a constant feeling that she was hatching some sort of malicious n. Therefore I

    recounted our conversation to Christopher. ¡°Chris, do you think the Martins are nning something

    against your family?¡±

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    Christopher was amused when he looked at my glum expression as though the world was falling apart.

    To lighten the mood, he made a face and poked softly at my cheek. I smacked his hand and said

    anxiously, ¡°Stop being silly! Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m worried?¡±

    The man smiled slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I have everything under control. You¡¯ve overestimated Monica¡¯s

    capability. She can¡¯t even get to Darius, let alone me. For now, you just need to sit back, rx, and

    follow your dear husband¡¯s lead for the evening.¡±

    Lyle and I had our wedding ceremony at the Smith household. Maybe that was why Crystal insisted to

    have the wedding held at a big hotel. Perhaps she had considered having the ceremony at the Tanner

    residence. However, she was not a Tanner, after all. People might mistake Yvette as the bride instead.

    As we walked toward the hotel entrance, I saw an emotionless Lyle standing stiffly to greet his guests.

    There was not a trace of joy on his face. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he had insisted on marrying

    Crystal when there was not an ounce of love left between them.

    Is this all because he wants to get back at me?

    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Smith. You finally got your wish granted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hats off to you, Mr. Smith, for marrying the much-adted new school artist. Although the

    way Crystal has treated her cousin as a stepping stone was questionable, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind that,

    as your family has benefited immensely out of it too.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Crystal is such a beautiful bride. But unfortunately, this is someone who is prone to

    backstabbing. If it wasn¡¯t for Sabrina, I would have given her a piece of my mind on the wedding.¡±

    These greetings sounded strange to me. On closer look, I recognized them to be Sabrina and

    Zachary¡¯s fathers. No wonder they had wrapped their greetings in a form of sarcasticments. Lyle,

    being the host, had no choice but to y along despite being infuriated.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    I looked to another side and saw Sabrina and Zachary getting out of their car. What a matching couple

    ¡ªone is calm and reserved, the other bubbly and sociable. Zachary walked up to Lyle and uttered

    coldly, ¡°Congrattions. Just so you know, we have not forgotten the special gift that Ms. Yates had

    given to us on our wedding day.¡±

    Sabrina, on the other hand, was a lot morebative. ¡°Given how Crystal had crashed our wedding,

    the woman has the audacity to invite us to her own wedding. How do you think we should repay her?

    Maybe I should just announce that you¡¯re not the groom. What do you think of that?¡±

    Lyle¡¯s expression darkened. He only learned of what happened at that wedding the next day. Frankly,

    he found it shocking that Crystal and Benjamin were capable of carrying out such a thing. Even though

    he was not part of the wedding-crashing party, he had to share the me.

    ¡°That¡¯s funny. If I¡¯m not the groom, then who is? Zachary?¡± Lyle scoffed. ¡°Sabrina, may I remind you

    that you¡¯re a pregnant woman now? I suggest you spend more time looking after yourself than nning

    any funny business on my wedding day.¡±

    Lyle is still the same vicious man who always knows where his opponent¡¯s soft spot is. I finally got out

    of the car with Christopher and walked toward him. We stopped in front of Lyle and I handed him an

    exquisite gift box. ¡°Congrattions,¡± I said tly.

    ¡°Yvonne.¡± Lyle shot me a re as he took over the gift box, denting the corner of it as he was holding it

    with excessive force.

    Wendy, who was greeting other guests on the other side, took notice of my appearance and let out a

    prating wail of woe. ¡°Yvonne Tanner! How dare of you to show your face here?¡±

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    Chapter 441

    Wendy had a hot temper and always saw Crystal as her daughter-inw. To her, I was nothing but a

    caregiver in charge of looking after Lyle.

    As if she had seen something terrifying, she was screaming at the top of her lungs and shoving

    everyone around her aside as she made her way toward me. ¡°Because of you, Crystal has lost her

    child, and I have lost my grandson! How dare you show your face here, Yvonne? You b*tch, are you

    here to screw up the wedding? I won¡¯t let you have your way!¡±

    Why does she always think that I¡¯m trying to hurt or sabotage someone when the real viin has been

    right beside her the whole time? With that in mind, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Wendy was suffering

    from persecutory delusion.

    ¡°Mom, the wedding is about to start, and we¡¯ve still got a lot of guests to greet,¡± Lyle interrupted her.

    Back then, he would¡¯ve taken her side and joined her in insulting me without any hesitation, but that no

    longer seemed to be the case.

    ¡°To hell with greeting them! I¡¯m telling you, Yvonne is nothing but trouble! I mean, look at how she¡¯s still

    hanging around you after being with Christopher! I bet she¡¯s up to no good showing up here today.

    Make sure to keep her out of the hall, or she¡¯ll bring bad luck to both of you! Honestly, I would¡¯ve kicked

    her a*s if it weren¡¯t your big day today!¡± Wendy shouted with her finger pointed at me.

    Had Christopher not been standing next to me at the time, her nails would probably have jabbed into

    my forehead by now.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°My apologies. You see, I wasn¡¯t nning oning either, but your son came to me a few days ago.

    He told me he was going to get married and wanted to discuss with me what I should give him as a

    wedding gift. It¡¯d be rude to refuse his sincere invitation now, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± I said while handing

    Wendy the wedding invitation that Lyle and Crystal gave me.

    After that, I simply kept quiet and waited to see what else she would say to me.

    Wendy nced at the invitations before looking at Lyle in shock. ¡°Why¡¯d you invite her? Have you not

    had enough trouble from her as it is? Your son is dead because of her! The Lane family¡¯s powerful

    influence is the only thing keeping her out of prison right now!¡±

    There were a lot of people at the entrance of the hotel, and Wendy¡¯s actions were attracting a lot of

    attention from them. Some of them were pointing fingers at me and making fun of us. Seriously, does

    the word ¡°discreet¡± mean anything to Wendy at all? It¡¯s no wonder Sharon doesn¡¯t like her either! She

    doesn¡¯t know when to stop!

    There was a look of surprise in Lyle¡¯s eyes when he saw my makeup, but it quickly faded when he saw

    Christopher standing right next to me. ¡°She¡¯s my ex-wife. It¡¯s only natural that I have her watch me get

    married, right?¡±

    Unsure of what Lyle was ying at, Wendy shot me a threatening re and said, ¡°You¡¯d better get the

    hell out of here, Yvonne! I¡¯ll skin you alive if you dare ruin my son¡¯s wedding! A homewrecker like you

    has no right to attend the wedding of your ex-husband! You¡¯d better stay away from Lyle if you know

    what¡¯s good for you!¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Christopher let out a snicker all of a sudden. He then wrapped an arm around my waist as he

    said with a chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Mrs. Smith! Why would Eve want to go back to Lyle when she

    has me?¡±

    Sabrina chimed in as well, ¡°I know, right? Do you really think praising your son is going to hide how

    much of a scumbag he is? Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten why he married Eve back then, right? You may

    have gotten so used to twisting the facts to your liking, but we haven¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°An outsider like you should stay the hell out of our family business, Ms. Zimmer!¡± Like a hen protecting

    its chicks, Wendy blocked the entrance with outstretched arms and refused to let me in no matter what.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, Mom. It¡¯s rude to behave like this in public.¡± Lyle then looked at me as he continued,

    ¡°Besides, having her watch me get married is the best way to make her give up! Wouldn¡¯t you agree,

    Mom?¡±

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    Chapter 442

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the excuse Lyle came up with because I knew the real reason he had

    invited me. He was unhappy that I wasn¡¯t threatened by him being with Crystal, so he wanted me to

    see him marry her and live a happy life together. He thought it would make me regret leaving him, but

    he had no idea how happy I was being with Christopher.

    He didn¡¯t know how well Christopher treated me nor how much he would spoil me. While I was indeed

    in a pinch at the time, I knew very well that it was only temporary, and that things would change for the

    better.

    After Lyle and Wendy had gone back inside, I winked at Christopher and made an ushering motion.

    ¡°Lyle said he wants to make me give up on him! Should I go in and take a good long look at him getting

    married?¡±

    ¡°Of course you should! Make sure you burn that image into your head so I can rest assured!¡±

    Christopher replied as he took my arm and motioned at me to walk ahead.

    Noticing the camera shes through the corner of my eye, I frowned as I saw a lot of journalists around

    the hotel. Why are there journalists here? Is it because of my recent drama with Crystal and Monica?

    The press was highly capable of twisting the facts and making people believe their lies. Having

    experienced that first hand, I knew just how devastating false rumors could be and was really afraid of

    them.

    ¡°Why have you stopped?¡± Christopher asked.

    I pointed in the direction of the journalists and said, ¡°See those journalists over there? I bet they¡¯re

    going to sneak into the weddingter!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be so busy when the wedding starts that they won¡¯t have time for you at all.¡±

    Busy? Is something big going to happenter? Wait, Christopher once told me it was impossible for

    Lyle and Crystal to get married. I wonder why¡­ Hmm, what did he and Sharon talk about the other

    day? Why were they being so secretive about it?

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    As we made our way toward the hall, some of the guests came over to greet Christopher. Of course,

    they made sure to greet me as well, but I could feel the obvious disdain in their tone.

    Once a woman was branded as a homewrecker, she would have an incredibly hard time in this

    industry. This was evident with how people have dared criticize me publicly despite Christopher¡¯s high

    social status.

    Gordon, Julia, and Darius entered the hall shortly after we did. Given the nature of their identity, having

    just one of them attend the Smith family¡¯s wedding would¡¯ve sufficed. As such, the three of them

    showing up at the same time drew quite a lot of attention, and we had no choice but to go greet them.

    As we were all in public, Julia epted my regards with a polite smile on her face. When it was time for

    us to be seated, she quickly walked up to us and smacked Christopher¡¯s hand off mine before sitting

    down between us. ¡°I like this seat. It has a great view of the ceremony.¡±

    Um¡­ Okay¡­ What else can I say, right?

    Realizing that his seat had been taken, Christopher got up to swap ces with Gordon, but Gordon

    simply shook his head and mouthed at him, ¡°Just bear with it.¡±

    Being a former governor, Gordon was both a great father and a loving husband who managed all his

    family rtionships really well.

    I pursed my lips and smiled as I helped pour them some tea. Having changed her clothes, Monica

    came over all of a sudden. Her eyes lit up when she saw me sitting next to Julia, and she made her

    way over as she said, ¡°We have a lot of empty seats at our table, Julia! Would you like to sit with us

    instead?¡±

    ¡°No, I prefer it here. Don¡¯t worry, the Smiths will arrange for people to fill up those empty seats at your

    table.¡±

    ¡°But, Julia¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, now¡­ The ceremony is starting soon, and everyone else is already seated. It¡¯d be rude to stand

    here like this, so you should hurry on back to your table! Mr. Martin is waiting for you!¡±

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    Chapter 443

    ¡°Chris?¡± Monica was clearly upset by Julia¡¯s response, and I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the saddened

    look on her face.

    Had Monica not drugged Christopher when she was trying to get at me back then, Julia would

    undoubtedly be our biggest obstacle as she always takes Monica¡¯s side. Monica had better not pick a

    fight with me, or things are going to get really nasty! Unlike everyone else, I won¡¯t go easy on her just

    because we¡¯re in public! Julia will probably get upset as a result, but I must stand my ground or

    Christopher will get angry!

    I thought to myself and acted like I was invisible as I sipped on my tea.

    Christopher frowned as he swapped my cold cup of tea for a hot one before turning toward Monica.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Monica pursed her lips, and her eyes began to tear up.

    Unable to stand her antics anymore, Mitchell moved toward the empty seat next to Christopher and

    waved at Monica as he said, ¡°All right, you can sit here if you want. We¡¯ve got some room left at this

    table.¡±

    Julia simply nced at them without saying anything.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane is being cold toward Monica? That¡¯s strange¡­ I thought the Lane family and the Martin

    family were determined to be connected by marriage!¡±

    ¡°I know, right? I see Mrs. Lane is being really nice to Yvonne! Heck, she even chose to sit next to her!

    Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ Yvonne sure is something else, being able to win Mrs. Lane over so quickly! The Martin

    family is in for a tough fight!¡±

    ¡°There is a lot of weird stuff going on this year! I mean, why would Mrs. Lane be so nice to someone

    who would even harm a pregnant woman? There¡¯s definitely more to this than meets the eye!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    The little drama at our table had quickly drawn the attention of the guests around us, and I could hear

    them talking about us even though it was noisy in the hall. I then decided to keep my head low and

    pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything. Sitting beside me, Julia stared at both Monica and me before letting out

    a sigh.

    She¡¯s probablyparing the two of us and feels conflicted over her disappointment in Monica and her

    dissatisfaction toward me¡­ Well, I¡¯m feeling conflicted too! Lyle has been ring daggers at me every

    now and then while greeting the guests, and it¡¯s sending chills down my spine! I feel like I¡¯m being

    targeted by a venomous snake or something poisonous! On top of that, Monica and Mitchell are also

    staring at me from time to time! If looks could kill, I would¡¯ve died ten times over by now!

    Suddenly, Christopher held a candy up to my face and said with a smile, ¡°Here, have a candy. It¡¯s

    sweet and tastes pretty good!¡±

    His actions got even more people staring at me, and I was blushing hard from the attention as I didn¡¯t

    know whether I should eat it or not.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Julia cleared her throat loudly and snatched the candy from his hand as she said, ¡°You can eat

    all the candy you want when you¡¯re home! You¡¯re both adults, so quit acting all lovey-dovey in public!

    Have you no shame?¡±

    Christopher then quickly held another candy to her mouth and coaxed her, ¡°Here, this is for you, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mischievous little¡­¡± Although Julia was still frowning at us, a faint smile had formed on her

    lips.

    She said we can eat all the candy we want when we¡¯re home¡­ Does that mean she has

    acknowledged my rtionship with Christopher? Ah, I know! Julia must be the type that acts all fierce

    when she takes a liking to someone! The thought of that got me all excited, and I felt my heart racing

    with joy.

    ¡°Here, have some tea, Mrs. Lane!¡± I said cheekily while handing her a cup of tea, only to have her turn

    her head away and ignore me. A few momentster, I saw her take a sip from it with an obvious smile

    on her face.

    Oh, my god! Both Julia and Christopher are so simr in how they behave when they are flustered!

    How can they be this cute!

    Right as I was about toment on it, Nathan approached me and said, ¡°Could youe with me for

    a second, Yvonne? I have something for you.¡±

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444

    Does he want to give me something? Judging by the fierce look on his face, I bet it¡¯s nothing good! He

    confronted me at my ce the day Crystal had a miscarriage from falling down the stairs, and I still

    remember the look on his face¡­ I could tell he was wishing he never had me for a daughter, and he

    wouldn¡¯t have left if Christopher weren¡¯t around at the time. I¡¯m not sure what his intentions are, but

    he¡¯s definitely up to no good!

    With that in mind, I simply sat there and stared silently at Nathan.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t even recognize your dad now that you¡¯ve found yourself a rich husband?¡± Nathan

    asked sarcastically.

    I nced at Julia and Gordon who were sitting next to me and decided it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to

    argue with him. I then stood up and was about to go with him when Christopher got up and said, ¡°We¡¯ll

    go together.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lane, I know you and Yvonne have a very strong rtionship and all, but I would like to have a

    private conversation with my daughter. I don¡¯t think it would be appropriate for you to join us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t mind if it really is just a private conversation. But¡­¡± Christopher left his sentence

    hanging, but the smile on his face said it all.

    ¡°What, you think I¡¯d harm my own daughter?¡±

    Noticing that Nathan was getting angry as the gentle smile on his face had faded, I quickly shook my

    head and told Christopher, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be gone for long!¡±

    I had prepared myself mentally for Nathan to hit me, but he simply gave me a conflicted look after

    bringing me to a quiet corner. There was a hint of mncholy in his eyes, and it took me a while before

    I realized he was missing Amelia.

    Although my appearance was average, I was definitely quite the beauty after dolling myself up. Could it

    be that I look a little bit like Mom?

    ¡°What is it, Dad? Let¡¯s get over this quickly. Christopher will worry if I stay here for too long,¡± I said

    calmly.

    Nathan continued to stare at me for a little while longer before replying, ¡°You¡¯re twenty-five now,

    Yvonne. You¡¯re not a kid anymore, so you should know to not take things too far as it benefits no one.¡±

    Me? Take things too far? Aren¡¯t they the ones who are doing that? I know he¡¯s referring to me pushing

    Crystal down the stairs, but I only feel bad for that unborn child, not Crystal.

    ¡°What do you want me to do, Dad? Just give in and let everyone walk all over me like fifteen years

    ago?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying the Tanner family has been mistreating you all these years, Yvonne?¡± Nathan asked

    sarcastically while cing his teacup down.

    Mistreating? That doesn¡¯t seem like a very fitting word to use here. He¡¯s making it sound like I¡¯m some

    outsider that¡¯s been living under the Tanner family¡¯s care when I¡¯m actually a direct descendant!

    Our brief moment of silence was interrupted when Natalie came over all of a sudden. ¡°Hey, Nathan!

    You promised me you¡¯d get rid of Yvonne, didn¡¯t you? Why is she still here?¡±

    She then walked straight toward me and attempted to p me, but I saw iting and stepped back

    the moment she raised her hand.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Natalie then pulled her hand back when she noticed I was standing at the entrance of the hall as she

    knew causing a scene at her daughter¡¯s wedding was a bad idea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re here tonight, but you¡¯d better behave yourself, Yvonne!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were

    filled with anger, and she was looking at me like she wanted to swallow me whole as she continued,

    ¡°Crystal and Lyle were meant to be together, but you ruined their rtionship and split them up just like

    that. I know you¡¯re upset about them dating, but will you at least spare Crystal? You¡¯ve already killed

    her four-month-old baby! Are you not satisfied until you kill her too?¡±

    That¡¯s funny¡­ As far as I know, Crystal has always been the one picking fights with me, and I only

    retaliated afterward. With that in mind, I replied with a cold sneer, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating a little, Aunt

    Natalie. It¡¯s perfectly fine to love your daughter and all, but I¡¯m someone else¡¯s daughter too.¡±

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445

    As if my words had offended him, Nathan mmed his hand against the table and jumped to his feet in

    response. His eyes were like that of a raging beast, and he had a look of disdain and disgust on his

    face as he red at me.

    Before I knew it, he stepped forward and swung his hand toward me with all of his might. It all

    happened too quickly, so I had no chance to dodge it at all.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Damn it, I knewing here with him was a bad idea! I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and

    braced myself for the iing attack.

    ¡°Oh, wow! Things are looking pretty lively over here! Long time no see, Mr. Tanner!¡± said a familiar

    voice from behind.

    The p never came, and I was surprised when I saw the man standing next to me after I opened my

    eyes.

    He was very well-groomed, dressed formally, and had a very gentlemanly air about him. ¡°Hi, Yvonne!

    It¡¯s been a while!¡± he said with a wink when he noticed me staring at him.

    ¡°Lucas? What are you doing here?¡± I asked in shock. This is the guy I met in town a while back! He

    was the one who kept mepany while I was down in the dumps!

    ¡°It¡¯s the wedding of the new school artist, Crystal Yates, and all the celebrities in Avenport are here

    tonight. Being the only son of the Goldstein family, it¡¯s only natural that I show up as well! Isn¡¯t that

    right, Mr. Tanner?¡± Lucas said while letting go of Nathan¡¯s hand and stepping next to me the shield me

    from Nathan.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± As if he was reminded of something terrifying, Nathan began trembling uncontrobly all of a

    sudden and had fear written all over his face.

    ¡°Your temper sure has gotten worse over the years, Mr. Lane. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very appropriate to hit

    someone at such a grand event. You might scare the guests, and that would be bad for your family,¡±

    Lucas said and coughed a few times before gently wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. Despite the

    warm and friendly smile on his face, he looked rather domineering and intimidating.

    It was the first time I had seen Lucas behave so aggressively, but it wasn¡¯t all that surprising given his

    family background.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Nathan pulled his arm back and looked the other way, refusing to speak to Lucas any further.

    I could tell he was very afraid and nervous when dealing with Lucas.

    Natalie shouted, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stick your nose into our family matters, Mr. Goldstein! You and Yvonne

    didn¡¯t end up together, so an outsider like you should just mind your own business! This is a big day for

    us, and we do not wee troublemakers! Please leave¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Nathan cut her off before dragging her out of the hall, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was

    actually making an escape.

    I waited for them to disappear from sight before shing Lucas a smile as I said, ¡°Thank goodness you

    came! I¡¯d be getting a lot of unwanted attention if I were to return with my face all red and swollen!

    Anyway, when did youe back?¡±

    ¡°Oh, just a couple of days ago. I was thinking of paying you a visit, but then I heard about the wedding

    and figured you¡¯d probably be here, so I came over. Man, I¡¯ve been missing you guys throughout those

    few months! Also, why did your super protective husband let youe here all by yourself?¡± Lucas

    casually leaned against the wall as he put the handkerchief back into his pocket.

    ¡°Because of my dad, Lucas. Speaking of which, why does my dad seem like he¡¯s afraid of you? Did

    something happen between you two?¡±

    Lucas nced at the crowd and chuckled as he shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s afraid of my uncle, not me.¡±

    Uncle? As in, the guy who got Mom to leave us and run away with him? Just what kind of a man is he?

    ¡°In that case, why would he try to get us engaged back then? What do you know?¡± I was always

    curious about the Goldstein family.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446

    Lucas frowned when he heard my questions, and his hesitation fueled my curiosity even further. ¡°Is it

    something you can¡¯t tell me?¡±

    Lucas shook his head after a brief pause. ¡°Well, not exactly. Seeing that you two aren¡¯t that close, I

    suppose I could tell you. Your family set its sight on a decent project that would resolve apany

    crisis back then, and I happened to be in charge of that project. When Nathan came to me, I told him a

    man like me who could die anytime wouldn¡¯t have much use for money, and I offered to give him the

    project if he let me marry his daughter.¡±

    ¡°And my dad said yes?¡± I asked with a helpless chuckle.

    ¡°Yeah, he agreed to it right away and even advertised our engagement in the newspapers. After that¡­

    Well, you already know the rest of the story,¡± Lucas replied with a shrug.

    Of course, I do. Nathan asked me to marry a yboy with a bad reputation when I was eighteen, and I

    ran away from home after refusing his request firmly. Even so, given how well things were for them

    then, I¡¯m pretty sure they managed to get their hands on the project anyway.

    ¡°Seems to me you¡¯ve lost both the bird in hand and the two in the bushes!¡± I said half-jokingly in an

    attempt to cheer myself up.

    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, that does seem to be the case¡­ I don¡¯t think your dad knows this, but I

    would¡¯ve given him the project even if he didn¡¯te to me,¡± Lucas mumbled while stroking his chin.

    ¡°Why?¡± The Goldstein family is just as powerful as the Lane family! Sure, they may have been keeping

    a low profile and missed out on events throughout the past two years, but they are indeed one of the

    two most prominent families in Avenport! There are tons of others out there who would kill to have a

    partnership with them! The Tanner family is nothingpared to them!

    Lucas simply stared at me without saying anything, and I looked down at myself to see if there was

    anything wrong with my outfit. ¡°What? Is there something on my face or what?¡±

    Lucas shook his head and leaned in closer as he said in a serious tone, ¡°Believe it or not, you and I

    have actually met a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You too?¡± I was a little confused. Christopher said he had met me before, and now Lucas told

    me the same thing! Howe I don¡¯t remember any of that? They¡¯re both such outstanding men, so

    there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t remember meeting them! This doesn¡¯t make any sense!

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you too¡¯?¡± Lucas asked.

    ¡°Ah, you see¡­ C-Chris said he met me a long time ago, and that he had been paying close attention to

    me ever since¡­¡± I stammered nervously, wondering if they were both just lying to me about it.

    As if he had thought of something, Lucas broke into a smile and said, ¡°I suppose that could be the

    case. Who knows, we might¡¯ve been the best of friends if I weren¡¯t sick since I was a child.¡±

    The music in the hall changed all of a sudden, and it seemed like the ceremony was about to start.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go watch the ceremony. Since you rarely attend such events, people are bound to be

    curious about you, so you could help divert some of their attention away from me!¡± I suggested while

    ncing at the hall outside. Christopher would surelye and look for me if I don¡¯t head back now!

    Seeing that Lucas was still standing there, I motioned at him to hurry up and get a move on. He then

    adjusted his necktie and jammed his hands into his pockets as he came out through the door with me.

    That was when I realized there were more eyes on me than when I went in earlier. With the amount of

    attention we were receiving, one could easily mistake us as the stars of the event.

    ¡°You silly girl! How am I going to divert their attention if wee out together? I suppose it is true that

    women be stupid when they fall in love!¡± Lucas teased me with a yful pat on the shoulder.

    Lucas used to be a well-behaved gentleman, so why did he be so mischievous after befriending

    Christopher? I thought to myself as I shot him a fierce re. Lucas then walked straight to our table

    and whispered into Mitchell¡¯s ear, ¡°Mr. Martin, could you get up, please?¡±

    Unsure of what Lucas was ying at, Mitchell did as told and stood right up, only to have Lucas pull

    the chair out and motion for me to sit down.

    I¡­ Fine¡­ Seeing as the seat is right next to Christopher¡¯s, I¡¯ll forgive him for behaving in such a high-

    profile manner¡­

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447

    Everyone at the table fell silent upon witnessing Lucas¡¯ actions. The Lane family were simply surprised

    by what he did, but Mitchell didn¡¯t take too kindly to it.

    The guests in the hall were utterly shocked to see Christopher being perfectly fine with our friendly

    interaction.

    If I were an escort, I would probably be viewed as the most powerful escort due to my close

    rtionship with the heirs of Avenport¡¯s two prominent families.

    Christopher shot Lucas a look of disgust. ¡°What are you doing here? This ce is crowded and has

    terrible venttion. It¡¯d be a real pain to call you an ambnce if you end up fainting!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you let me worry about that! Now, how about you pour me a cup of tea and express your

    gratitude, big guy?¡± Lucas retorted as he ced a teacup in front of Christopher.

    Lucas was extremely polite when talking to Christopher¡¯s parents, but sounded like apletely

    different person whenever he talked to Christopher. I was so busy recovering from my illness during my

    time on the ind that I didn¡¯t realize they had be such close friends.

    Seeing them bicker like kids amused me greatly, and I had forgotten all about the nasty stuff Nathan

    said and did earlier.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    The music was then changed into a romantic one, and Crystal appeared in front of everyone in a stylish

    wedding gown. Theyers ofce, the shiny tiara above her head, and her elegant posture made her

    look like a proud princess.

    She then lifted the hem of her wedding gown and slowly walked across the red carpet as she made her

    way toward Lyle.

    The deafening apuse and cheers from the guests sounded like irony to my ears, and I let out a wry

    chuckle in response.

    Crystal is talented, scheming, beautiful, and pretentious. She always knows how to present her best

    side to everyone, and nothing I ever do affects her in the slightest. Even though most of them knew

    Crystal was the actual homewrecker, she was still able to im the moral high ground with her

    miscarriage and make everyone hate me instead. Most of the guests here tonight are celebrities in

    Avenport who have benefited from Crystal and havee to support her in view of the kidnapping

    incident. I mean, that¡¯s exactly why Gordon and the others are here, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve always ended up

    losing my battles with Crystal no matter how hard I fought, and now she has stolen my one and only

    dream from me¡­ While I sit here in this corner with my horrible reputation, she¡¯s there receiving the

    praises and blessings from thousands of people¡­

    While I was lost in my train of thoughts, Christopher reached out and wrapped his arm around my

    waist. ¡°You¡¯re going to look even prettier at your wedding,¡± he said while gazing deeply and

    affectionately into my eyes.

    My smile returned upon hearing that as I realized I should be thanking Crystal for letting me have an

    amazing man like Christopher all to myself.

    I pouted and pretended to be angry at him. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m not pretty now, then?¡±

    He leaned in closer and whispered into my ear, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re always pretty to me!¡±

    I then shifted my attention back toward Lyle and Crystal who were making their marriage vows with a

    priest on the stage. When the two of them were exchanging their rings, Lyle shot me a quick nce

    before putting the ring on Crystal¡¯s finger.

    Suddenly, a loud voice was hearding from the door. ¡°What do you mean my name isn¡¯t on the

    guest list? That¡¯s my grandson getting married! Are you all not nning on inviting me all along?¡±

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448

    The old woman¡¯s tone was filled with rage, and she ended up coughing from yelling very loudly. The

    entire hall was in an uproar, and the people at the door quickly stepped aside in response.

    Josephine held Sharon¡¯s trembling body steady as the two of them made their way toward the stage.

    Sharon was so furious that the veins on her head were bulging from under the skin. She then pointed a

    finger at Lyle with disappointment in her eyes before kicking over the flower stand in front of the stage.

    The flowers scattered everywhere as the stand fell to the floor, and it was a mncholic sight to

    behold.

    Sharon¡¯s sudden appearance had caught Lylepletely off guard, and the look on his face was

    frozen in ce as he asked awkwardly, ¡°Grandma? Didn¡¯t you go on vacation?¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°Oh, Lyle¡­ Is this how you treat your grandma who watched you grow up? First, you promised me

    you¡¯d love Yvonne for life, only to divorce her behind my back. Then, you im you¡¯re not nning on

    getting married for the time being and send me on vacation, all so that you could secretly marry this

    woman?¡±

    Sharon was so furious that she kept trembling uncontrobly all over as she said that. The mes of

    anger in her eyes looked like they could burn the entire hall to the ground, and she was so exhausted

    from her outburst that her legs began to give way.

    Josephine quickly waved at the crowd upon noticing that, and someone fetched Sharon¡¯s wheelchair

    secondster.

    Lyle and Crystal sent her off on a vacation? So that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen Sharon around¡­ Worried

    about her health, I was about to stand up when I recalled what Sharon told me as well as Christopher¡¯s

    conversation with her.

    I then sat back down as I realized Sharon¡¯s rage was probably a part of her act. Crystal had changed

    the date of her wedding many times, but there was no keeping it from Sharon who found out about my

    divorce from Lyle just a few days after. That was especially the case for something so grand that pretty

    much everyone in Avenport knew about.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think. Lyle and I chose not to tell you because you said you didn¡¯t like noisy

    ces¡­ I know you don¡¯t like Crystal, but you can¡¯t force Lyle to hang on to Yvonne either! Since you

    don¡¯t approve of their marriage, it would be pointless to invite you anyway!¡± Wendy exined

    reluctantly, unhappy that a perfect wedding had been ruined.

    ¡°Shut up, you two-faced b*tch! None of this would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t show up and cause so

    much trouble!¡± Sharon mmed her hand against the table and hurled a ss of wine at her.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Wendy screamed as her white gown was stained red instantly. After a brief pause from the shock,

    she screamed at the top of her lungs, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Mom? Are you trying to ruin

    Lyle¡¯s happiness?¡±

    Sharon ignored Wendy and turned toward Lyle as she shouted, ¡°If you see me as your grandma, then

    cancel this wedding right now! It¡¯s either that, or we cut all ties between us!¡±

    I shook my head and let out a sigh after hearing what they said. People are already pointing their

    fingers at me as it is, and how they mention my name in their argument isn¡¯t exactly helping¡­ Lyle has

    always been targeting me, to begin with, so there¡¯s no way his narcissistic ego would let him give in to

    Sharon¡¯s request!

    Lyle¡¯s stubbornness kicked in as expected, and he retorted angrily, ¡°This is my wedding day, Grandma!

    It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to give us your blessings, but you shouldn¡¯te here and cause a scene like

    this! You¡¯ve always objected to our marriage, so I sent you away to spare you the eyesore! Why¡¯d you

    have to make it all sound so wrong?¡±

    After that, he turned toward the priest and ordered, ¡°Continue with the wedding!¡±

    ¡°You unfilial ingrate! So, you absolutely must marry Crystal, huh? Well, I guess you don¡¯t need the

    Smith family¡¯s business then!¡± Sharon got up from her wheelchair and was about to make her way on

    stage, but Wendy quickly stood in front of her to block her path.

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449

    ¡°The Smith family¡¯s business was mine to begin with! Who else could you possibly hand it to anyway?

    Have you forgotten that you¡¯ve already transferred thepany¡¯s shares to me?¡± Lyle said coldly.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Hearing that made my blood boil, and I jumped to my feet immediately. Does Lyle even hear himself

    right now? His words must hurt Sharon so much! Everything Sharon does is for the sake of the Smith

    family, and she has suffered in Crystal¡¯s hands as a result. I remember her crying when she told me

    about it in the yard the other day! She gave the family everything, only to have Lylesh out at her in

    public like this¡­ There¡¯s no way her old heart can take such abuse!

    Lyle¡¯s words hit Sharon like bolt from the blue, causing her to go pale instantly. She then slumped

    weakly against the wheelchair and clutched at her chest, seemingly struggling to even breathe

    properly. Shocked by what she saw, Wendy screamed in terror, ¡°Why do you have to show up and

    crash Lyle¡¯s wedding, Mom? What if you die here or something? Word would spread in Avenport that

    the heir to the Smith family has angered his grandma to death! Lyle was right to not invite you!¡±

    This is unbelievable! How could she say such a thing? I nced at Christopher at the thought of that,

    and he shed me an encouraging smile in response.

    Feeling the warmth of his smile in my heart, I no longer cared about the people watching and ran

    straight toward Sharon. ¡°What is it, Grandma? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°M-Medicine¡­¡± Sharon said weakly while grabbing onto my arm, and I realized her hand was as cold

    as ice.

    ¡°The medicine, Josephine!¡± I then grabbed a ss of water from the table and fed Sharon the pills

    Josephine handed me. A few momentster, Sharon was feeling slightly better and patted me on the

    hand with a guilty look in her eyes. She then turned toward Lyle and asked, ¡°Are you absolutely sure

    you want to marry this woman?¡±

    ¡°This is a wedding, Grandma. Is it not a clear enough indicator of my decision? You should go get

    some rest at the hospital if you¡¯re feeling unwell. I¡¯ll make it up to you once this is over. I¡¯m a grown

    man now, Grandma. I¡¯m no longer that little boy who just blindly obeys everything you say. I have my

    own thoughts and ideas, so you should stop treating me like some puppet of yours,¡± Lyle said as he

    made his way down the stage.

    Although he had eased up on his tone when he saw Sharon¡¯s condition worsen, he was still determined

    to follow through with his decision.

    Sharon fell silent and continued taking deep breaths to calm herself down while Josephine rubbed her

    back to helpfort her. Having regained herposure, the look in her eyes turned vicious and cold

    once again.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me, Grandma, but Lyle and I are truly in love with each other! Are you still

    unwilling to ept me after so many years? Is the Smith family more important to you than Lyle? Will

    you please just give us your blessings?¡± Crystal cried out with teary eyes while squeezing hard on the

    wedding ring.

    Sharon had once told me how Crystal threatened her with the Smith family¡¯s weakness to keep the

    truth from Lyle, so I knew what Crystal said was actually a threat in disguise.

    Sharon ignored Crystal and simply motioned at Josephine to take her to the table. After escorting her to

    an empty table in the first row, I was about to leave when she grabbed hold of my hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry, Yvonne. It¡¯s all my fault that your reputation is ruined.¡±

    She¡¯s right¡­ Had she not given Crystal my Autumnal Panorama, forced me to be with Lyle, and push

    me while Crystal was pregnant, none of this would¡¯ve happened¡­ No, Sharon had her reasons for

    doing all of that, and I had my own choices to make. As much as I don¡¯t want to forgive her for her

    repeated attempts at sabotaging me, I am still grateful for her helping me out when I was most

    helpless.

    With that in mind, I simply shook my head and shed her a smile.

    ¡°Carry on with the wedding.¡± Sharon told the band and the priest before continuing, ¡°Don¡¯t me me,

    Lyle. You made this choice yourself, so I hope you don¡¯t regret it. I can¡¯t help you out of this now, so

    you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences yourself.¡±

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450

    The wedding march began ying once again, but there was an unsettling tension in the atmosphere

    this time. With an ex-wife like me and a grandma who objected to the wedding in attendance, the

    laughter and praises from the guests had significantly reduced. Instead, they were mostly murmuring

    and whispering among themselves about what was happening.

    The two of them then exchanged their wedding rings, and the wedding ceremony was only a step away

    frompletion. Didn¡¯t Christopher say they wouldn¡¯t be able toplete the wedding? Why is it so

    peaceful and quiet? What did he and Sharon n on doing? Is it going to just end like this? This can¡¯t

    be right¡­

    ¡°Mr. Smith and Ms. Tanner have known each other since they were kids and spent over ten years of

    their lives together. Ms. Tanner has painted a series of pictures tomemorate their love, so let us all

    bear witness to their beautiful rtionship¡­¡±

    A painting then appeared on the huge screen. It was a simple yet vivid image of Lyle and Crystal sitting

    on a meadow, with one of them painting a picture while the other sat there and propped his head on his

    elbow while waiting patiently.

    The next painting was one of Crystal dancing by ake while Lyle yed the piano next to her.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that those weren¡¯t Crystal¡¯s work because she simply wasn¡¯t that great at

    painting. The next thing I knew, a video popped up on the screen and began ying.

    ¡°Thanks to the dirt you got on Benjamin which ruined his reputationpletely, my dad finally entrusts

    me with the more important tasks and projects!¡± Benson was lying on the couch with Crystal in his

    embrace as he ran his hand all over her body.

    Crystal nuzzled against Benson¡¯s chest and reached her hand into his shirt as she said coquettishly, ¡°I

    bet Benjamin would never expect for me to expose his shameful deeds! You¡¯d better thank me properly

    for that!¡±

    ¡°Of course, darling. I¡¯ll make sure you feel my power!¡± Benson then scooped her up and ced her on

    hisps before passionately making out with her.

    Benjamin jumped to his feet and kicked the chair in front of him in a fit of rage as he stared at the

    screen in disbelief. The woman that he treasured most had betrayed him with his own brother.

    Crystal had a victorious smile on her face after taking care of Sharon¡¯s sudden appearance earlier, but

    the smile quickly vanished when she saw the video.

    She was trembling all over as she wondered what was going on and why the original video had been

    changed.

    The surround sound system was able to clearly project the audio throughout the entire hall, so

    everyone could hear it despite how noisy the ce was.

    So Crystal and Benson were the ones behind Benjamin¡¯s unfortunate event? But he was so nice to her!

    Why would she do such a thing? Has she lost her mind?

    I thought to myself and nced at Christopher, who then motioned at me as he whispered, ¡°This is my

    trump card. What do you think?¡±

    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t say anything in response.

    In the video, the two of them were kissing as they continued to talk.

    ¡°Dad has decided to make me the heir to the Miller family. He¡¯ll definitely be impressed even more once

    we take care of the coboration with the Smith family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a piece of cake! I have that idiot Lyle wrapped around my finger, so he¡¯ll do anything I say. As

    for that old hag, I managed to get her off my back with a couple of threats! With the Yates family¡¯s

    assistance, we¡¯ll be able to build a family as powerful as the Goldstein family! That old hag wouldn¡¯t

    dare put the Smith family at risk, so there¡¯s nothing she can do to me even if she knows I have bad

    intentions! It¡¯s a shame she didn¡¯t die from anger on the spot, but that¡¯s no problem. Once Lyle and I

    get married, the Smith family will be mine after her death! With you being the head of the Miller family,

    we¡¯ll have both families at our fingertips!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451

    Crystal had a smug grin on her face as she hugged Benson, seemingly satisfied with her ns. The

    lower half of the screen had mostly been censored, but their trembling voices made it obvious what

    they were doing.

    ¡°Is it true that Yvonne was the one who rescued us back then? She looks as cowardly as a chicken!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! I was actually conscious when she came to rescue us, but I pretended to be

    unconscious and let her carry me outside before knocking her out with a rock. You should¡¯ve seen the

    look on her face when she came to and realized I took all the credit!¡± Crystal¡¯s eyes zed over as she

    let out a moan.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    She then cocked her head back and burst outughing as she continued, ¡°Benjamin is being so nice to

    me because he thought I saved his life! Isn¡¯t he the stupidest person ever?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s really dumb and na?ve.¡±

    With their bodies fully censored, the two of them rolled onto the floor while Crystal giggled coquettishly.

    ¡°Do you know what I like most about you, Benson? I like how much of a bad boy you are! You¡¯re so

    good at being bad! Hahahaha!¡±

    ¡°What about Lyle?¡±

    ¡°Aww, are you jealous? He¡¯s just a tool I¡¯m using to defeat Yvonne! You can think of him as a trophy of

    sorts.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s coquettish voice, slutty expression, and nasty words formed a huge contrast with her usual

    gentle and meek appearance. She looked like apletely different person, and everyone was so

    shocked by what they saw that they forgot about the wedding.

    ¡°Turn it off, Crystal!¡± Yvette shouted from the crowd.

    ¡°R-Right! Turn it off! Turn it off now!¡± Having been snapped out of her daze, Crystal began looking for

    the remote in a state of panic.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the assistant? Hurry up and cut the power! What the hell am I even paying you guys for?¡±

    Natalie ran toward the corner of the stage and hammered on the power button, but it did nothing to stop

    the video on the screen.

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m a trophy, a tool, and an idiot wrapped around your finger, huh?¡± Lyle was mumbling to

    himself, but everyone heard him as he was standing in front of the microphone.

    ¡°No, Lyle! This isn¡¯t real! Someone must be trying to set me up!¡± Crystal was freaking out at that point.

    She lifted the hem of her wedding gown and began running toward the DJ, only to have someone from

    the crowd stumble and knock the flower stand over, hitting her hard with it.

    Despite it being made of stic, the stand was very heavy and had Crystal pinned helplessly on the

    floor. ¡°Help me, Lyle!¡± she screamed with her arm outstretched and her face all pale.

    However, Lyle simply stood rooted to the spot as he stared coldly at everything that was happening

    before him.

    Benson was the one who had knocked the flower stand over, and Benjamin had the look of a raging

    beast on his face as he stood in the center of the crowd. He looked so terrifying that the people around

    him quickly dispersed in all directions for fear of being caught in his wrath.

    The journalists, on the other hand, were having a field day snapping away in a corner. They even made

    sure to turn off the camera shes so no one would notice them.

    The journalists were nning on getting some gossip material and then spicing it up by twisting the

    facts, but they had received a huge treat instead.

    ¡°You¡¯re still pregnant, you horny little sl*t. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to move around so much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I wasn¡¯t nning on keeping the baby anyway! I wouldn¡¯t even have gotten pregnant if Lyle

    had remembered to use a condom! Given how stupid he is, I bet his child would turn out just as dumb!

    Wouldn¡¯t want a child like him, would I?¡±

    ¡°Get an abortion, then. I¡¯ll go with you. We can make a baby of our own once we¡¯ve achieved our

    goals.¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯d be a huge waste to abort the baby. Given the damage Monica has done to Yvonne, all I need

    to do is make it look like she caused my miscarriage. That ought to ruin her reputation in Avenport

    completely! Even with Christopher¡¯s protection, she¡¯ll still be forced to hide at home every day! I¡¯m

    going to destroy her career and her life so she can spend the rest of it in regret! This is payback for her

    calling my paintings ugly in the past!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my¡­ Aren¡¯t you a cruel one? As if stealing her painting and iming it as your own wasn¡¯t bad

    enough, you¡¯re going to ruin her life forever too?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ I don¡¯t recall you hesitating when you put my name on the painting! We¡¯re a match made in

    heaven!¡±

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452

    ¡°Hmph! I can¡¯t believe we called a heartless impostor like you an artist! You¡¯re a disgrace to art!¡± Julian

    shouted angrily as he got up from his chair.

    Hmm¡­ That sounds familiar¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right! They said the exact same thing to me when my painting

    was rejected! Da*n, I didn¡¯t even realize Crystal had invited this many artists to her wedding¡­

    Spencer was shocked as well and stared at both of us in disbelief. ¡°She has been faking it the whole

    time? But¡­ That¡¯s impossible, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, god¡­ Why is this happening?¡± Wendy slumped weakly against the chair and stared nkly into

    space.

    Sharon chuckled in disdain as she said, ¡°This is the precious daughter-inw you¡¯ve always wanted.

    Make sure you take a good long look at her now!¡±

    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little depressed when I saw Nathan and the others running

    about frantically like a bunch of headless chickens.

    I¡¯ve never seen him panic this much before¡­ He sure loves Crystal a lot, huh? She¡¯s just a niece to

    him, and yet he¡¯s treating her like his own daughter. In fact, even Yvette doesn¡¯t receive such

    treatment!

    Although I had gotten my revenge on Crystal like I wanted, it didn¡¯t make me feel better in the slightest.

    I was in too much shock when Sharon pushed me at the stairs the other day, so I didn¡¯t really give the

    incident much thought. However, having heard Crystal¡¯s words in the video, I slowly recalled the details

    of what happened.

    There was quite a bit of distance between Sharon and me; moreover, there was no way someone of

    her age would be able to push me that hard anyway. Crystal went tumbling down the stairs even

    though I had barely even touched her, so that means¡­ she was the one who killed her own baby!

    The screen eventually faded to ck amid the continued chaos, much to everyone¡¯s relief as it felt

    really wrong watching a pornographic video in public like that.

    Having gotten the flower stand off her with help from Yvette and Scarlett, Crystal looked at Lyle with

    panic in her eyes. ¡°This video must be fake, Lyle! You mustn¡¯t believe it! I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find

    evidence to prove my innocence!¡±

    As if he had already anticipated everything that happened, Lyle seemed surprisingly calm and simply

    red coldly at her in response. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to him being hurt by her words or shocked

    by the things she did to Sharon behind his back.

    Perhaps he had already seen Crystal¡¯s true nature on the ind when she refused to give him water

    and pushed him away while getting on the boat all by herself. Unable to ept the fact that he couldn¡¯t

    save his rtionship with me, he chose to marry Crystal out of spite.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Lyle then turned to look at Sharon and asked calmly, ¡°You knew this all along, Grandma? Is this why

    you objected to our marriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been telling you since you were eighteen that Crystal isn¡¯t a good match for you, but you

    never listened,¡± Sharon said weakly as she sat there and looked at the wedding that she had thrown

    into chaos.

    ¡°Is that why you sent Crystal away and asked me to marry Yvonne? You did that to stop us from being

    together? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it sooner?¡± Lyle asked coldly.

    ¡°Would you have believed me if I did? I just feel bad for Yvonne. She got herself into such a mess

    because of your rtionship with Crystal¡­¡± Sharon eximed with a sigh.

    Consumed by rage, Benjamin threw himself at Benson and began beating him up in front of everyone.

    He was a lot stronger and well-trained inparison to the nerdy Benson, and the pain of seeing his

    beloved woman having sex with another man fueled his punches even further.

    Unable to watch the scene before him, the head of the Miller family ordered for his bodyguards to

    separate the two before turning toward Nathan. ¡°So, she¡¯s been ying the entire Miller family like

    fools, huh? Your niece sure is something, Mr. Tanner! We may not be as powerful as the Lanes or the

    Goldsteins, but we are still a prominent family in Avenport! How dare you mess with us like this?¡±

    ¡°This is a misunderstanding, Mr. Miller!¡± Nathan attempted to exin his way out of it.

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453

    ¡°Do you call this a misunderstanding? I¡¯m telling you now, Nathan, I will make you pay for this,¡± the

    patriarch of the Miller family roared.

    I couldn¡¯t help but get a little worried because the Millers were not one to be messed with. And if they

    were to take action, the Tanners would definitely be crippled by it.

    Someone started to back out and was about to leave when suddenly Crystal appeared on the screen

    again.

    She ced a pile of banknotes on the table as Benson watched. Stack upon stack of banknotes worth

    more than a billion was in full view. ¡°Here you go. This one billion is the ransom money from Lyle. I¡¯m

    using all of it to invest in the Millers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a billion. How generous of you,¡± Benson said.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy money, anyway. And it¡¯s an IOU. All it takes is a little trick from me, and Lyle was dumb

    enough toe up with the one billion. Had I known it¡¯s that easy for him to get a billion, I would have

    asked him to redeem Yvonne with that money. But I can¡¯t let him do that because I want to get my

    hands on Yvonne,¡± Crystal remonstrated.

    ¡°Why do you hate that woman so much? I think she¡¯ll be screwed over by you soon enough. Why go

    through all the trouble to get rid of her?¡± Benson chuckled.

    ¡°Funny you should say that. Are you interested in that woman, Benson? Do you want me to get her to

    sleep with you? She must be good in bed. Otherwise, why would a man like Christopher be so

    protective of her?¡± Crystal said with a sly smile.

    ¡°No. We¡¯re not the Lane family¡¯s rival. Unless you¡¯re capable of getting Lucas to submit to you.¡±

    Lyle stared at the screen and sneered, ¡°Is this a lie too? Is there anything else that¡¯s true, Crystal?¡±

    ¡°No, Lyle. Listen to me. These are all lies. I¡¯m being framed. It¡¯s impossible that I would do something

    like this. Check it out yourself, and don¡¯t listen to the baseless ims of others.¡±

    Crystal was in a panic, and she no longer had the confident smile on her face. She knew that she

    would be doomed if she did not get herself out of this mess.

    With a broken rtionship and her career destroyed, that would be the end of her.

    ¡°Enough with the excuses ande clean. Is it also a lie that you slept with Benson?¡± Lyle raised his

    hand and pped her hard across her face.

    This was the first time he had ever struck her. Apart from sorrow, there wasn¡¯t much anger left in his

    heart. Perhaps, this was iparable to the heartbreak and disappointment he felt when Crystal left

    him back then.

    Nothing could bepared to that time when he felt utterly dested and miserable.

    ¡°You b*tch! How dare you lie to us? I even treated you like my own daughter. You shameless woman.

    You¡­¡± Wendy stormed up to Crystal and yanked on her hair so hard that her hair ornaments fell off her

    hair. Her long hair that was done up came loose. Crystal stood there in embarrassment at her

    disheveled state.

    ¡°Let go of me, you old hag,¡± Crystal cursed out loud. In return, Wendy battered Crystal with all the

    strengthtter could muster.

    ¡°Wendy, please calm down. Crystal must have been framed. Don¡¯t be blind-sided by others. Think

    about it, Crystal has always been a good person, and no one has ever said anything bad about her

    before. Someone must have done this out of jealousy,¡± Natalie reasoned as she rushed forward and

    tried to pull Wendy away from Crystal.

    ¡°Framed? Do you think that we are blind?¡± In Wendy¡¯s eyes, Crystal was nothing but an evil witch.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Look, it must be Yvonne. She did all these because she¡¯s jealous of Crystal for marrying Lyle,¡±

    Natalie roared at me when she saw me smiling with my eyes fixed on the stage.

    With that said, all eyes turned to me again. I was not surprised to be dragged into the drama that

    unfolded in front of everyone. I remained silent and calm under everyone¡¯s scrutiny. If they still choose

    to believe Crystal, then there¡¯s not much left for me to say. Oh, how the tables have turned.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454

    ¡°Bullsh*t! I¡¯ve got to hand it to you Tanners. How dare you deceive us and treat us like fools? And now

    you¡¯re looking for a scapegoat? I¡¯m going to kill you all.¡± Wendy picked up the stage¡¯s sound system

    and flung it at Crystal.

    If Yvette had not pulled Wendy away from Crystal, Wendy definitely would have caused Crystal great

    bodily harm.

    ¡°Mrs. Smith, please stay calm and don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± Nathan forced out those words. He had

    done terrible things for the sake of Crystal. At this point, he was powerless and hung his head

    despondently.

    ¡°I would have stabbed you all one by one to death if I have a knife with me.¡±

    Not wanting to see Nathan in this state again, I took a deep breath before I turned around and held

    Christopher¡¯s hand in mine and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, shall we?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t bear to watch this?¡± Christopher asked with a frown.

    He must have thought that I was too kind-hearted to have such emotions after being bullied by Crystal.

    I turned my gaze to the middle-aged man on the stage for a moment, then I closed my eyes and said,

    ¡°He¡¯s still my father.¡±

    ¡°Crystal is from the Yates family, and she¡¯s not part of the Tanners. This won¡¯t affect the Tanner family.

    Only Crystal will have this to answer for. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ve got your back.¡±

    I began to rx again after hearing Christopher¡¯s reassurance.

    I thought that would be the end of it. To my surprise, there was a change of scene on the projector

    screen, and it seemed to be recorded at a foreign ce. After listening to thenguage spoken in the

    video, it was obvious that those people were Jetroinians.

    I looked at Christopher in surprise and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡±

    ¡°Serves her right for being a promiscuous woman. It turns out my private investigator dug up more than

    I expected.¡± Christopher pursed his lips and gestured in the direction of Sharon and said, ¡°Sharon is

    really the backbone of the Smith family, and she shows no mercy to her enemies.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    It suddenly dawned on me that these videos were all pre-selected by Sharon. It seemed to me that

    Sharon did this out of her guilty-conscious to wholly exonerate my name.

    In the video, Crystal was wearing a revealing dress, and she was drinking and chatting among a group

    of men. Someone asked bluntly, ¡°Miss, are you sure it¡¯s okay to leave your boyfriend stranded on the

    ind?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Banno, weren¡¯t you just in my bedst night? Don¡¯t mention another man when you¡¯re with me.¡±

    Crystal pounced on him and pressed her ample bosom against his chest. ¡°As the saying goes, a wise

    man submits to fate. He¡¯s about to die. I can¡¯t possibly die together with him, can I?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Yates. Let¡¯s revel all night, shall we? I can guarantee that you will be thoroughly

    satisfied with us. I¡¯ll send you home once this is over. I promise you that this will be thest time.¡± One

    of the men reached into Crystal¡¯s top and groped her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have fun together. Don¡¯t make me wait any longer. I want to be with two of the most handsome

    men,¡± Crystal said with a sensual smile.

    ¡°We are all handsome. After you¡¯re done with us, you just have to say the word, and we¡¯ll take you

    back.¡± One of the men picked her up and spun her around in the air a few times before he ced her

    on the couch. Another man went over to her and slid his hand up her skirt while a third man deliberately

    spilled wine on her white skirt.

    Clothes were discarded, followed by shoes¡­ In that instant, the video got cut off. What happened next

    in the video was not aired.

    I was so shocked by what I saw that I choked on my drink, and water spurted out of my mouth.

    Fortunately, Gordon and Julia had left earlier. Otherwise, I would have identally spat on Julia, who

    was seated on my left.

    Did Crystal engage herself in lewd acts just so that she could get home? That was just preposterous.

    No wonder I felt that those men were no-good the moment I saw them on the ship.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455

    Crystal had agreed to several unfair terms, all for the sake of returning safely from Jetroina.

    Everyone fell into silence after watching the video. No one would have thought that Crystal was a

    woman with such easy virtue. It was horrendous!

    It was a long silence, and it was so quiet in the hall that one could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, Crystal let

    out a scream before she picked up the sound system that Wendy had just hit her with. Then, she lifted

    it over her head and hurled it at the screen.

    With a loud crash, several cracks appeared on the screen. But the footage had been imprinted on

    everyone¡¯s memory. Crystal slumped to the ground, and her spirit was in shambles.

    Benjamin walked up to Crystal, and then he crouched down to be at eye level with her. The adoration

    he had for her was gone. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought of you as a goddess. I thought you were an untouchable

    woman, only to be admired from afar. It turns out that you¡¯re nothing but a promiscuous woman.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ hear me out, Benjamin. Don¡¯t turn your back on me too. I had no choice. Your brother

    made me do it. If he had not threatened to expose my secrets about my giarized paintings, I

    wouldn¡¯t have helped him. Don¡¯t look at me like that, please¡­¡± Crystal sobbed as she reached out for

    his hand.

    Benjamin twisted her hand and tossed it aside. Then, he wiped his hand on a tissue and said, ¡°You¡¯re a

    filthy woman.¡±

    It was as though he hadnded a sucker punch on Crystal. She stared at him in disbelief and said,

    ¡°This is unlike you, Benjamin. Do you really believe all that? Don¡¯t you know me as a person?

    Benjamin¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always respected you. And I respected your decision when you told me that you love Lyle. You

    could have been mine. After you got drunk and slept in my arms, I couldn¡¯t bear to touch you because I

    wanted you to be happy with Lyle. Come to think of it, I made a wise choice that night. I would have

    been utterly disgusted if I had sex with a woman who slept around with countless men.¡±

    ¡°Benjamin¡­ you can¡¯t treat me like this¡­¡± Suddenly, Crystal stood up and red at me. She gritted

    her teeth and snarled, ¡°Yvonne, you nned this, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯ll make you pay for this. I¡¯m going to kill

    you.¡±

    As soon as she said that, she rushed down from the stage and rushed towards me. I quickly got up

    from my seat and stared at her cautiously. Just then, Christopher kicked the chair in front of him away

    from the table. Crystal was running so fast that she couldn¡¯t stop herself in time and collided with the

    chair. Shended heavily on the ground and burst into tears.

    This was my first time seeing Crystal in such distress and misery. For a moment there, I recalled the

    first time Crystal came to our house. I remembered how she hid behind Natalie as she craned her neck

    to look at me and said to Natalie, ¡°Yvonne is so beautiful. She¡¯s just like a princess.¡±

    At that time, I had an instant liking for this cousin of mine. Oh, how things have changed. Despite all

    that, I had no vindictive feeling. There was nothing but calmness in the depths of my heart. Eventually, I

    broke out of that and began to live a carefree life. And the cousin who adored me back in those years

    had turned into someone else.

    At that moment, Sharon, with the help of Josephine, made her way onto the stage slowly. She said

    firmly into the microphone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. But the wedding is canceled. We can¡¯t have someone

    like that marry into the Smith family.¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The grand wedding had turned into a humiliating event. It would be the talk of the town for a very long

    time. Crystal had disguised herself as a perfect woman all too well. Other than Monica, no one else in

    Avenport was as popr and highly praised as Crystal.

    The crowd gradually dispersed and soon, there were only a few people left in the hall.

    ¡°Grandma, you orchestrated this today, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ve known all along. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one behind it. Didn¡¯t I tell you that you shouldn¡¯t have any regrets? You have to live your

    life without regrets. I¡¯m getting old, and I don¡¯t have many years to live. Ever since you were eighteen

    years old, I¡¯ve told you that Crystal is no angel, but you never listened.¡±

    As Sharon spoke, she stopped a few times to catch her breath. It was obvious that today¡¯s event had

    taken a toll on her.

    ¡°Why do you think I took down Yvonne¡¯s painting and gave it to Crystal to get her to leave? I knew she

    was up to no good and that her love for you was not real. I was happy when you married Yvonne, but

    your marriage was short-lived. You never even cherished her as your wife in those two short years. I

    wouldn¡¯t have done this if you had not insisted on marrying that woman.¡±

    Lyle was shocked. He let out a quietugh that sounded like a sob. ¡°I thought I knew what kind of

    woman she was. I was wronged. Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Grandma? You shouldn¡¯t have kept it from

    me.¡±

    ¡°I knew from the start that she was messing around with the youngest son of the Miller family. She has

    yed you out. What more can I say to you? Do you remember what I said to you when I tried to stop

    you from marrying Yvonne? You made me a promise, but then you divorced her not long after you

    married her. I always want what¡¯s best for you. Too bad you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Grandma¡­¡±

    ¡°Suck it up. Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯ve always had things easy, and it¡¯s partly my fault for taking care of

    everything for you. Now you know how painful it is to fall¡­¡±

    Their conversation began to fade away, and by the time I reached the entrance, I couldn¡¯t hear them

    anymore. Tears welled in my eyes when I saw Nathan pull Crystal to his side before both of them

    bowed before Sharon.

    That night, Christopher did note home together with me. Instead, he spent the night at the Lane

    residence. Iy in bed alone, and for a long time, I had trouble falling asleep. When I woke up in the

    morning, I received a call from Christopher. He told me he missed me, and that brought a smile to my

    face.

    When Sabrina came to see me, she tossed a newspaper in front of me as we sat at the table. She

    grabbed the toast from me and took a bite before saying, ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable. Do you have any idea how

    hot the news is, Eve? All the newspapers are sold out, and I had to spend a small fortune to buy a copy

    of the newspaper from someone else. Take a look. You¡¯ll be so happy once you read it. Oh, how the

    tables have turned. Congrattions! You¡¯re finally free from all that toxicity. Come on, let¡¯s go out today.

    Let¡¯s treat ourselves to a nice meal to celebrate.¡±

    I quickly scanned through the newspaper. The main photo at the top of the news was a close-up of

    Crystal in a state of panic at the wedding. The news article on Crystal¡¯s disclosure was tactful, but it

    was enough to garner attention.

    ¡°Yes, I should be happy. I¡¯m finally free from all the emotional baggage,¡± I said as I forced out a smile.

    Sabrina talked tedly as she recounted how Crystal was surrounded by the reporters when she left

    the hotel, and that she was holed up in the Tanner residence. Word on the street was that her paintings

    had been removed from the art exhibition. When Sabrina realized that I had not spoken, she asked,

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look happy, Eve? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re sympathizing with Crystal.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t sympathize with her. If she had not done those things, she wouldn¡¯t end up

    like this. She has what¡¯sing. But I don¡¯t feel happy. Instead, I feel rather bothered by it.¡±

    ¡°You put too much importance on your family. They treated you like dirt, and yet you worry about them

    at times like this. Don¡¯t worry. As Christopher said before, with the backings of the Lane family, the

    Tanners will be fine.¡±

    Sabrina patted me on the shoulder as she reassured me. When she saw that I was still in a daze, she

    rubbed her hands on my cheek. I pped her hands away and asked, ¡°What about the Smith family?

    Considering Sharon¡¯s old age, all this stress will be too much for her to handle.¡±

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457

    ¡°When such negative news was reported, business would definitely be affected, but it was not a big

    deal. You don¡¯t understand old Mrs. Smith¡¯s skills. Don¡¯t think that when she talks to you gently, she is

    treating you as her own family. She is very tactful and ys her game well. If it weren¡¯t for her getting

    older andcking motivation, the Smith family would definitely not be in its current position. Come, let¡¯s

    go shopping and have a breath of fresh air.¡±

    ¡°No, thanks, I¡¯m not going. You can get Zach to go with you.¡± I turned Sabrina down and got a scolding

    from her for being a spoilsport but I did not take it to heart.

    I was not being a spoilsport but I just could not cheer myself up. I was not sure why but it could be that

    my dad bowed to somebody. Men should be strong and not easily bowed to beg anyone but Dad did

    that for Crystal.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    On TV, I saw a lot of news about Crystal, as expected. Stories about her were getting viral all over

    Avenport. Those newspapers and dailies were flooding the streets like snowkes.

    Of course, I was being overlooked. Crystal was being recognized by Avenport as the most well-known

    drama queen with a charming exterior, but no inner beauty to match.

    Suddenly the doorbell rang. Thinking it was Christopher, I turned off the TV and walked over to the

    door. Christopher would always call me and tell me that he had to go somewhere to work. But, when I

    opened the door, I would find him standing right in front of me, smiling and handing me a bunch of

    roses saying that he wanted to give me a surprise. I was used to it.

    This time the surprise was different. Standing outside the door was Benjamin, and his eyes were

    bloodshot. Obviously, he had not slept. There were bruises on his face which must have been the

    result of fighting with Benson.

    Seeing him, I was surprised and wary. My hand reached for the door with the intention of closing it. The

    traps he set for me were still vivid in my mind. The most horrifying was when he ganged up with

    Crystal, spiked my drink and then put me in bed with a man while getting a crowd to witness and

    photograph me in the act of adultery.

    ¡°Wait, Yvonne, I have something to tell you.¡± Benjamin stuck his foot in the door and said urgently.

    Impatiently, I red at him and asked in a low voice, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Carefully, Benjamin took out a pink object from a pocket of his close-fitting clothes and held it in his

    palm. It was my hairpin, thest thing given to me by my mother, which I had always cherished before.

    Even though I said I did not want to have anything to do with her anymore, I miss actually her very

    much.

    A pink hairpin is, after all, a child¡¯s belonging. I thought Benjamin wanted to return it, so I stretched out

    my hand to him and said inly, ¡°Thank you for returning it to me.¡±

    Very quickly, Benjamin took out another hairpin. It was the one that I had lost for many years. It was

    well preserved and the color did not fade at all. On the contrary, the color of the one in my possession,

    which is often used, is faded. The look in his eyes was veryplicated, his throat seemed taut, and

    he asked in a low voice, ¡°So this is really your hairpin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is mine. They are a pair. Why is it with you?¡± I have no idea why Benjamin wanted to see me.

    Strictly speaking, we have no rtionship at all, it was more mutual dislike.

    As Benjamin held the hairpin, a look of nostalgia shed across his eyes. His expression became

    tender. ¡°I got this hairpin when we were abducted by kidnappers. I was drifting in and out of

    consciousness. I felt that I was being rescued when I saw this pink object, I held on to it and have been

    keeping it all these years.¡±

    I blinked andughed softly. I was quite silly at that time. Even though I was feeling so afraid, I had

    saved so many people. I took the hairpin from him. ¡°This is the only thing I have to remember my

    mother by. I¡¯m really d you have brought it back for me. Thank you.¡±

    Seeing that I had taken the hairpin, Benjamin seemed agitated. Quickly, he took it from me. I was

    puzzled about what he was trying to do.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before that you were the one who saved me years ago. If you had told me, I

    would not¡­ I would not have done those things to harm you so badly.¡± Benjamin¡¯s voice became softer

    and softer as if realizing that what he had done to me was totally uneptable.

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458

    I smiled wryly. ¡°I guess, even if I had told you that I was the one who rescued you, you would not have

    believed me. Possibly, you would have joined forces with Crystal again and done something worse to

    humiliate me.

    In the past, they had done too much harm to me and I had suffered so much. At that time, Crystal was

    so precious to Benjamin that he believed every word she said.

    Benjaminughed bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s true. You¡¯re right. Even if you had told me, I would not have believed

    you.¡± He gave me the hairpin again. ¡°I¡¯m returning it to you. At that time, I gave it to Crystal but she

    nonchntly gifted it to me. Since they belong to you, I should give it back.¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Politely, I took the hairpin from him. After more than ten years, the other hairpin had finally

    returned to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for what happened in the past¡­ I did not know that it was you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Benjamin spoke

    hesitantly, sounding very emotional. His face was red as he had certainly never thought that one day,

    he would be apologizing to me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Those were not something important.¡± I was telling the truth. I really did not want to

    think about them as it would be pointless. Now, I had Christopher who was such a good man, to look

    after me. Why should I wallow in those burdensome memories?

    ¡°You¡­ Yvonne¡­ I¡­¡± Benjamin started speaking but could not finish one sentence. He looked away

    and avoided my eyes. Then, he spoke slowly in a low tone.

    ¡°Those abductors beat me up because I tried to escape. My head was bleeding and I was barely

    conscious. I was so afraid and I felt hopeless. I was only fourteen and facing the threat of death, I had

    no hope. In the darkness, I waited for someone from home to save me. After waiting for so long, no one

    came. That type of hopelessness was like waiting for death. I was so terrified that I could not breathe.¡±

    ¡°Then, someone said in my ear, ¡®Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯ll save you,¡¯ and the voice was so sweet. I swear, it¡¯s the

    most beautiful voice I¡¯ve ever heard in my life. Truly, everything in front of me was blurry but I seemed

    to see some light and hope. At that time, I swore that I will look after the owner of this voice for the rest

    of my life. Yvonne, do you understand?¡±

    I have wondered why Benjamin unconditionally indulged Crystal, but I was still shocked. It was only

    because I rescued him and Crystal took all the credit.

    Suddenly, I felt that he was very foolish too. Just because he was saved by her once, he had

    unconditionally epted someone. Iughed. ¡°I understand what you mean. Let bygones be bygones.

    You¡¯ve returned the hairpin to me. It¡¯s a very good way of repayment.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ in the future, can we be friends?¡± Benjamin looked at me tentatively, with a glimmer of hope in

    his eyes; yet, fearing that I would reject him.

    I do not know his thoughts, so after a moment, I nodded. ¡°It happened a long time ago. You should not

    take it too hard.¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s expression was a mix of emotions as he stood rooted there for some time before he left. I

    rubbed my eyes as I had never expected such an oue. It was simply unbelievable.

    I picked up the paintbrush and put a few strokes on the nk paper. My feelings wereplicated and

    my painting was strange, reflecting my emotions when inspiration came upon me. Before I realized it,

    the sun was already setting in the west. I rubbed my sore arms and gyrated my stiff neck. Then, I

    opened the refrigerator to think of what I should cook for Christopher today.

    I discovered that I had nothing in the fridge, so I had to make a trip to the supermarket. After tidying up

    and putting away my paintbrushes and palette, I went downstairs. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice

    calling my name.

    ¡°Yvonne, wait up!¡±

    When I heard the voice, I felt rather bothered. After what had happened, it was rather strange that Lyle

    would still want to see me. Shouldn¡¯t he be back at the Smith family home to take care of the stuff that

    Crystal has used against them?

    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± I askedinly.

    ¡°Where are you heading? I can give you a lift,¡± Lyle said.

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m just crossing the road to do some shopping at the supermarket on the other side.

    It¡¯s too near for a drive,¡± I shook my head and replied to him simply.

    Lyle was silent for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°Yvonne, you know what I meant was I would like to talk

    with you.¡±

    I dropped my shoulders wearily and smiled. ¡°Do you want to talk about starting anew? It¡¯s pointless. It

    will do no one any good if I piss you off with what I say. You should know that there¡¯s no way we can

    reconcile.¡±

    ¡°I know I did not treat you well before. I can change. I really can. Yvonne, I¡­¡± Lyle said all that in a rush

    but seeing my cold expression, he stopped.

    I looked at the time. It was already half-past four and Christopher would be home by five-thirty. I really

    had to hurry or I would not be able to get dinner ready. So, I told Lyle, ¡°I need to go to the supermarket

    or I won¡¯t make it.¡±

    I walked off on my own. Lyle did not try to hold me back, but he followed me, instead. The supermarket

    was rather crowded. I stood in front of the counter, looked for a while, and picked some spare rib. I

    bought some crabs too. The crabs looked big, so they should be tender and taste great.

    ¡°I remember that you don¡¯t like crabs,¡± Lyle stood nearby, trying to make conversation.

    I smiled, answering softly, ¡°Chris likes crabs, so I learned a few ways of cooking them. Though he

    doesn¡¯t like ribs, he enjoys eating them with me. So, I often cook these two dishes.¡±

    Lyle stopped talking and just followed me around patiently. I browsed around in the supermarket for a

    while and bought a lot of things. When I held them in my hands, Lyle offered to help me but I declined.

    When we returned to the apartment, I did not rush to go up but lingered near the lift entrance. I turned

    around and told Lyle, ¡°You should get going. If Chris sees us, he won¡¯t be pleased. Even though he will

    not suspect me, I don¡¯t like displeasing him.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Lyle gazed at me with eyes full of sorrow. Perhaps, I was mistaken but I thought I saw the

    glint of tears in them.

    ¡°Life is like a journey, there are many stretches of scenic beauty. If you missed a parking spot, there is

    another where one can park and enjoy the scenery. However, there are some spots where one cannot

    turn back as someone else has taken the spot and enjoying the beauty.¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After saying this, I chided myself again for being overly mncholic. When I entered the elevator and

    pressed the ¡®door close¡¯ button, Lyle wanted toe in; but for some unknown reason, he changed his

    mind.

    From outside the elevator, he yelled to me, ¡°If I had chosen you during the kidnapping, you would not

    have left me, would you?¡±

    ¡°You would not have chosen me, would you?¡± I smiled. The elevator door closed and Lyle was shut out.

    Christopher opened the door punctually at half-past five. I had just finished cooking dinner. ¡°Good

    timing. The meal is just ready. Go and change your clothes, and we shall eat together.¡±

    Christopher came over and gave me a long passionate kiss before letting go of me. When he came to

    the dinner table and saw his favorite dishes, heughed happily. ¡°Such avish meal. Did you win the

    lottery?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and the grand prize is sitting right in front of me. Let¡¯s dig in.¡± I held the crab right next to his lips.

    For me, Christopher was the grand prize. If not for those turbulent times, I really did not know if we

    would have met.

    I did not think it was necessary to tell Christopher about Lyle, but I did tell him about Benjamin visiting

    me and what happened between us. ¡°This is so extraordinary. Benjamin treasured Crystal and indulged

    her just because of that incident. When he told me that, I really could not understand why. Don¡¯t you

    think it¡¯s strange?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? When someone finds hope and life at the time when they are most

    desperate, that moment is unforgettable.¡± Christopher smiled very mysteriously as if he was hiding

    some secret.

    ¡°That¡¯s totally logical. Like when I met you. Don¡¯t I treasure you and indulge you? I winked and praised

    myself.

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    Chapter 460

    ¡°Hmmm, you are my precious.¡± Christopher put me on hisp and tried to feed me. We did this often

    and I had never refused him. He fed me caramelized pork ribs and I took care of his crabs.

    As we went on eating, a thought came to me. Christopher had told me before that he had known me a

    long time ago and he never forgot me. He was also involved in the abduction case at that time. I

    wonder if he knew that I was the one who yed a part in the escape.

    I avoided the food he gave to me and asked, ¡°Have you known all along that Crystal pretended to be

    me? If not, why have you never gotten along with her? I remember that she had helped you before.¡±

    ¡°What is your guess? If you guess correctly, there¡¯s a prize.¡± Christopher wiped my mouth and then

    continued to feed me.

    After turning it in my mind a few times, I began to remember what he had said about those incidents.

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt that was the case. I pped my head and said seriously,

    ¡°That must be the case. Otherwise, you will never say that you¡¯ve known me a long time ago and still

    paying attention to me, right?¡±

    Christopher smiled and pinched the tip of my nose. ¡°That¡¯s right. I knew about it a long time ago. When

    it happened, I was conscious. I just inhaled too much ether and felt very weak. I pretended to be

    knocked out so I would not be beaten up like that idi*t Benjamin. I saw everything that you did.¡±

    ¡°After that, you took notice of me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, I started to pay attention to you after that. I was curious. Every time at banquets and various

    public ces, you would make a fool of yourself and be looked down upon by others and bully others

    as well. Where did you get this kind of courage? Then, I discovered your secret.¡± Christopher dipped

    the peeled shrimp into the sauce and fed it to me.

    ¡°You discovered that I could paint and you used the nickname Key to contact me.¡± It was getting more

    and more mysterious. I winked and said, ¡°Were you interested in me back then? You say you¡¯ve liked

    me for a long time.¡±

    I was pleased with this conclusion which made me proud. ¡°So, the damsel saved the knight in shining

    armor who gave himself to her and served her for the rest of his life.¡±

    ¡°I will serve you for the rest of your life. Is this payment sufficient?¡± Christopher pressed himself close to

    my ear and blew a gust of air.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    I was rather startled as I did not expect him to admit to this so honestly. Suddenly I held his face and

    kissed him hard as that seemed the only right thing to do.

    He responded by holding my head and kissing me passionately until we both gasped for breath.

    ¡°Have you eaten your fill?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m full. How about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. So you must satisfy me. I want a full meal, the whole course.¡±

    ¡°What whole course¡­ Oh¡­¡± I was wondering what he meant by the whole course when he suddenly

    bent over and carried me around the room a few times and then,ughing, brought me right into the

    bedroom and put me on the bed.

    He skillfully opened the cab and searched for the special items I had bought in the adult store and

    kept them hidden. I hugged the quilt and mumbled, ¡°You haven¡¯t finished dinner.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting ready.¡± Christopher opened the bag, looking for what he needed, and stroked my face. ¡°Be

    good. I¡¯lle right back, so don¡¯t hurry. Hot meals must not be eaten in a hurry.¡±

    This guy was deliberately misinterpreting my words. I red at him and wondered if I should be more

    reserved and wait for him or start preparing myself.

    After a short while, I made a bold decision. I crept under the quilt, and started looking for the zipper on

    my skirt. When Christopher got into bed, he found that I was nude. There was a look of surprise in his

    eyes. Then, a broad smile appeared on his face.

    When he entered me, I hugged him high and synchronized with his movements. This man had loved

    me for many years. How lucky I was to have such a man, silently giving his all for me.

    The so-called big meal, of course, was Christopher¡¯s favorite. So, I was treated to the utmost, ending

    up begging for mercy. I wondered why the physical strength of everyone from the special forces was so

    unusual.

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461

    What happened to Crystal did not affect my life much. As I no longer participated in art exhibitions, my

    life was not much different from before. Every day, I would draw something in front of the easel or roam

    around with Christopher.

    With Christopher around, life was so much more interesting. He could always find ways to make me

    happy. Even if we were just cuddling and watching soap operas together without doing anything much,

    I would be happy because he was keeping mepany.

    That day, Christopher went out to buy something. As he did not return after a long time, I called him.

    However, he did not pick it up. Thinking that he had to attend to an emergency, I hung up. A call came

    immediately afterward.

    When I nced at it, I noticed that it was an unfamiliar number from overseas. Feeling puzzled, I

    picked the call up and asked, ¡°Hello, who are you looking for?¡±

    The man spoke quickly in fluent Ustranasion, so I waspletely confused. The only thing I

    understood was that he was looking for me and wanted to talk about my paintings. Although I had

    graduated from university and had learned Ustranasion, I never had the chance to speak it again.

    Hence, I forgot everything.

    Left with no choice, I exined in broken Ustranasion, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my Ustranasion isn¡¯t good. Can

    you speak slower?¡±

    The man fell silent, so I wondered if I should hang up. After all, as I did not have any powerful friends

    overseas, this was probably not about something important. Just when I was about to end the call, a

    different masculine voice sounded. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yvonne. Are you the artist behind Moonlight Heaven?¡±

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yvonne and I¡¯m the artist who drew Moonlight Heaven. What¡¯s the matter?¡± I frowned.

    Initially, I nned to submit Moonlight Heaven to the fourth quarter of the art exhibition. After finishing

    it, I named it with Christopher. However, the painting was supposed to be hung in his bedroom in the

    Lane residence.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    Furthermore, only both of us knew the name. How did this foreigner know about Moonlight Heaven?

    Did Christopher tell him about it?

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, your artwork, Moonlight Heaven, has received outstanding reviews after being submitted

    to the Ansley Art Exhibition. Hence, we will be exhibiting it in the gallery for everyone to admire. The

    grand Ansley Art Exhibition will be held half a monthter, so we hope that you can attend it too.¡±

    I almost thought that I had heard him wrongly. Ansley was an extremely renowned artist in the art

    industry. His art exhibitions curated famous paintings from all over the world. When he hosted his

    annual art exhibition, countless people would flock there. Every single piece of his artwork would be

    sold at an extremely high price.

    However, his best paintings would be kept carefully in his gallery and disyed only during his annual

    art exhibition.

    Why would Ansley¡¯s art exhibition have my painting? No, the point is, I¡¯ve been chosen! It is every

    painter¡¯s dream to have their paintings disyed in the most famous art exhibition for others to admire.

    Am I dreaming or is this sheer luck?

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, are you still there? Please speak!¡± When the man in the call noticed that I was silent, he

    reminded me.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here.¡± I scratched my head in embarrassment and asked again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As I¡¯ve received

    this news so suddenly, I¡¯m a bit shocked. Did I hear you wrongly? Are you saying that Ansley took a

    liking to my painting and is going to disy it in his private art exhibition?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Ansley¡¯s assistant. Among the hundred paintings we¡¯ve received, he gave your painting

    extremely high reviews and instructed us to invite you. I¡¯ve already sent the invitation over and you

    should receive it soon. May I know what you think of this?¡±

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be invited by Ansley. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely attend it.¡± Suppressing my excitement, I

    hung up the call after speaking to the assistant. Then, I walked to the mirror briskly, stared at my

    reflection, and pped my cheek.

    ¡°It hurts! So I¡¯m not dreaming!¡± Clutching my face, I blinked, still unable to react. ¡°Oh my god! My

    painting has been chosen by Ansley and he¡¯s inviting me to Anndur to attend his art exhibition!¡±

    I screamed and jumped onto the bed. Throwing the covers over me, I punched my pillows and yelled.

    After that, I buried my face into the pillows and burst out into wildughter.

    It¡¯s like I¡¯ve just struck the lottery! I¡¯m overjoyed!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream! I¡¯m going to an art exhibition! I¡¯m so happy!¡±

    A melodious ringtone sounded in the room for a while before I realized that someone was calling me.

    Climbing out of my bed, I grabbed the phone without even ncing at it and said happily, ¡°Hello, this is

    Yvonne.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°Hey, Eve, something bad happened. There¡¯s an intruder in your rtionship. Within ten minutes,e

    downstairs and I¡¯ll bring you there,¡± yelled Sabrina through the phone.

    I was puzzled. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m the only one in the rtionship. Where did the intruder

    come from?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t there be neers? Dress up beautifully ande down quickly. Or else, I¡¯ll teach you a good

    lesson,¡± threatened Sabrina.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯lle down right now. Wait for a while!¡±

    I rolled my eyes, not feeling anxious at all. Christopher would definitely not cheat on me. If he wanted to

    do that, he would not have invested so much effort and love in our rtionship. Even if he wanted to

    find someone else, I did not have the right to refuse.

    Hence, I spent half an hour putting on makeup and changing into a nice outfit. My phone rang multiple

    times. When I went downstairs, Sabrina almost killed me.

    ¡°Is this what you meant by ten minutes? That¡¯s like half an hour!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to dress up nicely? I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself. I did my makeup three times,

    okay?¡± I replied in exasperation.

    ¡°Yvonne, how are you not afraid that my idol might be snatched away? Wait, no. He¡¯s a jerk!¡± Sabrina

    was even more anxious than me as if Zachary was the one who had cheated.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I trust Christopher!¡± I was extremely certain about this. Even if the sky fell and the

    world ended, I would never believe that Christopher had found another woman. The only exception was

    that he was no longer the old Christopher.

    ¡°I saw him flirting with a woman in a caf¨¦! How can you still trust him? Follow me and hopefully, we can

    reach there in time!¡± Sabrina dragged me into the car and mmed her foot against the elerator.

    The car shot forward, causing my heart to pound rapidly. ¡°Can you slow down, Sabby? I don¡¯t want to

    die with you, not when you aren¡¯t even my lover! I¡¯m not even lesbian!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Are you as thoughtful or strong as Zach? Can you even make me pregnant?¡± she yelled

    angrily. Even the man in the car beside us heard that.

    He shook his head and sighed. ¡°All the girls are lesbians now. Although I¡¯m such a good catch, I¡¯m still

    single. It¡¯s such a pity that you¡¯re such beautifuldies!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, although you¡¯re lesbian, I still admire your paintings a lot.¡± Someone poked his head out

    beside the driver¡¯s seat and spoke to me seriously. He was Remington, a young painter who was

    famous in the country.

    What else can I say? With an awkward look, I turned around and asked Sabrina, ¡°Should we tell them

    that we are actually deeply in love? Our love surpasses everything in the world. Not even the forces of

    life and death can stop us. Should we ask them to give us their blessings?¡±

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463

    ¡°That sounds logical. Please, go ahead!¡± Sabrina rolled down the car windows and gestured at me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself, Ms. Tanner. I said that I admire your paintings. As long as you keep

    working hard, your name will be heard amongst the younger artists in the nation!¡± Remington showed

    me thumbs up. ¡°Keep up the good work!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    The man on the driver¡¯s seat mmed his foot on the elerator and zoomed past us. Smelling the

    whiff of the car exhaust, Sabrina and I exchanged a nce. Speechless, we stayed silent for a while

    before bursting intoughter.

    Afterughing, I said to Sabrina, ¡°Are you happy now? Tell me, what happened?¡±

    She sighed and said seriously, ¡°When I strolling past a caf¨¦, I spotted Christopher drinking coffee with a

    pretty girl. They looked so intimate like they were flirting with each other! Take a look quickly and stop

    anything bad from happening. If something did happen, catch them in their act!¡±

    I doubted her words. If Christopher met a woman alone, she was probably his business partner. It was

    normal for women to pester such an exceptional man like him.

    However, when I saw the woman sitting opposite Christopher, I felt threatened. She was an extremely

    beautifuldy who exuded an elegant aura. It was obvious that she was from a rich family, which was

    what Julia liked. If I had thisdy¡¯s elegance and dignified demeanor, Julia would have definitely

    allowed me to be together with Christopher.

    Without needing Sabrina to urge me, I entered the ce and ced my hands on my hips indignantly,

    all prepared to catch them in the act. However, when I almost reached their table, I stopped in my

    tracks and ran into the room at the side. I hid behind the partition, while Sabrina shot an anxious nce

    at me outside. She wanted me to confront them immediately, but I shook my head firmly.

    Left with no choice, she walked toward me and asked, ¡°Can you grow a backbone, Yvonne? You¡¯re his

    wife! You must make those women pining after Christopher back off. Only then can you prevent anyone

    from intruding in your rtionship!¡±

    I shook my head and said timidly, ¡°Let¡¯s eavesdrop on what they¡¯re talking about. Chris will never

    betray me. I can guarantee that with my shame on the line!¡±

    ¡°Do you even have shame?¡± scoffed Sabrina.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve lost it after meeting Christopher!¡± I shrugged. After being together with him, we had

    done multiple shameless things.

    ¡°Ms. Wand, since we¡¯re almost done drinking our coffee, why don¡¯t we go to Colby Street? The food

    there is very famous. There¡¯s some spicy food there that¡¯s definitely to your liking!¡± When talking to the

    woman, Christopher was not as unrestrained as when he was talking to me. Instead, he had

    transformed into an elegant gentleman.

    ¡°With you keeping mepany, Chris, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯ll not be boring. We talked about the delicious

    food in Avenport the previous time, so I¡¯m determined to have a sumptuous feast here! You mustn¡¯t be

    stingy as I¡¯m going to eat till I¡¯mpletely full!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯re satisfied. The wine at the Pinnacle Lounge is also very famous, so we can go

    there. Our schedule for today is settled!¡± Christopher stirred the coffee gently with his well-defined

    fingers. Even though it was a simple act, it exuded elegance.

    After they left, I stood up and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Not only did they drink coffee together, but

    they are also going to eat! How annoying! I¡¯m following them to see what happens.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! If we gather evidence of him cheating, Sebastian won¡¯t dare to do anything reckless and will

    have to transfer his properties to you. Even if he wants to cheat, he can never actually do it.¡± Sabrina

    raised her clenched fists.

    ¡°Not only that, but I also want him to kneel and admit defeat. I want him to understand that women are

    not pushovers!¡±

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464

    I followed Christopher all the way and saw him buy a lot of things for that prettydy as if she was his

    girlfriend. I was so furious that I wanted to rush up to them and tell that woman that Christopher was

    mine. If she dared to hit on him, I would rip her pretty face apart.

    Initially, Sabrina was eager to teach Christopher a lesson with me. However, when she realized that I

    was in no mood to do that, she became crestfallen. It was clear from her expression that she thought I

    was an embarrassing coward, and that she wanted to stop being friends with me.

    ¡°Yvonne, if you still don¡¯t have the guts to confront them even after they go to the hotel, I¡¯ll cut off all ties

    with you. Don¡¯t tell anyone that we used to know each other,¡± threatened Sabrina through gritted teeth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, right? Zachary¡¯s not the one cheating, anyway. Do we have to do this? Why can¡¯t

    we just be chill?¡± When I saw Christopher buy a pretty, hand-embroidered fan for thedy, I pouted. ¡°I

    want that too.¡±

    ¡°Tck!¡±

    At a juncture, Christopher said something to thedy, causing her to suddenly burst outughing. Her

    breasts trembled, causing the people around them to stare at her.

    Hiding behind a pir, Sabrina and I shot a nce at our breasts. She looked at me and spat

    resentfully, ¡°Women with big breasts aren¡¯t smart. Hmph!¡±

    ¡°Mine are bigger than hers. It¡¯s aplete victory on my side! Christopher definitely likes me more,¡± I

    mumbled to myself, ignoring Sabrina¡¯s jealous expression.

    ¡°Perhaps he likes smaller breasts?¡± The only thing that made Sabrina jealous of me was probably my

    chest. Although I was not blessed with a pretty face or intelligence, I had a sexy figure.

    ¡°Wow! That couple there looks sopatible. The guy if handsome and thedy is gorgeous. It¡¯s like

    they are a match made in heaven!¡±

    ¡°My eyes are blessed just by looking at them. They look like they¡¯vee right out of a painting! Even

    though I wish to have a Prince Charming to myself, I can¡¯t make myself jealous of them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a perfect union that can make the whole world jealous,¡± concluded an elderly man.

    Looking at the people who were discussing around them, Sabrina scoffed unhappily. ¡°A jerk and a

    mistress. They suit each other!¡±

    I added, ¡°Yeah! We mustn¡¯t forgive them.¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Suddenly, Christopher coughed violently, turned around and nced in our direction. I quickly

    dragged Sabrina and hid inside a shop.

    After they left, I asked Sabrina, ¡°Do you think that they¡¯ve discovered us?¡±

    ¡°Impossible! A couple on a date will only notice each other. They won¡¯t have eyes for anyone else!¡±

    said Sabrina confidently.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. When I¡¯m out with Chris, I won¡¯t notice anyone else either. What should we do now?¡± I

    poked my head out. After ensuring that Christopher and the woman with the big breasts were gone, I

    asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go back.¡±

    They walked for a while. When she took out a mirror to touch up her makeup, she looked in our

    direction before she turned to talk to Christopher.

    Christopher smiled affectionately and replied to her. Boy, he looks so happy!

    The woman smile too with a look of revtion crossing her face. Sheughed and they continued to

    chat.

    Bloody h*ll, do you have so much to talk about?

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465

    A whileter, they continued walking.

    After roaming around for the entire day, I felt exhausted. Usually, I preferred lounging at home. That

    was why I enjoyed painting and activities like that. Usually, when I was out with Christopher, he would

    bring me to a caf¨¦ to rest or drive home the minute I said that I was tired. However, that prettydy was

    very energetic and was still in high spirits after walking for so long.

    I nced at Sabrina, who had bought a lot of things from the market and was eating happily. Thinking

    about how I was weaker than a pregnant woman, I suddenly thought that I was quite useless.

    ¡°Sabby, do you remember what we¡¯re here for?¡±

    ¡°To shop! Although I¡¯ve grown up in Avenport, I didn¡¯t know that there is so much good food here that I

    don¡¯t know about. Christopher¡¯s amazing. As expected of my idol!¡±

    Indeed, she has forgotten about it. I sighed deeply. When I saw Christopher and thedy sitting in a

    shop and preparing to order something to eat, I could not hold myself back anymore. I dragged myself

    there tiredly, sat beside him and called out to the owner, ¡°I¡¯d like some fresh oysters and lobster with

    lemon butter sauce.¡±

    When I caught thedy and Christopher staring at me, I pretended to stay calm. Taking a leaf out of

    Crystal¡¯s book, I said cutely, ¡°What a coincidence to meet you here! Hello, I¡¯m Chris¡¯ wife. You must be

    his friend! I¡¯ve heard him mention you multiple times. As expected you¡¯re a really gorgeous and elegant

    lady. Sorry for this sudden interruption!¡±

    Christopher was stunned by the way I was speaking. Smiling, he pulled me back and instructed,

    ¡°Speak normally!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so tired, Chris. Can I lean against you and rest for a while? I¡¯ll agree to one of your requests,

    okay?¡± I continued acting cute. However, I started criticizing myself secretly. Why do I sound so weird?

    Even I¡¯m disgusted with myself! No wonder he looks so grim.

    He was immediately convinced by what I said. Pulling me into his arms, he said seriously, ¡°You mustn¡¯t

    go back on your words!¡±

    When I looked at the prettydy, who was still smiling happily, I suddenly felt like I have just sold

    myself. Meanwhile, Sabrina was staring at me like I was a fool.

    ¡°Haha!¡± When thedy noticed our interaction, sheughed. Herughter was crisp and melodious. ¡°Mr.

    Lane, I can tell how loving both of you are from how you interact with each other. It¡¯s gettingte, so I

    shouldn¡¯t interrupt both of you anymore. I¡¯ll go back now. Remember toe for our date tomorrow.

    After all, I promised Mrs. Lane that I¡¯ll stay here for three days. I¡¯m a woman who keeps my promises!¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pick you up at the hotel tomorrow.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    What the heck? Why are they talking about their date in front of me, as if I don¡¯t exist? I pinched

    Christopher¡¯s waist forcefully.

    When thedy noticed what I was doing, her smile widened. She moved closer and said to me, ¡°You¡¯re

    Chris¡¯ lover, right? Be careful. I¡¯ve known Chris for many years. Mrs. Lane has specially invited me

    over!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be my love rival? I won¡¯t admit defeat! Chris and I are bound to each other for eternity.

    Our love will persist even after our deaths! You should give up soon.¡± I defended my position firmly and

    snuggled into Christopher¡¯s embrace. To prove that she had no chances of seeding, I stuck out my

    chest and dered solemnly, ¡°My breasts are much bigger than yours.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Thedyughed even louder now as a wide grin spread across her pretty face. ¡°I finally

    understood why you love her so much, Chris. Even I¡¯m starting to like her.¡±

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466

    I almost blurted the words out and told her that I wasn¡¯t a lesbian. However, the words were stuck in my

    throat. How weird it was to exin my sexual orientation twice a day?

    After Madeline left, I looked at Christopher in confusion. She seemed to be a powerful love rival that he

    couldn¡¯t even resist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat something. I ordered seafood chowder for you. It¡¯s good for health.¡± Christopher pulled me to

    the table and sat down. Feeling bad, he stuffed a set of cutlery into my hand and said, ¡°Usually, you

    would get tired after walking for a few miles. Today, you almost crossed half of the Avenport. You must

    bepletely drained.¡±

    I was taking a mouthful of the chowder while Christopher said that. I lifted my head in a daze and

    struggled to swallow it. I asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± I found myself silly after asking that question.

    Finally, I came to a realization. ¡°So you¡¯ve actually noticed it since the beginning? You bast*rd. I can¡¯t

    believe you pretended that you didn¡¯t know anything. You even went for a date with another woman.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the counter-reconnaissance skill of the special forces. If I hadn¡¯t noticed your way

    of stalking me, Zachary would have kicked me out of the special forces and taken over my position as a

    captain.¡± Christopher patted gently on my head. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. I will exin to you after that. I got your

    favorite boiled crawfish too. It will be ready soon. Of course, there¡¯s also grilled escargots.¡±

    I started drooling when I thought about the food. I was busy stalking just now. I didn¡¯t even have time to

    eat. But now all I cared about was all the delicious food. Hence, I stuffed myself with food with a

    contented smile on my face.

    ¡°Useless! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so easily bribed with some food,¡± Sabrina said scornfully.

    I was totally engrossed in eating good food. Upon hearing what Sabrina said, I immediately came to my

    senses. Thus, I decided to question Christopher while gulping down the food. I held a crawfish that he

    peeled for me in my hand and asked with gritted teeth, ¡°Christopher,e clean with me. You¡¯d better

    exin yourself. Why were you with another woman? Why did you go on date with her in front of me?¡±

    ¡°Madeline is my business partner. We¡¯ve been good friends for years. She is the eldest daughter of the

    Wand family in Eastsummer. Besides, she is the head of the Wand family. She came all the way here

    this time because my mom invited her over and set us up on a blind date. It¡¯s just that simple,¡±

    Christopher answered inly.

    ¡°What? A blind date?¡± I was dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re married. Why do you need a blind date? Are you

    tricking her into a marriage? How shameless!¡±

    ¡°Is that the only thing you could think of?¡± He was annoyed but amused at the same time. He looked

    helpless as he stroked my hair.

    ¡°Did I say something wrong? You went on a blind date with another woman even though you¡¯re

    married. Are you seriously trying to cheat on me?¡± I was not amused.

    ¡°It depends on you now, Eve. My mom has decided to make me go on a blind date on the spur of the

    moment. Nobody could stop her, not even my dad. He said that I have to soothe my mom¡¯s emotions in

    order to make good progress in our rtionship. Eve, you can¡¯t leave me fighting this battle alone.¡±

    Christopher said with a stern expression.

    ¡°Are you going to marry someone else?¡± After finishing up the crawfish, I started eating the escargots.

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t!¡± Christopher replied again.

    ¡°Will you change your mind?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll really get mad at you if you keep on asking such questions.¡±

    ¡°So what does that have to do with me? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to marry someone else or change your

    mind. You can handle those blind dates yourself. I¡¯ll just go clothes shopping.¡±

    However, I had paid dearly for speaking those words without thinking. On the one hand, I promised

    Christopher something on one condition, but on the other hand, he said that it was my punishment. It

    was quite obvious what exactly he wanted from me.

    I was forced to buy a box full of new products from an adult shop. The owner kind of teased us by

    giving us a knowing look and a pleasing smile. After that, we headed back to the apartment. He

    couldn¡¯t wait to try those products on me.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    We changed from ce to ce each time I put on a new set of clothes. After getting it done, I wore

    another set. Of course, we tried different tricks as well. I was very conscious at first. I clenched my jaws

    and gritted my teeth. In the end, I had no choice but to resort to his domineering attitude. After that, I

    did whatever he told me to without resisting at all. After all, I would be the one suffering if I fought back.

    A few dayster, I totally understood Christopher¡¯s greatest n of ruining the blind dates.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467

    Christopher was in a coffee shop. Rumor had it that Julia had introduced him to another girl again. She

    hoped that Christopher could meet some more women to open up his eyes. This girl was a shy person.

    She blushed when she talked to Christopher. She seemed hesitant to speak due to her shyness. But

    she was innocent and adorable.

    I was wearing a customized maternity clothes, sitting behind them with a newspaper in my hand. When

    the girl said that she wanted to keep on going out with Christopher, he coughed lightly.

    It was our secret code. Without a second thought, I rushed over and hugged his leg. I yelled at him,

    ¡°Mr. Lane, please don¡¯t leave me. I¡¯m five months pregnant now with a boy. You told me that you like

    boys. Can you chase me away only after I give birth to the boy?¡±

    I cried while saying to the girl, ¡°Miss, if you¡¯re married to Mr. Lane, please treat my kid better. It is just a

    fertilized egg now, but are you ready to be a stepmother?¡±

    ¡°Stepmother?¡± Her facial expression changedpletely. Then, she covered her face and started

    sobbing as she left.

    At a wax museum, I was standing in the middle of wax figures. This girl had such an unusual hobby.

    Suddenly, I had great sympathy for Christopher. He was the one to me for being too awesome.

    Surprisingly, a bold and daring man like Christopher found those creepy wax figures in the museum

    uneptable either.

    Just as the girl and Christopher agreed to go for a movie as nned, I strode over to them. Then, I

    raised my hand and gave him a p. I shouted angrily at him, ¡°You scumbag! You lied to me! I can¡¯t

    believe that you¡¯re acting all lovey-dovey here with another woman. I will not let you get away with it.¡±

    ¡°Why did you p him?¡± The girl stood in front of Christopher and protected him.

    Looking at the beautiful and charming girl, a look of hatred and disgust shed across my face. I was

    overwhelmed with furious. Then, I ced my hand in front of my chest and said in despair, ¡°You seem

    like a good girl. I have my reasons. I just couldn¡¯t bear to see anyone being cheated by him again.

    Please don¡¯t be fooled by his looks.¡±

    ¡°What does it have anything to do with you? I like this type of man. I like being fooled by him. It¡¯s none

    of your business!¡± The girl said crossly and pushed me away.

    ¡°Oh, pretty girl. Do you really have to marry him and live a widow¡¯s life? I couldn¡¯t find a good man

    because I was known as his woman. You can¡¯t marry him.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by living a widow¡¯s life?¡± The girl started to get worried.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been there. I totally understand how you feel. Not only is he impotent but he is also a hypocrite.

    He even pretended to be adies¡¯ man. How terrible of him! This is really bugging on my conscience!¡±

    ¡°What? He is impotent? You jerk!¡± The girl was shocked after hearing my words. She screamed and

    buried her face in her hands. After that, she ran away.

    This kind of incident happened almost every day throughout the week. I tossed the maternity clothes

    stuffed with a small pillow on the couch when I was doing myundry. Aftering back, I saw

    Christopher holding the clothes in his hand and ying with them. Suddenly, a thought shed through

    my mind. I took out the small pillow and asked, ¡°Do you love kids? Otherwise, why do you have a soft

    spot for me being a pregnant woman?¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    We always used protection. Although we were married, I would still request Christopher to do so. He

    had never turned down my request, not even once. I thought he didn¡¯t mind. In fact, he did care.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. How am I going to scare those women off if you are not pregnant?¡±

    Christopher put on the clothes for me and stared at me. The corner of his lips curled into a smile. He

    dragged me to the front of the mirror and said with a grin, ¡°Look at you. Aren¡¯t you cute? You look as

    clumsy as a bear.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the clumsy bear!¡± I red at him and pounced on him. I pinned him against the closet and

    nibbled his cheek. Christopher carried me in his arms and turned around in the room. After that, he

    threw me on the bed and started tickling me.

    I couldn¡¯t stopughing from his tickling. We were having fun and rolling over on the bed. Suddenly, we

    fell off the bed by ident. I theny on top of Christopher and looked at him with a smile.

    ¡°Christopher, let¡¯s have a baby of our own. What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468

    With my face in his palms, Christopher gave me a kiss on the lips. ¡°Okay, I¡¯d like to have a child. Do

    you want it to be a boy or a girl?¡±

    I let out a faint smile and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with either honestly. As long as it¡¯s our child, I¡¯ll love him or

    her with all my heart. I¡¯ll be sure to put them under my aegis and take good care of them.¡±

    Having experienced a tough childhood myself, I didn¡¯t want my child to go through that same

    experience.

    Christopher caressed my face before uttering, ¡°Who do you think our child will resemble more? Me or

    you?¡±

    Before I could say anything, he continued, ¡°I think our child will be better off inheriting my genes. If our

    child does end up taking after me, he or she will be astonishingly intelligent as well as good-looking.

    Let¡¯s just hope our child doesn¡¯t end up resembling the mother too much, for its own sake.¡±

    Peeved, Itched onto Christopher and bit him on the shoulder.

    The next morning, Christopher received a call from Julia again. She invited him to a caf¨¦ and told him

    that she had urgent matters to discuss with him. Yeah, right! She¡¯s been using the same excuse for

    how many times now? Honestly, I¡¯ve lost count.

    She is really obstinate on breaking us up huh?

    ¡°Mrs. Lane seems really excited. This is probably the tenth time she¡¯s doing this. So what do you want

    me to do today? Do I pretend to be pregnant again? You know we can¡¯t keep doing this right? The

    media is gonna catch wind on this eventually.¡±

    Christopher nced at me while rubbing his forehead. ¡°No, you should juste with me,¡± he uttered

    with a serious look.

    What? He wants me to confront his date directly? I put on a cunning smile and nodded.

    When the afternoon came, I headed to the caf¨¦ on my own since Christopher was still upied with

    his work. He was going to go straight to the caf¨¦ from his office as soon as he finished work. After

    getting off the car, I realized that I had arrived at the caf¨¦ a tad too early. So, I decided to wander

    around the area for a bit.

    As I was strolling around, I noticed a person pouring a bucket of paint onto one of the billboards by the

    road. He then proceeded to draw circles on the face of the person featured in the billboard before

    leaving.

    I was stupefied in ce after seeing what he did. A whileter, several workers in helmets rushed over

    to the billboard and started recing it with a new one. A passerby stopped beside them and threw a

    few kicks at the new billboard.

    ¡°Who gave you guys permission to rece the billboard? The billboard advertisement that you¡¯ve just

    taken down belongs to Crystal!¡± The passerby was a woman who was wearing a trench coat and a

    mask.

    ¡°That abhorrent woman is not fit to be an idol. She should be detested.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Who knows what she¡¯s done with the money from the charity auction? What a greedy wench!

    I¡¯m d I took down her billboard. This is what she deserves,¡± another worker added.

    ¡°Beat it! That billboard is private property. You don¡¯t have the right to take it down. Leave now or I¡¯ll call

    the cops.¡± The woman in the coat tried to stop the man who was removing the second billboard.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Who exactly are you supposed to be? Why are you standing up for a woman like Crystal?¡± One of the

    workers gave the woman a shove which ended up revealing her face.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Crystal!¡±

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469

    Standing close to the billboard, I saw everything unfold before my eyes. I can¡¯t believe Crystal would

    come out here alone. What is she thinking? She¡¯s just gonna make this worst.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Crystal, huh? I heard you¡¯re a little sl*t!¡±

    ¡°Not only that, but I heard she¡¯s also the reason why the two brothers are having a fight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s old news. Have you guys heard of the recent news about her? They say that she was fooling

    around with a bunch of men at Jetroina. You¡¯re such a goddess, Crystal, to be able to satisfy multiple

    men at once like that.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Crystal was being disparaged and ridiculed by the crowd surrounding her. Suddenly, a journalist came

    out of nowhere and started taking pictures of her. Due to the copious amount of people surrounding

    her, it was very hard for Crystal¡¯s driver to escort her out of there.

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Ms. Yates. Even after that whole incident at the wedding ceremony, you still have the

    courage to walk out here. What do you n on doing next?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lucas is still single. Are you going after him next? You were spotted with him at a caf¨¦ recently.¡±

    Crystal had a vacuous look on her face while being pushed around by the crowd. She was reticent to

    say anything to the journalist. Her pale white face made her look like a body without a soul.

    That look on her face reminded me of the time I was surrounded by journalists. Fortunately for me, I

    had Christopher to back me up at that time.

    ¡°Enough, what more do you guys want from me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done something bad to any of you. So

    stop pestering me, okay? Beat it!¡± Crystal was livid. In the heat of the moment, she gave the person

    beside her a strong push.

    ¡°Ow! Help! my leg! It hurts!¡± An old man in his sixties fell onto the ground and held onto his leg.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she would harm an innocent old man! Call the cops! We must send her to jail.¡±

    Despite the huge crowd, Crystal¡¯s eyes somehow found their way onto me. When our eyes met, she

    gave me a minatory look and yelled out loud, ¡°You! It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re the one who set this up. I¡¯ll

    make you pay for this, Yvonne!¡±

    I have a bad feeling about this. I quickly took a step back from the crowd. Struggling in the crowd,

    Crystal added on, ¡°You think you¡¯ve won, Yvonne? No! Let me tell you something, It will take way more

    than this to bring me down. Mark my words, I¡¯ll make you crumble in front of me one day.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Due to the dazzling shes of the cameras, the crowd was unable to open their eyes. Crystal, who was

    dashing toward me, ended up getting pushed onto the ground. In spite of that, she continued to yell at

    me.

    Upon hearing the sound of police sirens, I finally came back to my senses. Oh yeah, I¡¯m supposed to

    meet up with Christopher. I should get going. He¡¯ll be mad at me if I let him face his date alone.

    I immediately turned around and ran toward the caf¨¦. On my way there, I called Natalie and informed

    her about Crystal¡¯s situation. This is the best I can do to help, Crystal. The rest is up to you.

    Upon entering the caf¨¦, I was greeted by Christopher¡¯s impatient face. He was exuding a menacing

    aura around him.

    I let out a chuckle and waved at him before dashing over to his seat. He¡¯s definitely mad at me. I¡¯ll need

    to find a way to pacify himter on.

    ¡°Mr. Lane, Mrs. Lane said that we should get engaged once we¡¯ve be familiar with each other. We

    should set our engagement day for the first of October. I have looked into the weather forecast. The

    weather on that day will be perfect. What do you think?¡± the woman queried with a delighted look on

    her face.

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470

    ¡°You should just follow my mother¡¯s instructions,¡± Christopher responded nonchntly.

    ¡°Really? So you agree to our engagement?¡± she was a bit perplexed.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already discussed the engagement day with my mom, I have no objections.¡± Christopher

    gazed at Rachael with his mesmerizing eyes and gave her a charming smile.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how lucky I am. Am I dreaming right now?¡± murmured Rachael.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. That being said, there¡¯s one thing I need to tell you about. My dad loves my mom

    dearly. They¡¯ve been married for many years now. If you really want to get engaged with my mom, you

    should at least ask for my dad¡¯s permission. As long as he agrees, I¡¯ll give you my blessing.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± thedy was stunned in ce as if she was struck by lightning.

    After hearing Christopher¡¯s words, I felt a bit bad for her. He¡¯s just toying with her at this point. That is

    so him though. He said so before himself, he would only be nice to one woman only, me.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. I have something important to take care of just now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s more important thaning here?¡± Christopher had a sullen look on his face as he turned

    away from me.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Since I arrived too early, I decided to take a stroll around this area. While I was wandering

    around, I encountered something unexpected by the road which ended up grabbing my attention.

    That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯mte,¡± I carefully exined to Christopher. ¡°Here, have some coffee. It can

    help to calm your nerves.¡± I passed the cup of coffee beside my hand over to him.

    ¡°I want you to feed it to me!¡± Christopher ordered.

    ¡°Alright then!¡± I lifted the cup of coffee to his mouth and gave him a slurp of it. I also put a few pine nut

    cookies into his mouth. ¡°If you ever turn upte again, you¡¯ll be thoroughly punished.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± I responded while giggling. Punished, huh? I wonder what that means.

    ¡°You two¡­¡± the woman pointed her finger at us with a distressed look on her face. ¡°Mr. Lane, who¡¯s

    this?¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms before uttering, ¡°Have you not seen the news? This woman here is

    my wife. She¡¯s from the Tanner family.¡± He revealed my identity to the woman without any hesitation.

    ¡°Oh, this is Rachel,¡± introduced Christopher.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re from the Lane family. There¡¯s no way a person of your stature would

    want to marry a divorc¨¦e.¡± Rachael had an incredulous look on her face as she looked at me.

    ¡°Really? Personally, I think that Eve is a hundred times better than women like you.¡± Christopher

    feigned a smile at her as he said that. Hey, that¡¯s too much. She was asked by Mrs. Lane to attend this

    blind date, you know. It¡¯s not her fault. I gave Christopher a little pinch on the arm.

    ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being rude to me? This blind date was arranged by Mrs. Lane.

    Even if you think I¡¯m not worthy enough to be your date partner, you shouldn¡¯t bring such a deplorable

    woman here just to spite me.¡± Rachael¡¯s face was bright red, with tearsing out of her eyes.

    ¡°Watch your words.¡± After hearing Rachael¡¯s catty remarks toward me, Christopher¡¯s tone suddenly

    turned cold. ¡°The baby in your stomach is about a month old right? Isn¡¯t it bad for you toe out

    during this time? Did your family know that you havee here to see me? Most importantly, does the

    baby¡¯s father know? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to make this baby a Lane. I don¡¯t think the baby¡¯s father

    would agree to this.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ Enough with your nders.¡± Rachael¡¯s face was ashen.

    ¡°You think your dirty little secret can be kept forever?¡±

    Rachael¡¯s facial expression was getting worse by the minute. She stood up and eximed, ¡°You two

    are monsters. You will never find happiness together!¡±

    After she left, I red at Christopher and uttered, ¡°That was too much. What you said to her was out of

    the line. She was just following your mother¡¯s wishes. You didn¡¯t have to be so mean to her, you

    know?¡±

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471

    ¡°That woman was so galling though, so it¡¯s not my fault.¡± Christopher let out a snort before adding on,

    ¡°Besides, everybody in Avenport should have heard about our rtionship by now. Hence, the people

    who still want to go on a blind date with me despite knowing that must have some other malicious

    intent in mind. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with those people.¡±

    ¡°The thing that you said just now, about her being pregnant with a baby. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Zachary was the one who provided me with this information. It can¡¯t be wrong.¡± Christopher fed

    me some pastries before continuing, ¡°I must admit, Sabrina is a nice friend to have. I¡¯m impressed that

    you were able to find a friend like her.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a good judge of character. If I am not, I wouldn¡¯t have liked you.¡±

    As I said that, I noticed someone¡¯s shadow behind us. When I turned around, I was startled by who I

    saw. Julia was standing behind us all this while! I quickly got out of Christopher¡¯s arms and sat up with

    my back straight.

    Julia ignored my presence and started lecturing Christopher, ¡°Why do you always have to upset your

    dates, Christopher? This time you even brought her along to the date. How could you do such a thing?

    Can¡¯t you at least show some respect for your date? Rachael gave me a call just now wailing about her

    encounter with you. You dare to call yourself a man after what you¡¯ve said to her?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your son. You know my personality better than anyone else. Here, have some coffee. It¡¯ll

    help to calm you down.¡± Christopher passed the cup of coffee in front of me over to her. But that¡¯s

    mine¡­ Tch!

    Julia pushed the cup of coffee away and retorted, ¡°Calm down? How can I be calm right now? Rachael

    isn¡¯t going to give you another chance anymore. What a shame, she was such a ssy girl. She

    would¡¯ve been the perfect fit for you.¡± She nced at me before continuing, ¡°She would¡¯ve been a way

    better partner for you than this woman here.¡±

    I sat back down and remained taciturn as she rambled on. For my sake, Christopher has disobeyed

    Mrs. Lane a couple of times before and even got into a fight with her. I can¡¯t cause him any more

    trouble. I should just remain silent and wait for her to calm down.

    ¡°Mom, a ssy woman wouldn¡¯t have gotten herself pregnant with some random guy before marriage. I

    know you¡¯re dying for a grandchild, but do you really want me to raise a baby that isn¡¯t even mine?

    Sorry, I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    With an apathetic look on his face, Christopher crossed his legs and ordered a few more snacks onto

    the table.

    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Julia was bewildered after hearing his statement. ¡°She¡¯s a fine

    woman. Stop your nonsense.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m making this up? If you don¡¯t believe me, you could ask Darius to do an investigation on

    her.¡±

    Julia¡¯s face suddenly turned somber. ¡°You shoulde back home for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring Eve along with me,¡± Christopher replied.

    ¡°Humph!¡± Julia was miffed.

    Seeing as such, I uttered, ¡°Mom¡­ I mean, Mrs. Lane, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure he returns home for

    dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better!¡± Julia responded in a harsh tone.

    Yes, of course! I wouldn¡¯t dare to go against my future mother-inw. I wonder if she¡¯ll ever stop being

    so hostile toward me.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    Meanwhile, Crystal was captured and brought to the police station. She was arrested for harming an

    elderly man. The old man who was pushed down by her was still being treated in the hospital. On top

    of that, Crystal was also indicted for giarism. She had been using someone else¡¯s artwork to

    increase her poprity without their permission.

    All the people who were previously bullied by her came together to sue her. Originally, I didn¡¯t want to

    involve myself in any of this. However, Nathan came to ask me for my help personally.

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472

    After sending Christopher to his office, I met Nathan and Natalie at the entrance to my apartment. Both

    of them looked rather agitated and worried. This can¡¯t be good.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Natalie, is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, help your cousin out, would you? She has suffered enough, don¡¯t you think? If she ends up

    going to jail, it¡¯ll be all over for her,¡± Nathan uttered solemnly, with a pleading look on his face.

    I let out a sigh in response. Crystal has done so many ill deeds in the past. She¡¯s made a lot of

    enemies because of that and they are now seeking revenge on her. Honestly, she deserves all of this.

    It was her own fault for doing all those dreadful things to others.

    Whenever I looked at Crystal¡¯s artworks back then, I always figured that the styles of her artworks were

    abnormally different from each other. Who would¡¯ve thought that she didn¡¯t actually create any of her

    own artworks.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Though I must say, her imitation skills are quite impressive.

    ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you ask Benson for his help instead. He has a close rtionship with Crystal. Not to

    mention, he¡¯s the sessor of the Miller family. He must have a way to get her out of this quagmire.¡±

    ¡°We did try to look for him but to no avail. The current head of the Miller family doesn¡¯t want to have

    anything to do with us. Please, Eve. Do this for the family, okay?¡± Nathan begged in a low voice. It was

    the first time I¡¯d seen him like this.

    The person begging in front of me right now is my father. Whenever he did something awful to me back

    then, I would just endure it by reminding myself that he¡¯s my father.

    ¡°Dad, if the one going to jail right now is me, would you just ignore me like you didst time?¡± I¡¯m not

    holding a grudge or anything like that. I just don¡¯t want to be hurt again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone into jail once. Thankfully, Christopher was there to help me through those tough times.

    Where were my family members then? Oh, right. Dad was too busy taking care of Crystal in the

    hospital.¡±

    Nathan gazed at me with his back hunched and responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eve. It¡¯s all my fault. But please,

    Crystal can¡¯t go to jail now. Help her out, would you? Do it for me.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, she¡¯s your cousin! You can¡¯t just leave her to rot!¡± Natalie yelled out loud. She bowed before

    adding on, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you. Is that still not enough? What else do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Chill Aunt Natalie. There¡¯s no need for this.¡± I took a few steps back. She isn¡¯t just begging for my help

    anymore. She¡¯s trying to guilt-trip me. ¡±I envy my cousin a lot, you know. No matter what she does, you

    two would always support her. Me, on the other hand, had never ever gotten any acknowledgment from

    either of you.¡±

    I paused for a while before continuing, ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t help Crystal even if I want to. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°You have the Lane family behind your back. If you ask for Christopher¡¯s help, surely he¡¯ll be able to

    solve this situation.¡± Nathan gritted his teeth and uttered, ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to know where your

    mom is, right? I could tell you her whereabouts.¡±

    Is this some kind of a sick joke? He didn¡¯t go and find Mom even when he knew where she was?

    I let out a maniacalugh. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s sad that I have to make a deal with my own father

    just to find out where my mother is.¡±

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473

    As a teenager, I used to always run to my mother¡¯s room and sob whenever I was bullied ruthlessly by

    Crystal and Yvette. And I would always take advantage of my father¡¯s good mood to question him

    about my mother¡¯s whereabouts. Despite that, he would often fly into a rage and p me across the

    face. Gradually, I stopped asking him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a grown-up now, Dad. You said it yourself before that once I be an adult, then I don¡¯t need

    your care and concern anymore.¡± After saying that, I took a long deep breath. It waste summer, and

    the air was warm and humid. However, I somehow felt chilled to the bones.

    Nathan¡¯s face darkened at my remark. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no

    words came out of his mouth. There was no remorse on his face, only calmness.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up indeed, Yvonne. I can¡¯t tell you what to do anymore.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong again, Dad. How can I pretend I didn¡¯t see it when you¡¯ve already said so?¡± In the end, I

    couldn¡¯t ignore his opinion.

    When Christopher returned, I told him about the conversation I had with my father. There was a weird

    expression on his face as I recounted the conversation. All the while, he kept sighing at me as though

    he was at a loss of what to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fool, ain¡¯t I? Is that why you have nothing to say to me?¡± I asked as I scratched the back of my

    head. Not waiting for him to reply, I leaned over and wrapped my arms around his waist, and rested my

    head on his back. ¡°I often think of myself as a fool. You were the only one who came to see me when I

    was in prison. None of my family members were there for me. He brought up the news about my

    mother, and I couldn¡¯t refuse him.¡±

    ¡°He told you about it?¡± Christopher asked as he tapped the tip of my nose lightly with his finger.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to his terms.¡± The truth is, I¡¯m a little surprised by all this myself. I said with a wry smile,

    ¡°Chris, maybe I don¡¯t miss her as much as I thought I would. So what if I know about her whereabouts?

    Am I supposed to go and find her? It¡¯s been so many years, and she would have started a new family

    of her own. She probably had forgotten about me.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sounds reasonable. You should think of a way to win over my mother. I promise you, once

    you¡¯ve won her over, she¡¯ll shower you with love and warmth. You¡¯ll love her to bits,¡± Christopher said

    earnestly and went on to speak highly of Julia.

    ording to Christopher, Julia would rouse them every morning and serve them breakfast. And

    instead of having high tea with her wealthy friends during her spare time, she would stay home and

    y onlineputer games with them.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine Julia as someone with such high levels of motherly affection, partly because she

    always seemed like a snobbish woman with a sessful career.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t put so much hope on me. I don¡¯t expect her to

    shower me with love, but I¡¯ll be more than happy if she treats me the same way she treats Shelley.¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I could always rely on Christopher to do his best to take care of things for me. The next day, he went to

    inquire about thewsuit against Crystal. Once he had the information in hand, he called me to ry

    the news.

    ording to Christopher, things had gotten out of hand for Crystal. She had be the talk of the

    town, and many of her fans had grown to hate her. And since she had a high-profile career, it was

    impossible to deal with the matter discreetly.

    I was surprised to see that even Christopher thought that this was a critical problem at hand. Feeling

    stumped, I asked, ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±

    ¡°Silly woman. There¡¯s nothing that money can¡¯t solve. Well, all it takes is to pay those who sued Crystal

    so that they will drop charges against her. Leave it to your father to deal with that. If he can¡¯t even

    handle that, then I have nothing else to say,¡± Christopher said and chuckled over the phone.

    ¡°What if money can¡¯t solve this? You have to know, some artists regard their artwork more valuable

    than their own lives.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then too bad. That will serve her right.¡±

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474

    Nathan spent a lot of money to pay off those who filed thewsuits against Crystal; as a result, all

    lawsuits were withdrawn. Even the old man who tried to ckmail Crystal eventually withdrew his case

    after epting one million as a pay-off from Nathan.

    Needless to say, Crystal would not be put into prison now that allwsuits had been withdrawn, and

    she would be released within 24 hours. However, Natalie couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Crystal spending

    another minute in jail, so she came and pester me about this matter.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I roared as I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Has she ever treated me as her cousin? I don¡¯t think so. Why

    should I help you guys when you did nothing but bully me? Don¡¯t take me for a fool.¡±

    Natalie stopped pestering me after that. Then, I picked up a newspaper that was sitting on the shelf

    and flipped through it. There was news coverage on economic development and some other news in

    Avenport. Then suddenly, I noticed a piece of news in a small section of the newspaper.

    Darius was re-elected and appointed as mayor. On the other hand, more than a dozen officials filed a

    joint report to use the Walker family of embezzlement and siphoning funds. As a result, the Walker

    family failed to run for the position of mayor.

    I was a little stunned and read it a few times again. In Avenport, there was none other than the Walker

    family who was a huge threat to the Lane family. The Walker and the Lane families had a long history

    ofpeting with each other, and this oue was rather surprising.

    It was rumored that the Martins were rted to the Walkers. Thest time I met Monica, I perceived her

    as someone dangerous. One night, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I overheard Christopher

    on the phone with someone, and Monica¡¯s name was mentioned.

    I walked over quietly and leaned against the door.

    Christopher said in a whisper, ¡°Monica, together with Benson and Crystal, are working together with the

    Walker family to go up against us. Thanks to Crystal, we can¡¯t depend on the Smiths and the Tanners

    anymore. You have to be careful, Darius. Mitchell is a shrewd person, don¡¯t be careless, and you¡¯d

    better watch your back.¡±

    Upon hearing that, I realized that Monica coborated with the Walker family to go up against the Lane

    family. That¡¯s utterly ridiculous. Monica had always talked about how much she loved Christopher, but

    yet she kept doing things that anger him. Does that approach count as loving someone?

    The whole charade by Monica and Crystal was just to go up against the Lane family. They probably

    couldn¡¯t stand seeing me together with Christopher and tried to break us apart.

    Many times, I had asked Christopher about this privately. But he would always tell me to ignore those

    petty matters and just focus on my paintings. But how could I ignore those so-called petty matters?

    Unfortunately, even if I knew what was going on, I wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with a solution.

    I¡¯m so useless.

    Thank goodness that the ploys by Monica and the Walkers didn¡¯t work. I was relieved that their

    conniving ways did not affect the Lane family and Christopher.

    When I went to pick up Crystal, I saw her squatting in the corner behind bars. Her sunken eyes were

    downcast, and she looked so forlorn. She was no longer high-spirited as before.

    Her bed was upied by another woman whom she shared in the cell.

    ¡°Crystal, someone is here to pick you up,¡± the guard shouted as she opened the door.

    A look of surprise shed in Crystal¡¯s eyes before she jumped up and shouted at the fat woman in her

    cell, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t be too happy. My mom is here to pick me up. And I have told you before,

    once I¡¯m out of here, I will screw you over. Just wait and see.¡±

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475

    The fat woman jumped out of bed and rushed forward to hit Crystal. Crystal let out a scream instantly

    and scurried out of the cell. Then, she turned around and cursed at the woman before shembasted

    the prison guard, ¡°Close the door now before she sneaks out.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me what to do,¡± the prison guard snapped at Crystal and mmed the door shut.

    Choking back her tears, Crystal turned around and flew into Natalie¡¯s arms. She sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m scared,

    Mom. We¡¯ve got to do something about those wicked people who tried to put me in jail. We have to

    make them pay for it.¡±

    ¡°My poor girl.¡± Natalie hugged her tightly and patted her on the back to console her. At the same time,

    tears rolled down her face as sheforted her daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go after those people and

    make them pay for this.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, Mom. I don¡¯t want to be here a second longer. The guards didn¡¯t even bring me

    anything to eat. I¡­¡±

    Crystal took Natalie¡¯s hand and turned around to leave when she suddenly noticed me standing in the

    corridor. Her sullen expression changed to a look of pride before saying, ¡°What are you doing here,

    Yvonne? Are you here to have a goodugh at me?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you. If it weren¡¯t for Dad, I don¡¯t think I ever want to see you again,¡± I said coldly.

    ¡°Tell her to get lost, Mom. I don¡¯t want to see her,¡± Crystal said as she straightened her clothes and

    lifted her chin haughtily. She shot me a resentful re before turning her head away.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Crystal. Yvonne is the one who got you out of jail,¡± Nathan said tactfully.

    ¡°What did you say? How can that be? Why would she help me get out of jail?¡± Crystal sputtered as she

    iled her arms in exasperation.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Instead of feeling grateful, Crystal continued spitefully, ¡°I don¡¯t want your help, Crystal. Stop trying to

    act nice. I don¡¯t need your help or pity. I¡¯m going back in. I¡¯m not going to let Yvonne get me out of jail.¡±

    After saying that, she turned around and was about to enter the cell again.

    Upon seeing that, the prison guard swung open the cell door and sneered, ¡°If you want to be in here

    again, by all means, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish, Crystal. Let¡¯s go home,¡± Natalie said as she tugged her daughter away.

    After watching Crystal¡¯s embarrassing act with my arms folded, I said to Nathan, ¡°I¡¯ve done what you

    asked me to do, Dad. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    ¡°Hold up!¡± Nathan shouted when I reached the end of the corridor. He rushed up to me and asked with

    a stern expression, ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t you want to know where your mother is?¡±

    A strong sense of annoyance filled my heart and roared, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, I don¡¯t have the desire to

    look for my mother anymore. You don¡¯t have to tell me where she is. She¡¯lle back when she wants

    to.¡±

    Whenever I saw Natalie and Crystal¡¯s mother-daughter interaction, it would always fill me with a pang

    of sadness. Why should I go looking for my mother, who has left me for more than ten years?

    I ran out angrily. When I reached the prison gates, I saw Christopher smoking a cigarette as he leaned

    on his Maserati. The moment he saw meing out, he raised his eyebrows and smirked devilishly.

    I ran up to him and asked with a smile, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable whenever you¡¯re alone with them. I¡¯d rather wait here so that I can be here to

    protect you the moment they bully you. How¡¯s that? Are you touched?¡±

    I rushed into his arms and snuggled my head on his chest. He¡¯s such a considerate man and so

    irresistible. I¡¯ve fallen so hard for this guy.

    ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯re going to the airport,¡± Christopher said as he opened the car door for me.

    ¡°What for?¡± I blinked and asked.

    ¡°To see Monica.¡±

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476

    I had just pulled the safety belt out, but Christopher was already helping me buckle up. When he was

    done, he kissed me on my cheeks before he started driving.

    ¡°Did something happen to Monica? Where is she going?¡± I asked as calmly as I could, but the mere

    mention of Monica sent me on high alert. That woman had tried to kill me multiple times, so every time

    she and Crystal were brought up, I¡¯d pay attention so I wouldn¡¯t fall for their schemes ever again.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to Anndur to work as a pianist. She¡¯s exhausted the domestic opportunities, and

    Anndur provides a better environment for her. She can perform better overseas,¡± Christopher

    answered calmly.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Hmm, so she would be going overseas for years. Is she finally giving up? I was surprised if that was

    the case since she never stopped trying to get rid of me. If she wanted to, she could set me up so badly

    and get Christopher to marry her.

    But now she¡¯s going overseas? I was reminded of the news I saw before. The Avenport incident

    garnered a lot of attention the moment it was reported. Most people didn¡¯t mind who the mayor was,

    but for people like us, this change propelled the Lane family to greater heights.

    That was why Christopher had been busy these past few days. He didn¡¯t have time to handle Crystal¡¯s

    matter, so he asked his assistant to settle it for him.

    The Walkers¡¯ failure meant Monica¡¯s failure too. Is that why she left Avenport?

    My prolonged silence was perceived as an act of jealousy by Christopher, and he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re

    getting jealous again, aren¡¯t you? My mother ordered me to send her off, or she¡¯s disowning me. I can¡¯t

    go against her, can I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. She¡¯s still your sister after all, even though you aren¡¯t blood rted. It¡¯s normal to send

    her off.¡± He must be really sad. After all, he grew up with Monica, but all of a sudden, he found out she

    has been scheming to get her hands on the Lanes¡¯ power and wealth.

    If the Lane family was the one who lost the battle, we couldn¡¯t have even lived in peace. Fortunately for

    us, Crystal¡¯s scheme was exposed, and thanks to her, the three families¡¯ alliance with the Walkers

    ended in failure. If they managed to work together, the Lanes might have been the ones who lost

    everything.

    When we arrived at the lobby, I decided to stay in the car. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should go. Monica wouldn¡¯t

    want to see me at this moment, so I¡¯ll be waiting right here.¡±

    ¡°Someone seems very confident.¡± Christopher arched his eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh, just go. She¡¯s waiting for you.¡± I pushed Christopher, closed the door, and waved at him. He

    valued the people close to him, so I knew he wouldn¡¯t cheat on me or anything.

    After he was gone, I wanted to y some Candy Crush to kill the time. But before the app could load,

    someone knocked on the car¡¯s window. I thought we were getting in someone¡¯s way, so I nudged the

    car closer to the sidewalk.

    But even so, the knocking didn¡¯t stop. Curious, I looked up from my phone, but what I saw nearly

    triggered a heart attack? Who the heck is out there? Oh, wait. Monica? Isn¡¯t she in the lobby? Why is

    she here?

    She was waving at me, so I opened the door and pointed at the terminal. ¡°Chris is inside. You can look

    for him in the terminal.¡±

    ¡°I saw him.¡± Monica looked at me, her gazeplex. ¡°But I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I stared at her in confusion, since I didn¡¯t think there was anything we could talk about.

    Monica was wearing a casual tracksuit, but even so, that couldn¡¯t hide her beauty. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should

    see him, since I did¡­ a lot of things. Julia and Chris shrugged it off, but I can¡¯t bring myself to see

    them. Which brings me to you.¡± Her eyes were filled with sadness and guilt, and when she brought

    Christopher up, her voice broke.

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477

    ¡°Say, what do you want to tell me? I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± I answered seriously.

    Monica wiped her tears off and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s fast. Aren¡¯t you worried I might ask for an impossible

    favor?¡±

    ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll just refuse. But if it¡¯s something menial, I can help you out if I get the chance. Christopher

    still sees you as his sister after all.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, you know,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°I know you can do this. It¡¯s a simple request.¡± My answer amused her, and sheughed. When she

    was doneughing, she handed me a little box. ¡°Tell him I said sorry. He¡¯s a great brother, but I let him

    slip from my hands unknowingly. This is my parting gift for him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going overseas to pursue my dreams and career. My mentor told me I can rise to greater heights

    as long as I work for it. s, love made me stop my pursuit, but now that I¡¯ve unloaded the baggage,

    it¡¯s time to resume the pursuit for happiness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ry your message to him, but I think he¡¯ll be happier to hear you tell him yourself. No matter what,

    you two grew up together, and you¡¯re just like a sister to him. He won¡¯t mind the little details.¡±

    It had been a while since Ist saw Monica, but her change was tremendous. She used to be arrogant

    and ostentatious, but she looked calmer and restrained now. She was as soft spoken as ever, but her

    newfound calmness added to her charm. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought she was a

    goddess on earth. In zoomer terms, she passed the vibe check hard.

    The more I looked at her, the more insecure I was. Yes, I was hot as well, but I was nothingpared

    to Monica. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not friends with you. It¡¯s gonna be hard standing beside you. I mean, you¡¯d

    steal the limelight all for yourself,¡± I muttered under my breath.

    Monica was surprised I¡¯d say that, she chuckled politely. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting woman, Yvonne. If it

    weren¡¯t for the history between us, I would have wanted you as a friend.¡±

    I scratched my head and smiled dryly. ¡°We can still be friends now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s put that on the shelf for now.¡± Monica shook her head adamantly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to invite me to

    your wedding. I¡¯ll be sure to attend it. We can be friends then.¡±

    Eventually, the announcer was calling all the passengers to board the next flight. It was Monica¡¯s flight,

    so she looked at the time and told me, ¡°It¡¯s my flight soon. Take good care of Christopher¡­ he

    deserves every ounce of kindness in the world. He cares for you a lot, so don¡¯t break his heart. If you

    do that, I¡¯ming back from Anndur to take him for myself no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Then you can forget about that n because you¡¯re never getting that chance,¡± I gave her my

    promise, though I was slightly annoyed. I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t crack that kind of joke.

    ¡°Goodbye, Yvonne.¡± She waved me goodbye before going into the terminal. Just before she

    disappeared from my sight, I stopped her, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to say goodbye to Chris,

    Monica?¡±

    ¡°You talk too much. I might just kiss him if we meet, you know. It¡¯ll make the headlines tomorrow, and

    you can do nothing about it, you dummy.¡± She stretched her hand and poked at the air. It was

    supposed to be a thuggish move, but it looked lovely when she did it. Cute.

    Maybe that was how Monica was really like. Honestly, I¡¯d take that over her indifferent attitude any day.

    She was so down to earth.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    As her flight took off into the skies, I stared up to see it off, until the airne was nothing but a speck

    among the clouds. Goodbye, Monica.

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478

    Christopher came back a short whileter, but the first thing he did was call his mother. ¡°Mom, she¡¯s not

    in the terminal.¡± He sounded annoyed. ¡°Are you sure you got the time right? I went around the ce,

    but I didn¡¯t see her. Couldn¡¯t get through to her phone either. What? She¡¯s already gone? Hey, that¡¯s

    not my fault. I came as you asked.¡±

    The call obviously upset Christopher, so he kept quiet for a while after he hung up. When I patted his

    shoulder, he pulled my hand away. ¡°Not now.¡±

    ¡°Say, a prettydy wanted you to have this. Wanna have a look?¡±

    I handed the box to him, but he pushed it away without even looking at it. ¡°Now now, Eve. There¡¯s this

    lump in my throat, but I can¡¯t make it go away. Monica used to be this lovely little girl who came with me

    everywhere I went. We used to be really happy, just like how real siblings would. But now¡­¡±

    ¡°Then open this gift, and I guarantee the lump will go away.¡± I poked him a few more times.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    My insistence got the better of him, so he took the box from me and took the lid off. When he realized

    what was inside, he froze up for a moment. ¡°Handmade truffle cookies?¡±

    He quickly stared at me in shock, while I stuck my tongue out. ¡°Told you you¡¯ll feel better. The lump¡¯s all

    gone now, eh?¡± I grinned.

    Christopher popped a cookie into his mouth, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Yep, she made this alright. She sucks

    at baking, but she¡¯s one tough cookie. No pun intended. I used to love handmade cookies like this, so

    she made it for me once. Tasted like crap though, so I only took one bite and shoved the rest to

    Zachary. Her pride was scarred, but she didn¡¯t say it. Over the next couple of months, she spent a lot of

    time making these cookies and baked a bunch for me on my next birthday.

    ¡°But since I was just a kid back then, I stuffed as many cookies as I could at every chance I got. By the

    time she gave me her cookies, the novelty had worn off, so I gave all of them to Darius. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d

    see this again. Brings back memories.¡±

    ¡°She said she¡¯de back for our wedding,¡± I joked.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get married as soon as possible? Then, you can see her again.¡±

    Christopher was shocked that Monica would say that, but his eyes shone with relief. ¡°I see. She has

    really let it go, huh? Did she say anything else?¡±

    ¡°She told me to take good care of you, or she¡¯de back and take you away from me.¡± I leaned on

    his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Looks like I have to bring my A game now, or she might just take you away.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll stille back even if she were to do that.¡± He wrapped his arm around my waist and gave me

    a French kiss. His tongue pried my lips open, had a taste of my mouth, and started waltzing with my

    tongue.

    His kiss was strong and passionate. While he was kissing me, he pushed the seats down, so I had to

    lean back. As I responded to his kiss, I wrapped my arms around his neck so I could taste him deeper.

    Once we were done, he went to pull up the shades. ¡°We¡¯re in a car park. There are lots of people here,

    so cut it out.¡± I was breathing heavily, my face red.

    ¡°Rx. Nobody would spend their time staring at cars in a car park.¡± Once he pulled the shades up, the

    car was plunged into darkness. After he turned the lights on, I realized he was already pinning me

    down against the chair.

    He showed me a pack of condom. I thought he¡¯d use it, but instead he snickered and tossed it aside

    before thrusting Christopher Jr. in me. Then he buried his head between my breasts, while his hands

    were touching my body all over.

    ¡°You said you wanted a child, so I guess we¡¯re doing it raw today.¡±

    His fingers felt cold and slimy as if they were snakes brushing across my body. The sensation made

    me shiver, and I red at him. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been giving you too much free rein. Sabrina told me that

    women should be a bit more aggressive in sex, or men would get a big head.¡±

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479

    ¡°So did I get a big head?¡± Since he was doing it raw, Christopher was especially excited about it. He

    was moving like a virgin who was having sex for the first time, or in other words, he was just ramming it

    in.

    ¡°I mean, one of your heads is thrusting me.¡± I could do nothing but clench down on him as I try to make

    him finish.

    ¡°True, but I¡¯m not finishing this soon. This is something to be savored.¡± Christopher held my head and

    leaned down to kiss the corner of my eyes, licking the tears I shed.

    Christopher came in me twice before he was done with me. After we came back, I started feeling like a

    failure. Sabrina had told me a lot about sex, but every time I tried to take her advice, I would fail.

    Crestfallen, I decided I¡¯d stay in bed and do nothing. Christopher¡¯s gonna cook and feed me today.

    But then a courier called me. ¡°Hi, it¡¯s your courier here. Minding out to take your package?¡± I

    quickly took the package from him and opened it. The moment I did, a red invitation cardced in gold

    slid out.

    Christopher came out of the kitchen, but he was still wearing the cartoon apron. When he noticed the

    invitation on the floor, he asked, ¡°Is that a wedding invitation?¡±

    I picked the invitation up and put it on my palms. This is finely made. The main color was red, and it

    wasced in gold. There was a simple drawing of a dragon and a phoenix in the center. After I opened

    it, I noticed the invitation was written in a beautiful, elegant font. Judging by the artistic value alone, the

    words were enough to make this invitation a work of art.

    It was an invitation for Ansley¡¯s art exhibition. The time and venue were also listed, but that didn¡¯t

    register in my brain, since I couldn¡¯t think of anything else when I realized what the invitation was for.

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    I¡¯ve received the news two weeks ago, but I didn¡¯t process it then. Back then, Christopher was going on

    a blind date, then Julia forced him to get another fianc¨¦e. However, Christopher and I messed things

    up. I thought we could catch a break after that, but then the problem with Crystal popped up.

    In the end, the invitationpletely slipped my mind, but now that it was in my hands, I had a lot of

    questions to ask.

    ¡°What? What happened?¡± Christopher came over to take the invitation from me. When he saw the

    content, he was visibly happy for me. But when he realized I wasn¡¯t showing any reaction, he patted my

    cheek and huddled closer. ¡°What? You are too happy that you can¡¯t talk?¡±

    I shook my head and took the invitation back, then I led him to the sofa and told him to have a seat.

    Once he did, I hunkered down to meet him in the eye. ¡°Chris, Ansley¡¯s assistant has called me two

    weeks ago,¡± I said seriously. ¡°They wanted me on his art exhibition. Ansley took an interest in

    Moonlight Heaven, so he wanted it to be exhibited during his exclusive exhibition.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news then. You have proved yourself to the world. I knew you can do it. You¡¯re the

    best.¡± Christopher had a broad grin on his face, looking happier than he did if he were to be the

    mayor.

    I ced the invitation in his hands and whispered, ¡°But I remember that you kept Moonlight Heaven in

    your bedroom after I gave it to you. So why did it show up in Anndur?¡±

    Christopher chuckled, then he huddled closer, his nose was just millimeters away from me. ¡°Because

    that¡¯s the perfect spot for it.¡± He grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t let such a great artwork collect dust in my room, can

    I?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s its perfect spot?¡± My eyes widened in shock. That¡¯s the same thing he told me when he asked

    for my painting. I never told Christopher about it after I was disqualified from thepetition, but

    apparently, he knew what had happened all along.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the perfect spot for Moonlight Heaven.¡± Christopher opened the invitation and smiled.

    ¡°Will youe with me then?¡± I asked dumbly.

    ¡°It¡¯s your exhibition, so of course I¡¯m going. I¡¯ll bear witness to your glory.¡±

    That made me tear up. Of all the things he told me, that was the one that hit the hardest and sweetest.

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480

    Ansley¡¯s art exhibition had brought endless inspiration to me. I cooped myself up in the house to study

    the various techniques of painting, as well as to study some rted information.

    Right then, I earnestly hoped for a master¡¯s guidance. Even though I could learn it all on my own, I

    knew that my learning process would be much elerated if there was a master guiding me. It seemed

    like my Eastsummer trip was wasted though, and Crystal did not seem to appreciate it enough.

    I stayed at home for three days, and my draft drawings were strewn across the floor. I drove myself to

    exhaustion and snuggled myself into the nket to sleep. Christopher dragged me out of my nket

    and dressed me up as he said, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going? I have new inspiration popping into my head today, and I¡¯m not going to let it go

    to waste.¡± I rejected the man outright, knowing full well that my bloodshot eyes were quite scary.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to go myself if you don¡¯t feel like going then.¡± Christopher wiped my face and went to

    open the wardrobe. Just when I thought he was really going to leave me alone, he made his way over

    and draped a coat over me. Oblivious to what he was about to do, I yawned and was about to add a

    few strokes to my artwork yesterday. However, Christopher came over and slung me over his shoulder.

    Stumped, I shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out. It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Christopher said impassively.

    ¡°Da*n it. I couldn¡¯t care less if you¡¯re going out. Why did you carry me on your shoulders though?¡±

    Christopher did not pay heed to my protests and carried me to the car. He secured my seatbelts and

    stepped on the pedal. I was taken aback by the speed, and could not help but notice that his impetuous

    manner kind of resembled Sabrina sometimes.

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    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    ¡°To see someone very important,¡± he said.

    I guessed that he was going to bring me to see his best friends but only realized that he was taking me

    to see two quite old friends instead. One was the famous painter, Spencer Lynch while the other one

    was the incredibly skilled painter, Remington Fowler.

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± I pointed at the two and asked Christopher.

    ¡°You¡¯re participating in an art exhibition soon, and is always yapping on about finding some seniors to

    guide you. I just think that these two are qualified to do so. Feel free to ask them any questions. Should

    they fail to answer you, then you just scold them.¡± Christopher wrapped his arms around himself in a

    domineering manner.

    ¡°Ha-ha.¡± I let out a dry chuckle, not at all amused by his suggestion. Did he just say that these two were

    just qualified? Was he oblivious to the fact that most people would be over the moon to be able to get

    the guidance of these two at the same time? I would not even dream of scolding them both.

    ¡°Greetings, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Fowler. It¡¯s been a long time since west met. Thank you for helping me

    out at the art exhibitionst time. I haven¡¯t been able to thank you guys enough as I¡¯ve been upied.¡±

    I walked over and greeted the two reputable painters.

    However, I noticed that Spencer was not quitefortable looking at me, and he did not even seem

    like he wanted to talk to me. Was Christopher certain that he had helped me?

    ¡°You¡¯re most wee, Ms. Tanner. I¡¯ve always admired your artwork. Even though your sexual

    orientation is quite a mystery, and you seem to swing both ways, but I¡¯m quite liberal in that aspect.

    Hence, I could understand and respect your ways. I just hope that you¡¯re not the type to engage in

    messy romantic affairs,¡± Remington said as he shook my hand.

    I almost choked on his words. What did he mean by my sexual orientation was a mystery? And what

    was up with him thinking that I was inclined to engage in messy romantic affairs? I¡¯d only messed with

    Christopher, okay?

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fowler,¡± I said dryly. I did not know what else to say, to be honest.

    Christopher chuckled out loud upon hearing what they had to say. He did not seem like he had any

    intention of clearing the air as he piled on deliberately and said, ¡°Remington, don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t

    dump me.¡±

    When the two were not paying close attention, I took the liberty to step on Christopher¡¯s toes, making

    him jump in pain.

    Meanwhile, the two of them were discussing some golf techniques, and turned around to ask, ¡°What¡¯s

    the matter?¡±

    ¡°A mosquito bit me on my toes,¡± Christopher hugged his legs and joked.

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing leather shoes, right? It¡¯s kind of amazing that the mosquito could still pierce right

    through it.¡±

    ¡°Of course. They don¡¯te at me if I don¡¯t have delicious blood,¡± Christopher chuckled.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    That brat is so full of himself.

    It was good weather for golf. The sun was not too bright, and there was some light breeze as well.

    I sat on the chair with my eyes half-closed. I had made an appointment to go to the art studio with

    Remington and Spencer the day after tomorrow. I supposed I could have a lot to gain from the two and

    was quite looking forward to it. Even though Spencer was still giving me the half-pleasant face, I knew

    that he was not so hostile to me as before.

    First impressions yed a pivotal role in that, I presumed. After sipping on the tea that the waiter

    brought me, I decided to take a stroll under the shade. This rather high-ss golf club had a swimming

    pool built among the forest, and also a dedicated live band, among other facilities.

    I walked along the pathway when suddenly a drunk man staggered his way toward me. He bumped

    right into me. I was so shocked that I retracted a few steps back. However, the man reached out and

    dragged me right back into his embrace as he called out my name, ¡°Eve, did youe looking for me?

    I miss you so much. I know that you still love me.¡±

    ¡°Lyle!¡± I cried out loud upon a closer look. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go! You¡¯re hurting me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m never let you go again, Eve! We¡¯re man and wife! Why do I have to let you go? You love me,

    right?¡± Not only did he not let me go, but he tightened his grip around me.

    ¡°Eve, I regret it so much¡­ That time on the deserted ind, if it were you, you wouldn¡¯t have dumped

    me, right? I know you won¡¯t¡­ You love me so much, and you¡¯re so kind¡­ Let¡¯s go back and tell

    Grandma that we¡¯re going to organize another wedding. Both of us are going to be at the wedding. We

    still have our wedding photos. Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Lyle was about to drag me and leave. Stumped by his attitude, I shrugged off his hands forcefully, and

    chided him, ¡°What wedding? Lyle, don¡¯t kick up a fuss in front of me. We¡¯re already divorced.¡±

    ¡°Shh, please don¡¯t say so. You imagined those things. We¡¯ve been in a dream all along. As soon as

    we¡¯re awake, things will go back to what it was before, and we¡¯re still going to be together.¡± Lyle looked

    into my eyes tenderly. The way he looked at me was like the way he used to look at Crystal.

    ¡°Eve, I won¡¯t be the jerk like I was in the dream. Don¡¯t worry, I will treasure you and love you so much.¡±

    He edged close and was about to kiss me. My patience wore thin, and I opened the bottle of drink in

    my hand and hurled it at his face as I bellowed, ¡°Lyle, enough of this nonsense! Get the hell back to

    where you came from.¡±

    ¡°No, Eve, you¡¯re mine¡­ Why are you together with another man? Follow me back home now.¡± Lyle

    acted like a child and dragged me along for some distance.

    ¡°Go back where? Why do I have to follow you? Lyle Smith, do you think I wille back running to you

    as soon as you realize you¡¯re wrong? You¡¯re just feeling indignant because you¡¯re never going to be

    able to find another girl who¡¯s as stupid as me who would treat you well unconditionally. As soon as you

    find another one who¡¯s more gentle or in any way better than me, you¡¯re going to dump me in a

    heartbeat and be together with her,¡± I snapped.

    Lyle was stumped and froze on the spot. Just when I thought he was going toe to his senses, he

    kept dragging me along and muttered, ¡°No, I want only you. I don¡¯t want anyone else, Yvonne Tanner. I

    love you.¡±

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482

    I was starting to feel really dumb for my attempt of talking some sense into a drunken man. No matter

    what I said, Lyle was adamant about taking me away. There was no shaking that man off.

    All of a sudden, another strong arm reached over and gripped Lyle¡¯s wrist forcefully. He felt the pain

    and finally eased on gripping mine.

    ¡°Mr. Smith, it¡¯s better for a drunk man like you to stay put. If someone mistakenly thinks that you¡¯re a

    pervert and beats you up, I bet the headlines are going to look very interesting tomorrow.¡± Christopher

    hugged me around my shoulders and jeered at Lyle as he furrowed his brows. There was a clear hint

    of derision in his eyes.

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    ¡°Christopher Lane!¡± Lyle gritted his name through his teeth. It was as if he was ready to devour

    Christopher. ¡°You are a despicable scoundrel! You only got close to me so that you could get your

    hands on my wife. The Lane family is really a bully. I won¡¯t let you have your way!¡±

    ¡°Lyle Smith, you only have yourself to me in the matter as I¡¯ve given you a chance. If you had

    treated Eve well, why would I have any chance toe in between the two of you? Half a year was

    more than enough for me to realize how miserable her life was when she was with you. Since you

    didn¡¯t seem to appreciate her, why couldn¡¯t I let her be happy staying by my side instead?¡± Christopher

    crossed his arms in front of his chest and said coldly.

    ¡°How dare you say such a thing when you¡¯re the one coveting your friend¡¯s wife? Let go of Eve. She¡¯s

    my wife.¡± Lyle was already drunk out of his wits as he kept slurring.

    ¡°You think that teaming up with Grandma and exposing those scandals would make me give Eve up.

    Dream on! Don¡¯t even think for a second that I have no idea about the filthy things you¡¯ve got going on

    with Monica.¡± Then, Lyle looked at me and said with a straight face. ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t believe a word he

    says. He¡¯s up to no good.¡±

    Vexed, I could not bear to listen to another word he said and interrupted, ¡°So what if he¡¯s up to no

    good? At least, he wouldn¡¯t dump me in the hotel with another man right after marrying me. At least, he

    wouldn¡¯t leave me in the hands of kidnappers when I was in danger. Do you think there could be

    anything worse than what you¡¯ve done to me?¡±

    Lyle grimaced. It was apparent that these memories were not only an unbing past of mine, but

    also his, as they served to remind him how stupid he used to be. He looked intently at me for a few

    seconds before turning gentle once again, and he was almost begging me when he said, ¡°Yvonne, I will

    change. Please follow me home and let¡¯s get married again.¡±

    ¡°Let her go!¡± With a wave of his hands, Christopher somehow managed to crack the bones of Lyle¡¯s

    arms. Lyle let out a sharp wail and retracted two steps back as he hugged his arms and let out an

    appalling cry.

    ¡°Eve, are you alright?¡± Christopher then looked at me and asked apprehensively.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± I shook my wrist which was in pain from being gripped forcefully. In some distance away,

    Lyle was still clutching onto his arms with a pale face. I could clearly discern the cold sweat on his

    forehead even from some distance away. It must have been really painful for him. I could not bear to

    watch him writhing in pain and said to Christopher, ¡°Do you know how to fix his arms? Please fix it for

    him. There¡¯s no need to pick on a drunk man.¡±

    ¡°Do I look so petty to you?¡± Christopher chuckled and touched the tip of my nose lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I

    didn¡¯t go all out on him. I just want him to learn his lesson so that he won¡¯te looking for you again

    in the future.¡±

    Christopher walked over to Lyle¡¯s side and gripped his hands once again. There were not many

    movements on Christopher¡¯s end, but sounds of bones cracking could be heard once again. Lyle¡¯s

    sharp shriek ensued moments after as he bellowed, ¡°Lane, you b*st*rd! Just you wait¡­ Ah¡­¡±

    Christopher let Lyle go and did not pay heed to what the man said. He walked over and circled me in

    his embrace and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Remington and Spencer are still waiting for us.¡±

    I nodded and trailed behind him. After a few steps, I turned back to look at Lyle. However, I was

    greeted by a horrifying sight.

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483

    Feeling sympathy for Lyle, I turned around to look at him when I was leaving. I could feel my body

    drained of blood as I saw Lyle clutching a gold club in his hand with a vicious look on his face as he

    was about to strike Christopher.

    In face of the grave danger, I hurled myself at Christopher without hesitation to defend him. I felt the full

    force of the golf club¡¯s hit on my head. A paralyzing numb sensation spread from the top of my head to

    my whole body as I felt warm liquid gushing from the top of my head at the same time. The viscous

    liquid streamed into my eyes, making me unable to open them. I staggered a few steps and was about

    to fall.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher reacted in the nick of time and quickly steadied me. Fury shed in his eyes as he

    noticed the blood trickling down from my head. He turned around and kicked at Lyle. Then, he walked

    over and was about to punch Lyle in the face.

    I held on to my head and called out to him, ¡°Chris!¡±

    He was blowing punches on Lyle right then. Upon hearing my call, he rushed back to my side and

    steadied my staggering body. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital.¡±

    Lyle seemed to have finally snapped out of his drunken state. At the sight of blood trickling down my

    body and my bloodstained dress, he froze on the spot and finally mumbled, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to hurt

    you. I was j-just¡­ I¡­¡±

    Lyle was slurring his words yet again, and could not even form a coherent sentence. I paid no heed to

    his cries and merely said coldly, ¡°Lyle, are you going to trample all over me no matter how good or bad

    you¡¯re doing? If you¡¯re doing badly, are you going to drag me to hell along with you?¡±

    I had hated Lyle before but never had I felt such overwhelming abhorrence for this man before. How

    dare he try to hurt Christopher? How could he be so shameless?

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it, Yvonne¡­¡± he repeated the same sentence over and over again as he looked at

    me helplessly.

    ¡°Lyle, I¡¯ve never owed you anything. If you think only my death is able to stop you from ever bothering

    me again, then you¡¯re probably going to be very disappointed. Not only will I not go to hell along with

    you, but I will live my life to the fullest. Everything you¡¯ve done is out of your own choice. There¡¯s no

    use crying over spilled milk, especially when you¡¯re the one who¡¯s made that choice. Don¡¯t me

    others for not keeping up with you when you¡¯re the one who to push them away.¡±

    I knew I should not have said such harsh words to Lyle when he was already down in the dumps, but I

    was really fed up with him continuously pestering me. I wanted to cut ties with him once and for all.

    Lyle listened to everything I said quietly, and he finally calmed down. After I was done, he apologized to

    me once again solemnly and said nothing further.

    ¡°Lyle, our past is the past. Don¡¯te looking for me again. Please leave some space for grace and

    dignity between us.¡±

    Spencer and Remington were shocked to see that my head was injured just after taking a stroll. My

    head was spinning the whole time when I was on the way to the hospital. Christopher looked utterly

    troubled. I poked him lightly and said in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Quit talking.¡± Christopher¡¯s face darkened as he stepped hard on the pedal. After getting off the car, he

    swooped me up and rushed toward the emergency department. My bloodstained dress gave the

    nurses and doctors quite a shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m hurt in the head. My legs are perfectly fine, though. Let me down. So many people are watching

    us,¡± I said sheepishly as I burrowed my head in Christopher¡¯s chest.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You¡¯re already not that smart, to begin with. Now that you have a big hole in your head, how are you

    going to be able to think straight from now on?¡± Christopher said angrily as he red at me.

    Nevertheless, he ced me carefully on the stretcher and nagged, ¡°It was just a golf club. I could have

    handled it perfectly. If he had managed to hurt me in any way with that stick, I would go look for

    Zachary tomorrow and ask him to give me a good beating for being such a weenie. What were you

    thinking? You shouldn¡¯t have tried to defend me.¡±

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484

    The doctor bandaged my wound for me. When he was disinfecting me, the alcohol caused my wound

    to hurt. I could have endured that pain, but when Christopher yelled so loudly, I felt indignant. With

    tears welling up in my eyes, I protested, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, so I couldn¡¯t help but pounce over. It

    really hurts, but you¡¯re stillshing out at me!¡±

    Christopher¡¯s anger dissipated in an instant. Sighing helplessly, he told the doctor to be gentler before

    saying to me softly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you multiple times to stop jumping into dangerous situations. Why don¡¯t

    you just listen to me? If you dare to keep getting yourself into danger, I¡¯ll have to teach you a good

    lesson.¡±

    I remained silent and looked pitiful. Christopher sat beside me, blew at the wounds on my forehead

    gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it hurts. In the future, just hide in my arms whenever danger

    arises. My hug will be warm and strong¡ªit can be a safe harbor for you from any danger.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t superman!¡± I protested. Even the most powerful people could get injured, which was

    something I had realized most acutely on the abandoned ind. Even a strong man like Christopher,

    who seemed so invincible to me, had times of vulnerability too.

    Naturally, I would not tell him my thoughts.

    Even though my head was bandaged, I wanted to talk to Remington and the rest about art.

    Unfortunately, Christopher did not give me such an opportunity and chased them away, thinking that

    they were nuisances. I was speechless. He was the only person capable enough to do that after

    receiving their help.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re ssmates with Spencer, but what¡¯s your rtionship with Remington? The age

    gap is quite big. Is he Darius¡¯ ssmate?¡± I was curious about Christopher¡¯s rtionship with

    Remington.

    Christopher ced me on the bed, acting so meticulously that it was as if I could not take care of

    myself. When I noticed his worried expression, I understood his feelings well too. After experiencing

    near-death situations, we were terrified that the other party would get hurt. To calm him down, I ordered

    him around. When I was hungry or thirsty, I would instruct Christopher to bring food to me.

    ¡°Remington is the child of my father¡¯srade. His family had always been involved in politics and the

    military. However, in the previous generation, everything changed and they started taking a liking to the

    arts. In this generation, Remington became an artist. When we were still neighbors, we fought before.¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher exined to me about Remington. Then, he shoved a piece of apple in my mouth and

    instructed me to eat it. I chewed leisurely on the apple, feeling like a queen.

    I thought things would just end like this, but Sharon suddenly looked for me. Ever since she pushed me

    and caused Crystal to have a miscarriage by falling down the stairs, we had stopped being as intimate

    as before. After what happened at Crystal¡¯s wedding got exposed, I did not contact her anymore. All I

    did was bid her farewell before I left.

    Hence, I was surprised to see her appear at the entrance.

    ¡°Can I go in and have a seat?¡± With her back bent, Sharon asked. She started coughing afterward,

    looking much weaker than before.

    Watching her, I felt extremely conflicted. After inviting her in, I ced a cushion against the couch and

    told her to lean against it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Josephine with you? It¡¯s rather inconvenient for you to

    come out alone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m so old that no one dares to bump into me on the streets. Some kinddies even offered to

    send me here when they found out that I was heading here.¡± Sharon smiled. There was a hint of

    amusement in her frail voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful. I¡¯ll call Wendyter and tell her toe here and fetch you home,¡± I insisted

    worriedly.

    The smile on Sharon¡¯s face faded as she sighed slowly. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Why don¡¯t you cook

    something for me? It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve tasted your food and I miss it dearly.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± I walked toward the kitchen. After a while, I realized that Sharon was

    wandering in the room, even picking up my couple bracelet with Christopher and scrutinizing it. Then, I

    returned to the kitchen again.

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485

    When Sharon nced around in the house, she noticed the couple items in the bathroom and the

    razors. A look of revtion crossed her face.

    I prepared some simple chicken stew and some sd and ced them in front of Sharon. Perhaps

    because she was hungry, she quickly finished the food and praised my cooking skills.

    ¡°Chris loves chicken stew, so I learned a few ways of cooking it to make it delicious.¡± At the mention of

    Christopher, a happy smile spread across my lips.

    Sharon opened her mouth, wanting to say something. However, she suddenly stayed silent and

    insisted on leaving. When she was at the door, she nced back at me and a deste expression

    appeared on her face. Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t get a chance to

    eat your food anymore. What a pity¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to eat my food, just give me a call! I¡¯ll send it over,¡± I quickly replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Sharon kept shaking her head.

    After sending her off, I returned to my bedroom, stillpletely puzzled. I could not understand why

    Sharon suddenly came to look for me. Does she simply want to visit me?

    Later, I told Christopher about this incident over dinner. He burst outughing and said that I was

    foolish. In the end, he even praised Sharon for being an understanding person.

    Puzzled, I kept hounding him to tell me what exactly had happened.

    ¡°Did Sharon roam around the house and deliberately look at our shared items?¡± asked Christopher.

    I nodded. How does he know that?

    Christopher pointed at his cheek and I gave him a kiss. Only then did he continue, ¡°Sharon must¡¯ve

    been here to convince you to go back to Lyle. If her grandson keeps pleading with her to do that, she

    can¡¯t possibly refuse him. Furthermore, she likes you a lot. However, after seeing our shared items, she

    gave up on her n to ask you to patch up with Lyle.¡±

    ¡°Patch up?¡± I scratched my head. Back then, I did not realize that Sharon had such an intention.

    ¡°Old Mrs. Smith is quite sincere toward you. After all, you¡¯ve been putting up with her.¡±

    Although Sharon had harmed me before, I could never forget the instances when she was nice to me.

    If she was genuinely nice to me, I would definitely be able to sense it.

    The wound on my forehead started to heal after three days, so I could just go out with a hat. Remington

    and Spencer had mentioned that they wanted to discuss art with me, so they certainly would not go

    back on their word. After knowing that my injuries were healed, they hosted a small party and invited

    the artists that they were familiar with. Then, informed me about it right away.

    I just want to paint with them. Why did they invite so many people? I felt a bit uneasy. Troubles always

    ur when there were many people, so I was afraid that something bad might happen.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. If you want to stay in the art circle, the first thing you have to do is to enter it. It is rare for

    geniuses to iste themselves. As for those who still became famous living in istion, their talent was

    usually discovered only after their deaths. Do you want to be a famous artist only after you die?¡±

    What Christopher said was logical, so I could not refute him. When I attended the party in the

    afternoon, I brought a set of painting tools which he had bought for me. I did not bring anything else,

    not even Christopher.

    I thought that I might be useless after being taken care of by Christopher. In fact, I would depend

    on him for almost everything that I did. This was not a good sign¡ªI should be more independent.

    The party was held in Remington¡¯s house. Confident and excited, I strode into the mansion.

    ¡°If you still haven¡¯te, Spencer would call Mr. Lane and throw a tantrum. He arrived the earliest and

    imed that he would definitely defeat you in art, so you¡¯ll know that there are people more talented

    than you. However, you arrived punctually.¡± Remington invited me into the mansion and pointed at

    Spencer, who was standing in front of an easel.

    Confused, I pointed at myself and asked, ¡°Is there a sign on me saying that I¡¯m invincible and arrogant?

    Did I make a public announcement for people to challenge me openly? Otherwise, why would he have

    such a thought? Do I seem very proud?¡±

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486

    Amused by my words, Remingtonughed and shrugged. ¡°Well, his fantasy about his first love has

    been shattered, and the culprit is just right in front of him. His pride can¡¯t take it if he doesn¡¯t do

    anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Other than rolling my eyes, I could not think of any other way to express my current feelings.

    ¡°Oh, right. There will be a few pretty girls at this party whom I had invited. Don¡¯t flirt around, okay?

    Something bad might happen,¡± warned Remington seriously.

    I pursed my lips, not knowing how to respond to that. Remington¡¯s thoughts were even more ridiculous

    than Spencer¡¯s.

    ¡°How did youe up with such a conclusion? Am I a frivolous woman? Or do I have some ambiguous

    rtionship with a girl?¡±

    ¡°My friend said that your rtionship with Crystal is the ssic example of a love-hate rtionship. It is

    only because both of you can never get together that your love is so tragically beautiful. After listening

    to her analysis, I thought that she made sense. So, you shouldn¡¯t flirt around randomly. It¡¯s terrifying

    when a woman turns evil.¡±

    I had nothing else to say.

    After I greeted Spencer, he chatted with me politely with a grim look on his face. Then, he insisted on

    challenging me to a paintingpetition. This time, he wanted topete on speed. As I had no

    objections to it, I told him to wait for a minute while I head to the restroom.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much you try to dy it. If you don¡¯tpete with me today, I won¡¯t let you

    leave. Don¡¯t even think of escaping!¡± challenged Spencer at my back. I was rendered

    speechless. Who¡¯s escaping?

    After I washed my hands, I left the living room and picked up my brush. Suddenly, I heard people

    discussing loudly behind my back, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t this a party for the prominent figures in the

    art industry? How can someone like her infiltrate this ce? Look at how she¡¯s holding the brush! This

    is a tant insult to the brush.¡±

    ¡°Harvey, be more polite! I invited Ms. Tanner as my guest.¡± When Remington heard someone criticizing

    me, he frowned and spoke up on my behalf.

    ¡°A guest? Remington, your taste is bing worse. Back in school, at least you invited pretty girls.

    Why are your preferences so absurd now?¡± Harvey sauntered into the crowd and noticed that most of

    them were familiar faces. He pursed his lips and continued, ¡°All of you are willing to act as the side

    characters out of courtesy for Remington. However, the main character is downgrading the entire

    party.¡±

    ¡°Harvey, stop messing around. We¡¯re about topete. Let¡¯s talk after ourpetition. You can say

    whatever you want and it¡¯ll be none of my business!¡± bellowed Spencer. It was obvious that he felt

    extremely anxious. After hispetition had been interrupted multiple times, he was starting to lose his

    temper.

    ¡°What¡¯s there topete about?¡± Harvey walked toward the canvas. Seeing how I was still standing

    there, he mocked, ¡°Right, Ms. Tanner? Only elites are present in this party. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s

    inappropriate for you to be here?¡±

    ¡°We can only find out after thepetition. Since you think that I shouldn¡¯t be here, why don¡¯t we have

    apetition too?¡± I raised my head, feeling all pumped up because of this man.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Perhaps it was because I was holding a brush, I dered arrogantly, ¡°We¡¯ll know who the real deal is

    after testing it out! Why don¡¯t we have a paintingpetition? You can decide on the topic.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rash, Yvonne,¡± shouted Spencer and Remington simultaneously as a worried expression

    crossed their faces. I shook my head at them and smiled reassuringly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a sore loser, then. I won¡¯t go easy on you just because you¡¯re a woman,¡± mocked Harvey.

    While I went to choose my brushes and paints, I asked Remington, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Harvey? Why is

    he targeting me? We¡¯ve never even met before! Have I offended him?¡±

    He nced at Spencer standing at the side. When I saw her awkward expression, I got a sudden

    revtion and asked, ¡°Is he a very good friend of Crystal¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s Crystal¡¯s ex-boyfriend.¡± Remington added, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have epted his challenge.

    Although he isn¡¯t as famous as us, he¡¯s the strongest amongst us all. Even our teacher has said that

    we¡¯re not as talented as him. If you lose to him, it might be hard for you to make a name for yourself in

    this industry in the future.¡±

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487

    I was confused. ¡°Why isn¡¯t such a talented painter like him famous?¡±

    Spencer adjusted his sses and exined in a mncholic tone, ¡°He gave his painting to Crystal

    because she wanted to be the champion for a particr art exhibition. Only I knew about this incident.¡±

    If Crystal was right in front of me, I would wish for nothing more than to show her a thumbs-up. I had to

    give it up to her¡ªshe might not be capable in other domains, but she was extremely skilled in charming

    men. It was a type of talent to hoodwink so many men and make them do bad things for her willingly.

    ¡°Will I suffer a terrible defeat, then?¡± I started to feel anxious.

    ¡°It all depends on fate,¡± gloated Spencer.

    Remington frowned, showing that he did not think that I had a high chance of winning. My palm started

    to sweat while I gripped my brush. Then, I nced at Harvey, who was twirling his brush casually and

    staring at me in disdain. Immediately, my anxiety disappeared.

    Although I had stopped painting for years and did not produce any artwork for six years, my skills back

    then were top-notch. Before Christopher left, he even cupped my face and said that I was the best.

    Since I was the best, there was no reason for me to fear a challenge. I walked to the canvas briskly and

    twirled my brush skillfully.

    ¡°What do you want the challenge to be about? Flowers or phoenixes?¡±

    ¡°Phoenixes! I hope that you can manage to draw more.¡± Harveyughed in contempt.

    ¡°What? Phoenixes?¡± The crowd went into an uproar. Someone even eximed, ¡°When we were

    competing to draw phoenixes, Harvey was the fastest amongst us all. Not even Remington could

    compare to him! Yet, he¡¯s challenging someone to this! Isn¡¯t that bullying?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this is his signature skill. Looks like Ms. Tanner will definitely lose.¡±

    Although I heard what they were saying, I felt extremely calm and was not affected at all. There were

    many types of art challenges. Amongst them, drawing flowers and phoenixes were the mostmon.

    Drawing flowers put one¡¯s artistic skills to the test, while drawing phoenixes not only depended on

    one¡¯s skills but also on speed.

    The painter who could draw the most diverse phoenixes within half an hour, and produce the most

    aesthetic masterpiece would win.

    When I was learning art, I had spent half a year just drawing phoenixes. I did not know how quick I

    was, but I would definitely not fear any challenges.

    After the timer was set and the challenge began, I calmed down. All that was left were the nk canvas

    and paints right in front of me. My brush flowed against the canvas, painting it in different colors. The

    strokes did not seem to follow any pattern, but in reality, they all fell in ce in perfect synchrony.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    A huge fiery phoenix was soaring in the sky, its zing tail floating behind it. A flock of birds followed it

    ¡ªsome were pping their wings eagerly, some had their beaks open mid-chirp, and some were

    gazing wistfully at the majestic phoenix.

    I could hear people speaking beside me, with a few eximing in shock. However, I ignored them. The

    way I held the brush was not a mistake. There existed a famous painter in Hawen a hundred years ago

    who held the brush in the exact same manner. I was not deliberately trying to copy him, but I had

    realized that this grip suited me a lot.

    When I finished sketching thest two birds, I heard Remington yell, ¡°Take note that there are only ten

    minutes left!¡±

    As I had not finished coloring the two birds, I started to panic and identally knocked over the ck

    paint beside me. When the paint spilt across the canvas, the entire venue fell silent. Everyone was

    shocked by what I had done¡ªirregr ck patches had appeared on the canvas.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± I yelled out in shock. If there were irregr patches of paint on the canvas, my artwork would

    be disqualified.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488

    ¡°Hmph! You have overestimated yourself!¡± I heard Harvey mocking me. ncing back at the canvas, I

    gritted my teeth, grabbed my brush, and started sketching rapidly. The stter of ck paint could

    be a ck cloud after some edits.

    I was so anxious that sweat dotted my forehead. Within those brief ten minutes, my mind had never

    been so clear. When Remington announced that the time was up, my brush fell on the ground. As I was

    drawing too fast, my fingers became stiff and I could not even maintain a firm grip on the brush.

    After those six years, not only had my painting skills deteriorated, but my fingers were also unwilling to

    cooperate with me. I felt sad when I looked at the fallen brush on the ground. Why did I waste six years

    of my life?

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to judge, right? I¡¯ve won!¡± Standing in front of his artwork, Harvey crossed his hands

    over his chest andughed mockingly.

    I remained silent and merely stared at my canvas. On the night I left the Tanner family six years ago, I

    had drawn the exact same painting in my silent bedroom. Then, I tore it into shreds and threw them into

    the dustbin. That was my farewell to my art career. Yet, this time, I knew that I had truly returned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave. There¡¯s no need to gather here anymore! Since the National Youth Art Exhibition and

    Contest is being held now, why don¡¯t you spend more time drawing and exhibiting your paintings? You

    can even participate in a charity auction and do something good. Anything¡¯s better than mingling

    around with undeserving people!¡±

    With that, he tossed his brush aside and turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Spencer and Remington stopped him at the same time and pointed at my painting. ¡°Before you

    leave, aren¡¯t you going to see what your opponent has painted?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to see? She¡¯s so careless that she spilled paint during thepetition! Such a stupid

    mistake is enough to make her disappear from this circle. How can a stained artwork still be exhibited?

    This is ridiculous!¡± Although that was what Harvey said, he still turned around and nced at my

    painting.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He mumbled softly before running toward it quickly. Shoving me aside, he stared at my painting

    intently for a long while before asking, ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°There are always people better than you, Harvey. Looks like you¡¯ve lost to Ms. Tanner on your most

    confident skill. You should apologize to her for what you¡¯ve said earlier,¡± reminded Remington after

    heaving a sigh of relief.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Harvey was still staring at my painting without even turning around. He kept

    repeating the same few words.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner¡¯s painting depicts the phoenix being reborn from the ashes, while the flock of birds

    following it highlights this auspicious asion. At the end of the canvas, you can even see a ck

    dragon soaring in the sky. With ck smoke puffing out of its mouth, it stares intently at the phoenix.

    This is a painting filled with so much meaning!¡± eximed Spencer.

    ¡°She actually transformed the ck stter of paint into such a realistic ck dragon! Such skills and

    imagination¡­¡± remarked Harvey after staring at the ck dragon for a long time. Then, he turned

    around and bowed toward me. With a serious expression, he apologized, ¡°Ms. Tanner, I¡¯m sorry for

    making such rudements. Your skills and speed have surpassed mine significantly.¡±

    ¡°No, Harvey. I should be the one thanking you.¡± I stroked the canvas. The ink on it has not dried yet.

    Looking at therge painting, I suddenly felt an urge to cry.

    Then, tears actually streamed down my face. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve drawn phoenixes. You¡¯re the

    one who reignited my passion and motivation!¡±

    The party proceeded smoothly afterward. As I had disyed my superior skills, the others did not

    harbor any prejudices against me anymore and started to discuss art with me. I stayed on until the

    party ended at midnight. Only then did I leave Remington¡¯s house reluctantly.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Although he wanted to send me home, I refused because I had already spotted Christopher¡¯s car

    outside. Smiling, I walked toward it. However, when I opened the door and discovered Harvey inside

    the car, my expression froze.

    Next Chapter

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489

    ¡°Hi, Yvonne!¡± the arrogance on Harvey was gone and he sat while kicking his leg up, shaking it. He

    smiled and greeted me, then casually started to eat the snacks I had previously left in the car.

    ¡°Yvonne?¡± I blinked. I had the impression that I got into the wrong car until I looked at Christopher and

    saw him smiling gleefully. ¡°You two know each other?¡±

    Christopher helped me with my seat belts and handed me a ss of water as he said with a smile, ¡°Of

    course. Harvey is Zachary¡¯s cousin!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I stuck my tongue out and made a face at Harvey. This guy ridiculed me at the party even though

    he knew Christopher? How despicable!

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that or Christopher will get jealous and hit me! I¡¯m sorry for the mean things I said

    to you at the party. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, okay?¡±

    As Harvey had taken the initiative to apologize for his actions at the party, I decided to let him off the

    hook. After all, he was Christopher¡¯s friend, and I believed in his judgment of people.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. In fact, I should be thanking you instead! Everyone was able to ept me into that circle

    because of your help,¡± I replied with a gentle smile. Honestly, that was the fastest way to get into the

    circle.

    ¡°You really are an understanding person. Unlike some people who beat me up even after I helped!¡±

    Harvey waved his fist at Christopher as he continued, ¡°Hey, Christopher! I¡¯ve taken care of the job you

    told me about, so you better keep your promise and introduce me to some good woman! It¡¯s best if you

    can find me someone as understanding as Yvonne!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll introduce you to the hot girls on my team when I get back. I know you¡¯ve been drooling over

    them for a long time now, but don¡¯t get your hopes up! They might just reject you before you even make

    a move on them!¡± Christopher teased him.

    ¡°Job?¡± Thanks to the recent improvement of my intelligence, I quickly caught on to their words and

    pointed at Harvey as I asked, ¡°Chris, Harvey, was what happened at the party your doing?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Christopher refused to tell me and shed me a mysterious smile.

    He didn¡¯t have to say anything since the look on his face suggested that I was probably right. That left

    me feeling a little discouraged. Whatever pride I had up to that point in time seemed to have

    disappeared without a trace, and I asked in displeasure, ¡°And here I thought I won because of my hard

    work¡­ Turns out it was just you going easy on me and losing on purpose¡­¡±

    Harvey¡¯s expression became serious instantly, and he said with a stern voice, ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re

    underestimating yourself. I never went easy on you.¡±

    Seeing the look of disbelief on my face, Harvey rubbed his nose and continued reluctantly, ¡°I was

    nning to go easy on you at first. However, I knew I shouldn¡¯t underestimate you the moment I saw

    how you were holding the brush. Christopher sure is mean, putting me against a skillful opponent like

    you. I can¡¯t believe I was stupid enough to taunt you, only to lose both my pride and the match in the

    end. Yvonne, you¡¯d better get me a decent wife in return!¡±

    Looking at Harvey¡¯s gloomy expression and droopy head, I chuckled and patted my chest confidently

    as I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Just leave that to me! I promise that I¡¯ll make your dreame true!¡±

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    A few dayster, Christopher and I boarded the ne to Anndur. As the Ansley Art Exhibition was

    being held in a bustling area of Norham, there was someone to receive us the moment we stepped out

    of the car.

    I couldn¡¯t restrain the excitement in my heart and felt like I was dreaming. Noticing how nervous I

    looked, Christopher gave me a gentle pinch on the nose and said with a smile, ¡°Why do you look so

    worried? You should go in there looking all proud and arrogant as you mop them all up!¡±

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490

    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m just here to attend an art exhibition, remember? If

    anything, I¡¯ll just mop up the local delicacies!¡±

    I then reached my hand out toward him and said coquettishly, ¡°Won¡¯t you get me some flowers,

    Darling?¡±

    ¡°What flowers would you like? Are there flowers unique to Norham?¡± Christopher asked his assistant

    standing next to him.

    I let out a huge sigh when I saw the group of assistants standing behind him like bodyguards and

    staring at us respectfully. Julia had insisted that Christopher bring his assistants along so he could

    make a deal with a major client in Anndur. With that, our sweet little vacation was ruined.

    ¡°I want a bouquet of roses made out of money so I can shop till I drop!¡± I said with my head tilted to one

    side and tried to look as cute as possible.

    Christopher arched an eyebrow and burst into a chuckle when he heard that. He then held my hand

    and gave it a gentle kiss as he said, ¡°Yes, my queen.¡±

    I stood on tiptoe and was about to kiss him as a reward, only to have a familiar figure walk past us. She

    was dressed in Norham¡¯s most fashionable dress and had a shiny pendant around her neck.

    She still had that gentle yet strong smile on her face from fifteen years ago as she made her way

    forward.

    Although I had only caught a glimpse of her face for a split second, I was able to recognize it instantly. I

    saw it a lot in my dreams, and I would end up crying from how much I missed my mom as well as the

    happy life I once had.

    ¡°Stop that person! Hurry!¡± I shouted while shoving Christopher aside and pointing in front of us.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Christopher looked in the direction I was pointing at.

    ¡°That person¡­ She¡­¡± I was stuttering and stammering so badly from shock as I didn¡¯t expect to see

    my mom upon arrival in Norham.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Seeing as the woman in the dress was about to disappear from sight, I brushed Christopher off and ran

    toward her as quickly as possible. I could hear the wind whooshing beside my ears, but I wasn¡¯t fast

    enough to catch up to her.

    So, this is how much I miss her and love her¡­ Despite what I usually say about hating her, I still love

    her deep down inside. God knows how many nights I¡¯ve spent wondering why she left me back then.

    Now that I¡¯ve seen her in person, all I can think of is how much I miss her. I want to know if life has

    been treating her well, because that¡¯s all that matters.

    The street was bustling with people, and I soon found myself losing sight of her as I desperately

    pushed my way through the crowd. ¡°Mom, stop! Please! Isabelle Anderson! Hold it right there!¡± I

    shouted as I kept on running, but the woman didn¡¯t seem to hear me at all.

    She then got into a car that was parked on the side of the road, and I could hear the engine starting up.

    Realizing I was about to lose my only chance at catching her, I ran toward the middle of the road.

    ¡°Watch out, Eve!¡± Christopher who had been following behind threw himself at me and sent us both

    tumbling to the ground. I heard an ear-piercing screech from the car¡¯s brakes as it came to a halt in

    front of us, followed by a string of profanities from the driver as he stuck his head out the window.

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    ¡°Come on, Eve! It¡¯s dangerous here!¡± Christopher shouted while dragging me toward the sidewalk.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I brushed his arm off violently and crossed the road, only to see that the car was slowly

    starting to move again.

    ¡°Stop right there, Isabelle! It¡¯s me, Yvonne! What, are you that much of a coward that you don¡¯t even

    have the guts to see your own daughter? Get out of the car right now!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs.

    There¡¯s no way a gentle and kind woman like Mom would be so heartless and leave me like that! I¡¯m

    sure she must¡¯ve had some unspeakable reason for running away! I just want to see her and find out

    how she¡¯s been! It¡¯s not like I want to go live with her or anything!

    For a brief moment, I was reminded of how we used to y hide and seek in the garden when I was

    five.

    Isabelle used to hide really well behind the trees, and I couldn¡¯t find her at all. Thinking she had

    disappeared, I began crying out loud where I stood. She would thene out of hiding and hug me

    tightly, kissing me on the cheek as she promised to never leave me.

    We went to an amusement park when I was eight, and we were having a great time on the merry-go-

    round when tears rolled down her cheeks all of a sudden. I asked her why she was crying, but she kept

    quiet and refused to tell me anything.

    Scarlett and Yvette showed up in the living room of the Tanner residenceter that afternoon, and

    Nathan told Mom they were here because they were part of our family. There wasn¡¯t a trace of guilt on

    his face when he said that, and Isabelle objected to his decision on the spot.

    However, Nathan simply pped her hard across the face in response, scaring me so much that I

    broke out crying. Isabelle then carried me into the bedroom, and we both stayed up all night. She sang

    me songs and read me stories before crying silently with me in her arms. I eventually fell asleep in her

    embrace, and she was gone by the time I woke up the next day.

    Thinking she had probably gone out for a bit, I waited all day for her to return, but she never came

    back. Instead, Nathan then brought me to Scarlett and asked me to call her ¡°Mom¡± instead.

    With tears in my eyes, I ran straight toward the car that had stopped at the traffic light while shouting,

    ¡°Wait for me, Mom! It¡¯s me, Yvonne! Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±

    I hammered hard on the car window until it was slowly rolled down, revealing the familiar face that I had

    been missing for over ten years.

    ¡°Is there something I can help you with, miss?¡± The woman in the car asked in Andurn and looked at

    me in confusion.

    I kept quiet and simply stared at her as a look of disappointment filled my eyes. The woman was

    wearing the same dress and looked just like Isabelle from the side, but she was definitely not my mom.

    ¡°Are you all right, miss?¡± she asked while handing me a paper towel.

    ¡°Sorry, I mistook you for someone else.¡± I shook my head and walked away. After making my way back

    to the sidewalk, my knees gave out beneath me, and I burst out crying outside a store.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t youe and see me, Mom? Have you forgotten mepletely? Where are you? I¡¯m all

    grown up now, Mom! Why won¡¯t you see me? Have you never missed me at all?¡±

    Christopher then knelt down beside me and pulled me into his arms as he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Eve.

    You just mistook her for your mom. Who knows, your mom is probably missing you like crazy

    somewhere else!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± I shook my head and grabbed his arm tightly as I said, ¡°I saw her, Chris! I saw her, I really

    did! I definitely saw my mom!¡±

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    ¡°Okay, Eve, I believe you. We¡¯ll go look for her together after the art exhibition is over, all right?¡±

    I buried my face in his chest and wept. ¡°Why didn¡¯t shee and see me, Chris? Why is she so

    heartless? How could a mom be so heartless? All I want is to see her once¡­ Why won¡¯t she just let me

    see her?¡±

    Christopher patted me gently on the back. ¡°It hurts me to see you cry, Eve. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll

    be right by your side, in this lifetime and the ones toe.¡±

    ¡°Chris¡­ Chris¡­¡± I cried out his name while my tears flowed onto his chest. I was certain that I had

    seen Isabelle, and that she simply chose not to see me.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Little did I know that that was really my mother who had abandoned me and the driver was her toxic

    boyfriend.

    After what seemed like forever, I was able to finally regain myposure and stop crying. I hadn¡¯t seen

    my mom in ages, so running into her on the streets so suddenly caught me off guard and got me all

    emotional. That was especially the case since I knew she had never intended to see me at all.

    I sat down on the bed and stared nkly at the carpet beneath my feet upon arriving at the hotel room

    that the event host had prepared for us. Christopher sat down beside me when he noticed how

    miserable I looked.

    I looked at him after a while and asked softly, ¡°Have you ever gotten into a fight with your mom when

    you were little, Chris?¡±

    Christopher stroked his chin and replied after giving it some thought, ¡°No. My mom was very busy

    when I was a kid, and my dad was even busier. I spent most of my time ying with a huge group of

    kids in the yard. My mom would let me do whatever I want as long as it wasn¡¯t overboard.¡±

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    ¡°Even if I were to poke a hole in the sky, she would try her best to patch it up for me. Hence, we¡¯ve

    never gotten into any fights at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have.¡± I smiled faintly and pointed at my face as I continued, ¡°Mom hit me really hard once

    when she saw me fighting with Yvette over something. I was so stupid back then. With a scary look on

    her face, she told me to not treat an irresponsible b*stard like Nathan as my dad. I was too young to

    understand what a homewrecker was at the time, so I didn¡¯t know why she was so upset. Now that I

    think about it, Mom probably wanted to leave the moment she saw Scarlett show up at the Tanner

    residence. Do you think that¡¯s why she left?¡±

    Christopher didn¡¯t answer my question and simply hugged me tighter in response. ¡°Nothing I say would

    be of any good now, but maybe things aren¡¯t as bad as you think. I believe that things have a way of

    working themselves out, so you¡¯ll probably find your answers when you see her.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± I let out a helpless chuckle. ¡°Given how smart Mom is, I bet she must¡¯ve known about

    Scarlett long before she left. She probably didn¡¯t mind it as long as Dad kept that woman out of the

    house, and she finally chose topletely give up on their rtionship the day he brought her home.¡±

    As Ansley¡¯s art exhibition was only three days away, I didn¡¯t have time to waste moping about. With

    Ansley being a world-renowned artist, the guests attending the art exhibition were all famous people

    from all over the world.

    I was instantly surrounded by journalists the moment I got out of Christopher¡¯s car and entered the

    venue. With the blinding camera shes in my face, I tried my best to straighten my back and stay calm

    so as to not embarrass myself in an international event.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Just ignore their presence and act like they¡¯re not here. We¡¯re on a date and just casually

    strolling about.¡± Christopher held my hand and slowly walked toward the crowd.

    He looked really handsome in his ck suit and shiny dress shoes whichplemented his huge

    figure, broad shoulders, and slender legs. He had a graceful air about him as he walked with a steady

    pace, and his charming smile quickly removed whatever nervousness I had in me.

    ¡°You two sure arete. With the number of celebrities attending this art exhibition, I¡¯m surprised you

    guys had it in you to arrive on the dot!¡± Remington said as he popped up in front of us.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Have you forgotten that I¡¯m a highly respected artist among the youth of our country? How could I

    possibly miss out on an event that you¡¯re attending?¡± Remington cleared his throat as he continued,

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Ansley didn¡¯t disy my work in the main studio, but I am fortunate enough to get it

    disyed during the event¡¯s finale for all to enjoy.¡±

    He¡¯sining about Ansley not appreciating his work when it¡¯s only chosen for the finale? He¡¯s

    obviously just trying to brag about it! Everyone knows how Ansley loves supporting the newer

    generation of artists, and this guy is anything but new! I rolled my eyes at the thought of that.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± I said with a smile before whispering in Christopher¡¯s ear, ¡°This guy is clearly here to

    show off, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here to brag about it to me. We were both interested in drawing when we were kids, but I gave up

    after doing it for three days. Being the one who got me into art, Remington swore to make a name for

    himself in the world and leave me envious of his sess,¡± Christopher said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Pfft!¡± I snickered. Who would¡¯ve thought a grown man like Remington would have such a childish side

    to him? It¡¯s obvious that Christopher wouldn¡¯t care about such things! He¡¯ll just feel happy for his

    friend¡¯s sess!

    Recalling how Christopher wouldment on my art online, I gave him a light nudge and asked, ¡°Do

    you know so much about art because you have a lot of friends who are into it?¡±

    Christopher nodded. ¡°You really think I sent Harvey so he could go easy on you? That guy thinks he¡¯s

    so great just because he can draw the Phoenix better than his peers, but I¡¯ve seen how fast you drew

    the Phoenix back then. That¡¯s why I had Harvey attend that party.¡±

    Okay, Christopher has me beat¡­

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    ¡°All right, quit acting all lovey-dovey in public already! Come on, I¡¯ll take you to Ansley! He was just

    telling me how much potential you have a while ago.¡±

    Being able to see Ansley was the main reason I hade all the way here, so I followed behind

    Remington with a hop in my step as he led me to Ansley. However, that excitement soon disappeared

    when I saw Crystaling toward me.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked with my eyes wide from shock.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Crystal simply snorted in response and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t be here if you are! What, do

    you think this art exhibition belongs to you alone or something?¡±

    ¡°Do you have an invitation?¡± With Crystal¡¯s horrible reputation, it was indeed surprising that someone

    would even send her an invitation to such a grand art exhibition. Surely the great Ansley couldn¡¯t be

    that supportive toward every single artist in existence!

    ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯s all over for me just because you and Christopher sabotaged me! I have a powerful

    benefactor on my side to help get me invited to this art exhibition and continue my career as an artist!

    Just you wait, Yvonne! I got you once, and I¡¯ll get you again!¡± Crystal shouted angrily.

    ¡°You never learn, do you? Was Dad kneeling before Grandma not enough of a lesson for you? Do you

    not feel guilty having a man of his age apologize for your wrongdoings?¡± I asked with a frown.

    ¡°Are you lecturing me?¡± Crystal snorted as she continued, ¡°You think you¡¯re that great just because

    you¡¯ve cleared your name and earned Ansley¡¯s respect? Well, think again! I¡¯m not down for the count

    yet, and you¡¯re in no position to lecture me either! I suggest you mind your own business and pray that

    I don¡¯t find another opportunity to get back at you!¡±

    Not wanting to back down, I forced a smile and snapped back at her, ¡°Heh, bring it on! I¡¯ll be right here

    waiting for you!¡± Da*n it, why is Crystal always around? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m running into her here in

    Anndur! Good thing Lyle isn¡¯t here, or I might really check the almanac before leaving the house

    next time!

    Crystal snorted in disdain and walked away arrogantly with her arms folded. I saw her approach a man

    who was waiting for her next to an easel, who then politely pointed her in Ansley¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Benefactor, huh?¡± I mumbled and pouted as I watched her make her way toward Ansley.

    Remington frowned too when he saw Crystal and said, ¡°Ansley is waiting over there. Come on, let¡¯s

    go.¡±

    I nced at Crystal who was standing next to Ansley and hesitated for a bit before nodding my head. I

    don¡¯t owe Crystal anything, so I shouldn¡¯t have to back off just because she¡¯s standing there with him!

    Besides, she couldn¡¯t possibly do anything to me in a public ce like this!

    Ansley was an old man in his sixties and was having a chat with Crystal, but he quickly waved at us

    with a smile when he saw us approaching.

    ¡°Mr. Fowler, is this the new school artist you said you¡¯d introduce me to? Does she really have more

    potential than the artist of Moonlight Heaven? You¡¯re not pulling my leg, are you?¡±

    Being praised by Ansley got me really excited, and I quickly greeted him, ¡°Greetings, sir! My name is

    Yvonne Tanner, and I¡¯m the artist behind Moonlight Heaven. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your

    acquaintance!¡±

    ¡°The new school artist with the most potential? Did you give yourself that title? Have you no sense of

    modesty at all, Yvonne? You don¡¯t just call yourself an artist! You need to earn that title from others!

    Don¡¯t get too carried away and end up falling back downter on!¡±

    Unhappy that Ansley had ignored her, Crystalshed out at me in Chanaean as she knew Ansley didn¡¯t

    speak thenguage. She then turned toward him and said in Andurn, ¡°Don¡¯t let her fool you, sir.

    She¡¯s just a university graduate who studied economics who hasn¡¯t even made it into the third round of

    Hawen¡¯s artpetition! There¡¯s no way a person like her is an artist! She¡¯s definitely lying to you!¡±

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    Ansley frowned upon hearing that and turned around to look at me. The fact that Crystal had the

    audacity to nder me in front of the great Ansley sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°Sir, I¡­¡± I was about to exin myself, but Crystal was quicker and cut me off, ¡°I know Yvonne. She¡¯s

    my cousin, but her character is questionable at best. She was rude to Spencer at the art exhibition and

    shows no respect for Julian whatsoever. Be careful not to let her sweet words fool you, sir!¡±

    I bit down on my lip and made no further attempts to clear my name as I believed a wise man like

    Ansley wasn¡¯t the type to blindly believe in rumors.

    He may be a great artist, but he is still a human being like everyone else. If he really believed Crystal¡¯s

    words, then I would have nothing further to say.

    Ansley eyed me from head to toe before shifting his gaze toward Crystal as he asked, ¡°Sorry, what did

    you say your name was?¡±

    ¡°Crystal Yates, sir. I¡¯ve told you my name three times now.¡± Crystal was so angry that she made no

    attempt to hide it at all. She then pointed at me and said, ¡°You should get rid of this liar or she¡¯ll mess

    up your art exhibition!¡±

    The look in Ansley¡¯s eyes grew cold all of a sudden as he said sternly, ¡°Ms. Yates, my art exhibition

    wees any and all young artists with a passion for art as well as those who would love to paint with

    me. However, people like you who make up stories and nder others are not wee here. Is there

    anything else you would like to talk about? If not, please get your assistant and leave at once.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! We need to get rid of Yvonne so we can¡­¡± Crystal paused halfway through her sentence when

    she realized what Ansley had said, and the look on her face was twisted in disbelief. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s the one

    you should be kicking out of here!¡±

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I know what I should do at my own art exhibition, and you¡¯d better not make me repeat myself. Go

    now, or I will have security escort you out.¡± Ansley pointed at the entrance to the art exhibition with a

    firm expression.

    Crystal let out a scream in anger and frustration. She looked like she was about to say something, but

    the man behind her noticed and quickly mped his hand over her mouth. He then apologized to

    Ansley before dragging Crystal outside.

    As expected of the wise and brilliant Ansley! I let out a sigh of relief before turning toward Ansley with a

    look of admiration and respect in my eyes. The two of us then had a brief chat about my painting which

    benefited me greatly.

    ¡°Thank you so much for this conversation, sir! I was feeling uneasy when I first came here as I haven¡¯t

    painted for six years. It wasn¡¯t until I recently found my goal in life that I had the courage to pick it up

    again.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re able to pick up painting again, then I¡¯m sure you will be able to pick yourself up in life as well.

    Make sure you don¡¯t give up on it ever again, because you¡¯ll be giving up both your dreams and your

    youth along with art itself.¡±

    Ansley then pointed at the painting and said wisely, ¡°You see, your paintings reflect your yearning for

    art, your passion for your career, your ambitions, and your eagerness to prove yourself. I have

    witnessed your brushwork and painting skills, so the rest boils down to your continuous hard work and

    discipline.¡±

    I nodded and said solemnly, ¡°Understood. You might not know this, but your painting, Dream, has

    always been a huge inspiration for me to keep pushing forward in art. In fact, I used to base most of my

    paintings on Dream when I was little. I¡¯ll be sure to continue carving out my own path from here on!¡±

    As I was about to leave, I couldn¡¯t help but ask Ansley out of curiosity, ¡°By the way, why did you choose

    to believe in me instead of Crystal?¡±

    Ansley stroked his beard and pointed at my painting on the wall as he said with a smile, ¡°A picture is

    worth a thousand words, and this painting speaks for itself. I have faith in my judgment.¡±

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    My feelings of admiration for him grew deeper. After bidding goodbye to Ansley, I went to look for

    Christopher with a joyful heart. I had barely taken a couple of steps when I heard Remington asking

    him, ¡°Master, can you really tell a person¡¯s character through a painting? When will I be able to do

    that?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ansley stroked his beard like a mischievous old man, then he winked and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a

    deity of wisdom. How can I tell an artist¡¯s character by looking at her art? That Crystal was obviously up

    to no good as she was giving an elderly man like me seductive looks. I certainly won¡¯t help her. As for

    thisdy, she is a friend of yours and you are my buddy. Of course, I stand by you. Come on, I¡¯ve kept

    a bottle of good wine. Let¡¯s go and enjoy it.¡±

    When I heard this, I nearly stumbled and fell. I had thought that he had the wisdom of the gods! It

    turned out that he was just down to earth.

    After a while, Christopher and I went on to admire the paintings of other artists. I noticed him standing

    in front of one piece for a long time. It was a painting of a beautiful girl, whose genitals were obscured

    by a fig leave. So, I asked, ¡°Are you standing there, waiting for the leave to fall?¡±

    ¡°I believe many have stood right here waiting. I¡¯m not the first to do so,¡± Christopher replied solemnly as

    if what I said was true.

    Suddenly, a journalist came toward us holding a microphone. ¡°Excuse me, deardy from afar, are you

    the author of ¡®Moonlight Heaven¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am!¡± I cleared my throat as I changed my facial expression from being yful with Christopher

    just now to something more serious.

    ¡°It has been said that you are able to take part in this exhibition and gain praise from Ansley because of

    your connections with Remington. Is this true?¡±

    I was speechless for a moment. He hade to find fault. I narrowed my eyes and nced at the

    reporting, replying to him in an icy tone. ¡°I heard that your country is governed by strictws.

    Defamation is considered a serious crime. Do you think the courts would take action if I sue you for

    defamation?

    ¡°Certainly not. There is much emphasis on freedom of speech in our country. Ms. Tanner, since you

    have risen in the ranks in the field of art because of personal rtions, why are you afraid of being

    talked about?¡±

    The journalist was undaunted by my cold tone and icy demeanor. On the contrary, he used my words

    against me. ¡°The ce where your painting now hangs was originally upied by Jonah Deere¡¯s work.

    However, after his work was reced by yours, he was out of the art exhibition. Consequently, he was

    so upset, he attempted suicide. Fortunately, he was discovered on time and his life was saved. What is

    yourment on this?¡±

    After being framed by Monica and Crystal, I was really numb to this kind of usation. I kept calm and

    said quietly, ¡°Are you saying that you question Ansley¡¯s authority? Do you think that a brilliant wise man

    like him can easily be bought by others? Or do you think that a great artist like him can still sumb to

    bribery?¡±

    I pointed at the wall at will. It was Mr. Ansley¡¯s painting. ¡°This piece titled, ¡®Hope¡¯ is one of Mr. Ainsley¡¯s

    collection. Someone once wanted to pay more than 300 million to purchase the painting but he was not

    willing to part with it. Do you think Ansley is short of money?¡±

    ¡°Of course Ansley, the great master, is not short of money, but he values his friends very much. Since

    Remington is the only friend he has made in recent years, you, as his girlfriend, can be helped along by

    means of special favors. ording to the words of your country, it is basically a matter of course.¡± The

    reporter was a little speechless when questioned by me, so he began to make wild usations.

    Pfft! I almost choked on my own saliva, so I patted my chest and looked at Christopher who was

    smiling at me. He hugged me in front of the reporter and asked with a smile: ¡°Dear, when did you

    be Remington¡¯s girlfriend? Howe I don¡¯t know? As your husband, I am rather amused.¡±

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    Chapter 497

    bbergasted with the journalist, I pointed at Christopher. ¡°Mister, if you are in our country, you would

    make an awesome novelist since you are excellent at making up stories. Nevertheless, my husband is

    right here. If you wish to know about Remington, you can ask him.¡±

    The journalist was so embarrassed that he quickly left us. Looking at his retreating figure, I couldn¡¯t

    stopughing. ¡°Chris, is this considered bullying? His face turned red before he left.¡±

    ¡°No, this is attacking the enemy without mercy. If he had note to create trouble for us, we would

    not have done that.¡± Christopher was always supportive of me. ¡°My wife is always right.¡±

    ¡°What if I really did something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If so, then there must be something wrong with my judgment,¡± Christopher said solemnly, nodding his

    head.

    ¡°What if I really had done something really wrong?¡± I winked and asked mischievously.

    ¡°Hmm, then you have to refer back to what I said previously.¡± Christopher really pampered me even

    when I behaved foolishly and asked silly questions.

    Other than Remington, the few people I know at the art exhibition were those from our country. When

    the exhibition was at its busiest, some artists werepeting at the stage right in the center.

    Christopher went there with me and we really enjoyed watching that. Suddenly, I noticed that Crystal

    and her bodyguard were also there.

    Crystal saw me too and she made all sorts of angry and hateful expressions at me. She was probably

    still sore from what happened earlier and was afraid of getting into more trouble, so she kept her

    distance.

    Finally, she seemed to have learned a little lesson. Someone had to keep her in line, or Crystal would

    think that the whole world had to behave like she was their master, by obeying hermands and

    pampering to her every whim.

    The trend ofpetition during art exhibitions spread from abroad to Hawen. Later on, it became a

    tradition and it evolved into four main topics, ¡°Blossoms And Full Moon,¡± ¡°Phoenix,¡± ¡°Winter Scenery¡±

    and ¡°Mountainous Landscapes.¡±

    On the stage, Remington was having a friendlypetition with a foreign painter. He obviously had a

    unique skill and the pictures of flowers, birds anddies he painted won praises from everyone around

    him.

    ¡°Chris, Remington is really amazing. In the past, my idol had been Spencer. I should have been more

    respectful of Remington instead.¡±

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    ¡°Why not be your own idol? One day, you¡¯ll be on the same level as him. To challenge yourself and do

    better is the most important of all,¡± Christopher said, looking at me sincerely.

    ¡°Yes, there is a lot of logic in what you say.¡± I looked at Chris solemnly like never before. ¡°Chris, I really

    love painting. Even standing here, I can feel that the pores of my skin are all open and I feel alive.

    Thank you, Chris.¡±

    Thepetition on the stage reached the third round which was the personal talent show. This was

    more difficult as everyone showed what they did best for everyone else to see. I was thinking about

    what to do if I went up. Suddenly someone pushed me from behind. I was holding a ss of red wine

    and I had released Christopher¡¯s hand. When I was pushed, I staggered and went forward. The ss

    in my hand fell to the ground, breaking into pieces and the red wine was spilled onto the floor.

    I turned around and saw Crystal running through the crowd with her brows knitted. Then, she stood at

    the back of the crowd and smiled triumphantly at me. She raised her hand and gave me a thumbs up.

    Then, she slowly turned her thumb down and silently mouthed a message to me.

    I could read from her lips that she was saying, ¡°I¡¯ll see how you fall.¡±

    ¡°This is the author of ¡°Moonlight Heaven,¡± Ms. Yvonne. It seems that Yvonne wants to show her special

    skill. Is there anyone who would like to ept her challenge?¡± the assistant host on the stage asked,

    smiling.

    I was totally unprepared as I looked at the assistant who had met us at the airport. I was pushed

    forward. What skill was I supposed to show? I am certainly not Ansley who could paint with both hands

    and sell his works for hundreds of millions.

    ¡°I will!¡± A handsome white male walked on to the stage. He looked at me with eyes full of enmity as he

    introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Jonah Deere the one whose painting was reced by yours.¡±

 Chapter 498

    Chapter 498

    He was here for revenge. I bit the corner of my lips, not knowing what to do. If I backed off and did not

    compete, I would be seen as despising Jonah. Yet, I was at a loss what to paint. The six years of

    emptiness in my life had resulted in ack of knowledge.

    ¡°I was not prepared to go onstage.¡± I rubbed my temples to ease my headache.

    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Jonahughed contemptuously. ¡°Remington is a great artist but his friend might not

    be. Shall we make a bet?¡±

    ¡°I never bet with anyone!¡± Immediately, I refused. I always lose when I bet on this kind of thing, so I do

    not bet.

    ¡°So, do you admit that you are here by means of the back door?¡± Jonah shouted.

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    The environment was noisy but his voice was heard above the din by everyone around us. I frowned. It

    seemed that he had arranged for the reporter who confronted us just now. He was local and it was

    easy enough for him to create trouble for me. If I backed off, not only would Remington¡¯s reputation be

    tarnished, but I would also be looked down upon.

    ¡°What are you betting on?¡± I asked him coldly.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you lose, have your painting taken down from the wall and thrown onto the floor and let

    me stomp on it a few times. That is all I want. This is not too much to demand, is it?¡± Jonah asked.

    I was shocked and it must have shown on my face. This was way beyond too much. It was akin to the

    assassination of my character and stomping on my dignity. I sneered. ¡°What if you lost?¡±

    ¡°I will leave this circle for good and never return to this field of arts. How about that?¡± Jonah dered.

    As I gazed at this handsome boy, I could see his determination and unwillingness to admit defeat. In a

    low voice, I replied, ¡°I agree to your challenge.¡±

    Frankly, I did not know what unique skill I could disy for the crowd. If it were topics like ¡°Phoenix¡±

    and so on, I did have some idea but I really had nothing to show for any other topics.

    Standing before the huge canvas, holding a brush, I did not know where to start. This type of live

    exhibition had no time limit. I only had to show what I thought I was best at. I panicked as I watched

    Jonah beginning to paint on his canvas, and I began to walk to and fro in front of mine.

    After a while, I heard the sudden exmation of the crowd. I looked up and realized that Jonah was

    painting ¡°Jeremiah¡¯s Tears.¡± This painting was by far the most difficult portrait to imitate, not because of

    howplicated the painting was. On the contrary, this painting was very simple. There was only one

    crying old man in the whole painting.

    As a world-famous painting, it was now disyed in the National Museum in E Kingdom. Basically,

    everyone who learned to paint had copied this world-famous painting. Sometimes, the simplest

    paintings are the most difficult to imitate. I imitated it back then. After one attempt, I was shocked

    because mine was too ugly.

    Jonah had finished painting the old man at one go. He quickly sketched the outline very confidently.

    asionally, he cast a sidelong nce at me. Noting that I had not started painting yet, he mocked,

    ¡°Are you going to contemte for three days and three nights and only start working on it when the art

    exhibition is over?¡±

    I shrugged in silence. It was indeed pleasing to watch a master painter paint. When thest tear slipped

    down the old man¡¯s cheek, Jonah had finished painting Jeremiah weeping. The old man looked in

    and simple. His face showed the tracks of hardship through his life and every line on his face was full of

    sadness as years went by.

    It was indeed, a perfect imitation. I looked at the white canvas in front of me, feeling a little sad as I

    started to paint. Jonah had already started on his second painting. From the initial sketches, it looked

    like the Mona Lisa.

    It seemed that what Jonah was disying to the crowd was his superb copying technique, and he

    chose the most difficult paintings. I took a deep breath and looked back at the crowd, just to see

    Christopher returning after having gone out.

    He was standing with Remington. When he saw me looking at him, he put his thumb next to his lips

    and made a cheering gesture. I smiled and started painting slowly on the canvas, unlike Jonah. I had

    chosen the simplest color¡ªck.

 Chapter 499

    Chapter 499

    Jonah hadpleted the entire art when I started on a curved flower petal. Heughed as though he¡¯d

    won when he saw my canvas only had two petals.

    I ignored his sneer and the whispers from the audience, merely focusing all my attention on my art.

    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Jonah threw his paintbrush onto the table as he proimed triumphantly afterpleting

    four of his artworks.

    At the same time, I drew thest stroke and put down my brush. ¡°I¡¯m done too.¡±

    ¡°This is the artwork you wanted to use topete against me?¡± Jonah taunted as he looked at the

    flower buds. Suddenly, his face turned red in anger. ¡°Hey, are you looking down on me? Why else

    would youpete with this artwork? Is the painting on the wall done by another artist?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s a final step I missed.¡± I walked toward Christopher and asked for his ss of water, then

    headed back to the stage. As I stared at the about-to-bloom peony, I dipped my paintbrush into the

    water and sshed it onto the painting. All the peonies had blossomed as though they hade alive.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Someone from the audience eximed as he rubbed his eyes. ¡°Am I hallucinating? I thought I

    saw the flowers in the painting bloom?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not because I saw it too,¡± another audience added.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Jonah was stunned by my skills. He rubbed his eyes and asked, ¡°What happened? How is this

    possible?¡±

    A smile formed on my lips as I pulled the canvas and swiftly drew a rose on it. I repeated the same

    method by sshing some water on it. The rosebud bloomed splendidly.

    ¡°In Hawen, we have argend, abundant resources, and plenty of talented individuals. This skill was

    merely a small trick I¡¯ve learned.¡±

    A member of the audience requested another painting because they didn¡¯t get a clear look at my

    previous ones. I didn¡¯t mind, so I drew another species of rose. As I made it bloom again, the audience

    started cheering. Jonah was snapped back from his thoughts and muttered, ¡°So you truly have the

    skills. I shouldn¡¯t have listened to the rumors and challenged you recklessly.¡±

    Standing close, I heard every word he said. I realized he was instigated to challenge me.

    ¡°I lost.¡± Jonah said with a bitter expression, ¡°I¡¯ve lost to you, and I epted that. As I have promised, I¡¯ll

    never draw again.¡±

    Jonah set his paintbrush on the table and was about to leave. I quickly stopped him. ¡°There is no win or

    lose. We merely had a friendly exchange. Have I said anything?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Jonah asked puzzledly, surprised by my words.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to stand here and paint with you. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, let¡¯s do it again.¡± I extended

    my hand out. ¡°I¡¯m Yvonne Tanner.¡±

    Jonah merely stared at my hand and finally understood that I was asking him to forget about his bet.

    He shook my hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m Jonah Deere. My biggest gain from today is meeting a beautifuldy

    like you.¡±

    The art exhibition ended smoothly. That night, Ansley hosted an after-party at the hotel. With the

    clinking of sses, guests came and go, the sweet scent of champagne wafting through the air. I was

    in the spotlight that night. Maybe it was because of thepetition with Jonah earlier, many

    approached me for a chat. And there were even some Annder girls who came up to me for a selfie.

    Furthermore, I saw a Hawenian journaliste over, requesting a photo of me with Christopher. With

    that his interest was piqued, despite my aversion to having my photo taken, he pulled me to the camera

    and posed cutely. ¡°This is an excellent opportunity for us to show what a sweet couple we are. I¡¯m not

    letting this slip. Put your arm on my waist and smile sweetly.¡±

    ¡°What a childish man!¡± I uttered under my breath. How can this guy be so cute?¡±

 Chapter 500

    Chapter 500

    Many businessmen had also attended the after-party. As Christopher and I did a few rounds around the

    hall, some greeted him as if they were close friends. It was then I realized Christopher had worked in

    Anndur before. He had even helped the Lane family closed a few business deals.

    No wonder Julia was eager to hand over all the businesses under the Lane family to Christopher. I saw

    him negotiating casually within the group as though he¡¯s the one in charge. He was really good with

    words and without giving his audience a chance to interrupt, he managed to bag a business deal within

    a short period. He was made to thrive in the business world.

    Suddenly, my smile froze on my face. My gaze hadnded on a woman in a fiery red dress. I was

    baffled and stood rooted in ce.

    Thedy in red was poised. She had an elegant smile on her face. Apanied by a gentleman, they

    slowly approached the hall. They wereughing and talking as though they were a perfect couple.

    Thedy was Isabelle Anderson, my mother. I was convinced thedy I saw three days ago was her.

    After a few words with Remington, Christopher turned and noticed my expression. As he followed my

    line of sight and saw Isabelle, he asked, ¡°She is the one?¡±

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    I closed my eyes, unable to exin my feelings at that moment. She¡¯s my mother, yet I don¡¯t even

    know the man by her side. She¡¯s just right there, but I don¡¯t have to courage to walk over there and

    greet her. How sad is this¡­

    ¡°Chris, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Without asking me anything, he tugged me toward the exit. Maybe Isabelle didn¡¯t see me. She

    and her date was talking to a group of businessmen. There was only an independent woman¡¯s astute

    and confidence on her face. It waspletely different from the very gentle woman with a soft smile in

    my memory.

    Maybe we were fated to meet. As we reached the exit, suddenly someone called out for Christopher.

    ¡°Christopher, this couple here is also from Hawen. Maybe all of you know each other since they are

    also from Avenport.¡±

    Isabelle and her date were trailing after the man. My gaze was bouncing everywhere other than

    Isabelle. When I didn¡¯t get to see her, I dreamed of the day I could meet her. But I lost my voice and my

    steps were hesitant as I remembered the incident three days ago.

    ¡°It has been a while, Mr. Goldstein.¡± Christopher tighten his grip on my waist and patted my back

    comfortingly when he felt my body weakening.

    ¡°Ah, you are Christopher. Indeed, it has been quite some time. Thest time I saw you was when I was

    still in Hawen. You were merely a small boy. I can¡¯t believe you have grown up to be so big now.¡± Mark

    chuckled.

    I raised my head immediately and stared at the man. He¡¯s a Goldstein. He was the guy Dad had

    mentioned. The one who ran away with Mom. Mark Goldstein is the one who called all the shots within

    the Goldstein family.

    So Dad didn¡¯t lie to me. He was telling me the truth. Mom left with Mark. Did she ever think of me when

    she left?

    My mind was nk yet going a million miles an hour. I couldn¡¯tprehend their words. When I

    snapped back from my thoughts, I was in the garden with Isabelle standing in front of me. Christopher

    had brought Mark away.

    ¡°How are you, Eve?¡± asked Isabelle after a long while. Her voice was the same as the one in my

    memory. It was still so gentle and soothing.

    But it sounded sarcastic to my ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. I¡¯m notfortable with you calling my

    nickname.¡±

    I didn¡¯t look at her as I spoke. Instead, my gaze was on the flower bed. There were only roses in the

    garden during the winter season. Roses were cultivated massively in the Anndur, especially the Blue

    Enchantress. There was blue in every corner of the garden. It was a beautiful sight under the

    moonlight. However, my words were full of spikes.

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501

    ¡°Eve, I know you¡¯re angry that I didn¡¯t look for you throughout the years. I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t know how

    to face you, so I-¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s remark was tantamount to pouring fuel on the fire. I jerked my head up and glowered at her

    resentfully even as I roared, ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t know how to face me, so you decided to avoid

    me? For that reason, you simply pretended that you have no daughter? If it weren¡¯t for this party today

    that had us bumping into each other, were you nning to avoid me for the rest of your life?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Let me exin, Eve. I-¡±

    ¡°Then, tell me this¡ªwas it you I saw on the street three days ago?¡± I snarled, all my sanity obliterated

    by rage. After so many years, the image of my mother has be increasingly faded. Sometimes,

    when I dreamed of her at night, I even doubted that I actually had no mother and all those wonderful

    memories were just fantasies my mind made up because I was missing my mother too much.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Eve.¡± The look in Isabelle¡¯s eyes as she gazed at me radiated an indecipherable

    sense of sorrow. She stared at me intently. ¡°I¡¯m really d to see that you¡¯ve grown up well and are

    even so outstanding now. It seems that your father took good care of you. It turns out that he has some

    conscience, after all. As such, I can finally rest easy.¡±

    Haha! Sure enough, she has never paid any attention to me throughout the years. Otherwise, why

    would she say such a thing? Nathan is good to me and took good care of me? That¡¯s the funniest joke

    I¡¯ve ever heard! If it weren¡¯t for my memories verifying the fact that I¡¯m truly a Tanner, a daughter of the

    Tanner family, I¡¯d suspect that I was merely adopted. Thus, they then had reason to be apathetic

    toward me, and my father could also treat me worse than a stranger!

    ¡°You only need to tell me this¡ªwas it you I saw on the street that day?¡± I demanded through gritted

    teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to anything else.¡±

    Isabelle went silent for a moment. At my obstinacy, she finally nodded before heaving a sigh and

    admitting, ¡°Yes, it was me.¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± I inexorably burst intoughter, cackling so hard that I doubled over. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have

    attended this party. And even if you did, you shouldn¡¯t have asked for a meeting with me. Since you

    didn¡¯t want to see me in the past, what¡¯s the point of doing so now?¡±

    ¡°Eve, I just¡­ just¡­ missed you too much, so I came to see you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Isabelle sighed again. She

    seemed to be enveloped by great sorrow, making her entire person seem mncholic.

    ¡°Did you miss me so much that you didn¡¯t even have the time to give me a call?¡± Inhaling deeply, I lifted

    my head and tried my utmost best to hold back my tears that were on the verge of falling. I don¡¯t want

    to cry, nor am I willing to do so! If I¡¯m the only one who¡¯d been anticipating this reunion that had been a

    long timeing, why should I shed any tears?

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to give you a call, but I couldn¡¯t do so,¡± Isabelle murmured.

    ¡°Please stop putting up an act. The moment I reached eight years old, I no longer had a mother. When

    my father beat me, I didn¡¯t have a mother to protect me. When Yvette picked on me, I likewise had no

    mother to shield me. When Crystal pushed me in the water, causing me to almost drown¡­ and when

    my reputation was ruined after my husband was snatched away, pushing me to the brink of ending

    everything, no one around me cared about me. Where were you then?¡±

    That was exactly how human nature worked¡ªone might not really care when it was something

    unattainable, but when one came to possess it, one couldn¡¯t ept the pain of losing it. I yearned to

    see her, but I didn¡¯t expect that I could actually bring myself to say something so outrageous after

    seeing her now!

    ¡°Nathan wasn¡¯t good to you?¡± Isabelle demanded furiously as she finally registered the meaning of my

    words.

    I didn¡¯t want to continue talking to her anymore, so I spun on my heels to leave. However, she grabbed

    my wrist. ¡°Eve!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not all that close with you, Mrs. Goldstein. Please excuse me if there¡¯s nothing else. I

    still have to attend the art exhibition andpete tomorrow, so I don¡¯t have the time to tarry here.¡±

    Shaking off her hand, I bolted out of the room.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    This time, Isabelle didn¡¯t chase after me, and I couldn¡¯t really tell whether I was more disappointed or

    sad. After leaving the room, I couldn¡¯t help bursting into tears. I wailed at the top of my lungs.

    Next Chapter

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502

    The reunion between a mother and daughter who hadn¡¯t seen each other for many years should have

    been exceedingly touching. However, even Isabelle herself could sense the distance between us. Not

    only did her feeble constion and words that cut me to the quick fail to reduce the distance between

    us, but they had blood gushing from my wound instead.

    After she had left, and the family had an addition of a stepmother and her daughter, how good would

    my life be as a child with no mother? Had she never considered all that? I just wanted a hug from her

    and for her to tell me how much she missed me and console me for having suffered in her absence

    while sobbing. But she didn¡¯t say that to me. She merely uttered vapid words of how Nathan took good

    care of me!

    I didn¡¯t stay at the party. Christopher keptforting me after returning to the hotel, but I remained

    despondent.

    ¡°Since you missed her so much, why didn¡¯t you talk to her nicely? You really should have kept a tight

    rein on your temper. Look, you only caused yourself to be so crestfallen and regretful instead. I¡¯ve truly

    pampered you too much,¡± Christophermented with a sigh as he hugged me.

    ¡°Perhaps I expected too much.¡± I rubbed my red and swollen eyes before forcing a chuckle. ¡°Chris, I

    really wanted to throw myself into her arms and exim for joy that I¡¯ve finally found her and now have

    a mother at longst. But I truly couldn¡¯t bring myself to do so anymore at her feeble words of

    constion. Do you think I went overboard?¡±

    ¡°You only did something many people will do, so it¡¯s human nature. When you see her next time, talk to

    her nicely.¡±

    Talk to her nicely? I inwardly heaved a sigh. I¡¯m afraid that I might not know what to say to her.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°She might still put in an appearance at the party tomorrow, somunicate with her properly then.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered wanly. Instead of anticipating meeting her again, I was instead filled with

    apprehension.

    On the second day of the party, a charity auction was held at the Pgic Museum. Ansley donated an

    old painting from his collection and dered that he would be channeling the proceeds from the auction

    of the painting to impoverished areas. Likewise, the rest of us could also donate the proceeds from the

    auction of our paintings to the country on the spot.

    Entering the banquet hall with Christopher, we sat in the seats arranged by the organizer. I immediately

    started searching the ce, but I saw no signs of my mother. Instead, I only saw Mark sitting in the

    frontmost seat alone.

    ¡°That¡¯s the patriarch of the Goldstein family, yes?¡± I asked Christopher.

    Christopher cast a nce at the elegant man in front before nodding. ¡°Yup, he¡¯s Lucas¡¯ uncle and has

    been recuperating in Anndur all these years. Rumor has it that his health isn¡¯t all that great.¡±

    ¡°Does he have any children?¡± I inquired in a whisper. Would I have other siblings? If Mom has other

    children, I think I¡¯d be a good sister.

    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any rumors about that matter,¡± Christopher exined.

    Back then, there was a very fierce internal strife in the Goldstein family in a bid to vie for power. In the

    end, the position of the patriarch fell to Mark. His uncles, who fought him for the position, all ended up

    in bad shape. It was said that his poor health was due to someone else setting him up. For that reason,

    he entrusted Lucas¡¯ father to manage the Goldstein family.¡±

    Perhaps I was staring too hard that Mark abruptly turned and looked at me. Then, he even shed me

    an amicable smile and beckoned at me, saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over and sit here?¡±

    Forcing a smile, I politely declined.

    I was looking forward to my mother¡¯s appearance the entire night, but she never turned up. Finally, I

    gave up.

    The host of the auction was skilled at making the atmosphere lively. As such, painting after painting

    was auctioned off at high prices. Just then, the host on the stage suddenly cried out, ¡°The next painting

    to be auctioned off is a painting known as Autumnal Panorama, the work of Hawen¡¯s new school artist,

    Crystal Yates! She¡¯s an apprentice of Oliver Horne, and Mr. Horne has had high praises for this

    painting! Now, let¡¯s all enjoy the autumnal feeling of the painting¡­¡±

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503

    I sprang to my feet and stared intently at the painting that the staff was unscrolling slowly. The painting

    was preserved very well. Subsequently, the blooms under the autumn moonlight and the back of

    someone missing her mother were then revealed right before my eyes. That was the painting I painted

    stroke by stroke as I wept during a rainy night when I missed my mother.

    I cast my gaze into the crowd, and sure enough, I spotted Crystal sitting right in the middle. When she

    saw me looking at her, she shed me a wide grin. Then, she gave me a thumbs-up which she then

    inverted provocatively.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Fury built within me bit by bit until my eyes were blinded by rage.

    Well, well¡­ She¡¯s really daring! She has already been sued by many painters in the country and would

    still be in prison right now if it weren¡¯t for Nathan spending tons of money and bustling about to get her

    out. Yet, she still has the temerity to auction off my painting! Back then, I didn¡¯t know that she stole my

    paintings, and when I did realize it, everything was toote. And now, she actually dares to auction off

    my painting ten years ago right in front of me? Does she really think that I¡¯m easy prey?

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please ce your bids now! The starting bid is a million!¡±

    No sooner had the host¡¯s voice fallen than Christopher spoke out of the blue. In anguid voice, he

    drawled, ¡°One.¡±

    The host was stunned for a moment before he remarked with a chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re really humorous, Sir.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not being humorous. Since this is the painting, my price is very apt. There¡¯s no amount higher than

    that,¡± Christopher countered smilingly.

    ¡°Why must you pick trouble with me, Christopher? Are you telling me that this painting is not worth a

    million?¡± Crystal cried out and reproved him resentfully.

    Grasping my hand lightly, Christopher casually chuckled. ¡°This painting is naturally worth more than a

    million. However, if it¡¯sing from you, then it¡¯s only worth that much. Do you need me to share the

    news about you here as well, Ms. Yates?¡±

    ¡°How dare you?¡± Crystal¡¯s countenance paled before it flushed bright red. But when Christopher swept

    a sharp gaze over her, fear showed on her face, and she bit her lip indignantly.

    Upon seeing that the atmosphere had turned dreary, the host cracked a few jokes to ease the tension.

    Then, he resumed the auction. ¡°Earlier, Mr. Lane made a joke, so please continue bidding now¡­¡±

    ¡°I, Christopher Lane, am dering right here that this painting is only worth one. I personally hope to

    own this painting, so I hope all of you will do me a favor. As such, I don¡¯t think any of you will fight me

    on this, yes?¡± Christopher stood up and looked around arrogantly with a quirked brow and a wicked

    smile on his face.

    Because of his words, some of his friends whispered among themselves and gave up bidding.

    Meanwhile, others felt that it wasn¡¯t necessary to offend him because of an unknown woman, so they

    zipped their mouths as well.

    The host finally realized the problem. His expression turned extremely awkward, and he didn¡¯t quite

    know how to continue the auction. At that precise moment, the banquet hall doors were suddenly

    pushed open. Following that, a gentle and sweet voice drifted into the air. ¡°I¡¯ll pay a million for this

    painting.¡±

    ¡°Great! Congrattions on winning the bid for Autumnal Panorama! Now, let¡¯s proceed to the next item

    for auction.¡± The host wiped the sweat off his forehead as though having been saved from a fate worse

    than death.

    The familiar voice had me stiffening. I looked back over my shoulder and gaped incredulously at the

    woman who was walking in.

    The woman slowly strolled over from the shadows,ing increasingly closer to me. Her red floral

    dress with gold embroidery rendered her graceful figure all the more slender and taller. As she slowly

    ambled in, her gaze swept over me and stilled for a brief moment. In the end, she stopped beside Mark

    and sat down next to him.

    In a cid voice, she asserted, ¡°I like this painting very much, and I think the painter must have painted

    it meticulously in the middle of the night. Therefore, it¡¯s worth a million.¡±

    I had no idea why my mother would help Crystal out, but her gaze was pinned on me as she spoke.

    Tugging at Christopher¡¯s sleeve, I quietly sat back down.

    Perhaps she doesn¡¯t know that the painting is Crystal¡¯s. That was the only thought that urred to me

    while my emotions were a tangled mess.

    Soon, it was my painting¡¯s turn to be auctioned. Ansley onceuded Moonlight Heaven, so the starting

    bid was five million. I should have been waiting on pins and needles, but my thoughts weren¡¯t on my

    painting at all because I saw Crystal going over and saying something or other to my mother. My

    mother¡¯s smile was very gentle, causing jealousy to swamp me.

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504

    ¡°I offer ten million for this painting!¡± No sooner had the auctioneer¡¯s words fallen than Christopher

    doubled the price in the blink of an eye. I silently counted how many zeros were in ten million before

    nudging him lightly and whispered, ¡°Why are you offering so much money when I drew this myself? We

    can¡¯t be buying it and hanging it at home, can we?¡±

    ¡°Your painting is priceless to me.¡± Christopher shed me an indulgent smile.

    ¡°Anyway, stop bidding on it, okay?¡± The moment my words fell, someone called out a bid of fifteen

    million, so Christopher again hollered, ¡°Twenty million!¡±

    At that, I shot him a re. Argh! This man is truly spending frivolously! ¡±If you really think that you¡¯ve

    got too much money, you can give it to me. I¡¯ll help you deposit it in the bank. And if you like it so much,

    I¡¯ll paint you a replica of it back home.¡±

    ¡°Nope. I want this one.¡± Christopher winked at me, causing the mole at the corner of his eye to twitch,

    giving him a devilish and nonchnt air. ¡°You told me there are two vague silhouettes in the shadows

    that represent us, so I naturally have to take it home and treasure it. I¡¯m not going to allow anyone else

    to take it away.¡±

    ¡°Thirty million!¡± As the familiar voice drifted into my eyes, I couldn¡¯t help shifting my nce to Isabelle.

    She had her back to me and didn¡¯t look back either, sounding as though she was speaking of

    something unremarkable. At that turn of events, my brows furrowed.

    ¡°Forty million!¡± Christopher upped the bid without the slightest hesitation. When the people around saw

    that the price had gone so high, they all zipped their mouths. They were only attending the auction to

    join in the fun and donate some money to gain a good reputation in the first ce, so if someone took

    things seriously, they wouldn¡¯t simply poke their noses into it.

    ¡°Fifty million!¡± Isabelle raised the bidding paddle in front of her.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Sixty million!¡± Christopher murmured mildly.

    When he had raised the price to eighty million, I tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Forget it, Chris. Don¡¯t increase

    the bid anymore since she wants to buy it. The Goldstein family doesn¡¯tck money anyway.¡±

    ¡°I sense that you don¡¯t want her to get the painting.¡± Christopher handed me the bidding paddle. In

    other words, he was handing the decision to me.

    Lifting my head, I nced at Isabelle. She was also looking in my direction, and her smile turned

    affectionate when she saw me gazing at her. In the end, I put down the bidding paddle and said to

    Christopher, ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t be sulking since she¡¯s my mother at the end of the day. I¡¯ll go and

    look for herter after the auction has ended.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Christopher shed me a pleased smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    In the dim banquet hall, only the lights on the huge tform flickered. All the other works that were

    auctioned after that were by renowned painters. The longest painting was three meters long and was

    auctioned off at a sky-high price of a hundred and fifty million. It was none other than Ansley¡¯s painting.

    ¡°Congrattions on such tremendous sess, Ms. Tanner!¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear! Hawen is truly blessed to have an outstanding young artist like you, Ms. Tanner. Please

    rest assured that we¡¯ll be using the money appropriately. All the money will be donated to schools in

    the impoverished mountainous areas to build primary schools. For every payment, we¡¯ll be sending you

    the ounts records for your perusal.¡±

    ¡°You tter me. As a fellow citizen, I¡¯m also very d that I get to contribute to the country.¡± I then

    signed the donation form. When all the works were auctioned off and the lights in the banquet hall lit

    up, I suddenly noticed that Mark and Isabelle had already walked over to the entrance.

    I hastily pushed the person in charge of Cross Organization who wanted to take a photo with me away

    and dashed out the banquet hall. Just then, a low-key Ferrari drove past me. I glimpsed Isabelle in the

    passenger seat and wanted to call out to her, but the car was already speeding toward the corner,

    giving me zero chance of speaking.

    I stood rooted to the spot for some time as a bitter smile born of helplessness hovered over my lips.

    When Christopher caught up to me, I shrugged at him. ¡°She has left, Chris. We should go back as

    well.¡±

    I had no idea why my mother didn¡¯t stay to meet me, but I had also lost the courage to chase after her

    once more. The distance between us was negligible, but it seemed as though we were no different

    from before. It¡¯s difficult for me to even see catch a glimpse of her.

    The next day, I insisted on going back to Hawen. Seeing my resolution, Christopher asked his assistant

    to book flight tickets back. After boarding the flight, I suddenly saw a news report of a shooting with

    Isabelle¡¯s photo attached. All at once, my heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505

    ¡°Mr. Lane, Mr. Goldstein and his wife live in a mansion on Hallowed Avenue where the wealthy resided.

    They usually keep a very low profile and seldom leave the house. In the past two years, they have a

    listed shippingpany in Anndur, and it¡¯s doing pretty well. However, rumor had it that they got

    into a spot of trouble and offended a local gang. But considering Mr. Goldstein¡¯s capabilities, he¡¯ll

    probably resolve such a trivial matter in no time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s their address exactly?¡± Christopher inquired after listening to his assistant¡¯s report.

    His assistant took out a business card and ced it before Christopher and me. ¡°Here¡¯s the address

    and also their usual itinerary. They¡¯re mostly at home and rarely go out. If you want to see them, you

    can go straight to the mansion. Should I prepare a car?¡± the assistant asked.

    Christopher then ced the address in front of me. ¡°Here¡¯s the location. If we drive there, it¡¯ll take less

    than half an hour.¡±

    Having not talked to Isabelle at the auction yesterday, I had been in a despondent mood. And naturally,

    Christopher could tell, so he investigated Mark¡¯s residence early in the morning and presented it to me.

    I picked up the business card and ced it in my hand. As the thin piece of paper came into contact

    with my palm, it was immediately soaked with sweat. Recalling her resolute departurest night, I

    shook my head with a smile. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s go back to Hawen. There must be a pile of work

    waiting for you in the office since you¡¯ve been away for so many days. Also, Julia is probably going to

    reproach me when we return.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go?¡± Christopher was a touch surprised since he knew full well that I

    longed to see Isabelle.

    shing him a faint smile, I tried my best to make myself appear rxed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. From the

    look of things, she must be living a good life now. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t disrupt her life. Many years have

    passed, after all, so there¡¯s no point doing so.¡±

    ¡°What a silly girl!¡±

    At my insistence, Christopher didn¡¯t mention going to see Isabelle anymore. Instead, he asked his

    assistant to book two flight tickets for the premium economy ss. When we were leaving, I looked

    back at the bustling streets of Norham while standing at the boarding gate before I finally headed

    toward the cabin resolutely.

    Some things are just that unexpected. At the turning point in my life, I encountered a piece of beautiful

    scenery, but I didn¡¯t stay. Instead, all that was left were mncholy and loss.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Sitting on thefortable couch, I suddenly caught sight of Isabelle¡¯s photo in the newspaper in the

    hands of the person right in front of me.

    Truth be told, I never expected to see a news report about her in the newspaper. In the next second, I

    glimpsed the word ¡°shooting¡± and instantly shuddered as fear struck me. I snatched the newspaper

    from the person¡¯s hands and clutched it tightly in my hands. The man cursed me out, but I ignored him.

    Noticing the situation, Christopher¡¯s assistant hurriedly went over and mollified the man.

    The newspaper briefly reported about a shooting that took ce after the auctionst night. Someone

    wanted to kill the Chairman of Illuminati Shipping, Mark, and even attempted to kidnap his wife to

    ckmail him. Fortunately, he sensed something amiss and worked with the police, so the perpetrators

    had been apprehended. At present, both he and his wife were fine.

    Only when I saw that they were fine did I breathe a sigh of relief. At that moment earlier, my heart had

    leaped to my throat, and a sheen of cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Exchanging a nce with

    Christopher, I let out a long sigh of relief.

    With the newspaper in hand, I read it again and again. When we disembarked from the ne, my

    mood already improved significantly. The sky seemed bright, and the ground felt exceedingly solid. The

    scenery thaty before my eyes was also incredibly stunning. Strolling around the garden in the airport,

    I pointed at the huge fountain and grinned idiotically. ¡°Look, Chris, I never thought that the scenery at

    the airport could be so lovely.¡±

    Without warning, a group of journalists came out of nowhere and started snapping away at me, and

    some even tried to get close to me. Seeing that, Christopher promptly pulled me into his arms and

    shielded me while his assistants surrounded us and acted as a barrier.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, can you please say something about your painting being exhibited at Mr. Ansley¡¯s art

    exhibition? How do you feel about that? You and Remington are the only two painters among the

    younger generation in Hawen who have their works exhibited at such a grand art exhibition. How did

    you aplish that?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, your painting of Moonlight Heaven was auctioned off at a sky-high price of eighty million,

    and you even donated all the proceeds to the impoverished mountainous areas. This matter has

    caused a stir in Avenport. Besides, your technique of making flowers bloom when water was sshed

    on them had been widely circted on the inte. Many people are curious about how you

    aplished that. Do you mind exining it?¡±

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506

    At first, I thought that someone had set me up again, and those people were there to pick trouble with

    me. Only after listening to them did I realize that I had beenpletely whitewashed because my work

    was exhibited at Ansley¡¯s art exhibition. I then uttered a few words to the journalists in a daze. It wasn¡¯t

    until Christopher led me into the car and we left did I finally realize that I had be a renowned

    figure.

    I peered into the rearview mirror and looked at my face before ncing at the journalists who were still

    chasing after the car at the back. Pointing at my face, I turned to Christopher. ¡°Chris, I seem to have

    be a renowned figure. What an incredible feeling!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been renowned. What¡¯s so incredible about it?¡± Christopher teased.

    ¡°That¡¯s different. In the past, I was interviewed because of negative press. This time, however, I¡¯m the

    heroine of my own story.¡± I was still feeling as though I was dreaming, so I patted my cheeks lightly.

    When a smarting pain shot through me, I finally realized that my path to transformation had already

    begun right then.

    ¡°So, my beautiful heroine, do you mind adding a hero in your story?¡± Christopher pinched my cheek.

    When we stopped at the traffic light, he grasped my chin and kissed me long and deep.

    ¡°That depends on your performance. If you don¡¯t perform well, I¡¯ll just give you a minor role.¡± I

    deliberately lifted my head and put on a haughty expression. Before Christopherughed, I began

    chortling myself, finding myself very much silly.

    That night, Christopher ced me on the bed and tormented me many times to celebrate my sess.

    Only when he was finally satisfied did he carry me to the bathroom for a bath. While washing me, he

    couldn¡¯t control himself and devoured me again.

    As Iy in the warm water, I merely submitted to him, having no strength to even hook my arms around

    his neck. All I could do was to emit some low or high-pitched whimpers and protest asionally. ¡°This

    is my celebration, so why are you the one enjoying yourself? I object.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Christopher scooped me up and flipped over, cing me atop him. Brushing his

    long and slender fingers across my smooth back, he drawled with a chuckle, ¡°All right, you enjoy

    yourself, then. Here, please help yourself, my queen. I won¡¯t refuse any request you make. Let me

    reiterate that you can make any request of me.¡±

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    My hands and legs were drained of energy, but I still had my mouth. Having been teased in such a

    manner, I dipped my head and bit his shoulder without showing him any mercy. Christopher, on the

    other hand, was inmed by my bite. Grabbing my waist, he started tormenting me again and even

    purposely asking, ¡°Do you feel particrly proud now that you¡¯re on top? Do you need me to add some

    romance to your enjoyment?¡±

    Ugh! What a pompous man!

    In the next moment, he surged up while holding my waist, cutting off the words that were on the tip of

    my tongue and filling me deeply. After his torment, I almost couldn¡¯t straighten my waist anymore.

    Subsequently, he snagged the bubble machine, tossed it into the bathtub, and turned it on. In no time,

    bubbles filled the entire bathroom.

    Half my body was covered with bubbles while Christopher and I embraced each other. We were still

    joined together, but he wanted to gaze at the stars with me in his arms. With only our heads poking out,

    we stood in front of the window and gazed at the stars outside in an extremely suggestive posture.

    Altair and Vega were far apart, yet we were hugging each other tightly.

    As a rather renowned figure right then, I should contemte my itinerary upon waking up the next

    morning and n my future. s, dreams were great, but the reality was harsh. The next morning, I

    could only lie on the bed like a dead dog and rest after having gone wild the entire night.

    On the contrary, Christopher got out of bed and went to work energetically. If I were to ignore his slow

    walking posture, I would really think that he wasn¡¯t human. My condition was so bad that I could only

    open the door for Sabrina in my nightgown when she came over in search of me. After doing that, I

    plopped onto the couch right away, not in the mood to move at all. It felt as though even my limbs were

    no longer listening to my orders.

    ¡°Good Lord! How wild were you guysst night? Even when I saw my idol just now, he appeared to

    have overindulged. I almost thought that I got the wrong person.¡±

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507

    ¡°Can you please be a bit more tactful? Or do you not want to be friends with me anymore?¡± I massaged

    my waist and retorted weakly. Sure enough, I¡¯ve been allowing Christopher too many liberties in this

    aspect that Sabrina is looking at me in contempt.

    ¡°I was actually nning to ask you out on a shopping spree since you¡¯ve finally returned, but look at

    you now. You¡¯re just a step away from needing a wheelchair!¡± Sabrina eyed me with even more disdain

    in her eyes even as she draped a thin nket over me. ¡°Cover up for a bit. Did you two consider the

    feelings of the pregnant woman when putting on a public disy of affection?¡±

    Ugh! How utterly embarrassing! I reached out and stroked her stomach, asking in hushed tones,

    ¡°You¡¯re probably going to give birth soon since your stomach is so big now, huh? Yet, you dared to

    wander around? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll give birth by the roadside?¡±

    ¡°Good grief! Stop exaggerating! My expected delivery date is the day after tomorrow.¡± Flipping her hair,

    Sabrina started counting with her fingers. ¡°My confinement will be a month, and I¡¯ll also have to

    recuperate for a month. Oh no, I¡¯ll only get to go break my fast two monthster. How saddening! My

    Zach is so yummy, yet I can only look without gobbling him up. Oh God, how am I going to survive?

    Why on earth did I get pregnant as soon as I got married? That was simply a miscalction on my part!

    I only got to enjoy Zach a few times.¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡± Other than giving a bark of dryughter, I had no other way of expressing my thoughts.

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t hold out in the face of her request and dragged myself up to go shopping with her.

    We went to the mall by car, with me driving. Despite my less-than-ster driving skills, I adamantly

    refused to allow her to drive. Well, she¡¯s in a delicate condition now, so she really shouldn¡¯t do anything

    strenuous.

    s, perhaps my remark jinxed us. I had just parked the car at the mall entrance and helped Sabrina

    out of the car with her bulging stomach leading the way when she abruptly clutched her stomach and

    cried out in pain before we had even entered the mall. All at once, fear struck me, and my face drained

    of color.

    ¡°Quick, I¡¯ll drive you to the hospital!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s go to the hospital!¡± Half of Sabrina¡¯s weight was on me, and she arduously made her

    way down the stairs outside the mall. No sooner had she taken a few steps than she suddenly

    copsed onto the ground with a cry. In the next second, liquid gushed out from under her dress.

    Even if I were ignorant, I still knew that her water broke. ¡°Oh God, this is bad! Your water broke! Quick,

    don¡¯t sit here anymore. We¡¯ve got to rush to the hospital right away! Don¡¯t tell me you really want to

    give birth at such a public ce where peoplee and go?¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t walk anymore! What should I do? Quick, Eve, call an ambnce for me! You really jinxed

    me! And why do I feel the baby slipping down now?¡±

    Whipping out my phone, I rang the doctor even as my heart leaped into my throat. When the doctors

    and nurses arrived after a flurry of panic, a nurse shrieked upon seeing Sabrina¡¯s condition, ¡°I can see

    the baby¡¯s head! The expectant mother must deliver the baby right now, or the baby will suffocate!¡±

    I stood beyond the group of medical personnel and watched as they held up a tarp to cordon off the

    area. When I saw that they were going to have Sabrina deliver the baby by the roadside, my entire

    being was numb. Oh my God, she¡¯s really giving birth by the roadside now!

    When Zachary received my urgent call, he was still dressed in fatigues, carrying real guns and live

    ammunition. A few men followed behind him with rifles on their shoulders and various high-end

    instruments hanging from their waistbelts. That procession frightened all the onlookers away.

    As soon as he entered the space enclosed by the tarp, I heard Sabrina¡¯s previously agonized cries

    turning into a roar. ¡°Zachary Scott, you b*stard! I¡¯m dying of pain here! I¡¯m not going to give birth to any

    more children for you in the future!¡±

    ¡°All right, all right, we won¡¯t give birth anymore. Your word isw, okay?¡±

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nonsense! The baby¡¯s head is already out, yet you¡¯re saying not to give birth anymore? You don¡¯t

    even love your own child? Is that it? I want to divorce you, Zachary Scott!¡±

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. Just bear with it for a while, okay? It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    ¡°Next time, you give birth, you b*stard! Then, you¡¯ll know how the pain feels like! You can talk if you

    give birth to a dozen or so babies! Of course, it¡¯s easy for you to talk! Why don¡¯t you bear with it

    instead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having said the wrong thing. Look, there are women during the ancient times who even

    gave birth on the battlefield! My Sabby is definitely stronger than them all! Just push a little harder. In

    the future, I¡¯ll give birth to our babies. I¡¯ll give birth instead, okay?¡±

    Pfft! Zachary¡¯s colleagues who came with him guffawed softly when they heard that exchange. I

    couldn¡¯t help butugh as well while I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead. I swear that I¡¯ll never

    wander around like this if I get pregnant! This is just too scary! And she¡¯s the only one with such a

    forceful style!

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508

    Waa! The moment a baby¡¯s loud wail pierced the air, I was so thrilled that tears almost escaped my

    eyes. Oh my God, that¡¯s my godson!

    ¡°Congrattions! It¡¯s an adorable baby boy! Both mother and child are doing fine. Please send your

    wife and the child to the hospital for further examination.¡±

    As Zachary cradled the baby, he grinned like a fool. The doctor had to repeat himself several times

    before he finally gathered his wits about him and handed the child to me.

    I carefully cradled the tiny and delicate baby. He had just entered the world, so even opening his eyes

    was a strenuous task to him. He cried for a while at first before he started looking around curiously,

    blinking his ck eyes every so often. When I gently touched his cheek, he giggled at me.

    A maternal instinct spread all over me, and I dipped my head to peck him on his soft cheek.

    Even after cing the child into the incubator, I still couldn¡¯t bear to part with him. Through the ss, I

    gently stroked his tiny hand, and he likewise waved his hands before touching it to my palm.

    ¡°Aw, how adorable! My heart is melting at the sight of him!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Why is he so unsightly? He¡¯s wrinkly, and his face is also bright red. How ugly! But then, both Zachary

    and Sabrina have decent looks¡­¡± A frown marred Christopher¡¯s face, and bemusement was written all

    over his face after he beheld the child.

    Hah! It¡¯s rare that there¡¯s something he doesn¡¯t know! I poke his forehead huffily. ¡°A baby is naturally

    wrinkly when he has just entered the world, okay? He¡¯ll need a few days to grow, and he¡¯ll look just fine

    then. You¡¯ve got nomon sense at all! You¡¯re lucky I wasn¡¯t the one giving birth. Otherwise, I¡¯ll

    definitely get angry if you say such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, that¡¯ll never happen. Even if our child is wrinkly, he or she is the most good-looking one!¡±

    Christopher proimed domineeringly as he waved a hand firmly.

    Hmm¡­ Okay, then. He¡¯s always unreasonable when ites to his family!

    As a new mother, Sabrina struggled quite a bit. On the very first day she took care of the child, she

    made quite a number of mistakes. She either inverted the diaper when changing his diaper or ced

    him down before he had eaten his fill when feeding him. I only helped out at the hospital, but I was

    already dead tired.

    In fact, I was so exhausted at the end of the day that I sprawled on the couch, not wanting to move the

    slightest bit. ¡°Oh God, it¡¯s so difficult to be a mother!¡±

    ¡°Just consider it advanced training. Anyway, you¡¯re still going to be a mother in the future.¡± After coating

    the baby to sleep, Sabrina carefully ced him into the crib.

    At that, I looked down at my stomach. Speaking of that, Christopher and I haven¡¯t been using

    protection for more than a month now. Yet, there¡¯s no news at all. Could it be that I¡¯m not as fertile, so

    it¡¯s difficult for me to get pregnant?

    ¡°Sabby, is it easy to get pregnant?¡± I questioned inquisitively. I had only ever been pregnant once in my

    entire life. After getting together with Christopher, I inexplicably got pregnant. I didn¡¯t even know when

    that happened, so I had no knowledge about this.

    ¡°Well, it probably depends on fate. If it¡¯s not time yet, the child willeter.¡±

    ¡°B*llshit!¡± I flipped my middle finger at Sabrina. When she got pregnant, she kept saying that it was

    science, but now that it came to me, it has be fate! Don¡¯t tell me she thinks that I haven¡¯t gotten

    pregnant even after getting together with Christopher for a year? We¡¯d been very meticulous in

    preventing pregnancy before this!

    While we were chatting, my phone rang out of the blue. When I picked up the phone and saw the caller

    ID, I jolted in fright. I even rubbed my eyes, thinking that I might be seeing things.

    ¡°Who¡¯s calling that you¡¯re so nervous?¡± Sabrina leaned over for a peek.

    ¡°It¡¯s a call from my future mother-inw, and this is the first time she ever phoned me. I¡¯m so nervous!

    What should I say after answering the call? Should I act simpering or serious?¡±

    ¡°What future mother-inw? You¡¯ve been married to Christopher for a year now. You know what? When

    you think you¡¯re pregnant, go to Lane residence with Christopher for a visit. I guarantee you that Mrs.

    Lane will be more anxious than you,¡± Sabrina muttered.

    Clearing my throat, I only answered the call after I hadposed myself. Trying my best to sound

    normal, I smilingly greeted, ¡°Hello, Julia. It¡¯s been a long time. Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? You and Chris came over and had dinner just the evening before

    yesterday. It¡¯s only been two days.¡± Subsequently, Julia demanded in a chagrined voice, ¡°Where are

    you now? Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll go shopping with me today? Yet, I see no sign of you! Are you this

    disrespectful toward your elders?¡±

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509

    I opened my mouth, but words eluded me. After a long time, I finally remembered that Christopher took

    me home for dinner after we came back in the evening the day before yesterday. Julia asked me to

    apany her shopping today, and I casually agreed. However, Sabrina suddenly gave birth by the

    roadside yesterday, and Zachary had to go on a mission today, thus having no time to take care of the

    baby. I came over to take care of the baby and was so busy that I put the matter at the back of my

    mind.

    Realizing that, I hastily apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julia. I was tied up with something earlier. Where are you

    now? I¡¯ll go and look for you right away!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right below your apartment, and I want to see you in half an hour!¡±

    A disconnect tone sounded as the person hung up the phone. I stared at my phone before shifting my

    gaze to Sabrina. All of a sudden, I sprang to my feet with my phone and hand and wailed, ¡°Oh God, I¡¯m

    doomed! I stood my future mother-inw up! I¡¯m dead!¡±

    ¡°¡¯What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say that Mrs. Lane usually ignores you? The previous time, she even

    introduced a dozen or sodies to Christopher at a single go. When did your rtionship with her

    be so close that you even have a date to go shopping with her?¡± Sabrina inquired in puzzlement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I thought she was joking when she said she wanted me to go shopping with her, so

    I totally forgot about it. You¡¯ve got to give me some tips, Sabby! How do you usually interact with your

    mother-inw? Just give it to me straight so that I can brace myself.¡± My face was all crumpled.

    ¡°Oh, my mother-inw is really easy to get along with. She usually doesn¡¯t interfere in our affairs and

    only asks to meet us if there¡¯s something specific. We normally keep in contact by phone. She¡¯ll urge

    me to rest more and never raised her voice to me.¡± Sabrina scratched her head as she recalled her

    usual interaction with her mother-inw. Then, she spread her hands helplessly.

    ¡°Gah! That wasn¡¯t helpful at all!¡±

    ¡°All the best.¡± Sabrina gave me a chin lift. ¡°Hurry up and go meet the true queen of your family. She is

    likely epting you since she asked you to apany her shopping. After winning over your mother-

    inw, you can then officially be Christopher¡¯s wife and receive everyone¡¯s blessings. Isn¡¯t it

    rather exciting?¡±

    Exciting¡­ my foot!

    I swiftly ran out and hailed a taxi. s, when it rained, it poured. During the drive, there was massive

    congestion. A long line of cars stood at a standstill in front of me, stretching as far as the eye could see.

    I then nced at the time. If I truly wait for the traffic to ease, Julia will be home long by the time I

    reach. She won¡¯t wait for me!

    Therefore, I had no other choice but to alight from the taxi and go on foot. By the time I reached home,

    I was already so weary that I was panting for breath. Standing in front of Julia¡¯s car, I couldn¡¯t even

    utter a single word. After some time, I stammered, ¡°Julia, you¡­ I¡¯m sorry for having made you wait¡­ I

    apologize¡­ Where are we going?¡±

    Upon seeing that I was panting, Julia unexpectedly ceased speaking. She handed me a piece of tissue

    and waited until I had gotten my breath back before asking, ¡°What kind of attitude is this when you¡¯ve

    already promised to meet me? Not only did you fail to take the initiative to ask me out, but you even

    went out by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Sabby gave birth, so I was taking care of her in the hospital.¡± I shed her a sheepish smile. Well, if I

    were to say that I forgot because I thought it was just a courtesy, then I¡¯m truly an idiot!

    After hearing that exnation of mine, Julia¡¯s expression eased. ¡°Is it a boy or a girl?¡± she queried.

    ¡°Zachary¡¯s parents would love a girl since they¡¯ve always been grousing about him being so

    insensitive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯d be disappointed, then. Sabby gave birth to an adorable baby boy!¡± I

    chortled. Hmm¡­ The term ¡°insensitive¡± is really apt to describe Zachary! He¡¯s always with that grim

    face that¡¯s devoid of expression. Even when he consoles Sabby, his expression remains indifferent.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a boy!¡± Julia¡¯s gaze then fell on my stomach. She stared for a very long time, frowning

    sometimes and smiling faintly at other times as though she was contemting something. ¡°Chris was

    very mischievous when he was young. I wonder if his child would also be a naughty one like him.¡±

    Embarrassed at her length stare, I immediately pped my hands over my stomach. ¡°We use

    protection! We definitely won¡¯t force your hand with a child before you agree, so don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    The corners of Julia¡¯s mouth twitched, and she actually looked speechless.

    As realization dawned upon me, my hands almost flew to my big mouth. Oh my God, what did I just

    say? I actually discussed the issue of protection with my mother-inw? Ugh! I¡¯m making it clear as day

    that I¡¯m a moron!

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510

    I was so embarrassed that I wished I could sink through the floor. As expected of Julia, she regained

    herposure soon and broke the awkward silence while starting the car engine. ¡°Hurry up and get in.

    The sun is going to set soon. I¡¯m not interested in taking a leisurely drive with you at night.¡±

    In actuality, I was not interested in hanging out with my future mother-inw at night as well.

    As soon as I got into the car, Julia stepped on the elerator and sped up. Surprisingly, she was an

    aggressive driver and her behavior behind the wheel was totally different from her usual gentle

    personality. The car continued to elerate, overtaking all the other cars on the road. Her driving skills

    were on par with Christopher¡¯s. I wondered if Christopher learned how to drive from her.

    Soon, we arrived at the most prosperous area in the city. After taking a turn, a Porsche sports car

    suddenly overtook us. The front window of the Porsche was down and a young man raised his middle

    finger while swearing at us, as if he was extremely excited after overtaking us.

    I almost died of fright. While I was wondering who that guy was and how he would dare say things like

    that to Julia, I secretly took a nce at her, only to see that she was calm and unaffected. Abruptly, she

    said, ¡°Fasten your seat belt!¡±

    Before I could react, the car suddenly gained speed and zoomed forward. Strong gusts of wind

    continuously blew at my face through the half-opened window. I could not even keep my eyes open.

    If the person sitting next to me were not Julia, I swore I would have screamed by then. It would have

    been a miserable scream, too.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, we¡¯re downtown right now. There are a lot of people and cars here. Shouldn¡¯t you drive

    slower?¡± I asked while trembling in fear.

    ¡°Ten minutes!¡± she replied calmly.

    However, I could notprehend what her words meant. She used her superb driving skills to shuttle

    through the endless traffic. After a while, the Porsche reappeared before our eyes. Suddenly, she

    smiled and uttered, ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    With that said, she continued to elerate. At that moment, the car was already drifting, and

    everything outside the window was flying past. Luckily, a luxury car like this Maybach could withstand

    that kind of driving. All of a sudden, Julia made a hundred and eighty-degree turn, which caused my

    head to involuntarily knock on the front seat. The car drifted and stopped after the sharp turn, blocking

    the Porsche¡¯s path.

    Instantaneously, the young man in the Porsche got out of the car and walked over. Banging on the

    window of the Maybach, he shouted, ¡°Damn it. Who are you? How dare you overtake me! I can make

    sure that you¡¯ll have a hard time surviving in Avenport. My cousin is Zachary Scott!¡±

    Hearing that, I immediately mourned for the young man in my heart.

    Meanwhile, Julia rolled down the car window and nced casually at him. Raising her eyebrows, she

    questioned coldly and disdainfully in a way that reminded me much of Christopher, ¡°What do you

    want?¡±

    Dumbfounded, the expression on his face changed in a sh. He was no longer arrogant and replied

    with a tremble, ¡°M-Mrs. Lane, I was drunk and talking nonsense. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°Enough. Drive slower next time and don¡¯t provoke every person you see. You may leave now.¡± Then,

    Julia rolled up the car window and drove off.

    I sat in the back seat in shock. Feeling the newly made bump on my forehead, I quietly observed her in

    the rearview mirror. Judging from the young man¡¯s attitude, Julia had to be an existence equivalent to a

    devil in his eyes.

    At that moment, I found that my impression of her had changed again. At first, I thought that she was

    just a high and mightydy. However, she was, in fact, pretentious. Although she acted coldly on the

    surface, there was a fiery demon inside her. I could not help but in awe at her dominance earlier.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Is my hair messed up?¡± Julia inquired abruptly.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°N-No!¡± I definitely could not let her know that I thought she was pretentious.

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511

    If Christopher was expressive and passionate, then Julia was a reserved person. I verified that point

    while shopping with her. Just like Christopher said, once she acknowledged someone, she would stop

    acting polite and interact with the person in the same way she would with her family members.

    Throughout the ride, she criticized me relentlessly. When we were in the boutique, she would express

    her dismay at all the clothes that I liked and berate me for having no sense of fashion. Yet, after all the

    criticisms, she would teach me how to match my clothes.

    Next, we went shopping for jewelry. Whenever I took fancy to the sparkling jewelry, she wouldin

    that I was frivolous. To be honest, the jewelry she chose was dazzling as well, but it was a better match

    with what she was wearing. It appeared low-key but sophisticated. The more I looked at it, the nicer it

    was.

    That was not the end. The situation worsened when we went for tea. She would ask me to describe the

    taste of the tea and remember their names. I had never learned about any tea ceremony or done floral

    arrangements. The only thing I was persistent about was drawing.

    At that moment, I began to wonder why she brought me out for shopping alone without Shelley. Could it

    be that she wants to cut me down to size?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ms. Tanner? I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere.¡± When we came out of the jewelry store,

    someone greeted me. Hearing that, I looked back and saw a familiar face. ¡°Who are you, Sir? Is there

    a reason you are looking for me?¡±

    The man probably did not expect me to not recognize him at all. With an awkward smile on his face, he

    introduced himself. ¡°Ms. Tanner, I¡¯m the person in charge of the National Youth Art Exhibition and

    Contest. I¡¯ve called you before, but the call didn¡¯t get through. Initially, I was thinking of meeting you

    directly, but I happened to bump into you here.¡±

    Finally, I came to a realization. No wonder he looked familiar! Then, I queried in puzzlement, ¡°Why are

    you looking for me? I¡¯ve already withdrawn from the contest, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Previously, there was a little misunderstanding, so the judges decided to have you withdrawn. But now

    that the misunderstanding has been cleared and the fourth season of the contest has just ended,

    you¡¯re qualified to participate in the final season. We have unanimously decided to reinstate your

    qualification. Why don¡¯t you go to the art exhibition and meet the judges tomorrow?¡± The person in

    charge spoke rather arrogantly.

    ¡°Participate in the contest again?¡± I could not help but feel likeughing. I mean, this was the kind of

    contest that even someone like Crystal could be involved in. Not to mention that her paintings were

    disyed at the art exhibition for everyone to admire. Although I was not famous, I was not someone

    whom they could kick out as they liked and return when they needed people to hype up the contest.

    I had always disliked suchmercial contests. If it was not for the fact that I had no backing and

    could only use that way to prove myself, I would not have participated in the contest. Shortly afterward,

    I nodded at Julia and asked her to wait for me for a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t intend to continue participating in the contest. Thank you for your kindness as well as

    the kindness of the judges and the organizer.¡± I shed the person in charge a faint smile and politelyMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    rejected his proposal.

    ¡°After youe back, we¡¯ll make you the champion and let you- What? You¡¯re refusing to participate in

    the contest? How is this possible?¡± he cried out in surprise. Obviously, he did not expect me to decline

    him. He was full of disbelief.

    Make me the champion? I blinked at his words. I wonder who the final winner would be if I did not go

    back. Probably the contestant with the most hype would im first ce. Even in the art industry,

    people cared about poprity.

    After being defamed several times, I was also considered a celebrity. When Crystal¡¯s incident was

    exposed, I became popr. Then, there was Ansley¡¯s art exhibition. All the gossips about me were

    rted to art. If I participated in the contest, the hype I stir up would definitely make the exhibition more

    popr. That way, sponsors would be willing to spend more money on the event and the organizer

    would be able to gain both fame and fortune.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really don¡¯t intend to participate in the contest anymore. Thank you,¡± I responded while

    smiling. The next moment, I left with Julia, leaving the dumbfounded man behind.

 Chapter 512

    Chapter 512

    ¡°From a businessman¡¯s perspective, this is a good opportunity to gain fame and fortune. Why did you

    refuse?¡± After we walked away for a while, Julia stopped and asked me.

    Tilting my head, I stuck out my tongue and smiled mischievously. ¡°From a spoiled woman¡¯s

    perspective, this is a good opportunity to redeem my self-esteem, so of course I have to refuse! I can¡¯t

    be doing whatever they want me to do, right? I¡¯m the woman whom Christopher values wholeheartedly.

    I won¡¯t do this kind of thing.¡±

    The first half of what I said was my sincere thought, while the second half was meant to please Julia.

    Clearly, she was happy with my ttery. It was rare that she did not say anything harsh but agreed with

    me. ¡°You¡¯re right. True talent will ultimately speak for itself. You don¡¯t have to go with the flow at all.¡±

    After walking forward two steps, I realized that she wasplimenting me. In an instant, a wide grin

    spread across my face. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mrs. Lane!¡±

    ¡°Who said I wasplimenting you?¡± Immediately, she refuted my words. She was resolute and would

    not admit that she was praising me.

    I remained silent as I did not want to make her angry anymore. Otherwise, I would be digging my own

    grave. When we passed by a bank, she opened her bag and took a brief look inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any

    cash with me today. I¡¯ll go and withdraw some money.¡±

    In actuality, I wanted to say that I had cash with me, but as someone who was used to living a

    parsimonious life, I did not have more than three thousand on me. Later on, should she choose

    something worth more than that amount, it would be embarrassing if we could not pay with our cards.

    Entering the bank, I was about to get a number and line up. Just then, I saw her taking out a card with

    a big red peony printed on it and walking to the VIP counter. Soon after she sat down, a lovely girl

    came to her service.

    At the sight of that, I lifted my head and sighed. As expected, I did not understand the life of a magnate.

    Just like what Sabrina said, I was the most miserable heiress she had ever seen. I even had to borrow

    my first credit card from her.

    When I was lost in thoughts, a few burly men rushed in, pointing their shotguns at the people inside the

    bank. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Put your hands above your head!¡±

    Before I could figure out what happened, everyone began screaming. One woman screamed and ran

    toward the entrance. All of a sudden, a brawny man shot at her back.

    The sound of the shotgun buzzed in my ears. As the bullet hit her back, blood sttered everywhere

    and dyed the surrounding red.

    Immediately afterward, the woman let out a heartbreaking scream and copsed to the floor. She

    convulsed while vomiting blood from her mouth before she stopped moving altogether.

    In an instant, all the screams and shouts stopped and a momentary silence filled the bank. Everyone

    paused their movements and did not dare to breathe. Outside, firecrackers were crackling continuously,

    covering up the noise of the gunshot.

    ¡°Stay down. Don¡¯t move around. I¡¯ll shoot anyone who moves.¡± Those men acted quickly. A few of them

    drove all of us to a corner while their counterparts asked the staff to withdraw money and put them in

    bundles into a bag they had prepared beforehand.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I sat on the floor next to Julia and looked at the woman lying lifelessly in her own pool of blood. A hint

    of anger shed across my eyes. Perhaps it was because I had experienced a shooting incident while

    on a cruise ship with Christopher. Even though I was afraid, I was not trembling like the others. When I

    witnessed the woman dying in front of my eyes, I felt my blood boiling.

    At that moment, I thought of calling the police. The moment I turned my head sideways to nce at

    Julia, I saw that she had a calm expression on her face. Despite looking a little panicked, there was no

    fear in her eyes. Noticing that I was looking at her, she shot me a nce that told me not to worry.

    In response, I nodded slightly and mouthed the words ¡°call the police.¡± Subsequently, I quietly reached

    into my bag and took out my phone slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Some of them are setting off firecrackers outside to divert attention. They must have nned

    this for a long time. Cover me.¡± Just as I was about to make the call, she took the phone and moved

    backward, cing the phone behind me.

 Chapter 513

    Chapter 513

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Out of the blue, the man standing in front of us turned around, shouted at us,

    and started to approach us. My heart raced. There was only one thought in my mind. Oh no! We are

    busted.

    Fortunately, the man stopped at the woman in front of me and kicked her instead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me. Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± The woman in front was together with a baby. She hugged the little

    one in her arms and pleaded, ¡°My daughter is unwell and has high fever. Can you please let me out? I

    need to take her to the hospital. She¡¯s only six months old. I can¡¯t dy any longer.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The man kicked the woman again. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Otherwise, I¡¯ll pull the trigger.¡± After that, he

    cursed and walked away.

    My body stiffened as cold sweat drenched my back. I was really frightened just now.

    The robbers were still packing the money. Although the bank we were in was just a branch, it was the

    largest branch in the country. There had to be a massive amount of money in the bank. Every second

    that passed by felt awfully long to me. Furthermore, I did not know if those people would leave

    immediately after taking the money or would they take hostages before making their escape.

    Since they dared to kill people openly, they were obviously thugs who were up to no good. At that

    moment, a familiar ringtone suddenly sounded. It was the customized ringtone I had set for iing

    calls from Christopher. Immediately, my face fell, and so did Julia¡¯s.

    Why did he call me at this time? If he called earlier orter, everything would have been fine.

    Sure enough, the man who shot the woman earlier looked over. When he saw the phone in Julia¡¯s

    hand, he yelled angrily, ¡°F**k! This woman wants to call the police! I¡¯m going to kill her!¡±

    With that said, he strode over and pointed his gun at Julia. Suddenly, my mind went nk and I was at

    a loss for what to do. The man would really pull the trigger ¨C he was not kidding. Before I could think of

    what to do, my body reacted first. I found myself pouncing in front of Julia and blocking the muzzle of

    his gun.

    At that instant, the only thought I had in my mind was that Julia was Christopher¡¯s mother. If something

    happened to her, he would be very sad.

    Just then, a gunshot sounded in my ears. At the same time, there was a sharp pain in my chest. Blood

    sttered on my face and hands. I lowered my head and stared at the blood that was gushing out of

    my chest. The next moment, I copsed to the ground.

    ¡°Yvonne! Yvonne!¡± I could hear Julia shouting my name in shock. Barely opening my eyes, I saw the

    anxious expression on her face and the panic in her eyes. I could not help but smile. Julia was worried

    about me. As expected, she had already acknowledged me. Previously, she was just unhappy that I

    had taken her son away from her.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, I knew you¡¯re a good person.¡± At first, I wanted to continue teasing her, but I could not say

    anything else anymore. After I squeezed those words out of my mouth, I could not open my mouth

    again. There seemed to be something in my throat. I wanted to cough, but when I opened my mouth,

    nothing but blood came out.

    Soon, sirens of police cars could be heard from outside. The robbers were anxious and ran outside

    with the money. Meanwhile, I did not know if I could survive. I panicked: I had yet to see Christopher.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk! I¡¯ll send you to the hospital,¡± shouted Julia while covering my wound.

    I felt that I was pretty strong. Unexpectedly, I did not die immediately after being shot at such a close

    distance. Not to mention that I did not even lose my consciousness. When I was ced on the

    stretcher, my vision started to go blurry. Seeing that Julia kept following me, I smiled weakly at her.

    ¡°Chris told me that you¡¯re a very gentle and kind mother. He also said that you took good care of him

    and he loves you very much. If something happens to you, he¡¯ll be heartbroken. C-Can I call you

    ¡®Mom¡¯?¡±

    Julia was a very good mother. If she could acknowledge me as her daughter, I would be overjoyed.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t married my son yet. What right do you have to call me ¡®Mom¡¯? You¡¯d better get well soon.

    We¡¯ll discuss how you should call me after you¡¯ve recovered.¡±

 Chapter 514

    Chapter 514

    Gradually, I could no longer hear the sounds around me clearly. I could only hear Julia¡¯s voice. Slowly, I

    closed my eyes.

    ¡°Yvonne, if something happens to you, I¡¯ll introduce a lot of women to my son. I¡¯ll let him marry another

    girl and have children with her. You won¡¯t get anything. So, open your eyes. Do you hear me?¡±

    Hearing that, I shed her a faint smile. ¡°Mrs. Lane, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t die. I still want to be with

    Christopher. We¡¯ve promised each other to be together forever. I won¡¯t leave him behind. I won¡¯t die. I

    won¡¯t die¡­¡±

    I repeated the sentence again and again. Even when I was out of strength and could not even open my

    eyes, I did not allow myself to lose consciousness. I was afraid that once I fell asleep, I would

    disappear from Christopher¡¯s life forever.

    It was not until the doctor pushed me into the emergency room and gave me anesthetics that I finally

    closed my eyes with peace of mind.

    Momentster, a Maserati stopped abruptly in front of the hospital. Because it had been traveling at a

    high speed and the brake was applied all of a sudden, the front of the car hit the railing before it. As a

    result, there was a huge dent on the luxury vehicle. When the security guard at the hospital entrance

    saw that, he was heartbroken. The repair would easily cost a few hundred thousand, which was

    enough money for him to buy a decent car.

    Meanwhile, the person in the car did not care how badly the car crashed. He opened the door, stepped

    out of the vehicle, and rushed into the hospital.

    ¡°Mom, how is Yvonne?¡± Christopher ran to the emergency room, grabbed Julia¡¯s shoulders, and asked

    anxiously.

    In fact, Julia was more nervous than he was. There were still bloodstains on her body and the white

    coat she was wearing was dyed a terrifying crimson. ncing at the door of the emergency room, she

    answered anxiously, ¡°The doctor hasn¡¯te out yet.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Why was she sent to the hospital?¡± Christopher was so anxious that he almost

    shouted.

    A trace of guilt flickered across Julia¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was too careless. I called the police and

    was discovered. In order to save me, she blocked the gunshot.¡±

    ¡°Gunshot? Where was she shot? Was she severely injured?¡±

    His whole body trembled because of anxiety. The man who did not even blink when he himself was

    shot was scared at that moment.

    ¡°She was shot in the abdomen and lost a lot of blood.¡± Julia did not dare to look at Christopher¡¯s eyes.

    After experiencing my departure previously, she knew better than anyone how important I was to

    Christopher.

    ¡°Abdomen?!¡± In an instant, Christopher¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet. How he wished to rush into

    the operating theater immediately to make sure that everything was okay! But since he could not doThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    that, he started pacing back and forth just outside the emergency room. He could not calm himself

    down.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll definitely be fine¡­¡± Heforted himself as he walked.

    Before long, Darius and Gordon also rushed to the hospital. As soon as they saw how pale Christopher

    and Julia looked, they knew that the operation in the emergency room had not finished.

    Patting Christopher on the shoulder, Dariusforted, ¡°Yvonne is a good person. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Where are those people? Where¡¯s the one who shot her?¡± Abruptly, Christopher lifted his head, his

    gaze murderous. He looked ferocious when he asked his questions while gritting his teeth.

    ¡°Most of them have been arrested. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re in jail. As soon as Yvonne is fine, I¡¯ll bring you

    there and you can vent your anger on them as you like. The two who escaped won¡¯t be able to run far.

    The SWAT team has been dispatched,¡± said Darius.

    ¡°I¡¯ll end them all! How dare they hurt Yvonne!¡± Then, Christopher turned around and walked outside.

    While walking, he made a call and roared, ¡°Zachary, gather our men! I have a mission for you.¡±

    ¡°Chris, calm down!¡± Darius and Gordon stopped him. If Christopher were to sessfully capture the

    robbers, there would be no chance that thetter could survive, which would make things even worse.

    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down! I want to put an end to those bastards¡¯ lives!¡± Christopher yelled furiously.

    ¡°Chris, when Yvonnees outter, you¡¯re definitely the person she wants to see the most. So wait

    here, okay?¡± begged Julia while hugging Christopher, who looked like he had lost his mind.

 Chapter 515

    Chapter 515

    The emergency room door suddenly opened. A doctor came out and stated frantically, ¡°It¡¯s bad. The

    patient is bleeding profusely. She can¡¯t wait any longer. Bring the blood from the blood bank as soon as

    possible!¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Christopher shoved Darius out of the way and rushed toward the emergency room.

    ¡°The patient¡¯s blood pressure is falling and her breathing is weakening. She needs treatment

    immediately!¡±

    ¡°Her heartbeat is bing weaker and weaker. What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°Prepare for cardiac resuscitation.¡±

    Christopher saw the scene happening before him. He then felt as though he had gone back to the past

    ¨C the time when he woke up on the deserted ind. I practically went insane then, since I could not see

    Yvonne for two months.

    That time, I apparently passed out on hisp when we were on the beach. He felt as if the sky had

    crashed on him. When he sent me to the hospital, he even considered ending his own life should I pass

    on.

    That was because he had promised me on the deserted ind that we would be together forever and

    that even death would not be able to separate us.

    A nurse tried to stop him, but he did not care what anyone said or did. ¡°Please, Yvonne, wake up. It¡¯s

    me, Christopher!¡±

    His eyes began to well up with tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯mte. I¡¯mte this time. You can punish me however you want when you wake up but

    please don¡¯t leave me alone, okay? We have finally arrived at this point after oveing numerous

    challenges. I still owe you a grand wedding ceremony. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Beep¡­ Beep¡­ Beep¡­ The electrocardiogram on the cardiac monitor showed a few drastic

    fluctuations and then settled into a straight line. Following that, the beeping sound of an rm was

    heard. At that moment, all was silent except for the sounding from the rm. It hade to an

    end.

    ¡°Her heart is no longer beating.¡± The doctor slowly removed the defibritor and apologized to

    Christopher. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir. We¡¯ve already done everything we could. Please ept my condolences.¡±

    ¡°What condolences? She is still alive. You need to save her right now or I¡¯ll make you all go down with

    her!¡±

    Christopher then yelled angrily, ¡°Eve, we¡¯ve been married for over a year and haven¡¯t had any children

    yet. You¡¯ve just told me you wanted kids. How could you leave me? Please wake up. I¡¯ll break up with

    you if you don¡¯t wake up. Do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, you said that in this life, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, you¡¯ll step over them,

    hold my hands, and be with me. Have you forgotten about it?¡± At this moment, the strong-willed man

    sobbed and burst into tears.

    When the nurse saw Christopher express his emotions, she quietly wiped away her own tears. They

    are supposed to be a happy couple, but this tragedy urred because the wife met the bank robbers.

    When Julia walked into the emergency room and saw that the electrocardiogram had tlined, she was

    devastated. She staggered backward and almost fell to the floor. Fortunately, Gordon was standing

    behind her and managed to hold her.

    ¡°It¡¯s entirely my fault. I am the cause of Yvonne¡¯s death. Gordon, what should I do? If she hadn¡¯t saved

    me, she¡¯d still be alive. I was just thinking of inviting her to our house for lunch to discuss wedding

    ns with Chris. What am I supposed to do? Why is this happening?¡± Juliamented.

    ¡°Do you hear me, Yvonne? You are not allowed to die. It¡¯s just an ident. You¡¯ve always imed to

    be indestructible and that you will survive no matter what happens to you. You have a strong will to live.

    You need to wake up right now, Yvonne! If you really abandon me in this world, I will go with you right

    now!¡± Christopher suddenly drew his gun from his waist and pointed it at his temple.

 Chapter 516

    Chapter 516

    I was walking in the dark by myself. In this darkness, there was nothing around me. I could not see,

    hear, or feel anything. But I was determined to continue walking, no matter what. I knew that if I found a

    ce with light, I could return to where I really belonged.

    This was a strange dream. I knew I was dreaming, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not wake up.

    However, my chest no longer had a hole in it and I was no longer in pain. It appeared that dreaming

    had its advantages. At the very least, I was unable to sense pain.

    But I had no idea how long I had been unconscious. Christopher would be worried if I stayed

    unconscious for too long.

    After being in a life-or-death situation, we realized how fragile and valuable life was. Christopher had

    been concerned about me ever since we returned to Avenport from the seaside town. That time, I was

    hurt saving Lyle; Christopher was furious about it and even punished me.

    Since then, he had be extremely concerned about me. Even if I just stubbed my toes, he would

    be worried for quite some time. If he knew I had been shot by ident, he would me himself for the

    rest of his life for not being able to protect me.

    I sighed, feeling puzzled as to why I could not find the right path and wondering what I could do to wake

    up.

    ¡°Please, Yvonne, wake up! I won¡¯t marry you if you don¡¯t wake up. No, I¡¯m going to divorce you. I¡¯ll go

    marry some other woman. I¡¯ll piss you off!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡± I turned and looked but there was still nothing around me. It¡¯s Christopher¡¯s voice.

    He¡¯s talking to me, but why can¡¯t I wake up even though I can hear his voice?

    ¡°Yvonne, if you leave me, I¡¯ll feel alone. You¡¯ll also feel alone. It¡¯s too lonely to walk by yourself in the

    dark. I¡¯lle and apany you, okay? I¡¯lle to find you now.¡±

    Find me? Is Christopher attempting to do something stupid? I was so worried that I was about to cry,

    but I couldn¡¯t do so because I was in a dream. Suddenly, a loud gunshot could be heard. I was terrified

    and had no idea what to do.

    ¡°Christopher! Christopher! Where are you?¡± I shouted.

    The emergency room was in chaos. The pendantmp from the ceiling fell to the ground as

    Christopher shot at the ceiling. His action shocked everyone.

    ¡°Chris, stay calm and hand me the gun!¡± Darius yelled at Christopher as he approached him.

    ¡°Chris, do you realize what you¡¯re doing? Put down the gun now!¡± Even the usually gentle Gordon was

    enraged by Christopher¡¯s behavior and nervously reprimanded his son. ¡°As a soldier, how dare you do

    such a thing!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay calm. I just can¡¯t. All of you get out of here! I want to be alone with Eve.¡± Christopher held

    his gun tightly.

    Julia was also taken aback. Upon getting back to her senses, she approached Christopher and pped

    him. ¡°You want to end your own life, you fool? Do you think Yvonne wille back to life if you die?¡±

    Julia was furious. She gave him another p. ¡°Your father, Darius, and I are standing in front of you.

    Do you want us to go down with you, seeing that you dare to pull out your gun in front of us?¡±

    Beep! Beep! Beep! The rm suddenly went off again. The nurse lowered her head and noticed that

    the electrocardiogram was registering activity again. She then shouted, ¡°Doctor, the patient¡¯s heartbeat

    has been restored. Come and take a look!¡±

    Everyone in the room came to a halt and turned to look at the electrocardiogram. They were overjoyed

    with tears when they saw signs of life. ¡°She¡¯s alive!¡±

    ¡°Doctor, hurry up and check on her!¡± Gordon yelled at the doctor as he was the first to react.

    ¡°Everyone, please leave the room right now! The patient must be treated right away.¡± The doctor

    rushed over.

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    Darius forcibly dragged Christopher out of the emergency room. He then said to him, ¡°She will not

    leave you. She will stay alive. If you stay inside, you¡¯ll disturb the doctor¡¯s treatment.¡±

 Chapter 517

    Chapter 517

    I had no idea how long I had been sleeping. I just felt it had been a long time. When I woke up, my

    neck was stiff and my limbs were numb. My chest was the most painful area ¨C even the slightest

    movement hurt a lot.

    What happened to me?

    I slowly recalled my memories as I nkly blinked. Then, I remembered being shot and bing

    severely injured, which caused Julia to cry.

    I raised my head slightly and noticed Julia resting her head on the edge of the bed. She appeared pale

    and exhausted. Her hair was messy and she was still wearing the same clothes she had on when we

    went shopping.

    She was holding my hand tightly at the moment, which gave me a warm sensation. I was happy to

    know that Christopher¡¯s parents cared about me; it was a wonderful feeling. I felt my world was

    brimming with hope and I started longing for it again.

    I was thirsty and wanted to drink some water, but Julia was sleeping and I didn¡¯t want to wake her up. It

    was only early fall and there was no heating in the room. I was concerned that Julia would be cold, so I

    adjusted my body slightly, took the jacket on the chair, and ced it on her back.

    At that moment, the door opened. Darius walked in just as I was putting the jacket on Julia.

    Understanding what I was doing, he quickly walked over and assisted me with the task. He then said in

    surprise, ¡°You¡¯re awake! Don¡¯t move around too much. Just remain in bed. I¡¯ll call the doctor to check

    up on you.¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡± I made a shushing motion, smiled weakly, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be too loud, Darius. You¡¯ll

    startle Mrs. Lane.¡±

    Darius looked at me curiously as he helped me lie back down on the bed in slow motion. With a

    lowered voice, he asked, ¡°How do you feel? Are you unwell?¡±

    I felt pain all over my body, but I did not want to tell him. I shook my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s

    just¡­ Cough!¡±

    As I was finishing my sentence, I coughed. The cough affected the wound on my chest, resulting in

    excruciating pain.

    Julia was startled awake by my coughing. When she saw that I had also woken up, she eximed,

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally awakened, Yvonne! That¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to wake you up, Mrs. Lane,¡± I embarrassedly apologized.

    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about waking me up? You should not be concerned with whether or not I am

    awake. Darius, hurry and notify all of the doctors and nurses. Tell them all toe here right away. All

    of them!¡±

    Julia rushed to my bedside and checked on me while ordering Darius. She was relieved when she

    noticed that I no longer had a fever. She also expressed her displeasure with Darius¡¯ tardiness and

    said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll go on my own.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you can just stay and rest. I¡¯ll go.¡± Darius sat Julia in the chair and hurriedly left the room.

    ¡°You fool, rest for what? No matter what happens, you never seem to feel nervous. Can¡¯t you just

    hurry? You¡¯re infuriating me.¡± Julia jumped out of her chair and marched to the door, yelling at Darius,

    ¡°You should hurry up! Can you hear me? You¡¯re moving too slowly. Why do I have a son as slow as

    you? Can¡¯t you tell when you should be calling the doctors?¡±

    When she turned around, she noticed that I was staring at her. Julia¡¯s face stiffened and looked away.

    She proceeded to pour me a ss of water. She then approached my bedside and lifted my head to

    help me sip the water.

    I felt pampered. While drinking the water, I kept my gaze fixed on her. After finishing the water, Julia

    asked me in a gentle voice, ¡°Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll ask someone to bring over

    the food right away.¡±

    I felt even more pampered. This was like a dream, considering I had been in an awkward situation with

    my future mother-inw for over a year. She had never been nice to me. What¡¯s going on with this

    princess-like treatment?

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, are you¡­ all right?¡± I could not help but ask her.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 518

    Chapter 518

    Julia was stunned by my question. She red at me and ignored me. Instead, she asked me again

    what I wanted to eat. I was smart enough to stop questioning and made a request for soup instead.

    Darius brought dozens of doctors and nurses to my room; they all surrounded me to perform various

    checks on me. They were all tensed up as if we were at war and I was themander. It made me feel

    that they would lose their lives if I was met with any mishap.

    Of course, I had no idea that Christopher pointed his gun at the doctor¡¯s head to save my life inside the

    emergency room. If I knew, I might have jumped up from the operating table in shock.

    ¡°The patient¡¯s condition has stabilized. She only needs to rest and redress her wound to avoid

    infection. She should be able to be discharged from the hospital after her wound starts to heal.¡± Every

    doctor and nurse in the room was relieved and even became teary as the elderly doctor reached that

    conclusion. That guy will destroy the entire hospital if this patient does not wake up.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be fine. After all, I¡¯m tough. This minor wound will heal in no time.¡± I smiled and thought

    the doctors¡¯ and nurses¡¯ expressions were strange.

    I could not find Christopher anywhere around me as the doctors and nurses exited the room. Looking

    out the window, I noticed that the sun was starting to set. I inquired politely, ¡°Mrs. Lane, how long have I

    been unconscious? Is Did Chris call to inquire about me? Fortunately, he is unaware of what

    happened. The sun is setting; if he finds out I¡¯m hospitalized, he¡¯ll be furious. Can you keep this

    between us? Just say that when I went shopping with you, I lost your ne, so I went over to

    Sabrina¡¯s to brainstorm about what I should buy back for you as a recement.¡±

    I made up a lie on the spur of the moment, but it did not seem credible. So, after a few moments, I

    asked, ¡°Mrs. Lane, I need your assistance in contacting Sabrina so that she can cooperate with us. I

    remember that you bought your ne in Coldbridge. You can just im that I¡¯ve gone to

    Coldbridge. With this, we should be able to buy a few days¡¯ time. By the time Chris meets me again, I

    should have recovered for quite a bit.¡±

    After hearing my request, Julia frowned and inquired, ¡°Why do you want to do this?¡±

    Julia¡¯s dissatisfaction was entirely understandable. After all, I was asking my future mother-inw to

    cooperate with me in lying to her son. I smiled faintly as I recalled how nervous Christopher could get

    when something terrible happened to me. Then, I replied sternly, ¡°I don¡¯t want Chris to be concerned

    about me. Mrs. Lane, you¡¯ve heard about the deserted ind. Although it has been over a year since it

    ended, the ramifications are too great for him. Chris has be overly zealous. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll

    overreact if he finds out about me being hospitalized. That¡¯s why I believe it¡¯d be best if he didn¡¯t know

    about it.¡±

    Julia did not respond to my answer. Instead, she just looked at me with aplicated expression,

    which made me feel awkward. I wonder if she will agree to my request.

    Julia sighed softly and lightly tapped the top of my head as she tucked me in. ¡°You¡¯re a lovely young

    lady; this is something I¡¯ve known for a long time. After you¡¯re discharged, I¡¯ll contact your father and

    discuss your marriage to Chris.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I was a little stunned by it. Why is she suddenly bringing up marriage? I was surprised and

    perplexed at the same time. Howe Julia suddenly changed her mind?

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Don¡¯t think that just because you saved my life, I¡¯ll have to ept

    youpletely. I¡¯m only doing it for Chris¡¯ sake because all he wants is to marry you. For that, I will

    reluctantly ept this marriage. But let me warn you: if you don¡¯t treat Chris well, I¡¯ll tell him to dump

    you and then introduce him to a slew of beautiful women to choose from.¡±

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Julia turned away from me because she was embarrassed that I was staring at her.

    So it¡¯s because I saved Julia that she has epted mepletely? My brain was too slow to process

    this thought, and when it finally did, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to jump out of the hospital bed, kiss

    Julia, and then happily yell out the window that I wanted to marry Christopher.

    I would then find Christopher and tell him loud and clear that I wanted to marry him ¨C that I wanted to

    be his woman. That would be best followed by a celebration with red wine and a romantic dinner.

    Unfortunately, as a patient, I could only stay in bed and grin like a fool.

 Chapter 519

    Chapter 519

    It all happened so quickly. I barely had time to process my reaction. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lane. Thank you

    so much.¡±

    With a choked voice, I expressed my gratitude over and over again. I did not know whether to cry or

    laugh. I was happy to finally be acknowledged by Christopher¡¯s family. At the same time, I wanted to

    burst out into tears, perhaps because this happiness had note easy for me.

    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lane.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes and overflowed down my face. I had finally done it.

    My determination had managed to sway them.

    ¡°What are you crying for? Have I been that harsh on you? I just agreed to your marriage, that¡¯s all, yet

    you¡¯re so emotional.¡± Julia¡¯s eyes started to tear up too. She gently dabbed away the tears on my face.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just¡­ so happy. If Chris knew about this, he would be overjoyed too. Mrs. Lane, do you

    mind if I give him a call right now?¡± I looked expectantly toward her.

    Her lips quivered. Whatever it was that she intended to say, she did not. Instead, she turned around

    and exited the ward. With tears still at the corners of my eyes, I was confused. Is that a yes or a no?

    As they said, never count your chickens before they hatch. I supposed that my situation had been too

    good to be true. Right after Julia left, Christopher appeared by the door.

    His face was tense as he stood there silently. His typically neat hair was a mess. Even the clothes that

    hung on his body were wrinkled. It looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

    The worst part of it all was his facial expression. Looking at him, I was at a loss for words. I squirmed

    under my nket and started to sob. Why would Julia do this? I looked over to her in hopes that she

    would catch my signal. However, she responded by ignoring me and shutting the door behind her.

    Wow. So much for bing closer. How could she turn her back so quickly on me?

    Christopher strode over and pulled me into his arms. Because he was too forceful, his body mmed

    into the injury on my chest. The pain caused my face to twist, but I kept my mouth sealed. I hugged him

    back tightly.

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    For someone as careful as Christopher to act like this, he must have been worried sick. I leaned into

    his arms and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a tiny injury. The doctor said it¡¯s pretty minor. I

    just need to rest for a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Eve!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m actually kind of hungry. Mrs. Lane brought some soup over. Do you mind passing it

    to me?¡± I gestured over to the thermos on the table.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher shouted again. He held me firmly in his arms as he buried his face into my neck. He

    was hugging me so tight that I was struggling to breathe.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I blinked.

    ¡°Eve!¡± He just kept shouting my name over and over again. If I did not respond, he would keep yelling

    until I answered.

    ¡°Christopher, I already told you I¡¯m fine. Look at me. Don¡¯t I look perfectly fine? In fact, I feel livelier

    than ever. Mrs. Lane must have exaggerated things because she was worried about me. I¡¯m as

    sprightly as always. What are you so worked up for?¡±

    I could sense his panic, so I tried to reassure him gently. I cupped his head to make him face me.

    However, when I saw his face, I could not bring myself to speak.

    His eyes were filled with fear and worry as he nervously held on to me. Because he was so afraid, his

    hands were trembling. His eyes were bloodshot and glistening, looking like tears were about to fall at

    any moment.

    Is he crying? This man was crying because he was so worried about me getting hurt. What had I done

    to deserve such a caring man? Seeing him like this, my eyes started to well up with tears too.

    I held his face and leaned forward to press my cheek against his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. I

    really am.¡±

    An indescribable feeling of frustration washed over me. Of course, I did not regret saving Julia.

    However, I did wish that I had taken better care of myself. I knew Christopher would be concerned

    about me, yet I rushed over so impulsively. If anything had happened to me, he would have lost his

    mind.

 Chapter 520

    Chapter 520

    ¡°Eve, promise me you won¡¯t make me worry about you like this anymore.¡± Christopher nted a kiss

    on my cheek. His hands were still wrapped tightly around me. It was almost as though he was afraid I

    would disappear as soon as he let go.

    ¡°I will. From now, I¡¯ll be extra careful and take good care of myself.¡±

    At that moment, I swore that no matter what happened, I would protect myself. Never again could I let

    Christopher cry over my safety.

    Next, he helped me sit up on the bed. He fed me very carefully in small bites. Before each mouthful, he

    would blow on the soup to make sure it had cooled down before putting it into my mouth.

    After eating, I was incredibly sleepy due to my heavy injuries. Despite that, I tried my best to stay

    awake and talk to Christopher. Seeing that, he decided to get in bed with me, and we cuddled while

    resting.

    ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    Lying in his warm embrace, I slowly shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep. Outside the window, Darius

    and Julia were looking in on us. They could not help but feel emotional.

    ¡°How nice is this, Darius? I¡¯m so d she¡¯s all right. Otherwise, Chris would be devastated.¡±

    ¡°I guess I have to prepare for his wedding soon,¡± Darius replied.

    ¡°Yes. Make it grand. I want the entire city to be congratting them.¡±

    I slept all the way until the next morning. Sunlight shone through the windows, but it was not ring at

    all. Outside, everything was looking particrly beautiful.

    Christopher¡¯s hands never left my body. Even while asleep, his brows were furrowed. It seemed like he

    was dreaming of something unpleasant. I gently ran my fingers in between his brows and smiled.

    Suddenly, arge hand grabbed onto mine and ced my hand on his cheek. His eyes fluttered open. I

    could tell that he had been awake for some time now. Without saying anything, his gaze fell onto me

    and carefully scanned every inch of my body. It looked as though he could never get enough.

    My lips pressed against his. We did not do anything, just stared at each other quietly.

    Sunlight flowed all around us. It was a very peaceful moment.

    That afternoon, Christopher went out for a bit. Coincidentally, Sabrina came over. She was bundled up

    thickly with a baby in her arms. As soon as she stepped in, she looked me over with concerned eyes.

    After making sure I was all right, she sighed in relief.

    ¡°Yvonne, your life must be cursed or something. All you did was go out shopping with Julia, yet you

    managed to run into a group of armed robbers. My God! How unfortunate can you be? The chances of

    something like that happening are so low. I¡¯ve never encountered anything like that in all my life.¡±

    I looked over to the baby sleeping soundly in her arms. He was round and plump. It had only been two

    days, but he already looked so different. It was odd how babies seemed to grow so much each day.

    I chuckled and sighed heavily. ¡°Well, I¡¯m at a loss too. Who would have thought? You have no idea how

    nervous Chris was yesterday. He held onto my hand the entire day. Even when he went to the toilet, he

    kept shouting my name.¡±

    ¡°It would be weird if he wasn¡¯t nervous. Come take a look at your godson. He hasn¡¯t seen you in two

    days, and he¡¯s been looking for you everywhere.¡± As she spoke, she ced the baby in front of me.

    I reached out my hand to touch him a few times. His skin was so smooth and soft. ¡°I guess he really

    likes me. By the way, I thought you were still bedridden yesterday? How did you get the energy to

    come see me today? I¡¯m surprised your husband didn¡¯t stop you. After all, you¡¯re still very fragile right

    now.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday?¡± Sabrina blinked. Suddenly, the baby in her arms started to squirm. She quickly lifted her

    shirt in a familiar motion to feed him. ¡°Are you still half asleep or something? Do you know what day it is

    today? It¡¯s been ten days since you were admitted into the hospital. Take a look at the date written on

    your chart.¡±

    Ten days!

    I turned my head to look at the chart by the edge of my bed. When I realized what day it was, I felt a

    chill run through my body. I only woke up the day before. That would mean that I was unconscious for

    eight days!

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    I suddenly realized why Christopher had been so panicked about me.

 Chapter 521

    Chapter 521

    A feeling of guilt and self-me arose in my heart. I felt horrible thinking about how anxious

    Christopher must have been these past few days. If it were not for my impulsive actions, he would

    never have had to go through all that.

    I could not imagine how he endured the past eight days. Perhaps he was standing by the bedside and

    ming himself for not having protected me. Or maybe he had been smoking in the corridor and

    watching me through the ss. All the while, he was probably praying for me to wake up soon.

    When the nurse came to give me my medicine, she saw me looking out the window. She quickly

    hurried over to shut it. ¡°Don¡¯t expose yourself to too much wind. If you get infected, your husband will

    cause a huge scene in the hospital again. Last time he brought a gun here. Dr. Jennings almost passed

    out from the fear.¡±

    ¡°Christopher wanted to shoot a doctor?¡± I was taken aback by this news.

    ¡°Yes. Your husband really loves you. You have no idea how saddened he was when your heartbeat

    stopped in the emergency room that day. He was close to ending his own life on the spot. All the

    medical staff were so shocked.¡±

    I shuddered. My hand went numb, and the cup I was holding fell to the floor. It smashed into pieces on

    the ground. Christopher almost ended his own life for me?

    No one had told me about this, nor did I tell Christopher that I knew. The two of us just hugged each

    other softly in hopes that we could provide somefort to the other.

    A few dayster, I received a parcel. Ustranasion was written on it, so I knew that it was an overseas

    parcel. Christopher handed it over to me and told me to open it myself. I did not recall having any

    friends overseas though. The only person I could think of was Remington in Anndur. However, I did

    not see why it was necessary for him to write in Ustranasion to me even if he were to send me

    anything.

    When I opened the parcel, I was frozen in surprise. It was a painting. Not just any painting, but the one

    I painted myself eight years ago. It was the Autumnal Panorama.

    This painting held many memories and tears for me. Unexpectedly, it had now returned to my

    possession. Did Isabelle send this back to me to return it to its rightful owner?

    I carefully ran my fingers over the painting. For a moment, I was lost in my emotions. The top right

    corner where Crystal¡¯s name used to be had been professionally removed. Now, it revealed my own

    name that I wrote all those years ago. It was almost as if the painting had never left me.

    ¡°I never thought I would see this again, especially not with my name on it.¡± I looked toward Christopher

    and said lowly, ¡°Chris, I rejected the invitation to join the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest. I

    even rejected it when they wanted to award me first ce.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Christopher carefully kept the painting back in its box. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t, I would have

    rejected them for you. You deserve a bigger audience. Competitions like those are of no help to you.¡±

    In my time at the hospital, I was very well taken care of.Both Christopher and Julia took care of

    everything in detail. Even the food I ate was full of variety. Everything was just right for me and not too

    heavy either.

    That day, Christopher pushed me into the garden to get some sunlight. To be honest, I was capable of

    walking already, but he was still unsure. He insisted on treating me like an incapacitated human being. I

    could not argue with him, so I did as he pleased. Anyway, I was d to be taken care of.

    Caring for me was probably the only time when Christopher was the least worried.

    After some time, I started to get thirsty. Christopher set me down under a tree before leaving to go get

    me water. I shut my eyes slightly. The warm sunlight was making me sleepy. Suddenly, I felt someone¡¯s

    shadow tower over me. I thought that Christopher hade back, so I said, ¡°I want orange juice. Can I

    not drink in water? I¡¯ve been taking so much medicine that I¡¯ve lost almost all sense of taste.¡±

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    I heard no response. Instead, the person in front of me just continued staring down at me. I could not

    help but open my eyes. Against the harsh sunlight, I saw Lucas¡¯ familiar face. However, he didn¡¯t look

    too good, and his face was pale. Clearly, something had happened.

    ¡°Lucas, why are you here? You¡­¡± I sat up to take a proper look at him. ¡°Are you sick again?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen him, haven¡¯t you?¡± He cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°You¡¯ve seen my uncle?¡±

 Chapter 522

    Chapter 522

    I was quite surprised that the first thing he said to me was regarding Mark. Lucas was a Goldstein, and

    Mark was his uncle. Hence, shouldn¡¯t he know more about Mark¡¯s situation than I?

    Nodding, I said in confusion, ¡°Yes, I have. He¡¯s in Anndur. Don¡¯t you know that? Why are you acting

    as though this is news to you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never seen him all these years.¡±

    Lucas shot me a weird nce. He ignored my question and asked back, ¡°I heard he got into a shooting

    in Anndur. Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±

    I assumed Lucas was here because he was concerned for his uncle. With an apologetic expression, I

    replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know anything. The day the shooting happened, I was already on the ne. I

    only heard about it over the news. ording to reports, they¡¯re fine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Fine?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes shifted around. I had no idea what he was thinking. He was standing still, but his

    mind looked like it was running in a thousand different directions.

    I had never seen Lucas like this before. He had always been extremely put together and well-

    mannered. Due to his physical condition, he never got involved much in the business world. He mostly

    gave off a schrly vibe. However, now he seemed to have a sort of darkness enveloping him.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I could not help but ask.

    He shook his head in response. After that, he asked me a little about how I was doing before preparing

    to leave. I had no time to react. Right before he went, something suddenly clicked in my brain. ¡°Wait!

    Did you already know about my mother and your uncle? Do you know where they are?¡±

    If that was not the case, how could he have known I would meet Mark when I went to Anndur? It

    was a huge country, after all. The only possible exnation was that he knew where Isabelle had been

    all along.

    Lucas turned his head back, revealing the calm expression on his face. Perhaps because the wind was

    too strong, but he coughed fiercely several times. At some points, I even thought that he might cough

    his lungs out. It was quite some time before he calmed down and said to me lightly, ¡°Yes. I remember

    asking you if you wanted to see your mother, but you declined.¡±

    It was true that I had rejected his offer. At the time, I thought that if Isabelle still remembered me, she

    shoulde to see me of her own volition. My egoistic thoughts prevented me from asking Lucas

    about her whereabouts, even though I had always wanted to know. To be fair, I never expected him to

    know it in such detail.

    ¡°Back then, I thought that all you knew was that she was in Anndur. I had no idea I was so close to

    knowing the truth.¡± Iughed bitterly. ¡°When I saw her there, I was really surprised. I¡¯ve imagined

    countless scenarios of how I would react if I ever saw her again. When I actually met her that day, my

    mind just went nk. All I wanted to know was whether she was doing all right.¡±

    ¡°I understand. She looks like she¡¯s doing well. My uncle is good to her.¡± Something flickered in Lucas¡¯

    gaze. He was ready to go, but he deliberately came back just to say those words to me.

    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve said so, I guess I don¡¯t need to worry about her anymore then.¡± I smiled. ¡°Perhaps I

    really shouldn¡¯t disturb her personal life, nor should I step into it.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Lucas did not stay any longer. I felt like there was more he wanted to say to me, but he did not. There

    was no point in guessing what it could be, so I decided to just forget about it. The Goldstein family was

    a big family. There was no way they were as stable as they seemed on the surface. Judging from how

    fiercely thest generation battled, I was not stupid enough to get myself involved in anything. As long

    as Isabelle was fine, there would be no problems.

    After being discharged, I was treated significantly better. Christopher wanted to take me home, but with

    Julia around, the house would be run by the Lane family. After dinner, I assumed I would have to sleep

    in the guest room. To my surprise, the servant brought me to Christopher¡¯s bedroom instead.

    I could not believe it. In fact, I actually thought that there was some sort of mistake. ¡°Is the guest room

    not ready?¡± I asked the servant.

    ¡°Why do you need the guest room, Mrs. Lane? Do you have friendsing over?¡± asked the servant

    respectfully.

    Mrs. Lane? Hearing this term, I paused for a moment. Then, I coughed slightly and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a

    little inappropriate for you to be calling me that?¡±

 Chapter 523

    Chapter 523

    It would be bad if my future mother-inw heard that and assumed I was the one who taught the

    servants to call me that. Though Christopher and I were already married, it was unwise for me to get

    too ahead of myself at this juncture.

    ¡°But, Mrs. Lane, aren¡¯t you and Mr. Lane already married? Madam specifically instructed us to call you

    that,¡± the servant exined matter-of-factly.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    W-What? I started wondering whether my stay in the hospital had messed with my brain. This must be

    a hallucination; if not, there was no way to exin Julia¡¯s odd behavior. I was so preupied with my

    thoughts that I failed to notice Christopher entering the room.

    ¡°Why are you gaping? Did something amazing happen?¡± He grazed the tip of my nose gently with a

    finger.

    ¡°No¡­ It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± I pointed toward the staircase. ¡°Your mom instructed the servants to

    address me as Mrs. Lane. I must be hearing things, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    My words must have amused him as Christopher broke into a light chuckle. In one swift motion, he

    lifted me and spun a few rounds around the room before setting me gently on the bed. ¡°Have more

    confidence in yourself. My mom¡¯s actually a softie on the inside. Since you treat her well, she¡¯ll do the

    same to you. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be in my room right now.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ve been officially recognized?¡± I stared wide-eyed at him. ¡°About what your mom said at the

    hospital¡­ That she¡¯ll prepare a wedding for us, that was all real?¡±

    ¡°Thinking of bailing out?¡± he suggested teasingly. ¡°Toote, Mrs. Lane. Wedding preparations are

    already underway, so you¡¯re technically the Lane family¡¯s daughter-inw now. No running away.¡±

    My eyes lit up. Wedding! The word made my insides tingle with excitement. Being with Christopher for

    such a long time, I had always dreamed of walking down the aisle with him. I could already imagine the

    scene of us exchanging our sacred vows in front of a crowd.

    I was not one for wanting a high-profile wedding, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Although in my

    case, this was the second time. But, with a guy like Christopher, who loved and adored me, I wanted

    everyone relevant to witness and recognize our wedding. It would be my greatest honor to recite my

    vows proudly in front of everyone.

    Mid-thought, I felt a tug on my lingerie. I looked down in time to see it fly across the room, joining my

    pile of clothes strewn on the floor.

    I gave Christopher, who was busy loosening his tie, a light kick. ¡°Weren¡¯t we just talking about our

    wedding? Why this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Darling, you¡¯ve been hospitalized for two whole months! You could¡¯ve been out by the first month, but

    Mom insisted you stay longer for precaution¡¯s sake. Any healthy man would have lost it by now.¡± Even

    in the midst of his exnation, his hands remained focused on stripping himself. Soon, he slipped

    under the nket with me.

    He nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid some other woman might try and seduce me

    away?¡± he suggested seductively.

    ¡°They won¡¯t seed!¡± While entertaining him, I returned his kiss. ¡°It¡¯s only been two months¡­ What

    happens when I¡¯m pregnant? We won¡¯t be able to do it for an entire year. You won¡¯t really find a

    temporary wife during that period, will you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve still got my well-trained hands. They¡¯ll take over your role during that

    period.¡± Then, he pressed me back to the mattress, his head nuzzling against my breasts. Meanwhile,

    his hands trailed against my thighs, setting my skin aze with every touch.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you use them during these two months?¡± My voice was bing raspy, my breathing

    uneven.

    ¡°You¡¯re not pregnant, yet.¡± Christopher spread my thighs and lowered his hips between them. ¡°We¡¯ve

    been married for a year now. You should bear my child soon¡­ Did you see that weird look Sabrina

    keeps giving us?¡± And, that piece of shit, Zachary, keeps saying there¡¯s something wrong with my

    manhood! Though, I did punish him for that.¡±

    His reply cracked me up. However, the sound of myughter was very quickly reced by a high-

    pitched moan as Christopher pushed forward in a strong thrust. Remembering we were still at the Lane

    residence, I hurriedly covered my mouth.

    Next Chapter

 Chapter 524

    Chapter 524

    That night, I learned never to make him starve ever again. The next morning, I woke up feeling achy all

    over my body. I forced myself out of bed, not wanting to sleep in right after being epted as their

    daughter-inw.

    I looked toward the bathroom when I heard a cheery huming from there. Seems like someone¡¯s in

    a good mood. Seeing Christopher shaving his stubble, I walked over, grabbed him by his waist, and

    spun him toward me. He released a soft groan, holding my wrist with his free hand. ¡°Darling, are you

    trying to murder me?¡±

    ¡°You read my mind!¡± I said indignantly.

    ¡°Who dares to anger my wife?¡± A satisfied Christopher seemed to find my temper ironic on such a

    beautiful, sunny day. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer?¡±

    ¡°You dare suggest that?¡± I raised my fist, hitting his chest lightly a few times. ¡°Everyone will look at me

    weirdly if I only appear at lunchtime.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just listen to me and sleep. The Lane residence doesn¡¯t have that many rules

    except toward strangers. But you¡¯re family, so you don¡¯t have to stick to them. My mom and dad would

    never me you even if you do mess up. If anything, they¡¯d do everything to protect you.¡± After wiping

    his face, he scooped me up and tucked me back into bed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so cautious.¡±

    ¡°As if you¡¯ll understand!¡± I rolled my eyes.

    Truth be told, the atmosphere here was great. I was sure I would be able to live afortable life in

    this house. Even so, it did not feel right to let myself be overly spoiled by Christopher, who was still

    insisting I sleep a bit longer.

    After he was done changing his clothes, I got up and prepped myself as well. I came down to find

    Christopher and Gordon intently discussing today¡¯s news. It was something rted to the country¡¯s

    defense. Completely clueless about that, I greeted them and headed straight for the kitchen.

    I rolled up my sleeves, beginning to prepare a few of my specialty dishes. After the table was set up,

    everyone gathered around and enjoyed the meal together.

    Breakfast was filled withughter. Dn cracked a joke, making Juliaugh. I, too, had a great time

    conversing with them.

    After breakfast, everyone headed off to where they needed to be. After Gordon¡¯s retirement, he found

    interest in chess and had retreated to his room to mull over his moves, leaving only usdies left.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Feeling a bit nervous, I took out a pack of poker cards and suggested we y a few rounds. The

    winner would get to paste paper strips on the loser¡¯s face. The game ended up with Shelley and I

    having our faces covered with paper because I did not have the courage to do it to Julia.

    Fortunately, Julia was also having a fun time. Sheughed hysterically while we were executing the

    punishment. ¡°Seems like I have a talent with poker as well. I really should unt my skills out there.

    Ahh¡­ which reminds me, I used to be a favorite at card games because I kept losing money to my

    opponents. Both of you must have given in to me quite a bit, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I smiled at herment, pretending not to understand. Then, just as I bent over to pick up a fallen

    card, I carelessly revealed the hickeys on the back of my neck.

    Julia¡¯s eyes lingered on them for a few seconds before she returned her attention to the game. ¡°Chris is

    usually a considerate child. But, once he acts up, he can go a bit overboard. Don¡¯t give in to him all the

    time. Someone should reign him in a bit,¡± she saidnguidly.

    Realizing what she was talking about, my hands instinctively rushed to cover the hickeys. A scarlet

    flush reddened my skin. I was suddenly conscious about the amount of noise I was makingst

    night. Did they hear us?

    Then, Julie continued, ¡°Some of my friends have invited me over to y poker. You shoulde too. It

    will do you good to know more people in our social circle. Oh, and I¡¯ve called the family doctor over.

    You should get yourself checked to make sure your body¡¯s fully recovered. Fragile bodies we have,

    don¡¯t we? That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t let Chris have his way with you all the time.¡±

    Despite feeling embarrassed, her words sent a warm tingling sensation over me. So this is how a

    mother¡¯s love feels like¡­

 Chapter 525

    Chapter 525

    The Scotts decided to hold a one-month-old party for the baby in a few days. In actuality, he had

    already exceeded one month old at that moment. However, due to the tradition in Avenport, it was

    better to celebrate it as close to when the baby was two months old as possible so that he could live a

    longer life in the future. As stubborn as Sabrina was, she, of course, chose the day right before the

    baby reached two months old. Yet, as a result, I could attend it. Otherwise, I would have had to give her

    my blessings while in the hospital.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Previously, I would always attend such a party alone. Even after knowing Christopher, I still seldom

    joined a party with him openly. The few times we were together, we had always ended up getting

    tangled in a mess or being the center of gossip.

    This time, I attended it with Julia. As soon as I arrived at the hall in a gown prepared by Julia and a pair

    of high heels, I instantly noticed how the crowds¡¯ gazes on me had changed.

    ¡°Hi, darling! Come here and let me hold you for a while.¡± As I carried the baby in my arms, I found it

    hard to tear myself away from him. He kept giggling when he saw me as if he remembered that I had

    taken care of him for two days before.

    Afterparing him with Sabrina, I said with a smile, ¡°The more I look at him, the more he resembles

    Zachary. Sabby, your genes seemingly aren¡¯t strong enough. I can¡¯t find a feature on him that

    resembles you.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Sabrina had always been open to joking. At that moment, she sat on a rocking chair with a

    servant pushing the chair continuously beside her. While eating imported grapes from Anndur, she

    said, ¡°If he inherits his father¡¯s genes, he will be as handsome as his father in the future. When we go

    out together in the future, the women will surely be jealous of me, knowing that I have two extremely

    good-looking men by my side! Haha!¡±

    Seeing her getting carried away, an urge to p her surged through me instantly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss in front of Zachary. He¡¯s an honest man, so he¡¯ll take anything seriously. He even

    kept questioning Chris about why we don¡¯t have children yet. After getting beaten by Chris, he still

    acted innocent. As a result, Chris mentions it in resentment whenever we get into bed. I have to bear

    the consequences as well, you know.¡±

    Finishing that, I touched the baby¡¯s tender face lightly. Interested, he grabbed my fingers and started to

    y with them.

    ¡°Well, it serves Zach right! Every day, he keeps bugging me about having seven to eight children. I¡¯m

    not a breeding machine, so why the hell should I give birth to so many children? Yet, he doesn¡¯t know

    when to give up. If I don¡¯t teach him some lessons, he¡¯ll never learn.¡±

    Well, now I know that she did it purposefully. I twitched my mouth before saying in resignation, ¡°Be

    careful. If Zachary ends up getting hurt, don¡¯te crying to me. I won¡¯t sympathize with you then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I believe in Zach¡¯s abilities.¡±

    That¡¯s probably how an affectionate couple is. It¡¯s indeed the most blessed thing in my life that both my

    friend and I have found our happiness.

    The hall was lively and crowded. Some passersby would greet me now and then. Most of them were

    the sons of wealthy families who hadn¡¯t mingled with me before. It was at such a moment that I felt my

    status was elevated.

    After getting bombarded by nonstop bbering from the people around me, I finally understood why

    Christopher always hid in a corner whenever he attended a party. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. It¡¯s so noisy

    that my head feels like it¡¯s about to explode.

    After finding a quiet corner out on the balcony, I sipped at some wine. Just as I nned to rx, I

    suddenly saw Benjamin running out to the balcony with Crystal following after him. While crying, she

    hugged Benjamin from behind. ¡°Benjamin, please don¡¯t be angry anymore. I got deceived by Benson

    into helping him do all that. Can you forgive me?¡±

    Yet, Benjamin struggled out of her arms, turned around, and looked at her coldly. In a calm tone, he

    said, ¡°Then, Ms. Yates, can you preserve yourself some dignity? Why do you keep bothering me?¡±

    Crystal widened her eyes in disbelief at his words. As she blinked her eyes, a tear rolled down her face.

    ¡°Benjamin, even if I did deceive you, even if the person who saved you before was Yvonne, are you

    going to deny me just because of these? We still have a wonderful past together. All those memories

    belong to both of us, not Yvonne. You even promised me that you¡¯ll protect me forever regardless of

    what happens.¡±

    Hearing that, Benjamin stretched out two of his fingers and lifted her chin. After looking at her for a

    moment, he suddenly tossed his head back andughed. Then, he remarked slowly, ¡°The one I want to

    protect is the kind woman who was once willing to risk her life just to save me, not a promiscuous

    b*tch!¡±

 Chapter 526

    Chapter 526

    Crystal¡¯s face turned pale instantly. Theparison was like a direct blow on her. As if she couldn¡¯t

    believe herself getting treated like that by Benjamin, she froze in ce, stunned.

    Meanwhile, I curled up in a corner, pretending like I wasn¡¯t there. Well, Crystal brought this on herself.

    Benson can never return after the head of the Miller family sent him overseas. Now that even herst

    hope has crumbled, she has no choice but to find Benjamin. Fortunately, Lyle isn¡¯t here to witness this.

    Otherwise, he will pass out in anger for sure. Then again, I guess he was already incredibly outraged

    the day Benjamin married Crystal, so most probably, he won¡¯t care about this anymore.

    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! You¡¯ve drawn a beautiful future for me, yet now, you n to crush it. No!

    You¡¯re the one who spoiled me and taught me how to live an easier life in the Tanner family by stepping

    on Yvonne. How can you abandon me after you made me into a bad woman? Why? Is my love an

    excuse for you to trick and use me?¡±

    The argument between Crystal and Benjamin went on nonstop. One was crying while begging; another

    remained cold the entire time. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t stay there forever. I came with Julia, so it wasn¡¯t

    appropriate to leave her alone. On top of that, she was my future mother-inw.

    Just as I was busy brainstorming an idea to get myself away from the balcony, my phone rang abruptly.

    The melodious ringtone quickly attracted Crystal¡¯s and Benjamin¡¯s attention, causing both to look over

    in my direction concurrently.

    ¡°Yvonne, why are you here?¡± Crystal shrieked.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m only an unrted person. Please ignore me and go on with your conversation.¡± With that said, I

    quickly dashed past them and left the balcony. With how unstable Crystal was right now, she would

    definitely pick on me if I continued staying there.

    Back at the hall, I couldn¡¯t help but recall how Crystal seemed to have grown weirder recently. Her

    words are bing more extreme, and her expressions strange. It¡¯s as if she has a mental problem. I

    shouldn¡¯t get involved with her anymore. What she did before is already considered crazy. If she¡¯s truly

    gone mad, I can¡¯t imagine what she will do in the end.

    The call was from Julia. Since she had a meetup with her friend that afternoon, she reminded me not to

    stay outte and left. After sending her off, I turned around to find Benjamin beneath a tree, looking at

    me with a strange expression.

    Thus, I nodded slightly at him as a greeting. When I walked past him, he suddenly said, ¡°If I had been

    the one who saved you from drowning in theke back then, would you have fallen head over heels for

    me just like how you did Lyle?¡±

    At that, I frowned. Lyle and I are already in the past, so isn¡¯t it inappropriate for him to mention this

    now? I then turned around and let out a chuckle. ¡°Mr. Miller, what do you mean?¡±

    Benjamin cast me a meaningful gaze and smiled bitterly. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been dreaming about what

    happened that year. I was lying on the ground and couldn¡¯t move at all. The next thing I remembered, a

    girl with a pink hairpin was carrying me on her back. She kept walking forward while talking to me,

    saying, ¡®Don¡¯t be scared. Everything will pass. We won¡¯t die here. The bad guy will get his dues one

    day. Since we didn¡¯t do anything bad, we¡¯re good guys.¡¯¡°

    After pausing briefly, he continued, ¡°When I opened my eyes forcefully to see your young face, I told

    you that I would protect you forever.¡±

    I understood Benjamin¡¯s persistence on the matter. Indeed, I was once the same as him, treating Lyle

    as the light of my life. After all, it was natural to fall for the one who pulled you out of hell when you

    were in utter desperation.

    Strangely enough, Christopher, Lucas, and the others knew that I was the one who saved Benjamin, so

    they had never believed Crystal.

    ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s all bygones, so let¡¯s not dwell in the past.¡±

    ¡°But, I¡­¡± Benjamin looked as if he had something he wanted to say desperately. However, I shook my

    head, smiled, and quickly interrupted, ¡°Mr. Miller, you aren¡¯t a bad guy, but you can¡¯t deny that you¡¯re

    spoiled. You like to prank people, so you get along well with Crystal. Our personalities have always

    been different from the beginning, so you would never have helped me. Moreover, even if it turns out

    that you saved me that time instead of Lyle, we wouldn¡¯t have ended well either.¡±

    Upon pondering for a moment, I added, ¡°In the end, we would have only ended up as another tragedy.¡±

 Chapter 527

    Chapter 527

    Despite looking grim, Benjamin didn¡¯t say anything, as he knew I was right about it. ording to his

    personality, I would always be the type of person he despised. After all, I wasn¡¯t clever and would only

    cry like a loser when I faced issues. Moreover, I had noticed him mocking me disdainfully several times

    when he saw me getting bullied before.

    A whileter, he suddenly said, ¡°What I¡¯m going to say next might make youugh at me, but the girl

    with the pink hairpin was my first love. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°A bit. Anyway, who doesn¡¯t have a few dark incidents in their past that they hope to erase?

    Stop dwelling on it. We¡¯re all grown up now, aren¡¯t we? Usually, we¡¯ll bury our first love in our hearts.

    Nheless, thank you for loving that girl sincerely. She¡¯s felt it and was happy.¡±

    All of a sudden, Benjamin walked over and hugged me tightly. Just as I nned to push him away, he

    quickly backed away. ¡°I¡¯ll go overseas the day after tomorrow as per my father¡¯s instruction. Since I¡¯m

    too depressed currently, I need time to heal. Can you send me off while wearing the pink hairpin? Just

    treat it as fulfilling my childhood dream.¡±

    A momentter, I nodded hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± It¡¯s for the sake of drawing an end to his dream.

    ¡°Thank you, and sorry.¡±

    Thank you for giving me a dream. At the same time, sorry for hurting you before.

    I was in time to see Sabrina greeting the guests with the baby in her arms when I returned to the hall

    joyfully. Instantly, I brushed off everything that happened a few moments ago and rushed over to help

    her.

    At that instant, two people suddenly entered the hall. Upon sensing their presence, many guests

    quickly stood up in shock. The crowd near the entrance went into an uproar.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mark Goldstein?¡±

    ¡°Is the one beside him his wife? I¡¯m not seeing things, right?¡±

    What? I couldn¡¯t see them clearly since the crowd in front of me blocked my view. Nheless, my

    hope rose at the mention of Mark. If Mark is back, who would be with him if it isn¡¯t Mom?

    ¡°Sabby, hold him.¡± In a hurry, I shoved the baby into her arms and rushed past the crowd. The moment

    I saw Isabelle, I froze in ce. That¡¯s my mom. Is she back? For real?

    Overwhelmed, I bit my lip and gazed at her. She looked graceful as she smiled gently at the crowd

    surrounding her. However, I didn¡¯t dare to approach her, not knowing if it was appropriate for me to

    appear in front of her at that moment.

    When she noticed me soon after that, she Immediately let go of Mark¡¯s hand and walked over. Then,

    she held my hands and smiled gently before saying amicably, ¡°My daughter, I¡¯m back now! Sorry for

    coming backte.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Her smile and words ovepped with the ones I had dreamed of before. In my dream, she would hold

    my hands and smile like this. Next, she would tell me that she was back with teary eyes.

    At that instant, I could think of nothing but her gentle smile. I opened my mouth to say something, yet

    no voice came out. In the next second, I turned around and ran out of the hall abruptly, as I was afraid

    that I would end up sobbing the moment I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Instantly, Isabelle chased after me. When she caught up with me in the garden to see me

    standing there, crying nonstop, she attempted to approach me. Yet, I quickly stopped her, shouting,

    ¡°Don¡¯te near me!¡±

    As a result, she halted in her tracks and didn¡¯t dare to take another step forward. She was nothing like

    her graceful self back in the hall. Instead, she looked like she was at a loss as she cast me a worried

    look. Carefully, she said, ¡°Eve, I know that you¡¯ve suffered a lot these few years. Trust me when I say

    that I¡¯m heartbroken as well. I came back this time as I wanted to know how you were doing. It¡¯s fine if

    you hate me since I deserve it. After all, I left you in the Tanner residence alone back then. I¡¯m so

    sorry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology!¡± That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t need that right now.

    Hearing that, she bit her lip as she grew even more anxious. ¡°Eve, my dear daughter, you¡¯ve been

    through a lot over the years. I was not a responsible mother. It¡¯s my fault. I-I only want to look at you. If

    you don¡¯t want to see me, I promise that I¡¯ll never show myself in front of you after this.¡±

 Chapter 528

    Chapter 528

    ¡°I knew it! You still n to leave me alone here to be bullied by the others again! If that¡¯s the case, why

    did youe back? Go away! I don¡¯t want to see you! After all, I¡¯ve gotten used to not having a mother

    after so many years! Go!¡±

    Why is she thinking of leaving right after she¡¯s back? I only want my mom to stay by my side. It isn¡¯t

    willful, as it¡¯s only an expectation from a daughter toward her mother.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not! That isn¡¯t what I meant! I wasn¡¯t thinking of leaving. I-I-¡± Isabelle seemed to be stumped at

    my words. The once eloquent woman suddenly seemed to have lost her way with words. First, she said

    that she wouldn¡¯t leave. Then, she said she would leave if I didn¡¯t want to see her. After that, she said

    she was sorry. It was as if she didn¡¯t know what she was saying at that point. In the end, she shut her

    mouth. With tears streaming down her face, she just kept apologizing to me.

    I could no longer hold myself back anymore, so without caring about anything else, I jumped into her

    arms and started wailing. ¡°Mom! Mom!¡±

    This is my mom! Even though we had so much conflict back in Anndur, it only takes one sentence

    from her for me to brush it off and forget everything.

    Tears welled up in her eyes as she patted my back lightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We were facing some problems

    back then in Anndur. I was afraid that you might get tangled in our mess, so I didn¡¯t dare to speak

    more to you. Can you forgive me? How can I not know your father? So I know for sure that you¡¯ve lived

    a difficult life in the Tanner residence. However, there was someone after us at that time. I was scared

    that they would target you, so I had no choice.¡±

    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t me you for any of it. I know that you love me!¡± Although tears blurred my vision, I could

    still see her tears and the guilt and devastation in her eyes.

    ¡°Yvonne, my darling! Let me have a look at you!¡±

    In the end, I left the party early, following Isabelle into her car. I kept holding her hand the entire time,

    terrified that I would lose her again once I released my grip. It made me feel like I was a child. As

    Isabelle sized me up, a proud smile crept onto her face. ¡°You grew up already. The time sure passed in

    the blink of an eye. Yet, you have always been so young, petite, and obedient in my memory.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m an adult now!¡± In return, I paid so many prices to grow up. ¡±Mom, were you fine after the

    shooting incident? I was so worried about you, but I didn¡¯t know if I should bother you or not.¡±

    With that, I started to examine her thoroughly and was just one step away from touching her with my

    hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine since we prepared in advance. Fortunately, you left that day. I was so scared that

    you would also face danger when you were with us.¡± The more she thought about it, the deeper the

    fear set in. As she caressed my face, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how gentle her touch was. It was very

    different from Christopher¡¯s.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    A momentter, she asked, ¡°Why do you seem thinner than before? Doesn¡¯t your boyfriend take good

    care of you?¡±

    Since I didn¡¯t want her to know about me getting shot by a shotgun, I quickly exined, ¡°He and his

    family members treat me well. Moreover, isn¡¯t it good that I got thinner? Many women hope to lose

    some weight, yet they fail. After all, the society nowadays prefers skinny beauties.¡±

    ¡°I still prefer you to be chubbier. It¡¯s good for your body if you can eat a bit more.¡± Isabelle then took out

    her purse, pulled out a photo from it, and started to look at it intently. I leaned closer and found a six-

    year-old chubby me who beamed while standing in the garden in the photo. She had dressed me up as

    a princess at that time.

    The photo was a tad yellowish, but Isabelle had preserved it so well. Its worn edges showed that its

    owner had held and caressed it often.

    ¡°Look at how cute you were when you were younger. Eve, can you let me take care of you from now

    on? Regardless of what happened, I¡¯ll forever stand behind you, be your support, and protect you.¡±

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    Chapter 529

    Filled with even more questions, I grabbed on to her tightly and asked anxiously, ¡°Will you be leaving

    again soon? Are you going to stay in Anndur forever?¡±

    Since she was already Mrs. Goldstein then, I understood a lot of things were not up to her to decide. It

    would not be possible for her to stay if Mark had to leave the country. Still, it would break my heart to

    see my mother leave again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. This time I¡¯m staying here for good. You¡¯re the reason why I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m

    not going to leave your side again.¡± After wiping the tear hanging at the corner of my eye, Isabelle

    started crying herself. ¡°Everything happened so fast back then, and not bringing you with me was my

    greatest regret. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you safely grow up. Whatever the Tanners

    did to you, I¡¯ll make sure they pay for it. Don¡¯t you worry.¡±

    When my mother mentioned Nathan, I could see her contempt toward the man in her eyes. I thought

    she loved my father because that was what Darius told me too. He insisted that my father was the love

    of my mother¡¯s life.

    ¡°Mom, what exactly happened back then? Why did you have to leave so suddenly? You were gone for

    years!¡± I could no longer keep those questions to myself. I was convinced that my mother only left me

    because something serious had happened. She loved me, this I could tell, so there had to be a reason.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    Looking at me guiltily, Isabelle seemed reluctant to provide me with an answer.

    ¡°Is it something you can¡¯t tell me?¡± My gaze dropped to the floor in disappointment. ¡°You know, people

    have told me a lot of bad things about you, but I didn¡¯t listen to them. You only did what you did

    because Dad was in the wrong. He cheated on you, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Isabelle sighed, and she had never looked sadder. ¡°Eve, you¡¯re right.

    Something did happen back then. But now is not a good time to talk about it. I¡¯ll tell you everything

    when it¡¯s over, I promise. For now, you¡¯ll just have to trust me. I¡¯ll never do anything to hurt you, Eve.¡±

    In the end, I decided not to dwell on the question. I did not go back to the Lane residence that evening,

    and neither did Isabelle to the Goldstein¡¯s. We got ourselves a hotel room and talked there the whole

    night through.

    Isabelle got upset when I mentioned my past with Lyle. ¡°Old Mrs. Smith used to be a very capable

    woman, so you can understand why I find it hard to believe that she would spoil her grandson like that.

    It just doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡±

    ¡°Grandma actually treated me okay.¡± I was content with what I had then, and the past just seemed like

    distant history.

    ¡°I left those shares for you, but not only did old Mrs. Smith decide to hide it from you, but she also took

    all the dividends earned. No matter what she told you, those shares belong to you. Do you hear me?¡±

    Isabelle poked my forehead lightly. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go get what¡¯s yours, and you can spend the money

    however you like.¡±

    Even though I had no idea why Grandma did that to me, I would rather not find out. That way, I could

    save myself the sorrow.

    ¡°How has, uh¡­ How has Mark been treating you, Mom?¡± I asked my mother hesitantly, seeing how she

    had never mentioned her life with the man since we met. The only time she did was when we talked

    about business. That was why I could not help thinking that the two had grown apart.

    After ncing at me, Isabelle gave me a forced smile. ¡°He¡¯s good to me. Though, he¡¯s too focused on

    his career sometimes. The man¡¯s always trying to figure out how to expand his empire, so all he can

    think about is how to make profits. Hey, if Mark said anything to you that sounded weird, just ignore

    him, okay?¡±

    Nestled in my mother¡¯s arms like when I was younger, I could feel my eyelids getting heavier and

    heavier before I soon fell into a deep sleep.

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    Chapter 530

    The next morning, I woke up with a big, satisfied smile on my face. It was as if everything would work

    out as long as I had my mother by my side. A servant of the Goldsteins was already waiting for us

    when my mother and I walked out of the hotel. ¡°Madam, I was ordered to take you back home.¡±

    Refusing to let my mother go, I immediately grabbed her by the hand. ¡°Can¡¯t you live with me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Goldstein now. Of course, I have to stay at the Goldstein residence, silly,¡± answered my mother

    with a warm smile as she ran her fingers through my messy hair.

    She made me realize that I had acted selfishly, so I loosened my grip. ¡°Can I go visit you then? Mr.

    Goldstein isn¡¯t against that, is he?¡±

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You cane to visit me anytime. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m afraid he might be upset that I didn¡¯t go home

    yesterday night, so wait for my call, okay? Be good, Eve.¡±

    I tried my best to control my emotions as I watched Isabelle leave. It was six in the morning when I

    reached home, and sitting on the couch in the living room was Christopher with a stony expression on

    his face. It was only after I saw Christopher in person that I remembered I had not contacted the man

    since I met my mother the day before.

    ¡°Chris!¡± I called out to the man, but he chose to ignore me.

    Obviously, Christopher was mad at me, just like Mark was after my mother¡¯s disappearing act. After

    setting up the table, I asked Christopher what he would like for breakfast, but still, he would not talk to

    me. Like an upset overgrown child, Christopher pouted and gave me the cold shoulder, which I found to

    be slightly amusing.

    I then scooped up a spoonful of oatmeal and tried to feed the man-child with an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Open up. I know you want some. Come on, don¡¯t be mad at me. I just got a little too excited yesterday,

    that¡¯s all. I know it was wrong of me to forget to call you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Christopher turned his head sideways, then picked up a random book on the table and

    pretended like he was reading. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m quite busy now.¡±

    ¡°About that¡­ your book is upside down,¡± I reminded the pouting man by pointing at his book cover.

    After realizing that I was right, Christopher decided to toss the book aside and turned on the TV,

    continuing to pretend like he could not be bothered with me.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that no one wants this bowl of oatmeal. I would¡¯ve eaten it myself if it wasn¡¯t meant for

    someone special. Heck, I even queued all morning so that that special someone could have a nutritious

    meal. Not to mention I didn¡¯t get any sleep at allst night.¡±

    With that, Christopher immediately turned around. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you sleep? Doesn¡¯t your mother

    care about your health?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you do care?¡± I quickly covered up my mouth to stop myself fromughing while Christopher¡¯s

    face hardened even more. Seeing that, I inched closer with a sweet smile.

    ¡°It seems to me like all you need is your mother. I¡¯m surprised that you still remember you have a

    husband,¡± huffed Christopher.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m back, aren¡¯t I?¡± I set the spoon down and embraced Christopher. ¡°I finally got to see my

    mother again. I think you can understand why I needed to give her my full attention, right?¡±

    ¡°If you have to do this again, at least give me a call next time.¡±

    ¡°I promise. No matter where I go, you¡¯ll get a full report from me.¡± I then wagged my phone in front of

    my husband. ¡°It¡¯s dead. I didn¡¯t ghost you on purpose, okay? Hey, you know what would be a great

    idea? You should install a tracking device on my phone so that you¡¯ll always know where I am. How

    does that sound?¡±

    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t done that already? Why else did you think I was waiting at home?¡± sneered

    Christopher condescendingly at me as if I was aplete idiot.

    In response, I stared at the man in disbelief and wondered when he managed to install the device

    without my knowledge.

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    Chapter 531

    As Julia promised before, she started nning my wedding with Christopher for me. She wanted to

    discuss it with Nathan but changed her mind when Isabelle returned. My mother was, after all, the more

    suitable person to be discussing my wedding with.

    ¡°What say I invite your mother for lunch? That way, we can get to know each other a little more. I mean,

    we¡¯re going to be inws soon anyway. As for your father, I¡¯m going to send someone to inform him.

    Whether he decides toe or not, that¡¯s up to him. What do you think?¡± suggested Julia to me in all

    seriousness when I met her at the Lane residence.

    In all honesty, I did not have much to say about the arrangements. Parents of the newlyweds were

    usually expected to be at the wedding, and mine were no exceptions. It was not like I could have a

    wedding without informing my parents.

    ¡°Thank you for the arrangements, Mrs. Lane. We¡¯ll just do it your way. I¡¯m fine with it.¡± My mother-inw

    was so considerate that she had even considered my feelings and my rtionship with the Tanners. I

    would be nitpicking if I were to find fault with her suggestions.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t we make it a grandiose wedding? Go big or go home, right?¡± Christopher

    offered his own suggestion as he rubbed his chin.

    ¡°Can we not? I¡¯d prefer to keep this just between our two families. We¡¯ll have a good meal and enjoy

    each other¡¯spany.¡± With a fork in my mouth, I shot down Christopher¡¯s idea. ¡°My mother is low-key,

    so I think she¡¯d prefer our wedding to be a more private event.¡±

    ¡°Sure, that works too.¡±

    Just like that, we made up our minds. I told Isabelle all about the wedding the next day, and she

    seemed fine with it. Still, she sighed when we were shopping, ¡°You were just a little girl when I left you.

    Look at you now. All grown up and about to get married. The time has finallye for my daughter to

    leave me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always be your little girl, even after I¡¯m married.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± responded Isabelle with a soft smile.

    With Isabelle and Christopher both at my side, I felt like the luckiest woman then. At least until I

    received a message from Benjamin, which reminded me that I had promised to send the man off at the

    airport. I knew it was something I had to tell Christopher, or else he would explode with jealousy.

    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you go to the airport with me tomorrow?¡± I decided to try my luck after informing

    Christopher of my promise to Benjamin.

    ¡°And why the heck would I do that? I can forgive the man for being stupid, but he tried to hurt you. He

    should be thanking me for not giving him a good beating because that¡¯s what he deserves.¡±

    Christopher had not forgotten what Benjamin did to me at the Lane residence. Otherwise, Crystal¡¯s

    trickery on Benjamin would not have been blown wide open. My husband always knew how to hold

    grudges, especially when it came to matters that involved me.

    ¡°You knew he only did it under Crystal¡¯s influence. Besides, that¡¯s in the past now. We¡¯re just sending

    the man off. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Leaning against Christopher¡¯s chest, I fiddled with the man¡¯s bony fingers.

    After a moment of silence, I added, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to go, I won¡¯t.¡±

    I knew better than to upset my husband over someone insignificant to me like Benjamin. After all,

    Benjamin was half the reason why Crystal could get to me.

    ¡°Just go and be done with it. I don¡¯t want that man near you when this is over. Not even an inch!¡±

    After getting up early in the morning the next day, I gave Isabelle a call. It took a while before the call

    was finally answered. From the other side, I could hear what sounded like smashing porcin. ¡°Mom?

    What¡¯s going on over there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just got a little careless. Give me a minute, and I¡¯ll call you right back.¡± Isabelle put her

    phone down and wrapped her thin nightgown around her tighter. For a brief moment, the bruises

    hidden underneath them were revealed.

    She stared at the man standing right in front of her as a cold gleam shed in her eyes for a split

    second. In the next instant, she put on a pitiful expression and begged in a shaky voice, ¡°Please. I¡¯ll do

    whatever you say. Just calm down.¡±

    The man stepped forward and grabbed Isabelle violently by the hair before warning her coldly, ¡°You

    better! Or else, you¡¯ll quickly learn the cost of disobeying me.¡±

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    Chapter 532

    I looked at the phone, feeling doubtful. Mom sounded rather strange just now. It felt as if she was trying

    to hide something. I could not help but wonder if she had fought with Mark.

    However, a whileter, Mom called again, sounding more rxed this time. She told me she was

    having breakfast just now and had identally spilled her oatmeal, almost scalding herself. She

    reassured me that she would go to the restaurant with Nathanter, and asked me not to worry.

    That cleared up my doubts. I must have been overthinking. Christopher had been going through his

    wardrobe for a long time, unable to decide what to wear. ¡°Eve, what do you think I should wearter?

    Should I wear something more formal? Or is it better to wear something casual that gives off a youthful

    vibe? It¡¯s my first time meeting your mom after all. I want to give her a good impression.¡±

    I almostughed when I heard ¡°youthful vibe.¡± Randomly, I chose something casual that was currently

    in trend and passed it to him. ¡°Just this is good enough. You¡¯re meeting my mom, not going on a date

    with me. Why do you need to look so handsome? Others might think that you¡¯re going on a blind date.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this equivalent to a blind date? It took us so much effort to settle my mom. I have to make sure

    that your mom doesn¡¯t find fault with me; otherwise, who knows when we can finally get married!¡±

    Christopher held up the outfit which I had picked out for him in front of himself and said in

    dissatisfaction, ¡°This feels too frivolous. I¡¯m not wearing it.¡±

    ¡°My mom won¡¯t think that way. Let¡¯s go now. If not, we¡¯ll miss the flight.¡± I tugged on Christopher¡¯s

    hand, dragging him away from his pile of clothes.

    When we arrived at the departure hall, I spotted Benjamin from afar. He was looking around and he

    seemed a little anxious. Pacing back and forth, he looked up intermittently. Looking disappointed, he

    gazed at the ground again.

    It was my first time sending someone off at the airport. That could be because I did not have any close

    friends. I had specially dressed up for the asion and brought along a present. ncing at the time, I

    urged Christopher to hasten his steps, realizing that it was almost time for boarding.

    When we trotted over, boarding procedures had already started. I saw Benjamin turning away, looking

    dejected. Immediately, I shouted, ¡°Benjamin!¡±

    He turned around at once and his eyes lit up when he saw me standing in the corridor, still trying to

    catch my breath. He jogged over toward me and said emotionally, ¡°I thought you aren¡¯ting.¡±

    ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯ve already promised you that I¡¯ll be here. This is your farewell present. Safe

    trip!¡± I said with a smile, passing him the gift.

    ¡°Thank you, Yvonne! I appreciate it!¡± Benjamin¡¯s gaze was fixed on me as he looked at my white maxi

    skirt and the pink hair clips I was wearing. He seemed to be in a daze as if he was reminiscing.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Just hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t look for my wife if there¡¯s nothing urgent. She¡¯s a very

    busy woman,¡± Christopher said, feeling displeased. He had stepped in between us and pulled me into

    his arms, blocking Benjamin¡¯s view of me.

    This guy must be jealous again. I shrugged helplessly and said apologetically, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s

    always like that.¡±

    Benjamin snapped out of his daze and let out a bitterugh. A momentter, he seemed relieved as he

    said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any right to mind. Last time, it was me who¡­ Oh, forget it. Anyway, remember to

    send me an invitation if you get married. I¡¯ll definitely fly back to attend your wedding.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you know you have no right to mind. I think you need to get your eyes checked! You

    should onlye back after you¡¯re cured¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± I coughed a few times, interrupting Christopher. What¡¯s wrong with this man today? Why is he

    provoking Benjamin? Does he really want to start a fight?

    Benjamin was known for having a hot temper. In fact, his temper was even worse than Lyle¡¯s. However,

    he seemed so calm today. Looking at my fingers, which were interlocked with Christopher¡¯s, he had a

    serious expression as he said to Christopher, ¡°Both of us are lucky enough to meet an angel. Since you

    have found her, I hope you¡¯ll always treat her well.¡±

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Of course, I will. I will do that for the rest of my life.¡± Christopher crossed his arms in front of his chest

    and lifted his chin. ¡°All right, time for you to go. The ne is not going to wait for you.¡±

    I looked toward the departure gate. Indeed, the people who were queuing up a while ago were all gone.

    There were only two airport staff members remaining, and reminders for passengers to proceed to the

    boarding gate had been broadcasting.

    ¡°Yvonne, will you be happy?¡±

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    Chapter 533

    When Benjamin arrived at the departure gate, he suddenly turned around and looked at me, as if he

    was waiting for my reply.

    I nodded and gave him my brightest smile. ¡°I am very happy now.¡±

    Benjamin froze for a second before replying with a smile. Finally, he disappeared into the crowd after

    passing through the departure gate.

    I lingered at the spot for a while more, trying to catch a final glimpse of the man. Noticing that I wasn¡¯t

    leaving, Christopher tugged at my hand and pulled me toward the exit. ¡°What are you looking at? He¡¯s

    just a fool who does whatever he likes and is now leaving the country after all is lost. How close are the

    two of you anyway?¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting so harsh today?¡± I sighed.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hmph! So what if he¡¯s your first love? Is he sure if his first love is you or Crystal?¡± Christopher was

    unrelenting. ¡°If that Wilson guy did really humiliate you then, I would have killed him and Benjamin as

    well.¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe you¡¯ve already dealt with that Wilson guy using your own ways.¡± I was aware that

    ever since then, that man¡¯s family had been having financial difficulties and not long after, they left

    Avenport altogether. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. I still have to take Mom to the restaurant. Isn¡¯t that more important?

    Let¡¯s not talk about such misceneous stuff now.¡±

    ¡°Yup, these are just misceneous stuff!¡± Christopher smiled when he heard that. I wasn¡¯t sure what

    else he had in mind, but I noticed that he was grinning wildly.

    I had a really bad feeling as I looked at his expression. Whenever he had that look on his face, it would

    be because he had done something bad. I could not help but ask, ¡°Is there something I should know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just swapped the gift you prepared for Benjamin.¡±

    ¡°What did you swap it with?¡±

    ¡°A note, warning him not to have any funny ideas on my wife, and that he should know his ce.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± I gaped in disbelief. Just as I turned around, I saw a ne ascending into the air

    and disappearing into the clouds.

    What else could I say? Like a grown kid, Christopher behaved willfully sometimes, doing anything he

    could to make sure I was happy. He would also not hesitate to deal with anyone who took advantage of

    me. I had to admit that he could appear to be a little petty at times, but I still could not help feeling

    blissful.

    At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, I stood outside the hotel¡¯s entrance while ncing at my watch from

    time to time. Finally, I spotted Nathan¡¯s car stopping in front of the entrance. Immediately, I went up and

    called out excitedly, ¡°Mom?¡±

    Isabelle got out of the car, followed by Nathan. However, he was looking rather awkward. Not letting it

    bother me, I greeted him cidly, ¡°Hi, Dad!¡±

    Nathan briefly acknowledged my greeting without saying much. He looked a little older than thest

    time I saw him. I knew that what Crystal had done had caused a huge blow to the Tanners. Otherwise,

    my dad would not have to do so much. Recently, it seemed like the Tanner family had gotten into some

    trouble again, but I was not very sure. It was possible that Mom was involved in it as well, but I had

    absolutely no intention of interfering.

    I should leave it to my parents to settle the issues between them themselves.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Goldstein. My dad is already waiting upstairs. Please follow us,¡± Christopher

    greeted my mom respectfully as he held my head and gestured with his other hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just call you Chris if that¡¯s all right. You look like a fine young man!¡± Isabelleplimented.

    That was the best five-star hotel in Avenport and the interior of the hotel wasvishly renovated. We

    headed toward the private room which we have reserved in advance. When Julia saw us entering the

    room, she stood up with Gordon and said enthusiastically, ¡°You must be Yvonne¡¯s parents. Since it¡¯s

    our first meeting, let¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Isabelle?¡± Before the woman could finish her sentence, her expression changed drastically after

    scrutinizing my mom. With a change in the tone of her voice, she said, ¡°It¡¯s you? You¡¯re Yvonne¡¯s

    mother?¡±

    ¡°Julia! You¡¯re Chris¡¯ mother! How is this even possible?¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s expression darkened as well, the smile on her facepletely gone. Suddenly, she pulled

    me away from Christopher and raised her voice as she yelled in agitation, ¡°Eve, I won¡¯t allow you to be

    with Christopher. This woman is the one who caused your Uncle Robert¡¯s death. She¡¯s our enemy. You

    can¡¯t be with our enemy¡¯s son.¡±

 Chapter 534

    Chapter 534

    The smile on my face froze instantly. I had never expected that the first meeting between our parents

    would turn out that way. Not only did Mom and Julia know each other, but there was also even such

    history between them. A strong sense of foreboding nagged at me as it suddenly dawned on me that

    there was still a long way ahead for Christopher and me.

    I forced a smile and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Mom, what¡­ what did you just say? Could there be a

    misunderstanding?¡±

    Completely losing herposure, Isabelle stared at Julia coldly, with deep resentment clearly shown in

    her eyes. ¡°Julia, so you¡¯ve married into the Lane family, huh? Hah! I can¡¯t believe a vicious woman like

    you would end up marrying so well. Do you really think that the past is the past and no one will

    remember it?¡± she yelled in her high-pitched voice; her words were as sharp as knives.

    Isabelle had changed into apletely different person from a while back,ing across as prickly

    and cold. She squeezed my hand tightly and said through gritted teeth, ¡°How could you still get married

    and have children without even feeling an ounce of guilt after killing my brother? Haven¡¯t you had any

    nightmares in all these years? Do you not feel bad at all? Even if you managed to deceive everyone, it

    doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re innocent. Do you really think you can get away forever after taking someone¡¯s

    life?¡±

    Feeling as if she was hit by a brick, Julia staggered a few steps backward after being bombarded with

    usations from Isabelle. The color drained from her face as she looked at me in disbelief. ¡°What are

    the odds that you¡¯re Isabelle¡¯s daughter and that man¡¯s niece? I can¡¯t believe this is happening.¡±

    ¡°You mean you can¡¯t believe that you killed my brother because of your selfish desire?¡± Isabelle

    bellowed.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I tugged at her sleeve gently. My mind went nk. That was definitely not the harmonious

    dinner I had imagined us having earlier on. What¡¯s going on? Uncle Robert passed away before I was

    born. All I knew was that the Anderson family used to be a very powerful and prominent family.

    Is Julia really the one who caused Uncle Robert¡¯s death?

    ¡°Eve, my dear, there¡¯s no way you can be together with the son of our enemy,¡± Isabelle said, pointing at

    Julia. She then continued in a harsh tone, ¡°This woman caused the downfall of the Anderson family.

    She¡¯s a murderer! There¡¯s no future between you and her son. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°No, Mom! What¡¯s going on?¡± I screamed as I tried to shake her hand away. I did not want to leave. I

    wanted to stay with Christopher. We were going to get married.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it when we get back. Anyway, I will never agree with the two of you getting married. I

    don¡¯t care who you marry, as long as it is not Julia¡¯s son.¡± Isabelle raised her head aggressively, her

    expression twisted with hatred and sorrow.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Christopher caught up with Isabelle and pulled me toward him. Turning to look at Julia, he

    asked anxiously, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, isn¡¯t it? Tell me!¡±

    Being questioned by her son, Julia staggered and looked like she was about to fall. Taking a deep

    breath, she leaned on Gordon for support and shook her head. She looked at me withplicated

    emotions in her eyes and said, ¡°If I knew you were Isabelle¡¯s daughter, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to you

    dating Chris. I didn¡¯t know that Isabelle is Nathan¡¯s ex-wife.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Are you feeling guilty now? You should be. I remember you being much more arrogant and

    overbearing in your younger days, not showing respect to anyone else,¡± Isabelle sneered.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Christopher was starting to panic. ¡°Could you quickly rify? There has to be some

    misunderstanding, right?¡±

    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Julia looked at me before turning to Isabelle. Looking downward for a moment,

    she then looked back up with tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. Isabelle is

    right. I was the one who killed Robert. I was thest person who saw him before he was found dead in

    Centurion Tower.¡±

    ¡°Is this real?¡± I was momentarily stunned and too shocked to react. It felt like a joke that Christopher

    and I had be enemies.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I looked at Isabelle, feeling lost. I was hoping that she would tell me they were just ying a

    prank on us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Isabelle dragged me along as we left the private room. I followed her soullessly. I could not

    imagine any possibility of a future between Christopher and me, given such circumstances.

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 Chapter 535

    Chapter 535

    Am I really unworthy of happiness? Every time I think I¡¯m finally getting the happiness I deserve, God

    always extinguishes my hopes.

    I was in a trance for so long until the car came to a sudden halt. I was flung forward by inertia.

    ¡°Eve! Are you all right?¡± As Isabelle helped me back to my seat, she yelled at the driver, ¡°Is this how

    you drive?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. Goldstein. I had to avoid a car that was running the red light,¡± the driver apologized

    in fear.

    ¡°Are you hurt, Eve? Let me have a look.¡± Isabelle cupped my cheeks and scanned my face for injuries.

    Upon noticing the bump on my forehead, she ordered the driver to drive us to the hospital.

    I recovered from my daze and grabbed Isabelle¡¯s hand anxiously. ¡°Mom, what went wrong? Why are

    Chris and I enemies now? I can¡¯t lose him, Mom. I can¡¯t!¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s expression darkened. Feeling dejected, she leaned backward. Her gaze started to turn cold,

    but she tried to keep her tone neutral when she saw how devastated I was. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being

    heartless, Eve. I have no objection to you marrying any man in this world. I will do anything to fulfill your

    wish, even if he does not want to marry you. But why does it have to be Christopher?¡±

    ¡°Why Christopher? I¡¯m not afraid in the slightest even in the face of death as long as I can be with him.

    Why can¡¯t I be happy just this time, Mom?¡± Unable to restrain my emotions any longer, I burst into

    tears.

    Tears streamed down Isabelle¡¯s face too. Not long after, she asked the driver to pull over. After lighting

    up a cigarette that she took out from her bag, Isabelle pressed it to her lips and began, ¡°Julia and I

    used to be good friends years ago. You may not know this, but our family used to be one of the

    wealthiest. If not for what happened on that fateful day, we¡¯ll still be doing fine.¡±

    Dabbing my eyes with a handkerchief, she continued, ¡°Your Uncle Robert was a genius. He was in

    charge of running the family business, and he certainly did an excellent job. If not for his passing, the

    Anderson family and the Goldstein family could have been equals. s, Julia murdered him.¡±

    She pointed at a tall building outside the car window. ¡°That¡¯s Centurion Tower, a twenty-year-old

    building and the ce where your uncle fell to his death. I know I don¡¯t have the right to ask you for

    anything since I have never taken care of you all these years, but this is an exception. I can never

    agree to you and Christopher¡¯s marriage.¡±

    The car was soon full of the cigarette¡¯s burned smell. ¡°You can hate me all you want, but I will never

    agree to this marriage. I will not allow your uncle¡¯s death to turn into a joke.¡±

    Light rays from the setting sun cast themselves on the old building before me. I saw several

    construction workers preparing to demolish the dpidated building.

    Is Julia behind my uncle¡¯s death at this building?

    ¡°What should I do, Mom?¡± I muttered while stumbling out of the car. I could hear Isabelle¡¯s voice behind

    me vaguely, but I didn¡¯t respond because right then I no longer had a destination in my life. All I could

    do was stumble forward aimlessly.

    For a moment, the footsteps behind me sounded familiar. When I turned around, Christopher was just

    standing a few feet away from me. His gaze was full of worry, his thin lips were pursed, and his brows

    were knitted together with sorrow.

    ¡°Chris!¡± Tears rolled down my cheeks again, but this time I was smiling. Somehow, I could always see

    him whenever I turned around.

    It then hit me that Christopher was such an important part of my life that I could afford to lose

    everything except for him. I might not know what happened in the past, but my experiences showed me

    that Christopher was more important to me than I was to myself.

    I ran into his arms and sobbed, ¡°What should I do, Chris? Why do these kinds of things keep

    happening to me? Why can¡¯t we be together happily ever after?¡±

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 Chapter 536

    Chapter 536

    ¡°This is so twisted! You must have been cursed by someone wicked to have all these bad things

    happening to you, Yvonne. Oh, God. All my life I¡¯ve known so many people, yet all of their miseries

    can¡¯t even add up to yours.¡±

    Frustrated, Sabrina paced in front of me with her child in her arms. At the sight of me keeping quiet and

    staring nkly into the air, she sighed and handed her son to me. ¡°Hold your godson for me. Since

    there¡¯s no way of reversing what happened, we should find a way to solve it rather than give up, don¡¯t

    you think so?¡±

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    I held the baby in my arms and rocked him gently. ¡°It was only yesterday when Chris and I were

    discussing which wedding gown I should wear, Sabby. Just one day, and we are separated by our

    families¡¯ feud.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely the unluckiest person in the world. I thought Christopher decided that celebrating

    April¡¯s Fool early was a good idea when he called me this morning.¡± Sabrina clutched her head. ¡°All of

    this started from the moment your mother came back! If I knew this was going to happen, I would have

    done anything to prevent her from returning.¡±

    Uncertain of what to say, I merely stared at Sabrina.

    ¡°Rx. I¡¯m just joking.¡± Realizing that she might have gone overboard, sheughed dryly.

    ¡°What should I do? I can never be with another man other than Chris. But how do I get my mom to

    agree to our marriage?¡± I could only turn to Sabrina for help as I was running out of ideas.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need time to think of something. This is no easy feat. I may have a lot of ideas but I¡¯m just an

    ordinary person.¡±

    Sabrina continued pacing anxiously. After a while, she rushed to my side and whispered, ¡°How about

    we give this a rest? Not having a wedding ceremony can¡¯t change the fact that you are already married

    to Christopher. Wait till you have your first child! Mrs. Goldstein will be so happy to have a grandchild

    that she will agree to your marriage.¡±

    With a hand to my head, I leaned limply on the sofa. Sabrina scratched her head and sighed.

    Nothing much happened in Avenport for the past two days, including at the Goldstein residence. The

    Tanners should be the only ones having a problem. Nathan saw me at the hotel the other day, but he

    didn¡¯t say anything to me. He was gone by the time we left. I had no idea what Mom could have told

    him that made him so grumpy that day. I hadn¡¯t heard a word from him since then.

    Thetest economic news was the acquisition of apany originally under the Tanners due to

    bankruptcy. As I read the news, the purpose of Isabelle¡¯s return suddenly became clearer to me.

    Hidden behind her gentle smiles was the promise of revenge against those who had hurt her before.

    All of a sudden, she seemed so distant from the mother I thought I knew.

    Then, Sharon came to my mind. She must have known something about the Andersons, given that she

    knew my mom a long time ago. Maybe I could ask her what happened at that time and find a way out

    of this mess. Sabrina was right. I should not give up easily without trying.

    Sharon¡¯s mansion was refurbished. The flowers that I nted for her were gone and reced by other

    flowers, making the courtyard lifeless. Since Sharon didn¡¯t like her daughter-inw Wendy much, they

    were no longer staying together. In the end, she was the only one left in the mansion. All she could do

    was gaze at the flowers in her wheelchair alone.

    I walked over to her and handed the pair of scissors on the table to her. Sharon looked up.

    Unsurprised, she started tending to the flowers while saying, ¡°I met your mom two days ago, and now

    here you are. I¡¯ll get someone to pass you the shares.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for that!¡± Money was never of that importance to me. I had refused it thest time, and it

    made no difference for me to do it again.

    ¡°Why else are you here if not for the shares?¡± Sharon widened her eyes. After all, no one could resist

    the temptation of getting rich, and I own the shares rightfully.

    ¡°Could you tell me about the Andersons?¡±

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    Chapter 537

    ¡°The Andersons!¡± Sharon eximed, not exactly knowing where to start with. ¡°You must have

    encountered some problems rted to the family to ask me that. I don¡¯t know much about them now,

    but back in my days, the Andersons are one of the most prominent families in Avenport. Their power is

    much stronger than the Smiths and the Tanners, and that can be proven by the fact that your dad was

    able to make a name out of their support.¡±

    I had never heard of this before. All I knew was that my grandparents died in an ident before I could

    meet them. I never knew that the Andersons were so powerful.

    ¡°Your Uncle Robert was a very talented young man. I saw him twice at parties and we had a

    coboration once. s, his parents passed away in an ident and his investments went wrong. I

    guess he couldn¡¯t take it anymore andmitted suicide.¡±

    ¡°Did Uncle Robert really jump from Centurion Tower?¡± That must be the end of the Andersons¡¯ glory

    after Uncle Robert¡¯s death.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Your mom must have already told you. It¡¯s true. Your mom had such a hard time dealing with the loss

    of family and your father¡¯s infidelity that I wasn¡¯t surprised at all when she finally left him for good. Your

    mom may seem gentle and forgiving, but deep down she is a tough person who will not endure such

    humiliation.¡±

    Listening to what Sharon said, my heart sank. Despite being angry with my mother, I knew perfectly

    well that she was in a difficult spot. Even Sharon, who was not part of our family, could tell.

    However, at the thought of me and Christopher¡¯s bleak future, I couldn¡¯t help feeling sad.

    A Porsche stopped at the gate and Lyle came down from the car. When he noticed me standing beside

    Sharon, he paused for a brief moment before resuming his pace. Handing some documents to Sharon,

    he said, ¡°I¡¯ve brought these as requested. All Yvonne has to do is sign on them.¡±

    ¡°Since Eve is here, how about we have dinner together?¡± As Sharon turned around and asked Molly to

    prepare food, I hurriedly declined, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still have things to settle.¡±

    ¡°All right then.¡± She handed the documents to me. ¡°This is what your mom wants. Make sure to give it

    to her. You should give Eve a lift home, Lyle.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t seen Lyle in a while. He seemed to have changed and be much quieter. Other than one

    sentence, he didn¡¯t say anything else on the way back.

    As the car headed toward my house, I spoke. ¡°Please drive me to the Goldstein residence.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lyle made a U-turn and continued driving. After a moment, he blurted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what

    happenedst time. I was drunk.¡±

    It took me a while to realize that he was referring to what happened at the golf course. I had almost

    forgotten about it.

    ¡°I know,¡± I replied shortly.

    ¡°Are you and Christopher preparing for the wedding soon? Your mom told my grandma that the shares

    will be your dowry.¡± Lyle didn¡¯t look back because he was concentrating on the road, yet I could sense

    his grim tone.

    After Christopher revealed our rtionship to be with me, everyone thought we were eventually going

    to have a grand wedding ceremony. With all the blessings and envies, I thought I was going to marry

    him too. Who knew that the wedding would not happen after all we had been through? Lost in my own

    thoughts, I agreed with Lyle evasively.

    All of a sudden, I saw my mom standing at the entrance of a caf¨¦ on the opposite road. She was talking

    to a man with a smile on her face, and the man was holding her hand affectionately.

    ¡°Stop the car!¡± I yelled.

    Startled, Lyle stepped on the brakes and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Ignoring him, I dashed out of the car and followed my mom. I still could not believe my eyes, but I

    recognized the man beside her as Lucas¡¯ father. Why are they so close together? Isn¡¯t she with Mark?

 Chapter 538

    Chapter 538

    I followed behind Mom carefully. Watching as they got into the car, I stopped a taxi and asked the driver

    to follow behind them. For some reason, Mom entered a hotel with Lucas¡¯ father and stayed inside for

    quite a long time.

    I decided to take a seat in the caf¨¦ opposite the hotel. My face gradually turned pale as I stared at the

    luxury-looking door of the hotel. What¡¯s the rtionship between Mom and Lucas¡¯ father?

    As I pondered, more and more questions appeared in my mind. I reached out a hand to hold my head

    as I felt that my brain was going to explode. Three hourster, Mom finally walked out of the hotel.

    This time, Lucas¡¯ father did not follow beside her. She stood at the hotel entrance as she took out her

    phone to make a call. A momentter, a car pulled over beside her. As soon as she got into the car, the

    car drove away like a sh of lightning.

    Before the driver stepped on the gas, a man lowered the car window of the backseat. I saw Mark

    through the caf¨¦ window and my heart skipped a beat upon seeing the gloomy expression on his face. I

    don¡¯t understand. What has she been doing over the past few years? What secrets is she hiding?

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    I took some time to get myself mentally prepared before I walked up to the entrance of the Goldstein

    residence. Standing in front of the ancient-looking mansion, I could not help but feel as though I had

    traveled back to Avenport twenty years ago. I could see tall, gigantic trees behind the roofs. As I

    walked closer, I saw an antique-style mansion that smelled like decayed woods.

    After greeting the security guards at the entrance, they brought me into the residence. I looked around

    in the living room and sat patiently on the couch. I remembered seeing Mom just now when I was still

    outside, so I wondered where she went as I came in.

    Suddenly, a sense of curiosity surged within me. I was dying to know how Mom¡¯s ce looked like, so I

    continued walking on the path in the backyard. As soon as I reached another house, an argument

    echoed from the side. ¡°Dad, what do you mean by transferring all the shares to Uncle Mark? What

    about us? We¡¯ve been giving all of our efforts to the family over the years, and he¡¯s going to take over

    thest things we have.¡±

    ¡°Lucas, that¡¯s enough! All of these indeed belong to your uncle. I was only managing for him back then.

    We¡¯ll move out of here tomorrow after transferring the shares to them. Your uncle can only feel relieved

    with that.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯ll only feel relieved after I¡¯m dead,¡± Lucas responded furiously.

    ¡°Shh! Keep it down! Don¡¯t you understand the current situation in our family?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already suffering because of him! Will that be any different from death?¡±

    I blinked my eyes slowly as I heard everything from outside. I was very familiar with Lucas¡¯ voice. When

    we first met each other, I had asked something about his health. He told me that idents happened

    more frequently in wealthy families. It turns out that someone has set up the ident on purpose!

    Lucas roared, ¡°Dad, he has pinned you down for so many years. Do you not hold any grudge toward

    him? Back then, you knew he was the one who caused my ident, but you pretended to act like a

    fool! He gave you an excuse that he was recuperating overseas and asked you to take over his

    company. It seemed that he had trusted you a lot. In fact, he was only taking all your power away. You

    became a doll who could not do anything even though you owned part of the shares for thepany.

    Look at you. You don¡¯t even dare to say anything. You don¡¯t think for yourself, but what about me? Do

    you n to wait for me to die first before you start fighting for your right?¡±

    ¡°Lucas, your Uncle Mark is a capable man. He should be the one to manage thepany. I beg you to

    stop talking about it. Our rtionship will be ruined if he hears that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He asked Isabelle to test you just now as he wanted to know if you would fight back. Do

    you think I can¡¯t see what he¡¯s doing? Dad, you have a perfect opportunity, but you let it slip away like

    that. Do you want to see me suffer before you learn your lesson?¡±

    Suddenly, I realized I had stumbled across some deadly secrets. Feeling anxious, I wanted to leave the

    house as soon as possible. However, Lucas walked out of the door with a darkened expression before I

    managed to turn around. He froze for a moment, but his vicious look turned calm gradually. ¡°What are

    you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 539

    Chapter 539

    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for my mom!¡± I replied, my gaze shifting unintentionally. I had known Lucas for quite

    some time, and I had always seen him as a cheerful gentleman. Therefore, I did not expect him to have

    such an aggressive side. However, I was even more shocked to know that Mark was the person who

    made him who he was today.

    It was natural for feuds to happen frequently in wealthy families. Perhaps Christopher¡¯s family was the

    only one that was harmonious.

    ¡°H-How long have you been standing here?¡± Lucas lowered his voice.

    ¡°You came out when I just arrived. What¡¯s the matter?¡± I shed an innocent smile. However, my palms

    were sweating at that moment. I wonder what kind of person my mom¡¯s current husband is. Is Mom

    going to feel happy together with him?

    Lucas used to help me before, so I could not help but jump to my own conclusions straightaway.

    Subconsciously, I began to despise Mark.

    ¡°Nothing. It seems like Aunt Isabelle is not home right now. How about you try giving her a call?¡± A

    bright, heartwarming smile appeared on Lucas¡¯ face.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Suddenly, a coughing sound came from the yard. Lucas¡¯ father walked out of the house by

    supporting himself against the wall. He shot me a nce, and I immediately sensed the despicable

    glint in his old eyes. I was terrified by his sharp gaze. It was as if he had caught me lying. He must¡¯ve

    known that I have been standing here since a long time ago.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I came here too suddenly that I didn¡¯t expect my mom to not be home. Haha! Let me give

    her a call.¡± I found an excuse to get away from the backyard. Then, I ran all the way to the front

    courtyard nervously. My heart raced as if it was going to leap out of my throat.

    I had only seen Lucas¡¯ father once during Lyle and Crystal¡¯s wedding. Moreover, I only got to see his

    side profile that day. But then, I did not expect him to look that scary. His gaze was dark and vicious.

    Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me when I was panting heavily. ¡°Why are you running so fast?

    Are you being chased by some bad guys?¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± I jumped in shock upon seeing a face in front of me. I panicked and stumbled a few steps

    backward. There was a big patch of soft grass underneath my feet. I lost my bnce and fell to the

    ground.

    ¡°Eve, what are you doing? Why do you look so flustered?¡± Isabelle frowned as she walked over to help

    me up.

    My heart was still beating fast. I shook my head vigorously as I stared at Mark and Isabelle, who

    appeared in front of me out of the blue.

    Mark looked at me affectionately. He looked exactly like a loving elderly. I could not believe that he was

    the person Lucas had said just now.

    ¡°I was looking at the flowers in the backyard when a caterpir dropped on my arm. I got terrified. Mom,

    you know me. I¡¯m scared of those types of insects.¡± I took a deep breath and calmed myself down after

    some time.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here,e join us for dinner. Belle misses you a lot. We even talked about you this

    morning.¡± Mark chuckled softly, his arms wrapping around Isabelle¡¯s waist. It seemed like he was

    seeing me as his favorite kid.

    ¡°Great idea! I¡¯ll inform the kitchen about it.¡± Isabelle shed a smile.

    In fact, I did not eat muchter on that night as I could not rx at the dining table. The dining room

    was spacious, but there were only three of us. Lucas and his father did not appear during dinner

    time. That¡¯s weird. A family should have dinner together.

    Moreover, the servants¡¯ behavior was even weirder. They did everything cautiously, trembling in fear.

    There was also one of them who nearly broke into tears after breaking a bowl. She rushed forward to

    Mark and apologized again and again.

    Mom didn¡¯t bother with what was happening. However, she did not say much other than ask me to eat

    more. The atmosphere in the dining room was creepy. It was so tense that I lost my appetite.

    ¡°Why are you eating so little? Is the food not to your liking?¡± Mark asked me.

    ¡°No. I ate some snacks before I came, so I¡¯m not hungry now.¡± I shook my head and changed the topic.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Lucas? Is he noting for dinner? I saw him in the garden just now.¡±

    ¡°Lucas¡¯ unwell. He prefers a quieter environment, so he usually has dinner with his father in the

    backyard.¡± I could not sense any impatience from his tone. Suddenly, he raised a brow and asked, ¡°Are

    you close with Lucas?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve met at a party previously.¡± I let out a silly grin.

    ¡°Feel free toe often when you have time. The Goldstein residence is huge, but it¡¯s quiet. There are

    not many people around. Oh right, you learned to draw, right? I heard you have some

    aplishments. I can provide funds to invite some famous artists, and we can organize a seminar as

    well as an art exhibition. What do you think? Remington Fowler, the most well-known

 Chapter 540

    Chapter 540

    ¡°We¡¯ve met at a party previously.¡± I let out a silly grin.

    ¡°Feel free toe often when you have time. The Goldstein residence is huge, but it¡¯s quiet. There are

    not many people around. Oh right, you learned to draw, right? I heard you have some

    aplishments. I can provide funds to invite some famous artists, and we can organize a seminar as

    well as an art exhibition. What do you think? Remington Fowler, the most well-known young artist in

    Hawen, is now in the limelight. People call him the most gifted artist. I¡¯ll invite him to support you.¡±

    Mark cared about me a lot. He was like a loving father. However, I felt extremely awkward. Fleynia was

    renowned for its artists. Many world-famous artists were born there. I knew Remington had represented

    Hawen to carry out an art seminar in Fleynia recently. As for me, I was only rtively well known. I was

    not good enough to attend the seminar.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Goldstein, for your kind intentions. But I need to sharpen my skills a little more and I

    shouldn¡¯t be too hasty in this matter.¡±

    That night, Mark invited me to stay overnight at the Goldstein residence. I nned to reject his offer,

    but he was too hospitable. I noticed Mom¡¯s expression as well. It was as if she did not want me to stay.

    ¡°Mom, Sharon wanted me to pass this document to you.¡± I passed the document Lyle gave me to

    Isabelle.

    Isabelle took the document, skimmed through it, and noticed my missing signature. She gave it back to

    me and said, ¡°Seems like she fulfilled what I requested. This is for you. Just add your signature to it

    and keep it properly. I don¡¯t need this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need this for now too.¡± I pushed the documents away and saw that she was rolling up her

    sleeves to apply lotion on her hands. Noticing the bruises on her arm, I frowned and asked, ¡°What

    happened to your hand?¡±

    When Isabelle realized she had identally revealed the injury on her wrist, she subtly put down her

    sleeve and said indifferently, ¡°I identally scratched my hand on a tree trunk while enjoying the

    flowers yesterday. Eve, how about you move in with me?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat, and I rejected the invitation immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,

    Mom. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to do so.¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s face darkened, and she said coldly, ¡°Is it because you are reluctant to leave Julia¡¯s son?

    There are millions of men in the world. Why must you be with him?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not sure what happenedst time, but it has been a tough journey for both Christopher and

    me to be together until today. Can we please leave the past behind?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Isabelle pounded the table with her hand. ¡°Julia killed my brother, your Uncle Robert. How

    can you say that? You must be out of your mind.¡±

    ¡°But Mom, I¡ª¡± I tried to exin, but I did not know where to start. It involved a life. Why did I only find

    out about it now? It¡¯s toote for me to forget about Christopher.

    ¡°No buts. Nothing can change my mind. I can promise any unreasonable and stubborn requests of

    yours, except this. I won¡¯t give in to this.¡± Isabelle sounded assertive. When she saw my gloomy

    expression, she suppressed her anger and said coldly, ¡°I know you can¡¯t ept this in the meantime. I

    will give you some time. Eve, if you still treat me as your mother, you need to cut all ties with

    Christopher.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Mom, why must you force me?¡± I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent myself from crying.

    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you. I¡¯m only stating a fact.¡± Isabelle stood up expressionlessly. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a

    tough few years for you. But unless you no longer acknowledge me as your mother, you must stop

    keeping in touch with Christopher.¡±

    I stood rooted to the ground. Our conversation fell through yet again.

    Isabelle sighed deeply and turned around to get my bed ready for me. We had no more intention of

    speaking to each other. After tidying everything, she took out a box and passed it to me. Ignoring my

    dejected expression, she said in a low voice, ¡°I thought this dress would look good on you when I saw it

    today, so I bought it for you. Give it a try and see if it¡¯s suitable.¡±

 Chapter 541

    Chapter 541

    ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I opened the box and looked inside absentmindedly. It was a pink-colored dress,

    and the design was beautiful. However, it was too girlish. I remembered that I liked pink the most when

    I was a child, but I was an adult now.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Isabelle asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I changed into the dress, then surveyed myself in front of the mirror. Nothing felt right to see

    myself in pink as cute was not my style. It was really not suitable.

    Isabelle had probably noticed it. When I changed back into my clothes, she sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll

    exchange this for a new one tomorrow. I was absent from your childhood, so I keep forgetting that you

    are a grown-up now.¡±

    ¡°I like light blue now,¡± I said inly.

    At this moment, my phone on the table rang. I walked closer and saw that Christopher was calling me.

    Isabelle saw the caller¡¯s name when I picked up my phone and her expression turned cold. I hesitated

    momentarily but did not answer the call in front of her. Instead, I walked out with my phone. When I

    went back in, Isabelle got me to sit beside her.

    ¡°Eve, do you think I¡¯m cruel for noting back to visit you for such a long time, and now that I¡¯m back,

    I want to split up you lovebirds?¡±

    I remained silent as what Isabelle said struck a chord with me. Even though I did not say it, that was

    what I thought. It was until I saw Sharon that this thought faded a little.

    Isabelle understood my silence. She ced her hand on my shoulder and her gaze dimmed. ¡°I¡¯m not a

    responsible mother. I know I¡¯m not considerate for not considering your feelings. But, I¡ª¡± Suddenly,

    Isabelle sobbed, and her voice trembled. ¡°Your Uncle Robert was my closest family member. Your

    grandparents were busy working when we were younger. He was the one who took care of me. They

    died in a car crash before I had the chance to spend more time with them. After they passed away,

    your Uncle Robert and I depended on each other and I grew up healthily under his protection. He was

    still thinking about me on his deathbed. Isabelle, I really can¡¯t ept the fact that your husband is

    Julia¡¯s son. Seeing her each time reminds me of your Uncle Robert¡¯s tragic death. However, I¡¯m alone

    and I couldn¡¯t find any proof. Otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t drag until now. Your Uncle Robert is someone I

    cherish more than my parents. Do you understand?¡±

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Besides saying sorry, I did not know what to say. It was supposed to be a happy

    mother and daughter reunion, and a wedding would be the cherry on the cake. However, everything

    seemed out of reach now.

    Seeing Mom cry, I could tell what a struggle it was for her. How I wished there was a way to have the

    best of both worlds.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. I¡¯m the one at fault. If I stayed with you and allowed you to grow up by my

    side, things would be different. Promise me to forget about Christopher. You can take all the time to

    forget about him and I will promise you anything, okay?¡±

    Gazing at Isabelle¡¯s look of anticipation, I tried to open my mouth to answer. Saying the word was easy,

    but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it.

    ¡°Mom, I would have died if it weren¡¯t for Christopher. Mom, I owe him a lot. I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself

    to continue. Mom was already so upset. We were all in a dilemma and struggling. If I continued to talk

    about that, the atmosphere would only be heavier.

    I was sleepless during the night at the Goldstein residence. My mind was upied with my mom¡¯s

    words, so much so that I dreamed about Uncle Robert. I could not see his face clearly, but his body

    was bloody as he questioned me for not avenging him and wanting to marry his enemy¡¯s son. I jolted

    awake and wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore.

    In the morning, there were dark circles around my eyes that I couldn¡¯t conceal with concealer. My face

    was pale. After breakfast, Isabelle talked to me again about me moving over. I told her to give me some

    time and left the Goldstein residence in a hurry, feeling suffocated to face her in that house.

 Chapter 542

    Chapter 542

    Just then, Sabrina called me. ¡°What¡¯s up, Sabby?¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, what the hell are you doing? Christopher called you a few timesst night. Not only did you

    not pick up, but you also didn¡¯t call back!¡± Sabrina remarked.

    Only then did I remember that Christopher had called while Mom was telling me about Uncle Robert¡¯s

    matters. That was why I did not get to pick up the call. And as I was worried about Mom, I stayed by

    her side the whole night listening to her reminisce about the fun times she had with my uncle before he

    passed away.

    I ended up forgetting about Christopher. Astounded, I asked, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°You dare ask? Last night we were at a gathering when my idol called you in my presence. You¡¯d never

    know how grim he looked when he couldn¡¯t reach you. I¡¯ll give you thirty minutes. He¡¯s at the airport

    with Zach, waiting for his flight to Venria. If you don¡¯t go now, you¡¯ll have to wait for a month before you

    can see him again,¡± Sabrina said.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I anxiously asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know why my idol kept calling you? Did you forget about his other identity? He

    leads reservists of the special forces. He has to carry out his duties when there are special missions,¡±

    Sabrina petntly replied.

    I was briefly stunned as I did not have any knowledge of that. All I could remember was Christopher

    had retired from the military. As for the matters he had mentioned to me regarding the reservists, I

    could barely be bothered about it.

    A wave of guilt overwhelmed my mind, and I hurriedly said, ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll head over now.¡±

    Immediately, I ordered a taxi and rushed toward the airport. However, I somehow felt that God was

    trying to y tricks on me. I was trapped in traffic shortly after I got in the taxi. Rows of cars filled the

    road as frustrated honks filled the air.

    ¡°Sorry, but is it possible to speed up? I¡¯ve got an important matter to deal with and I need to rush to the

    airport as soon as possible.¡± I was on the verge of breaking down at the thought of not being able to

    wave him goodbye. I knew it would be a risky mission; otherwise, he would not have been tasked to

    handle it.

    I had to me myself for having been too engrossed in Mom¡¯s matters that I had forgotten about

    Christopher.

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯d like to speed up, too. But look at the traffic in front; how am I supposed to drive past?¡± The

    driver sounded exasperated.

    I looked at my watch and shifted my gaze back to the traffic outside. There were only ten minutes left

    before the flight was to depart, and I knew I would not be able to make it on time. Without hesitation, I

    pushed open the car door and ran toward the direction of the airport. Christopher, you must wait for me.

    You have to wait for me to send you off!Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    By the time I reached the airport, Sabrina shrugged her shoulders and shook her head at me. ¡°You¡¯re

    toote; he¡¯s just left.¡±

    ¡°Christopher Lane!¡± I pushed aside the guards and barged into the restricted area of the terminal, only

    to see an airne slowly heading toward the sky. It glided through the fluffy clouds and soon

    disappeared within them.

    I stood frozen till the guards came to throw me out. I turned to Sabrina and asked, ¡°If Chris is heading

    to Venria, does that mean the mission is a risky one?¡±

    Seeing me at a loss, Sabrina sighed. ¡°Though I always say nothing will happen, I knew long ago that

    Zachary¡¯s missions are all rather dangerous ones. But of course, I do believe nothing will happen to

    them because we¡¯re waiting for them at home.¡±

    ¡°Sabby, why does life never go as nned? I¡¯ve tried so hard to make myself happy, but at the end of

    the day, I realize happiness is still so far away.¡±

    I lifted my head and looked at the sky. It was of a baby blue hue, juxtaposed with fluffy, white clouds

    that seemed incrediblyfortable to lie on. That would have been a wonderful experience if the sun

    were not shining so brightly that it blinded my eyes.

    It was the first time Christopher and I separated after getting together. Yet, not only did I miss his calls,

    but I also missed the chance to send him off.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that the reason God puts us through so many hardships is to let us understand

    the essence of bliss?¡±

 Chapter 543

    Chapter 543

    I remained glued to the ground at the airport for a long while, until a baby¡¯s wails brought me back to

    my senses. Turning around, I saw Sabrina struggling to coax the baby in her arms. Instantly, it warmed

    my heart to realize that I had a good friend apanying me whenever I felt down. Without any

    hesitation, I hurried over to help her coax the little one.

    Yet, the baby could not stop wailing no matter what we did. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably hungry. I¡¯ll find a ce to feed him.¡± Sabrina ushered me to follow her to a cafe and

    requested a private room.

    Inside the room, I sat down, sighing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s always a solution to every problem. Cheer up,¡±forted Sabrina.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± I muttered with my face covered. ¡°But somehow, I feel like trouble is always looking for

    me. No matter how I try to live my life, I can never live in peace. Mrs. Lane has finally epted the fact

    that Christopher and I are together, but now¡­¡±

    Sabrina calmly muttered, ¡°Christopher understands you a lot, so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be angry with you.

    You guys can have a good discussion when he¡¯s back and see if there¡¯s any way to convince Mrs.

    Goldstein.¡±

    I shook my head bitterly after a slight ponder as I could not think of any good idea. ¡°My mom cries

    every time she talks about my uncle. I know they have a close-knit rtionship though I¡¯ve never seen

    my uncle before. And I could tell that Mom is against me being with Chris unless Mrs. Lane has nothing

    to do with that matter. But Mrs. Lane has admitted it herself¡­¡±

    ¡°Console Mrs. Goldstein first. Look at Mrs. Lane; she used to be persistent and forbade you from

    getting together with Chris. But you¡¯ve managed to win her heart. So I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a solution when it

    comes to your mom, too.¡± Sabrina hesitated for a second before continuing, ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to

    her wants first? Follow whatever she asks you to do. When she¡¯s feeling better, things will naturally

    take a positive turn.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    That night, I stayed with Sabrina since she was alone at home. By the time she put her baby to sleep,

    she already looked utterly exhausted. Despite so, she did not want to hire a nanny as she enjoyed the

    process of taking care of her child by herself.

    There was a lot that I wanted to tell Sabrina, but I refrained from doing so after seeing her so lethargic

    that she could not keep her eyes open. Later, I reached for my phone and tried calling Christopher

    twice, yet I could not get through.

    Lying on the bed, I threw my phone aside and switched off the lights, sighing away. After some time,

    when Sabrina realized I was still not asleep, she muttered, ¡°There¡¯s no way the call could get through.

    When Zach¡¯s on missions, he doesn¡¯t turn on his phone. I¡¯ve already gotten used to that, and so should

    you. Christopher is an elite soldier; whatever mission he¡¯s on must be a tricky one.¡±

    My fear and anxiety at the thought of Christopher being angry with me were instantly reced by my

    worries about his safety instead. As such, in the next two days, I could not perk myself up to get thingsMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    done.

    Two dayster, I received a text message from an unknown number. It contained only five words ¨C I¡¯m

    safe; don¡¯t miss me.

    Seeing the text message, I immediately figured that it was from Christopher. I pulled myself together

    and began visiting Isabelle frequently. Sabrina¡¯s right; I need to satisfy Mom so that I can have her

    acknowledgment.

    Right then, I received a call from Yvette. Surprisingly, she brought me a piece of news ¨C that Dad was

    admitted to the hospital. He was critically ill and wanted to meet me.

    ¡°What did you say? Dad¡¯s sick? How is it possible that he¡¯s suddenly sick?¡± I asked, surprised. The

    Tanners had been met with a series of problems recently and the family business had suffered from

    drastic stock price fluctuations. Dad just released an official statement yesterday; he looked pretty

    rejuvenated then. Could it be because of Mom?

    ¡°Stop pretending. Don¡¯t you know perfectly well why Dad is sick? Everyone knows you and I aren¡¯t on

    good terms. If Dad didn¡¯t ask to see you before he fell unconscious, do you think I¡¯d call you?¡± Yvette

    questioned in dismay.

    ¡°If you still take Dad as your family, then make a trip down.¡±

 Chapter 544

    Chapter 544

    Yvette¡¯s reverse psychology would never work on me, given my character. However, I could not ignore

    her this time, since Dad was gravely sick. I knew I would feel uneasy if I did not go, especially since

    Dad had asked to see me.

    What I could not figure out all these years was how the rtionship of my loving parents suddenly

    changed for the worse. Everything that happened back then felt strange to me.

    Now that Mom is back, could Dad possibly be reminiscing about our once sweet and loving family?

    At the hospital, I made an inquiry at the front desk about the location of Dad¡¯s ward before making my

    way to the stairs. That was when I ran into Scarlett and Yvette. Both of them furrowed their brows as

    they cast their hostile gazes at me. Unable to suppress their displeasure any further, one of them finally

    uttered, ¡°Stop dilly-dallying. Your dad has been waiting long enough for you.¡±

    Instantly, I was on alert. It was more than reasonable that Dad wanted to see me. However, Scarlett

    would not have allowed that to happen. I knew her too well. She had always wanted to chase me out of

    the Tanner family and would definitely stop me from meeting Dad if he was indeed in critical condition.

    After all, as a Tanner, I was eligible for a share of the family¡¯s fortune.

    Nevertheless, I suppressed my suspicions and headed to the second floor. I figured I should meet Dad

    since I was already there. Besides, there was no way they could do anything to me in broad daylight.

    I made a turn at the corner and saw Natalie and Crystal standing outside the ward. As usual, the two of

    them looked as arrogant as ever. Crystal even sarcastically said, ¡°Oh, what a rare guest we have here!

    She even dares to harm her family member. Yvonne, you¡¯ve always said you¡¯re so kind-hearted but it

    doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You grew up with the Tanners, yet you¡¯re now going against them. How heartless you are! If

    not for the Tanners, do you think you could survive to this age?¡± Natalie¡¯s expression was grim. In fact,

    ever since the wedding, they had always looked like they wanted to kill me every time they saw me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for a fight. Yvette called to say that Dad wanted to see me. If nothing good coulde out

    of your mouth, I¡¯ll leave now ande back when you guys can speak nicely.¡± I pretended to take my

    leave.

    ¡°All of you, shut up! Yvonne,e in,¡± Suddenly, Dad snarled from inside the ward. I could tell he was

    indeed not in a good state as hismand sounded weak and powerless.

    A surge of emotions overwhelmed me. As I hurried inside, I swept my gaze at Crystal, only to notice

    that she was casting a death re at me. Natalie had to drag her aside with some force to make way

    for me to pass.

    Pushing open the door, I saw Dad lying on the hospital bed with a drip attached to his hand. Though he

    did not look too sickly, I could tell he was not energetic. His hair seemed to have turned a lot grayer

    than before.

    Since young, Dad had always had a few strands of gray hair mixed within his ck hair. This was

    hereditary. Perhaps because there were too many problems stressing him out recently, especially

    rting to the family business, it felt to me that his hair had gotten a lot grayer within a short span of

    time.

    ¡°Dad, are you all right?¡± I walked over, my eyes filled with worry and concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing but some old ailments.¡± He muttered after letting out a few coughs.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I recalled Dad had a weak kidney and even had to undergo surgery a couple of years back due to his

    kidney stones. Moreover, he would often suffer headaches whenever he pulled all-nighters. I grabbed

    the diagnostic report on the desk for a read-through, only to realize Dad was running a high fever due

    to his kidney stones.

    ¡°You should take better care of your body. The doctor has mentioned that you should do more exercise

    during your free time instead of leading a sedentary lifestyle. Dad, you need to listen to the doctor¡¯s

    advice.¡± I ced on the table some carnations I had bought on the way to the hospital. I then picked up

    an apple to peel it.

    ¡°I did pay attention to my health.¡± Nathan seemed hesitant to speak.

    ¡°If not for Isabelle making use of the Goldsteins to cause all sorts of devastating blows to our family

    business, would your dad need to stay up through the night and be hospitalized for overworking

    himself?¡± With hands on her hips, Natalie stood by the doorway and spoke with an interrogative tone.

    ¡°If you still treat your dad as family, you should ask your mom to stop whatever she¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Is this why¡­ you asked to see me?¡± I looked at him earnestly.

    ¡°Yes, I hope you can help me persuade your mom to stop targeting the Tanner family. Otherwise, we

    could go bankrupt.¡±

 Chapter 545

    Chapter 545

    I knew about Mom going after the Tanner family. I had thought that she was just snatching away some

    of the family¡¯s businesses out of spite, but she actually managed to overwhelm the Tanners in just half

    a month.

    Grandma told me how Dad had married Mom and built hispany using the money from Mom¡¯s

    family, only to betray her love for himter on. I could understand why Mom would do what she did,

    but¡­ Is her ultimate goal to destroy the Tannerspletely? Honestly, the thought of a beautiful and

    gentle woman like Mom turning into a merciless avenger scares me. Just how much pain and despair

    did she suffer to end up like that? Also, if this is the way she now behaves, how could she possibly

    approve of my rtionship with Christopher?

    Nathan thought I was reluctant when he saw no response from me; he got a little anxious. ¡°I hate

    having to ask you for help, Yvonne, but I really have no other choice now. Besides, you grew up in this

    family! We may not be as rich as those wealthy families out there, but we never had to worry about

    putting food on the table, either. As your father, all I ask is for you to help me out this one time!¡±

    Theoretically, I was indeed supposed to help my dad this one time. ¡°Have you seen Mom?¡± I asked

    while ncing at Scarlett who was standing by the door.

    ¡°I have. She¡¯s still as gentle and capable as ever.¡± The look of nostalgia on Nathan¡¯s face suggested

    that he was recalling some pleasant memories of their rtionship.

    ¡°Yeah, Mom looks just as pretty as before. I¡¯m sure she has already made her intentions clear to you,

    right?¡± I asked.

    With the support from the Goldstein family, crushing the Tanners was definitely a piece of cake for her.

    Given the number of people who wanted to coborate with Goldstein Corporation, the Goldsteins

    could easily have these interested parties destroy the Tanners along the way. As such, Mom must have

    made some kind of request in order to give Nathan a chance to approach me.

    Nathan seemed hesitant to bring up that incident and said with a frown, ¡°There are certain things that

    cannot be undone after so much time has passed. But she¡¯s your mother, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll agree if you

    ask her. Please help me out this time! I promise ¨C it¡¯s thest time I¡¯ll ask for your help!¡±

    The anxious look in his eyes and the fact that he used such a humble tone with me was evident that

    the Tanner family was faced with a huge crisis.

    As my dad, he could¡¯ve just shamelessly asked me to deal with his conflict, but something seemed to

    have changed in our rtionship without us realizing it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, but I can¡¯t promise you anything. Mom and I aren¡¯t as close anymore after our

    prolonged separation, so she might not listen to me,¡± I said with a helpless sigh.

    ¡°She will! She has always cared about you and feels guilty for leaving you with us over the years. I¡¯m

    sure she¡¯ll dly oblige to anything you ask of her!¡± Nathan eximed anxiously.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Unfortunately, he was wrong about that. Mom had not even approved of my marriage with Christopher.

    ¡°It is better for the doer to undo what he has done, Dad. If you can get Mom to let go of her desire for

    revenge, it would be a lot more effective than anything I say to her. I¡¯ll try my best to talk her out of it,

    but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work.¡± I was so caught up with my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even notice how

    inappropriate Dad¡¯s statement was. I was a part of the Tanner family, to begin with, so him saying my

    mother left me with them made it sound like I was an outsider they had taken in.

    ¡°Do you know what happened to my Uncle Robert?¡± Mom and Dad had known each other for so long,

    so Dad would surely know something about her brother. I was really curious as to what happened

    between Robert and Julia back then that turned her into a murderer.

    ¡°Robert? Why would you bring up that guy?¡± Nathan¡¯s expression changed the moment he heard me

    mention Robert¡¯s name. Judging by his look of fear and anxiety, I figured he must¡¯ve suffered a great

    deal at my uncle¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 546

    Chapter 546

    I had wanted to tell Dad about my marriage with Christopher as it was killing me to keep so many

    things bottled up, but I held my tongue because I knew he wouldn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I was just curious, that¡¯s all. Mom seemed to care a lot about Uncle Robert when she spoke to me the

    other day. She¡¯s really sad about his death, too. Do you know how Uncle Robert died?¡±

    Nathan shuddered and said after a brief pause, ¡°The Andersons were quite a prominent family in

    Avenport back in the day. Robert was a brilliant businessman, but his stubbornness and arrogance got

    to him and he couldn¡¯t get back up after taking a few huge blows. The Andersons faced bankruptcy

    after a major project of theirs failed, and Robert¡­ Well, he couldn¡¯t take it and jumped off a building.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I remember Mom telling me that Julia was thest person Uncle Robert saw before he died,

    but it seemed everyone else thought he had taken his own life.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He jumped from Centurion Tower ten years ago. That building was owned by the

    Andersons, and your mom has been conflicted about it ever since. It happened shortly after we got

    married,¡± Nathan said in a low voice.

    My mind waspletely filled with thoughts about Christopher after leaving the hospital that I ignored

    both Crystal¡¯s taunts as well as the strange looks Scarlett and the others gave me.

    I thought about paying the Goldstein family a visit even though I really disliked them, which was

    probably due to the conflicts I had with the Tanners.

    While crossing the street, I saw Mom and Darius on the other side. They seemed to be having an

    unpleasant conversation, judging by the angry look on Mom¡¯s face. Darius, on the other hand, looked

    helpless as though he was gued with guilt. He was trying to tell Mom something, but she simply

    brushed his arm off and walked away.

    The two of them used to be really close and nearly became a couple. I waited until Mom drove off in

    her car beforeing around the corner.

    Darius stood there in ce for quite a while, only to jump in shock when he noticed me standing next to

    him. ¡°You saw everything?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I just happened to pass by.¡±

    ¡°I was going to help Chris out, but it looks like our past feelings for each other weren¡¯t enough to

    change her mind!¡± Darius said with a wry smile and an inexplicable look of regret on his face.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if his regret was due to me and Chris bing enemies or him being unable to protect

    the beautiful memories he had with my mom.

    It¡¯s probably more the former than thetter, I guess.

    ¡°Does Mom know that you used to¡­¡± Love her? I left the sentence hanging, but Darius clearly

    understood what I was implying and shook his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that until I was certain

    of her feelings for me, or it would only stress her out. Besides, your mom only loved your dad the whole

    time.¡±

    ¡°My mom loved my dad¡­¡± I kept repeating that sentence in my head. If she loved Dad so much, why

    did she leave him so decisively back then? Why would she now return to the country as Mrs.

    Goldstein? She¡¯s not the kind of person who would do such a thing! Mom is a smart woman, so she

    wouldn¡¯t have easily given up on the man she loved, even with Scarlett in the picture!

    ¡°Come over to the Lane residence when you have the time. My mom wants to see you,¡± Darius said.

    ¡°I will!¡±

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    I saw Mom sitting on the sofa in the living room the moment I got home. She was instructing a bunch of

    servants who were packing my belongings. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mom? Where are they taking my stuff?¡± I

    asked anxiously as I ran up to her.

    ¡°Ah, you came just in time! You shouldn¡¯t be staying here now that we¡¯re finally reunited, so why don¡¯t

    you move in with me? I bought a mansion in Avenport; we can live there together!¡± Isabelle replied with

    a smile and continued instructing the servants. She didn¡¯t even bother to ask me if I wanted to live with

    her.

 Chapter 547

    Chapter 547

    In my state of panic, I stopped the servants and shouted, ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t say anything about moving out,

    Mom!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay with me?¡± Isabelle¡¯s expression turned gloomy with displeasure.

    She had me at a loss for words. While there was technically nothing wrong with me staying with her

    after her return, this house belonged to both Christopher and me, so it meant a lot to me.

    Although it was just a tiny apartment unit, it was the warmest and coziest ce for me. Christopher had

    prepared this ce as a safe haven for me when I was being bullied by Lyle. This was the ce he

    brought me to when Lyle and Crystal made me homeless.

    If he had not done that, I could very well have slept out on the streets.

    ¡°But this is my house. It¡¯d be a waste to just leave it empty.¡± I didn¡¯t dare mention Christopher in front of

    her as I didn¡¯t want to upset her even further.

    ¡°So what? You could just tidy the ce up and rent it out for some passive ie! The mansion I

    bought is so spacious that you can even alternate between living upstairs and downstairs anytime you

    like!¡± Isabelle said with a smile. She was clearly satisfied with my reply earlier as she didn¡¯t even say a

    word about the men¡¯s toiletries in the house.

    ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± I was about to protest further but kept quiet when I recalled Sabrina¡¯s words. I then

    stopped the servants who were packing my stuff and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Please leave

    everything the way it is. Since you¡¯ve bought a new house, you could just rece all these items with

    new ones instead. We¡¯ll have a fresh start!¡±

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    In actual fact, I didn¡¯t want Christopher to return to an empty house and get upset.

    ¡°That works, too!¡± Isabelle then motioned at the servants and said, ¡°All right, put everything back where

    you found them. I¡¯ve got tons of money to afford things of much higher quality anyway! Come on, let¡¯s

    go shopping! We need to rece those rags of yours with some decent clothes! Besides, it¡¯s my fault

    you¡¯ve barely been able to buy yourself anything nice throughout these years.¡±

    She brought me into her car and handed me a tinum-colored card. ¡°Here¡¯s some pocket money.

    Spend it however you like, and feel free to ask me for more if you run out. No need to be too frugal,

    okay?¡±

    I recognized that card ¨C it was only a grade lower than the ck card Christopher gave me. After

    epting the card and stuffing it into my handbag, I went shopping with Isabelle and bought a bunch of

    stuff before moving into her new mansion. It was next to a hugeke and had a balcony with a great

    view of theke.

    ¡°Mom, do you know about Dad being hospitalized?¡± I asked while leaning against the balcony.

    Mom was sitting on a recliner with a ss of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She looked

    like apletely different person from who she used to be, and I couldn¡¯t help but find her a little

    unfamiliar. The mother that I once knew had changed so much with the passing of time that I barely

    recognized her anymore.

    ¡°Nathan is in the hospital?¡± Isabelle looked up all of a sudden and blinked a couple of times before

    breaking into a disdainful smile. ¡°I bet he¡¯s been drinking too much coffee and staying upte too often,

    huh? Honestly, he should¡¯ve copsed long ago from overwork! I take it that he went looking for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I saw no trace of affection for Dad in Mom¡¯s eyes at all. Perhaps whatever they had going

    between them was long gone¡­

    ¡°Mom, what if¡­ What if Dad were to beg you to spare the Tanner family? Would you be willing to do

    that?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°Your dad told you to say that, didn¡¯t he? He sure is a smart one for seeking your help. He knows I

    don¡¯t see anyone else but you.¡±

    Isabelle pursed her lips into a faint smile; I couldn¡¯t tell what she was actually feeling. ¡°I helped him

    build the family business from scratch using my own money, and guess what? He goes on to keep a

    mistress using that money and even has a daughter the same age as you! As if that wasn¡¯t bad

    enough, he even wanted me to ce Scarlett before myself! Things probably wouldn¡¯t have been any

    better for me even if I stayed.¡±

    She then turned to look at me as she continued, ¡°How about¡­ I give you everything the Tanner family

    owns as dowry? I mean, everything is technically mine to begin with anyway. It¡¯s clearly stated on the

    shareholders¡¯ agreement that I am the rightful owner of the Tanners¡¯ assets, even though Nathan has

    probably destroyed that document by now.¡±

 Chapter 548

    Chapter 548

    ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. What¡¯s mine will still be mine. My daughter can¡¯t get married

    without a proper dowry!¡± Isabelle smiled.

    She wants to give me everything? Naturally, my first response was to refuse her offer. ¡°I don¡¯t want any

    of that, Mom. You know how I¡¯ve always preferred drawing since I was a kid, right? I¡¯m getting kind of

    famous now and a lot of people have acknowledged my artistic skills. I¡¯m really happy to do what I like

    for a living, and I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±

    Isabelle gave me a strange look and said after a brief pause, ¡°You silly girl! Why would you defend that

    scumbag father of yours after all the suffering they¡¯ve put you through? You should spoil yourself a little

    sometimes, you know? I¡¯d grant your requests even if they are selfish.¡±

    ¡°In that case, could you spare the Tanner family? I mean, we¡¯re already free to live our own lives now.

    We don¡¯t need to bother with certain things anymore,¡± I said softly.

    I did sometimes want to be a little selfish but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do so with anyone other than

    Christopher. Isabelle and I seemed to have this barrier between us; things simply didn¡¯t feel the same

    anymore. The cost of being selfish with her was far too great and I was afraid of losing what I had.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Enough. Look, I know what I¡¯m doing. Nathan wants to protect the Tanner family but he chose to send

    you while he hides in the back. How smart of him, treating us both like fools!¡±

    Hearing that, I knew better than to say any further because she would get mad if I did. She then

    brought me shopping for clothes and had me try on a ton of them. She also bought a lot of clothes after

    simply asking for my size without me even trying them on.

    This was the longest Christopher and I had been separated, and I had been feeling increasingly

    uneasy since he left. It was as if I had lost my pir of support. The past two days without him felt like

    two years.

    However, I knew Christopher had left to give Mom some time to cool off and slowly ept him. He

    knew that having me cling to him at all times would only anger my mom even further, so he decided to

    take things slow and easy.

    My mom came over and got me to move out today, Chris. She even bought a mansion because she

    knows I don¡¯t like to live with the Goldsteins. I can feel that she¡¯s really making an effort just for me. I

    know you¡¯re probably mad about me leaving, but Sabby¡¯s right: a brief separation is necessary for the

    sake of a better time together in the future. You tried getting closer to me in your own way, and now I¡¯m

    trying to do the same. I love you, Chris.

    That was what remained of the long text I sent Christopher after a lot of editing. I didn¡¯t expect him to

    reply at all. I was flipping through a magazine with pictures of Remington¡¯s artwork for an art exchange

    in Fleynia when I heard my phone vibrate. I quickly turned around and grabbed my phone, only to see

    a text message reminding me that I had a package to receive.

    Feeling a little disappointed that it wasn¡¯t from Christopher, I texted the delivery man and had him bring

    it to the mansion instead.

    The delivery man brought the parcel over to me before dark that day, and I quickly opened the package

    in my bedroom. It wasn¡¯t until I saw the content inside that I froze on the spot. I carefully took the box of

    lollipops out of the package and saw a note on it that read: Remember to have these lollipops

    whenever you¡¯re feeling down.

    Lollipops were my favorite snack. He would give me lollipops every now and then, so I knew

    Christopher was the one who sent these.

    My phone vibrated again all of a sudden, and I quickly swiped at the screen in response. What greeted

    me was a text message from an encrypted number. You¡¯re such a naughty girl, moving out all by

    yourself! Don¡¯t expect me to go pick you up when you move back in next time! I¡¯m angry. I¡¯m not going

    to talk to you unless you coax me!

 Chapter 549

    Chapter 549

    Although it was an angry text, I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I read it. Christopher was simply so nice to

    me that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to upset me at all. For some reason, all the negativity in me vanished

    that very moment, while the world around me seemed to have magically be a lot better.

    Christopher had this special ability to warm my heart each time without even saying much. Instead, it

    was the little things he did that worked wonders. There was no way I could ever give up on a man like

    him, let alone leave him.

    He had spoilt me to the point of no return. I would be a fish out of water without him ¨C no one could

    possibly treat me better than he!

    I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want to me when you get back, okay?

    I sent that text to him just to share my current mood with him, even if he couldn¡¯t see me on the spot.

    Things didn¡¯t seem to be getting any better for the Tanner family. When I woke up the next morning, all

    I saw on the news were rumors about them going bankrupt. Looks like the stuff I told Mom yesterday

    backfired¡­ Dad has hurt Mom so badly that she no longer has any feelings of affection for him. The

    deeper you fall in love with someone, the more you hate them when they hurt you. Judging by how

    angry Mom looks whenever she talks about Dad, I can tell that hatred is all that remains in her heart.

    Maybe the reason why I don¡¯t hate Lyle is that I met Christopher before I fell to the darkest depths of

    hell. It was Christopher who pulled me out of that abyss just in time.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Dad had justpleted a checkup and looked like he was going to be discharged when I arrived at the

    hospital. His servants could be seen carrying his bags and standing at the entrance.

    Nathan ran up to me and asked anxiously when he saw me, ¡°How did things go? Did your Mom agree

    to spare us?¡±

    I shook my head and let out a sigh as I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can help you out with this one,

    Dad. I tried to talk Mom out of it, but she¡¯s very firm about her decision. It¡¯s obvious that she won¡¯t

    change her mind just because of what I said.¡±

    Nathan went pale and grabbed me by the wrists as he shouted desperately, ¡°What? Why? Belle cares

    so much about you; she would definitely consider your requests! Eve, I know I have mistreated you and

    you have every right to hate me¡­ But you must help me this one time or the entire Tanner family will

    be finished!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Dad!¡± He was squeezing my wrists so hard that I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down! You¡¯re a member of the Tanner family too! How could you just sit idly and watch us

    go bankrupt? That¡¯s my life¡¯s work, damn it! Your mom helped me build it back then, so why is she now

    hell-bent on destroying itpletely? She could juste after me alone if she hates me! Why destroy

    something that belongs to her as well?¡± Nathan yelled with a twisted expression.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true! Mom only turned out like this because she loves you way too much! You should go

    exin to her and resolve the matters from the past. That¡¯s the only way for her to let go of her hatred.¡±

    Nathan looked like he was about to kill someone with that expression and the constant panting, but I

    could onlyfort him by saying, ¡°I do want to help you, but Mom is a very determined person and

    won¡¯t change her mind simply because of what I say. You¡¯re the only person who could move her, Dad.

    You need to go see her yourself, okay?¡±

    It was obvious that Mom hated Dad for cowering behind me, and that she was waiting for him to go see

    her in person.

    ¡°Hmph! Spare us the bullsh*t and just admit it if you don¡¯t want to help us! Yvonne, you ingrate! I can¡¯t

    believe you¡¯d just sit by and watch the family you grew up in getting destroyed! No wonder you¡¯re not

    part of the family! We should¡¯ve kicked you out and left you to die on the streets back then!¡± Natalie

    shouted angrily at me.

 Chapter 550

    Chapter 550

    ¡°What did you say? What do you mean I¡¯m not part of the family?¡± I raised my voice as well.

    Natalie wouldn¡¯t have said that without a reason, so there must be some kind of secret that I did not

    know of.

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    ¡°Natalie!¡± Nathan yelled at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to stop hiding it, Uncle Nathan! Yvonne doesn¡¯t give a sh*t if you treat her like family, so you

    should just tell her the truth! Yvonne isn¡¯t your daughter, and yet you¡¯ve raised her like your own! She

    has no right to treat you like this!¡± Crystal butted into the conversation as well.

    I stared wide-eyed at Crystal in shock. All these years, I have never considered the possibility that I¡¯m

    not Nathan¡¯s biological daughter! I simply assumed he was angry and frustrated at my mom for leaving

    him, so he took it out on me. I used to hate him for betraying Mom, but¡­ If I¡¯m not his biological

    daughter, then what¡¯s the point of all this?

    I grew up knowing Nathan and Isabelle as my parents. Imagine the shock and disbelief I felt when

    Crystal told me I was not Nathan¡¯s daughter!

    The next thing I knew, we were surrounded by a group of journalists who kept snapping away while

    firing questions about our family rtionship.

    ¡°Is Yvonne Tanner really not your daughter? Is what Ms. Yates said true?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Tanner has been living with the Tanners since childhood, so whose daughter could she be?

    Please answer us, Mr. Tanner! Who¡¯s causing the Tanner family to go bankrupt? Rumor has it that the

    Goldstein family ys a part in this incident. Is that true?¡±

    That was a question that I wanted to know the answer to as well, and I looked at Nathan in hopes of

    him giving me the answer. All sorts of thoughts began running through my head, but I had a feeling that

    Crystal was telling the truth.

    That was the only way to exin everything that had happened. It made sense why Nathan would love

    Crystal and Yvette more than me ¨C that was because I wasn¡¯t his daughter, to begin with!

    The fact that he had raised me even though we weren¡¯t rted by blood was indeed a selfless act of

    generosity in itself.

    ¡°Dad¡­ Is what Crystal said true?¡± I forced those words out of my mouth. Even though I already knew

    the answer to that question, I still wanted to hear it from the man himself.

    Nathan nced deeply at me and took a moment to calm down before saying in front of all the

    journalists around us, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. You are indeed not my daughter. I even have a DNA test report

    here that clearly states we are not rted by blood at all, and that you¡­you¡¯re not my daughter.¡±

    The look on his face made it seem like admitting this fact was the hardest task in the world.

    I staggered a few steps back in shock and leaned against the wall to stop myself from falling. ¡°When

    did you find out?¡±

    I remembered him being really nice to me back then, but he started hating me at one point and began

    treating me horribly. Perhaps that was the time he found out about the truth.

    Nathan took a deep breath. ¡°I knew about it long ago, even before Yvette was born.¡±

    I closed my eyes. Whatever hatred I felt toward Nathan seemed to have vanished in that instant. I used

    to hate him so much for being an irresponsible father, but it turned out he wasn¡¯t my father to begin

    with, so he didn¡¯t owe me anything.

    As Crystal said, he wouldn¡¯t have been in the wrong even if he kicked me out of the Tanner family.

    Instead, he simply let me stay even after Mom left me behind.

 Chapter 551

    Chapter 551

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say who owes the other more between your mom and me, but that pure and perfect woman

    whom I remember is long gone. I was biting off more than I could chew, trying to date an amazing

    woman like your mom when I wasn¡¯t even worthy of her time and effort. Perhaps she had only intended

    to be with me for a while, but I thought she was going to stay with me forever.¡± It was the first time

    Nathan had spoken to me about Isabelle so openly.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    He began to tear up as memories of their past filled his head. This was the first time I felt his love for

    Mom. He used to love her as much as Christopher loved me, and he genuinely wanted her to be

    happy.

    I tried my best to calm myself down, but my fingers kept trembling as I stared at Nathan. I said, ¡°I

    understand. Crystal is right: you don¡¯t owe me anything. In fact, I¡¯m the one who owes you after

    everything you¡¯ve done for me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll ask Mom to spare the Tanner family as a means of

    making it up to you for not kicking me out back then. Thanks for raising me. Goodbye, Dad.¡±

    Since I wasn¡¯t his daughter, that could very well be thest time I ever called him ¡°Dad.¡± I should be

    calling him ¡°Uncle Nathan¡± from that point on.

    I then pushed my way through the crowd of journalists and ran toward the exit. A few of them tried

    chasing after me but stopped the moment I shed them a fierce re. Just as a car pulled up outside

    the hospital, I got in immediately to escape from the journalists.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something big happen? Why are the journalists chasing after you like that?¡±

    Lucas asked in confusion as he watched me pant heavily.

    Still unable to speak due to the shock, I shook my head and simply sat there in silence with my arms

    wrapped around myself. I eventually regained myposure after quite a while and saw that Lucas

    looked a lot better than when I was at the Goldstein residence. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked casually.

    ¡°I was just passing by while helping my dad with some errands.¡± Lucas knew better than to press me

    for answers if I didn¡¯t feel like talking about it.

    I then sat up straight and told him, ¡°I¡¯ve just discovered something horrible and I can¡¯t stay calm right

    now. What do I do, Lucas?¡±

    ¡°You should try talking to someone about it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to calm down as long as you have

    your determination and pir of support with you. Where¡¯s Christopher?¡± Lucas asked curiously.

    ¡°He¡¯s out on a business trip. You know how the Lane family business is just as big as the Goldstein

    family¡¯s, right? His mother dumped everything onto him, so he¡¯s really busy.¡± I slumped weakly against

    the seat. Whatever strength I had mustered earlier seemed to have disappeared once again.

    ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m really thankful for you keeping mepany the whole time I was by the seaside. I can¡¯t

    imagine how difficult life would¡¯ve been if you weren¡¯t there to look after me when I lost my sight.¡±

    Lucas had always been a very reliable friend to me; our friendship had gotten stronger the moment he

    carried me on his back looking for a doctor to treat mete at night. As such, I felt a strong urge to tell

    him about the problems I was facing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve stumbled upon yet another problem now, Lucas. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Just tackle your problems one by one. Tell you what, I¡¯ve always firmly believed that no problem is

    unsolvable. If there is one, that just means you¡¯re not strong enough,¡± Lucas replied while staring

    deeply at me.

    ¡°Certain things have nothing to do with strength, though. Guess what? I just found out earlier that I¡¯m

    not a Tanner! Nathan Tanner isn¡¯t my father! Funny, isn¡¯t it? All these years, I¡¯ve beenining

    about Nathan not treating me like his daughter, only to realize he was never my father, to begin with!

    Not only that, but I now owe him big time for having raised me!¡± I shouted anxiously while pointing at

    myself.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not Nathan¡¯s daughter?¡±

 Chapter 552

    Chapter 552

    Lucas seemed to be a lot more agitated than I was. He mmed on the brakes all of a sudden, causing

    the car to swerve around before crashing into a car parked on the roadside.

    He hit his head when he jumped from the shock and sat back down with a frown. He asked anxiously,

    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re not Nathan¡¯s daughter?¡±

    I found it strange the way he was so anxious and shocked about it. Even I didn¡¯t overreact to that

    extent.

    The other driver got out of his car and shouted furiously at Lucas, ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?

    Look at the damage you¡¯ve done to my car! You think you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯re rich and drive

    a Porsche? Huh? You think that gives you the right to just ram into other people¡¯s cars?¡±

    Lucas couldn¡¯t even be bothered to deal with him and simply shoved a wad of cash into his hand as he

    said, ¡°Here! Now, get lost!¡±

    Noticing that Lucas was a rich guy, the driver tried to ask him for more money. ¡°You think this is

    enough? This car is brand new and I¡¯ve only just driven it once! Pay up¡­¡±

    Lucas cut him off by shooting him a cold re. The driver was so terrified that he shut up and ran off

    immediately.

    Lucas then turned around to face me. ¡°Are you saying that Nathan isn¡¯t your father? Did he admit to it

    himself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Why are you so worked up about it, Lucas? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re my long-lost brother

    or something?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but crack a joke when I saw how anxious he was.

    Realizing he had lost hisposure, Lucas gave me a thoughtful look and said, ¡°Who knows? Maybe

    you really are my long-lost cousin!¡±

    ¡°Pfft¡­ As if!¡± I eximed with a sigh. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m Mark¡¯s daughter! He doesn¡¯t seem like the

    type who would let someone else raise his own child for him! But really¡­ Who is my biological

    father? That was when I felt a sudden urge to find out more about it and to see my mom.

    ¡°Take me to the Goldstein residence. I¡¯m really conflicted right now. I need to see my mom, or I won¡¯t

    be able to calm myself down.¡±

    I thought I would see Mom and Mark at the Goldstein residence, but they both happened to be out. I

    asked a bodyguard where they went, and he told me Mom had headed over to Wildefield with Mark.

    ording to him, they were going to a holiday resort there because it had hot springs which were good

    for health.

    I then grabbed my phone and gave Isabelle a call, only to hear a strange noise in the background when

    the call got through. There was a dull thud like something hitting the floor, followed by the sound of

    ceramics shattering.

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± I called out to her as I realized it was the sound of a phone dropping on the floor. Her

    voice was heard on the other line after a brief pause, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Eve? I¡¯m a little busy at the

    moment, so I¡¯ll be hanging up if this isn¡¯t anything urgent.¡±

    ¡°I have something really important to tell you, Mom!¡± I would always hear weird noises in the

    background whenever I called Isabelle, such as piano music or things being smashed to pieces on the

    floor. On top of that, she would always sound rather strange when she spoke to me, so I could not help

    but wonder if I was interrupting them or something.

    ¡°Okay, go ahead!¡± Mom let out a groan all of a sudden after saying that.

    What the hell was that? That sound she made was so weird! Could it be that they¡¯re¡­ I burned bright

    red at the thought of that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom? Should I call you backter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just go ahead and tell me what you wanted to say!¡±

    I tried my best to rid myself of those thoughts and lowered my volume as I asked, ¡°I went to see Nathan

    at the hospital today and he said I¡¯m not his daughter. Is this true, Mom? Am I not a Tanner?¡±

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    There was a short moment of silence on the line, and I was then put on hold as she answered another

    iing call. I ced my phone on the table and stared nkly into space while waiting for her to get

    back to me.

    Mom put my call back on after quite some time. She didn¡¯t sound the least bit surprised. ¡°It seems he

    found out about it long ago. Yes, it¡¯s true that you¡¯re not his daughter. I have some things to take care of

    right now, so I¡¯ll tell you more when I get back. Bye!¡±

 Chapter 553

    Chapter 553

    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± I wanted to say something but Mom had already hung up on me. With the phone still in my

    hand, I could only let out a sigh in response.

    I really wished I had my mom by my side at the time, but she was somewhere far away with Mark.

    News articles about my identity could be seen all over the newspapers in the afternoon. Thanks to the

    poprity I gained from my previous drama with Crystal and Monica as well as my art being disyed

    overseas in Anndur, my news became a hot topic of conversation.

    It wasn¡¯t long before practically everyone in Avenport knew about me not being a Tanner. As a result, I

    received quite a few calls in a row.

    Sabrina, Darius, Dn, and even Julia called to check on me. She asked if I wanted to make a trip to

    the Lane residence, and I said yes after giving it some thought.

    I did not know what exactly happened back then, but Julia had indeed been nice to me ever since she

    came to ept me. At least she behaved like that until Isabelle returned and after word got out about

    me being her daughter.

    It was all truly a strangebination of events and circumstances.

    It was my first timeing over to the Lane residence without Christopher around. I handed a servant

    some gifts I had brought after stepping through the front door. Dn then came running toward me the

    moment he saw me. He was about eight to nine years old. When he threw himself like that, I nearly lost

    my bnce.

    ¡°Hey, Aunt Eve! That game console you bought me is amazing! I carry it with me every day and I just

    can¡¯t get enough of it!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you like it, Dn. Now, get off me before Shelley sees us, or she¡¯ll scold you again!¡± I

    said while struggling to carry him in my arms.

    ¡°Oh,e on! It¡¯s been ages since my mom carried me like this! Let me enjoy this a little while longer.

    In return, I¡¯ll tell you some good news!¡± Dn stuck his tongue out and winked at me.

    ¡°But you¡¯re too heavy for me to carry, Dn!¡± Mustering all of my strength, I managed to ce him

    down on the bench before giving him a light smack on the head. ¡°Come on, now. Spill it! What¡¯s the

    good news?¡±

    Dn rubbed his head as he leaned in to whisper into my ear, ¡°I¡¯m sure you would like to know where

    my Uncle Christopher went, right? I heard Dad talking on the phonest night. Uncle Christopher is

    currently in a small town called Mapleton. It¡¯s located at the border of Yorknd. I bet he¡¯s having a

    st there with his friends right now!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Darius knows that much?¡± I was confused.

    Darius and Christopher are both in charge of very different things. Sabrina told me that Christopher is

    on a secret mission. Isn¡¯t strange that Darius would know his exact whereabouts?Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I then pulled out my phone and sent Christopher a text: I hear the women in Yorknd are very

    ¡°passionate.¡± You¡¯d better not let them seduce you now!

    Christopher didn¡¯t respond to me this time, but I wasn¡¯t disappointed because he was out there carrying

    out a dangerous mission and putting his life on the line. There was no way he would have time to reply

    my texts so quickly.

    I sent him another text after that. I just found out that I¡¯m not Nathan¡¯s daughter today, and I¡¯m freaking

    out right now. Since he isn¡¯t my biological father, he has no obligation to raise me and treat me well at

    all, but he did so anyway. As such, I really hope that my mom would stop going after the Tanners. I¡¯m

    not sure if this is the right course of action and my mom would probably get mad at me for it too, but I

    believe you¡¯ll support my decision because you¡¯re my prince!

    Dn walked up to me and tried to sneak a peek at my phone after I sent that message. ¡°You were

    texting Uncle Christopher, weren¡¯t you? Make sure to add those three magic words! My mom says you

    need to say those words every day to keep your rtionship strong!¡±

    ¡°You cheeky little¡­¡± I gave him another light smack on the head before turning around to send

    Christopher the three words. Sometimes, you just have to tell your significant other how much you love

    them, or they¡¯ll never know!

    ¡°I¡¯m not cheeky! I¡¯m mature for my age! Also, I¡¯ll have you know that I have a girlfriend, so stop hitting

    me on the head!¡±

 Chapter 554

    Chapter 554

    The Lane family was rather nice to me even though Christopher wasn¡¯t around. Darius kept topping up

    my te with food but Julia had a conflicted look in her eyes when she looked at me. She probably

    wasn¡¯t expecting my mom to be an old acquaintance of hers.

    Julia asked me to go for a walk with her in the garden after the meal. Shelley wanted to join us, but

    Julia immediately rejected her request by saying, ¡°Go check Darius¡¯ closet and see if he needs any

    new clothes. The weather is turning cold soon; you should get him some extra coats.¡±

    ¡°But I already had one tailored yesterday¡­¡± Shelley stopped mid-sentence when she realized what

    was going on and continued by saying, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve already checked his closet yesterday and we just

    need to decide on which design to go with today. I¡¯ll get to it right away. Have a nice day, you two!¡±

    I could tell that Julia had something she wanted to talk to me about, so I followed her into the garden.

    Julia tended to her garden often as she loved her flowers a lot. The ce was filled with beautiful

    flowers in full bloom.

    She then stopped in the center of some lilies and knelt down to touch them. ¡°Look at the flowers.

    They¡¯re all blooming in such bright colors, showing their most beautiful sides to the world. See these

    two flowers over here? They are quite simr in size and look the same at first nce, but there are

    tiny differences between each individual flower. This one is growing in a suitable spot, so it blossoms

    nicely. The other one is growing on the side and hasn¡¯t been receiving enough nutrients, so it won¡¯tst

    long even if it does blossom. The same principle applies to marriages.¡±

    I was able to read between the lines and immediately understood what Julia was implying. ¡°Are you

    saying that my marriage with Chris won¡¯tst long because of my mom, Mrs. Lane?¡±

    Julia thought she would need to beat around the bush before getting to the point, only to have me do

    the exact opposite. Since I had already addressed the issue, she decided to cut to the chase. ¡°I¡¯m d

    to see that you¡¯re on the same page! Had I known that you are Isabelle¡¯s daughter and Robert¡¯s niece,

    I would never have agreed to you marrying Chris in the first ce!¡±

    ¡°Why is that, Mrs. Lane? I don¡¯t understand why the grudges of the previous generation should affect

    the next!¡± I eximed with a sigh.

    Everyone kept telling me we should not be together, and I was getting really sick of hearing that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot more hard times than I have good times, but meeting Christopher made me

    realize that all of my sufferings have urred so that he coulde into my life and bring me

    happiness. My life is onlyplete with him in it, so why can¡¯t we be together? Why can¡¯t I be happy?

    Am I just fated to live a miserable life forever?¡±

    Julia let out a wry smile when she noticed the anger in my eyes. ¡°Because you¡¯re Isabelle¡¯s daughter,

    that¡¯s why. You¡¯re a good kid, really. It¡¯s a shame you are a descendant of the Anderson family.¡±

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    I looked her in the eye and asked in a questioning tone, ¡°Are you trying to separate us again, Mrs.

    Lane?¡±

    ¡°You may not know this, but your mother has a long and messy history with the Lane family.¡± Julia

    frowned as she said that, her eyes ncing at Darius¡¯ room from time to time.

    ¡°Are you referring to my mom¡¯s history with Darius?¡± I asked.

    This time, it was Julia¡¯s turn to be shocked. ¡°Your mother told you about something like that?¡±

    I shook my head. Mom had barely spoken to me ever since she returned as she was busy with work all

    the time and behaved rather mysteriously, much to my confusion. The only thing she talked about the

    most was my Uncle Robert. She would also often remind me that the Lane family was our enemy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve long since known about the history between Mom and Darius. Darius told me about it himself.¡±

    The look on Julia¡¯s face turned grim instantly. ¡°Darius knew about it but never told us? If he had said it

    earlier we wouldn¡¯t be in such a messy situation. Did you know that your mom approached Darius with

    bad intentions?¡±

 Chapter 555

    Chapter 555

    Julia has gone too far with what she said! I may not know the details as to what happened back then,

    but that¡¯s my mom she¡¯s talking about! With that in mind, I cranked up the hostility in my tone and said

    coldly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about my mom like that, Mrs. Lane.¡±

    ¡°But I am simply speaking the truth. Why do you think I can¡¯t ept you being Isabelle¡¯s daughter?

    Your mother deliberately seduced Darius after finding out that he¡¯s my son; she practically had him

    wrapped around her finger. She was even going to use him against us! Had I not realized that in time,

    the Lane family wouldn¡¯t even exist today! She has always been trying to seek revenge for the

    Andersons. Does she really think I don¡¯t know that just because she keeps it to herself?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± I rebuked her immediately. My mom would never do something like this! She¡¯s

    always been kind and gentle! She¡¯s an angel that has descended from heaven. There¡¯s no way she

    would manipte a guy who loves her so much for her own personal gain!

    ¡°Why do you think I objected to their rtionship and locked Darius up at home on her wedding day?

    It¡¯s precisely because I noticed what Isabelle was up to! You can go ask your mom if you don¡¯t believe

    me.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡± My expression grewpletely cold. Being a businesswoman, it was in

    Julia¡¯s nature to be suspicious of others. I didn¡¯t me her for doubting my intentions when I dated

    Christopher, but I wasn¡¯t about to let her talk about my mom like that.

    ¡°You were thest person to see my Uncle Robert, Mrs. Lane. My mom saw that and you know it.

    That¡¯s why you¡¯re making such horrible usations! You wouldn¡¯t have said all that if you didn¡¯t know!

    In other words, you¡¯re feeling guilty for causing the death of my uncle!¡±

    I knew it was inappropriate of me to say such things, especially when things were not looking great for

    Christopher and me. However, my mom was my own family member; there is no way I could sit by and

    let someone insult her like that!

    ¡°You¡­¡± Even Julia was shocked by my sudden outburst and stared speechlessly at me for quite a

    while before continuing, ¡°I can understand your desire to defend Isabelle because you are her

    daughter. Likewise, I am defending my son as his mother. I don¡¯t me you for what you said.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    That¡¯s a perfectly rational response from her, and yet¡­ Why am I feeling a lot worse after hearing it? I

    let out a sigh at the thought of that and looked up at the sunny sky above. ¡°Regardless, I still respect

    you, Mrs. Lane. I may have made a lot of mistakes in life, but I will not give up on Christopher even if

    the entire world objects to our rtionship. I don¡¯t care if you call me heartless or shameless for

    insisting on dating Christopher, but we¡¯ve promised to spend the rest of our lives together, and nothing

    will ever change that.¡±

    I didn¡¯t care if peoplebeled me as unfilial for liking the son of our enemy. Christopher was a man who

    would sacrifice his life to save mine in a heartbeat, and I would never let go of him for the world.

    Julia was about to say something in response but my stubbornness shocked her so much that she held

    her tongue in the end. I figured she probably recalled our peaceful times together as well as her

    promise to hold a grand wedding for me.

    She then let out a sigh momentster. ¡°Your rtionship with Chris has long been beyond my control.

    He went as far as pointing a gun at his head when you were dying at the hospital ¨C what more could a

    mother like me possibly do? However¡­¡±

    Julia¡¯s tone turned cold all of a sudden as she continued, ¡°I will not allow anyone to cause the Lane

    family any harm, and I mean anyone. Is that clear?¡±

    So that¡¯s what she¡¯s concerned about? I chuckled at the thought of that. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ve already

    made my stand the moment I chose to be with Christopher, haven¡¯t I?¡±

 Chapter 556

    Chapter 556

    ¡°Can you guarantee your mother won¡¯t try anything funny?¡± Julia questioned me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but I will try my best to resolve this grudge.¡±

    This is probably the only thing I can do at this point. Judging by Mom¡¯s attitude, it doesn¡¯t seem like

    she¡¯ll let go of her grudge so easily¡­

    The look in Julia¡¯s eyes softened a little as she said, ¡°You¡¯d better remember your promise. Since Chris

    has made up his mind on marrying you, I shall hold a grand wedding for you two. Looks like you¡¯re

    bound to be my daughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lane!¡± Christopher was a part of myself that I couldn¡¯t afford to lose, and I really

    needed someone on my side in a time like this. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to keep going if

    everyone were to be against us.

    Mom¡¯s whereabouts remained unknown to me, and news about my identity was all over the television

    by the next morning. I was unable to focus on my art. I just could not seem to draw anything of

    satisfactory quality.

    Frustrated, I let out a sigh and tore the painting down before throwing it into the trash. I had promised to

    present Remington with a nice painting to help boost the hype of his auction, but I was no longer sure if

    I could even get it done in time.

    Finishing an artwork within two weeks was a piece of cake for me when I had great ideas. This time,

    however, a month had already passed and my canvas was still nk while my trash was filled with

    scrapped paintings.

    I tossed the newspaper aside after flipping through a couple of pages, only to quickly pick it back up

    when one of the articles caught my eye. Aside from articles about me not being Nathan¡¯s daughter,

    there was another one calling me Mark¡¯s daughter.

    I read through the article carefully and saw that the journalist had gone into great detail by deducing

    Mom¡¯s rtionship with Mark as well as my age. The article concluded that I was actually the heiress to

    the Goldstein family, much to my amusement.

    Pfft¡­ What a joke! How is that even possible? I had jokingly mentioned that a few days ago. Who

    would¡¯ve thought someone actually started a rumor about it and published it in the

    newspaper! Besides, if Mark really is my dad, then why haven¡¯t they told me about it after being

    together for so long? Am I really that unimportant to them?

    I tried calling Isabelle again, but there was still no answer. Mom was the only person who knew the

    truth about me not being a Tanner, and yet she was nowhere to be found, not even at the Goldstein

    residence. What on earth is she so busy with that she can¡¯t even make time to see her own daughter?

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Recalling Nathan¡¯s pleas, I sent Isabelle a text. Mom, will you please spare the Tanners? Nathan did

    raise me even though I¡¯m not his biological daughter, so it¡¯s perfectly justifiable for him to have treated

    me poorly. Will you please let them go for my sake? I know you¡¯re mad at him for what he did to you,

    but to forgive is a virtue. I hope you will reconsider your actions after reading this message.

    Suddenly, there was an urgent knock on the door, followed by Sabrina¡¯s desperate yelling, ¡°Hey, Eve!

    Are you there? Something big has happened!¡±

    I quickly opened the door and saw her child crying in her arms. Thinking there was something wrong

    with the child, I took him over from her and asked, ¡°What happened? Why is she crying so loudly?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about my kid! Mr. Lane and Zach have run into some trouble at the border!¡± Sabrina

    shouted with tears in her eyes.

    Hearing that hit me like a bolt from the blue. I was so anxious that I nearly dropped the child. ¡°What?

    What happened to Chris? Tell me!¡±

 Chapter 557

    Chapter 557

    As my voice was too loud, it attracted the attention of the neighbors. Noticing them opening the door to

    take a look, I quickly led Sabrina into the living room and closed the main door behind me. ¡°What

    exactly happened, Sabby? Stop crying. I¡¯m going to pass out from the panic!¡±

    After hearing my questions, Sabrina immediately burst out crying. It was weird because I had never

    seen her being so helpless before. ¡°Something terrible happened to Zach and the others when they

    were on a mission at the border. After getting shot, t-they went missing!¡±

    ¡°Missing?¡± I staggered back and asked, ¡°What do you mean that they¡¯re ¡®missing¡¯? How could two

    people disappear in broad daylight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Sabrina wept while carrying her child. ¡°I just got the news from Sean. He initially wanted to

    ask about my situation. However, he identally let it slip that Zach and the others were involved in a

    shooting incident and went missing! What should I do? Eve, I¡¯m so worried. My baby is still so young,

    too! W-What if-¡±

    ¡°T-There¡¯s no way that will happen!¡± I screamed and cut her off. Then, I tried to console myself, ¡°It¡¯s

    impossible! Chris and I haven¡¯t even gotten a chance to hold a wedding yet, and I didn¡¯t manage to see

    him off, either. Therefore, there¡¯s no way he could leave me just like that. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, I¡¯m

    telling you!¡±

    At that, Sabrina stopped crying and looked at me hopefully. ¡°Eve, you have a way around it, am I right?

    Go on and inform Darius and the others about it. Since they¡¯re so powerful, they¡¯ll definitely have ways

    to find them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to find Darius, so stay right here. If there¡¯s anything, I will call you. N-No!

    Nothing will happen. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± However, when I turned around to leave, I identally bumped into

    the wall in my hastiness. Although I tried hard to calm myself down, I had to try a few times to unlock

    the doors with my trembling hands.

    ¡°You must ensure that theye home safely, Eve. I only have you to rely on,¡± Sabrina begged while

    holding onto her baby.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Of course they will be safe and sound!¡± At that moment, I was unsure if I wasforting myself or her.

    As we were just weak and defenseless, we could only think of finding help in that situation. Therefore,

    Sabrina must have met with her parents before turning to me as ast resort.

    Suddenly, I thought of finding Mark and Isabelle but I quickly dismissed that thought. After all, my

    mother did not even appear after the expose of me not being Nathan¡¯s daughter. Thus, there was no

    way she would assist me in finding Christopher, especially when the Lane family was her enemy.

    I tried to call Darius, but the line was busy. Thus, I hailed a cab right to his office as he should be at

    work at this hour. However, I was stopped by the security guard at the main entrance of the building.

    After knowing that I was there to find Darius, he refused to let me in unless I could prove that I was

    somewhat rted to him.

    ¡°Miss, Mr. Lane is a handsome guy, so there are plenty of women lining up to meet with him every day!

    How could I be sure that you don¡¯t have a hidden motive in looking for him? Last time, a woman

    iming to be his cousin almost managed to seduce him, and in return, I was so close to losing my job.

    If you don¡¯t have any special reasons to meet with him, don¡¯t ever think of going inside.¡± The security

    guard blocked the entrance, ignoring my panic and anxiety.

    ¡°Why are there so many unruly women recently? Why can¡¯t they see if they¡¯re even worthy of getting

    together with the mayor? Besides, the mayor is already married and doesn¡¯t have the time to care

    about petty things like this.¡±

    After hearing that, I asked anxiously, ¡°If I manage to prove myself, will you let me inside?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So, who are you?¡±

    Picking up the newspaper on his desk, I pointed to the headlines. ¡°Take a look. This is me! You can

    read up on meter. Someone as prestigious as me¡ªa daughter of the Goldstein family¡ªwould never

    want to be some man¡¯s mistress.¡±

 Chapter 558

    Chapter 558

    ¡°The daughter of the Goldstein family? Let me take a look!¡± When the guard read the newspaper, I took

    the opportunity to run as fast as possible. ¡°Go on and take a look. I really have something urgent going

    on.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Wait for a moment!¡±

    Ignoring the guard¡¯s yells, I rushed to the building¡¯s top floor as I remembered Dn saying that Darius¡¯

    office was on that floor with pretty flowers ced right by his office door.

    Aftering out of the elevator, I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. I looked around and saw

    two flower pots ced by a door. However, as I was going to knock on the door, which was ajar, I

    overheard the conversation inside. Darius was on the phone; his words were enough to make me stop

    in my track.

    ¡°Have you not found him yet? I thought Chris was at Mapleton, a town with less than ten thousand

    residents. How could you only find his phone and not him? I don¡¯t care what you do, but locate him

    immediately! After all, you¡¯re professional mercenaries, so you must spot him before the others do!¡±

    It seemed that Darius knew all about it, for Mapleton was the ce Dn had mentioned to me before.

    This meant that Chris and Zachary must have gone missing for a couple of days. The call that Darius

    made earlier must have been about this matter as well.

    Immediately, my heart lurched in my throat. What a horrible situation he must be in, having gotten shot

    and disappeared for a few days!

    ¡°Sean, I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯m begging you to please bring him back!¡± Darius continued for some

    while, but my mind nked out. The only thing I could think about was Christopher being hunted down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you. I can¡¯t believe you dared to make a fool out of me. Get out of here right now.

    Even if you are the daughter of the Goldstein family, you don¡¯t have the right to visit Mr. Lane as you

    wish.¡± The bodyguard walked over and started to drag me out of the building.

    Meanwhile, Darius opened the door upon hearing themotion outside. When he saw me being

    tugged away by the guard, he shot me a stunned look before motioning the guard to leave. ¡°Yvonne,

    why are you here?¡± he asked.

    Although I was trying my best to calm myself down, it was futile and my hands were still shaking

    uncontrobly. Darius handed me a cup of warm water and said, ¡°Calm yourself down. After that, you

    can talk slowly.¡±

    ¡°Darius, you¡¯ll find Chris, right?¡± I asked in a panic.

    Upon hearing that, Darius¡¯ expression darkened, and he knitted his eyebrows together. ¡°What are you

    talking about? Chris is still at the border carrying out his mission. Did you hear some weird rumor from

    someone else?¡±

    ¡°Darius, you don¡¯t need to hide it from me. I heard everything you talked about on the phone just now.

    How is Chris right now? Is he hurt? How serious is his injury?¡± I asked away while warming my hands

    on the cup.

    Darius was momentarily hesitant. He then exined, ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think. The border is a vast

    area, so he must be resting with Zachary at some viger¡¯s home. You don¡¯t need to worry about

    anything.¡±

    ¡°I have the right to know about it, don¡¯t I? I¡¯ll keep worrying if you don¡¯t tell me the truth. And I don¡¯t

    want the sugarcoated version of it.¡±

    After seeing how persistent I was, Darius sighed with worry. ¡°As Chris was carrying out a secret

    mission, they did not bring many subordinates with them so as to remain low-key. However, they

    encountered somepetent enemies and had to split up. It can¡¯t be confirmed if he¡¯s hurt or not.¡±

    Seeing how my face was clouded with anxiety, Dariusforted me. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Didn¡¯t Chris

    manage toe back safe after every mission? He¡¯s more powerful than you think he is; don¡¯t

    underestimate him.¡±

    ¡°But I-¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Darius¡¯ tone turned stern. ¡°You are my future sister-inw, so it¡¯s normal for you to worry

    about his safety. However, Chris is destined to be a part of the military. Even if he gives up the chance

    of being promoted, he¡¯ll still be a major. As the woman behind Christopher, you¡¯ll need to ept this

    fact, do you understand?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 559

    Chapter 559

    Nevertheless, I don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯t worry about Christopher. As it was the first time Darius

    spoke to me in such a stern manner, I was at a bit of a loss.

    ¡°He will still need to carry out missions in the future. Since you chose to be together with him, you need

    to be mentally prepared and stop feeling as anxious as you are now. Your negative emotions will affect

    everyone around you, and Chris would not want to see that. Thedies of the Lane family stay calm as

    they deal with challenges.¡±

    ¡°So this is the meaning of being the woman behind Christopher.¡± Looking at him, I could not help but

    laugh. Darius was right, for I had lost my mind as it was the first time this had happened to me.

    The Lane family must have been the first to know about Christopher¡¯s disappearance. However, even

    when I went over to have dinner with them, they did not bring it up as they had faith in Christopher. No

    wonder when we were eating, Julia seemed to have something to tell me even though she gave it up in

    the end.

    It seemed that Julia had wanted to inform me about Christopher. However, she forgot about it after we

    got into a quarrel.

    ¡°Thank you for your advice. I understand now.¡± I smacked my head and calmed myself down. Since

    they chose to believe in Christopher, I should too. Then, I took a sip of the water and felt that it tasted

    sweeter from before. Although I wanted to hurry back to apany Sabrina, I could not help but blurt

    out, ¡°Darius, did my mother know about your identity when she met you?¡±

    Darius was taken aback by my question. He hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°I was the one

    who told her about it. When she was going to graduate, I revealed my identity. At that time, Isabelle

    was startled and even rejected the gift I gave her. I had a hard time understanding why she stopped

    contacting me after that; she even refused to reply to all my email messages.¡± After smiling bitterly, he

    continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re suddenly asking me this question. However, I think I now

    understand why she cut me out of her life. It¡¯s because I¡¯m my mother¡¯s son, so she chose to treat me

    as a random stranger.¡±

    After knowing the truth, I smiled. ¡°Darius, I¡¯m counting on you to bring Chris back to me. If you receive

    any updates about him, please do inform me right away.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Darius sent me off when I left the building. When the security guard saw that, he wanted to kick himself

    and apologized to me repeatedly. I waved it off and left for home, not wanting to make a scene.

    When I reached home, I found Sabrina still pacing around the house while carrying her baby. Noticing

    my return, she questioned in a hurry, ¡°How is it? What did Darius say? Is there any news about Mr.

    Lane?¡±

    ¡°Darius told me that he has sent a team of mercenaries to find them. The situation is not as bad as we

    think it is. Seeing that Darius was ratherid back ¨C he was even shocked at my frantic behavior ¨C I

    think we¡¯re really overthinking it.¡± I scratched the back of my head and exined, ¡°Darius even got

    angry at me and told me that I was being unreasonable if I were to continue to feel distraught.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Sabrina immediately stopped crying. ¡°If even Darius thinks that we¡¯re worrying needlessly, it

    must be a minor issue. I can¡¯t believe Sean told me the wrong information! I¡¯ll teach him a lesson when

    I get home. Also, when Zaches back, I¡¯ll punish him by letting him sleep in the guest room for a

    week. How could he scare me like that?¡±

    The abrupt U-turn in her attitude drove me speechless.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll need to bring my baby home, or else my mom will nag at me for leaving her alone for such a

    long time. Let me know if there¡¯s any good news. Even if the news isn¡¯t satisfactory, notify me as well.¡±

    Sabrina rushed out of the house while carrying her baby in one hand and a milk bottle in the other. In a

    blink of an eye, she disappeared from my sight.

 Chapter 560

    Chapter 560

    After waking up from my nap, I got up and went to get something to eat from the fridge. With a bottle of

    yogurt in hand, I went to turn on the TV as I sipped on it. After a moment, my expression changed. The

    bottle slipped from my hands and fell onto the floor, sttering yogurt everywhere.

    But I wasn¡¯t faltered by it. I was sitting on the floor staring nkly at the TV when I stood up

    suddenly. Rushing to my bedroom, I packed two sets of clothes, my travel documents, and my ID. I

    then headed for the airport without informing anyone.

    How could I have been so foolish? I hadpletely forgotten the reason I went to look for Darius after

    being shouted at by him. He tricked me with his words, and I believed him. Someone like Darius

    wouldn¡¯t have said something so inappropriate. Those words were more likely toe out of Julia or

    Shelley. How could a man like Darius think of something like this?

    Besides, based on my understanding of him and the nd rtionship he had with Shelley, he couldn¡¯t

    have been so sentimental. That was why he must have had thought of what to say beforehand and

    comforted me.

    Things seemed to be much more serious than I thought. Christopher was in great danger, and they

    chose to let Darius, who was the worst liar, lie to me so that I would not worry.

    I didn¡¯t know if I should thank them or be mad at them for trying to hide it from me. Not caring about

    anything else, I rushed towards the airport. I never thought about stopping at all. I must find Christopher

    this time.

    Since he was in such great danger, I needed to go see him. I wanted to be with him no matter what. If

    everyone disapproved of this, we¡¯ll just die together. At least that way, we¡¯ll be together.

    While buying the ne tickets, I pulled out my phone and took a look at the message Mom had sent

    me. We¡¯ll talk about minor things like this next time.

    I was disappointed. If something like this was minor, what was serious in her eyes? Even though Mom

    loved me after she was back, I could never feel what I felt in the past. Perhaps the years of separation

    became a wall between us. Mom would never tell me anything, and she was never there whenever I

    wanted to tell her anything.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    In the end, I told her to take care and left without any hesitation.

    ¡°Please give me a ticket to Yorknd. I want somece that¡¯s closest to Mapleton,¡± I said as I handed

    the ticket agent my money.

    I had only found out about Mapleton of Yorknd a while ago. It wasn¡¯t the town¡¯s original name, but

    everyone liked to call it that. Renowned for its red flowers, the town was a beautiful sight, and a lot of

    people were attracted to visit the ce. However, a fire soon burned everything down to waste, and the

    ce was rebuilt into the town now known as Mapleton.

    I sat in my seat and listened to the other passengers chat among themselves with my eyes closed. I

    slowly drifted off to sleep when I suddenly had a nightmare. In the dream, I saw blood flowing out of

    Christopher¡¯s chest non-stop. He tried his best to walk forward but fell onto the ground after a short

    distance. The man tried to get up but had no energy left in him.

    Then, his once bright eyes darkened and slowly closed.

    ¡°No¡­ Chris¡­¡± I jolted awake from my dream and sat up straight in distraught. I had shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t

    die!¡± right as I woke up, waking up the other passengers on the ne. Some of them muttered their

    displeasure while a few of them asked if I was okay.

    I shook my head but said nothing before pulling the nket closer to myself. Christopher, please be

    alright. You have to wait till I find you.

    Little did I know, my screams rmed someone who was passing by earlier. The person was originally

    about to leave, but they stopped in their tracks. They then acted as though they were walking by again,

    just to take another look at me.

    I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep after waking up from the nightmare. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would

    see Christopher in danger, his body covered in blood. So I got up and went to the restroom.

    After disembarking the ne, I walked along the unfamiliar streets. As I passed by an alley, a group of

    men came out from nowhere. One of them covered my mouth with a handkerchief as we passed by

    each other. But before I could even react, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness.

 Chapter 561

    Chapter 561

    I don¡¯t know what happened. I had just arrived at Yorknd and was immediately stuck in this situation,

    despite not having done anything yet. Still in a daze, I could only hear some muffled voices but was not

    able to make out what they were saying.

    Besides feeling afraid, I was sad that I was so helpless. I didn¡¯t even manage to find Christopher.

    Rumor had it that Yorknd was a mess. Did I encounter human traffickers, or maybe organ

    traffickers?

    I got more scared the more I thought about it. When I finally woke up, I saw that I was in an abandoned

    warehouse. A group of men was ying cards together when one of them noticed that I was awake.

    He then tossed a bottle of water and a piece of bread at me.

    I took the food and studied them as I ate. ¡°Who are you guys. Why did you kidnap me?¡±

    ¡°For the money, of course. You¡¯re the famous new school artist, after all. Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re an artsy young

    woman too,¡± someone said andughed. ¡°Luck is on our side. We were at a loss originally. But now

    that we have you, it seems like there¡¯s an eighty percent chance that we¡¯ll seed.¡±

    I was confused about the situation when he mentioned money. Unsure of how to react, I said, ¡°You

    kidnapped me for money, but we¡¯re in Yorknd now. I don¡¯t seem to recall that I¡¯m famous in

    Yorknd. Who are you going to ask for money here? Are you telling me that you want my family to

    come all the way from Avenport to send you money? Or do you want them to send you the money

    online? These options aren¡¯t realistic at all.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I heard that you¡¯re Lyle Smith¡¯s ex-wife. He still hasn¡¯t gotten over you, you know? I wonder how

    much you¡¯re worth,¡± a man said with narrowed eyes as he scrutinized me.

    ¡°Lyle?¡± I was even more confused now. ¡°You must have been mistaken. He has nothing to do with me

    now. If you¡¯re going to threaten Lyle, shouldn¡¯t you be looking for the woman he loves? Do you really

    think he¡¯d give his money because of me? Back then when I was kidnapped, the kidnappers demanded

    one billion but he didn¡¯t give them a single cent. He just left me to rot there.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Not many people knew about this incident anyway. Upon hearing my words, the kidnappers

    started to panic. One of the men kicked me and scolded, ¡°You should just die if you¡¯re not worth

    anything, then.¡±

    I felt a shiver down my spine in an instant. This really was an unexpected disaster. I haven¡¯t even done

    anything in Yorknd but was met with something like this all because of Lyle. Is he the bane of my

    life?

    The man who threw the bottle of water at me snatched it back right then. He threw it on the ground,

    and water spilled everywhere. It was such a pity as I was actually feeling thirsty and had only gotten to

    take a sip of it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. It¡¯s rumored that Lyle¡¯s woman cheated on him. Now, he regrets it and has been

    pestering his ex-wife. He must have a thing for her again.¡±

    I sighed and curled up in the corner. I didn¡¯t dare to say anything else, afraid that those men would do

    something to me if they were to find out that I was of no use to them.

    As if there weren¡¯t enough miseries in my life, this was the most serious one yet. If I were to meet Lyle,

    I wanted so much to give him a p across his face and then kick him on his shins. Why did I have to

    come across so many unfortunate events?

    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but I was hungry and thirsty. It was unbearable. So I shouted

    at the people ying cards, ¡°Can you please give me some food and water? Even if I¡¯m a hostage, you

    can¡¯t possibly leave me here to starve to death before you meet Lyle, right?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the noise? Shut up or we¡¯ll sell you off.¡±

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    Right then, the man, who seemed to be the boss, received a phone call. He walked over to me and

    gave me a cup of water and a piece of bread. I instantly gobbled down the bread and drank the water.

    However, I started to feel dizzy a momentter.

    I lost consciousness a whileter. They had added drugs into the water. I thought that I would still see

    the kidnappers when I open my eyes again, but I saw Lyle instead. I was shocked to see him. He really

    is in Yorknd.

    ¡°Lyle?¡± My eyes widened, and I continued to stare at him. What on earth is happening?

    Then, I realized that he and I weren¡¯t the only ones in the dark room. There were a bunch of other

    people whom I didn¡¯t know. Lyle was standing in the middle of the room, and everything else was just

    like when I was kidnapped back then. The only difference was that Crystal wasn¡¯t with me now.

 Chapter 562

    Chapter 562

    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you okay?¡± Lyle asked worriedly. He was about to walk towards me but was

    stopped by someone.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t agreed on the terms yet, Mr. Smith. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t step forward now. Your ex-wife is

    doing okay. I didn¡¯t lie to you, did I?¡± the person said inly as he blocked the former.

    ¡°Terms?¡± I nced at Lyle, and then at the rest in the room. Suddenly, I realized that because of my

    bad luck, I encountered people who werepeting with Lyle to get contracts or investors. However,

    they were unsessful, so they turned their attention to me.

    But am I really unlucky?

    Back then, the incident with Lyle, Crystal, and I caused such a hugemotion in Avenport. It wasn¡¯t a

    secret that I was Lyle¡¯s ex-wife. However, these people seemed to have mistaken something. Where

    did they get the confidence that this man would give up on his benefits for me? After all, the person he

    always loved was Crystal.

    If Crystal hadn¡¯t made so many mistakes, tricked Lyle, and even tried to take over the Smith family¡¯s

    assets, it wouldn¡¯t have been my ce to speak.

    ¡°Just say what you want.¡± He took a nce at me, a guilty look on his face. He must have never

    expected me to be dragged into his mess.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We were the ones who were supposed to have the project. If it wasn¡¯t for you getting in our

    way and taking it away from us, we wouldn¡¯t have lost such a great opportunity. As long as you sign the

    contract that says that you¡¯ll give me the project, I¡¯ll let go of your ex-wife,¡± someone answered.

    ¡°For no other conditions?¡± Lyle scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve already spent fifty thousand just for this project, and I

    finally got my hands on it. Why should I give it to you just like that?¡±

    His words were cold, and it didn¡¯t seem like he had any intentions of backing down.

    ¡°What? Are you going to be so cruel that you won¡¯t even care about your ex-wife anymore?¡± The

    scrawny man standing next to me became frantic and started to wave the knife he was holding before

    me. ¡°What¡¯s the point? It¡¯s just fifty thousand. The Smith family is powerful and wealthy. You can¡¯t

    possibly tell me that you can¡¯t pay fifty thousand, can you?¡±

    ¡°What if I say no?¡± Lyle questioned scornfully. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kidnap someone, shouldn¡¯t you have

    stopped to think first? If you had kidnapped Crystal, I would agree to whatever condition you propose.

    But as for Yvonne, do you really think fifty thousand is worth it? She¡¯s the daughter-inw of the Lane

    family. Do you think Christopher Lane¡¯s woman has anything to do with me? Or are you implying that I

    should give him a call to let him know that his woman has been kidnapped and that he would have to

    paypensation to let her go? Do you need me to talk through the conditions with him?¡±

    My heart sank, and I got more worried upon hearing his words. Even though I was dragged into this

    mess because of Lyle, his words were still true. In the past, as he stood before Crystal and me, he

    didn¡¯t even want to save me. That was why it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise that he wasn¡¯t willing to save

    me now.

    Will I die here in Yorknd if he doesn¡¯t save me? My only regret is that I didn¡¯t manage to find

    Christopher.

    ¡°Are you really not going to care, Lyle? I could kill her right now,¡± the scrawny man said. He had already

    put the knife by my throat. I could feel that it was extremely sharp even though it had only slightly

    grazed my skin.

    Lyle remained nonchnt. He swept a nce at me before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. However, you¡¯ll be the

    ones ending up in misery if you touch her. The Lane family isn¡¯t as easy to handle as the Smith family.

    Let¡¯s not talk about Mr. Darius for now. Old Mr. Lane was an important person back when he used to be

    a governor. And as for Christopher, do you think he¡¯d feed you to the dogs if he found out what you

    did?¡±

    ¡°You-¡±

    My heart felt empty having heard his words. Not only was he not going to save me, but he was also

    adding fuel to the fire. These men were already angered, and I could feel the man beside me bringing

    the knife closer to my neck. Am I really going to die here?

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    Next Chapter

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563

    I lifted my head to look at Lyle, only to see him gazing at me indifferently as if my death had nothing to

    do with him. I thought I should say something to save my own life. However, right when I was about to

    open my mouth, he moved his fingers and gestured me an okay sign.

    I was surprised at first but quickly hid my true emotion. I remember that action very well. In fact, it was

    something I would never forget. That was his favorite little gesture, which he often used with Crystal, to

    demonstrate their affection for each other.

    Back then, I spent a lot of time and effort on Lyle. Hence, I could easily tell from his actions, whatever

    both of them had up their sleeves. If Crystal wanted to bully me, he would make that gesture to assure

    her that he would take care of it.

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    What does it mean when he showed me that sign? Is he dropping a hint that he¡¯s going to save me?

    I debated about it, but I was still clueless if I should believe him. There was hardly any trust disyed

    between us.

    While I was still stuck in the quandary, Lyle said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I offer everyone a piece of advice? I¡¯ll let

    you participate in this project. In return, you should release her. This is a win-win situation for all of us.

    In addition, you don¡¯t need to live in fear nor worry about offending the Lane family. Consider half of the

    profit a favor from Christopher. What do you think?¡±

    The kidnappers said nothing as they were probably weighing the pros and cons of Lyle¡¯s offer. At that

    moment, there was pin-drop silence in the room. Feeling the intense pressure all around me, I was

    having ants in my pants and could not sit still.

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to be so greedy. If you ept the offer, a bright future awaits you. We both know what the

    consequences are if you choose to reject it. Ms. Tanner is a very special person. Do you really think

    that as a member of the special forces, Christopher doesn¡¯t know your hiding ce? Can you

    guarantee that you¡¯ll still stay alive when the authorities, as well as the underground societies,e

    after you?¡±

    Chuckling, he continued, ¡°We do this for the money, but it¡¯s a pity to lose your life before even getting a

    chance to spend the hard-earned money. I don¡¯t think I want to do that.¡±

    Lyle negotiated with those people strategically. He was very logical and convincing in his words. I could

    not help but take a nce at him. I haven¡¯t seen him in a while. He seems to have matured a lot and is

    bing more dependable. He¡¯s totally changed from the reckless guy that I used to know. Had he

    always been this sensible, things would have been very different between us.

    The kidnappers finally agreed to go with Lyle¡¯s suggestion after a vigorous discussion. ¡°Fine, Smith. I¡¯ll

    do this on your ount, but don¡¯t you dare to y any tricks with me. Half of the profit is mine!¡±

    Lyle tossed the agreement over. ¡°This is what I¡¯ve prepared. If you¡¯re okay with it, sign it now.¡±

    In the end, Lyle led me out of the underground basement. What a relief! I did not realize how terrified I

    was until I was staggering back and forth to get into the car. My legs felt like jelly, and I was almost

    paralyzed by fear at one point. Fortunately, Lyle gave me a hand when I was about to stumble and trip

    over.

    Taking a deep breath, I pushed him away and tried to regain my footing. Using both my hands and feet,

    I crawled into the car, took a seat, and calmed myself down.

    ¡°It¡¯s over. Have some water.¡± Lyle handed a bottle to me. When he saw that I refused to take it, he

    arched his brow and slid it into my hand.

    ¡°Did you assume that I¡¯d leave you just likest time?¡±

    Since my inner thoughts were exposed, I nodded and replied admittedly, ¡°Precisely. Anyway, you¡¯re

    right. We are just two strangers.¡±

    Lyle let out a wry smile. He leaned against the car seat and heaved a sigh. ¡°I always think about that

    incident. If I had chosen to save you first, would I still lose you? Every time I think about it, I¡¯d

    undoubtedly curse myself for being a fool. I bet you think the same, right?¡±

    I did not answer him. To me, it was all a coincidence to run into Lyle here. It was also an ident when

    he held my hand and ran.

    ¡°Why are you in Yorknd? I can¡¯t recall if there¡¯s any famous painter here that needs to be visited.

    Remington and the others are in Summerbank.¡±

 Chapter 564

    Chapter 564

    I was not sure if I should update Lyle that Christopher had gone missing. Seeing that I looked rather

    uneasy, he did not pursue the matter, but elerated on the pedal and sped off. Shortly after, we

    arrived at a hotel, but I did not get off of the car. Suddenly, he turned around and asked, ¡°Did youe

    here to find Christopher?¡±

    He knew that he guessed it right when he noticed myck of response and the surprised look on my

    face. ¡°The police has been patrolling very oftentely. Obviously, something massive is going on. It

    didn¡¯t register with me because the safety in this ce is always an issue. Now that I think about it, the

    constant monitoring of the police is most likely rted to Christopher.¡±

    There was no reason for me to hide from him since he had already connected the dots. Hence, I came

    clean with him about the purpose of my traveling here. ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Christopher. No matter what

    happens, I¡¯ll stay by his side.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Whatever Christopher does has its risks. What can you do even if you linger

    around? Let me take you back to Avenport. Stay home and look after yourself. The Lanes will take care

    of the rest.¡±

    Lyle could notprehend my decision. He looked at me, bbergasted. ¡°Mind your own business,

    Lyle. I must search for Christopher, and I¡¯ll never give up.¡± I went straight to the point.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°What can you do? Cause trouble?¡±

    ¡°At the least, I¡¯ll contribute to the search. I will find him. An extra pair of hands is better than none.¡± I

    muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t have peace when I stay home. Each moment of waiting is tremendous torture to me.

    It¡¯s unbearable!¡±

    Lyle was shocked to the wits. ¡°Will you risk it all for Christopher¡¯s sake?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even if it means I¡¯ll lose my life. Haven¡¯t I proved my determination through the incident on the

    ind? Don¡¯t try to stop me, Lyle.¡±

    He fell silent for a long while. Then, he stated, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He was resolute as if he had

    thought things through and made up his mind.

    This time, I was the one who was astounded because he was never the type of person who would

    sacrifice himself for others. Perhaps there¡¯s a person whom he¡¯s willing to risk his life for, and that¡¯s

    Crystal. Not me.

    I wondered what method Lyle used, that he was able to contact Sean the following morning. When I

    met up with Sean, he looked terrible and haggard, with bandages all over his body as if he had just

    escaped death from the battlefield. Yet, he acted like he was well and fine.

    There were police everywhere in the yard. Each of them was armed with weapons, filled with

    murderous intent, and was ever ready to fire away. When we were near, someone pointed the gun at

    us and yelled, ¡°Who are you? Leave this ce at once.¡±

    ¡°Please let me enter. I¡¯m here to look for someone. Is Christopher Lane here?¡±

    ¡°Take another step forward, and I¡¯ll shoot you.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± I was three feet away from the entrance when I saw Sean with an injured arm walking out.

    Without hesitating, I called out loudly, ¡°Sean, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m over here.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Sean was stunned. ¡°How did you get here?¡± he came forward and asked.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t important. Where¡¯s Christopher? Is he inside?¡± I queried anxiously.

    ¡°This¡­ Um¡­ Sir is upied at the moment. He¡¯s not avable to see you.¡± Sean felt bad. ¡°Yvonne,

    you should leave quickly. This isn¡¯t the ce where you should be. I¡¯m sure Sir will contact you in two

    days¡¯ time.¡±

    Upon hearing his words, I fretted even more. It did notfort me one bit. From his expression, I could

    tell that something had befallen Christopher.

    I shut my eyes for a moment to calm myself down. Then, I questioned him solemnly, ¡°Is it true that

    Christopher is not inside? He¡¯s gone missing during a task performed with Zachary, and you guys

    haven¡¯t located them yet.¡±

    Sean was at a loss for words. Subsequently, he tried to make me feel better. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things,

    Yvonne. Sir is absolutely fine. We¡¯re carrying out a secret duty. It¡¯s a policy not to share any details with

    others, including you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I know everything. I know that he¡¯s missing in action, and no one has found him yet.

    Tell me, are there any clues? Can we please go together?¡± I pleaded with Sean.

 Chapter 565

    Chapter 565

    ¡°Well, Yvonne, you¡­ Forget it,e inside first. I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡±

    Sean led me into the big yard and to the dorm inside. He said something to the guards at the entrance

    and left in a hurry. Initially, I did not suspect anything. After waiting for a very long time, it suddenly

    dawned on me that Sean had no intention to tell me anything about Christopher. He actually wanted to

    keep me here, refusing to let me take the risk.

    Everyone was baffled at my desire toe here, especially because I did not possess any special

    capability that would be of any help. They probably felt that I was just creating more trouble for them.

    What they did not know was how terrified I was whenever I thought about Christopher being left alone

    somewhere. He was probably injured and had no way to call for help. Death might have crossed his

    mind multiple times.

    At night, I took a peek outside. There was a group of soldiers gathering at a spot nearby, but they

    dispersed soon after. Did they leave to go find Christopher? I was so frustrated.

    ¡°Lyle, I can¡¯t stay here and keep waiting. Time is running out,¡± I said under my breath.

    Lyle was here to bring me dinner. He felt so helpless at my remark. ¡°The police is everywhere. Sean

    has instructed us not to leave. There¡¯s no use to fret. With the number of people searching for him, I¡¯m

    certain we¡¯ll receive good news soon.¡±

    I sighed as I picked up the utensils, but I had no appetite at all.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    At midnight, I got up discreetly and strode toward the living room. When I was about to go out, I heard

    some noises behind me. I turned around only to realize that Lyle was sitting on the couch in the living

    room.

    Frowning, I asked, ¡°Are you going to stop me.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d sure find a way to escape.¡± Lyle red at me while pointing outside. ¡°The guards here

    are on an hourly rotation. They will take a fifteen-minute rest during the changing of guards. Half an

    hour has passed. Hang on for a while more until the next rotation. Then, we shall have fifteen minutes

    to leave this ce.¡±

    I paused before saying, ¡°Thank you, Lyle. I really appreciate it.¡±

    It was my first time expressing my earnest gratitude toward him. His understanding made me feel more

    confident as a divorced woman in distress.

    During the changing of the guards, we sneaked out of the room. When we were on the second floor, I

    heard a faint conversation from one of the rooms. Quietly, I leaned further to eavesdrop.

    ¡°Sir went missing at the borders without any solid signs or clues. It¡¯s ultra-dangerous in the desert, with

    no food or water¡­ Still being chased by John? We should get rid of John and ensure that there¡¯s

    nothing else that bothers Sir¡­¡± I recognized that it was Sean¡¯s voice.

    The bits and pieces of information picked up were sufficient to make me panic. Nheless, those

    were very precious clues. I exchanged nces with Lyle. In a sh, I made up my mind to go look for

    Christopher in the desert.

    Escaping the premises was easier than I had imagined. The soldiers probably did not expect us to do

    so, so they let their guards down. We left the town in total darkness. Along the way, I went to get some

    food and water. The town was located at the border, so it was not a challenge to get out of it.

    I whipped out the map and studied it. Then, I said to Lyle, ¡°I¡¯m really thankful that you helped me so

    much. I¡¯m heading to the desert now, and you should go back.¡±

    He did not answer me. Conversely, he marched forward and went ahead of me. When I called out to

    him, he replied cidly, ¡°Start walking now. Otherwise, they will locate you in the morning and bring

    you back.¡±

    Stamping my foot, I dropped the topic.

    The desert was ready to devour any living souls at all times. During the day, it was scorching hot. The

    heat rising from the burning sand made it feel like an oven, and anything could practically be cooked

    when ced under the sun.

    During the night, the temperature decreased drastically. The prevailing wind blew from all directions,

    resulting in a cold climate. Our hands were stiffened as if we had experienced frostbites. Indeed, nature

    is our greatest enemy.

    Under the unforgiving sun, two figures arched their backs as they moved forward with great difficulty at

    snail¡¯s pace. Uponpleting quite a distance, the person in front suddenly copsed.

    ¡°Zach!¡± Christopher bent down to lift Zachary. Seeing his cracked lips and bleary eyes, he hurriedly

    reached for a bottle of water and fed him with thest drop.

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566

    ¡°No¡­ Sir, please keep this for yourself. I¡­ I can¡¯t hang on any¡­ longer. We can¡¯t both be dead

    here¡­¡± Zachary shut his mouth tight, refusing to drink.

    ¡°Darn it, Zach. Your wife has just delivered a child. You can¡¯t die yet. Are you that cruel to let Sabrina

    and the baby live by themselves? Hurry up and drink it!¡± Christopher insisted while pouring the water

    into Zachary.

    Thetter was afraid that the precious drops would go to waste. He had no choice but to open up his

    mouth and drink the water. Once his lips were moisturized, he cleared his throat, and said in a clearer

    voice, ¡°Sir, are we going to die here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I still want to return to Eve and keep my promise to give her an extravagant

    wedding. Until then, I won¡¯t die so easily,¡± Christopher said confidently. Then, he propped Zachary up.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep walking forward. I remember seeing an oasis on the map. It should be ahead of

    us. Once we get there, we¡¯ll find a way to contact Sean.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t move anymore. Sir, you should go ahead. In case John catches up with us, I¡¯ll distract them.¡±

    Zachary pushed Christopher away and slumped on the ground. The hem of his pants was torn,

    revealing a horrifying wound that was filled with pus. The stench of blood and the putrid smell of rotting

    flesh permeated the air. It was absolutely awful under the hot weather.

    ¡°Shut up. We shall leave together if you think of me as your own. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ask Sabrina to remarry

    when I get back.¡± Christopher dragged him up again. Unfortunately, he could only take one step

    forward before copsing once more. His physical strength had seemingly reached his limit.

    In fact, it was considered a miracle that he could sustain for that long without food and water. Moreover,

    he was badly injured.

    Clenching his teeth, Christopher took a knife and cut off the rotten flesh from Zachary¡¯s leg.

    Subsequently, he applied some medicine from Yorknd on it. However, it did not have much impact

    due to the medicine being too mild and generic.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    While he was bandaging Zachary¡¯s wound, Christopher heard someone talking nearby. ¡°The two

    fellows are hurt, so I bet they¡¯re not far off. Go get them without any further dy!¡±

    ¡°Boss, why must we chase them? It doesn¡¯t affect our business after all.¡±

    ¡°What do you fool know? Christopher, that jerk killed so many of our men. I managed to escape him,

    and I swore that I¡¯ll avenge for our people,¡± John bellowed.

    Christopher¡¯s expression dimmed as he heard some of the dialogues indistinctly. ¡°Zach, let¡¯s go.

    They¡¯re here.¡±

    As no response was received, Christopher nudged Zachary a few times, only to realize that he had

    passed out. Using all of his might, he carried Zachary on his back, quickened his steps, and fled.

    Had Zachary not saved me in the nick of time, the wounded one would have been me. Regardless of

    what happens, I¡¯ll never give up on him. I must ensure that he survives the desert, for the sake of

    Sabrina and their newborn. I must bring him back to his beloved family safely.

    The experience of entering the desert for the first time was beyond my worst nightmare. I had never

    been to any hignds, let alone ces with extreme weather. Avenport was by the sea, so it was very

    humid all year long. It was definitely nothing close to a desert climate.

    Upon walking around the desert for one day, the severe heat hadpletely drowned my enthusiasm.

    My only source of motivation to keep on searching was none other than Christopher.

    Three dayster, I still had no news about him. It made me feel so dejected. I had been to the two

    oases indicated on the map, but he was still nowhere to be found. There was only one more oasis yet

    to be visited; myst strand of hope. I was uncertain what to expect if Christopher was not there.

    In the vast desert that had no end, there was no guarantee that one¡¯s corpse could be located if

    anything untoward happened.

    I sat on a huge rock, munching some tasteless dried food. Lyle passed me a bottle of mineral water

    and saw that I was utterly downcast. Hemented, ¡°I see that you can be fearless when it concerns

    Christopher. Sandstorms can happen anytime here. We may face danger before we could find him.¡±

 Chapter 567

    Chapter 567

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can do anything for Christopher.¡± I ced my hand on my heart and cast a gentle gaze

    downward. My eyes were smiling. ¡°Having met Christopher is the most wonderful thing that has ever

    happened to me. He¡¯s the one who made me realize the purpose of this life. He¡¯s my source of hope,

    my motivation. Come what may, I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ll do anything for him.¡±

    Lyle was astounded. He guffawed at my expression. ¡°I¡¯m jealous of Christopher. Maybe you¡¯ll find this

    amusing, but I really envy him. Yvonne, would you do the same if it was me who had gone missing?¡±

    Why is he asking another hypothetical question? If he had asked me the same question back then, I¡¯d

    refute him without any hesitation. However, he has helped me tremendously this time. Christopher and

    I owe him one. I changed my tone of voice and answered politely, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You probably

    have never tried to get to know the real me.¡±

    I added, ¡°I¡¯m kind to whoever that¡¯s kind to me. Just like how you saved me when I was pushed into the

    pool. At that time, I told myself that I¡¯ll treat you with utmost gratitude because you saved me when I hit

    rock bottom.¡±

    I continued, ¡°When Crystal set me up, resulting in me being abducted, Christopher was the one who

    saved me right before I was assaulted by the thugs. Without him, I don¡¯t exist. I won¡¯t get to be a new

    school artist nor have the chance to produce the Autumnal Panorama. Lyle, thanks for everything. Let¡¯s

    continue to be friends henceforth.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    Lyle looked up and gulped down a bottle of water. He held the back of his head and chuckled.

    Momentster, he said, ¡°Forget about being friends. Let¡¯s do something more practical. Once we get

    Christopher out of here, you can get him to offer the Smiths more profitable projects as a way to repay

    me. It¡¯s nice to be a businessman. One can do anything that benefits him.¡±

    Lyle probably doesn¡¯t want to befriend me for I¡¯ve seen him at his worst. Oh well, let it be. This may be

    the best for both of us. I nodded. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re Christopher¡¯s savior. I bet the Lane family will

    undoubtedly give you a satisfactory response.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Looking at me, he suddenly changed the topic.

    I froze and frowned at the same time. ¡°You know how much I have. What else can I give you? List it all

    down.¡±

    He fixed his gaze at me. ¡°Paint me a portrait. Didn¡¯t you paint one for Christopher at the National Youth

    Art Exhibition and Contest? I want one too. His was entitled ¡®Hope¡¯. Mine shall be called ¡®Surreal¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    The remaining journey was extremely challenging. We had to walk on uneven ground; some were hard

    whereas the others were soft sand. Each step required a lot of effort, especially when night fell. I had

    lost count of how long I had been walking.

    Before arriving at thest oasis, I heard a few gunshots. I stopped in my tracks. I recalled Sean

    mentioned something about Christopher being chased by a rival, but thetter was like a headless

    chicken in the desert.

    Our luck was much better, and our direction was urate. Yes, Christopher must be there at the

    oasis! I ran toward it as fast as I could, but Lyle stopped me at once. ¡°Hang on. You¡¯re going to get

    killed if you act rashly. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    I was so anxious. I could not wait another second! Anyhow, Lyle was right. I took a peek at the situation

    far ahead and strode a few steps forward. The gunshots were no longer heard, so I presumed the fight

    had ended.

    Shortly after, I saw a few loud men retreat from the hill. They were speaking in a dialect that I did not

    understand. Hence, I had no idea what was going on. I decided to hide behind a huge rock. Right when

    I stuck my head out to check my surrounding, a gun was aimed at my forehead. The cold muzzle then

    moved to my temple. As I looked up, I was met with a pair of ferocious eyes.

 Chapter 568

    Chapter 568

    My mind was all over the ce when the man showed up with a gun in my face. I couldn¡¯t figure out the

    reason he was aware of my presence when I had sneaked my way through the isted desert. The

    moment the man saw me, he got down on his knees and announced with a hushed voice, ¡°Yvonne,

    hurry up and check on Christopher! He has passed out due to dehydration!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Upon another glimpse at the man in front of me, I found out he was none other than Zachary.

    Thus, I urged, ¡°Lyle, hurry up ande over here!¡±

    The moment I rushed to the giant boulder, I saw an unconscious Christopher on the ground. I couldn¡¯t

    stop my heart from racing as I yelled, ¡°Christopher, wake up!¡±

    I ced his head on my thighs and tried getting him to finish the water I brought along with me. As he

    was unconscious, I ended up feeding him to ensure he would remain hydrated. Once I ensured he had

    enough, I started sprinkling water all over him.

    When Lyle returned to us with Zachary, I found out Zachary was heavily injured. We were merely apart

    from one another for a fortnight, but the initial muscr man had turned into a scrawny figure.

    Unable to remain calm, I asked, ¡°What are we supposed to do? We need to rush all of you to the

    hospital since the antibiotics I have with me aren¡¯t going to work!¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have passed out had he not left the water to me!¡± Zachary started ming himself and

    ended up falling to the ground.

    ¡°You need to stop getting worked up since you¡¯re also heavily injured!¡± I handed Zachary the antibiotic

    pills I brought along with me and crushed another two to sprinkle them all over the wound on his leg.

    Once Lyle craned over and surveyed the surroundings, he suggested, ¡°We¡¯re not far away from the

    oasis! I¡¯m sure we can get ourselves the medical attention we require once we reach there!¡±

    Without a second thought, Zachary rebuked, ¡°No, John has brought along a lot of men with him since

    he¡¯s determined to take us out! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s waiting for us there! We¡¯re done the moment we show up

    and dance to their tune!¡±

    I took a peek at Christopher and found out he wasn¡¯t as frail as he was a few minutes ago. Thus, I

    asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Shall we return to our initial location?¡±

    Zachary remarked, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible as well since he must¡¯ve dispatched his men to stop us.

    Christopher¡¯s exceptional marksmanship is the only reason they¡¯re not here.¡±

    Once I finished inspecting the resources we have, I asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are we supposed to

    do when the supplies we have won¡¯t evenst us for more than two days!¡±

    Upon another inspection of the possible alternatives using the map, Lyle announced with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m

    afraid we¡¯re trapped since we¡¯re also going to lose our way if we continue venturing into the ind

    desert.¡±

    In a final attempt to get the party rescued, I reached for my phone to try out my luck with getting in

    touch with others. Unfortunately, we were out of range of the reception towers.

    When I thought it was the end of our party, Zachary announced with his eyes gleaming, ¡°As long as we

    have a phone, Christopher can deliver a message to ourrades!¡±

    Halfway through his orated speech, he let out a long sigh when he recalled Christopher was

    unconscious at the moment.

    All hell broke loose since we couldn¡¯t think of anything to get ourselves out of the nasty situation. The

    onlybatants of the party were heavily injured when we were surrounded by a bunch of viins.

    I¡¯m just d they¡¯re not trying anything rash at the moment since Christopher has put on quite a fight

    and proven himself a formidable foe!

    I let Christopher spend the night in the sleeping bag I brought along to prevent him from catching a

    cold. Out of nowhere, I saw someone shing a beam of light in our direction from afar.

    Immediately, I asked in a hushed voice, ¡°What are they trying to do?¡±

    Zachary announced with his face scrunched up, ¡°They¡¯re closing in to trap us!¡±

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 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not even necessary since there¡¯s no way we¡¯re making it out alive when we can¡¯t even put

    on much of a fight!¡± Once Zachary finished remarking sarcastically, he turned around and asked, ¡°How

    have you made your way here? Is Sabby aware of the things going on?¡±

    Shaking my head, I shared the bad news with him, ¡°Sabby was the one who told me of the things going

    on! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even be here!¡±

    Colors started draining from his face. He seemed as if he was about to pass out soon. The fact he was

    still conscious was a miracle since he could barely carry on with the conversation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have been away from home for a fortnight. Are the little ones doing fine?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re doing fine! In fact, they¡¯re in great hands with Sabby since she¡¯s exceptionally patient with the

    little ones. Your safety is her sole concern as of now.¡±

    ¡°Nothing else matters as long as they¡¯re doing fine!¡± Zachary repeated himself over and over again as if

    he couldn¡¯t care less about himself.

    Seated next to the boulder, Lyle remained silent throughout the session, but his disappointment was

    written all over his face. Initially, I thought he was nothing more than a burden when he insisted on

    tagging along for the trip to Yorknd. After all, he was the reason I was abducted the moment we

    reached.

    However, I started appreciating his effort since he had put his life at stake when he could¡¯ve returned

    and left me alone. To begin with, it had nothing to do with him at all.

    I inched over and handed him a military ration, expressing my utmost apology, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for getting

    you involved. I should¡¯ve stopped you when you insisted on tagging along with me.¡±

    He had a mouthful of the ration and asked, ¡°Are you going to make fun of me again if I say I¡¯m also

    regretting my decisions?¡±

    Chuckling, I remarked in return, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to make fun of you when I¡¯m equally afraid

    of dying. It¡¯s just human¡¯s nature.¡±

    ¡°E-Eve¡ª¡± When I heard someone calling my name, I turned around and rushed in the direction of

    Christopher without a second thought. The moment he regained consciousness, he reprimanded me,

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I was certain he would lose his cool as soon as he found out I was there for him. In the end, I made

    something up to deceive him. ¡°I-I just happened to be here!¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯re not supposed to be here!¡± Christopher sat upright and was about to

    launch a powerful p in my face. However, he stopped himself in the nick of time.

    I was certain the intelligent man had figured out it was nothing more than a lie the moment I brought it

    up. Instead of carrying on with the conversation, I brought him another bottle of water and urged, ¡°You

    need to keep yourself hydrated after being unconscious for such a long time.¡±

    Christopher shrugged me off and warned me, ¡°No, I want you to get out of my sight at one!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand the man¡¯s hoarse voice and knew he must be having a sore throat. ¡°Chris, you need to

    stop moving around since you¡¯re still rtively frail! We¡¯ll talk once you finish this!¡±

    ¡°Have I not made myself clear? Get out of my sight at once!¡± Unable to take it anymore, he pushed me

    away with all his might. As a result, I staggered and fell. In spite of sustaining a minor injury, I tried my

    best to stop myself from spilling the water since it was the party¡¯s sole source of hydration.

    ¡°Yvonne, are you okay?¡± Lyle rushed over to help me up. He turned around and reprimanded

    Christopher, ¡°Are you even in your right mind? Can you stop picking on her when she has put her life at

    stake for you?¡±

    ¡°Lyle?¡± Christopher looked at me in the eyes and announced with a contemptuous look, ¡°I can¡¯t believe

    you¡¯re having an affair with Lyle when I¡¯m away! He must be the reason you weren¡¯t there to send me

    off, huh? I don¡¯t need such a pretentious woman like you here with me! Get off my sight with your

    boyfriend over here!¡±

    ¡°No, Chris¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t even exin myself since Christopherunched a powerful p in my face

    halfway through my sentence. As a result of the p, I felt my cheek turning numb.

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    He had never gotten so worked up in front of me. All of a sudden, it felt as if the man in front of me was

    a stranger.

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570

    ¡°Christopher, that¡¯s too much!¡± When Lyle was about to throw a powerful punch in Christopher¡¯s

    direction, I got in his way and yelled, ¡°No! Stop it, Lyle! You¡¯re not supposed to beat him!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Stop being lovey-dovey in front of me! It¡¯s disgusting! Get out of my sight at once! Yvonne, I¡¯ll

    file for divorce with you as soon as I make it out alive!¡± Christopher was at the top of his lungs again.

    As my mind was all over the ce, I started wailing, ¡°No! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving you just yet! If you

    want me to leave, you need toe with me!¡±

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not leaving, I¡¯ll leave! Zach, it¡¯s time to go and leave them alone!¡± Christopher staggered

    the moment he tried to bring himself up. Nheless, he supported himself and made his way to

    Zachary¡¯s side with the aid of the boulder.

    I rushed over to his side and stopped him from leaving while wailing, ¡°Can you stop chasing me away?

    I know you¡¯re trying to get rid of me and lure John away from us! I¡¯m well aware you¡¯re trying to keep

    me safe, but you¡¯re not supposed to leave me alone! Haven¡¯t you promised me to stay with me till

    death do us part?¡±

    Slouching against Christopher, I started weeping and gasped out the things I had in mind, ¡°I have long

    made up my mind to brace myself through the challenge with you! Have you forgotten your promise

    when we were stranded on the ind? You told me you would never leave me again!¡±

    I was conscious of the reason behind his drastic change of attitude since he was never an arrogant

    man. There was no way he would make a fuss merely because Lyle was there. Therefore, I was certain

    it was another attempt of his to drive me away from him to keep me safe.

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    Christopher couldn¡¯t bring himself to keep up with his act. Instead, he repeated himself while wiping my

    tears off my cheeks, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here! You shouldn¡¯t have made your way here in the

    first ce!¡±

    As I continued bawling my eyes out, I wrapped my arms around him. ¡°Chris, I can¡¯t live without you!

    You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯m still alive! You need to stop driving me away!¡±

    Gritting his teeth, he remarked, ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, don¡¯t you? After all, you¡¯re still alive after

    leaving Lyle when you once mentioned you couldn¡¯t live without him. Yvonne, listen to me! I can still

    keep all of you safe as long as I lure them away with me! Can you do me a favor and bring them to

    safety with you?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Shaking my head, I repeated myself, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving you!¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, listen to me and stay here!¡± It was the first time in forever he groveled himself at others¡¯

    mercy. Staring at me in the eyes, he asked, ¡°Do you want me to witness you passing on in front of me?

    If you love me, listen to me! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to leave you for good!¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to repeat myself anymore! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re going to file for divorce with me once

    we make it out alive; there¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving you! You don¡¯t get to make the call when we¡¯re in the

    middle of nowhere!¡±

    Christopher finally gave up since he figured out he couldn¡¯t do anything to change my mind. Once he

    returned to his senses after a few minutes, he turned around and told Lyle, ¡°You should¡¯ve stopped her

    from making the trip if you truly have a thing for her! Keep her safe, and she¡¯s yours once I¡¯m gone!¡±

    Lyle shook his head and rebuked, ¡°I have always resented you for driving us apart from one another,

    but I¡¯m well aware I¡¯ll never be a match for you. She cares for you as much as you do. Thus, she

    would¡¯ve made the trip even if I tried stopping her.¡±

    Sighing, Christopher repeated himself, ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware it¡¯s over the moment you pass on? You still

    stand a chance if you take her away with you!¡±

 Chapter 571

    Chapter 571

    I was on pins and needles since I was afraid they would see eye to eye and bring me away against my

    will. Thus, I yelled, ¡°Lyle, you better not try anything silly! I¡¯m merely grateful you¡¯re around to do me a

    favor! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m falling for you! I won¡¯t stop you if you¡¯re going to leave, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m

    leaving Christopher alone!¡±

    Lyle turned around and looked at me in the eyes. A few minutester, he marched in my direction. I got

    myself a rock to defend myself just in case he tried to bring me away against my will. To my surprise,

    he leaned over and reached for my phone in the bag instead.

    Once he returned to Christopher¡¯s side, he handed the frail man the phone and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you

    do everyone a favor and try getting in touch with yourrades? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not much of a challenge

    for you to send someone to rush to our rescue, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Christopher frowned since none of us took his words seriously. In the end, he gave up and took over

    my phone. He retrieved his broken watch and started disassembling the watch to acquire the parts he

    needed.

    After another few minutes, he put everything aside and announced, ¡°I¡¯ve just delivered the message,

    but I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re going to make it out alive since it¡¯s going to take at least three days until they

    reach us. I¡¯m afraid John will take us out before then.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t great news, but it was something for us to look forward to when we were stranded in the

    middle of nowhere.

    I took a seat next to Christopher and tucked him in. It was then I found out Zachary had passed out due

    to his serious injury. He had caught on high fever, but there wasn¡¯t anything else I could do to turn the

    tables around since the antibiotic wouldn¡¯t even work.

    Once Christopher essed my phone, he started perusing the photos of us and responded with a

    frown as he took a trip down memoryne.

    I urged, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a short nap?¡±

    He remained silent and had a mouthful of water. All of a sudden, he stared dead ahead and

    announced, ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn break.¡±

    I turned around and stared dead ahead when I caught the sun rising from the horizon. ¡°What¡¯s wrong

    with us? Can we stop catching the sunrise whenever our lives are at stake? Once we make it out alive,

    we¡¯ll wake up early in the morning to catch the sunrise up the hills!¡±

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    Holding me in his arms, he assured me, ¡°Alright, once we make it out alive, I¡¯ll take you somewhere to

    catch the sunrise!¡±

    Lyle couldn¡¯t stand our interaction. The moment he turned around, he caught a glimpse of others

    closing in. He announced with his face scrunched up, ¡°Someone is closing in with guns!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The moment I craned over, I saw a few vicious-looking men closing in with guns.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do? Where¡¯s the gun?¡± As absurd as it might sound, I thought of taking out

    the man with Zachary¡¯s gun when I had merely fired a shot throughout my life.

    Christopher sat upright and leaned against the boulder, aiming at those closing in from afar. A few

    seconds, he fired a shot and took the rest of the opposing party by surprise.

    ¡°You¡¯re such an exceptional marksman, Mr. Lane! However, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t take us out with your

    limited bullets!¡± John guffawed and asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure it feels awful after spending a few days in istion,

    huh? It¡¯s only a matter of time until you starve to death even if we stay away from all of you! Why don¡¯t

    you do everyone a favor and surrender yourself? I may consider doing you a favor and set the rest of

    your party free if I¡¯m pleased!¡±

    Christopher asked in a callous tone, ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to fall for your promises, do you?¡±

    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe you still possess the strength to talk back against me! I saw someone sneaking

    their way to your sidest night! I¡¯m sure one of them is the woman you hold dear in mind, isn¡¯t she?

    Are you sure you¡¯re going to leave her to death? As long as you surrender yourself, I¡¯ll do her a favor

    and set her free!¡±

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572

    ¡°Why is he aware of our presence?¡± It was then I figured out he had allowed us to sneak our way to

    Christopher¡¯s side to lure him out of hiding. It had always been part of his n to threaten Christopher

    with my wellbeing.

    He¡¯s such a lucky man! I thought I managed to take him out with a shot when he was on board! It turns

    out he¡¯s still kicking and alive when he was supposed to drown to his death!

    Instead of answering the man¡¯s query, Christopher grasped the gun with all his might. It was then Lyle

    urged, ¡°Can you fire another shot and render him incapable of speech?¡±

    ¡°The shot fired a few seconds ago was thest shot since I had run out of bullets.¡±

    Christopher¡¯s announcement took us by surprise since we would be dead the moment the vicious

    bunch made their way to our hideout.

    Out of the blue, John yelled, ¡°Christopher, I¡¯ll take you out since you won¡¯t stoping after me when

    I¡¯ve tried running away from you for more than once! I¡¯ll consider doing you a favor and leave your wife

    alone if you surrender yourself! However, if you refuse, I¡¯ll get my men to have some fun with her once I

    take you into custody!¡±

    Christopher couldn¡¯t stop himself from trembling in angst. As infuriated as he might be, he answered in

    a callous tone, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re trying to deceive me again! Once I¡¯m dead, they¡¯re going to end

    up in a simr manner! You don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to fall for your tricks, do you?¡±

    ¡°Well, we shall see if you¡¯re going to make it out alive when you¡¯re running out of ammo and supplies!¡±

    ¡°Chris!¡± Slouching against the man, I could feel his frigid limbs when there was a scorching sun above

    us. I started running my hands across him and felt a sense of security when I felt the dagger he had

    with him.

    I thought I could stop them from trying anything silly as long as I took myself out when all hell broke

    loose.

    It must be the power of love since I couldn¡¯t even dissect a frog for my biology ss during my high

    school days. I was able to rule out the pros and cons of the situation since Christopher was next to me.

    I was on the verge of passing out in the middle of the day. As those around us started preparing their

    meals, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from gulping in silence after having rations over the past few days.

    I couldn¡¯t even stop my stomach from grumbling when I caught a whiff of the food our foes made. Out

    of nowhere, someone alighted from an off-road vehicle and engaged himself in a conversation with

    John.

    John carried himself as if he was inferior to the mysterious figure next to him. Upon another nce at

    the mysterious figure, I thought he seemed awfully familiar, yet I couldn¡¯t recall the asion I had run

    into him.

    When he was about to leave, I finally recalled I ran into him next to Mark when we were at Anndur.

    He was none other than Wesley, Mark¡¯s assistant. I was confused since I couldn¡¯t figure out the sort of

    rtionship the Goldstein family had with John. It was then I thought the Goldstein family might be

    involved in some shady trades as well.

    I stopped hesitating and rushed out of hiding, yelling the moment I made it to the sight of the rest, ¡°Hold

    it right there, Wesley!¡±

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    ¡°Yvonne, have you lost your mind?¡± Christopher and Lyle rushed out of hiding and stood next to me to

    keep me safe.

    Wesley was equally surprised by my presence. He asked in return, ¡°What are you doing here? Also,

    why have you stopped me?¡±

    Unsure if it was the right thing to do, I instructed in a serious tone since I was aware it was my only

    chance to keep all of us safe, ¡°Tell John to set us free!¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m going to listen to you?¡± Wesley asked with a scornful look.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m the sole sessor of the Goldstein family, Mark¡¯s only daughter!¡±

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573

    ¡°You? The sole sessor of the Goldstein family? How is that even possible?¡± Wesley gaped at the

    things I brought up and asked with a serious look, ¡°Although you¡¯re Isabelle¡¯s daughter, I¡¯m not obliged

    to save you! It¡¯s better if they take you out without rming others!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from perspiring, but I had to give it a try since Wesley was the only one capable

    of saving us. He had just returned to Avenport from Anndur. Therefore, I was certain he wasn¡¯t

    aware of the things going on. In an attempt to keep the rest safe, I announced, ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware I¡¯m

    not Nathan¡¯s daughter? He has announced Crystal¡¯s identity as the sole sessor of the Tanner

    family! He also mentioned that was precisely the reason he had been mistreating me over the years!¡±

    Halfway through the orated speech, I cast the newspaper I brought along to keep the rations safe in his

    direction and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and check it out? The news had long made it to the

    headline since Mark was the only one my mother was in love with apart from Nathan!¡±

    I can¡¯t believe the newspaper is the one doing me a huge favor! As a matter of fact, this seems to be

    the only thing leading us to safety!

    Wesley¡¯s eyes flickered as he couldn¡¯t be sure if I had been telling the truth. He instructed the ones

    next to him, ¡°Hurry up and bring me the newspaper!¡±

    Someone stepped forward to retrieve the newspaper and sprinted back to Wesley¡¯s side once he

    caught a glimpse of the gun Christopher had with him.

    Wesley had his fair share of doubts even after perusing the things the journalist mentioned. He

    repeated after me, ¡°Are you seriously telling me you¡¯re Mark¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Who else could it be? I¡¯m not sure of the things my father is up to, but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s going to

    take you out if he¡¯s aware you¡¯re trying to kill his only daughter! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s currently searching high

    and low for me since the news has made it to the headline! You don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to let you off the

    hook if he figures out the things going on here, do you?¡±

    It was one of the most ridiculous lies I had to tell throughout my life. I wasn¡¯t even certain if Mark was

    my father as I hadn¡¯t met Isabelle in person ever since the news made it to the headline.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware you¡¯re one of his most trusted aides since you were next to him when he was at

    Anndur. In fact, I¡¯m also aware you¡¯re the person in charge of the subsidiaries in Anndur. With

    that being said, you don¡¯t think he values you more than his daughter, do you?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why hasn¡¯t Ms. Anderson mentioned anything in front of us?¡± Wesley repeated his

    question again.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    I started making things up to deceive the man in front of me. ¡°When I met Mr. Goldstein in person, he

    told me his daughter would be around my age if things turned out just fine back in the day. Don¡¯t you

    think he¡¯s going to be thrilled by my presence?¡±

    The doubtful man gaped at my announcement and asked when he thought of something, ¡°Why don¡¯t

    youe over here and allow me to keep you safe because there¡¯s no way we¡¯re setting Christopher

    free¡ªhe¡¯s a foe of ours!¡±

    As thrilled as I might be, I carried on with the conversation in a callous tone, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s

    impossible since we¡¯re talking about my husband and my father¡¯s son-inw! I¡¯ll never allow you toy

    a finger on him!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡ª¡± Wesley was at a loss for words to carry on with the conversation.

    Meanwhile, John was on pins and needles. In an attempt to get his revenge, he urged, ¡°Sir, Christopher

    is a member of the special force! We can¡¯t let him off the hook since he¡¯s aware of the things we¡¯re up

    to! Otherwise, he¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass in the future!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and stay away from me!¡± Wesleyunched a powerful kick at John and announced, ¡°I need to

    verify if you¡¯re telling the truth with those relevant! With that being said, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you

    off the hook because of something you brought up out of the blue! You need to show me you¡¯re

    sincere!¡±

    How am I supposed to prove myself sincere? Is he having his doubts? What am I supposed to do to

    convince this suspecting man? I couldn¡¯t even think properly since I knew we would end up dead if I

    couldn¡¯t convince him. Shortly after I made up my mind, I pushed the men next to me aside and

    marched in Wesley¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡±

    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± I paid no heed to them and continued marching in Wesley¡¯s direction. It was then

    I brought myself to a halt and started stabbing myself with all my might using the dagger Christopher

    had with him.

 Chapter 574

    Chapter 574

    As blood gushed out of the wound, I gritted my teeth to withstand the racking sensation I felting

    from my arms and withdrew the dagger.

    Wesley is against the idea of setting us free since he has his doubts. In order to convince him, I need to

    prove I¡¯m telling the truth.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Christopher rushed over to my side to support me when I was about to fall.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I managed a smile. For the first time, I was brimming with the confidence that I must bring

    Christopher out of here, alive.

    I turned around and warned Wesley, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re going to have it tough if I¡¯m dead! What do

    you think he¡¯s going to do if he figures out you¡¯re trying to take out his sole sessor over something

    trivial? You better take the consequences of your actions into considerations!¡±

    As Wesley remained silent, I stabbed myself in the arms once more without holding back. I was

    impressed as blood continued gushing out of the wound as if there was an endless supply of it in my

    system. To be precise, I was surprised I was still conscious at that point in time.

    ring at Wesley in the eyes, I licked the blood staining my lips off and asked, ¡°Is that enough to prove

    myself yet?¡±

    Out of the blue, I stabbed myself in the arm onest time in an attempt to force him into submission

    since it was my only chance to make it out alive with the rest of the party.

    ¡°On the count of three, if you think it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll stab myself in the heart and see if luck is on your

    side or my side!¡± I raised my volume and spilled some of my blood in his direction.

    As a result, he staggered and gaped in disbelief.

    ¡°One! Two! Three!¡± At the end of the countdown, I knew I had to do it to prove myself. Otherwise, he

    would get suspicious and think it was nothing more than a bluff.

    In the nick of time, he broke the silence and stopped me from stabbing myself. He was impressed as it

    was written all over his face. ¡°You¡¯re quite something else, Ms. Goldstein! To be honest, there¡¯s no way

    Nathan¡¯s capable of giving birth to such a courageous daughter!¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can you instruct them to leave us alone?¡± I was on the verge of passing out, but I

    knew I had to pull myself together until we were safe.

    He took the blood-stained dagger away from me and ran his fingers across it, announcing with a smirk,

    ¡°It turns out a woman is as capable as a man in times of emergencies! Tell your men to leave us alone,

    John!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning since I had finally made it when it might be

    just another bluff.

    ¡°Sir, we can¡¯t afford to set Christopher free since he¡¯s a member of the special force! Otherwise, he¡¯s

    going toe after Mr. Goldstein in the future!¡± John got in our way and tried to stop us from leaving.

    Wesleyunched another powerful kick at John and bellowed, ¡°Stop getting full of yourself and yelling

    at me! Get out of my sight and stop causing me more troubles!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even walk without others¡¯ support since I had to lie in an attempt to keep the rest of the party

    safe. Horrified by the things awaiting us once they figured out the truth, I thought I was about to pass

    out again.

    I waspletely drenched in sweat as we continued marching our way through the ones surrounding

    us. All of a sudden, I caught a glimpse of John reaching for his gun and pulling the trigger.

    Bam!

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575

    I couldn¡¯t believe John had the guts to defy Wesley¡¯s instructions. When he fired a shot in Christopher¡¯s

    direction, I rushed over to his side, shrieking at the top of my lungs, ¡°Chris, watch out!¡±

    My mind wentpletely nk as blood was all over my face the moment I heard the thunderous

    crack filling the deste desert.

    A few secondster, Lyle ended up in my arms with blood gushing out of his injured chest. When he

    tried to say something, a mouthful of blood gushed out of his mouth.

    The barely conscious man responded with a satisfied beam, snapping me out of bewilderment. ¡°Stay

    with me, Lyle! You¡¯re going to be fine! We¡¯ll make it to the hospital soon! I¡¯ll rush you to the hospital at

    once!¡±

    His vital organs had sustained irrevocable injuries. There was no way he could make it out alive since

    we were in the middle of nowhere. Although I was certain he couldn¡¯t get the medical attention he

    required, I dragged him along with me.

    ¡°We won¡¯t make it in time!¡± Lyle remained stagnant in my arms and tried to caress my cheek, but he

    couldn¡¯t even move his hands anymore.

    In the end, I grasped his hand and ced it on my cheek, assuring him as torrents of grief streamed

    down my cheeks, ¡°Stay with me! You¡¯re going to be fine! Grandma is still anticipating our return! Just

    pull yourself together and stay with me!¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m just d you¡¯re fine¡ª¡± Lyle finished his sentence with a gentle grin just like the time he rushed to

    my rescue when I was on the verge of drowning at the age of eight.

    He gasped out the things he had in mind with a smile the moment I regained consciousness shortly

    after he brought me back to the shore, ¡°Thankfully, you¡¯re fine!¡±

    ¡°Why? Why have you rushed to my rescue again?¡± I thought it was over for us since he was head over

    heels in love with Crystal. He wouldn¡¯t even think of me if she continued keeping him in the dark.

    Nheless, he rushed to my rescue in the nick of time.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure as well¡ªI-It turns out I still have a thing for you¡ª¡±

    Once he finished his affectionate statement, he was about to pass out in my arms again. I could feel his

    limbs slowly turning frigid.

    ¡°Lyle! Stay with me!¡± I repeated his name over and over again, hoping he would remain conscious until

    someone rushed to our rescue.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a foolish man since I have given up on you for Crystal when she¡¯s merely trying to

    drive us apart?¡±

    I wailed hysterically and assured him, ¡°No! You¡¯re the most exceptional man I¡¯ve ever seen throughout

    my life!¡±

    ¡°You need to stop lying since I¡¯m aware of the grudge you¡¯re holding against me when I have brought

    upon nothing but your misery over the years. I wonder if reincarnation is truly a thing. If it is, can you

    promise to marry me in the future? I¡¯ll do everything to keep you safe and happy.¡±

    ¡°S-Sure! If reincarnation is a thing, I¡¯ll definitely find you and get married to you! It¡¯s a promise!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re lying again, but it doesn¡¯t really matter since it feels great. Can you do me a

    favor and hold me in your arms for onest time?¡± he continued with blood gushing out of his mouth,

    streaming all the way to my palm.

    ¡°Lyle! Stay with me!¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason the lives of those around me were constantly at

    stake when their safety was my sole concern.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I see you again¡ª¡± Lyle¡¯s limbs drooped over his shoulders as he slowly passed out

    in my arms.

    ¡°Lyle!¡±

 Chapter 576

    Chapter 576

    I managed to keep Christopher and Zachary safe at the cost of Lyle¡¯s life. Holding the unconscious

    man in my arms, I continued recalling thest moments of his life since he had proven himself an

    affectionate man prior to his death.

    Unwilling to embrace the fact he had passed on, I started wailing hysterically and asked those around

    me, including Christopher, to get the unconscious man a doctor. I wasn¡¯t even aware of the things

    going on as I continued repeating Lyle¡¯s name until I was unconscious.

    I had a lucid dream when I was unconscious. Seated next to the pool, Lyle, who had brought me to the

    shore, introduced himself and assured me things would be fine.

    We ended up engaging in a conversation in my dream. I introduced myself in return, ¡°I-I¡¯m Yvonne.¡±

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    ¡°Can I drop by and pay you a visit every once in a while in the future?¡±

    I responded with a nod and assured him, ¡°Of course!¡±

    Halfway through the conversation, he copsed to the ground in front of me as blood continued

    gushing out of his chest.

    ¡°Lyle!¡± I shrieked and roused myself from sleep.

    Holding me in his arms, Christopher continued caressing my back, reassuring me we were in great

    hands, ¡°Eve, it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s going to be fine! You¡¯re safe!¡±

    Once I snapped out of confusion and figured out we had made it to the hospital, I asked with my eyes

    gleaming, ¡°We finally made it out alive, hadn¡¯t we? It was nothing more than a nightmare, wasn¡¯t it?

    Where¡¯s Lyle? Is he fine?¡±

    Christopher furrowed his brows and turned around instead of answering my queries. I repeated my

    questions and confronted him, ¡°He¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t he? The horrifying scene was nothing more than a

    nightmare of mine, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Eve!¡± He wrapped his arms around me with all his might to stop me from getting overly

    worked up.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Tell me if it was merely another one of my nightmares? There was no way the selfish Lyle

    would take the bullet on my behalf! If Crystal¡¯s life was the one at stake, he might change his mind, but

    that wasn¡¯t the case since I was the one on the verge of death!¡±

    I forced a smile and brought up all sorts of things to deceive myself.

    ¡°The Smiths has sent someone to bring him back with them. I¡¯m so sorry, Eve. You wouldn¡¯t have to go

    through any of these if it weren¡¯t because of me.¡± Once again, he held me in his arms in an attempt to

    console me.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Once emotions came flooding out, I started trembling in angst. I tried to stop

    myself from weeping, but my effort was to no avail.

    ¡°Lyle!¡± I ended up wailing hysterically for a few minutes.

    ¡°Just take things out if it makes you feel better! Eve, I¡¯ll always be here for you!¡± Christopher muttered.

    I ended up crying for a long time and fell into a deep slumber in his arms. It was already evening by the

    time I roused from my sleep. Slouching against the man¡¯s chest, I murmured, ¡°Chris, I shouldn¡¯t have

    allowed him to tag along with me! I should¡¯ve stopped him from making the trip!¡±

    Christopher remained silent throughout the session since he knew I merely needed a pair of ears.

    ¡°He had always been an arrogant and self-centered man! The only one he cared about was himself!

    When we were in a rtionship back in the day, he wouldn¡¯t stop getting on my nerves! As a result, I

    thought I was the one at fault! In the end, I gave up on him when I found out Crystal was the only one

    he had in mind!¡±

    After pausing for a few seconds, I added, ¡°With that being said, he wouldn¡¯t stop showing up in front of

    me as much as I tried getting rid of him! Ironically, I brought upon his demise at the end of the day! He

    should¡¯ve stayed away from me since the affection we had for one another wasn¡¯t mutual!¡± Halfway

    through the orated speech, I burst outughing due to extreme frustration, remarking in a sarcastic

    manner, ¡°He did a great job since I have to keep him in mind and spend the rest of my life in guilt.¡±

 Chapter 577

    Chapter 577

    ¡°You need to stay strong since he has sacrificed himself just to keep you safe. We need to spend the

    rest of our lives together in spite of the challenges awaiting us.¡±

    I nodded since I was of the same idea. ¡°You¡¯re right! We need to stay strong!¡±

    After stabbing myself in the arm more than once, I had sustained quite a serious injury. It took me a few

    days until I could move my arms around again.

    On the day of Lyle¡¯s funeral, Christopher told me everything and brought me to the cemetery to send

    Lyle off for onest time.

    I stood afar since I was afraid of approaching the rest of his family, including Sharon. She was the first

    to show me some mercy throughout the years. Although it was part of a greater scheme, she was the

    first who truly made me feel safe.

    It must be tough for her to send the sole sessor of the family, her grandson, off when her son had

    long passed on years ago due to an ident. Lyle was the only one she had in mind throughout the

    years.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do, Christopher? I¡¯m afraid to join them! I¡¯m afraid Grandma is going to take

    things out on me since I had brought upon Lyle¡¯s demise!¡± I stood next to Christopher in fear of startling

    the rest.

    Christopher grasped my hand and suggested, ¡°You need to send him off since you were the only one

    he had in mind during hisst breath. You don¡¯t have to worry since I¡¯m right next to you.¡±

    I mustered my courage and marched in the direction of Lyle¡¯s resting ground. When I was a few feet

    away from the resting ground, I heard Wendy wailing hysterically as if she couldn¡¯t care less about

    others¡¯ opinions.

    ¡°Lyle! How could you leave me? What am I supposed to do without you?¡±

    All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed with guilt. The vicious woman who wouldn¡¯t stop picking on me

    throughout the years was no longer my irritating mother-inw.

    At that point in time, she was just another heartbroken and sorrowful mother who couldn¡¯t help but

    mourn her son¡¯s passing.

    Instead of bawling her eyes out, Sharon had her eyes glued to Lyle¡¯s resting ground in silence. She

    seemed to have aged over the night since she couldn¡¯t even maneuver around without her wheelchair.

    Josephine brought her around in an attempt to pay her final tribute to her grandson.

    ¡°Yvonne, how dare you show up in front of us? You were the reason Lyle was dead!¡± Crystal yelled at

    me since she was quite far away from the rest of the Smith family. They were against the idea of having

    her around as well. I would¡¯ve returned the favor and yelled at her back in the day! However, am I in a

    position to pick on her when I¡¯m the one at fault? She¡¯s merely repeating the truth!

    In the end, I lowered my head in guilt and heard themotioning from the rest of the attendees

    while marching ahead to pay myst tribute to Lyle. I got the man his favorite lily bouquet and thought

    he would¡¯ve loved it.

    Staring at the weeping Wendy, I expressed my utmost apology with a bow, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has brought upon his demise! You¡¯re a murderer!¡± Wendy rushed to my side and

    launched a powerful p in my face.

    I felt a tingling sensationing from my cheek, but those were nothing aspared to the heart-

    wrenching sensation I felt.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my son? Stop expressing your apology because it won¡¯t bring him back to me! I want you to

    bring him back to me!¡± Wendy let loose of her emotions and started beating me to a pulp.

    Instead of evading her brutal punches, I braced myself through the blows and thought it was not a big

    deal if those were the things it would take to bring Lyle back to life.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Holding me in his arms, Christopher turned around and took the serious blow from Wendy on my

    behalf.

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re just a good-for-nothing! I hate you so much! I want you to bring him back to life!¡±

    Wendy stepped aside to throw a punch at me.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578

    Grandma turned around and looked at me in the eyes. A few secondster, she instructed, ¡°That¡¯s

    enough! Stop making a fuss when we¡¯ve gathered around to send Lyle off for onest time!¡±

    ¡°Boohoo¡ª¡± Wendy unfastened her grip and copsed to the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs.

    Standing in front of Lyle¡¯s resting ground, we were the only ones left apart from the members of the

    Tanner family. It started drizzling shortly after a flurry.

    The bouquets in front of Lyle¡¯s grave were all over the ce due to the squall. It felt as if God was

    equally disheartened by Lyle¡¯s passing.

    As guilt slowly caught up to me, I couldn¡¯t even catch my breath when we were on our way out of the

    cemetery.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± Nathan and the rest of the Tanner family were next to the car when we were out from the

    cemetery. It was evident they were there for me.

    I couldn¡¯t stand against the pent-up fatigue anymore, but I pulled myself together and greeted them,

    ¡°Uncle Nathan, what brings you to me today?¡±

    Nathan asked in a hushed voice when he saw my bandaged arms, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Actually, I couldn¡¯t even recall thest time he expressed concerns over me. Nheless, I assured

    him with a nod, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hurry up and get into the car? Otherwise, you¡¯re going to catch a cold again.¡±

    Unable to get used to the affectionate side of his, my eyes started brimming with tears. ¡°Thank you so

    much, Uncle Nathan.¡±

    Things were hectic for the Tanner family ever since my trip to Yorknd. Others wouldn¡¯t stop talking

    about the financial predicament of the Tanner family as we were on the way to the cemetery.

    I knew Nathan was there to acquire my aid to stop Isabelle from going after him, but he couldn¡¯t bear to

    bring up his request when he found out I wasn¡¯t in good shape. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the dy, Uncle

    Nathan. I¡¯ll get Mom to stop causing you troubles as soon as possible. It¡¯s the least I can do to repay

    your favor for taking care of me over the years.¡±

    I was eighteen when I left the Tanner family. Although I had a miserable life in the first two decades of

    my life, things weren¡¯t unbearable since I had a ce to call home. Otherwise, I might¡¯ve ended up in

    the orphanage.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Nathan was sincere when he expressed his gratitude.

    I forced a smile and assured him, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to return the favor.¡±

    Christopher rushed me to the hospital once we wrapped up the conversation. He got the doctor to

    check on my wounds since there was a drizzle when we were at the cemetery.

    I wasn¡¯t even drenched since he was next to me, keeping me sheltered from the rain. Holding his hand,

    I assured him, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±

    Christopher tucked me in and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and take a short nap? I¡¯m sure

    things will turn out fine by the time you wake up!¡±

    I fell asleep with him next to me. He was there to keep mepany until Isabelle was here to pick me

    up on the day I was discharged from the hospital.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    She seemed as if she had just figured out I was involved in an ident when I was there over the past

    few days. Her face scrunched up the moment she saw Christopher next to me.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I got in her way to stop them from starting another fight. I couldn¡¯t stand them picking on one

    another anymore.

    Isabelle resisted the urge to reprimand me and asked in a callous tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why

    have you been rushed to the hospital? Why were you caught up in an ident again? Can you do me

    a favor and stop giving me the shock of my life?¡±

    Huh? What is she talking about? What sort of ident was it? Is it something the special force has

    made up to keep others in the dark? Well, apart from Grandma, no one, not including Wendy, was

    aware of the truth of Lyle¡¯s demise since it was a confidential mission.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the troubles I have caused you.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to tell her as I didn¡¯t

    feelfortable opening up to her. Simrly, it felt as if she couldn¡¯t care less about me.

    I hope I¡¯m merely overthinking things, but it feels like we¡¯re growing apart from one another when she¡¯s

    my mother.

    ¡°Shall we return home? I have asked others to get our meal ready.¡± She brought me out of the hospital

    with her without allowing me to bid farewell to Christopher.

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579

    In an attempt to bid farewell to the man, I turned around and saw him cing his hands on his chest

    with a satisfied beam, indicating he would always hold me dear in his mind. I responded with a smile,

    indicating I was of a simr idea.

    Once I wrapped up the conversation, I returned with Isabelle as she was there to take me home with

    her. It was pretty obvious it was an attempt of hers to keep me away from Christopher.

    When we were on the way back, we passed by the subsidiary of the Tanner family. Isabelle had her

    flickering eyes glued to the building, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the sort of things she had in mind. I asked

    when I recalled the conversation I had with Nathan, ¡°Mom, can you do me a favor and let the Tanner

    family off the hook for once?¡±

    Unable to fathom the things I had brought up, Isabelle asked with a frown, ¡°What? Are you seriously

    asking me to forgive those from the Tanner family? Aren¡¯t you aware I¡¯m the rightful owner of the

    company? Are you telling me to hand over the ownership over it to someone else?¡±

    Indeed, the Tanner family had acquired the initial capital to venture into the corporate world from the

    Anderson family. After much consideration, I asked, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re currently living a blissful life with Mr.

    Goldstein, aren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you let bygones be bygones and forget about it?¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s face puckered in irritation as if she was irked by the things I mentioned. Gritting her teeth,

    she announced, ¡°That¡¯s enough! You¡¯re not supposed to poke your nose into my business!¡±

    She seemed to be holding a strong grudge against the members of the Tanner family, especially

    Nathan¡ªshe would get increasingly worked up whenever I mentioned something about them up.

    In order to persuade her, I enunciated, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already twenty-five-year-old. I¡¯m not sure of the

    things bothering you, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to move on in life? Don¡¯t you think we owe him at least

    this much for bringing me up even when he¡¯s aware I¡¯m not his daughter throughout the years? It¡¯s the

    least I can do to return the favor.¡±

    Isabelle remained silent and turned around, staring dead ahead of her. A few minutester, she turned

    around and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a silly woman like you throughout my life. Why are

    you trying to do him a favor when you¡¯re aware you¡¯re not rted to him at all? On top of that, you paid

    me a visit for something simr when you weren¡¯t even aware of the truth. Aren¡¯t you holding a grudge

    against him for mistreating you?¡±

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    I shook my head and remarked, ¡°I once resented them for the miseries they brought upon me

    throughout the years, but I thought it was impossible for me to sever ties with him. When I was made

    aware of the truth, I knew I was in no position to pick on him since he wasn¡¯t even obliged to raise me.

    Can you consider doing me a favor to salvage the only memories left?¡±

    Sighing, she gasped out her answer, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll meet them in person to discuss the next best course

    of action tomorrow. I want him to know I¡¯m merely trying to do you a favor.¡±

    I heaved a long sigh of relief since I had sessfully resolved the issue. In spite of the urge to figure

    out the identity of my father, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be wise to bring it up since she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk

    about it.

    Isabelle asked me to spend the night with her. I thought she had many things to share with me, but she

    tucked herself in and slept like a log once she carried out her evening routine.

    ¡°Mom, I have so many things to tell you, but why does it seem as if you have no intention to talk to me?

    Can you tell me what I am supposed to do next?¡± I muttered to myself and continued tossing and

    turning in bed.

    In the end, I brought myself out of the room and returned to my room next door since I couldn¡¯t fall

    asleep. Standing next to the window, I lost myself in a train of thought while staring at the stunning

    cityscape.

    As I tried to gather my thoughts, I caught a silhouette next to the window. A man sneaked his way into

    my room and took me by surprise.

    I was d I hadn¡¯t shrieked since the mysterious figure was none other than Christopher. He greeted

    me with a smile, ¡°Eve, I¡¯m here to keep youpany.¡±

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580

    I stared at him nkly, at a total loss of how to react. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually did this. Did it never

    cross your mind that I might be sleeping with my mother, and you¡¯d actually be sneaking into an empty

    room?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If that was really the case, then I would just have climbed back out of the window,¡± he stated,

    grinning widely as he came toward me. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for ages. You moved out right after I

    returned. I became so lonely that I had toe up with a way by myself to reunite with my queen.¡±

    ¡°Your queen?¡± I punched him on the chest yfully. ¡°How I wish I were an actual queen! Then I would

    get to do as I please, and no one would be able to stop me.¡±

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    ¡°Well, I just missed you so much I couldn¡¯t bear to be away from you for another second, hence this

    secret rendezvous. Surely you feel the same way, don¡¯t you? Please say you do, or you¡¯ll be breaking

    my heart,¡± he pleaded as he clutched his chest and put on a forlorn expression.

    ¡°If you really don¡¯t wish to see me, then I¡¯ll just leave,¡± he said, walking to the window and pretending

    as if he was indeed about to climb out.

    Rolling my eyes at him, I hurriedly pulled him back into the room. ¡°You know full well how I feel. Don¡¯t

    you dare step out of that window now, or I¡¯ll never talk to you ever again.¡±

    He then pulled me into his embrace and pressed his lips onto mine, giving me a kiss that was

    somehow both forceful and tender at the same time. After having been through such a terrifying event

    together, we were both filled with nothing but an overwhelming desire to hug each other tightly. It was

    only by feeling each other¡¯s warmth and breath that we could finally find our peace again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Chris. I really have. When I got to know that something bad happened to

    you, the only thought that came into my mind was that if you couldn¡¯t be found, then I wouldn¡¯t want to

    live anymore either.¡± I gazed at him with reddened eyes and added softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m stupid?

    I¡¯m nothing but a fool.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not stupid at all. If it were not for the very the fact that you¡¯re smart, we would inevitably

    have died in that ce.¡± He nted his lips on mine again, simultaneously sweeping me into his arms

    and carrying me to the bed. His kisses remained relentless even as his fingers busied themselves with

    unbuttoning my blouse.

    Nestled in his arms, I went along with him and began undoing the buttons on his shirt as well. Warmth

    and strength radiated from his being as our bodies pressed together, and a sigh of contentment

    escaped my lips.

    ¡°Chris, let¡¯s never separate, okay? I can¡¯t bear worrying about you again. I¡¯m so afraid, Chris. I¡¯m afraid

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to live without you!¡±

    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s never be apart!¡± Forcefully thrusting into me, hended a bunch of kisses on my lips

    while repeatedly calling out my name, ¡°Eve¡­ Oh, Eve¡­¡±

    Although our behavior was wild, we were cautious to keep our voices low the whole time. With our

    bodies joined, it was as though we had melded together into one.

    Just as we were getting lost in the moment, there were suddenly footsteps outside the room, followed

    by the sound of someone knocking on the door. I almost jumped out of my skin in fright.

    Isabelle¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Eve? Why did you disappear? Have youe back to your own room now?¡±

    Pushing Christopher¡¯s face away, I cleared my throat before answering in a soft tone, ¡°I¡¯m asleep,

    Mom.¡±

    ¡°Silly girl. Were you ufortable sleeping with me?¡± asked Isabelle with a soft chuckle, a hint of

    displeasure apparent in her voice.

    Remembering that I had not locked the door when I came in earlier, I hurriedly answered her so that

    she would not barge in, ¡°That¡¯s not it, Mom. It¡¯s just that with everything that¡¯s been going on, I¡¯ve been

    having trouble falling asleeptely and didn¡¯t want to wake you up. Don¡¯t get upset over this, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m upset! I¡¯m very upset indeed!¡± Isabelle answered jokingly. ¡°Shall Ie in to keep you

    company? We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I think it¡¯s good time we talked.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I yelled out just as Christopher pushed into me again. Fortunately, he was not too aggressive this

    time. However, upon seeing the re I shot at him, he deliberately added more force to his actions.

    Annoyed, I tried kicking him away, but he swiftly grabbed my legs and lifted them, kissing the backs of

    my thighs fervently.

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581

    ¡°I¡¯m asleep, Mom, and it¡¯s gettingte as well. Why don¡¯t we talk tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°All right, then. You go ahead and get some rest.¡± As soon as her footsteps faded away, our

    surroundings fell silent again. Only the faint sound of the chilly night breeze blowing past could be

    heard.

    I let out a sigh of relief and instantly rxed. Then, pping Christopher¡¯s head, I remarked, ¡°If she had

    barged in here just now, I swear, the sky would havee crashing down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Am I not here to protect you in case that happens?¡± Smiling affectionately, he sat me up

    and positioned me in his arms, his lips once again falling upon mine as he kissed me gently.

    I knew he was doing all he could tofort me, and it did help me to feel better eventually. After our

    strenuous workout ended, Iy there on his sweaty and muscr chest, scrutinizing the scars on his

    tan skin. I had never asked him how he had gotten them, but ever since I found out he was in the

    special forces, I knew they could only be his battle scars.

    As I traced my finger over them, Christopher¡¯s hand quickly flew over, gripping mine. Pointing at the

    scars, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you hate the sight of them? Well, I don¡¯t. I think it adds to my

    masculinity. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Rolling my eyes at him, I answered, ¡°Of course, I hate seeing them! The mere sight of them frightens

    me.¡±

    In fact, those scars sent chills down my spine whenever I saw them. I never felt that way before I knew

    the reason he had them. However, once I did, the scars only reminded me of the horrifying battles he

    had fought.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. I promise I¡¯ll be extra careful in the future and won¡¯t do anything that might

    worry you, all right?¡± he assured, nting a few kisses on my forehead.

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    I nodded wordlessly. I knew that due to his identity, there were certainmitments he simply could

    not reject. In fact, even if he had a choice, he would still have chosen to do them anyway, as it

    represented his honor and courage in battling alongside hisrades. Knowing there was no stopping

    him, I could only hope he would stay safe at all times.

    As soon as dawn broke, Christopher climbed his way back out of the window. I did tell him he could

    simply go through the front door, but he refused to do so. Ovee with curiosity, I asked him why.

    Lightly brushing his finger down my nose, he chuckled as he exined, ¡°I¡¯m leaving exactly the way I

    came. This is a secret rendezvous, isn¡¯t it? Of course, I can¡¯t possibly just walk through the front door!¡±

    I snorted at him. A secret rendezvous? What¡¯s he talking about? We¡¯ve been a couple for ages now.

    The way he puts it, he¡¯s making it sound as if it¡¯s an affair!

    After he left, I returned to bed and slept for a few more hours. Then I woke up and went down to the

    kitchen to prepare breakfast. However, as I approached the kitchen, I spotted Isabelle in there, already

    busy with cooking. Stunned, I froze in the doorway for a moment.

    In fact, Isabelle¡¯s cooking was superb. I remembered tasting it as a child and thinking it was better than

    any chefs out there. Perhaps I did miss it a lot after not having it for years, as I stood there reminiscing

    about the taste, thinking that her cooking was the best I had ever had.

    ¡°You¡¯re up? Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Why don¡¯t you wash up first?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done that,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°I remember you used to love the banana pancakes I made. You should have as many as you can,¡±

    stated Isabelle as she ced the dish on the table. Pointing at the pan behind her, she went on, ¡°I fried

    a chicken omelet as well. That was your favorite, too, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    I watched as Isabelle scooped the dish onto a te. This woman, who once felt like a stranger to me,

    was finally beginning to seem less like one.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast that day and ate an awful lot, a smile hanging on my lips the whole

    time. After that, I gave Nathan a call to inform him that Isabelle would like to meet up with him for a

    chat. He sounded extremely emotional when he heard that and kept confirming if it was true.

    ¡°A-Are you serious a-about it? D-Did Belle really say she wants to meet me?¡± He could barely get the

    words out.

    ¡°Yeah. She said to meet her at Majestic Garden,¡± I stated tly.

    ¡°A-All right. I¡¯ll be there on time¡­¡±

    ¡°Look at you, Nathan! Aren¡¯t you pleased to meet up with that woman? Let me tell you this. If you n

    on reconciling with her, you¡¯d better make sure you kill both me and Yvette first!¡±

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582

    I frowned unwittingly as Scarlett¡¯s voice rang out in the background on the other end. Isabelle had only

    just agreed to let the Tanners off the hook. If Scarlett made another ruckus at this time and pissed

    Isabelle off, thetter might just change her mind.

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    The chaotic noise went on for a long while before Nathan¡¯s voice came back on the line, asking in a

    hushed voice, ¡°Did your mother say anything else?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°All she said was that she needed to discuss something important with you in person.

    Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s going to be okay since she¡¯s already

    promised me she wouldn¡¯t take any action on your family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Nathan sounded relieved.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I added tentatively, ¡°Dad, I think it¡¯d be better if youe alone. Mom¡¯s

    temper is no longer as it used to be. I mean, she¡¯s still a gentle soul, but you¡¯ve hurt her quite badly.

    So¡­ Do you get what I mean?¡±

    Keeping in mind that he was my father, I was aware that there were certain things I couldn¡¯t say without

    being outright inappropriate. However, I still had to give him a heads up about this.

    ¡°Yes, I get what you mean. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle aler.¡±

    It was indeed better that way. He and Isabelle would need to talk things out to resolve their issues. If a

    whole bunch of other Tanners tagged along ¨C forget about talking ¨C the meeting would inevitably turn

    into a full-blown wrestling match.

    Crystal and the others, especially, would definitely seize the opportunity to find trouble with me.

    After the phone call ended, I went and knocked on Isabelle¡¯s door, entering only after she asked me to.

    She was in the midst of dolling herself up and was adding the final touch by pping on some lipstick.

    Then she stood before me, twirling her long, red dress, asking, ¡°How do I look? Is this too much?¡±

    It had been years since shest saw Nathan. Seeing the amount of effort she put in to look her best, it

    was evident that she cared about this meeting immensely. As for Nathan, he clearly felt the same,

    judging from the way his voice lit up with excitement when he was speaking about Isabelle earlier. It

    really made me wonder, if they never stopped loving each other, then why had they still chosen to

    betray each other those years ago?

    Is this simply how fate toys with people?

    ¡°Not at all. You look absolutely stunning in that dress.¡± Standing beside her, I smiled as I gestured at

    the dull-colored clothing I was d in. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re sparkling! If we were to walk on the streets

    together right now, people would automatically assume you¡¯re my sister instead of my mother.¡±

    ¡°Well, you really do know how to make me happy, don¡¯t you? All right, since you approve of it, then this

    is what I¡¯m wearing to the meeting,¡± said Isabelle as she fished around in her closet for a suitable

    handbag. Out of the many handbags of various colors and styles she owned, she eventually settled on

    a modest-looking, ck-colored one. Then we left for the restaurant. I noticed a car tailing us as soon

    as we left the mansion, but I had no idea who was driving it.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, who¡¯s your father bringing along?¡± asked Isabelle.

    ¡°He¡¯sing alone.¡± I knew I had to be careful answering this question.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Isabelle crossed her legs and propped her chin on her hand as she remarked disdainfully, ¡°At

    least he¡¯s doing something right for once.¡±

    As the car stopped in front of Majestic Garden, two bodyguards came out of the car behind and opened

    our doors for us. It was only then that I realized we were being followed by bodyguards.

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, Ms. Tanner.¡± They bowed respectfully as we alighted from the car.

    Not used to being waited on in such a manner, I waved at them dismissively as I exited the car.

    ¡°Belle!¡± yelled Nathan from the entrance of the restaurant. Upon spotting Isabelle, he was unable to

    move his gaze away from her. The two simply stood there in silence, eyes locked on each other, for

    what seemed like an eternity. Turning sideways to nce at Isabelle, I was taken aback to see her

    eyes glistening with tears.

    They were tears of an aggrieved woman, which had sprung forth as her sight fell upon the man she

    longed.

    I refrained from spoiling their moment and merely stood quietly at her side. After a while, Isabelle was

    the first to speak. ¡°Shall we go in? Or would you prefer to discuss the Tanner family¡¯s matters out

    here?¡± she asked in a mild tone.

    ¡°S-Sure, let¡¯s go in.¡± Pointing at the restaurant, Nathan croaked, ¡°I-I¡¯ve booked a private room.¡±

    s, in his state of anxiousness, he turned around only to carelessly bump head-on into the revolving

    doors.

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583

    ¡°Belle, these are your favorite dishes. If you don¡¯t like them, I can ask them to prepare some other

    dishes instead.¡± Nathan looked at Isabelle, who was sitting across from him. There was a hint of awe in

    his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not here for a meal anyway.¡± Isabelle started taking a few bites, and then she said to the

    waiter behind her, ¡°Change all of these to something spicy. I like spicy food now.¡±

    Mom was lying about that. She was having a light and healthy mealst night, and she wouldn¡¯t have

    ordered something spicy if it wasn¡¯t for me.

    Nathan stiffened upon hearing that, and he quickly told the waiter, ¡°Just go and prepare what she

    asked for.¡±

    He turned around and said, ¡°You¡¯re still as beautiful and youthful after these many years, but I¡¯m

    already an old man.¡±

    Isabelle chuckled enticingly. ¡°You¡¯re indeed older. It¡¯s normal for you to look older when your business

    is in trouble.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Nathan hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°When will you let go of this then?¡±

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    ¡°We¡¯re finally getting to the point. I was worried that you won¡¯t address the elephant in the room.¡±

    Isabelle ced her palm under her cheek as she smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I was so naive and

    ignorant that I put everything under your name. Now that I think of it, they belong to me in the first

    ce. Do you agree with what I said?¡±

    It was a difficult question. I noticed Nathan¡¯s expression darkened right away upon hearing that. He got

    a little icier as he said, ¡°You should know that I was the one managing thepany all this while, and

    I¡¯ve made most of the huge decisions even back in the old days. You¡¯ve left for so many years, and

    you¡¯re asking me to give you back everything now that you¡¯ve returned. Do you think things work this

    way?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Isabelle curled her lips sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re finally dropping the loving act and showing your true

    colors now. We both know what exactly happened back then, and time doesn¡¯t erase everything.

    Nathan, I will always remember what you¡¯ve done behind my back.¡±

    Nathan¡¯s gaze fell on me, with a hint of something else. I frowned, knowing that he was about to say

    that I wasn¡¯t his daughter. I shook my head subtly at him as anxiety shed across my eyes. This

    wasn¡¯t a negotiation but a fight. Nothing good would evere out from this. Nathan gritted his teeth

    and swallowed back his words.

    Naturally, Isabelle took in all of our silent interactions. It was impossible for her to not notice. I saw

    through her expression that she wasn¡¯t feeling guilty about me being there at all, and her gaze toward

    Nathan was icier.

    The atmosphere was getting awkward. I had to say something, hence I smiled. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s eat first.

    The dishes here are amazing. You should try them.¡±

    Seeing that Isabelle had picked up her cutlery, I shot Nathan a nce. He snorted softly and then

    downed his ss of wine.

    After a while, Isabelle ced her cutlery away, and she said to Nathan, ¡°I know why you¡¯re here today.

    You want me to stop attacking the Tanner family. I can promise you that. It was Mark¡¯s decision

    anyway, and I¡¯m sure Mark will listen to me. He doesn¡¯t care much about the Tanner family. But, I do

    have one condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nathan and I looked at Isabelle at the same time. I saw how anxious he was, and my heart

    was thumping wildly too. If Isabelle was to say something beyond our expectations, this negotiation

    would be a failure.

    Isabelle raised her chin as she looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Crystal will be the only heir to the Tanner

    family, not anyone else. Do you get me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I stood up. How could this be?

    Nathan was taken aback too. He couldn¡¯t understand Isabelle¡¯s decision as he frowned and asked,

    ¡°Why? I do like Crystal. She¡¯s my niece, and I¡¯m willing to love her as my daughter. But still, herst

    name is Yates. She¡¯s not a Tanner.¡±

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584

    ¡°If you can¡¯t understand why I¡¯m saying this, then there¡¯s no way you can revive your business. It¡¯s no

    wonder the Tanner family is still being trapped in this ce.¡± Isabelle wiped her hands and gave me a

    piece of the dessert. She said with a smile, ¡°Yvonne is the only reason why I¡¯ve shown mercy to

    Scarlett and Yvette. I will never agree to let them be in charge of the Tanner family.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Nathan looked troubled. ¡°Is there no room for discussion?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Isabelle stood up and mmed the table. ¡°You can only hand over the Tanner family to

    Crystal if you want them to still exist. If Scarlett or Yvette somehow managed to get their hands on the

    Tanner family, things will be done between us.¡±

    I had never expected Isabelle¡¯s stance to be this firm. Her tone kept increasing, and by the end of the

    sentence, she was basically yelling at us.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I shouted and held her hand, which she quickly shoved me away. She sneered, ¡°Nathan, don¡¯t

    me me for this. You should be thanking Eve. If it wasn¡¯t for her persuading me again and again, I¡¯d

    have asked for more than this.¡±

    Nathan kept silent for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh. ¡°Fine. I can do that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡± Isabelle sat back down in her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to release a statement to the

    media, announcing that Crystal is the heir to the Tanner family. I promise I¡¯ll make sure everything goes

    back to normal once I saw the statement, and I can give you back the project too.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need three days. You¡¯ll see the statement by tomorrow.¡± Nathan sounded defeated.

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    On our way back, I was still puzzled. Although Isabelle didn¡¯t make things too difficult for Nathan, and

    her reasoning made sense too. But, I was still flustered by her request to make Crystal the heir to the

    Tanner family.

    I felt even more uneasy than making Yvette the heir. Why Crystal? Especially after everything she had

    done? Why was she eligible of leading the Tanner family? I wasn¡¯t someone who hold grudges, but I

    had to admit I hated Crystal. It was as if she would always be causing me troubles.

    I woke up early the next morning. The first thing I did was to read the newspaper. I wanted to see if

    Nathan released the statement. In the end, I turned on the television news instead, and I was stunned.

    Nathan did hold a media conference, stating that Crystal would from now on inherit everything in the

    Tanner family, including the power to make decisions.

    This did gain some noise in the industry, but it wasn¡¯t the trending news. Instead, it was something

    rted to me. Earlier that morning, Mark held a grand press conference in front of Goldstein

    Corporation. Aside from briefing the media about Goldstein Corporation¡¯s recent projects and nning,

    he also revealed something important. He announced that I was his stranded daughter.

    ¡°Yvonne Tanner is my stranded daughter. My heart aches to not learn about her existence for so many

    years. I hadn¡¯t been healthy, and it was hard for me to have kids. Little did I know, I have a daughter out

    there, and she¡¯s already an adult. I was surprised and excited. To express my gratitude to the Tanner

    family for bringing her up, I¡¯ve decided to share this project with them. Also, Yvonne will be the eldest

    daughter in the Goldstein family from now on. You¡¯ll have to ask me before crossing her line.¡±

    I stood in front of the television, trying to process everything I just heard. Was I really Mark¡¯s daughter?

    Thest time when we were in the desert, I lied because I wanted to rescue Christopher and the

    others. I never expected Mark to announce at a press conference that I was his daughter.

    ¡°H-How is this possible?¡± The cup in my hand slipped, and the milk inside was spilled everywhere. My

    mind went nk. After a while, I finally regained my senses. I grabbed the servant, who was busy

    cleaning up after my mess, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡±

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585

    ¡°Madam had gone out early in the morning, but I don¡¯t know where she went. Ms. Yvonne, why don¡¯t

    you give her a call?¡± The servant was visibly rmed.

    My hand was still trembling as I took out my phone. I struggled for a while before making the phone

    call.

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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the number you¡¯ve dialed is not avable. Please call againter.¡±

    Is Mom missing again? I sighed. It seemed like a habit for her to disappear whenever something

    happened. It was as if she was trying to hide from me and the issue surrounding my background. I

    wanted to talk to her, especially now that Mark had imed to be my father.

    Feeling frustrated and in disbelief, I smashed my phone to the ground. The screen cracked, and I could

    only think of finding Christopher at that moment.

    Seeing Christopher was the only way to keep me calm.

    I took a cab to Christopher¡¯s office. This was my first time here. I didn¡¯te here before everyone

    knew we were a thing, and I didn¡¯t want to upset Julia. After that, I chose to note here because I

    didn¡¯t want to alert the journalists and upset Isabelle in return.

    Standing in front of the skyscraper, the security guard stopped me from going in. I didn¡¯t want to exin

    much so I showed them the newspaper. ¡°I¡¯m Yvonne Tanner, and I¡¯m here to see Christopher Lane.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Goldstein, wee!¡± His expression was initially full of disdain, but after hearing what I said, it

    was almost a one hundred and eighty-degree change in his attitude.

    ¡°I¡¯m Yvonne Tanner!¡± I nced at the security guard before walking into the building. No one was there

    to stop me. It did seem like everyone in Lane Corporation had already known about my rtionship

    with Christopher. They would greet me respectfully upon seeing me and then whisper behind my back.

    I couldn¡¯t know what they were talking about.

    I went to the reception counter, and they gave me ess to Christopher¡¯s office. He was stuck in a

    meeting, and I could only sit on the couch while waiting for him. I noticed a picture on his desk. Feeling

    curious, I flipped the picture around, and I was shocked to see who it was in the picture.

    The girl inside was wearing a long white dress. She looked beautiful and youthful, and her smile was so

    bright. There was a painting behind her.

    It was me when I was sixteen years old. I¡¯ve won the champion in the national high schoolpetition.

    My smile was so bright and happy when I was standing on the podium. Sadly, none of my family was

    there with me, and I didn¡¯t get to snap any pictures myself tomemorate that day. I didn¡¯t expect to

    see this picture in Christopher¡¯s office.

    ¡°I heard from them that you¡¯re here.¡± Christopher walked into the office. After noticing that I was staring

    at the picture, there was a rare shy expression on his face, and he walked over to me. He took the

    picture away and led me to the couch as he wrapped his arms around me. ¡°It¡¯s your first time here in

    my office. What¡¯s the matter? Did you miss me?¡±

    ¡°I miss you.¡± I leaned on his shoulder, and then I handed the newspaper to him. ¡°I feel a little heavy

    after seeing this news as I can¡¯t confirm if it¡¯s true or not.¡±

    Christopher must have been having back-to-back meetings since morning. Otherwise, he would have

    known about this news. He took over the newspaper, and shortly after, he was visibly taken aback too.

    ncing back at me and the newspaper, it took him a while to process this before mming the

    newspaper on the desk with a frown.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? Are you really the eldest daughter of the Goldstein family?¡±

    Christopher was shocked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mom left early in the morning, and I didn¡¯t get to ask her.¡± I shook my head. ¡°This is more

    shocking to me than you. If Mark is really my father, then why didn¡¯t Mom tell me anything? I¡¯m about to

    go crazy over all of these.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the fact that you may be Mark¡¯s daughter.¡± Christopher rested his head on

    mine and sighed. ¡°There are consequences for Mark to have dealings with the criminals at the

    borders.¡±

 Chapter 586

    Chapter 586

    ¡°No matter if it is a drug deal or a private arms deal, it would not be easy to gloss over once caught.

    Although there may not be evidence, people will eventually notice if he continue to cause a stir. Then, it

    would be bad for the Goldstein family,¡± Christopher said.

    I knew Christopher would never say something without basis. Furthermore, we saw Wesley at the

    border. Now that such an incident had happened, Wesley would inform Mark. Perhaps it was due to

    that incident that Mark found out I was his daughter.

    ¡°I will mention this matter with my mother. However, I¡¯m not sure it will help.¡± Since Christopher was

    willing to hide Wesley¡¯s existence, it was a concession on his part for Isabelle. For someone of his

    stature, it was something hard to ept.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t think about it anymore. I¡¯m not worried about this. After going through so many

    things, I¡¯m used to it. Furthermore, you have to learn to get used to it too. Come, let¡¯s go for a meal,¡±

    Christopher said.

    ¡°It¡¯s only slightly past ten o¡¯clock. Isn¡¯t it too early for lunch?¡± I asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes, but poor me woke up this morning without my wife by my side and only an rm clock to greet

    me. Furthermore, I don¡¯t get to have homemade breakfast made by my wife, making me the most pitiful

    married man in the world.¡± Christopher slung his arm on my shoulder and continued with a pitiful

    expression, ¡°I¡¯m famished, so shouldn¡¯t you have breakfast with me?¡±

    I gave Christopher a hard p on his back. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat breakfast? Are you picking a fight? Go and

    have your breakfast quickly. Skipping breakfast is bad for your health.¡±

    I chatted with Christopher in thepany and had breakfast with him. After that, he still wanted to skip

    work to go out with me. Therefore, I stopped him because many unfinished documents were waiting for

    him on his office desk. His assistant keptining as he carried in the said documents, saying it

    would be a disaster if Christopher did not deal with them soon.

    Thus, it would be inconsiderate of me to want Christopher to spend time with me.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to spend time with you? It¡¯s not every day that I make such an offer.

    How can you bear to reject me so heartlessly?¡± Christopher ced a hand over his heart and put up a

    heartbroken expression.

    ¡°Go back to your work. Can you act your age?¡± I pointed to the Lane Corporation building and said, ¡°If

    you don¡¯t deal with your work properly, Julia will be here to catch you. I don¡¯t want to be med for

    making my husband skip work and turning him irresponsible.¡±

    ¡°Are youpletely sure that you don¡¯t want me to spend time with you?¡± Christopher repeated as I

    pushed him toward thepany¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Go in. I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow, is that okay?¡± I pushed Christopher into thepany

    lobby.

    ¡°You¡¯ve said it, so you must be here tomorrow.¡± Christopher suddenly seemed excited. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare

    for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Prepare what?¡± I asked curiously.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Condoms!¡± Christopher smiled exuberantly. He seemed thrilled as he said in a solemn tone, ¡°I¡¯ve

    never done it in the office. I think it will be more fun than doing it at home.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I had nothing to say. We had only separated for a few days, and this was all he could think about.

    I went home. However, when I walked into thepound, two men in ck suits came over to me and

    bowed politely. ¡°Ms. Yvonne, sir and madam are waiting for you. We are to bring you over to them.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± I blinked in confusion.

    A servant came up from behind them and exined, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein. They are at Memoria

    Opera House. Madam Anderson said she tried to call you, but your phone is broken. Then, she called

    here.¡±

    It was time for me to meet Mark anyway. The newspapers had caused such a stir, but I had not met my

    fabled father.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I immediately got into the car. One of the bodyguards gave me a box. I opened it and saw

    thetest phone model. It was beautiful. They even fitted in the sim card I threw awayst time.

    The bodyguards brought me to Memoria Opera House. It was a ce for opera performances, and the

    singers sang in anguage that I could not understand. If I were to watch a show here, I would fall

    asleep quickly.

    Isabelle sat alone on a cushioned seat and said, ¡°Sit down. Mark will be here soon.¡±

    I looked at Isabelle. Although I had a lot to say, I asked instead, ¡°Mom, who is my father? Whose

    daughter am I?¡±

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587

    Isabelle saw that I was agitated, so she came over and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll tell you about itter.

    Mark hates noises, so you should calm down first and sit down. If you keep speaking loudly, he¡¯ll be

    unhappy.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down, Mom. I¡¯ve wanted to ask you since Nathan said I¡¯m not his daughter. It¡¯s been so

    long, but you keep hiding the truth from me. I¡¯ve been waiting patiently with nothing to show. Can¡¯t you

    tell me? I¡¯m your daughter. Can¡¯t youfort me a little when I¡¯m down and helpless?¡± I retorted.

    I burst out with discontentment. Isabelle was never around whenever I needed her. She was my

    mother, so I wished she would encourage me a little whenever I was down and needed support.

    ¡°When Nathan said that I¡¯m not his daughter, I was scared and wanted to see you. However, you did

    not say anything and hung up on me. Mom, do I not matter to you because we haven¡¯t seen each other

    for more than a decade? Am I nothing to you? Is that why you abandoned me with the Tanners?¡±

    Isabelle looked at me with a shocked expression. I was usually mild-tempered, so she did not expect

    me tosh out at her. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to say

    anything. Some matters have to be revealed at the right time. Since you have grown up, I don¡¯t want to

    cause you pressure by restricting you like a child. I¡¯m sorry, Eve.¡±

    I was always reluctant to make Isabelle angry. When she said that to calm me, I began to feel guilty

    again. I realized that I should not hurt her, as she must have been sad in all those years. Otherwise,

    she would not be so busy after returning to the country.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper.¡± I took a deep breath to calm down. Then, I set aside the newspaper I

    was holding and asked, ¡°All I want to know is who my father is. Mom, can you tell me?¡±

    Isabelle frowned and seemed conflicted. She looked up quickly. After ncing at my expression, her

    gaze turned to somewhere behind me, and she chuckled. ¡°It has been reported in the newspaper.

    Didn¡¯t you read it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Mark¡¯s daughter? This¡­¡± I found it hard to believe that Isabelle had an affair with Mark while with

    Nathan. It turned out that I was Mark¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to call your father by his name.¡± A gentle and warm voice came from behind me.

    I turned around immediately and saw Mark dressed in a beige suit. He seemed refined and

    outstanding. Even though he was past his fifties, he had a mature charm. People were right to say that

    men age like wine. When he stood beside Isabelle, he did not seem old. Instead, they looked beautiful

    together.

    I wondered if he was really my father, and I still found it quite hard to believe.

    ¡°Please have a seat. I know that you love spicy food. The restaurant here has a chef famous for his

    spicy cuisine, and he makes the best spicy dishes. I¡¯m certain that you will like it.¡± Mark looked at me

    kindly. He seemed courteous, and his eyes crinkled with a smile as he passed the menu to me.

    I held the menu and looked at his kindly expression without saying a word.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Mark reached out to pat my head, but I dodged his hand. Therefore, he smiled

    in exasperation, retracted his hand, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve also just known about this. If Wesley did not

    tell me, I would never have guessed it. It¡¯s all my fault. I left you in another family all these years. You

    must have suffered.¡±

    I nced at Isabelle and saw that she did not seem excited. After Mark appeared, she turned quiet and

    only listened to him speak.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to ept it now. However, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re my only daughter, so from now on,

    I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± Mark smiled kindly and poured me a cup of tea. ¡°Yvonne, can you call me

    Dad?¡±

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588

    I held the teacup in my hand and sneaked a peep at him quietly. The eyes of the matured man sitting in

    front of me were full of gentleness. The moment they met with my gaze, I could feel his desire to pull

    me into his arms. However, the moment he wanted to reach out to me, he stopped.

    Sorrow filled my heart at that sight, but I could not get myself to call him Dad. Although it was merely

    one word, I could not manage to muster my courage to say it out loud. I tried to open my mouth, but

    nothing came out.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I muttered under my breath.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± Mark did not seem to mind my awkwardness and

    ordered the dishes.

    During the meal, he specially ordered a wine. Isabelle tugged his sleeve gently and persuaded, ¡°Mark,

    don¡¯t drink. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Mark interrupted and smiled. ¡°Today is a special day! Three of us can finally reunite as a

    family. How can we celebrate without drinking wine?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Isabelle got agitated, worrying that he might get more irritable than usual after drinking wine.

    ¡°All right, Isabelle.¡± Mark put down his wine ss and held her within his arm. He brushed her nose

    with the tip of his finger lightly and looked at her dotingly. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking about. But, don¡¯t

    worry. Eve is a thoughtful girl. She will not deny me as her father because of some misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Okay,¡± replied Isabelle hesitantly. Letting go of Mark¡¯s hand, she forced out a smile.

    However, once she ced her trembling hands down on herp, she felt immense pain. Her legs were

    full of traces of abuse. With wounds and bruises all over her legs, it looked terrifying.

    After Mark finished his remarks, I could see Mom¡¯s expression turned ashen. Although she tried to

    maintain her smile, it looked unnatural.

    Why is Mom unhappy? Is she unwilling to let me know that I¡¯m Mark¡¯s daughter? Or is she having other

    concerns?

    ¡°Come on, Eve. Eat more.¡± Mark kept adding food to my te.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Goldstein. But, I¡¯m full.¡± I tried to stop him.

    ¡°Still calling me Mr. Goldstein?¡± Mark looked disappointed at that instant. I immediately shut my mouth,

    not daring to say a word.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not going to force you. After all, I¡¯ve missed your childhood and growth.¡± After regaining

    hisposure, he continued, ¡°I remembered that you went to Anndur with the heir of the Lane

    family. He is Christopher, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Once I heard Mark asking about Christopher, I tensed up subconsciously for some reason.

    ¡°Good taste! He¡¯s indeed a good, reliable man. Do bring him home when you guys are free. Both of you

    are not young anymore. It¡¯s time to settle down now.¡±

    What?

    I was taken aback upon hearing that and shifted my gaze toward Mom intuitively. I never dared to

    mention Christopher in front of her and to ask her to give us her blessing. I¡¯m afraid that I might mess

    up everything by mentioning it at the wrong timing. To my surprise, Mark had opened up the

    conversation about it in the first ce.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to go to the restroom. You guys can continue.¡± As expected, Mom¡¯s expression

    darkened. Immediately after, she stood up and left.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    At the sight of her disappearing figure, my eyes grew dim.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eve. Your Mom can¡¯t ept it for now. But, after some time, I¡¯ll try to persuade her.¡± Mark

    patted my shoulder, trying tofort me.

    I lifted my gaze at him and asked the questions that had bothered me for a long time, ¡°Aren¡¯t you

    against us being together too? If you support us, Mom will be mad. After all, she seemed persisted in

    this matter.¡±

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589

    Mark put on a stern expression and said matter-of-factly, ¡°Initially, I do oppose to it. After all, your Mom

    still can¡¯t let go of the past. However, whenever I saw the both of you together, I thought of your Mom

    and me when we were young.¡±

    That was the thing that I had wanted to know the most. What had happened in the past that had

    separated them and subsequently caused Mom to marry Nathan? Darius had told me that Nathan was

    the one Mom loved, but why did she choose Mark over him in the end?

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Your mom and I had suffered a lot when we were young due to our family problem. At that time, the

    Anderson family was very influential, but the Lane family had just started to engage in the business

    field and was yet to be developed. Meanwhile, the Goldstein family had monopolized the malls in

    Avenport at that time. The first time I saw your Mom, I had fallen for her. Unfortunately, everyone was

    opposing our rtionship.¡±

    Talking about the past, Mark put on a mncholic expression and continued, ¡°We suffered a lot in the

    past. Your grandparents had tried to cause trouble to your mom¡¯s family to drive us apart. Without any

    choices left, I was forced to leave her. In the end, Isabelle had even pretended to fall in love with

    another guy to prevent my parents from suspecting us. Although we are back together again now, I¡¯m

    still feeling guilty for what had happened to us back then. If I was strong enough, we will not be

    separated.¡±

    Mark looked straight into my eyes and added, ¡°So, don¡¯t me your mom anymore. She had been

    through a lot of hardship these years. Besides, some matter can¡¯t be forgotten so easily even if time

    passes.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Mom did have a hard time. After what had happened in the past, no one could let it go

    without any effort. Moreover, I never med her for being inconsiderate. I just felt a little upset

    asionally. After all, I could feel her trying to distance herself away from me.

    What had surprised me the most was that all the love stories between Mom and Nathan that had

    caused envious among the girls turned out to be fake. Hah! How ironic it was? No wonder Nathan

    would be so mad.

    ¡°You won¡¯t understand. You are still young.¡± Mark chuckled and continued, ¡°Whenever I see you and

    Christopher, I will think about the time when we were young. He is indeed an outstanding young man.

    Among the younger generation, I am afraid that only a few canpare with him. To be honest, we

    had always respected his father back then. No wonder his children are all so formidable.¡±

    Blinking my eyes, I locked my gaze at him. After twenty-five years, it was the first time I saw my

    biological father. It was something unbelievable. I even had the thought that everything that happened

    was merely a hallucination.

    ¡°But¡­ Am I really your daughter?¡± The words came out of my mouth before I filtered them through my

    mind.

    ¡°When I heard it from Wesley, I also found it unbelievable. After all, when your mom married Nathan,

    there was some misunderstanding between us. We didn¡¯t contact for a long time since then. So, if you

    don¡¯t believe it, I can understand.¡± Mark sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to recognize you as my father. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s hard for me to believe in it,¡± I

    mumbled, fidgeting.

    Mark took out a DNA report from his briefcase and ced it in front of me. ¡°Take a look at it. This is the

    DNA result.¡±

    I took over the report and turned it to thest page. In actuality, I already knew the answer before I

    opened it. After all, Mark did not have to cheat me on this matter. He could not even get any advantage

    from me. However, I still had the desire to get a firm answer.

    Running my fingers on the result, I saw the word 99.99% match. Out of a sudden, tears welled up in my

    eyes, and the surge of crying overwhelmed me. So, in the end, I¡¯m Mark¡¯s daughter! I¡¯m the heir of the

    Goldstein family!

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590

    ¡°I have a big fight with your mom when you¡¯re pregnant. I believe the baby is Nathan¡¯s when your mom

    is pregnant, so I got to ask her about it. But I¡¯m not expecting your mom to admit it outright. Now that I

    think about it, I¡¯m aplete moron. An angry woman will confess to anything.¡±

    Mark let out a sigh and poured himself a beer. I was unsure why, but I also craved a beer, so I poured

    myself some.

    ¡°If I act rationally that year and not purposefully stimte your mother, there will be less

    misunderstanding now. Then you will not have to suffer as much in the Tanner family. I should have

    been more ruthless with my means and let Nathan taste the feeling of being desperate,¡± Mark said as

    he smashed his beer bottle on the table.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Mark¡¯s violent action shocked me. He was a gentle and kind man, but when he

    became angry, he was terrifying.

    ¡°In any case, Uncle Nathan raises me even though he is aware that I am not his daughter. I¡¯ve informed

    my mom about this. Can you stop attacking the Tanner family? They have already agreed to my mom¡¯s

    request.¡±

    Mark and I had a lengthy conversation. The majority of it was questions I wanted to ask Isabelle before,

    and I was able to get answers from Mark. During the conversation, I felt that the rtionship between

    Mark and me as father and daughter was gradually closing.

    ¡°Come here, Yvie, I¡¯d like to give you some pocket money, and you can¡¯t refuse it.¡± Mark gave me a

    card.

    When I looked at the Centurion card, I had a funny feeling about it. I remember when I was poor, I had

    to keep track of my expenses to eat a full meal. However, my fortune had been following me ever since

    I met Christopher. Remington had a studio, and with my skills added to it, I also had a steady ie.

    Not to mention that I had another Centurion card from Christopher in my bag, as well as aplete list

    of his projects and properties.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    On the other hand, Christopher was forcing me to sign it because he said that if he ever stopped loving

    me, I could take all of his money and properties and leave nothing for him. Another card was given to

    me by Isabelle, and whenbined with another given to me by Mark, I could buy whatever I wanted

    without looking at the price tag. I could just select the most expensive option.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any of that.¡± I turned down the card.

    ¡°I mention that you can¡¯t turn down my offer, and I know you¡¯re not short on cash. Your mother will not

    let you go without money, and the boy from the Lane family will also give you money to spend. This is

    just a small gesture on my part. I only realize you exist after twenty-five years, and I want to do

    something for you to make up for what we owe you. Is that right, Belle?¡±

    ¡°You just keep it on you. There¡¯s nothing wrong with having some extra cash on hand.¡± Isabelle lightly

    sighed.

    I hesitated for a while before keeping the card.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Today, the three of us should celebrate at the Goldstein residence.¡±

    ¡°Isabelle, you b*tch! You dare to let Nathan give up control of the Tanner family to Crystal! You

    scious woman, do you believe you have the right to control the Tanners family¡¯s affairs? I¡¯m going to

    end your life!¡±

    As we were about to leave, a woman charged out from the walkway, shouting at Isabelle and

    threatening to hit her with the beer bottle in her hand. Fortunately, the bodyguards who stood nearby

    prevented her from doing so.

    When I nced closer, I realized she was Scarlett. Her hair was a mess, and her face was badly

    battered as if someone had intentionally hurt her. Even though the bodyguards restrained her, she still

    wanted to kick Isabelle with her legs.

    ¡°Who are you? Isabelle turned to face Scarlett, who was making a threatening gesture. She did not

    recognize her at first sight. That was because Scarlett was a smart, lovely, and shy woman back then,

    so it was natural that Isabelle didn¡¯t recognize her. Not to mention that she now acted like a shrew. It

    was not unusual for people to not recognize each other as they grew older.

    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s Scarlett, Yvette¡¯s mother,¡± I whispered as I gently pulled her sleeves.

    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Isabelle was perplexed for a moment before realizing Scarlett¡¯s identity. Then, she

    approached her, but I stopped her and nervously said, ¡°Don¡¯t go near her, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Isabelle walked around me, crossed her arms, andughed as she saw the scar on her

    face. ¡°Tsk tsk, I think you must have provoked Nathan, and he hurt you. Am I correct? Nathan appears

    to be gentle, but when enraged, he is not to be trifled with. There is a time where he has single-

    handedly beaten a gangster who flirted with me until he ended up in the hospital for three months.¡±

    ¡°Isabelle, you b*tch! You¡¯ll die a horrible death!¡± Scarlett was enraged by Isabelle and yelled angrily at

    her, ¡°The Tanners is my daughter¡¯s. It should all belong to my daughter. Who do you think you are?

    Why do you have to take away my daughter¡¯s inheritance? You¡¯re just a shameless b*tch who eloped

    with a stranger. You have no right to do this!¡±

    What Scarlett said was far too excessive. It had an impact on Mark as well. I was also feeling very

    uneasy about it. When I looked up at Isabelle, she was expressionless in response to what Scarlett

    said. She did not even have a guilty expression on her face. Instead, she was bing happier and

    laughing even louder.

    ¡°Even Nathan and Natalie will show me some courtesy and refrain from speaking loudly to me when

    they are in my presence. You¡¯re just a mistress who destroys another person¡¯s family with your children

    and body. Do you really believe you have what it takes to be thedy of the house?¡± said Isabelle.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Bullsh*t, Nathan and I have genuine affection for one another. When he first met me, he told me that

    he had long been bored with you because of your cheating behavior. Yvonne is proof. You continue to

    date other men after you¡¯ve married. It¡¯s entirely your fault that Nathan dumped you. I¡¯ll tell you right

    now that if you don¡¯t return my daughter¡¯s properties to her, I¡¯ll end your life,¡± Scarlett replied.

    Isabelle¡¯s smile was getting wicked, and she lifted Scarlett¡¯s chin with her hand and looked at the scar

    on her face. She thenughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m standing here right now. Let¡¯s see how you want to end

    my life.¡±

    She then turned to the bodyguards and said, ¡°Are you all statues? Mrs. Tanner is being disrespectful.

    Shouldn¡¯t you do something to shut her up?¡±

    For a brief moment, the bodyguards were stunned. Then one of them suddenly pulled Scarlett¡¯s hand

    behind her back, and the other began pping Scarlett in the face. He did not appear to be having

    mercy on Scarlett, and her face was swollen as a result.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ Isabelle, let go of me. It is entirely your fault that you are unable to keep your husband. What

    does any of this have to do with me? You can¡¯t force love. Ahhh¡­ If Nathan truly loves you, I will not be

    able to break your family apart. Isn¡¯t it difficult for you to ept that you have been kicked out of the

    family years ago? If you have the guts, you can simply tell Nathan to kick Yvette and me out and take

    you back in the Tanner family. If not, you should return the Tanner family¡¯s properties to my daughter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still going to be spouting nonsense? Continue!¡± Isabelle did not seem to have any intention of

    relenting, and it was not veryforting to see. I let go of my mom¡¯s hand, thinking that she was a total

    stranger to me at the time.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hit my mom. Let her go!¡± Yvette appeared out of nowhere and ran over to Scarlett,

    hugging her and trying to free Scarlett from the two bodyguards.

    As Isabelle did not order the bodyguards to stop, they did not dare to stop and continued pping

    Scarlett together with Yvette.

    Yvette did not dare to plead with Isabelle. Instead, she sobbed and begged me, ¡°Please, Yvonne, tell

    them to stop. Everything I¡¯ve done to you in the past has been under Crystal¡¯s orders. It was her ideas,

    and I only do what she tells me to. Isn¡¯t it true that I am the most pitiful member of the Tanner family

    besides you? We are the daughters of the Tanner family. However, we have been treated poorly, worse

    than Crystal, our cousin. Tell them to stop hitting Mom, please.¡±

    The mother and daughter were screaming and crying as they hugged each other. Finally, I could not

    stand it any longer and gently pulled Isabelle¡¯s hand. But she shrugged my hand away and did not

    respond to me.

    I felt ufortable and really did not like to see this kind of scene. So, I yelled at the bodyguards,

    ¡°Stop it!¡±

    The bodyguards continued because Isabelle had not ordered them to stop. Fortunately, Mark had

    ordered them, ¡°Do you not hear Ms. Yvonne telling you to stop? Let Mrs. Tanner go.¡±

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592

    Hearing Mark¡¯s words, the bodyguard stopped beating Scarlett. Dissatisfied, Isabelle frowned and

    shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you take after. How can you be so kind.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡± I smiled. People were born to sympathize with the weak. I could not

    bring myself to be an onlooker when two men were beating weak women. Moreover, they were

    Nathan¡¯s wife and daughter. Even if they had nothing to do with me, I should stop it because of Nathan.

    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Shortly afterward, Isabelle waved her hand and brought Mark to the garden.

    Then, I walked over and assisted Yvette in helping Scarlett up. However, as soon as I touched Scarlett,

    she pushed me away. ¡°Get lost! You don¡¯t have to pretend to be kind. Do you think I¡¯ll appreciate your

    fake kindness and help you deal with Crystal and her mother? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±

    Frankly, I had never thought about it that way. The only thing I ever wanted in my life was to live a good

    life with Christopher. It was too taxing to take revenge on others, so there was no need to get even with

    every single person that had set me up.

    When I saw that Scarlett could not even stand properly, I called an ambnce for them because of her

    miserable look. After they moved Scarlett on the stretcher and carried her into the ambnce, Yvette,

    who had already got into the ambnce, came down again and said to me, ¡°Thank you, Yvonne.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just did what I wanted to do. I have a clear conscience,¡± I replied softly.

    Lifting her head, she nced at me and whispered into my ears, ¡°I saw your mother meeting with

    Crystal very frequently. You¡¯d better be careful. I¡¯ve got a feeling that Crystal is plotting something

    again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± My first reaction was that Yvette was trying to drive a wedge between Mom and me.

    ¡°No matter you believe it or not, that¡¯s all I can say. Perhaps, some things aren¡¯t as simple as you think.

    You¡¯d helped me once, and I¡¯ve returned your favor, so we¡¯re even now. The next time we meet again,

    we¡¯re still enemies.¡± Yvette cast a brief look at me before turning around and leaving.

    Staring at the leaving ambnce, I knitted my brows. What did she mean? Is there some kind of

    cooperation between Mom and Crystal?

    Compared to Crystal, I would rather trust Yvette, but I could not ask Mom directly about the matter.

    Even if I asked, she would not necessarily tell me.

    Three dayster, there was a grand banquet at the Goldstein residence, and it was prepared for me.

    After Mark acknowledged me as her daughter, hepletely changed his attitude toward me.

    Probably, it was because he did not have any children. He liked me very much.

    In addition to giving me the best room in the mansion, he also bought a lot of things for me. Every time

    I wanted to refuse, he would say that he was not by my side when I was young, so he wanted to do

    something for me to make up for all those years.

    Since he had said so, I could not refuse him anymore. The banquet was organized by Mark. He wanted

    to hold an unprecedented grand banquet and solemnly announce my identity to the upper ss inT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Avenport.

    Standing in the piano room, I ran my fingers on the limited-edition piano in front of me. Actually, I had

    mixed emotions. From time to time, I could hear the sound of car engines and people¡¯sughter from

    downstairs.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, it¡¯s almost time. Mr. Goldstein asked you to change your clothes and entertain the guests

    with him.¡± A servant walked in and said respectfully.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Momentster, I went back to my bedroom and opened the closet. Just when I was

    about to change, a lot of servants came in. Some helped to take off my clothes; the others put on the

    evening dress for me. After I sat on the chair, a professional makeup artist and stylist did my makeup

    and hair.

    Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt strange. The delicate makeup entuated my beauty, but I did not

    resemble Isabelle and Mark at all. Am I really Mark¡¯s daughter?

    Next Chapter

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593

    All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Mark was outside of the bedroom and urged, ¡°Eve, are

    you ready? Everyone is here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Shortly afterward, I opened the bedroom door and walked out. When he saw me in the

    elegant dress, his eyes lit up, and he eximed, ¡°My daughter is so beautiful!¡± Subsequently, he

    stretched out his hand in front of me.

    After some hesitation, I took his hand. When we arrived at the stairs, I could feel everyone¡¯s gazes

    focused on me. With an elegant smile on my face, I fixated my eyes on Mom, who was greeting the

    guests.

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    She was talking to a family, but they did not seem to be from Avenport because they looked unfamiliar.

    As I walked down the stairs, Mom pointed at me and said something to the dignified-looking man. The

    next moment, he looked toward me and smiled at me. In response, I nodded slightly.

    My gaze swept across the hall, and I realized that many people were present. Moreover, I was familiar

    with most of them. Benson was downstairs as well, but he looked less arrogant and did not stand

    beside Crystal. On the contrary, Crystal attended the banquet as the heir of the Tanner family, standing

    proudly in the crowd.

    The Lane family and the Goldstein family were originally business rivals. Even if only one of them

    came, it was great respect to the Goldstein family. However, everyone from the Lane family had turned

    up. I saw Christopher cing his hand on where his heart was while ncing at me with a smile on his

    face. His smile was much more genuinepared to others. The Lane family must have attended the

    banquet for my sake.

    ¡°Wee to everyone who attends this banquet, and thank you for taking your time to join us. Of

    course, the star of the day isn¡¯t me but the person next to me.¡±

    Mark pointed at me with a gentle smile and announced softly, ¡°I believe everyone had read the

    newspaper and heard some rumors. That¡¯s right. Eve is my daughter. I¡¯m heartbroken for not being

    able to fulfill my responsibility as a father for so many years, so today, I solemnly introduce her to

    everyone. From now on, Eve is the daughter of the Goldstein family.¡±

    After he finished speaking, there was a round of apuse from the crowd. As one of the bigwigs in

    Avenport, everyone showed him respect.

    Since I was the main focus of the banquet, naturally, I would have to do the opening dance.

    Instantaneously, I wanted to walk toward Christopher, and he was also looking at me. With my current

    identity, I was finally a woman worthy of him. In one of the most important moments of my life, I wanted

    to hold his hand and dance together with him in the public as a gesture of love.

    ¡°Eve,e here!¡± When I was about to walk toward Christopher, Isabelle suddenly came over and

    blocked my way. There was a smile on her face, but I could see the anger that shed across her eyes.

    Pointing at the man next to her, she uttered, ¡°This is Tobey Osborn from Horington. He¡¯s a decent man.

    Would you like to ask him for a dance?¡±

    Although she sounded implicit, as someone who grew up in the Tanner family, I immediately

    understood the meaning behind her words. She was trying to set me up with him. In an instant, my

    expression darkened, and the smile on my face faded. Nevertheless, I could not say anything to Mom

    on that kind of asion.

    ¡°Hi, Mr. Osborn!¡± I stretched out my hand to Tobey, not to invite him for a dance but to shake hands.

    The seemingly graceful man held my hand and did not let go. I could feel that his thumb was constantly

    rubbing the back of my hand with a hint of infatuation.

    Thus, I pulled my hand slightly, but he did not let go. While thinking about how ignorant he could be, I

    got closer to block everyone¡¯s sight and yanked my hand back. After that, I turned my head and caught

    a glimpse of Christopher. He had already walked to the front of the crowd. Immediately, I stepped

    forward and wanted to reach out to him.

    Just then, Sabrina blocked in front of me and shook her head. I stopped dead in my tracks and nced

    at Christopher, only to see him shaking his head as well, telling me not to be too impulsive. Pursing my

    lips, I fixated my gaze on Zachary. Then, I stood in front of him and stretched out my hand.

    On the other hand, Zachary was puzzled and could notprehend my actions.

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594

    ¡°Zachary, we¡¯ve been friends for such a long time. You won¡¯t reject my invitation to be my dance

    partner, right?¡± Zachary¡¯s silly expression was too cute. On the surface, he had a solemn expression,

    but anyone who knew him well would know that he was in a daze and at a loss for what to do.

    I was amused by his reaction and stuck out my tongue at him. No matter he was willing to be my dance

    partner or not, I dragged him to the dance floor. Even though Mom still looked unhappy, her expression

    had rxed a little.

    Zachary¡¯s dance style was the same as his personality, scrupulous and methodical. If he participated in

    a dancingpetition, I believed he would im first because his movements were too standard.

    Sliding into the center of the dance floor, he suddenly piped up, ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m a married man, and I¡¯ve

    never thought of divorce. Neither do I want to be a two-timer. Although you¡¯re my savior, this is a matter

    of principle.¡±

    All of a sudden, I was nonplussed and began to wonder why he was so simple-minded.

    ¡°I only invited you for a dance. You don¡¯t have to let your imagination run wild,¡± I responded tly.

    ¡°Every discerning guest knows that you should do this dance with your significant other,¡± he replied

    gloomily. ¡°I can already predict the headline of the newspapers tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I think you should worry about how to exin it to Mr. and Mrs. Zimmer.¡± Having said that, I could not

    help but chuckle. No wonder Sabrina loves to tease him. This is fun.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll die a horrible death. Can we turn back time?¡±

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    After the opening dance, Mark brought me around to greet every guest. Every time he introduced me,

    he had a serious demeanor and kept emphasizing that I was his daughter.

    Compliments from the guests came one after another ¨C what a young and promising painter, beautiful

    and charmingdy, as expected of the daughter of the Goldstein family, and so on. I found it strange

    because those words were used to describe Crystal in the past. Now that my identity was different,

    they also praised me the same way. It could be said that my worth had skyrocketed.

    After a while, Sabrina came over and whispered into my ears, ¡°Your prince charming is waiting for you

    in the rose garden.¡±

    Immediately, I understood the meaning of her words. Since I was not used to all the tteries, I

    excused myself and quietly left the banquet. When I was on my way to look for Christopher in the

    garden, Crystal suddenly appeared and blocked my way.

    As we were in the Goldstein residence, I hoped she was not thinking of embarrassing me because that

    would be absurd. Casting a brief look at her, I questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    In response, she snorted. ¡°Yvonne, don¡¯t be too full of yourself. Even if you¡¯re the daughter of the

    Goldstein family, I won¡¯t admit defeat. Sooner orter, I¡¯ll rise to a status so high that you can¡¯t reach it.¡±

    I could not understand. Is she living her life to prove that she¡¯s better than others? ¡±Is that the only thing

    you¡¯re pursuing? What benefits do you get by trampling on me?¡±

    Curious, I questioned again, ¡°Other than that, do you have nothing else to pursue? Your happiness, a

    lover, and a good career aren¡¯t important to you?¡±

    ¡°All those are ruined by you! Yvonne, I¡¯ll take back what you¡¯d taken from me. Just you wait and see!¡±

    With that, she turned around and walked upstairs.

    Her provocation took me by surprise. Also, I had never expected her to go upstairs in front of me.

    Thinking of what she was holding earlier, I frowned and queried the servant passing by, ¡°Why did Ms.

    Yates go upstairs? Was she upstairs just now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Yates was upstairs, together with Mrs. Goldstein. She should be going back to look for Mrs.

    Goldstein now,¡± answered the servant respectfully.

    ¡°She was upstairs for the whole time? Are you sure?¡± I inquired in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. After you finished the opening dance, she went upstairs with Mrs. Goldstein and stayed until

    now.¡±

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595

    What exactly is Mom up to?

    All of a sudden, I remembered what Yvette said. She told me that Crystal had a close rtionship with

    Mom. For some reason, I was flustered. No matter where I went, I could see Crystal as if I would never

    be able to get rid of her.

    The question kept bugging me, and when I found Christopher in the garden, I was still immersed in my

    thoughts.

    ¡°Is there something in your mind? You look disturbed.¡± Christopher wrapped his arms around my waist,

    leaned against the tree trunk, and asked softly while gently tapping my nose.

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    ¡°Is it that obvious? I thought I¡¯ve done a good job of concealing my emotions recently.¡± Scratching my

    head, I smiled embarrassedly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said so much, but you didn¡¯t even answer my questions. And you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re good at

    concealing your emotions? In your eyes, do I look like such a stupid man?¡± He raised his head high

    and pretended to be furious. ¡°I¡¯m angry. Hurry up and coax me.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry!¡± I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. As soon as I backed away, he held my neck

    and pulled me back. Then, he kissed my lips and pried them open, deepening the kiss.

    Our tongues were dancing at his lead, and he was constantly sucking every bit of air in my mouth. My

    brain was fuzzy, and I suddenly lost the ability to think and allow him to hug me. The kiss continued to

    deepen, and there was basically not a gap between our bodies.

    His dark eyes were soothing and gentle. The shimmering light deep in his eyes almost sucked me in.

    For a moment, I forgot where I was. My eyes were full of him and the happiness that belonged to us.

    After our lips parted, I buried my head in his chest, panting. He leaned my head on his shoulder, and

    his tone was incredibly gentle. ¡°Do you feel at ease now?¡±

    In response, I nodded and grinned. ¡°Chris, I¡¯m blessed to have you by my side.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! We haven¡¯t met each other for three days, and you¡¯ve already distanced yourself from me. Not

    only that, but you don¡¯t even talk to me about your concerns. Wait, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve fallen in

    love with Zach. If that¡¯s true, I¡¯ll abuse my power and send him on a mission to another city. It¡¯ll be

    better if he can spend his entire life away from us so that I have one less love rival.¡± Christopher turned

    his head away and quipped with a smile.

    ¡°If Sabby hears this, she¡¯ll never let you off easily.¡± Rolling my eyes at him, Iughed when I imagined

    the scene and reached out to tickle him.

    While standing on the spot, he kept trying to dodge my hands. In the end, he pinned me against the

    tree trunk and pressed on me. I tiptoed and gave him a peck. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I¡¯m a little lost, as I¡¯m

    not used to being the center of attention.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the focus wherever I go, and I¡¯ve never felt any difort. You¡¯re hopeless. I¡¯m right in front of

    you, but I can¡¯t make you feel at ease,¡± he muttered, pouting like a child throwing tantrum.

    ¡°No, when I won in drawing contests back then, I also felt difort. But that kind of difort is

    totally different from the one I¡¯m feeling right now.¡± As I talked, I felt that my way of expressing myself

    was wrong, and I could not help but feel dejected.

    ¡°Chris, I¡¯m really puzzled and anxious. All these happen suddenly, and they don¡¯t feel real at all. Do you

    think I¡¯m really Mark¡¯s daughter? Why do I feel so out of ce?¡± Finally, I told him the doubts deep in

    my heart. Ever since Mark acknowledged me as his daughter, I had been feeling anxious.

    ¡°Is he treating you badly?¡± Christopher asked in a deep voice. Immediately, his expression turned

    serious.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s very good to me. It¡¯s just that everything feels so strange. Maybe I still can¡¯t adapt to it,¡± I

    answered after much hesitation.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t notice that your mother was pregnant with you earlier. I can understand why you¡¯re

    feeling anxious.¡±

    Out of the blue, Mark¡¯s voice came from behind me. In an instant, I turned my head around.

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596

    Mark walked toward us with a kind smile on his face and his hands behind his back. Suddenly, I was at

    a loss for what to do. It was bad to talk about people behind their backs, and I was caught in the act.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± I mumbled without calling him Dad. That form of address was still too difficult for me.

    ¡°Mr. Goldstein.¡± Christopher stood beside me.

    ¡°You¡¯re still unwilling to call me Dad.¡± Abruptly, Mark sighed and nced sideways at Christopher. His

    eyes were cold, and I could feel an invisible pressure exuding from his body as if he would get angry at

    any time. Immediately, I was intimidated by the intense aura.

    Standing next to Christopher, I did not dare to step back. If Mark was angry, I could not let him vent his

    anger on Christopher.

    Nevertheless, Christopher did not give in and looked into Mark¡¯s eyes. Neither of them moved.

    Abruptly, I felt nervous because if there were any conflicts between them, the consequences would be

    disastrous.

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    ¡°Hahaha!¡± After a while, Mark burst out inughter and remarked, ¡°As expected of Gordon¡¯s son. Not

    bad.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Goldstein.¡± Christopher was still standing beside me, and a faint smile appeared on his

    face.

    ¡°You¡¯re patient and calm. These days, there aren¡¯t many young people who can carry themselves well

    like you. Most of them are impetuous.¡± Touching his chin, Mark pulled me to his side satisfyingly and

    said proudly, ¡°As expected of my daughter. You¡¯ve such a good taste in men.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed, for he would praise me at every chance he had. In the past few days, I had

    heard morepliments than I had heard in the past two decades. Could it be that he¡¯s even making

    up this aspect for me?

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that today isn¡¯t a good time to chat. Let¡¯s find a time and have a good talk,¡± remarked Mark.

    ¡°Sure. It just so happens that I¡¯ve got a lot of things that I want to ask you too,¡± replied Christopher. The

    next moment, he asked casually, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see Wesley? As yourpetent assistant, I can¡¯t

    believe he actually didn¡¯t attend such an important event like this.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably in Anndur right now. Since he¡¯s in charge of many of my businesses, he doesn¡¯t have

    time to attend even if he wants to.¡± At that moment, an indecipherable emotion flickered across Mark¡¯s

    eyes.

    Meanwhile, I did not expect Christopher to mention Wesley out of the blue. After the previous incident,

    although I was aware that Mark knew about it, we avoided the topic subconsciously because with my

    identity now, it would be appropriate to pursue the matter further.

    ¡°Ms. Tanner, Mrs. Goldstein is looking for you. She asked you to go over quickly and stop hanging out

    with some riff-raff here.¡± Just then, a servant hurried over and repeated what Isabelle said. In an

    instant, I knew that the riff-raff she was talking about referred to Christopher. Obviously, the servant did

    not expect Mark to be there as well. As soon as she finished speaking, she was struck dumb looking at

    Mark with a panic expression on her face.

    I waved my hand and asked the servant to leave first. When Mark saw that, he did not pursue the

    matter further. Frowning, he piped up, ¡°Sometimes, your mother can be quite stubborn, and no one can

    do anything about it. She hasn¡¯t changed at all over the years.¡±

    Upon hearing that, I remained silent while maintaining the polite smile on my face. I just can¡¯t get close

    to Mark. Is it because my resentment towards him is too intense? Looking at Christopher, I was

    reluctant to leave because recently, I had fewer opportunities to meet him.

    ¡°Chris¡­¡± I called out his name. Before I could say anything else, tears began to well up in my

    eyes. What should I do for us to be together?

    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll find a chance and have a good talk with your mother one day. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mark patted

    my head lightly and turned to Christopher. ¡°My daughter is deeply in love with you. Don¡¯t let her down.

    As long as you don¡¯t give up, I have a way to make Belle agree with your rtionship.¡±

    At that instant, Christopher exchanged looks with me while raising his eyebrows. Then, a wicked smile

    spread across his face. ¡°Mr. Goldstein, even if you object, I¡¯ll never give up.¡±

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597

    I did not know what Mark told Mom. Although she was upset that I met with Christopher in the garden

    on the day of the banquet, she did not vent her anger on me.

    That night, something came up, so Mark left the house, but there was an extra person at the dinner

    table. The person¡¯s name was Crystal Yates. Honestly, I was really surprised by the fact that Crystal

    stayed behind as a guest. Moreover, I was traumatized by her appearance.

    ¡°Crystal, eat up. There¡¯s no need to be too courteous. Make yourself at home.¡± Isabelle smiled softly

    and said to Crystal.

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    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Isabelle. You should eat more too. Try this carrot. It¡¯s not just a vegetable. Eating

    more carrots can help keep your skin healthy and vibrant. You¡¯ll always stay as beautiful as you¡¯re now.

    If we go out together, others might think that you¡¯re my elder sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on. You¡¯re ttering me so much that I almost think that I¡¯m only eighteen years old.¡±

    In fact, Crystal was really good at sweet-talking. She was a master in making the elders happy back

    then. Mom was no exception as well. For the whole night, she had kept a smile on her face and even

    ate an extra serving of food.

    ¡°How is it? After taking over the Tanner family, are there any problems that you can¡¯t handle? Just tell

    me if you encounter any problems. I¡¯ll definitely help you solve them and prevent others from taking

    advantage of it,¡± Isabelle inquired while grinning.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a little problem.¡± Looking at Isabelle, Crystal was hesitant to speak.

    ¡°You can be honest with us. We¡¯re not outsiders.¡±

    Having said that, Isabelle nudged my arm lightly. In response, I nodded in agreement. I did not even

    know what the food tasted like. Looking at Isabelle and Crystal, who were chatting happily, I felt that

    they were mother and daughter, and I was an outsider.

    Crystal was definitely the most amazing person I had ever seen. She seemed to be born with a kind of

    talent that could make people treat her kindly. Even Mom was no exception.

    Sighing in my heart, Ipletely lost my appetite.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the business of the Tanner family. Because of the misrepresentation in the newspaper before

    this, our business has been affected. After I take over, the situation has gotten worse. Aunt Isabelle,

    you know well that I¡¯m not talented in doing business. If it hadn¡¯t been for Uncle Nathan, thepany

    would have been in a mess right now.¡±

    Immediately, Crystal told Isabelle about the situation of the Tanner family. In actuality, Isabelle was well

    aware of the situation, but she still listened very seriously just because Crystal was the one who was

    talking.

    ¡°This is certainly a problem.¡±

    After putting down her spoon, Isabelle had a grim expression. At that moment, I realized that she was

    actually thinking about the issue seriously.

    She pondered for a moment and said to Crystal, ¡°I¡¯m attending a business gathering tomorrow, and

    everyone else is either the person in charge of prominent families or investmentpanies. Why don¡¯t

    you go with me? Actually, I¡¯m looking for investors for a project. The Tanner family should participate in

    the project too. It¡¯s just that you won¡¯t profit much from it. What do you think?¡±

    In an instant, Crystal¡¯s eyes lit up, and she eximed, ¡°I¡¯m very much willing to participate in the

    project. Thank you, Aunt Isabelle. You¡¯re my life savior!¡±

    ¡°Life savior? You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Amused by Crystal¡¯s words, Isabelle burst into heartyughter.

    I had never seen Momugh like that in front of me. Suddenly, I was stunned, and a thought crossed

    my mind. Mom isughing happily because of Crystal. On the contrary, the rtionship between Mom

    and me has been tense because of Christopher.

    ¡°Yvonne, why aren¡¯t you eating? All these dishes are prepared by Aunt Isabelle. They¡¯re her hard work.

    Even if you¡¯re used to eating the food from the Lane family, you shouldn¡¯t let her effort go to waste.¡±

    After Crystal finished speaking, I clearly noticed Mom¡¯s expression had darkened, and she seemed to

    be very unhappy. My face immediately fell as Crystal was obviously sowing discord between Mom and

    me. Not to mention that she purposely mentioned the things that Mom hated.

    Hearing that, I snorted and responded dissatisfiedly, ¡°Watch your tongue. This is the Goldstein

    residence. Do you mean I don¡¯t even have the right to eat as much as I like?¡±

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598

    We were not in the Tanner residence, and I was no longer the former me. Previously, Crystal could

    make things difficult for me and bully me in the Tanner residence, but now, I would never allow her to

    provoke me.

    ¡°I- Aunt Isabelle¡­¡± Crystal was stumped by what I said, and her expression changed. Immediately, she

    looked at Isabelle and exined, ¡°Aunt Isabelle, that¡¯s not what I meant. I just¡­¡±

    With that said, she was on the verge of tears as if she had been greatly wronged. Back then, she loved

    to use that kind of forlorn expression to say some specious things to make everyone misunderstand.

    Looking at her, I sneered. We were not in the Tanner residence, and her close male friends were not

    present either. Who was she showing the pitiful expression to?

    ¡°Eve, you¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Isabelle looked at me displeasingly and scolded, ¡°Crystal is our guest. As

    the host, how can you talk to her like this? Hurry up and apologize.¡±

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Upon hearing that, I widened my eyes in shock. I was so surprised that I was at a loss for

    words. Mom actually sided with Crystal and asked me to apologize. Did I say anything wrong?

    The next moment, I turned my head to look at Crystal. She was still looking at me pitifully, but the

    triumph in her eyes had already betrayed her true feelings.

    ¡°Aunt Isabelle, please don¡¯t scold Yvonne. It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t talk nonsense and make her angry.

    I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing.¡± Suddenly, Crystal stood up and uttered in fear.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Immediately, Isabelle pulled her back onto her seat and red at me.

    ¡°You only told the truth and made someone irritated.¡±

    Smack!

    The next instant, I put down my spoon, pushed aside the chair, and stood up. ¡°Suit yourselves.¡±

    I could no longer stand it. Hence, I turned around, left the living room, and walked into the garden.

    Blood was rushing through my veins. I was so furious that even the flowers were an eyesore.

    Infuriated, I stepped on a red flower and crushed it.

    I¡¯m Mom¡¯s daughter. How can she side with an outsider? Not to mention that the outsider had always

    bullied me, and I hated her to the core.

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about you? The only thing you can do is say nice words to please others. Even if

    you¡¯re good at doing that, you still dug your own grave in the end. What else can you get? Argh! I¡¯m so

    angry!¡±

    ¡°The flower didn¡¯t offend you. Will it apologize to you if you bully it?¡± Just then, Lucas walked out from

    behind the big tree and picked up the flower under my feet with a sympathetic expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a flower. As the daughter of the Goldstein family, can¡¯t I even step on a flower?¡± Under the

    influence of anger, I spoke without thinking. I sounded like an unreasonable woman who was taking out

    my exasperation on Lucas.

    ¡°This camellia is extremely rare. I had liked camellia when I was young, so I bought this from a ce at

    a high price and shipped it here by air,¡± he said with an innocent expression. While holding on to the

    flower, he lowered his head. ¡°If I¡¯m the flower, this will be its expression.¡±

    In an instant, I was bemused by his funny expression and was shocked by what he said. So that¡¯s why

    the flower is nted in a separate flowerbed. Feeling embarrassed, I apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was

    blinded by rage just now. Should I ask the gardener if there¡¯s any way to save this flower?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an expert. If you want to ask a gardener, you might as well ask me.¡± Casting me a contemptuous

    look, he piped up, ¡°As my cousin, you don¡¯t even know my craftsmanship. What kind of friend are you?¡±

    Hearing what he said, I scratched my head and flushed with embarrassment. After he took care of the

    flowers and was about to leave, I looked at his back and thought of everything that happened back

    then. Abruptly, I asked, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯d known my identity since a long time ago, right? Am I really Mark¡¯s

    daughter?¡±

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599

    Lucas stopped, turned to look at me, and said with a frown, ¡°Are you still bothered by this issue? That¡¯s

    not like you. I¡¯ve always thought that you wanted a loving family. Isn¡¯t it good to have a father?¡±

    Lucas had always been a good friend. He had read my situation very urately; I did yearn for a close

    and affectionate family where there would always be someone who cared for me. Surprisingly, when it

    was revealed that I was Mark¡¯s daughter, I found it hard to ept and actually felt uneasy. Was it

    because the weight of the name Goldstein was too much to bear?

    ¡°I do wish for a loving father, but, oh!¡± I sighed softly. ¡°Perhaps it is too much to wish for, and it¡¯s rather

    unbelievable. After all the twists and turns, I¡¯ve finally be your cousin. Isn¡¯t it incredible?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is impossible. You are now a member of the Goldstein family. Just enjoy the power thates

    with it and do whatever you wish to. You can be willful and difficult and even raise hell. You can be sure

    Uncle Mark will be there for you,¡± Lucas told her.

    He showed such certainty that I was sure that he knew about the rtionship between Mark and me

    long before this. I felt a little confused and whispered, ¡°Do you regret being so good to me before? After

    all¡­¡±

    Lucas had been treated very badly by Mark and though I did not say it, Lucas had sensed it. He broke

    into a heartyugh and said, ¡°Has this got anything to do with you? Aren¡¯t you going to be friends with

    me anymore?¡±

    Lucas immediately put me at ease. He is such a charming and charismatic man. It¡¯s no wonder that I

    can never forget my first impression of him lying on the sickbed andughing away despite his

    depression.

    I punched him and said with a smile, ¡°You are a real buddy, Lucas. You told me that I can raise hell.

    Well, let me know whenever you are in trouble and I¡¯ll raise hell together with you.¡±

    ¡°Remember your words,¡± said Lucas as he looked deeply at me. ¡°When the timees, don¡¯t make

    excuses.¡±

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    ¡°Shall we make a pinky swear then?¡± I said. ¡°My intention is magnanimous and I am ready to go

    through hell and high water for a friend, but your words are like pouring cold water on me.¡±

    To my surprise, Lucas put out his little finger for the swear and said seriously, ¡°He who lies is a puppy.¡±

    I gave two woofs in agreement and said gently, ¡°If you don¡¯t always put on that mncholy look, I

    guarantee you¡¯ll be the best of friends with Chris.¡±

    ¡°If I say that I¡¯m not interested, will you beat me up?¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I felt much better after Lucas¡¯forting words. Even the knowledge of Crystal and Isabelle going to a

    spa beauty treatment together did not bother me anymore. They had theirmon interests, all of

    which did not appeal to me at all.

    Perhaps Mom is thinking of using Crystal to help the Tanner family. Despite the love and hate, I

    somehow get the feeling that Uncle Nathan has a special ce in Mom¡¯s heart.

    I made up my mind to be an ostrich to keep my mind at ease.

    That night, while I was in bed chatting with Christopher over the phone, there was a knock on the door.

    This was Isabelle¡¯s favorite time for a milk bath and I thought it might be the housekeeper bringing the

    clothes over. I shouted for her toe in and went to run the bathwater.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for my bath now. Love you, Darling. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± I was about to take off my clothes

    when I saw Crystal¡¯s ghostly figure. I almost yelled in fright.

    ¡°Crystal, what the hell are you doing acting in this ghostly manner? Well, let me tell you, I¡¯m not afraid

    of ghosts,¡± I said angrily.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you as you were on the phone.¡± Crystal seated herself on the couch in a familiar

    manner. She said in a half-smile, ¡°Aunt Isabelle doesn¡¯t like the Lane family, and here you are carrying

    on furtively with Christopher. Do you think that¡¯s eptable?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. I don¡¯t care what you do to get into my mom¡¯s good books, but I warn

    you, Crystal, don¡¯t you dare get funny ideas in your head. Lady luck does not smile on you all the time.¡±

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600

    Crystal had a big mouth, and I had to warn her. She was quite capable of dropping snippets of

    nonsense in my mom¡¯s ears and creating a rift between me and my mom.

    ¡°Tsk, Tsk. I won¡¯t dare to think of any crooked ideas. Besides, I rely on Aunt Isabelle to get what I want.

    Why would I want to offend you, Yvonne Tanner?¡± Crystal shed a provocative look through her

    narrowed eyes.

    She called me Yvonne Tanner! People now addressed me as Ms. Goldstein or Yvonne Goldstein. Only

    Christopher would refer to me as Yvonne Tanner and that¡¯s because he knew that I liked him to do so.

    But when Crystal said it, it just sounded sarcastic.

    ¡°No doubt, you are now Ms. Goldstein, all high and mighty. You have every right to be so. But, you

    must be thinking, what right do I have to speak to you in such a manner? I¡¯m just a miserable nobody,

    right?¡± Crystal gave a strangeugh of delight as if she held some secrets over me, of which I didn¡¯t

    even know of.

    ¡°What are you trying to say? I have no time for such chattering. Please leave if you have no other

    business. To put it inly, get lost!¡± I had no wish to talk to her at all. Her carrying-on with my mom in

    the afternoon had infuriated me enough.

    ¡°You have a guilty conscience because in your heart you are still uneasy about everything.¡± Crystal

    laughed loudly. ¡°Yvonne, shall we have another bet? Let us say, whether I can get into the Remington

    art exhibition, and hang my painting at the space allocated for you.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s words were loaded with meaning. Taking my space meant that she wanted to rece me. I

    narrowed my eyes. I had great confidence in my painting skills. ¡°Are you sure that your own painting is

    good enough to rece mine?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I don¡¯t even have to paint it.¡± Crystalughed in an inscrutable manner, but her face exuded

    every confidence of sure sess.

    This made me flustered because, in the past, I had always lost my bets with her. Hearing these familiar

    words and seeing the same old arrogant and dismissive expression on her face made me feel like my

    pathetic old self.

    The more I panicked, the more determined I became. I said between gritted teeth, ¡°What have you

    done, Crystal?¡±

    ¡°You will know when the timees, Yvonne. You will never defeat me. No matter how high you climb,

    you will never beat me. Haha.¡±

    Crystal¡¯s words and Crystal the person were a curse to me. I could not be rid of it no matter what I did.

    Because of what she said, I did not get a good night¡¯s sleep. My dreams were nightmares of

    Crystal. You can¡¯t beat me. You are a pathetic worm. It¡¯s only in your dreams that you can defeat me. I

    will take away everything that is yours.

    When I woke up in the morning, I had the self-fulfilled two dark circles under my eyes. There was no

    one around at breakfast. After asking around, I found out that Isabelle and Crystal had gone shopping.

    ¡°What the heck? Who the hell is her daughter!¡± I mmed down the bowl and cutlery angrily.

    Christopher pped his hand over his mouth inughter when he saw me with my panda eyes. I

    punched him angrily. ¡°Have you never seen a panda before?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a lovely panda, indeed. Did our sex chats give you such erotic dreams that you

    couldn¡¯t sleep well?¡± Christopher said slyly. ¡°I should have broken inst night and gotten myself an

    eager panda. That¡¯s a nice thought.¡±

    ¡°How can you still joke about it?¡± If Christopher hade and we were caught in grante by the likes

    of Crystal, there would be a big brouhaha. I sighed gloomily at the thought of Crystal.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why the long face?¡±

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 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601

    ¡°My mom is so weird. She¡¯s so nice to Crystal. Shouldn¡¯t she be nicer to me? We haven¡¯t seen each

    other for years, so it¡¯s fine if she¡¯s estranged from me, but she treats my arch-enemy really well.

    Crystal¡¯s an opportunistic b*tch. Even my mom can¡¯t resist her charms. Gosh, she must be a

    seductress! She charms and maniptes the important people in my life, including my mom.¡±

    As soon as Christopher asked me, I began to pour out my sorrows.

    I babbled on, ¡°I should be the one spending time with Mom as her daughter, be it shopping, getting a

    facial, having lunch, or joking around. Since when did I be a stranger to her? It¡¯s fine if Mom didn¡¯t

    defend me when I got bullied by Crystal, but she wanted me to apologize to her! Who is her daughter

    now? Me, or Crystal?¡±

    Christopher listened with a serious expression on his face. He frowned as something crossed his mind.

    He fell into silence for a while before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. You haven¡¯t seen each other for years, so

    it¡¯s normal for a barrier to exist between you two. Your mom doesn¡¯t like it when you meet my family.

    Thus, she¡¯ll have her own opinions about it. Perhaps she¡¯s behaving like this to get you to be nice to

    her and let go of the Lane family.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I thought Christopher had a point. ¡°But why Crystal? She¡¯s the bane of my life, and I can¡¯t

    shake her off. Have I been cursed by her?¡±

    ¡°I met Mr. Goldstein this morning. He¡¯s supportive of us, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡±

    Christopher said coolly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve met my dad?!¡± I blinked.

    ¡°Yeah, we talked about business. Mr. Goldstein seems rather friendly as if anyone can get some

    goodies from him. But when ites to business, he¡¯s really shrewd. I was nearly ensnared by him,¡±

    Christopher said.

    ¡°What? You should be careful, then. Don¡¯t be manipted by him. Julia left the Lane family¡¯s business

    to you, so you must guard it properly,¡± I replied hastily.

    ¡°Rx. Do you think I¡¯ll be easily manipted? Even though Mr. Goldstein is your father, I won¡¯t

    sacrifice my business for my lover,¡± he said.

    With a smile, Christopher gently brushed a finger against my nose. Still, there was a sh of worry in

    his eyes. Undoubtedly, what he had discussed with Mark was rted to thetter¡¯s illegal dealings that

    brought huge profits to him. Now that his business had expanded, he wanted Christopher to join him

    and grow the business further, instead of putting a stop to it.

    As a soldier from the special forces, Christopher would not tolerate people who did such things under

    his watch. He had advised Mark against it. In return, Mark scowled and gave him an ultimatum.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Christopher, you have two choices now. One, join us. Two, be our enemy. Whether you be

    our friend or foe, it¡¯s up to you to decide. However, I must remind you that if you be our enemy,

    Yvonne will get hurt regardless of the oue. You¡¯d better think this through,¡± Mark threatened.

    This issue bothered Christopher, and he still had not made his decision. Mark was right. If he became

    an enemy of Mark and something bad happened to him, Yvonne would be devastated. Simrly, if

    something horrible urred to Isabelle and Mark, she would be upset, too, as they were the parents

    she always longed for.

    Christopher was stymied. The challenge he faced had transformed into an unalterable situation. He

    wanted toe up with a win-win solution so that Yvonne would not be caught in between, but his

    effort was in vain.

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602

    Remington carefully ced the painting on the table and pointed at a corner of the canvas. ¡°Here,

    you¡¯re very skilled at drawing nts. Draw this part for me, and once I get Spencer to autograph it, this

    painting isplete. I¡¯m going to disy the works of The Three Art Musketeers of Avenport at the

    front row of the art exhibition for everyone¡¯s viewing pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Haha! The Three Art Musketeers!¡± I could not help butugh. ¡°Have you been reading too many

    adventure stories, Remington? I didn¡¯t expect you to think of this nickname. How cheesy.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t cheesy; it¡¯s manly.¡± Remington lifted his head proudly. ¡°You should know that every man

    fantasizes about swashbuckling. I¡¯m just projecting my swashbuckling dreams. I¡¯m sure Spencer will

    love this nickname, too.¡±

    I shook and tried to stifle augh. I pointed at the nk spot in the middle of the canvas and chuckled.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better paint an iris that represents the fleur-de-lis from The Three Musketeers. It suits the

    whole picture, and you¡¯ll also please your flower-loving friends.¡±

    ¡°Good point!¡± It was merely a casual remark on my part, but little did I expect Remington to take it

    seriously and agree to it. ¡°The Three Musketeers is good! I resonate with the fleur-de-lis. Great, I¡¯ll go

    with it, then.¡±

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll look at some pictures of The Three Musketeers when I get back. I promise I¡¯ll finish the

    painting.¡± After that, I got out my own painting and ced it on the table. ¡°It took me a long time before I

    managed to paint thisndscape painting. I wanted to support your first art exhibition. Take a look and

    tell me what you think of it.¡±

    Instead of using brightly colored paint, I used muted colors for the entire painting. Remington was

    trained in ssicalndscape paintings, whereas I loved modern oil paintings. If a painting with vibrant

    colors appeared in the midst of paintings with dark colors, it would either seem like I was trying to steal

    Remington¡¯s spotlight, or I was trying to offend him. That would not be good.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    To amodate Remington¡¯s preference, I pondered for a long while before I finally came up with this

    ssical piece.

    Remington¡¯s eyes lit up with glee when he saw my painting. He gave me a thumbs-up and praised, ¡°I

    knew I was right about you. When I first saw you at the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest, I

    knew you weren¡¯t a regr participant, Yvonne. You should be learning ssicalndscape paintings

    instead of modern paintings. I won¡¯t be able to achieve fame with you around.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I know my abilities.¡± I rubbed my nose. In recent years, Remington had been hailed as

    the most promising young artist in the nation¡¯s art sector. The older, established artists would sing

    praises about his artwork. An amateur like me was nothingpared to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t humble yourself. Didn¡¯t you notice how Christopher snorted when he heard your remark? It

    shows that I¡¯m a good judge of talent.¡± Remington winked at me and smiled charmingly.

    I rolled my eyes at him. I¡¯m just being humble. It¡¯s not like I can agree with whatever praises thrown at

    me. I might not know all the ways of the world, but I¡¯m no idiot, either.

    ¡°Is this painting still unfinished? I notice a nk spot.¡± After admiring the piece for a while, Remington

    pointed at the middle of the canvas and asked the question.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded and groaned, ¡°It¡¯s my first time painting a piece with muted colors. Whenever I try to

    add something to the middle of the canvas, it just seems inappropriate. Thus, I decided to leave it

    nk. I brought this painting over today because I want you to advise me on the most suitable thing to

    include in the nk spot.¡±

    Remington studied the piece silently. Then, he suggested, ¡°Perhaps you want to add a bird¡¯s nest on

    this tree branch and two flying birds. Not too big. Just a dab.¡±

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll add the birds.¡± I pped joyfully. Indeed, Remington was an expert. He could easily

    identify the error of the painting and offer me a good suggestion.

    We were chatting happily when Spencer entered. He tossed Remington¡¯s phone to him. ¡°Your phone

    has been ringing all day, but you didn¡¯t pick it up. Answer your phone now.¡±

    Remington epted his phone call. Suddenly, he looked at me. ¡°What? Did you say Crystal?¡±

 Chapter 603

    Chapter 603

    The slice of fruit in my mouth slipped out andnded on the floor. I turned toward Remington and

    realized that Crystal had called him. Doesn¡¯t she know that a righteous man like Remington hates

    frauds like her?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Yates. This is just a small, personal art exhibition organized by me. It¡¯s not arge

    exhibition by a famous artist, so you don¡¯t have to lower your standards. This year, a number of foreign

    young artists wille over to our country for an exchange program. You¡¯re the most capable heiress

    of the Tanners, Ms. Yates, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to participate in that program. All right, I have to

    go now. Goodbye, Ms. Yates,¡± he said.

    Remington looked pissed after hanging up. He mmed his phone onto the table and threw a

    sideways nce at Spencer. ¡°What a coincidence. I received a call from Crystal as soon as you came

    in. Don¡¯t you agree, Spencer?¡± He spoke in a low voice.

    Spencer looked away, and the muscles on his face twitched. He let out a dryugh. ¡°Yeah, what a

    coincidence. Haha!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Remingtonughed coldly. ¡°I hope this coincidence doesn¡¯t happen again!¡±

    Apart from Remington, Christopher and I could tell that it was Spencer who connected Crystal with

    Remington. His purpose was to make Remington agree to Crystal¡¯s participation in the art exhibition.

    I frowned and got anxious. Crystal had said something to me at my house two nights ago, and it deeply

    troubled me. As a result, I had been on guard for the past two days. I feared that if I let my guard down,

    Crystal would gain the upper hand over me, and my reputation would be ruined.

    I did not expect Crystal to call Remington. Apparently, she was hell-bent on using this opportunity to

    restore her reputation as a new school artist and redeem herself.

    My lips curled into a smile, and I chuckled. Crystal can do whatever she wants, but there¡¯s one thing

    she can¡¯t do. She can¡¯t affect me.

    ¡°Spencer, I recall that you hate people who steal the works of other artists. Years ago, someone stole

    your artwork, and you nearly lost the opportunity to be my junior. If our mentor had not seen your

    art earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to study under him. Back then, you were harsh

    toward that thief, and you haven¡¯t changed much recently. So why do your principles change when

    you¡¯re dealing with a different person? Or should I say, everything is forgivable if Crystal¡¯s the one who

    committed it?¡± Remington said.

    I wanted to p and cheer after hearing Remington¡¯s words. He said my thoughts out loud. Why are

    her bad deeds justified just because she¡¯s Crystal Yates?

    Spencer nced at me and sighed. He said to Remington, ¡°I just don¡¯t have the heart to reject Crystal.

    We used to regard her as a promising artist. However, she has fallen from grace and detached herself

    from art. She has already received her punishment, and if she wants toe back, why can¡¯t we give

    her a chance? I implore you, Remington.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re the biggest victim here. Tell him your decision.¡± Remington regarded me with a

    darkened expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re the organizer. Why are you asking me?¡± I detested hearing Crystal¡¯s name. It was repulsive.

    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re Crystal¡¯s cousin. No matter what happened between you two in the past, she¡¯s still

    your cousin. Please, would you help her just this once?¡± Spencer begged me.

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    Spencer must have loved Crystal. Else, a proud man like him would not have lowered his pride for a

    woman.

    I sighed and said coldly, ¡°Spencer, I¡¯m not going to involve myself in this issue. It¡¯s your business if you

    manage to persuade Remington. You probably don¡¯t know how much I hate her. Whenever I bump into

    her, simple things will eventually turn out to beplicated and a pain in the *ss. I don¡¯t care about

    your intentions, but me helping her is out of the question.¡±

    I no longer hid my true feelings. I was not a saint. I helped Nathan because he raised me, but there

    was no reason for me to help Crystal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Chris!¡± I tugged Christopher¡¯s arm and strode out of the studio angrily.

    ¡°Christopher!¡± Spencer cried loudly. ¡°Please help me, just this once. I¡¯ll owe you a favor if you do so.

    Please persuade Yvonne for me.¡±

 Chapter 604

    Chapter 604

    The rtionship between Spencer and Christopher came to my mind, and I stopped in my tracks. Their

    families were very close, and both Spencer and Christopher were best friends. I should not only think

    about my own feelings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eve. Just do whatever you want.¡± Christopher took me into his arms and grinned. He

    knows what I¡¯m concerned about. How can I not worry about it?

    I turned around and stared at Spencer, who had fallen under Crystal¡¯s charms. In a low voice, I said,

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Spencer. You¡¯ll definitely regret this.¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t regret this,¡± Spencer asserted.

    I shook my head. Sometimes, I did not understand what was so appealing about Crystal, to the point

    that so many men were bewitched by her. I guess I¡¯ll only understand this when I be a man in my

    next life. Why am I a woman? I¡¯m straight, so I don¡¯t find other women attractive.

    I sighed and told Remington, ¡°I¡¯m not against it, Remington. Just think of it as granting a lovesick man¡¯s

    last wish.¡±

    In spite of my approval, I regretted my decision as soon as I walked out of Remington¡¯s house. My

    head drooped as I scolded myself for being too soft and allowing myself to be waid by a proud man.

    Christopher noticed my expression and could not help butugh. He patted my head and grinned.

    ¡°Look at you. Earlier, you sounded so confident when you said that you were granting another man¡¯s

    wish. I bet you regret what you said now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Crystal we¡¯re talking about. She¡¯s invincible and hard to shake off! I¡¯m really nervous, and I

    have a bad feeling that something will go wrong at the art exhibition if she¡¯s around.¡± I shrugged and

    rested my head on Christopher¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I¡¯m overthinking, or whether I¡¯m

    traumatized by Crystal.¡±

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re traumatized by her, which resulted in your constant catastrophizing. What is there to fear?

    You¡¯re a daughter of the Goldstein family, and you¡¯re also my wife. You can do whatever you want in

    Avenport, and no one will dare to offend you. If anyone does so, you¡¯ll just have to smack them in the

    face, and we¡¯ll clean up your mess afterward,¡± Christopher consoled me.

    ¡°Yeah, I can do whatever the heck I want. I¡¯m so sick of hearing this.¡± I pouted and let out a bitter smile.

    I decided not to tell Christopher that Crystal had looked for me earlier. Nothing has happened yet, but

    I¡¯m already catastrophizing. He must think that I¡¯m a wimp.

    The following morning, I ced my painting on the table and pondered over my next strokes. All of a

    sudden, a servant knocked on the door and told me that Isabelle was looking for me. I ced my brush

    on the table. Usually, I would spend these hours in my studio, and people tended to leave me

    alone. Why would Mom visit me today? Isn¡¯t she supposed to attend some party or luncheon with

    Crystal?

    I stored my painting and descended the stairs. Then, I saw the servants putting various objects from

    the house into the car. Upon closer inspection, I realized that those objects were meant for

    mourners. Who is Mom going to mourn?

    ¡°Why are you standing there? Get in the car now. I¡¯m waiting for you,¡± Isabelle urged when she noticed

    that I was standing still in the doorway.

    ¡°Mom, who are you going to mourn?¡± I got into the car, and I was not surprised to see Crystal who was

    ready to head out with us. In fact, I would not be surprised either if Isabelle told me one day that she

    would make Crystal her goddaughter.

    ¡°Today¡¯s your uncle¡¯s death anniversary. I told you when I came back, but you¡¯ve forgotten about it,¡±

    Isabelle muttered unhappily.

    Isabelle did say that. However, I remembered clearly that she did not mention the exact date.

    Nevertheless, she must be in a bad mood as it was my uncle¡¯s death anniversary. Therefore, I decided

    not to talk back to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I forgot,¡± I replied calmly.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Who else do you remember apart from the Lane family? If I were uninformed, I would have assumed

    you were a member of that family,¡± Isabelle scoffed and chided me.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I frowned. Why the sudden change in Mom¡¯s attitude? She was still rather gentle and kind

    when she first returned. Later, she behaved harshly toward me, particrly when the Lane family was

    involved. There was simply no room for negotiation.

 Chapter 605

    Chapter 605

    Isabelle would always mock me with what happened in the Lane family when she was unhappy. Truth

    be told, I thought Crystal treated me way better than her at some point.

    ¡°You said before that you would give me time. Can you please give me some space during this period

    and stop mentioning the Lane family in front of me? If you¡¯re unwilling to do so, why did you suggest it

    in the first ce? You¡¯re just ruining everyone¡¯s mood.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did say that I would give you some time, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you can take forever. Are

    you trying to keep dying so that you can stay with your enemy forever?¡± Isabelle did not even n to

    sit down and talk nicely to me. She continued fiercely, ¡°Listen, don¡¯t even think about it! There¡¯s no way

    I¡¯m letting the two of you get together.¡±

    She got so agitated that she raised her hand high, wanting to give me a p. However, she gave up

    doing it the next second as a dested expression crept on her face.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I was still angry with her, but before I could say anything, I noticed a bruise on her fair,

    delicate wrist. Instantly, I pulled her arm over and pointed at it. ¡°Mom, what is this?¡±

    Isabelle panicked upon hearing that. She struggled to withdraw her arm back and stuttered out of

    nervousness, ¡°N-Nothing. I identally fell down.¡±

    ¡°Let me have a look. Is it serious?¡± The purplish bruise wasrge. It was a terrifying sight. I could not

    help but feel sorry for her.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. Get your hand off now,¡± Isabelle yelled frantically. As we struggled, I identally

    pulled up her sleeves.

    The next second, my whole body stiffened up. Isabelle¡¯s arm was covered with wounds and bruises.

    Not one part of her arm was left unscathed. She struggled so hard to free herself from my grip that

    some of her wounds started bleeding.

    I was no longer an ignorant kid. After all, I used to have those marks around my body too. Lyle had hit

    me before when we were together, but my scars were still not as bad as hers.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I stared at Isabelle in a daze. My mind went nk, and I was left speechless. ¡°What happened

    to you?¡±

    Isabelle withdrew her hand back swiftly. Then she pulled down her sleeves to cover her skin. I scanned

    through her body slowly and noticed that she was wearing a white turtleneck, which hadpletely

    covered her neck.

    ¡°I told you that I fell down identally. Sit still. I¡¯m going to drive now.¡± Isabelle turned her head away to

    avoid my gaze. She stepped on the elerator, and the car started moving.

    I fixated my gaze on her face, but she remained silent all along the journey, the impudent aura of hers

    disappearing all of a sudden. However, I found it hard to rx as if I was sitting on thousands of

    needles. Who injured Mom? Was it Mark? But then, why would he do that?

    I always thought that they had a happy rtionship. Moreover, Mark looked like a loving and caring

    husband. Is he pretending? Is everything fake? I did not stay long in the Goldstein residence. Hence,

    there were many things I did not know. Perhaps it was time for me to go and see Lucas. I believed he

    would know what was going on with the Goldstein family since he was the only son.

    After what happened to Lyle, I was utterly afraid to visit any cemeteries as I tended to recall how he lost

    his life to save me. Words could not describe the pain. It was really unbearable.

    Robert¡¯s grave was located deep inside a forest. There were a lot of old-looking tombstones in that

    area. Some of them got abandoned, so there were weeds growing around them. Robert¡¯s tomb, on the

    other hand, was clean and neat. The turfs around it looked like they had been moved before.

    As soon as I saw Robert¡¯s name on the tombstone, I realized that was my first time visiting him. My

    uncle, Robert Anderson, was a clever man who died at a young age. He was the man whom Julia had

    pushed down from Centurion Tower.

    Mom walked to the grave and bent down to put her flower. Suddenly, she shouted and lunged forward.

 Chapter 606

    Chapter 606

    I reached out a hand to hold her, but it was already toote. She tumbled forward as she fell down and

    knocked her forehead against the tombstone. Seeing that, I rushed over to help her up. As I bent down,

    I noticed the injury on her neck. My gaze darkened, and I lowered my eyes.

    ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± My voice was full of concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Mom looked exhausted. She fell onto me weakly as soon as I helped her up. She panted

    heavily, trying hard to respond to me.

    I nced at Crystal, who was looking around beside us. However, I did not manage to ask her any

    questions in the end. After all, she was an outsider, so it was inappropriate to tell her everything.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    I rolled up my sleeves to clean up the grave with Mom. Then, I put a bouquet of lilies in front of the

    tombstone.

    On the tombstone was a picture of a handsome-looking man. He was smiling brightly, with a hint of

    mischief in his eyes. It was a charming and attractive smile. Uncle Robert must be famous back then!

    I crouched and prayed inside my heart, Uncle Robert, this is my first time here. I¡¯m sorry that I never

    showed up over the past few years. If you¡¯re watching Mom in heaven now, I hope you can bless her

    with a happy life. That¡¯s my only wish.

    Suddenly, a drop of warm water fell on the back of my hand. I turned around confusedly and noticed

    that Mom was wiping her tears. She was trying so hard to hold herself back that I could not even hear

    her sobs.

    It was such a heartbreaking scene and tears began to roll down my cheeks uncontrobly. I never

    understood how much Mom had suffered. Grandma used to tell me that Mom had a hard life, but I

    could not imagine her pain. Surprisingly, I could sense her agony right at that moment.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I stood up and wrapped my arms around Isabelle. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. Everything will be fine no

    matter what happens. Don¡¯t be sad. You still have me by your side. I¡¯ll protect you, okay? I¡¯ve grown up

    now.¡±

    I sent Mom home after leaving the cemetery. Mark was the first person who appeared in my mind as

    soon as I walked out of the house. I had so many questions that I wanted to ask him. What¡¯s going on?

    Why is he doing that to Mom?

    I knew he was the one who did that. After all, no one else would dare toy a finger on her. Molten rage

    rolled through me as my eyes reddened. I gritted my teeth hard, my body trembling in anger. Although

    Mark is my biological father, he doesn¡¯t have the right to treat Mom like sh*t. That¡¯s really too much. A

    couple will never do that even if they get into an argument.

    Back then, Lyle hated me a lot, but he never mistreated me. How dare Mark do that? How can he?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. You can¡¯t enter.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t go up without an appointment. Please stop right here, or I¡¯m calling the security

    guards.¡±

    As soon as I reached Goldstein Corporation, a man walked forward to stop me from going upstairs. I

    wouldn¡¯t have made a fuss under normal circumstances, but I was so furious right then I could not even

    think straight. I pushed him away hard and roared, ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare you get in my

    way? Get lost!¡±

    The receptionist got terrified upon seeing my vicious expression. She stood there with a helpless look,

    but she did not n to move away. It was fortunate that I was considered famous in thepany. After

    a man approached her to tell her my identity, she swiftly walked away.

    I headed upstairs and walked toward Mark¡¯s office. Before I could push the door open, Christopher¡¯s

    voice sounded from the inside. My expression changed drastically as I stood still in front of the door.

    ¡°Mr. Goldstein, are you sure you want to get involved in this? I can ask Darius to stop pursuing this

    matter, but you can¡¯t hide it forever. Someone will definitely find out what you¡¯re doing right now in the

    future. If that happens, Eve is the one who¡¯s going to get upset. Why don¡¯t you give up now and stay

    away from all these crimes?¡±

 Chapter 607

    Chapter 607

    Crimes? I did not need to guess to know that they were talking about the incident at the border. The

    border in Yorknd was close to the delta. There were many criminals, and it was the most dangerous

    ce. Zachary told me before that John and his men used to sell some illegal drugs there.

    However, Zachary had to listen to everything Wesley said. That was enough to prove that Mark was the

    mastermind behind everything. I had never brought it up because I did not know how to intervene in

    that matter. Although Mark treated me well, I could not find a good time to talk about it.

    Hearing their conversation, I realized that Mark had dragged Christopher into that matter too. How can

    he do that? No matter what, I¡¯ll never allow that to happen.

    ¡°Young man, no, I should address you as my son-inw. Although you and Eve did not have a

    wedding, you two have collected your marriage certificate. You¡¯re now part of my family. Since we are a

    family now, why don¡¯t we help each other and do something good together? I¡¯m not getting any

    younger. I¡¯m going to give every penny I earn to Eve, and everything that belongs to Eve¡¯s is going to

    be yours in the end,¡± Mark replied casually. His tone was slow and gentle.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t wish to have a father-inw like you. Mr. Goldstein, you use Eve to threaten me. Don¡¯t you

    think that¡¯s inappropriate? That¡¯s not what a husband should do.¡± My heart started beating so fast when

    I heard that. I got so terrified that I did not dare to open the door.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not joining us?¡± Mark¡¯s voice turned cold all of a sudden.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to join you. Of course, everyone wants to get wealthier. But there are still other

    ways to earn money, right? Lane Corporation is now one of the biggestpanies in Avenport. The

    amount of money I have is sufficient for Eve and me to livefortably for the rest of our lives. The

    same goes for you, Mr. Goldstein. Why are you so obsessed with money? You¡¯re not going to bring

    them with you after you¡¯re dead. Besides, Eve will never want those dirty money.¡±

    Christopher was calm. I could picture his expression when he said that. He must be lifting his chin with

    a light, distant smile now.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided not to join us, have you?¡± Mark questioned again.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll never ept your request, even though you¡¯ll stop putting in a good word for me and

    Eve in front of Mrs. Goldstein. I¡¯ve promised Eve that I¡¯ll only marry her in my life, so I won¡¯t get myself

    involved in those matters. I told Eve that I¡¯ll stay with her forever. I don¡¯t want to spend my life in prison.

    I can¡¯t leave her alone.¡±

    In fact, I had heard him saying those countless times. Hence, I was already used to it. However, I got

    so touched that I began to cry upon hearing that through the door. He¡¯s the best thing that ever

    happened to me.

    ¡°Does that mean that you¡¯re seeing me as your enemy now?¡±

    ¡°No. Rejecting that mission from you is the only thing I can do for you. Mr. Goldstein, there¡¯s still time

    for you to give up now. Otherwise, Eve will only end up getting hurt in the end. It took her some time to

    reunite with her father. I don¡¯t wish to see my friend send my father-inw to jail.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! If you¡¯ve already made up your mind, I don¡¯t want to waste any more time talking to you. From

    now on, you go your way and I¡¯ll go my way. Please leave, Mr. Lane.¡±

    ¡°Oh, before I go, I have something to tell you. The higher-ups are aware of what you¡¯re doing. The son

    of a high-ranking officer was involved in the incident at the border. No one in Avenport dares to go

    against him, including my dad. If anyone ns to take the Goldstein family down, you¡¯re going to lose

    everything. Please reconsider your decision, Mr. Goldstein.¡±

    I silently left Goldstein Corporation. Neither did I open the door to interrogate Mark, nor did I see

    Christopher. What they were talking about was far beyond my reach. I could not stop them or make any

    decision for them. However, I was determined to stay by Christopher¡¯s side no matter what.

 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608

    ¡°Mom, are you feeling better now? Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup?¡± I carried a bowl of

    soup to the bed and cooled it down before passing it to Isabelle.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s just a mild illness.¡± Frowning, Isabelle shook her head and took a sip of

    the soup.

    ¡°Do you want to try a candied fruit?¡± I handed some snacks to her.

    Isabelle waved her hand at me. Then, she held her breath and drank all the soup. She retched as soon

    as she turned around. The soup tasted terrible, but it was good for health. I patted her back lightly

    before wiping her face with a warm towel.

    A momentter, Mom finally recollected herself. Shey down on the bed, saying nothing. Her face was

    ghastly pale, and her gaze turned nk as she stared at the ceiling in a daze. After pondering for a

    second, I asked softly, ¡°Mom, are you having a fight with Dad? Can you tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a mild conflict,¡± Mom answered my question calmly, but her expression turned even grimmer.

    ¡°Are you sure? Mom, I¡¯m your daughter. You can tell me everything. Are you hiding something from

    me? Tell me, please? I can help you.¡± I pushed her arm lightly.

    Isabelle turned around and stared at me. Her gaze was calm, and she did not even blink. She shook

    her head after some time and said, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m feeling a little tired. You go on with your thing. I need

    to take some rest before attending an important social event tonight.¡±

    ¡°What? You still n to go out when you¡¯re already sick? Can¡¯t you skip it? I can attend the event for

    you if it¡¯s really that important.¡± I tried to stop her.

    ¡°No. I have to go. I have to attend it personally.¡± Isabelle shed me a warm smile. ¡°Thank you. I know

    you¡¯re trying to help me, but I¡¯ll be fine once I get some sleep.¡±

    I finished cooking and ced all the food on the dining table. There were plenty of dishes, but all of

    them tasted ordinary. I had not been cooking for some time, so my culinary skills had dropped. After

    moving to the Lane residence, I had lost almost all of my skills since I did not have to do anything on

    my own.

    It tasted awful when I took a bite of the caramelized pork, so I thought of ordering some takeaways for

    Christopher. Right then, I heard someone unlocking the door. Immediately, I opened the door and threw

    myself into Christopher¡¯s arms.

    Christopher was terrified when he saw me appearing in the doorway out of the blue. He spread his

    arms wide and pulled me closer upon seeing me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re here? I would

    havee back earlier if I knew you were waiting for me.¡±

    I shook my head and buried my face in his chest. My heart gradually calmed down as I smelled the

    faint scent of sandalwood and tobo on his body. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Work is more important. I cane back

    anytime. Just give me a call whenever you miss me.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Christopher carried me up as he kicked the door close. Spinning around with me in his

    arms, he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the most important to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen myself as such a big shot,¡± I mumbled with an upset look. I was still in a bad mood.

    ¡°You¡¯re my precious darling, so I have toe back earlier for you.¡± Christopher nted a kiss on the

    tip of my nose. ¡°I want to stay with you when you miss me. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to zone out on your

    own.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. I made all the dishes on my own, but they don¡¯t taste really good.¡± I handed him a set of

    cutlery. However, he stopped eating after taking a bite of the caramelized pork. ¡°Is it really bad? Should

    I order some delivery then? I haven¡¯t been cooking for so long that I¡¯m going to be a useless

    woman.¡±

    ¡°No. It tastes as good as before.¡± Christopher pulled me over to the seat beside him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You

    still have me, even if you turn into a useless woman. I¡¯m determined to be a good husband. I can learn

    everything, except giving birth.¡±

 Chapter 609

    Chapter 609

    I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Well, giving birth is something we can learn actually. I¡¯m telling

    the truth. We have in-vitro fertilization nowadays, right? If you do that, I don¡¯t even have to bother

    thinking about kids.¡±

    ¡°You wish!¡± Seeing that I did not dig in, Christopher pulled me into his arms and fed me instead. ¡°My

    children have to be birthed from your womb. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be the fruits of our love anymore.¡±

    That night, when Iy in his embrace, I felt a rush of calmness in my heart despite having so many

    problems troubling me. It had always been like that. Being wrapped in his arms could bring peace to

    my mind that I stopped thinking about everything and rxed.

    Slowly and gently, Christopher¡¯s kiss fell on my lips and trailed further down. Once he entered me, he

    gazed at me intently and uttered in a soft voice, ¡°Eve, it¡¯s been some time since we stayed together in

    the house just like this. Looks like I have to find a way to marry you as soon as possible so that we can

    be a true married couple.¡±

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    ¡°Christopher, I only want you in my life! If I can¡¯t marry you, I¡¯ll never get married.¡± I responded to his

    advances with my open arms, trying to please him with all my might. After all, I was willing to do

    anything for him because he was worth it.

    I didn¡¯t bring up his conversation with Mark the entire time, as I was confident that he could solve it.

    Even if I did mention it, he would only end up getting worried.

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t do. We¡¯ve got our marriage certificate, and I even stole you from your husband. Holding

    a mere wedding ceremony shouldn¡¯t be any more difficult than that.¡± As he blinked his eyes, his

    breathing grew heavier.

    I wrapped my arms around his shoulder before turning around to sit on him, pressing his shoulder to

    stop him from moving. In reality, it was during such a moment that men would wish for the woman to

    take the initiative since they wanted to enjoy the feeling of being pampered as well.

    ¡°I guess only you can make such a shameless remark while sounding justified.¡± I was a bit speechless

    at that. When I noticed his rapid breathing, I leaned forward and opened my mouth without hesitation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Knowing that I wasn¡¯t fond of doing it, he quickly lifted my chin to stop me. However, I pushed

    his hand away and bent over persistently. I was determined to show him that I was willing to do

    whatever I could to please him.

    After satisfying his urges, he pulled me into his embrace. At that moment, I was already sweating

    profusely. Once again, I couldn¡¯t help but admit that a woman¡¯s strength was iparable to that of a

    man¡¯s. Christopher could always go for three rounds without taking a rest, yet I could only pant nonstop

    in his arms after only once.

    ¡°Chris.¡± After pondering for a while, I decided to tell him what I saw when I went to the graveyard early

    that morning. ¡°I found many wounds on my mom¡¯s body. Do you think she fought with Mark? Those

    wounds look severe. They looked like the results of serious domestic violence on television. Should I

    talk to Dad about it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Christopher eximed. He looked even more surprised than me. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein look

    so in love; I didn¡¯t expect that toe at all.¡±

    Hearing that, I smiled resignedly. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well, but Mom was so upset this morning. I

    could even sense a huge wave of despair from her just by looking at her. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried that your dad didn¡¯t treat your mom well, aren¡¯t you?¡± Christopher was quick to point out

    what troubled me the most. Following that, he said calmly, ¡°They¡¯re adults, so we can¡¯t just butt in

    without understanding what¡¯s going on. Mr. Goldstein cares about you. If you ask him directly, he might

    feel humiliated. In the worst-case scenario, he might even take out his anger on your mom.¡±

    His words convinced me. Despite how strong my grudge, anger, and the urge to talk to Mark were, I

    could only suppress them for now. Even though I had yet to call him ¡°Dad,¡± deep down in my heart, I

    had acknowledged him as my father. After all, it was undeniable that we were blood-rted.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610

    I went to find Lucas that afternoon, but he hadn¡¯t been in the Goldstein residence recently. Due to his

    weak body, he was hospitalized once again after catching a cold from attending a party. When

    Christopher and I arrived at the hospital, he was flipping through his medical record. Upon seeing me

    rush in, he frowned. ¡°Did the Goldstein residence catch fire? Why are you in a rush?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something even more serious than that.¡± Seeing that he looked fine, I went straight to the point.

    ¡°It¡¯s about my mom and¡­ Dad. How much do you know about them? Is there anything that I don¡¯t

    know?¡±

    Lucas was at a loss for words. A whileter, he finally asked, ¡°What do you mean? They are your

    parents. If you, as their daughter, don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on, how the hell am I supposed to

    know? Are you out of your mind? I¡¯m your cousin, not your biological brother.¡±

    ¡°But you grew up in the Goldstein residence, so shouldn¡¯t you know more than me?¡± I was a bit

    desperate at that point.

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    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Lucas asked. He knew I had some questions in my mind and his

    anxiousness rose when I couldn¡¯t bring myself to voice them after a while.

    I began to panic when I recalled hearing weird sounds from Isabelle¡¯s side whenever I called her.

    Quickly, I turned to Christopher for help.

    He patted my back lightly tofort me before saying in a calm voice, ¡°She wants to ask you about the

    rtionship between Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein. Are they enamored with each other? Or do they quarrel

    frequently behind people?¡±

    Hearing that, Lucas cast me a meaningful gaze. ¡°You should at least tell me the reason for asking me

    that out of the blue, no? Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what I should say.¡±

    I took a deep breath and forced myself to face the issue. ¡°I found some wounds on my mom and I don¡¯t

    know what happened since I wasn¡¯t home these two nights. Did they fight?¡±

    Despite struggling for so long, I only managed to utter those words. Lucas was amused. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal

    for a couple to quarrel? Why are you so nervous? It¡¯s because you and Christopher are still a new

    couple; that¡¯s why you two have never fought before. Haven¡¯t you heard of the seven-year itch?¡±

    ¡°But Mom is badly injured!¡± In actuality, I, too, felt strange for asking such questions, yet I couldn¡¯t stop

    worrying if I didn¡¯t ask.

    ¡°Uncle Mark is cruel, but he treats all the women around him fairly well. He¡¯s not interested in women.

    Your mom is the only woman beside him for years. He was madly in love with your mom when he was

    young. Now, do you still think that they are on bad terms? Don¡¯t be so paranoid. If Uncle Mark hears

    about this, he will surely be sad. After all, you¡¯re his daughter.¡±

    He then paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Sometimes, people tend to lose control when they are too

    stressed out. It¡¯s just once in a while, so don¡¯t worry. I bet he¡¯s even more upset than you are right now.

    Instead of running your mind wild here, why don¡¯t you go back and take care of Aunt Isabelle?¡±

    The meaningful gleam in Lucas¡¯ eyes went unnoticed as I was too concerned about Isabelle.

    ¡°It¡¯s odd to hear such words from you.¡± I sighed. ¡°Forget it. Perhaps I¡¯m truly overthinking. You¡¯re my

    friend, so I trust you won¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    I was somewhat relieved at his reassurance. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll go back to take care of my mom then.¡±

    ¡°How heartless! I¡¯m sick and you didn¡¯t even ask me about my wellbeing. And you call yourself a

    friend? Am I a tool that you can throw away after using it?¡± A bitter smile crept onto his face as he

    looked at me.

    Ignoring Lucas, I leaned closer to Christopher and exchanged a passionate kiss with him. After that, I

    walked out of the ward while saying, ¡°I¡¯ll let Chris apany you for a while. He¡¯s a busy person and

    his rate is more than a hundred thousand each second. Now that he¡¯s doing it for free, you should feel

    honored.¡±

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611

    Silence befell the ward after I left. Only the beeping sound of the devices resounded in the air.

    Christopher walked over to the window. ¡°Now, can you tell me the reason you sent her away?¡± he

    asked coldly, turning around after confirming that I left in the car.

    ¡°Can you not? Yvonne just left and I¡¯m still a patient. Stop scaring me like that.¡± Lucas leaned against

    the headboard, nced at Christopher¡¯s cold face, and said half-jokingly, ¡°Judging from her personality,

    it¡¯s better if she doesn¡¯t know certain matters. But you¡¯re different. You¡¯re the son of the Lane family, the

    head of Lane Corporation, and a soldier from the special forces. You can do something about it if you

    know the truth.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Did you lie to Eve?¡± As quick-witted as Christopher, he instantly caught the crux

    of Lucas¡¯ words.

    Lucas shrugged and smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a white lie, so you can¡¯t say that I¡¯m lying. She should keep

    being dense and live a carefree life. After all, a sad expression doesn¡¯t suit her well.¡±

    Christopher frowned. He had a feeling that Lucas was going to say something unpleasant. It was most

    probably rted to Mark¡¯s businesses at the border. ¡°Just say it. Stop beating around the bush.¡±

    ¡°Okay. You might not sense the severity of the issue if I don¡¯t tell you the highlight.¡± As soon as he said

    that, he took a document from the drawer and handed it to Christopher, signaling him to flip through it.

    ¡°Take a look at this and we¡¯ll continue the conversation after that.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    Christopher opened the document dubiously and his pupil constricted instantly upon reading the

    contents inside. This time, he failed to maintain hisposure as he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes

    in disbelief.

    On the 23rd of July, patient Isabelle Anderson was knocked on her chest by a heavy item, leaving her

    with two broken ribs. One of them stabbed her lung, and she was rushed to the emergency room and

    survived. There was also a fracture in her left shin due to an external blow. She was suspected of being

    subjected to domestic violence and required hospitalization.

    The date on the first record was enough to make him raise his head and look at Lucas in shock. In the

    next instant, he lowered his head and continued reading.

    To Christopher¡¯s surprise, the thick document was full of Isabelle¡¯s detailed treatment histories,

    including when and why she got hospitalized, how bad was her injuries, how long it took for her to

    recover, and what medicine she had.

    Her suffering from inner bleeding after getting beaten up was a routine urrence. The most severe

    one was when she went into aa and almost died because her head was brutally hit. At that time,

    she was unconscious for one whole week and could only recover after three months.

    As for the broken ribs and wounds on her body, they were not worth mentioning at all. For her, getting

    injured was nothing out of the ordinary.

    Christopher couldn¡¯t recover from the shock after he finished reading the document. I thought of many

    possibilities, but not this. The rtionship between Mark and Isabelle is far different from the definition

    of a loving couple. How did she manage to live such a tragic life for over ten years? It¡¯s a miracle that

    she¡¯s still alive.

    ¡°Where did you get this information? What on earth is going on here?¡± Christopher couldn¡¯t help but

    ask.

    ¡°I know several good doctors since I always get sick and stay in the hospital. Coincidentally, one of

    them was treating Aunt Isabelle when I visited him. He was also her doctor for quite some time. As long

    as I can pay for it, I can know anything I want.¡±

    Lucas raised his chin and gave a smirk. It was a hostile expression that not even I got to witness

    before.

    ¡°It¡¯s apparent that Aunt Isabelle isn¡¯t living a happy life. All we have seen before is just a perfect act that

    Mark Goldstein put on. Now, can we finally talk about our partnership?¡±

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612

    Christopher scoffed, ¡°Partnership? There are lots of people who want to partner with me. Mr. Goldstein

    asked me about it as well a few days ago. I didn¡¯t expect that to be your aim as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that his partnership meant nothing good. After all, I know him very well. Did he also threaten

    you with Yvonne?¡± Lucas said firmly.

    Christopher didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he threw the medical record on the table. ¡°How can I be sure

    that you¡¯re telling the truth?¡±

    Lucas replied calmly, ¡°You can ask that doctor. His contact number is there on the medical record. I

    know about what happened to you at the border. With your identity, you will certainly not let go of any

    bad guy, especially when they attempt to end yourrades¡¯ lives. As long as he¡¯s still actively running

    his business there, yourrades will eventually lose their lives because of him.¡±

    Christopher narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, you want to cooperate with me to take down Mark Goldstein? Are

    you sure? He¡¯s my father-inw, so don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gotten the wrong person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. If you aren¡¯t rted to Yvonne, I might need to reconsider. I don¡¯t want to take the risk. After

    all, Uncle Mark is a cruel person who dared to harm me when I was young. If my father didn¡¯t pretend

    to be useless and ignorant all these years, I would have died long ago.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Lucas looked calm as if he was talking about the others and not himself.

    ¡°But he¡¯s Eve¡¯s father. If something happens to him, she will be sad. You should know that I won¡¯t do

    anything that will upset her.¡± Christopher remained unfazed.

    Truth be told, he had lost hisposure deep down in his heart. If Yvonne knows about how Isabelle

    has been living, she will be devastated. However, it¡¯s all the more reason for me to stay calm at this

    moment.

    ¡°But Aunt Isabelle is more important to her, right? You¡¯ve seen how her life has been like all these

    years. No woman can keep living such a life, so perhaps it¡¯s because of some reason that she can¡¯t

    leave Mark Goldstein. If you can deal with him, then she can be free.¡±

    Christopher kept staring at the medical record in silence. At once, all kinds of thoughts rushed into his

    mind.

    Lucas then continued, ¡°Besides, even if Mark gets exposed, he will only lose his freedom and end up in

    jail at most. Yvonne probably won¡¯t be that devastated. At that time, if Aunt Isabelle can start a new life,

    she may feel grateful to you and let go of her hatred toward the Lane family. In the end, you and

    Yvonne will get her blessings. So, why not?¡±

    Noticing how Christopher remained silent, Lucas knew he had won Christopher over sessfully.

    Although Christopher was a calm man and was always smiling, no one could ever scheme against him

    easily. However, he had a weakness¡ªYvonne. As long as I can hold on to that, Christopher will help

    me achieve what I wished to do yet couldn¡¯t all these years.

    ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s gratitude and not resentment? After all, love is beyondprehension.¡±

    Christopher remained unmoved. It¡¯s a grave matter, so I can¡¯t rush to judgment.

    ¡°No. Aunt Isabelle is a decisive person. You see, she gave up on all the men who pursued her for

    Nathan Tanner back then. Even your brother, Darius, was rejected by her. So, it¡¯s apparent how much

    she loved Nathan at that time. When Nathan brought Scarlett and Yvette back to the Tanner residence,

    she left without hesitation andpletely forgot about him.¡±

    After hesitating for a moment, Christopher asked in a low voice, ¡°What can I get if I coborate with

    you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I can provide you with all the proof of Mark Goldstein¡¯s illegal businesses at the border.

    With your ability, I¡¯m sure you can defeat him even if he has someone behind him.¡±

    Right then, Lucas coughed violently. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt my intention. I don¡¯t want to drag Yvonne into this

    mess as well if it¡¯s possible. The fact that she¡¯s his daughter is what surprised me the most.¡±

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613

    ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± I asked concernedly, walking over when I saw the doctor treating my mom.

    Mom had been bedridden for several days. I was worried about her as she had not been looking well.

    She seemed to be in good health this morning and had even gone out for a while with Crystal after

    having breakfast downstairs. I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious when they came back with a doctor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s just a headache after walking in the wind.¡± She shook her head and turned to whisper

    something to the doctor. Shortly after, the doctor wrote down a prescription. I took a nce at it and

    could barely understand a single word as his handwriting was totally illegible.

    ¡°You should rest at home if you are not feeling well. Just tell me if you need anything.¡± I squatted down

    by the bed while holding my mother¡¯s hand. Frowning, I mumbled, ¡°What¡¯s so important out there that

    you have to go out early in the morning when you are not even yourself.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to ask you to help me out, but you know nothing other than drawing.¡± Isabelle shook her head

    with a smile on her face. ¡°There¡¯s something that I have to do myself. Although the Tanner family is not

    a big family, they are indeed strong. When there are two people, the words will hold greater weight and

    likely be convincing. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    I lifted my head and looked at Mom in shock. Mom, are you trying to exin why you¡¯ve been staying

    with Crystal all the time?

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you still angry? You are already in your twenties, but you still act like a child sometimes.¡± She held

    my hand and added, ¡°That¡¯s how you were when you were younger. You would be extremely stubborn

    once you put your head into something. You really take after me in terms of temper. Have you been

    holding a grudge against me over the past two days?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No! I¡¯m not holding a grudge or whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Still in denial?¡± She chuckled and covered her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a satisfying answer for certain

    matters, but what I¡¯m doing now is all for the future. You just have to understand that I love you. That¡¯s

    enough.¡±

    However, I was still in a state of confusion. ¡°Mom, Dad is taking care of the business, right? Even if he

    is overloaded with work, he still has Lucas¡¯ dad to help him out. I don¡¯t understand why you have to

    wear yourself out. What matters most is your health.¡±

    She nced at me. The look in her eyes was iprehensible. I didn¡¯t understand why she would put

    on such an expression that terrified me each time I mentioned Dad and his business. It felt as if she

    was scheming something.

    ¡°Mark is always sick. He has just gotten his health back after recuperating abroad for many years. How

    can I let him overexert himself again? I just want to reduce his burden. If I let things go undone, he will

    have no choice but to do it on his own. I can¡¯t bear seeing him putting too much pressure on himself.¡±

    She grinned. There was a softness in her eyes when she talked about him.

    I frowned as I took a nce at a bruise on her arm. ¡°Mom, did you fight with Dad? Does he have a bad

    temper?¡±

    I hesitated for a long time before uttering those words. Seeing her expression turn solemn, I

    immediately added, ¡°You can just ignore what I said if you don¡¯t feel like talking about it. I¡¯m just worried

    about you. Don¡¯t get mad, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad. You care about me. If anything, I¡¯m pleased.¡± She gave a pat on my hand. ¡°All couples

    fight. Mark is always sick, and so he feels very depressed. Despite putting on a smile all the time, he is,

    in fact, feeling inferior deep down. He desperately wants to be healthy, so he loses his temper

    sometimes. But everything¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Feeling inferior? It doesn¡¯t sound right to describe him in that way. There was a time I felt inferior to

    others and couldn¡¯t pull myself together for a long time. However, would people like Dad ever feel

    inferior?

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614

    Perhaps I have jumped to conclusions. It suddenly reminds me of Lucas. From what I have overheard

    earlier, I know he was originally healthy. Because of Dad, he ends up being dependent on drugs and

    can¡¯t live without them. Was it caused by inferiority as well? I will never ept such a reason. Maybe I

    should try to understand him. In fact, I have eventually epted the fact that he is my father. As a

    daughter, it seems that I have never paid attention to him and fulfilled my duty as a daughter. I

    shouldn¡¯t be so ignorant.

    The next day, I added some color to the drawing that Remington asked me to sketch. The drawing

    turned out well. After that, I covered the painting and went out with a jar of broth that I cooked earlier.

    ¡°Ms. Yvonne, do you need a driver?¡± the servant asked respectfully.

    ¡°Get me a car. I want to head to the office.¡± I smiled. Mark had been so nice to me. He even introduced

    me to all the servants on the first day I moved to the house.

    Not long after, I arrived at Goldstein Corporation. When I walked past the reception counter, I saw the

    woman who stopped me the other day. Her expression stiffened as she caught sight of me. Staring at

    me, she put on an awkward smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was in a bad mood and took it out on you the other day. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Ms. Yvonne, you are too kind. It¡¯s me who was ignorant and not aware of your

    identity. I¡¯m d that you are not angry.¡± The receptionist waved her hand and smiled apologetically at

    me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional at that very moment. When I was with the Tanner family, people

    always looked at me withpassion in their eyes. Unlike now, people respect me. That said, it

    somehow made me feel a little giddy. It seems that I don¡¯t have the qualities of being a goddess even

    though my social status is high.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to hear that,¡± I replied seriously.

    I knocked on the door when I reached the office and waited until a voice echoed from inside. I then

    entered the room. Mark was reading a document with a couple of executives standing before his desk.

    They lowered their heads as if they had made a mistake.

    It wasn¡¯t until they left that I walked over and set the jar of broth down on the table.

    ¡°Eve, what brings you here today? Did you miss me?¡± After dismissing those executives, he waved at

    me. I stood by his side and smiled. ¡°Indeed. Have you had lunch yet? I made some broth. Have some

    while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°You made this yourself? Give it to me. I¡¯m really hungry now.¡±

    ¡°My culinary skills are not as good as those chefs you have recruited, but you can¡¯tin. Even

    Mom loves my cooking.¡± I stuck out my tongue, grinned yfully, and put the broth before him.

    Perhaps he was really starving. He finished the broth shortly after and said, ¡°It feels so good to have a

    daughter. You even cook for me. It¡¯s the thought that counts even if the chefs cook better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I will cook as often as possible.¡± I suddenly feel Dad¡¯s loneliness. Although he is

    rich and lives in a mansion, he is lonely. I then made up my mind that I would spend more time with

    him.

    I talked to him for a while. Just when I was about to excuse myself and leave, he suddenly stopped me

    and handed over a document to me. ¡°I nned to give it to you on your birthday. Now that you are

    here, I will just pass it to you then. It¡¯s your birthday gift.¡±

    ¡°Dad, you have already given me a lot of things. You shouldn¡¯t have!¡± I waved my hand.

    ¡°Take a look at it first!¡± Mark said seriously.

    I had no choice but to take it. Taking a nce at the document, I realized he was giving me the shares

    of Goldstein Corporation and stocks of some projects, which were worth a lot as the budget alone cost

    hundreds of millions.

    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t need these. You should keep these for yourself.¡±

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request. Be good and sign the document. I¡¯ll earn more money for you so that when

    you¡¯re married, you don¡¯t have to worry about suffering while living with your inws with a lucrative

    dowry.¡± Mark guffawed after saying those words.

    In reality, I wanted to tell him that I wasn¡¯t short of money. However, I had no choice but to sign the

    document since he would not allow me to leave if I refused. In fact, I had a few simr documents like

    the one I was about to sign with me. The most important one I had was the share transfer agreement

    under Christopher¡¯s name.

    Not only that, I was in control of all the properties that belonged to Christopher. If that news somehow

    got exposed to the public, I believed the women in Avenport would most definitely be envious of me

    and curse me for being so lucky behind my back.

    When Christopher had told me to sign the document back then, I was unwilling to do it no matter what.

    In the end, he thought of a n by bringing me to drink tons of beers and having a crazy moment at

    home.

    In a word, we embraced each other passionately as soon as we entered the house. When Iy on the

    bed because of exhaustion, the sly Christopher seized the opportunity to coax me into signing the

    document. As I woke up the next day and remembered what happened the other night, Christopher told

    me that he was my kept man from that day onward and wanted me to treat him better. He even had a

    cunning smile on his face as he uttered those words.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    That b*stard! I cursed inwardly as those thoughts came back to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about Christopher again, aren¡¯t you? My baby daughter has grown up indeed.¡± Mark

    blinked his eyes at me yfully as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I refused to admit it. Shortly afterward, I questioned him with a stern expression, ¡°Are you

    going to let go of what Mr. Garfield is dealing with right now, Dad?¡±

    Once I asked that question, I felt chills running down my spine. Mark was staring at me intently before

    replying with a question of his own, ¡°Did Christopher ask you to persuade me on this matter?¡±

    ¡°No, Chris didn¡¯t even mention it.¡± It was true that Christopher didn¡¯t tell me about that matter.

    Nheless, I couldn¡¯t pretend that I knew nothing about it since the issue was right in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed what happened at the border with my own eyes, Dad,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°That is why I

    understand what Mr. Garfield is in charge of better right now. I¡¯m genuinely worried about you. Can¡¯t

    you give up on such a business since you¡¯re already so wealthy?¡±

    It took me quite some time to decide whether to tell Mark about those things. Such a detrimental

    business would not only harm others, but the perpetrator would not have any benefits as well.

    Whenever I thought about the number of people who would suffer because of that, I felt a sense of

    sorrow in my heart.

    ¡°There are some things that a young woman like you doesn¡¯t understand. So stop asking such

    questions.¡± Without answering my question, Mark went on with a displeased tone, ¡°A woman like you

    should focus on shopping and entertainment, not that kind of stuff.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already in my twenties, Dad. Didn¡¯t you say it yourself earlier?¡± I didn¡¯t want to give up on pursuing

    that topic since I had heard everything about the conversation between Mark and Christopher the other

    day. What should I do if it reallyes to that?

    ¡°I need to prepare for a meetingter. There¡¯s an antique auction taking ce tonight. If you feel bored,

    you can go there and have a look. I¡¯ll have my men prepare number tags for you. Feel free to buy

    anything you fancy.¡± Mark stood up with the document in his hand and urged me to leave.

    ¡°Dad!¡± I shouted, not inclined to give up so soon.

    ¡°Behave yourself.¡± It was apparent that Mark was unwilling to talk about the issue at the border with me

    any longer as he raised his voice all of a sudden.

    Reality hit me hard at that point as I realized that changing a matter was impossible using my words

    alone.

    I heaved a sigh, took the document, and left Goldstein Corporation. While walking by the roadside, I

    noticed Christopher¡¯s familiar figure and swiftly followed behind him. The second I was about to call out

    his name, I saw a prettydy beside him. It looked to me that they were having a great time together.

    That charismatic-lookingdy was wearing a blue T-shirt and a pair of cropped trousers, her hair tied

    into a bun. The way she walked was full of vigor as well. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and I saw

    them hugging each other.

    I was very close to crying out in bewilderment when I saw their intimate action. Fortunately, I managed

    to cover my mouth in the nick of time.

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616

    At that moment, I was wondering how I would react if I found out that the man I loved with all my heart

    had an affair.

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t doubt Christopher¡¯s love for me for no reason. I was pretty confident that the

    probability of him having an affair was even smaller than the sun turning blue.

    Is thedy one of his consequences for being a casanova in the past? Or is it because I¡¯ve spent too

    much time in the Goldstein residence recently that he became thirsty? Is he doing this to quench his

    thirst?

    While pondering whether I had failed my duty as a wife, I saw them entering a restaurant. As one would

    expect, I followed along stealthily. It was not a novel thing for me to do, as I had followed Crystal and

    him once before. That was also when I realized the many things Christopher did for me in secret.

    When I approached the restaurant, I discovered that Christopher was not alone with thedy. To my

    surprise, the people sitting at the table were the ones I was familiar with, including Sean and a few of

    hisrades I met on the ship earlier.

    Concerning thatdy beside Christopher earlier, she was a mixed-blood. It seemed to me that she had

    lived overseas for quite some time, judging from her open-minded reception toward everyone at the

    table. The thing that shocked me was that she grabbed Sean¡¯s hand after finally returning to her

    seat. Is she Sean¡¯s friend?

    I chastised myself for being petty and thought it was not a big deal for a friend to hug Christopher.

    However, what startled me more was that Lucas was at the table too. What is he doing here? It doesn¡¯t

    look like he can fit in with this group of people at all.

    ¡°Yvonne!¡± As I turned around, wanting to leave, Christopher¡¯s voice sounded from behind.

    I wanted to flee there and then, but I nced back in response and let out a couple of dry chuckles as I

    waved at him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re having a meal here too? What a coincidence.¡±

    Christopher walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. ¡°What a coincidence indeed.

    Why didn¡¯t you greet me and throw yourself into my arms after following me for so long? What are you

    trying to do?¡±

    Does catching an adulterer count? Regardless, I would never foolishly admit to the wild and spective

    questions in my mind earlier.

    ¡°I wanted to know more about your life when I¡¯m not around you. Anyway, I¡¯m by your side now.¡± I stuck

    my tongue out at him, leaning against his chest.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯re going to overthink whenever I¡¯m not around you,¡± Christopher said, tapping my head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and greet everyone in the restaurant.¡±

    I intended to refuse initially, but I also recognized that it was inappropriate to pretend not to know

    Christopher¡¯s friends.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Following the formalities, I sat beside Christopher and saw Sean ce a ss of beer in front of me.

    ¡°You have to finish this ss as a punishment for beingte, Yvonne.¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I can¡¯t hold my liquor.¡± I rejected by waving my hand.

    ¡°Come on, Yvonne. Drink it. You¡¯re the only person left,¡± thatdy said to me as she handed the ss

    over. I declined her offer, but she was adamant.

    ¡°Are you looking down on us, Yvonne?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I looked at Christopher in a dilemma, not knowing how to react. That sentence from thedy

    was an indication that she was antagonistic to me. I was pretty sure that she had a thing for

    Christopher. Moreover, my woman¡¯s instinct told me that she must have had ulterior motives when she

    hugged Christopher earlier.

    Still, my alcohol tolerance was honestly very poor. Judging from how the others were drinking, I would

    probably be drunk after two or three sses.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink on her behalf!¡± Christopher intended to take away the ss meant for me.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Christopher. It¡¯s only a ss of beer. You¡¯re being too protective of Yvonne.¡± The

    lady insisted that I should drink the beer.

    I lowered my gaze in displeasure upon hearing those words and acknowledged one thing¡ªa woman

    would never show mercy to her love rival. I lifted my head and raised that ss of beer while staring at

    thedy. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s drink together! Are you up for the task?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Let¡¯s drink to our heart¡¯s content today!¡± Thedy agreed to my challenge without a hint of

    hesitation.

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617

    Sure enough, I was drunk in the end. As one would expect, I made thedy drunk as well before I got

    myself drunk. Although we were both trading insults against each other, the others did not interfere

    when they saw us drinking open-heartedly. That was mainly thanks to their forthright personality as

    soldiers.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I listened to Christopher reminiscing about his army days with Sean and the others. Seeing that the

    lady was still badgering me to drink with her, I ced my hand on Christopher¡¯s waist and squeezed it

    with all my strength. Hmph! I¡¯ll make you pay for flirting around!

    ¡°Let¡¯s have another one!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a formidable woman indeed, Yvonne! How about we down a whole bottle of beer?¡±

    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s the boss!¡±

    Having a mad drunkard at a table was already enough to cause headaches, not to mention two

    drunkards.

    Not surprisingly, Christopher was the one who carried me away from the restaurant. I was already

    excessively drunk at that point. By the time he ced me on the bed, I could barely open my eyes.

    Even when I managed to open them, I could only see multiple images of the same thing. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re

    like that mythic creature with numerous heads and limbs, Christopher! Impressive!¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I have something even more impressive,¡± Christopher responded, lifting the nket and

    unbuttoning his shirt.

    ¡°What is it? Let me see.¡± I sat up from the bed and looked around his body. ¡°What goody are you

    hiding?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hiding some delicious milk. Wanna try?¡± Christopher spoke in a very suggestive way while

    touching my chin. When I felt his hot breath on my body, I flinched and pursed my lips. ¡°Now that you

    mention it, I do feel a little thirsty. Where¡¯s the milk? Show me.¡±

    I gave a few pokes on his sturdy chest before giggling and pointing at my chest. ¡°My chest is even

    bigger than yours. You can verify my words by touching it.¡±

    The saying that drunkards would act irrationally was urate without question as I didn¡¯t even

    understand what I was saying.

    As soon as he heard my words, Christopher removed my clothes straight away and left me stark

    naked. He groped my bosom and even squeezed them deliberately before uttering with a straight face,

    ¡°They¡¯re big indeed. I feel like they¡¯ve gotten bigger a little. This feeling is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± I let out a drunken belch and leaned against his chest feebly. ¡°Where¡¯s the milk? I¡¯m thirsty

    already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you now.¡± Immediately after removing all his clothes, Christopher looked at me with

    excitement as if he was about to devour me. ¡°The milk¡¯s right over here.¡±

    I lowered my head to take a closer look and questioned him in puzzlement, ¡°There¡¯s nothing. Where is

    it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find the milk when you give this a kiss.¡± Christopher put on an upright expression and pointed at

    his groin area. It seemed like he had no sense of guilt at all for coaxing a drunk woman to perform an

    unspeakable action.

    Subsequently, I discovered that Christopher was breathing heavily. Then, I managed to taste that so-

    called milk, but I was upset with it and even threw a tantrum. ¡°You liar! Your milk tasted freaking awful!

    Hmph! I¡¯m off to take a shower!¡±

    The second I jumped off the bed, Christopher grabbed my arm and pinned me on the bed. He then

    caressed my cheeks, a mischievous grin on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to do something more interesting

    thing. Sounds great?¡±

    His maic and alluring voice had sessfully bewitched me as I nodded my head in obedience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me again. I¡¯ll be mad at you if you do it once more.¡±

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618

    When I woke up the next day, I was so embarrassed that I stayed in the bathroom and was unwilling to

    go out. What I didst night was simply unimaginable.

    To make matters worse, everything I had donest night would appear vividly in my mind whenever I

    closed my eyes. The man who¡¯s responsible for this is despicable! Yet, that man is my beloved

    husband. Argh!

    ¡°Hmph!¡± I stomped my feet on the ground in frustration. The only thing I wished for at the moment was

    to blot out those memories from my mind.

    A few momentster, I heard a few knocks on the door as well as Christopher¡¯s mischievousughter

    coming from the outside. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the bathroom for an hour now. Are you stuck? Need any

    help?¡±

    ¡°You b*stard!¡± I roared, covering my face, unwilling to turn around.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t girls like bad boys? Besides, I thought you thoroughly enjoyed our intimate sessionst

    night. Come on. We¡¯re a married couple. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± Even without

    seeing his face, I could already imagine how annoying he looked when he spoke in such a teasing

    tone.

    When Christopher mentioned the word ¡°embarrassed,¡± I went berserk and dashed over to open the

    door. Looking at the rascally smirk on his face, I pounced on him and hit his chest.

    ¡°You shameless jerk! How could you do that to me when I was drunk? I don¡¯t want to talk to you

    anymore.¡± Christopher was not upset when I hit him. He held me in his arms and allowed me to vent

    my anger on him.

    Consequent to that beating, I panted in exhaustion. Conversely, Christopher acted like nothing had

    happened and grabbed my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s have something to eat. You can hit me all you want once you

    regain your energy.¡±

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to eat anything!¡± I refused to eat breakfast and remained seated on the couch. Without

    anyints, Christopher brought the food over and fed me. He was like the perfect husband a

    woman longed for at that moment.

    Thanks to his loving actions, the fury in my heart dissipated. Since I didn¡¯t want Christopher to treat me

    as a kid, I took the bowl from him and devoured the breakfast he prepared on his own.

    While eating, I noticed that Christopher was staring at me affectionately. My heart melted once again,

    but somehow, his expression was a little hrious. I could not help but burst intoughter and reach out

    my hand to cup his face. ¡°Yourrades¡¯ and employees¡¯ jaws will most definitely drop to the floor if

    they witness how you¡¯re looking at me right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal at all. They will be so envious to know that I dote on my beloved wife so much.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I red at him with a tinge of embarrassment.

    ¡°Say, why did you go to Goldstein Corporation yesterday?¡± Christopher questioned, holding me in his

    arms.

    Christopher¡¯s question caused my eyes to dim a little as I recalled my conversation with Mark. As I

    didn¡¯t want him to be worried, I only picked the topics suitable to tell him, like delivering food for Mark.

    Later, I pointed at the bag I brought back yesterday and went on, ¡°My dad has given me a few shares. I

    didn¡¯t want it, but he was very insistent. Have a look.¡±

    ¡°Shares?¡± Christopher¡¯s expression darkened as he took out the document from the bag.

    ¡°Yep!¡± I put down my spoon and calcted something with my fingers. Shocked by the numbers, I

    continued solemnly, ¡°I just realized that I¡¯m worth billions! I can spend moneyvishly for a very long

    time just by selling some of those shares. I¡¯m not sure if I can get used to this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news for you, is it not? Women are experts when ites to spending.¡± He paused, and

    after skimming through the document, he asked in surprise, ¡°Are these what he gave you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± The smile on my face faded a little when I saw a shadow cross Christopher¡¯s

    face.

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619

    ¡°No!¡± Christopher shook his head, his eyes glinted. ¡°I¡¯m just a little taken aback. Even though I have

    given you so much money, Mr. Goldstein is still concerned about you and fears that you don¡¯t have

    enough money to spend. I mean, he even gave you such a significant dowry ¨C isn¡¯t he afraid that I

    might just keep your dowry to myself?¡±

    ¡°Will you do that?¡± I teased him. Since I was not facing him, I was unaware of Christopher¡¯s upset

    reaction upon reading about the shareholding.

    ¡°This is entirely possible. I¡¯ve recently decided to expand a few projects. So why don¡¯t you transfer your

    shares to me and I¡¯llbine our shares to make a bigger profit? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I turned around to look at Christopher and asked, ¡°Do you really want to do that?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Do you find it upsetting that I want to take your shares?¡± Christopher pretended to be in

    pain and sprawled on the table. He then said, ¡°Poor me! My shares are gone and I¡¯m trying to borrow

    money from my Honey, only to be turned down. So, what should I do next? I can¡¯t stand it anymore; I¡¯m

    going to jump into the river!¡±

    ¡°Remember to bring me with you when you jump. Tell your beautiful assistant to draw up a document,

    and I¡¯ll sign it for youter,¡± I said while lightly tapping Christopher¡¯s shoulder.

    Obviously, I did not believe that Christopher would take possession of my assets. However, since

    Christopher stated he wanted it, I would simply give it to him. The naive me would not have an idea

    what was going on with these projects.

    I then went to the office of Lane Corporation andpleted all of the relevant procedures and

    formalities. I was not hesitant at all when it came to the signing. ¡°If my dad wants to see me in the

    future, I¡¯ll tell him to contact you directly.¡±

    To avoid unnecessary trouble, it is best not to tell Mark about it. At that time, I had no idea about Mark¡¯s

    purpose in giving me these documents.

    After a long time, when everything had happened, I realized it was all a scam and Christopher was the

    ultimate target. Perhaps no one would expect me to so easily hand over to Christopher something

    worth more than a billion.

    I was feeling grateful at the time. I loved Christopher, and he also loved me. We trusted each other, and

    even if some bad things happened along the way, we would still have faith in each other. That was why

    we could get through our crisis.

    I checked my phone but did not see anyone sending me a text message. The only message I had

    received was from Remington, who was urging me to finish the painting quickly. He asked me to stay

    focused on my current task instead of chatting with Christopher all the time.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I replied coldly to him: Mr. Artist, you do not understand the world of love. You should look for someone

    to share your artistic world with. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be lonely when you get older, and no one will be by

    your side to appreciate your artwork.

    As soon as Remington saw my message, he replied: Even if you¡¯re having a great time with your

    partner, you still need to finish your artwork. Aside from that, please tell Crystal to bring her artwork to

    me as soon as possible. I¡¯m not just going to sit here and wait for her.

    When I saw his message, I realized Remington was possibly aware of Crystal getting closer to my

    mom. After all, Avenport was only a small city and Remington¡¯s clients were rich and prestigious. It was

    only normal for him to know about it.

    I let out a sigh. The thought of having to find Crystal for such things made me feel very uneasy. I must

    have owed Crystal in my previous life. Perhaps I was the one who took her life. Otherwise, why does

    she keep bullying me in this lifetime?

    When I returned to the Goldstein residence, the housekeepers were concerned about me and asked

    where I had gone the night before. In contrast, my mom did not say anything when I did not return

    homest night. I was befuddled.

    If she became overly concerned about me, I was afraid she would keep asking me about Christopher. If

    she did not appear to be worried about me, I would think she was so preupied with Crystal that she

    no longer cared about her biological daughter.

    Perhaps this was a fundamental bad habit, but I still believed that the main reason I became like this

    was that the person who was always by my mother¡¯s side was Crystal.

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620

    I removed the canvas from the easel because the painting from yesterday had almost driedpletely

    and was nearly finished. However, it still took me another two hours toplete the part Remington

    asked me to draw. And just as I was about to sign on my work, there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± I put down the brush, turned around, and took out the other painting I hadpleted but

    which I also had not signed. I was still debating where to ce my signature on both of my paintings.

    ¡°Is this the project you¡¯ve been working on?¡± Isabelle¡¯s voice sounded.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I turned around and looked at the outside of the door and was relieved when I did not notice

    Crystal¡¯s presence. She is in good shape today. Looks like she¡¯s been resting for some time and that

    she¡¯s recovering. ¡±Yes, I¡¯m working on this for Remington¡¯s art exhibition. In the past few years, he has

    been the most influential young painter in the country. Since he rarely holds an art exhibition for

    himself, I can¡¯t mess this up.¡±

    ¡°It looks beautiful.¡± Isabelle walked over, gently ran her fingers across the canvas, and said softly,

    ¡°You¡¯ve always enjoyed drawing since you were a child. Just before important asions or major

    festivals, you would ask me to buy you a different paintbrush. Not only that, but you would also study

    some famous works and try to grasp the painters¡¯ styles. At the time I thought it would be your short-

    lived interest, but who knew you would end up bing such a talented painter? I am really proud of

    you!¡±

    The pride in my heart suddenly rose beyond my control. I had been praised by many people before, but

    aside from Christopher, my mother¡¯s acknowledgment had given me the most joy. I was even more

    delighted than when I attended Mr. Sawyer¡¯s academic exchange.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯ve been well taught by you, Mom,¡± I humbly said.

    ¡°I did not teach you any of this, you silly girl. This is the result of your own efforts. You are a wonderful

    youngdy and I am pleased to have you as my daughter.¡± Isabelle then approached me, gently tapped

    the back of my hand, and smiled. ¡°You will be even more outstanding in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± I replied with a smile.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something I need you to help me with, but I¡¯m not sure whether you are willing to,¡± Isabelle

    suddenly remarked.

    ¡°What is it? You can just tell me, Mom. We are family. Do you still need to be polite with me?¡± I

    pretended to be angry and nced at Isabelle before simply saying, ¡°What exactly do you want me to

    do? I¡¯d be happier than ever if I could assist you with something.¡±

    Isabelle was hesitating as she looked at the two paintings. It was either that she did not want to say

    anything, or did not know how to ask. I then said, ¡°You can just say it to me, Mom. Really, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Isabelle then sighed and said in all seriousness, ¡°I hope that you will not attend the art exhibition this

    time and that you¡¯d put Crystal¡¯s name on both of these paintings.¡±

    Thud! The paintbrush in my hand fell on the floor. As I heard what she said, I unintentionally staggered

    backward and knocked over the paint on the table. I was too shocked. That painting, which resulted

    from my coboration with Remington, was instantly dyed with the spilled paint ¨C it waspletely

    destroyed.

    I screamed and hurriedly tried to save the painting amid the chaos. Unfortunately, even the side I

    worked on was ruined by the paint. I stood motionless on the ground. After a while, I lifted my head with

    barely a smile and asked, ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right, Mom? Is it possible that I misheard what you said?¡±

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, you heard it correctly. I¡¯m sorry, Eve. I understand how difficult it is for you to do this, but I hope

    you will do it for me. You are very talented and can create many more of these paintings. All you need

    to know is that your inspiration and talent are unique and can never be stolen by others. Am I correct?¡±

    Isabelle did not hesitate when she said this. Her words shattered all of my illusions. I stood up and

    almost cried as I ced the ruined painting on the table. I was really disappointed in myself for feeling

    so wronged after only hearing one sentence of hers.

    Perhaps I felt so devastated simply because the person who said it was my mother.

    ¡°If I turn down your request, will you be angry?¡±

    ¡°Eve, I hope that you will agree.¡± Isabelle sounded firm. At this moment, she spoke like a boss talking

    to her subordinates, and I felt like I was being ordered to obey hermand.

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621

    My heart was filled with dissatisfaction and grievances. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of turning around

    and arguing with Isabelle about what she said to me. However, it was only recently that my mother and

    I were able to mend our rtionship. I didn¡¯t want to have to go to war with her again.

    I forced myself to calm down, then turned to Isabelle, and said, ¡°Mom, can you tell me why? If you

    could just tell me the reason, I can do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but I can¡¯t tell you right now.¡± Isabelle sighed deeply.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to tell me why?¡± Even though I was heartbroken, I forced myself to smile.

    ¡°Do you know how much I enjoy drawing, Mom? I ce all my dreams and hopes on my paintings.

    Both you and Dad were not by my side when I was a child and the Tanners saw me as an outsider.

    Every time there was a celebration, it was always me who was left alone in a corner to hear Yvette and

    the others¡¯ughter. At that time, I tried hard to convince myself that everything was fine, and that was

    because I still had my paintings.¡±

    I continued, ¡°I always include many people in the backgrounds of my paintings. Some of them would be

    waiting for me, talking to me, or simply smiling at me. I¡¯ve also drawn some lonely people because their

    presence would make me feel less abandoned. You now want me to give one of my paintings to

    someone else. Do you understand what that means to me?¡±

    Isabelle responded softly, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Mom. I¡¯m really upset about it. You can¡¯t even give me one reason for doing

    this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault!¡±

    Despite her admittance, however, Isabelle was unwavering. She still looked determined and did not

    want topromise at all. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before turning to her and handing

    over the unsigned painting. ¡°I¡¯m hoping this is thest time, Mom.¡±

    I dashed out of the room with my ruined painting as I finished speaking.

    When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Crystal standing in the hallway. She was also taken

    aback when she saw me running out of the room with my eyes welling up with tears. However, she

    reacted to it quickly and shed me an annoyingly triumphant smile.

    She then raised her thumb at me and slowly pointed it to the ground. She whispered, ¡°You can see that

    you¡¯ve lost again, can¡¯t you? Yvonne, you¡¯re going to lose everything to me sooner orter. Do you

    believe it?¡±

    Suddenly, I lifted my hand and pped Crystal with all my strength. The sound of the p, mixed with

    Crystal¡¯s scream, echoed in the hallway. Even after I did that, I still felt enraged.

    So this is what the bet is about This Crystal is really crafty. Even my Mom is on her side. I don¡¯t know

    what she has done to get this opportunity, but I still feel beaten by it.

    Why must it be Crystal? Crystal Yates!

    ¡°Yvonne, you dare to p me! I can tell you right now that you will not be arrogant for long. You¡¯ll

    always be that poor little girl begging at my feet.¡±

    ¡°The things you stole will never be yours. I don¡¯t care how you got Mom to agree to it, but if you think a

    painting can change your life, you¡¯re dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Eve!¡± The cking sound of high heels could be heard, followed by footsteps going down the stairs. I

    did not want to see Isabelle at the moment so I ignored Crystal¡¯s provocation, turned around, and

    stormed out of the Goldstein residence.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    I¡¯m no longer able to understand my mother. What¡¯s more important to her? Are certain benefits really

    that important to a point she is willing to sacrifice everyone, including her family? If so, what¡¯s the

    difference between me and a string puppet?

    It was raining when I stormed out of the Goldstein residence. Then a servant came over and handed

    me an umbre, but I did not take it. I just stormed into the rain. All I could hear behind me was the

    worried servant¡¯s shouts. However, it was not her voice that I wanted to hear.

    The cold raindrops fell on me but they did not wash away my rage. Instead, it revealed all my

    repressed feelings and made me yell at the sky. In my head, I was mulling over a question: Am I really

    Isabelle¡¯s daughter?

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622

    This was the first time this question came to my mind. Although it was ridiculous, the fact that I really

    had this thought showed how heartbroken I was at the time.

    Not far away, a light shed, followed by a car speeding toward me. Unfortunately, it was toote for

    me to avoid it by the time I could take a good look at it.

    The car made a screeching sound with its brakes and stopped abruptly in front of me. The door opened

    and a man came out. Strangely, I could not get a good look at this man¡¯s face ¨C he appeared to be

    swaying. Meanwhile, the ground was also shaking. After a brief moment, I fell to the ground.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± From my ears, I could hear a soft and gentle male voice. I thought it felt familiar but no

    matter how hard I tried, I could not open my eyes.

    Then, I had a nightmare about something that I had not dreamed about for a long time. This nightmare

    was absurd and strange. Crystal arrived at my house in the dream, and my mom treated her nicely and

    kept telling me to take good care of her.

    I was the only child in my family so of course I was happy having someone to y with. Crystal

    appeared to enjoy ying with me when there were other people around. However, when no adults

    were present, she began to bully me and tore up my favorite dress. When my mother found out that it

    had been torn, Crystal used me of having lost my temper and that I had ruined my own dress.

    My mother pped me without even asking me about the incident. I cried and said that Crystal had torn

    it, but no one would listen. They all assumed I was lying to avoid taking responsibility. I was punished

    with no lunch and could only watch Crystal sit at the spot that was originally mine as she was being

    gently cared for by my mother.

    The dream felt so real that when I woke up, I almost believed the incident had actually happened in real

    life. I sat on the bed and patted my head. I felt like my head was going to explode, so I patted it with

    greater force, which exacerbated the headache.

    ¡°Why did I have to have such a realistic dream?¡± I sat on the bed and thought deeply about it.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± After a while, someone pushed open the door and stopped me from letting my

    thoughts wander. A stranger walked in. My face turned pale as I realized I was not in the Goldstein

    residence or the home that Christopher and I owned.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I looked at the man in front of me. He seemed familiar, but no matter how hard I tried, I

    could not remember who he was.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? How could you have forgotten about me?¡± The man looked surprised. ¡°We

    met at the Goldsteins¡¯ party, and recently¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember you now. You¡¯re Tobey Osborn!¡± I looked around the room and then back at myself.

    When I realized I was not wearing the same clothes as before, my expression became uneasy. I asked,

    ¡°How did I get here?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten? You passed out beside the road because you were in the rain and had a fever. I

    was driving by and saw you, so I brought you back here. Don¡¯t worry. The maid in my house helped

    you change into the clothes you¡¯re wearing.¡± Tobey smiled.

    This man appeared to be quite considerate, but I had the impression that he was looking at me as if I

    were his bank vault. I gave him a forceful smile and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I¡¯ve prepared a shirt for you to change into. Dinner will be ready by the

    time you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve slept the entire afternoon so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re already hungry.¡±

    Tobey ced the shirt by my bedside and then exited the room. Then, I jumped out of bed and

    hurriedly changed my clothes. At the moment, I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. My

    intuition was perhaps incorrect, but I felt uneasy staying here even though he had saved me.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The size of the shirt was perfect; it was just right for me. The only thing was that its design was too

    exposed. Because of the shirt, my impression of Tobey deteriorated. When I heard Tobey talking on the

    phone as I walked down the stairs, I came to a halt.

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, Eve is having a good time here. Her fever is already gone. Even if you don¡¯t visit her,

    I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t fuss about it. She¡¯ll understand that you¡¯re preupied. It¡¯s my honor that you¡¯d

    entrust her to me. I¡¯ll make sure Eve is in better shape than she was before. Please have a pleasant

    meal with Ms. Yates¡­ Sure, I¡¯ll tell her about it¡­ Don¡¯t worry. There is no woman I can¡¯t handle¡­¡±

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623

    Meanwhile, at the staircase, chills traveled down my spine as I overheard Tobey¡¯s conversation with

    Mom. It was at that moment I realized that Mom was not the least bit worried about me staying at

    Tobey¡¯s ce.

    Besides, Mom had really gone overboard this time trying to set me up with a random man whom I had

    just met.

    It was pointless to be a bigger person by tolerating Mom¡¯s behavior, as she tended to cross the line

    sometimes. Thinking of that, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at myself. I bet she¡¯ll be happy if anything

    happened between Tobey and me here. With that, her dream of marrying me to Tobey would finally

    come true.

    Meanwhile, their conversation continued. I strode down the stairs and headed to the couch. My

    expression slowly darkened as I eavesdropped on their conversation. All they talked about were

    business opportunities and investment.

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, let me know if you have any other requests. We¡¯ll be family soon, won¡¯t we? As agreed

    previously, you should give away Yvonne¡¯s portion. Marry her? Sure, I like Ms. Yvonne, too. I wish to

    marry her as soon as possible! The shares? Yes, of course. They¡¯re still hers. But since we¡¯ll soon be

    family, we should not be so calctive. Am I right? Haha!¡±

    Everything was set up perfectly on the dining table. Candles were lit and illuminated the steak and

    wine, while the dining area was done up romantically. Nevertheless, I was not touched after listening to

    their conversation.

    It took Tobey a while to finally end that sickening conversation. He whistled a tune happily and headed

    upstairs with a smug grin, only to hurry down the stairs to look for me soon afterward.

    ¡°Eve? Where are you?¡± He nced around nervously.

    I picked up the ss of wine in front of me. Hearing the sound, Tobey instinctively looked in my

    direction and was stunned to see me sitting at the table. He probably did not think I would havee

    down so quickly. As soon as Tobey regained hisposure, he quickened his steps and walked

    toward me with a polite smile. ¡°You¡¯re here. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of disturbing you since you were on the phone,¡± I said in a straightforward manner.

    Tobey¡¯s face turned pale. Scratching the back of his head anxiously, he asked, ¡°Did you hear

    everything, Eve?¡±

    As I saw Tobey put a smile on his face, I could not help but notice that he actually had a warm and

    pleasant smile. However, his smile could notpare to Andrew¡¯s radiant smile. Andrew¡¯s was so

    genuine and contagious that it would instantly warm my heart.

    Seeing Tobey¡¯s hypocritical smile, I scoffed heartlessly, ¡°I think we¡¯re not that close, Mr. Osborn. I would

    appreciate it if you could address me as Ms. Tanner or Ms. Goldstein. ¡®Eve¡¯ is only for my closest

    friends and family. I hope you get what I mean.¡±

    Disgusted by his pretense, I was not nning to show mercy to such a hypocrite.

    My forthright behavior and the hostility in my tone must have frightened Tobey. He stood there, too

    stunned to speak. After collecting himself, he smiled bitterly and responded, ¡°Ms. Goldstein, is there a

    misunderstanding between us? Why are you acting like this? Do you not remember it was me who

    saved you on the street?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, and I¡¯ll repay this debt of gratitude. Nevertheless, I would like to be excluded from any

    agreement or dealing that you have with my mother. Please don¡¯t involve me in this.¡±

    Having that said, I stood up from my seat, grabbed my handbag from the coffee table, and continued

    coldly, ¡°What¡¯s yours is yours, and what¡¯s mine is Christopher¡¯s. I have nothing to do with you anymore.

    I¡¯m not in the mood to eat. I¡¯ll make a move now, Mr. Osborn.¡±

    Tobey scurried over and blocked my way. Raising his eyebrow, he uttered, ¡°Ms. Goldstein, you must

    have misunderstood me. How can you judge me by just listening to a phone conversation?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I scoffed with disdain.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He replied, ¡°I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s on your mind. So, let me make this clear to you: I actually have someone

    that I like.¡±

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624

    ¡°What did you say?¡± I was clearly puzzled at his words. With a quizzical look, I asked further, ¡°If so, why

    did you say that to my mother?¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t find a valid reason to befriend Tobey, even after he disclosed that to me. Things were

    different from the time I first met Lucas, though. Although Mom had a role to y in my rtionship

    with Lucas, I knew right away that Lucas would be a great friend. It turned out that my intuition was not

    wrong.

    ¡°How about we eat something first? I haven¡¯t had anything yet. Moreover, you¡¯re my guest, so let me

    have the opportunity to wee you.¡± Tobey ignored my question and swiftly gestured me back to the

    dining table.

    I hesitated for a moment before heading to the dining table, as I wanted to know what tricks Tobey had

    up his sleeves. I took a small bite of the food while waiting for Tobey to say something. Shifting my

    attention to him, I noticed his inelegant table manners.

    ¡°I have poor etiquette, don¡¯t I?¡± He wiped his mouth. Hearing his confession, I became less irritated for

    some unknown reason.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Well, I prefer it that way. At least it¡¯s real. I hate pretentious people.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You¡¯re indeed a genuine and straightforward person who wouldn¡¯t tolerate any fakeness.

    Me too, actually. Hence, I think both of us should be honest with each other.¡±

    Tobey smiled gently, and I started to see him in a more positive light.

    ¡°The Osborn family is not considered a prestigious family. We only managed to make a fortune in

    recent years and because of that, my family earned a little respect in Dellmoor. However, I was not fed

    with a silver spoon since young, and I don¡¯t wish to erase the old me just because my life has changed.

    Anyway, I actually have someone in my heart but she¡¯s merely a kindergarten teacher from an ordinary

    family. I know she¡¯s the one for me when she offered me tremendous help back when my family was

    nearly bankrupt. She even went to great lengths to lend me her savings.¡±

    ¡°Why are you not tying the knot with her yet? You are not getting any younger.¡± I could tell that the

    woman he mentioned was really a nice girl.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Shrugging his shoulders, he heaved a sigh before continuing, ¡°We like each other a

    lot, but my family doesn¡¯t approve of our rtionship due to her family background. That¡¯s also why I

    came to Avenport.¡±

    Curiosity flooded me. ¡°Do you mean that the deal you have with my mother is just an expedient

    strategy of yours? What are both of you up to?¡±

    ¡°Since our families have business dealings with each other, your mother wishes the two of us to get

    married. Besides, you¡¯re no ordinary girl, as youe from a prestigious family. No one would say no

    to marrying a girl like you.¡±

    I was momentarily stunned to hear such honesty from Tobey. A brooding expression returned to my

    face as I replied, ¡°Do you mean that you want to marry me?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± He nced at me meaningfully and voiced earnestly, ¡°Look, both of us have someone we

    like, but we couldn¡¯t do anything about it because of the pressure from our families. We actually share

    the same fate.¡±

    At this point, I had more questions than I had answers. ¡°Same fate? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Goldstein, you shouldn¡¯t take things too seriously. Think about it: our families want us to get

    married to a suitable candidate. Why don¡¯t we enter into an agreement and fake our marriage? By

    easing their minds, we could have the best of both worlds and we don¡¯t have to give up on the people

    we love. Isn¡¯t that a great idea?¡±

    ¡°Fake our marriage?¡± My expression turned gloomy after I heard his preposterous suggestion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. What I¡¯m suggesting is just a fake marriage; we won¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s

    personal rtionships. As you know, many couples from rich families who entered into arranged

    marriages do this as well. Rest assured that I won¡¯t let you suffer any loss in this. We¡¯ll sign a

    prenuptial agreement to safeguard our personal assets. Isn¡¯t it a good idea to kill two birds with one

    stone? With our marriage, our families would also have more business opportunities with each other.¡±

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this only because you don¡¯t love her as much as you think you do. You¡¯re simply acting in

    your own best interest and choosing power over her, you hypocrite.¡±

    Our negotiation ended on a sour note because I sshed a ss of wine on his face.

    The prenuptial agreement and fake marriage may seem like a good idea to others, but to me, it only

    illustrated that it was in his best interest topromise. In my opinion, married men would flirt around

    only when their love for their partners wasn¡¯t deep enough.

    They wanted control over everything; they wanted power and love. However, one could not sell the cow

    and drink the milk. Had I done the same thing, I would be no different from these people.

    I couldn¡¯t ept it. I truly love Christopher and was willing to give up everything for his sake. Why

    would I want to throw away my most precious treasure for material things especially when I already had

    so few things to begin with?

    I truly believed that Christopher and I were on the same page. He gave up so much for me back then.

    We would have split up a long time ago if we didn¡¯t put so much effort into our rtionship. epting

    Tobey¡¯s terms would be humiliating Christopher and belittling our love.

    I returned to our home, opened the door, and was about to clean up the house when Christopher

    suddenly walked over and pulled me into his arms.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked worriedly as I stared at the thunderous look on his face.

    ¡°Where did you go? I tried calling you multiple times but you didn¡¯t pick up. I went to the Goldsteins to

    look for you but they said you left yesterday. I¡¯ve been really worried about you ever since you failed to

    come homest night.¡± Christopher tightened his embrace and scolded. ¡°You should have told me you

    were going out. Don¡¯t make me worry.¡±

    I took out my phone from my bag and noticed it was turned off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that my phone

    battery died. Don¡¯t be mad,¡± I said innocently.

    ¡°Then tell me where you wentst night.¡± Christopher harrumphed. ¡°I¡¯ll be really mad if you lie to me.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re not suspecting that I cheated on you, are you?¡±

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    I shrugged nonchntly and smiled. I then stood up, pecked him on the cheek, and dragged him over

    to a mirror. I pointed at the mirror and said, ¡°Look at this rich, handsome man with broad shoulders and

    long, slender legs. He is good in bed and is my idol. I would have to find someone as good as he if I

    wanted to cheat, wouldn¡¯t I? I couldn¡¯t be interested in anyone inferior to him.¡±

    ¡°You have good taste. Remember to tell me where you are going next time.¡± Christopher broke into a

    smile after hearing me out. He let me off. ¡°At least inform Sabrina where you are going next time. I was

    really worried about you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore.¡± I pouted. I wasn¡¯t upset; I was simply being coquettish. I was ted to know

    that Christopher cared so much about me. After giving it some thought, I decided to tell him about

    Tobey while withholding parts of the conversation that would hurt him. I simply told him about Tobey¡¯s

    n and the girl he loved. I made myself clear by repeating thetter point in case he became jealous

    once again.

    ¡°Duh, why should my wife marry someone else and keep our rtionship secret? Are you kidding me?

    What¡¯s there to hide?¡± Christopher lifted his chin snobbishly and pointed at his reflection in the mirror.

    ¡°This man here is an idol. And as an idol, I will neverpromise.¡±

    After some dilly-dallying, we headed over to the kitchen to prepare lunch. I really enjoyed being with

    him and just doing the little things together with him. I felt the sweetest love in our ordinary, everyday

    lives.

    I flipped through my calendar after washing my hands and suddenly realized that today wasn¡¯t just an

    ordinary day. I fell silent.

    ¡°What special day is it?¡± Christopher nced at my calendar. I had specially put a marking on today¡¯s

    date in case I forgot.

    ¡°Today is Lyle¡¯s birthday. Sharon used to insist that we head to her ce to visit her on this day every

    year.¡±

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626

    Time flew by fast. It had been six months since Lyle left us. I also turned from rags to riches. Life works

    in mysterious ways.

    My heart was heavy upon thinking about Lyle. It felt like a weight on my chest. Every breath I took felt

    like a burden.

    Some people would only be remembered after their deaths. I was disgusted by the mere thought of him

    when he was alive, but I couldn¡¯t get him off my mind after his death.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Lyle died for my sake. My heart ached for him whenever I recalled how he slowly slipped away in my

    arms on that fateful day.

    I didn¡¯t even have the chance to tell him that I no longer hated him. I wanted to tell him that we would

    be the best of friends from now on because he was my savior.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you visit Sharon today? I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want to spend this day alone as well.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I hesitated for a bit before replying. Honestly, it had been so long since Ist paid Sharon a

    visit. It was about time I did. However, I was also a little apprehensive about meeting her.

    I felt like I could never repay the Smiths for everything they had done for me. It was a favor I could

    never return, nor could I do anything topensate for their loss.

    Even though the Smith family business improved with Christopher¡¯s help, I knew Sharon would rather

    sacrifice everything than lose Lyle.

    The car rolled to a stop in front of Sharon¡¯s mansion. I stood outside the gates, hesitant to step foot

    inside the property. I peered through the iron gate and noticed that her favorite flowers were already

    wilting and the ce was full of weeds. It looked abandoned. Only one small patch remained tended:

    the spot where Lyle¡¯s favorite flowers were nted. It was obvious that the owner no longer had the

    time and energy to take care of anything else.

    Christopher held my hand and gave me a reassuring look. With that, I finally stepped foot into the

    courtyard. Sharon was trimming the branches of the flowery nt as we walked toward her. She had

    aged overnight. This time, she was sitting in a wheelchair. I frowned when I noticed that she wasn¡¯t

    even wearing shoes.

    Sharon could only move around in the wheelchair because she couldn¡¯t even walk now. She was well

    into her eighties and had always been weak. Lyle¡¯s death was a huge blow on her; she crumbled as if

    she had lost her emotional support.

    ¡°Grandma!¡± My eyes brimmed with tears as I walked over and helped her carry a flower pot.

    Sharon turned around as if she finally realized my presence. She scrutinized me for a long while before

    she broke into a smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Eve. I was wondering when you and Lyle areing back. I was

    about to get mad if you guys didn¡¯te to visit me soon. Today is his birthday. I will head over to his

    office and beat him up if he¡¯s using work as an excuse to note to see me.¡±

    I stared at Sharon in surprise. She kept mentioning Lyle¡¯s name as if she had gone senile. She held my

    hand, turned to Christopher, and scolded, ¡°What are you doing standing over there? Come here. I want

    to take a good look at you. I¡¯ll think that I have a granddaughter instead of a grandson if you don¡¯te

    back soon.¡±

    I quickly gave Christopher a nce. He then walked toward Sharon and greeted her like how I did.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I¡¯ll get Molly to prepare your favorite dishes. You have to eat more today¡ªdon¡¯t

    leave the table halfway because of a call. I will break your leg if you do so. Lyle, remember to switch off

    your phone during dinnerter, and don¡¯t bully Eve! Where will you find someone else as good as she?¡±

    Sharon held my hand and Christopher¡¯s hand in hers and smiled dotingly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere, Grandma. We¡¯re here to stay today.¡± I choked up and almost cried.

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627

    A hysterical scream sounded, and someone rushed over, aiming to p me. Suddenly, a strong arm

    wrapped around my waist. When I looked up and saw Christopher¡¯s furious face, I nestled in between

    his arms and sobbed, ¡°Chris, I feel terrible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I got you.¡± Christopher sat me down on the chair and said, ¡°Wait for me here. I need to deal

    with some things first and will be right over. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. Immediately, Christopher turned around and gave the thugs a beating, knocking them

    to the ground. When a few bouncers approached him, he muttered something that caused them to

    apologize repeatedly and leave. The bartender even sent a cocktail over to my table for free.

    Seeing that I was about to reach for the cocktail, Christopher immediately snatched it from me and

    gulped it down. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and asked softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. All right?¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to.¡± It was my first time rejecting him so straightforwardly. ¡°Chris, I want to continue

    drinking. Stay and drink with me, won¡¯t you?¡± I asked while pointing at the ss.

    ¡°Getting drunk is a terrible thing. Trust me when I say that you¡¯ll regret it tomorrow morning,¡± he

    advised helplessly while kissing my forehead.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll only worry about it tomorrow. For now, I just want to be happy.¡± Iughed and ced

    Christopher¡¯s hand to where my heart was. ¡°Chris, it aches here, and only alcohol can make it better.

    So drink with me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± After seeing how heartbroken I was, he epted my request and agreed to

    drink with me. While drinking, we talked about nonsense, and he would second anything I said. Even

    when I insisted that it was morning, he would not refute me. In reality, my phone showed that it was

    currently five o¡¯clock in the evening.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Chris, am I destined to be alone? Besides you, no one is willing to treat me well. Am I really that

    horrible? Everyone hates me,¡± I mumbled while holding the ss.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Isn¡¯t Sabrina one of your long-time friends? Zachary, too, admires you for your

    straightforwardness,¡± Christopher replied while chugging down my entire ss of beer. I realized that I

    had not been drinking much since he came, and most of my beer had been downed by him.

    ¡°Stop drinking my beer! I¡¯m warning you.¡± I burped and asked the bartender for another ss. ¡°Anyway,

    this is different. Compared to Crystal, my own family treated me so much worse than the treatment they

    gave her. Is an eloquent speaker more important than someone rted to you? I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms and assured me, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t get it. I only want you to

    know one thing, in my heart, you¡¯re more important than anyone else, even myself.¡±

    ¡°Chris¡­¡± Finally, I could no longer hold it back and started sobbing. The sorrow hidden deep in my

    heart was unexinable, causing me to want to cry my heart out, get drunk, and have a good night¡¯s

    sleep. Perhaps, if I do that, everything would be different tomorrow?

    ¡°Stop crying.¡± Christopher patted my back soothingly, which only caused me to cry even harder. He

    tried to help me out of the pub a whileter, but I refused and whined for more beer.

    At that, he cupped my face andforted me gently, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Should we go and watch the meteor

    shower? I heard there will be a rare one tonight. There¡¯s a saying that if you wish under the meteor

    showers, your wish wille true. Would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°Is it really true that my wish will be granted if I wish under the stars?¡± I asked puzzledly before

    stumbling into his arms.

    ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I want to wish that-¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Christopher silenced me. ¡°You can¡¯t say your wish out loud because it won¡¯te true that

    way!¡±

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628

    I waspletely guilty, so I dared not say a word back as Remington let out his anger. Unfortunately,

    Christopher was by my side. He was the type to protect his wife no matter what happened. Whenever

    Remington raised his voice at me, Christopher would start putting on a cold front. In the end,

    Remington was shrieking in anger. He grabbed Christopher by the cor and dragged him to the

    practice room upstairs.

    Outside the door, I could hear the two of them fighting with each other. I sped my hands together

    before my chest. ¡°Please just let them put an end to this peacefully.¡±

    ¡°To h*ll with peace! Yvonne¡­ Ouch! You¡­ I¡¯m telling you, if this painting isn¡¯t done by Sunday, I will cut

    off all ties with you. I will never show up before you again. I¡­ Argh! Oh, is that how you want to y it?

    Come here and let me teach you a lesson, Christopher!¡±

    ¡°What else did you expect? For me to stand here and let you hit me? My wife is the only one that I will

    willingly allow toy a finger on me.¡±

    ¡°I see you¡¯re willing to throw away your friendship for your rtionship. I can only say that it is

    unfortunate to have been your friend.¡±

    ¡°Friends are for using. My wife is for loving. That¡¯s just how it is.¡±

    Listening in to their conversation, my eyes were twitching. Hopefully, Remington would not get angrier

    after hearing Christopher¡¯s preposterous logic.

    I kept hearing heavy thumps on the floor, coupled with Remington¡¯s miserable screams from time to

    time. Finally, the practice room door opened. Christopher walked out first with his sleeves rolled up

    high. The tie around his neck was in a mess. There was a bruise on the corner of his mouth. The sight

    of it made my heart ache.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to blow on it for me? It hurts.¡± Christopher put his face near mine.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys actually beat each other up. Couldn¡¯t you have toned it down a little? Besides,

    there¡¯s a punching bag right there. The two of you could have justpeted to see who would break

    the punching bag first or something.¡± I leaned over to him and blew gently on his bruise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I never lose.¡± Christopher shot me a sly smile. ¡°Your kiss numbs all pain.¡±

    ¡°Will the two of you stop showing off? At least take a moment to consider how I feel. Move aside.¡±

    Remington stepped out with his chest puffed. There seemed to be no injuries on his face. As he walked

    out, he even did a biting motion toward us to signify his victory. With my jaw wide open, I softly

    whispered to Christopher, ¡°I thought you said you never lose?¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Christopher took a step nearer to me. ¡°He¡¯s just happy he left a mark on my face. I

    deliberatelynded all my punches on ces that are covered by his clothes. Trust me. He¡¯s definitely

    in more pain than me.¡±

    I shot him a thumbs up. Indeed, I had to admit that I admired his skills.

    ¡°What about Spencer? If I use Crystal as an excuse to lure him back, do you think it will work?¡± I asked

    hesitantly.

    ¡°Just tell him that Crystal is looking for him urgently. Remember to emphasize that she is close to tears.

    I guarantee he will be on a flight back tonight,¡± Christopher said solemnly.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. No argument there.¡± I once again gave him a thumbs up to salute his intelligence.

    That night, after Christopher and I finished our ¡°vigorous exercise¡±, wey cuddling in bed. Suddenly, a

    series of fast-paced knocks sounded. Initially, I thought it was probably the neighbors. After a while, the

    knocking did not stop, and both Christopher and I were awakened. It was only then we realized that

    someone was knocking at our door.

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    I exchanged nces with Christopher. Both of us were visibly puzzled. I held onto my forehead and

    frowned. ¡°It can¡¯t be. When I called him, he was busy. So I left a message. Considering the time

    difference, he must have left at around midnight. That man is honestly hopeless.¡±

    ¡°Even more importantly, he¡¯s so blind. He had just had to fall in love with a girl that loves ying games

    and flirting with other men. He has such weird taste, unlike me.¡± Christopher had just gotten done

    changing. He kissed me on the forehead before going to check on the door.

    I shut my eyes. I was half asleep when suddenly someone kicked the bedroom door open. This was

    followed by Spencer¡¯s loud and panicked voice shouting in my ear. ¡°Yvonne, tell me. Where is Crystal?

    Is she okay?¡±

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629

    Oh my God. I¡¯m not even dressed yet. How could he just barge in? I stared at Spencer charging over

    and quickly wormed into my nket. After making sure I was properly covered with nothing hanging

    out, I sighed in relief.

    Christopher walked in hurriedly and pped Spencer on the head. He wailed out in response. Like a

    rat that had just been caught, he was quickly thrown out. Finally, I was able to climb out of bed and put

    on some clothes.

    During Crystal and Lyle¡¯s wedding, Spencer had done nothing. Hence, I thought that he and she were

    nothing more than close friends that shared a passion for art. But now, it was clearly more than just

    friendship. If anything, his feelings for her seemed to have grown more intensely over the course of

    time.

    Walking out of the room, I saw Spencer getting ready to charge over again. I quickly hid behind

    Christopher and said, ¡°Calm down. Let¡¯s talk like adults. Stop rushing over at me. If you do that again,

    don¡¯t me my husband for beating you up. In fact, I might even add a few extra kicks in.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me what is going on? Why is Crystal looking for me? What kind of terminal disease does she

    have? Is she really dying?¡±

    ¡°What? Who said she¡¯s terminally ill? All I said was that she¡¯s looking for you, so you shoulde back

    when you have the time.¡± My jaw dropped to the floor upon hearing Spencer¡¯s questions.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Huh?¡± It was Spencer¡¯s turn to be surprised.

    I rubbed the back of my head. I could not understand how my words were twisted into what Spencer

    had heard. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Tell me exactly what you said on the phone yesterday,¡± Christopher turned to me and ordered. He

    seemed to have thought of something.

    I repeated what I said in Andurn. After hearing what I said, Christopher pulled me into his arms and

    startedughing out loud. Meanwhile, Spencer¡¯s face looked particrly sour, as if having bit into a

    wedge of lemon.

    Iughed dryly. Even if I was an idiot, I knew what was going on. Clearly, I had mimunicated the

    message. I shrugged and said innocently, ¡°Okay, fine. I admit that my Andurn isn¡¯t the best. Can¡¯t

    fault me for it, can you?¡±

    ¡°What were you actually trying to say?¡± Spencer was pale from anger. I could tell that he wanted to just

    devour me whole right now. He leaned back against the couch and yawned. If he could just end me, all

    his anger would disappear in an instant.

    ¡°The painting that we made with Remington was identally destroyed by me. Now, we¡¯re one painting

    short. We have about a week to paint a new one, and we can¡¯t do it without you. So, please help us

    out. I¡¯m so grateful that you rushed over here. Truly, thank you so much.¡±

    Spencer looked at me, then back at Christopher. He stood up with a p on the table and shouted,

    ¡°F*ck off!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Christopher and I exchanged nces. We simultaneously put our hands on our hips and

    laughed. ¡°Haha. You¡¯ve already entered our territory. There¡¯s no escape for you now.¡±

    Then, I picked up a fruit knife on the table and handed it over to Christopher. Solemnly, he twirled it in

    his hands. He shifted the knife from his left hand to his right as he toyed with it.

    Slowly, we made our way over to Spencer. ¡°The only option here for you is to work on the painting.¡±

    ¡°What do you guys think you¡¯re doing?¡± Spencer staggered back.

    ¡°What does it look like?¡± Iughed maniacally. For a moment, it felt like I was the antagonist of a big

    movie.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t go too far. If youe any closer, I¡¯ll scream. Christopher, don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you just

    because you can fight. You have no idea what I¡¯m capable of when I get mad.¡±

    The reason Spencer was so afraid was probably due to the trauma of him being beaten up by

    Christopher when he was younger.

    ¡°Scream all you want. You can scream your lungs out, but nobody wille to save you. Take out your

    pencil right now and start drawing. We¡¯ll rush over to Remington¡¯s house as soon as possible and invite

    him to join us.¡±

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630

    To be honest, it was near impossible toplete such a huge oil painting within a week. Fortunately,

    we had already done it once before, so we did not need much creativity with it. All we needed to do

    was repeat what we did thest time.

    After burning the midnight oil for several nights in a row, we finally finished it. The three of us felt a

    huge weight lift off our shoulders. Wey on the couch and refused to move an inch. Eventually, it was

    Remington who got up to cover the painting with a cloth.

    ¡°From now on, I will never let anyone else take the paintings out of my drawing-room. I would just be

    digging my own grave,¡± Remington said tiredly.

    ¡°I feelpletely drained,¡± Spencer remarked with his face stered on the couch.

    I did not even have any strength to respond to theirments.

    After resting for a couple of days, we finally managed to recover. We marked our seals onto the

    painting and took one final look at it. The more we looked, the more satisfied we were with our work.

    Creativity was something that came at the most unexpected times. While we were redoing the painting,

    we made a few changes here and there. Now, it was even more beautiful than the previous one.

    ¡°Yvonne, where¡¯s your painting? When are you going to hand it over?¡± Remington asked with a

    mouthful of instant noodles. Even while eating, he did not forget to remind me to bring my painting.

    The feeling of joy from painting together soon died down. How was I supposed to hand over my

    painting? Isabelle refused to even give me a reason for making me give my painting to Crystal.

    Because of Isabelle¡¯s earlier illness, our rtionship was stagnant for a while. She was very polite

    when she spoke to me. However, that courtesy did not at all cover up her refusal to budge on the

    matter.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I will be able to give you my painting in support of your art exhibition,¡± I said

    sadly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you destroyed that too?¡± Both Remington and Spencer widened their eyes in disbelief.

    ¡°Yvonne, your fellow artists haven¡¯t recognized you as a new school artist yet. That was just a

    nickname that the media gave you. Now, you think you¡¯re all that? Do you even want to continue doing

    art? I can¡¯t deal with you.¡±

    Remington was close toing over and strangling me to death.

    ¡°You really are something, Yvonne. Picasso has nothing on you, you know that?¡± Spencer was

    speaking with a sarcastic tone. ¡°I admire no artist except you.¡±

    ¡°I admire myself too.¡± It took me half a month just to conceptualize that painting. Within one afternoon,

    it became someone else¡¯s possession. ¡°I¡¯m incredibly generous. That small painting is nothing to me.¡±

    As I spoke, I suddenly covered my mouth and burst out intoughter. Iughed so hard that I actually

    started to cry. All the sadness in my heart was starting to bubble over.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Remington and Spencer could feel that something was wrong with me. They thought they had

    misspoken, so they quickly apologized.

    ¡°Come on. We only said those things because we¡¯re good friends. You can take a joke, right?¡± Spencer

    was very direct.

    ¡°We¡¯ll apologize to you, okay?¡± Remington rubbed the back of his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m fine.¡± I dabbed away my tears. After pondering for a moment, I said to

    Remington, ¡°Actually, I have a painting that was meant to enter in the National Youth Art Exhibition and

    Contest. However, due to certain reasons, it was taken down before anyone could get a look at it. Do

    you want me to disy it in your art exhibition?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I promise to put it in the most eye-catching corner. I remember that painting being the most

    distinctive painting that I¡¯ve seen for a while.¡±

    It had been several days since I returned to the Goldstein residence. I had several text messages from

    Mark, as well as missed calls that I forgot to answer while painting. However, none of them belonged to

    Isabelle. Oddly enough, I felt like I was starting to understand my own mother less and less.

    After entering, I saw Mark and Isabelle standing under a tree. I could not hear what they were saying,

    but it was clear that they were in disagreement over something. Isabelle had a frustrated expression

    on, and Mark was not looking too good either.

    ¡°How many times have I told you that you should stay out of Eve¡¯s business with the Goldstein family?

    Why must you stop her? Why did you get Tobey toe to mess things up? Do you even listen to aT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    thing I say?¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, I can ept anyone except Julia¡¯s son. I¡¯ve said so many times that she

    was the one who killed my elder brother. How can I let my daughter marry her son? I will never allow

    this. Over my dead body.¡±

 Chapter 631

    Chapter 631

    It turned out they were arguing over Christopher and I; I sighed internally. Mark had said before that he

    would help me persuade Isabelle, but she never gave in. I thought that Mark had given up after

    Christopher refused to join his business.

    ¡°Do you even hear yourself? Please. Think about what you¡¯re saying. Eve marrying Christopher is the

    best thing that could happen to her. Why are you being so stubborn?¡±

    ¡°If it were anything else, I would listen to you, but not this time. Mark, I know you are worried about your

    newly found daughter. However, can¡¯t you extend that same consideration for me? I¡¯ve been with you

    for so long. While I may hold the title of your wife, I will always be known as that woman that

    abandoned her husband and daughter. We never even had a wedding ceremony, yet I chose to leave

    with you.

    ¡°Simrly, I am willing to be just as determined for my family. Even if Yvonne ends up hating me, I won¡¯t

    budge. He was my brother. Didn¡¯t you look up to him too? If he wasn¡¯t dead, maybe you guys might be

    good friends.¡± Isabelle covered her face with her hands and started to sob.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring up Robert in front of me. He was the one who didn¡¯t want anything to do with me back

    then. Otherwise, you would have married me long ago,¡± Mark snapped back. When he saw Isabelle

    crying, he went up to give her a hug.

    ¡°After being together so many years, I know how good you are to me. I¡¯ve always known. No matter

    how I mess up, you always forgive me. Since you chose me, you¡¯re mine to cherish forever. You will

    always be a part of the Goldstein family now. So, how could I ever bear to hurt you?

    ¡°But when ites to Eve, it¡¯s different. She¡¯s important to us both. Taking a step back will be better for

    all of us. Please, just give in this once. When everything is settled, you can do whatever you want to. I

    promise I won¡¯t stop you, okay?¡±

    Mark squeezed Isabelle gently on the shoulders. In his dark grey eyes, a glint shed through. Looking

    at her, he said, ¡°Promise me, Belle. Please.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I really can¡¯t.¡± Seeing him like this, Isabelle¡¯s expression changed drastically. This

    was a sign that he was about to lose his temper. If they continued talking about this, she knew she was

    going to get in trouble.

    Hence, she decided to just say yes for now, and go back on her wordster on.

    It had been years since someone spoke up for me. I never realized how nice it was to have a father to

    rely on. My eyes welled up with tears. It was at this moment that I finally epted him into my heart

    and acknowledged him as my father.

    I did not want them to fight over me. They were already in disagreement, and I did not want things to

    get worse. I mulled it over and decided to interrupt them. I went over and shouted, ¡°Mom, Dad,

    morning.¡±

    Seeing mee over, Mark instantly retracted his gloomy expression. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a

    heads up before heading out? I¡¯ve barely seen you around, and you haven¡¯t been answering your

    phone either. You silly child. Don¡¯t you know that your family will worry about you?¡±

    ¡°I went out to have a discussion with several of my artist friends. We were all having so much fun that I

    forgot to give you a call. Sorry for making you worry.¡±

    I warmly grabbed onto his hand. This was the first time I was standing so close to him. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t

    argue with Mom over me anymore. You guys love each other so much. I don¡¯t want to see your

    rtionship fall apart over me.¡±

    ¡°Silly girl. You are my daughter, so it is only right that I stand up for you. I wasn¡¯t around for you when

    you were younger, and you suffered a lot. Now, I just want to give you what you want.¡± Mark gently

    patted me on the head and sighed.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh, Dad!¡± I called out with a sob.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Hearing our loving conversation, Isabelle rolled up her sleeves and left the garden.

 Chapter 632

    Chapter 632

    ¡°Mom!¡± I yelled after Isabelle, but she did not turn her head back. I was rather disappointed. Ever since

    Christopher¡¯s identity was revealed, there had been a gap between her and me. It was like there was

    an invisible wall between us that neither of us could cross.

    ¡°Sigh. Your mother is really stubborn. She never wants to have a proper talk to me about this. Every

    time I mention it, she gets mad. I don¡¯t know what to do either.¡± Mark sighed lightly.

    ¡°You tried your best, Dad.¡± I looked over to the mansion. After Isabelle headed in, I saw her appear in

    her room on the second floor. She seemed to be looking down at us. Although it was just a nce, I

    managed to catch the displeasure on her frowned face.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Isabelle seemed to dislike it when I got close to Mark. Every time we talked, she had an ugly

    expression. I could not understand why.

    There seemed to be more and more secrets revolving around Isabelle, and she was bing weirder

    and weirder. The image of the wonderful mother I had in my mind was slowly bing more foreign to

    me. After some time, perhaps that memory of her might fadepletely and be reced by the current

    version of her.

    Outside the door, the sound of a car honking could be heard. Christopher was urging me to hurry up. I

    looked down at the time and realized it was already half-past three. I was supposed to pass the

    painting to Remington by four o¡¯clock. If I did not leave now, he was definitely going to cut ties with me.

    I raised my head to look at Mark.

    ¡°Christopher is waiting for you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mark asked.

    ¡°Yeah. We are supposed to go meet Remington, a famous artist. The art exhibition ising up, and

    I¡¯ve been invited to help set up.¡± I turned to look once more at the window of Isabelle¡¯s room. She was

    no longer there anymore. Thank God. If she sees Christopher, it¡¯s going to be another round of insults.

    I really don¡¯t want him to hear all that.

    To be honest, there were times where I tried to think of a way that could please both parties. In the end,

    I merely came to the conclusion that unless Robert resurrected, that was simply not possible.

    ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t bear to see Mom so sad, but I really don¡¯t know what else I can do. She sounded so

    determined earlier. I understand that she doesn¡¯t want to back off, but unfortunately neither will I. I don¡¯t

    mean to be ungrateful and choose love over my own mother. However, Christopher is someone that I

    could never give up. It doesn¡¯t matter what I will lose. Meeting him has been my greatest honor. If it

    wasn¡¯t for him, I might not even be alive right now.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You do what you have to. Things will sort themselves out eventually. I¡¯ll help youe

    up with a solution. Have fun, okay?¡± Mark patted me on the headfortingly.

    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± I plunged into his arms and squeezed him tight. ¡°It¡¯s so nice having a father.¡±

    ¡°Why did you take so long?¡± Christopher asked as he opened the car door for me. ¡°I thought you were

    just going to take the painting and go.¡±

    ¡°I ran into Mom and Dad. They were arguing, so I got distracted for a bit.¡± I sighed. There were a lot of

    complicated feelings in my heart, but some part of me was delighted. ¡°Chris, it¡¯s so nice having a father.

    I haven¡¯t felt love like this in so long. I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    ¡°Is Mr. Goldstein good to you?¡± Christopher asked me a stupid question out of the blue. His gaze was

    weird, and his brows were knitted tightly together. He seemed to be thinking hard.

    ¡°What kind of question is that? Of course, he is. He¡¯s my father. Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± I rolled my eyes at

    him. ¡°It¡¯s not weird for him to be good to me unless I¡¯m not his biological daughter. However, I know

    that¡¯s not possible.¡±

    When I handed Remington the painting, relief flooded his face. ¡°Yvonne, if you screwed up again this

    time, I was going to start suspecting that you were deliberately trying to mess things up for me.¡±

    I tapped him gently on the shoulder. That was all I could say for now. When he finally put my painting

    up in his art exhibition, I was sure he would be very surprised.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind it. By the way, don¡¯t be too shocked if some weird stuff happens. Just

    remember to focus on your art exhibition, got it?¡±

 Chapter 633

    Chapter 633

    On the day of the art exhibition, Remington and Spencer called me several times since I was absent.

    As hard as I tried, I could note up with a believable excuse. Eventually, I decided to go with the

    most overused one; I told them I was sick and had to go to the hospital.

    No doubt that it was a cliche, but it worked anyway. Besides, that was the only reason that could

    exin why I did not attend the event. After putting Christopher¡¯s jacket on for him, I worked carefully

    on his necktie. Tying a tie was no easy feat, so I put in a lot of hours trying to get the knots right.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the office with me? After all, as a superior, you can¡¯t hide from thepany

    forever. I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not how it works,¡± suggested Christopher with a soft smile while he held

    my hands.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I literally know nothing of how thepany operates. I mean, what

    the heck can I even do at a meeting? Take notes? Trust me. Even I can¡¯t read my own scribbles.¡± I

    waved my hand and shot down the idea.

    ¡°Fine. Then wait for me at home,¡± responded Christopher calmly.

    ¡°Sure. Having the time to work on my drawings is a blessing.¡± A smile was stered over my face as I

    said those words.

    After seeing Christopher off, I went straight back to bed to make up for the sleep I lost the night before.

    When I woke up and checked the time, I figured the exhibition was near its end. I was flipping through

    the channels on the TV when the news popped up.

    ¡°After disappearing from the art industry for more than a year because of a series of scandals, new

    school artist, Crystal Yates, appeared before the public once again at Remington Fowler¡¯s first art

    exhibition. Not only has the artist¡¯s work, Floral Bloom, won over the majority of the public, but it has

    also managed to swoon the critics. But is that enough to redeem the artist from her past sins? Only

    time will tell. What is apparent, though, is that fans of the artist have started toe together again.

    What happens next¡­¡±

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I rewound the news to the part where they did a close-up on my work. It was disyed at the most

    prominent spot at the exhibition, and standing next to it was Crystal smiling at the press.

    I straightened my back when I noticed Isabelle at the exhibition. Furrowing my brows at the TV, I

    wondered why she attended the event with Crystal.

    I had nned to take my mother there so that she could see what I had achieved. I wanted her to see

    my world and be proud of her daughter. That was why I got upset when I saw Crystal take what should

    have been mine. Standing next to my mother was a fraud showcasing the piece of art that I had worked

    on for two months.

    Agitated, I turned off the TV and started pacing around the house. As much as I wanted to, I could not

    figure out why my mother went there.

    I thought Remington would be the first one to inform me of that. After all, being the upright person that

    he was, Remington could never stand an injustice like that. If it were not for the fact that the art

    exhibition was his very first, he would have blown the truth wide open.

    Unexpectedly, Spencer was the first one toe to me. He knocked impatiently on my door while I

    was taking care of the flowers on the balcony. The man burst in as soon as I unlocked the door and

    questioned, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I blinked a few times to make sure my eyes were not ying tricks on me.

    Then, I looked past Spencer to see if Remington was following behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Now tell me why.¡± With his eyes widened, Spencer panted as if he had just

    experienced something entirely uneptable to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re the first one toe to me after what happened. After all, isn¡¯t that what you

    wanted? Any fool could tell what Crystal was to you.¡±

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634

    I ced my flowers back onto the balcony and almost bumped into Spencer¡¯s chest when I turned

    around.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a soon-to-be-married woman, so you better keep your distance. I¡¯m going to be in a lot of

    trouble if my man saw us this close.¡± I pushed the man away before heading to the kitchen. ¡°Would you

    like something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Here, you can watch the TV while I go get us something.¡±

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s no overstatement when I say that Ms. Yates¡¯ return was highly anticipated. Even Spencer

    Lynch weed the new school artist with open arms at the entrance to the exhibition. After seeing

    Ms. Yates¡¯ awe-inspiring piece of work, which took her a full year toplete, Mr. Lynch was even

    more convinced that an artist¡¯s talent shouldn¡¯t be overlooked just because they made a mistake in the

    past. The drawing is now in Julian Stewart¡¯s hands, waiting to be signed by the man as a symbol of

    forgiveness. With that, Ms. Yates hoped that the public would give her another chance. The artist had

    shown remorse and¡­ ¡°

    More than anything, I felt stupid for turning on the TV again. It was as if I wanted to spite myself.

    Crystal was all over the news that day, so I could not help but wonder how much she paid the media for

    that amount of coverage. It seemed like she really wanted to have a strongeback.

    Seeing how Spencer¡¯s face had hardened even more, I swiftly turned the TV off before making my way

    to the kitchen. ¡°Be right back.¡±

    At that moment, all I wanted to do was leave the living room where Spencer was. The man looked so

    mad that it seemed like he was ready to swallow me whole. Spencer would usually smile like he was

    the nicest guy in the world, but he looked the total opposite when upset.

    ¡°How did your work end up as Crystal¡¯s? Did you just hand it to her, or did she trick you into doing it?

    After following me into the kitchen, Spencer snatched the kettle from my hand to demand my attention.

    ¡°Could you please just return the kettle to me first?¡± From the look in his eyes, I could tell that he was

    hurt. He probably even felt betrayed.

    After letting out a sigh, I exined, ¡°It¡¯splicated. Whatever it is, it¡¯s between Crystal and me.

    Besides, you should be happy about what happened. I mean, she got what she wanted, thanks to you.

    I imagine that she would be very grateful for all that you¡¯ve done for her. And who knows, you two might

    just end up together. That¡¯s what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What I wanted was for her toe up with her own piece of work. She should have attended the

    exhibition with her own work and bravely owned up to her past. From there, she would start anew as an

    honest artist, not one who takes credit for other people¡¯s work. That would be a disgrace to this

    profession! Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, Yvonne? Why would you give her your work? You

    made yourself her aplice. Do you realize that?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Spencer covered his face in disappointment before continuing, ¡°So no, this is not what I wanted. Not at

    all! I can¡¯t believe this, Yvonne. How did it all turn out this way?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can tell you how to fix this. It is what it is. She wouldn¡¯t have made it this far if she didn¡¯t

    have your help. You have no idea how vile and selfish that woman can be. That¡¯s just who she is. I told

    you that you would regret it, didn¡¯t I? Crystal made a bet with me just so she could best me again, and

    she did. I lost my pride after that. Since you promised me that you wouldn¡¯t regret it, I don¡¯t see why we

    have to discuss this any further. I still have things to attend to, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you

    to leave.¡±

    I picked up my bag in the living room and gestured for the man to leave my house.

    ¡°I was wrong, and I regret it now. I really do,¡± admitted Spencer in a broken voice before covering his

    face in shame.

    The man finally broke down because he realized that Crystal had betrayed his trust.

    Standing in front of the crying man, I was lost for words. At that point, I admitted it was partially my

    fault, so I promised myself that I would never give in to Crystal ever again.

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635

    In the end, Remington never came to me. He only asked me a few questions over the phone. The man

    knew what was going on since he remembered everything I told him the day before. Still, he was

    slightly surprised when it actually happened. Remington quickly recollected himself before asking me

    for an exnation.

    In response, all I told the man was that nobody could ever take away what truly belonged to me. If they

    could, it just meant that whatever they took did not really belong to me anyway.

    That was what Christopher taught me when he assured me that nobody could take him away from me,

    no matter how hard they tried.

    A cool wind was blowing in the air that evening, bringing the sweet aroma of lily to my room as I

    listened to the calm chirping of the crickets.

    However, engaged in excessive ¡°exercise¡±, I was drenched in sweat, and my voice had turned hoarse. I

    could feel the icy coldness on my cheek as Christopher pressed me against the ss window. I could

    feel his chest against my back as his sweat dripped onto my shoulder. He leaned down to press

    another kiss on my back, leaving another evidence of his love for me onto my body.

    As soon as I turned around to face the man, he greeted me with his warm lips, and the smell of tobo

    quickly filled my mouth. His sweet kiss, plus the gentle caressing of his fingers, was almost too much

    for me. Christopher always knew just how to lift me to cloud nine.

    ¡°I love you, Eve. I love you so much!¡± Christopher whispered those words softly into my ears as he

    tightened his arms around me.

    ¡°It¡¯s Thanksgiving tomorrow, and my mother would love to have dinner with us,¡± informed Christopher

    as he washed my back in the shower.

    After a moment of silence, I responded to the man with a half-smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. My mother

    called me three times this afternoon just to remind me about tomorrow¡¯s dinner with her.¡±

    ¡°What about morning? It¡¯s been a while since my motherst saw you, and she really misses you.¡±

    Christopher then gave me a peck on the forehead.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Sure.¡± To be honest, I was a little afraid to meet with Julia then. I used to have nothing but respect for

    the woman, the kind that one would have for their mother-inw, but then things got moreplicated

    than they should be.

    Even though I had never met my uncle, knowing that Julia was responsible for his death was enough to

    make me wary of the woman.

    Isabelle told me to meet her at The Continental for our Thanksgiving dinner, which I thought was

    odd. Why did we not celebrate the holiday at home since her chefs were as good as those at The

    Continental? However, I decided not to ask her about it in the end. Somehow, the two of us had slowly

    grown apart, and it felt like we would never get as close as we used to be.

    It made me wonder if that was what my mother intended. Instead of talking to me lovingly like she used

    to do, she started to speak to me in amanding tone. I was not allowed to question her decision,

    nor was there any room for discussion.

    When I saw Tobey and Crystal sharing the table with my mother, I had to force a smile to greet the two.

    Then, Isabelle told me that Mark could note because he was busy. Holding on to my ss as if it

    was a shield, I remained silent throughout most of the evening.

    ¡°Tobey, I believe this young woman next to me needs no introduction. From now on, you¡¯re cousin to a

    Tanner and a well-known new school artist.¡± Isabelle chatted with Tobey politely.

    ¡°Oh, yes, Mrs. Goldstein. I¡¯m well aware. It¡¯s my honor, cousin. Do let me know if you¡¯re participating in

    another art exhibition so that I can show my support.¡± As Tobey entertained Isabelle and Crystal, he

    would turn to me from time to time as if he was afraid that I would feel left out.

    Upset, I pressed my fingers so hard against my ss that they started to turn pale. I could not believe

    that my mother had set me up.

    After a while, my mother excused herself and brought Crystal away with her, leaving me alone with

    Tobey. Before she went away, she even reminded me to take care of Tobey and show him around

    Avenport.

    ¡°Were you surprised? Seeing how persistent Mrs. Goldstein was, I think you should reconsider my

    offer, Ms. Tanner.¡±

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636

    ¡°Am I to marry you and reduce the person I love to my secret lover? Is he to be the despised scandal?¡±

    I scoffed at Tobey in disgust.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a little extreme, Ms. Tanner. Besides, you missed my point entirely. What we¡¯re doing is

    going to benefit both of us. After we get what we want, we can always get a divorce. You need to learn

    how to fully utilize all the resources avable to you. Being stubborn won¡¯t get you anywhere. Trust

    me.¡±

    Tobey seemed to be irritated by my words because the smile on his face had vanished. ¡°Do you

    actually think someone as aggressive as your mother would let you back out of this? You didn¡¯t think

    she would just let this go, did you?¡±

    In response, I narrowed my eyes at the man before sneering, ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have a code, but I do.

    Some things are worth standing your ground for. And that¡¯s my mother you¡¯re talking about. Do you

    think she¡¯s going to do anything that would hurt her own daughter? If you¡¯re looking for an arranged

    marriage, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯vee to the wrong person, pal. I will never consider an arranged

    marriage, and I couldn¡¯t care less about inheriting the Goldstein fortune. Do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°A typical woman. You have eyes for nothing but love. How boring, stupid, and unattractive of you.¡± If

    nothing else, the way Tobey acted as if he knew it all made me sick.

    ¡°What use is a man who couldn¡¯t protect the one he loves? You treated her like she was your mistress.

    That, to me, is a useless man.¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind me. After turning to see Christopher with Dn in hand, I

    skipped over excitedly to the two. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°We just happened to be having our Thanksgiving dinner here too.¡± Christopher gave me a warm smile

    before pulling up a chair next to Tobey. He then raised a brow at the man and asked provokingly, ¡°So,

    Mr. Osborn, anyments? Do you think I have a point?¡±

    Seemingly offended, Tobey¡¯s eyes hardened and narrowed into slits as he red at Christopher. ¡°I

    think that¡¯s quite an exaggeration, Mr. Lane. Besides, this is between Eve and me. An outsider like you

    should refrain yourself from meddling in other people¡¯s business.¡±

    ¡°Outsider?¡± Christopher and I exchanged looks beforeughing out loud together.

    ¡°This here is my aunt. She¡¯s already married to Uncle Christopher. Don¡¯t you know that? It seems like

    you¡¯re the outsider here, mister,¡± stated Dn as he pointed at Tobey.

    ¡°You¡¯re only a child, so what do you know? Be quiet when the adults are talking.¡± Tobey tried his best to

    pretend like he was not embarrassed. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t interest you, Ms. Tanner, there¡¯s no need toe

    up with such a cheap lie.¡±

    After roping me in with his arm, Christopher cupped my face in his hands and brazenly gave me a wet

    kiss. Regardless of how many people were watching us, we had the longest kiss before Christopher

    finally let go of me and turned back to Tobey. ¡°I meant every word I said, and I never joke when it

    comes to my wife. I take her as seriously as I do to all those who would dare pester my wife.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders casually at the surprised man before adding, ¡°I guess my mother didn¡¯t tell

    you the whole story, huh? I¡¯ve been married to Chris for a while now. Our marriage is just short of a

    wedding ceremony. You may not have realized it, but you¡¯re actually asking me to break my marriage

    vow when you proposed to marry me.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Unable to stay seated any longer, Tobey pped on the table and jumped to his feet.

    At the end of the day, I knew my mother was to be med for the misunderstanding, so I apologized to

    the man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that is the truth. I have no idea what kind of a deal my mother has struck with

    you or what projects you two are working on, but I cannot marry you. Period. If you ask me, I think you

    should marry the woman who stuck by your side no matter how bad things got. That¡¯s the kind of

    person you¡¯d want to spend the rest of your life with. She deserves to marry you when you have

    everything, not live a life separate from yours like a mistress. That¡¯s all I have to say, and I hope you

    sleep on my advice. I¡¯m sure someone like you is not short of money, but the right life partner only

    comes once in a while. Don¡¯t miss it.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    After finishing my sentence, I froze for a while. It was because I realized that I had just told Tobey

    exactly what Lyle said to me.

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637

    Thinking, Tobey stared at me for a while before shifting his focus back onto Christopher. ¡°Your family

    may be influential in Avenport, but you¡¯re far from being almighty. Even though my family is no match

    for yours, I imagine that you¡¯d be less arrogant when you speak to me after the Goldsteins be my

    inws.¡±

    ¡°If I heard you right, you mean to tell me that not only are you insisting on marrying my wife, but you¡¯re

    also nning to get rid of herwfully-married husband? Wow, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever met a third wheel

    that forting,¡± ridiculed Christopher.

    Seeing how my husband got a little carried away, I deliberately coughed a few times to interrupt him.

    Having nothing against Tobey, I did not think it was necessary to belittle him like that. After all, the man

    lived in Dellmoor and had no business in Avenport.

    ¡°Mr. Osborn, I hope that you¡¯ll at least consider what I¡¯ve told you. As for the tour around Avenport, I

    don¡¯t really go out much, so I¡¯m not the right person to¡­¡±

    ¡°I can introduce you to some of the best tour guides in town, and I promise you that they know their

    way around like the back of their hands. Heck, I¡¯ll even pay for them. Trust me. You don¡¯t want my wife

    as your guide. So, what do you say?¡± That was not the first time Christopher had interrupted me, and I

    just wished I could shove something into that man¡¯s mouth to shut him up.

    In response, Tobey snorted frustratedly before storming off.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After sessfully dissuading Tobey, I rolled my eyes at Christopher. ¡°You just can¡¯t be nice, can you?

    Was that really necessary? All those mean words.¡±

    ¡°Why should I y nice with the man who¡¯s trying to marry my wife?¡± Christopher exhaled sharply in

    disbelief. ¡°You should learn to be meaner to men like that. Your polite manners clearly weren¡¯t doing

    much before I got here. Had I not arrived in time, would you have dated the man like your mother

    wanted?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± I reached out and pinched Christopher on his belly for asking the

    idiotic question.

    ¡°Aunt Eve, it¡¯s Thanksgiving, and you haven¡¯t shown your appreciation for me yet. I helped with a few

    words too just now.¡± Dn walked up to me with a Chesire Cat grin.

    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t forgotten what you did for me, Dn. That was really brave of you. Thank you.¡± I gave

    the boy a peck on the cheek before he ran off in embarrassment. Then, I looked around The

    Continental and wondered how Christopher managed to find me. ¡°How did you know where I was?¡±

    Unbeknownst to me was the fact that Christopher had already installed a tracking device in my phone

    and that Lucas told him about Isabelle¡¯s n to set up a blind date.

    ¡°I just happened to pass by. It was all by chance.¡± After diverting my question. Christopher took my

    hand and started walking out of the building. ¡°Your mother intended for you to have a date night, so I

    say we do exactly that. Let¡¯s go for a date.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? I mean, we see each other every single day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious. You know how dating works, right? First, we go shopping. Then, it¡¯s the movies.

    After that, we kiss and make love. I say we take the full package. I even got us a new water bed that I

    know you¡¯re going to love.¡± Christopher looked as excited as a kid on Christmas day when heid out

    his n for me.

    I found it hard to believe that the man did not n everything from the beginning.

    Chuckling, I wrapped my arms around the man and squeezed him as tightly as I could. Suddenly, I

    noticed a group of journalists just ahead of us. It was as if they were waiting for someone of great

    importance.

    Christopher and I were about to take a detour when I saw Isabelle and Crystal walking out of a building

    hand-in-hand. Immediately, the journalists rushed forward andpletely surrounded the two.

    ¡°Ms. Yates, your work has been critically-acimed. What inspired you to draw the ¡®Floral Bloom¡¯?

    Rumor said that Ms. Yvonne was absent at the exhibition because she wanted you to have the

    spotlight to have a chance at redemption. Is that true? And why is Mrs. Goldstein with you at the

    exhibition? Does that mean Ms. Yvonne and you are on good terms now?¡±

    I stopped to stare at Crystal, who could barely keep her eyes open with all the camera lights shing at

    her. First, she stole my hard work to redeem herself, and then she got me involved in her self-woven

    narrative to generate publicity. I wondered if there was no end to the woman¡¯s shamelessness.

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone now knows that Aunt Isabelle is Yvonne¡¯s mom. Although Yvonne isn¡¯t Uncle

    Nathan¡¯s daughter, I still grew up with her, and Yvonne had been nothing but kind to me. I feel sorry for

    the things I¡¯ve done in the past, and I¡¯m happy that Yvonne chose to forgive me. I could never have

    finished the painting if Yvonne didn¡¯t encourage me to do so. I¡¯m d that I have the opportunity to talk

    to all of you here.¡± Crystal held onto Isabelle¡¯s arm with a calm expression.

    ¡°Exactly. Crystal is a good kid, and those rumors about her were too exaggerated. People

    misunderstood her because they didn¡¯t know her well. I¡¯ve been spending time with Crystal ever since I

    came back, and I could tell that she¡¯s a kind-hearted young girl. It¡¯s just that everyone expects her to be

    perfect because she¡¯s like an idol figure to the public.¡±

    Isabelle continued saying with a smile, ¡°I believe it¡¯s more important for her to learn from her mistakes.

    It¡¯s unfair to dismiss her based on the rumors alone. I believe she will be a great artist in the future.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, do you mean that Ms. Goldstein has forgiven Ms. Yates for snatching her husband and

    her spot? Isn¡¯t that a stretch?¡± one of the journalists asked a provocative question.

    ¡°Not at all. Anyone who came in contact with Crystal would know that she¡¯s not a bad person. Besides,

    evidence can be falsified, and the truth can be fabricated too. Things are not always what they seem to

    be on the surface. Do you understand me?¡±

    Isabelle¡¯s expression darkened as she made it clear that she was defending Crystal.

    While I stood there listening to her praises for Crystal, the glint in my eyes dimmed bit by bit. Those

    things that she mentioned were all traumatic wounds that I never dared to bring up. But somehow, she

    made them sound irrelevant.

    That made me wonder if those painful experiences were even worth going through. I was never a

    vengeful person, but I was still human. Even if I chose not to take revenge, that wouldn¡¯t mean that I¡¯d

    somehow stop hating on Crystal. Moreover, I would never forgive her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird to see Isabelle¡¯s attitude toward Crystal? It doesn¡¯t seem like her to be this forgiving. At

    least, she wasn¡¯t that merciful when she was trying to bring down the Tanner family.¡± It was rare for

    Christopher to analyze the situation with a frown instead of offering me someforting words.

    ¡°So you noticed it too. There¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell you. I helped Yvette with something previously,

    and she told me about this. Back then, I thought she was trying to sow discord between Mom and me.

    However, reality proves that she was right. Mom really adores Crystal,¡± I said with a gloomy

    expression.

    ¡°So, Isabelle was the one who asked you to give the painting to Crystal.¡± Christopher frowned in

    confusion. ¡°Something is fishy.¡±

    I had never told Christopher about this, and I responded with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re surprised, aren¡¯t you? I find

    it hard to believe that she¡¯s treating Crystal this well. It feels like I can no longer understand my mom.¡±

    ¡°Something does not feel right. Could it be¡­¡± Christopher suddenly growled in a low voice. He turned

    around and looked at me. Upon seeing my gloomy expression, he swallowed his words and patted me

    on the head. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m reading too much into this situation. The chances of that are close to zero.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was puzzled.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Your mom treated you well during your childhood, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°She did. Those days made up my happiest memories.¡±

    With that, the crowd dispersed, and my mood to go out on a date was gone too. Mom¡¯s attitude this

    time was no different from Nathan defending Crystal back then. The only difference was that Nathan

    ndered me, but Mom didn¡¯t.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Both of them adored Crystal so much.

    But why Crystal?

    I had been asking myself this question countless times.

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639

    The Bentley was speeding ahead, and as it passed by me, a strong gust of wind followed behind. I

    coughed a little due to the dust that came with it. The Bentley made a turn before pulling over in front of

    me. The window was rolled down, revealing Isabelle¡¯s angry face.

    She was ring at me and Christopher¡¯s sped hands while her cheeks were flushed from anger.

    ¡°Did you not take my words to heart?¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± I was already upset with what happened earlier, and her scolding made me feel worse. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. I don¡¯t want to do this with you in public. Get in,¡± Isabelle pushed open the

    car door and instructed.

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear a word from you. Nothing you say can change the fact that your mother killed my

    brother. Christopher, please let go of my daughter¡¯s hand.¡± Isabelle¡¯s anger was so overwhelming that it

    felt like it could swallow me alive.

    I wanted to let go of his hand, but he tightened his grip on mine. ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, do you have to do

    this? Why are you forcing Eve to do as you wish? Can¡¯t you just let her be happy? She¡¯s your daughter,

    after all. Shouldn¡¯t her happinesse first?¡±

    Christopher was holding my hand, and his tone sounded determined.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ¡°Shut up. Are you implying that she has to marry you in order to be happy? What makes you think

    you¡¯re in the ce to say such a thing? Your mom is a murderer. Why would I let my daughter marry

    you?¡± Isabelle stepped out of the car after noticing that I wasn¡¯t getting in and attempted to shove me

    into the car. When I didn¡¯t want to, she tried to hit me but to no avail as Christopher immediately

    stopped her.

    Isabelle then shifted her attention to Christopher and hit him instead. However, he didn¡¯t resist and

    merely shielded me. When my head almost hit the car door, he reached out his hand to shield it.

    I shook my head at him, gesturing for him to keep silent since Mom was still mad. I knew how harsh her

    words could be, and I didn¡¯t want Christopher to be embarrassed. Hence, I got inside the car. Isabelle

    immediately shut the door behind me.

    ¡°Christopher, let me tell you this. I will never forget what Julia did to Robert. If you want to marry my

    daughter, then you better ask your mom to return Robert to me.¡± Isabelle stood by the car door as she

    red at Christopher. A cold aura surrounded her.

    ¡°Mrs. Goldstein, is there no ?¡± Christopher studied her expression. He had found out a lot of things

    about Isabelle, and she seemed different from the person he thought she was. It was as if she had

    been faking it all this while.

    The impatient and hot-tempered woman standing in front of him was the total opposite of how he

    thought she ought to be, and he wondered what she had in mind.

    Is she trying to make people think that she¡¯s a malicious woman?

    Before he coulde up with a conclusion, Christopher would never tell a thing to Yvonne. He had to

    be extra careful in dealing with this woman since she was Yvonne¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Other way?¡± Isabelleughed with a hand covering her mouth. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s one. Just bring your mom

    to Century Tower, and let me push her down from the highest floor. If you can ept this, I¡¯ll agree to

    let you marry my daughter. It¡¯s your call. I think you wouldn¡¯t mind me killing Julias since you¡¯re so

    desperate to marry my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± I interrupted their conversation as I could no longer bear to hear it. Then, I looked pleadingly at

    Christopher, begging him to stop talking. After all, there would be no winner in this situation.

    I used to think that Mom would move on with time, and things would take a better turn someday. But at

    that moment, I realized that I had been too naive. Mom would never give in, and she had never

    nned to do so.

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640

    I already knew that when I identally listened in on Mom and Dad¡¯s conversation that day. After

    seeing how resolute she was about the matter with Christopher, I realized that she would never

    compromise.

    I felt a little lost. Why was Mom acting so differently ever since she returned?

    Crystal seemed to be the only one who was benefitting from this. She got everything she wanted

    including a promising future ahead of her. Meanwhile, I was once again living in her shadows.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Upon returning to the Goldstein residence, Isabelle pulled me out of the car. She was

    trembling in anger as she grabbed my arm, and her nails were digging into my flesh.

    ¡°Mom, it hurts!¡± I quickened my footsteps to catch up with her.

    We arrived at the living room, and Isabelle suddenly pped me hard on the face. Instantly, my cheek

    went numb.

    I covered my cheek as I looked at Isabelle in disbelief. This was the first time she hit me this hard.

    However, she was still not done yet. Raising her hand, she pped me again across the other cheek.

    ¡°How many times have I told you to stay away from Christopher? He¡¯s the son of our enemy. Julia killed

    your Uncle Robert! You told me to give you more time to digest this, but you¡¯re seeing him in secret!

    Did you not understand a word I told you?¡± Isabelle yelled at me.

    I was still dumbfounded at the fact that my mother just pped me twice.

    ¡°Yvonne, what the hell do you want? Are you not devastated over your Uncle Robert¡¯s death? He¡¯s my

    elder brother, and he died because Julia pushed him down the building! Do you know how heartbroken

    I was to see his body? I gave you my advice and told you how I feel, but what did you do? Are you

    trying to drive me crazy?¡±

    Isabelle suddenly started coughing violently. She covered her mouth, but her coughing didn¡¯t stop, and

    she bent over as she did so, seeming like she was about to cough her lungs out.

    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Please don¡¯t get too angry¡­ You have to take care of yourself¡­¡± I hurried over

    to help her up.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Isabelle shoved me away. I staggered backward and hit the coffee table. As a result, the hot

    water the servant had just prepared spilled on my hand, and my face contorted in pain.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for feigning kindness. I¡¯m sure you wish that I never returned. If that were the

    case, you could¡¯ve been living happily with Julia¡¯s son already. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re

    thinking?¡± Isabelle used as she got hold of Crystal¡¯s hand instead.

    ¡°Mom, how could you think of me this way? How could you use me like that? I¡¯m your daughter. It

    breaks my heart to hear that.¡± I felt a chill running down my spine when I heard her usations. She

    was my mother, and I loved her so much that I only wanted to fix my rtionship with her and go back

    to how things used to be. Yet, in her heart, I was such a bad daughter.

    ¡°Breaks your heart? I think your heart breaks at the thought that you can¡¯t be with Christopher instead.¡±

    Isabelle sneered, not even noticing the blister on my hand. ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear today. You can

    never see Christopher again. Do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Mom, can you stop making things difficult for me? Please!¡± My eyes turned red as I shook my head.

    ¡°Tell me that you won¡¯t be seeing Christopher or anyone from the Lane family again.¡± Isabelle took a

    feather duster out of nowhere and whipped me with it.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She kept yelling with each whip, ¡°Tell me you won¡¯t see Christopher again and keep in contact with

    them. Tell me¡­¡±

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641

    I gritted my teeth and kept silent as she continued whipping me with the feather duster. She refused to

    stop even when she was exhausted, and all I could do was stand there helplessly with tears welled up

    in my eyes.

    Later on, someone walked over and took the feather duster away from Mom; it was Lucas. He shielded

    me and yelled at her, ¡°Aunt Isabelle, this is way out of line. Are you trying to kill her?¡±

    Isabelle threw the feather duster away. Noticing that I was still refusing to say a word, she sneered.

    ¡°Yvonne, that¡¯s all I have to say for today. If you still insist to be with Christopher, I¡¯ll disown you.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Isabelle, please don¡¯t get angry.¡± Crystal finally spoke up after watching silently from the

    sidelines. She walked to Isabelle and took her hand before smiling smugly at me. ¡°Yvonne, why don¡¯t

    you apologize to Aunt Isabelle already? Stop being so stubborn. You should know that Christopher is

    our enemy, and you shouldn¡¯t be choosing the enemy over your mother.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I¡¯m sure she never respected me as her mother. If she loves the Lane family

    so much, she can choose to be their daughter instead,¡± Isabelle said coldly.

    ¡°Aunt Isabelle, Yvonne just needs more time to process this. After all, the Lane family is so influential

    here in Avenport. Her status will skyrocket after she marries into their family. After all, Yvonne suffered

    so much in the past. It¡¯s only normal for her to be reluctant to let go of this golden opportunity. Just give

    her a few more days, and I¡¯m sure she would be able to think more rationally. Am I right, Yvonne?¡±

    Crystal winked at me, gesturing for me to just y along. However, her words were full of sarcasm and

    mockery. I could even see the smugness hidden in her eyes as though she found this amusing.

    ¡°Yvonne, you should know that you¡¯re now the eldest daughter of the Goldstein family. Men will be

    lining up for you. Why do you have to be so obsessed with Christopher? Anyway, why don¡¯t you

    consider Mr. Osborn instead? He¡¯s a capable guy, and I know there¡¯s a lot of women interested in him.

    Aunt Isabelle took a lot of effort to pick the right guy for you, so you should be more appreciative.¡±

    ¡°Crystal, I think you shouldn¡¯t be interfering with our family matters,¡± Lucas interrupted Crystal¡¯s words

    as he helped me up.

    ¡°I-I was trying to help!¡± Crystal pursed her lips with a pitiful look.

    ¡°Lucas! Who are you to interfere when I¡¯m lecturing my daughter? Is this how you treat a guest? Where

    are your manners?¡± Isabelle scolded in a low voice.

    ¡°Aunt Isabelle, isn¡¯t it obvious that I¡¯m more polite than Ms. Yates? At least, I¡¯m not as shameless as

    she is¡­¡±

    I tugged Lucas¡¯ arm lightly, gesturing for him to stop. At that moment, I felt pain all over my body,

    especially my back. However, the pain was overwhelmed by the numb feeling in my heart. What did I

    do to deserve this?

    If what I did was wrong, what is the right thing to do?

    ¡°Aunt Isabelle, I¡¯m sorry. I hope you don¡¯t mind me interfering. I just didn¡¯t want to see you and Yvonne

    fighting.¡± Crystal put on a piteous look.

    ¡°You did the right thing, Crystal. If only she¡¯s as understanding and considerate as you are. It would

    have saved me a lot of trouble.¡± Isabelle sighed as she took Crystal¡¯s hand. Her expression softened a

    little as she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll try to pick someone for you too. Just tell me if you have anyone in mind.¡±

    Almost immediately, Isabelle turned around and shot me a cold re. ¡°You should learn from Crystal.

    Also, you¡¯re grounded from now on. You can¡¯t leave the house until you¡¯ve thought things through.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ¡°Yvonne, just take this time to process what Aunt Isabelle said to you. I hope you won¡¯t make her angry

    again. Everything Aunt Isabelle did was for your good.¡± Crystal raised her chin smugly.

    Seeing them finishing each other¡¯s sentences, I felt like an outsider once again. My sorrow turned into

    anger in that instant, and I could no longer contain it.

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so fond of Crystal. I just want to ask you one thing. Do you prefer someone who listens to

    you and says words of ttery instead of your own daughter?¡±

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642

    ¡°Do you even hear yourself? Are you out of your mind?¡± Isabelle bellowed.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe I am. For some reason, Crystal always ends up using the people I love to hurt me.

    You¡¯re my mother, for Pete¡¯s sake, and even you treats me like this?¡± My mother used to sing lubies

    to me when I was a kid. She was a gentle soul, but that part of her seemed to be dead.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ¡°Christopher has gotten to you, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Isabelle raised her hand at me again, but Lucas stepped

    forward to protect me. However, I went around him. This time, I wouldn¡¯t back down anymore.

    ¡°That should be my line. Crystal has gotten to you. You fell for her cheap tricks. This is our problem, not

    hers. She¡¯s just an outsider. Do you have any idea how much it hurts seeing you take her side when

    she mocks me?¡±

    I pointed at the painting on the wall and shouted painfully, ¡°Mom, do you have any idea how much I

    wanted you toe with me to the exhibit? I wanted you to witness my world and my glory, but what

    did you do? You actually asked me to give my glory up to someone who¡¯s not even family! And without

    any reason! Do you know how much that hurts?¡±

    ¡°I told you I have my reasons.¡± Isabelle was fidgeting, but she was still looking at me coldly.

    ¡°Yeah, so? That doesn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t break my heart.¡± I closed my eyes to calm down and raised

    my head as I took a deep breath. In the end, I said, ¡°I think we need some time to cool off. We¡¯ll talk

    about this when we can deal with this calmly.¡±

    I moved out of the Goldstein residence that afternoon. Since I didn¡¯t want to worsen my rtionship

    with Isabelle, I went to the mansion she bought for me instead of my own house. Lucas helped me put

    my stuff in the trunk, while a servant gave me my handbag. Before I left, I looked at the mansion one

    last time.

    Isabelle wasn¡¯t there, but that b*tch was. Crystal was leaning against the gates, waving at me smugly.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit too far, don¡¯t you think? Isabelle is crushed. And even if you don¡¯t care about her, you

    should think for yourself. Once you leave, it won¡¯t be easy for you toe back.¡±

    Did I go too far? Perhaps. But I ignored her mockery and only sneered at her.

    After I came to the mansion, I turned my phone on and saw a lot of missed calls from Christopher. I

    wondered if I should call him back. In the end, however, I only told him everything was fine. Then, I put

    my phone down and went to the bed, exhausted.

    A whileter, I could vaguely feel someone pulling my nket down before rubbing some salve on my

    back¡¯s wound carefully. It felt scorching at first, but eventually, a cool sensation ran down my spine. I

    wanted to turn around, but someone was pressing down on my back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯m still not done yet,¡± Christopher whispered.

    ¡°How did you know I¡¯m here?¡± Iy on the bed and let Christopher rub the salve on all my injuries. My

    arms, back, and even my legs were painted with red, ugly welts. Although it wasn¡¯t very painful when I

    was hit, when Christopher was rubbing that salve, I almost cried out in agony.

    ¡°Lucas told me.¡± Christopher looked tense, obviously worried about me, but also furious about what

    happened.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you guys are frien¡­ Ow, ow, ow! Go softer, will you?¡± Christopher hit an especially sore

    spot, and that turned on the waterworks.

    ¡°Oh, now you feel it, huh? Then you should have dodged it in the first ce.¡± After he was done,

    Christopher held me up and hugged me carefully, avoiding my wounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s not really painful. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Before I could continue further, I noticed the dark look looming over

    Christopher¡¯s face. I thought it was better to change the topic, or he might explode in fury. ¡°I just didn¡¯t

    expect Mom to go that far. I¡¯ve never seen her looking so angry, so I thought I¡¯d just let her vent. Chris,

    I think I need to see Julia. I have to know the truth, or I might lose sleep over this.¡±

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643

    The name Robert had always been alien to me. I didn¡¯t have any memory of him, and barely anyone

    brought him up when I was a kid. After Isabelle¡¯s departure, nobody talked about him anymore. The

    only thing I know about my mysterious uncle was that he used to be a business genius.

    However, one thing didn¡¯t add up. Isabelle said that Robert¡¯s business failed and was acquired back

    when the Scotts were at their zenith. If that was true, that would mean that he was no business genius.

    After all, If he was, he wouldn¡¯t have run thepany to the ground, nor would hemit suicide. I

    reckoned that something more must be going on.

    Before we head over to the Lane residence, Christopher called his family behind my back, thinking that

    I wouldn¡¯t know. I found out since I was on the balcony. I knew he was trying to make the rtionship

    work, and he was worried I might argue with Julia again. He kept convincing Julia it was fine, and I felt

    sorry for him.

    He was a proud, sessful man, but he had to deal with all this bullsh*t because of me.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Sometimes, I thought I¡¯ve failed him. He gave me what I wanted most: love and career. But I couldn¡¯t

    even give him a simple love. Instead, he had to deal with all the troubles my mother and his mother

    were throwing around just so our rtionship wouldn¡¯t be ruined. If he didn¡¯t do that, he wouldn¡¯t be

    able to fulfill his promise of giving me a grand wedding.

    I didn¡¯t really mind though. I could do with or without the wedding since I already had the best things in

    life. The ceremony could be canceled and I couldn¡¯t care less. Although someone might gossip or

    I used to dream of standing at the receptionist, receiving all the congrattions from the guests, but

    over time, I thought that was a silly dream. Now, all I wanted was Christopher. As long as he was there,

    I was okay with anything.

    Nheless, I still couldn¡¯t go against my mother¡¯s wishes.

    It was a sleepless night, so I turned around to look at him. He lost his arrogance when he was asleep,

    and it was reced with a childlike smile. He was hugging me tightly, as if he was worried I might

    disappear if he let me go.

    I huddled closer and pecked his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll keep walking this path no matter how hard it is, Chris, so don¡¯t

    worry. Not even death can stop us, so there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.

    Being in a rtionship was an understatement for the bond we shared. This wasn¡¯t a rom in the

    eighties, nor was it a summer romance flick. We went through life and death, so we were a part of each

    other¡¯s lives. Taking us apart would be akin to killing us.

    I felt a cool sensation running down my spine when I woke up the next morning. Apparently,

    Christopher had rubbed some salve on me. I went around the living room to see if he was there, but he

    was already gone. In the end, I went to get some gifts, though it took me some time to pick the best

    one. When I came back, Christopher¡¯s car was already in front of my house, so I went up to it. There

    were a few gift boxes in the backseat, so I knew Christopher went for a spot of shopping earlier as well.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take me with you?¡± I shook my gift. ¡°We could have gone together, but now we¡¯ve

    spent unnecessary money.¡±

    ¡°You looked like you could use some sleep, so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± Christopher leaned over and gave

    me a deep good morning kiss.

    When we got to the Lane residence, we saw a caring out of it. As we crossed, I saw who the driver

    was. She looked cold, and she was holding a cigarette between her fingers. Her dress was bright red, a

    perfect pair for her palpable fury.

    I jumped up, banged my head against the roof, and plopped back down. Agitated, I tried to yank the

    door a few times only to find that it was locked.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Christopher stepped on the brakes and stopped the car beside a flowerbed.

    I quickly opened the door and got out so I could catch up to the car I saw earlier, but it was already long

    gone. Despondent, I turned around and grabbed Christopher¡¯s arms. ¡°I saw Isabelle. She was in the

    car.¡±

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644

    ¡°You¡¯re saying your mother was in that car?¡± Christopher¡¯s face fell, and he started worrying.

    I held his hand anxiously and nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure of it. The car¡¯s different, but I saw her, and she¡¯s

    clearly furious. She just came out of the Lane residence. What should we do?¡± If Isabelle raised hell in

    there, I can¡¯t bring myself to face them.

    ¡°Calm down. Let¡¯s go in and have a look. Maybe it¡¯s not as serious as you think.¡± He patted my back

    and took me into the mansion. I hesitated for a while before going in since I¡¯ll be d*mned if I did and

    doomed if I didn¡¯t.

    The servant was clearing the table when we came in. There were snacks and an untouched teacup on

    it. I noticed it contained red tea, which Isabelle loved. Julia seemed to know Isabelle really well. She

    knew all her preferences since I realized that the snacks were Isabelle¡¯s favorite too.

    ¡°You¡¯re here. Coincidentally, I don¡¯t have any poker sessions today. I¡¯ll call Darius over so we can have

    lunch together.¡± Julia was smiling warmly as if nothing had happened.

    Seeing that only worried me even more, since Julia would only smile calmly when she was hiding her

    true feelings. If she was genuinely happy, she¡¯d be beaming.

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, I¡­¡± I wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Did you have guests, Mom?¡± Christopher went up and sat beside her. He looked at her closely, trying

    to say something, but he didn¡¯t. He trusted that his mother would bring it up.

    As expected, she was smart enough to see through us. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°You two are

    nervous because you saw Isabelle, right?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Lane, did my mother do anything?¡± There¡¯s no way she¡¯s here for a party. It¡¯s either about Robert

    or my rtionship with Christopher, and she must have been really harsh, or Julia wouldn¡¯t put on that

    perfectly fake smile.

    ¡°Just some old history. We had a little chat, but it ended on a sour note,¡± Julia answered calmly, but she

    evaded my question. ¡°Come to think of it, we used to be friends. Best friends, even. We kept no secrets

    from each other. I was older, but we got along well.¡±

    Julia picked the cup up and took a sip. ¡°I introduced this tea to her, and she fell in love with it, so I

    taught her how to make it.¡±

    Julia seemed to love that time in her life. Every time she talked about it, she would have this look of

    reminiscence and mncholy in her eyes. Obviously, it didn¡¯t just end on a sour note, but since she

    didn¡¯t want to talk it, I didn¡¯t pry about it.

    However, I was shocked that Isabelle used to be best friends with Julia. That made me wonder what

    happened to turn them into enemies. ¡°You must know my mom really well then, Mrs. Lane.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like how she knows me. I know what she likes to eat, her hobbies, and what she hates. The

    same goes for her. We would still be best friends if it weren¡¯t for¡­¡±

    Julia came up to me and gaze at me. ¡°You don¡¯t look like your mother at all.¡± She brushed her finger on

    my eyebrows. ¡°Not even your personalities are alike. You must have gotten it from your father, or I

    would have recognized you the moment we met.¡±

    Sensing that Julia had officially veered off the rails, I talked about art with her. Eventually, she said,

    ¡°You¡¯re a talented artist, just like your uncle was. He loved business and made the Scotts rich as he

    expanded his empire, but he was also extremely talented in painting. He once created a piece of work

    that was touted as the painting with the most potential.¡±

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645

    I was surprised. ¡°Robert was a painter too?¡± Nobody told me about that. Not even Isabelle.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Julia¡¯s eyes glinted with nostalgia. ¡°I first met him back in our university¡¯s art exhibition. Avenport

    University is not short of talents, but even those who call themselves genius artists couldn¡¯t create a

    better painting than Robert did. He was talking happily about how he got his inspiration when I first saw

    him, and I could never forget his smile after that.¡±

    I widened my eyes in disbelief at that. She couldn¡¯t forget his smile? Is this what I think it is?

    ¡°Yes, it is what you think it is.¡± Julia saw through me, and she didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Love at first sight is a

    magical thing. One look at your uncle, and I fell for him right away. He was a brilliant, brilliant man.

    More than you can imagine. Robert shone like a star, and all the girls loved him. I don¡¯t think any man

    can be as talented as he was.¡±

    So, is this the trigger? My instinct told me that Isabelle med Robert¡¯s death on Julia because of this.

    ¡°Mom, I know it¡¯s a painful past, but we need to know the truth right now,¡± Christopher said softly. ¡°Can

    you tell us what happened back then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Lane. Christopher and I have decided we¡¯ll never break up no matter what, but Isabelle is

    trying to get between us. I need to know what happened. That¡¯s the only way to get rid of her hatred.

    Can you tell us, please?¡± I asked somberly.

    Personally, I thought that Julia was a noble, proud, and smart woman. She would never murder

    anyone, for that was her pride. Even if she got into an argument with Robert, she would never push him

    off of a building just to get back at him.

    Some people were born proud, so they would never do anything they feel disgusted about.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a taboo, really. I appreciate the fact you two gave me some time before bringing this up.¡± Julia

    waved at me. When I went over to her, she tugged at me, telling me to sit beside her. She sighed. ¡°I fell

    in love with Robert at first sight, so naturally, I started paying attention to him. Eventually, I got to know

    your mother.

    ¡°We became friends when we found out we got along well, though a part of it was because I could get

    closer to Robert. The other girls never got that chance, you know. Your mother¡¯s a prouddy, so it¡¯s

    hard being her friend. I was happy that she epted me, or at least that was what I thought back then.¡±

    ¡°So, did you date my uncle then? And did you guys get into a fight after that?¡± I imagined a typical

    romance drama that involved a happy rtionship and the eventual breakup. Not everyone¡¯s first love

    would work out, after all. Most of the time, the impulses of youth would ruin a budding rtionship.

    Julia shook her head. She was starting to tear up. It was obvious that the memory was getting painful.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a typical romance drama. I wish it were that simple. Robert seemed like a friendly man, but in

    reality, nobody could actually make him open up, aside from Prisci, his wife.¡±

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    ¡°My uncle had a wife?¡± I thought Robert never got married.

    ¡°Yes. He loved Prisci deeply and cared nothing for any other woman. I tried my best to tell him I

    loved him, but he never cared about me. In the end, I made a public confession during a party and set

    him up so that everyone thought we had sex. Yes, I was forcing him to marry me. Everyone was there,

    including his and my parents.¡±

    I never expected that Julia would be crazy enough to do something like that. Perhaps women would put

    their pride aside when it came to love, no matter how powerful, rich, or smart they were. I mean,

    Monica used to do the same thing.

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646

    ¡°Robert must have been furious, right?¡± I whispered.

    Julia wiped her tears away, and it was then I realized she was crying. I regretted bringing this up, but

    that confirmed that she wasn¡¯t Robert¡¯s murderer.

    Robert must have been one heck of a man, or Grandma and Julia wouldn¡¯tment his death whenever

    they talked about him.

    Julia continued, ¡°Robert refused me, but because of some reason, he didn¡¯t end up with Prisci. I kept

    clinging onto him, and that finally made him snap. He¡­ said a lot of things to me. None of them are

    good, of course. Me being me, I couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d rather date a in Jane like Prisci

    when he had me. As such, I went further and drove Prisci out of Avenport.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°Robert came to see me after that. He was furious. Absolutely furious.

    He said I was unworthy of love. That I was an evil woman who could never measure up to Prisci no

    matter what I did. We stop talking to each other after that. Your mother and I couldn¡¯t be friends

    because of that as well.¡±

    Huh, so that¡¯s how things ended between them. I thought it was quite regrettable, but what surprised

    me more was the fact that Julia actually interacted a lot with my family.

    ¡°So how did Robert die then? You weren¡¯t the murderer, right?¡± Now, I wanted to know the truth more.

    A woman would never kill a man she truly loved. Even if she hated him, even if they could never be a

    couple, she would never kill him. After all, hate was a part of love.

    Julia suddenly covered her face and started trembling, evidently crying.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Christopher hugged her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Lane. You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have asked her if I

    knew she would break down. I should have picked a better time to talk about it.

    Julia turned around and sobbed in her son¡¯s arms for a while. Finally, she took a deep breath and

    calmed down. A momentter, she took my hand and ced it in Christopher¡¯s palm.

    ¡°I can¡¯t drag you kids into this. And it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t talk about it either.¡± Julia started, ¡°A few years

    later, Robert married Prisci, and the Andersons rose to prominence. Eventually, I married Chris¡¯

    father, and we got on with our lives. Everything went well, and I thought that was the end of it. I thought

    we¡¯d never meet again, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± I asked nervously.

    ¡°But the Andersons¡¯ business was hit hard, as if someone was attacking them on purpose, and they

    had the perfect n for it. The Andersons¡¯ business empire almost crumbled with one hit. During an

    inspection, the officials found that the Andersons¡¯ hotels containedrge amounts of drugs, and they

    also found that the Andersons were dealing drugs in their clubhouses and hotels. That was the nail in

    the coffin for them. They lost their business, and they had to deal with a lot of court cases. They were

    on the verge of bankruptcy after that.

    She continued, ¡°Your uncle managed to stabilize the family, but it was backbreaking work. Since the

    company was already an empty shell, they couldn¡¯t run it anymore. Well, he was a business genius, so

    he could rise again if he wanted to, but something serious happened. And that tore him apart.¡±

    Julia was quiet for a while, apparently reluctant to talk about what happened next. Christopher and I

    held her hand as we waited for her quietly. None of us wanted to rush her.

    ¡°Prisci was pregnant at that time, but after the Andersons¡¯ downfall, she wanted to get a divorce no

    matter what. She said she only married him because he was rich. Robert was hit hard by the news, and

    he tried to keep Prisci around, but she didn¡¯t even turn back. Just when she was about to leave, her

    car exploded, blowing her and their child into nothingness.¡±

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 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647

    ¡°What?¡± I yelped. Prisci wanted to leave him at his darkest hour, and she got herself and the baby

    killed? God, Robert must have been devastated.

    ¡°Someone rigged the car. It was meant for Robert, but Prisci was roped into it instead. His guilt

    crushed him. He loved Prisci deeply, so he didn¡¯t hate her even though she betrayed him. He only

    med himself for it. I was worried when I found out, so I sneaked out to check on him.¡±

    Julia raised her head to keep her tears in. Then, she pointed at somewhere far away. ¡°It happened at

    the roof of Century Tower. It used to be the Andersons¡¯ building. I saw him on the roof, harried and

    tired. He was crushed and on the verge of breaking down. I wanted to talk to him, but Robert cursed

    me. He even thought I yed a part in Prisci¡¯s death.

    ¡°I snapped eventually, so I yelled back at him. I talked about things I shouldn¡¯t, and Iughed at him

    because Prisci left him instead of facing the darkest hours of his life with him. I kept provoking him,

    saying that he lost everything, including his family. I even said that he has no reason to live anymore.¡±

    She covered her face, but tears fell through the cracks between her fingers. ¡°He was an idiot. I could

    have given everything up for him, but he chose someone who only loved him for his money.¡±

    I was in no position to judge a person who was dead, but Julia had a point. I couldn¡¯t even make an

    argument for Robert. It was a tragic, heartbreaking, and uneptable story. Sadness welled up within

    me, and I looked at Christopher. He held my hand, giving me a look of encouragement.

    ¡°I wanted to show my concern since I used to have a crush on him, but instead, I insulted him. I

    couldn¡¯t take back what I said, so I escaped the scene. The very next day, I found out Robert had

    leaped off the building and died just like that.¡±

    Julia wiped her tears away, but the more she wiped, the more she cried. In the end, she looked up at

    the ceiling and let her tears fall freely. ¡°I regretted that decision even until today. If I didn¡¯t sneak out and

    insult him, he wouldn¡¯t have killed himself. I knew full well that he was breaking down, but still, I insulted

    him out of petty anger.

    ¡°Your mother¡¯s right. I killed Robert. Although I didn¡¯t push him, I was the cause of his death after what I

    said to him.¡±

    I see. So that¡¯s the truth. Robert killed himself, but Julia¡¯s insult was thest straw. That¡¯s why she

    never denied Isabelle¡¯s usations.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that it wasn¡¯t Julia¡¯s fault, but that only made it more tragic.

    When I left the Lane residence, it was with a heavier heart than when I came. ¡°Chris, I¡¯m confused.

    Why must life throw so many lemons at us? Is it that hard to ask for a simple life? It¡¯ll make everyone

    happier that way.¡±

    I leaned against his chest, trying to rest my weary soul. He gave me a tight hug and told me, ¡°Well, it¡¯s

    all the more reasons we have to cherish the time we have. Because you never know when life will

    change lemons out for guns.¡±

    I stayed at the mansion for the next couple of days, but I still couldn¡¯t shake my frustration away. I

    would scroll through my phone when I felt like it, and I would open the door as fast as possible when

    someone knocked. Every time, however, I would close the door in disappointment, since it was just the

    milkman.

    Will Mome to take me back? I sighed. I knew it was weird wanting to act spoiled after having a big

    argument, but that always happened with a mother and her child. Yes, I was hurt, but still, I hoped

    Isabelle would pick me up after she regretted chasing me out.

    One weekter, Isabelle finally called me, and I almost cried tears of joy. However, after hearing what

    she said, the tears that fell were tears of despair.

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 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648

    ¡°How much longer are you going to keep this up? It¡¯s been days, so get back here! What, do you want

    me to go and pick you up? Stop being so childish. It was just a light beating, and you ran away

    because of that? What¡¯s next? Are you going to cut all ties with me?¡± Isabelle sounded impatient and

    upset as if I was the one being unreasonable here, not her.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I couldn¡¯t believe I expected more from her. All my excitement died at that moment, and I mocked, ¡°I

    can see you¡¯re missing me, Mom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t want to talk about useless stuff like that. Get back here once you¡¯re done

    throwing your tantrum. Your father has beenining ever since you ran away. You are toe

    back this afternoon. I want to see you at lunchtime,¡± Isabelle ordered imperiously, not giving me any

    chance to negotiate.

    Useless stuff? Throwing a tantrum? I would have dismissed that usually, buting from Isabelle, it

    hurt me deeply. Nheless, I forced a smile. ¡°Mom, is that all you have to say?¡± I asked softly.

    ¡°What else do you want me to say?¡± Isabelle was confused. She kept quiet for a while before

    answering, ¡°Are you expecting me to apologize? That was just a light punishment for a mistake you did,

    and you want me to say sorry for that? How much of a baby can you be? Can¡¯t you learn from Crystal?

    She thanks me every time I give her something, and she cares about me, unlike you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want me to learn from her? Well, what do you want me to learn then? Do you want me to

    learn how to butter up to the rich and powerful? How to mock and belittle those who are down on their

    luck? Mom, Crystal¡¯s going to dump you the moment you lose power. Why do you even care about

    her? I just don¡¯t understand.¡±

    I pulled at my hair, sadness and frustration welling up within me. I just couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.

    I felt confused every time I got into a conflict with Isabelle, especially when Crystal was around. What

    went wrong, exactly?

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk like that about Crystal. You two grew up together. You should treat her like she¡¯s your

    sister. Now that she¡¯s down on her luck, you should give her a hand!¡± Isabelle growled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to

    argue with you. Pack your stuff ande back. Your father¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I roared, venting my fury and frustration. ¡°Why should I go home? Just to see you love

    Crystal more than you love me? Just to get insulted by the both of you? Mom, it¡¯s either her or me!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m very disappointed in you, Yvonne. If you still think of me as your

    mother, you¡¯d bettere home, or I¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll disown me? Well, it¡¯s not the first time I heard that!¡± I interrupted her. Yes, I was sad and nervous

    the first time she said that, since it felt like I was hurt by the person I cared the most about. But the

    more she said that, the less panicked I was. Eventually, I was annoyed. Isabelle was my mother, but

    she ckmailed me emotionally with that tie every chance she could.

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you as well, Mom. You know nothing. Nothing at all. You never saw things from my

    point of view. Do you even love me? Sometimes I wonder about that. You don¡¯t care about my

    existence either. I exist just so you can tell everyone I¡¯m the proof of your rtionship.¡±

    I was shouting, sobbing, and covering my mouth, but still, I couldn¡¯t stop crying. That kind of thought

    had been creeping up on me recently. To my horror, I found that Isabelle¡¯s love for me wasn¡¯t as deep

    as I thought it was. She didn¡¯t remember my favorite food, the color of my shirt, the drawing I made for

    her when I was a kid, and she even remembered my birthday wrongly.

    My mother didn¡¯t love me, especially when Crystal was there.

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649

    Isabelle was quiet for a long time, but she eventually answered sadly, ¡°Of course, I love you, my child.

    But you¡¯re too soft. You break down from the slightestment. I¡¯m your mother. I¡¯m doing this for your

    own good.¡±

    ¡°Hah! What a joke!¡± I shook my head tearfully. ¡°If you really love me, you wouldn¡¯t have left me to rot in

    the Tanner family. If you really love me, you wouldn¡¯t have taken Crystal back to the Goldstein family! If

    you love me, you wouldn¡¯t have forced me to do the things I don¡¯t like time and again. If you love me,

    you wouldn¡¯t have let Crystal mock me like I¡¯m trash!¡±

    Neither Isabelle nor I could stay calm when it came to Robert¡¯s death. We could never take a step

    back, nor could we evere up with apromise. Julia didn¡¯t kill him, but she was definitely rted

    to his death. Yes, every irrational decision made by Isabelle would make it harder for me to deal with

    the case, but I wouldn¡¯t get angry at her.

    I was only mad at her because she tolerated Crystal. Crystal could mock me all she wanted, and

    Isabelle wouldn¡¯t even do a thing. Instead, she would praise Crystal for calling me trash. Isabelle was

    my mother. She should be protecting me from any harm, but instead, she was enabling the abuse.

    Even until this point, she didn¡¯t realize her unbridled tolerance toward Crystal had hurt me on more

    levels than one.

    ¡°I think you really need to calm down. Juste back for lunch, and we¡¯ll talk about it once we handle

    your father.¡± Isabelle was quiet for a moment again. ¡°All right, that¡¯s it. I still have something else to do.¡±

    What does she mean by ¡®handle¡¯ Dad? I was annoyed by how she phrased that, and her hanging up on

    me only frustrated me more. I wanted to vent, but I had no outlet to do that.

    At some point, it became impossible tomunicate with Isabelle. There was a great gap between us

    that was difficult to bridge. I had to lie back on the sofa and stare at the ceiling for a long, long time to

    get rid of my depression.

    Sabrina came to invite me to a shopping session. She wanted to get her child some new clothes, and

    she wanted me to get used to taking care of a baby. I would have been delighted to do that any other

    time, but I just couldn¡¯t get myself motivated to go with her. As we chatted, I would space out and miss

    what she was talking about from time to time.

    ¡°What happened to you? You¡¯ve been spacing out a lot. Did something happen? Did you get into a fight

    with Christopher?¡± Sabrina put the clothes down and poked my head.

    ¡°I wish. That¡¯d be a lot simpler than what I¡¯m dealing with.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Besides, he won¡¯t argue

    with me. Even if I want to, he¡¯d settle matters fast enough that I can¡¯t even get mad at him.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m guessing the evil queen wants to break you two lovebirds up again?¡± She blinked. Sabrina

    wanted to joke, but she kept her mouth shut when she realized I wasn¡¯t looking too happy. A whileter,

    she whispered, ¡°Judging from your looks, it¡¯s more serious than you first thought, isn¡¯t it? I thought your

    mother¡¯s a kind, gentle, and reasonable woman. So why is she so hard on you when ites to

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    Is she really hard on me? I didn¡¯t really care though. The only thing I minded was that she took

    Crystal¡¯s side when I was bullied. I thought she should be protecting me.

    ¡°That¡¯s part of the problem, but it¡¯s not the whole picture.¡± I massaged my temples to soothe my

    headache. In the end, I dragged Sabrina to a coffee shop and got a ss of warm milk, but it didn¡¯t

    help one bit. I asked the waiter to get me some lollipops, and finally, it soothed me a bit.

    ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t just sigh by yourself. Tell me!¡±

    Sabrina picked her kid up and put the kid on her shoulder. Since she looked exhausted, I offered to

    help her out. ¡°Here, let me hold you. Aren¡¯t you adorable?¡±

    The child cooed happily, and I smiled for the first time in ages. ¡°Sabby, do you think Crystal¡¯s going to

    be my nightmare for life? She¡¯s like the bane of my existence.¡±

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650

    ¡°What does she have to do in your case with the Lane family?¡± Sabrina was confused.

    I smacked my forehead and sighed. ¡°You went on a vacation with Zachary back when Remington held

    his art exhibition, so you didn¡¯t know about it. My art¡¯s credit was stolen. It sold for an exorbitant price,

    and even art lovers overseas knew about it. You even congratted me, but my name wasn¡¯t on that

    painting. Crystal¡¯s was.

    I told Sabrina briefly about Isabelle¡¯s demands, including why she was nice to Crystal. Sabrina didn¡¯t

    think it was serious at first, but she was shocked when I told her my own mother wanted me to give the

    painting to Crystal. When she heard that Isabelle wanted me to marry Tobey, she almost went on a

    rampage.

    ¡°Yvonne, did you get dumber after your mother came back? You aren¡¯t even that smart in the first

    ce, and now you¡¯ve gotten worse. Just say no, woman. I know you don¡¯t want to make things tense,

    but that¡¯s how it is with rtionships. You haven¡¯t seen her in years, so I know you want to get along

    with her, but giving in to her every demand is not going to work.¡±

    I covered my face and sighed again. ¡°What should I do then?¡±

    ¡°Simple. Tell her what your boundaries are, why you¡¯re upset, and what you want her to do. It¡¯s

    important. If you give in, she¡¯ll just think you don¡¯t mind her controlling you. You need to be frank.¡±

    Sabrina shrugged.

    ¡°Sabby, it¡¯s a lot worse than you think it is. Just because I want tomunicate, it doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯d

    listen.¡± I used to think Sabrina¡¯s advice was great, but it was useless when it came to Isabelle. Of

    course, I would like to talk to Mom, but she refused to listen. If she refused to listen, then there was no

    use.

    Sabrina, for once, was confused. ¡°But that¡¯s how families work. Ifmunication fails, then are you

    even a family?¡± She scratched her head.

    I looked at her solemnly. She made an offhand remark, but that gave me inspiration. There was this

    feeling welling up in me, and a crack slowly opened up in my rigid soul.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m just kidding. Maybe it¡¯s just how youmunicate. Just get a chance to

    talk with her.¡± Sabrina stuck her tongue out, but when I still wouldn¡¯t talk, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad. I

    was just talking nonsense.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± I shook my head, crestfallen.

    Sabrina leaned on the table and yed with her child using a teacup. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert in this.

    Rtionship¡¯s my forte, so you shouldn¡¯t take any advice from me. I mean, every parent loves their

    child, right? I¡¯m a mother, so I think I¡¯m qualified to say that.¡±

    When I was about to answer, something on the TV caught my attention, and both of us turned to see

    what was going on. It was an interview show, and Crystal was the guest for that episode. She was

    dressed up beautifully, and her smile gleamed like a star.

    ¡°Ms. Yates, your painting has garnered a lot of international attention. It is recognized by both the public

    and Mr. Sawyer himself. Your fans are also proud of you, so are you sure you want to donate all the

    proceeds you earn from this to a charity organization?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve made up my mind since the beginning. I don¡¯t think most of us have ever been to an

    orphanage, but let me tell you something. The orphans deserve every ounce of our sympathy. I lost my

    father, but luckily, I have a loving mother who takes great care of me. I can sympathize with them, and

    they need our love. That¡¯s why I want to provide for them as much as I can. I always pray for their

    happiness.¡±

    Sabrina mmed the table. ¡°That b*tch!¡± she cursed coldly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what shame is!¡±

    I narrowed my eyes, and a deriding smile curled my lips. I guess some people just take everything for

    granted. Including stealing someone else¡¯s hard work. Then, the next scene came in, showing Isabelle

    in a morous dress as well. Even though Sabrina blocked my view, I still saw Isabelle standing

    together with Crystal the moment she showed up.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651

    ¡°Stop trying to block my view. I¡¯ve already seen it,¡± I told Sabrina with a wave of a hand.

    ¡°Maybe Aunt Isabelle has a reason being there with Crystal, like some important investment regarding

    her. Didn¡¯t you also mention that Crystal had someone supporting her? I think there¡¯s more to it than we

    think. Yup! That must be it. Haha.¡±

    Although Sabrina tried her best to convince me, she gave the same reasons I used to persuade myself

    before. Therefore, the more I heard about it, the more I thought it was unbelievable. I tried many ways

    to convince myself back then, but now, I can no longer believe in those lies.

    I let out a soft chuckle and pointed at the television. ¡°You saw it for yourself. My mom has time to

    participate in Crystal¡¯s television show, but she can¡¯t even make time for me. Isn¡¯t that hrious?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Sabrina had run out of words tofort me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to find an excuse for her, for I¡¯ve done the same thing many times. However, I can no

    longer be convinced by it.¡± Staring straight at the television, I saw that Isabelle was wearing a beige

    fishtail dress embedded with diamonds. Under the lighting, she seemed elegant with her ssy make-

    up and high ponytail. When standing hand-in-hand with Crystal, the two of them were stunning. The

    coffee that sat in my mouth had long gone cold, tasting horrible. cing the cup down, I continued to

    torture myself by watching the show. When the waitress went and switched the channel, I waved at her

    and handed her a tip. ¡°Go on and change the channel back, and the money here is yours.¡±

    Immediately, the waitress rushed off to change the channel, and the duo appeared back on the screen.

    Even until the show ended and the advertisement started rolling, I did not avert my gaze away from the

    television.

    ¡°How about we go out and take a walk? It¡¯s been a long time since you saw my kid, too.¡± Observing my

    darkened expression, Sabrina tried to lighten the mood.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go out and get some beer instead.¡± I took hold of her hand and pulled her to the door.

    ¡°What? Beer? But-¡± Before Sabrina could finish her sentence, I was already dragging her to a bar near

    the corner of the street. It was empty as it was still in the afternoon. Walking over to the bar counter, I

    ordered a cocktail and gulped it down. Then, I immediately called for another three sses.

    Sabrina was taken aback by how fast I was drinking. Tugging on my sleeves, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t chug it

    down! You¡¯ll get drunk easily.¡±

    ¡°Stop worrying about me and just let me be.¡± Initially, I wanted Sabrina to apany me drinking.

    However, I changed my mind after seeing the child in her arms. Pushing her out of the bar, I said, ¡°It¡¯s

    not appropriate for a child to be here. Go on and bring Freddie out of here. I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡±

    While letting out a burp, I pushed Sabrina out of the bar and downed beer after beer. At that moment, I

    only wanted to get drunk and cry to my heart¡¯s content. Perhaps when I wake up afterward, I won¡¯t feel

    that miserable. I always thought that those I care about would reciprocate my feelings. However, I

    finally understood that I was only making a fool of myself for concerning myself about her. Although I

    understood that not every pay gets a return, she¡¯s my mom, not some random person on the street!

    ¡°Hello, gorgeous! It seems that you have something on your mind. Would you like to talk about it?¡±

    After gulping down a few pints of beer, I felt that the whole world was spinning. Suddenly, someone

    walked over and ced a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Who are you? Anyway, what does my matter have to do with you? Get lost,¡± I yelled. Although the

    man in front of me was blurry, I could tell that he was just some wealthy yboy or thugs wanting to

    have some fun in the pub.

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    ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t be so closed-off. I¡¯m here to save you. If youe with me, I promise to give you the

    time of your life and make you forget all about your worries.¡± The man ced a ss of beer before

    me, gesturing for me toe with him.

    Just when I wanted to pick up the ss, he suddenly ced his hands on my waist. My expression

    darkened, and perhaps it was true that alcohol made one braver, I snatched the beer bottle before

    smashing it onto his head.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652

    A hysterical scream sounded, and someone rushed over, aiming to p me. Suddenly, a strong arm

    wrapped around my waist. When I looked up and saw Christopher¡¯s furious face, I nestled in between

    his arms and sobbed, ¡°Chris, I feel terrible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I got you.¡± Christopher sat me down on the chair and said, ¡°Wait for me here. I need to deal

    with some things first and will be right over. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. Immediately, Christopher turned around and gave the thugs a beating, knocking them

    to the ground. When a few bouncers approached him, he muttered something that caused them to

    apologize repeatedly and leave. The bartender even sent a cocktail over to my table for free.

    Seeing that I was about to reach for the cocktail, Christopher immediately snatched it from me and

    gulped it down. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and asked softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. All right?¡±

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    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to.¡± It was my first time rejecting him so straightforwardly. ¡°Chris, I want to continue

    drinking. Stay and drink with me, won¡¯t you?¡± I asked while pointing at the ss.

    ¡°Getting drunk is a terrible thing. Trust me when I say that you¡¯ll regret it tomorrow morning,¡± he

    advised helplessly while kissing my forehead.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll only worry about it tomorrow. For now, I just want to be happy.¡± Iughed and ced

    Christopher¡¯s hand to where my heart was. ¡°Chris, it aches here, and only alcohol can make it better.

    So drink with me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± After seeing how heartbroken I was, he epted my request and agreed to

    drink with me. While drinking, we talked about nonsense, and he would second anything I said. Even

    when I insisted that it was morning, he would not refute me. In reality, my phone showed that it was

    currently five o¡¯clock in the evening.

    ¡°Chris, am I destined to be alone? Besides you, no one is willing to treat me well. Am I really that

    horrible? Everyone hates me,¡± I mumbled while holding the ss.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Isn¡¯t Sabrina one of your long-time friends? Zachary, too, admires you for your

    straightforwardness,¡± Christopher replied while chugging down my entire ss of beer. I realized that I

    had not been drinking much since he came, and most of my beer had been downed by him.

    ¡°Stop drinking my beer! I¡¯m warning you.¡± I burped and asked the bartender for another ss. ¡°Anyway,

    this is different. Compared to Crystal, my own family treated me so much worse than the treatment they

    gave her. Is an eloquent speaker more important than someone rted to you? I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Christopher pulled me into his arms and assured me, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t get it. I only want you to

    know one thing, in my heart, you¡¯re more important than anyone else, even myself.¡±

    ¡°Chris¡­¡± Finally, I could no longer hold it back and started sobbing. The sorrow hidden deep in my

    heart was unexinable, causing me to want to cry my heart out, get drunk, and have a good night¡¯s

    sleep. Perhaps, if I do that, everything would be different tomorrow?

    ¡°Stop crying.¡± Christopher patted my back soothingly, which only caused me to cry even harder. He

    tried to help me out of the pub a whileter, but I refused and whined for more beer.

    At that, he cupped my face andforted me gently, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Should we go and watch the meteor

    shower? I heard there will be a rare one tonight. There¡¯s a saying that if you wish under the meteor

    showers, your wish wille true. Would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°Is it really true that my wish will be granted if I wish under the stars?¡± I asked puzzledly before

    stumbling into his arms.

    ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I want to wish that-¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Christopher silenced me. ¡°You can¡¯t say your wish out loud because it won¡¯te true that

    way!¡±

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653

    Eventually, night fell, and the moon shone brightly as stars dotted the sky, making it seem like there

    were glittering snowkes being reflected in theke a distance away. When the night wind blew, the

    lake rippled, creating different images of the moon reflected off it. The entire atmosphere was filled with

    romantess.

    I ced my head on Christopher¡¯s chest while holding a beer bottle. Of course, it was not for me but for

    him. I had already gotten a headache from the alcohol, and after getting pinned to the tree for a kiss, I

    gave him the beer bottle obediently. If I refused, he would continue kissing me till I faint.

    The feeling of getting drunk had gotten me high. Although I knew that I would get a pounding headache

    the following day, it did not matter as long as I was happy right then. Even if the sky copsed right

    now, I would no longer care.

    ¡°Chris, do you think we¡¯re the couple everyone¡¯s jealous about in our previous life? Hmm¡­ Maybe I

    was a daughter of the king and was super popr!¡± Iughed lowly while nuzzling into his neck.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be that I¡¯m the king, and you¡¯re the daughter of a minister? Isn¡¯t that more

    appropriate?¡± After seeing my hands fumbling over the hem of his shirt, Christopher grabbed my hands

    and ced them on his cheek.

    Rolling my eyes, I poked his shoulder and exined, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Look at you. You¡¯re the

    spitting image of a tall, handsome, rich guy every woman is pining for! As for me, I¡¯m just a loser. Since

    my life is such a mess, it must mean that my previous life was nothing less than perfect. Therefore, I¡¯m

    definitely a daughter of an elite family that everyone raves about.¡±

    Christopher burst out inughter at my words. After he finishedughing, he continued earnestly, ¡°If

    that¡¯s the case, I must be a warrior that betrayed the entire country in my previous life. Plus, I must

    have some sort of grudge with you. Thus, I came here to repay my debt from myst life to you.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°That makes sense. I like what you¡¯re proposing.¡± I nodded and tilted my head, pressing a kiss to his

    cheek. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re my ve right now. Since you¡¯re indebted to me, does it mean that I have the

    right to order you around?¡±

    ¡°Please instruct me, Master.¡± Christopher caressed my cheek lightly, his eyes filled with gentleness.

    I tugged him into my arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Make love to me till I cry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Immediately, he picked me up and ran to his car. The way he ran made me feel like he

    was running a marathon. He then ced me at the car¡¯s back seat and climbed into it after me, closing

    the door and rolling up the partition screen.

    I leaned on the back seat and stared at the man in front of me. He always seemed to have a sly-looking

    smile on his face, but he had a different expression that day because of my tease. With a smile, I

    positioned myself on top of him. If one can choose to be naturally conjoined with another, I would dly

    be with Christopher. That way, we will never be separated and will do everything together. It¡¯ll be even

    better if he could put me inside his pocket.

    A couple of new calluses formed on Christopher¡¯s palm and thumb. That made me wonder what he

    had been doing secretly for his hand to be so rough. When his hands glossed over my chest, I felt

    goosebumps on my skin.

    I could not help but let out a moan, and my fingers traced his face. Smiling, I said, ¡°Did you take up a

    mining job to provide for me now that your family¡¯s business is in a slump? Is that why you have so

    many calluses?¡±

    ¡°Even if I took up a mining job, I¡¯ll be the best in it so that I could definitely provide for you.¡± Christopher

    nted a kiss on the lid of my eye. Then, he inteced our fingers. At that moment, there was nothing

    else that made me more satisfied than the fact that both our hearts and bodies were linked as one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to provide for me. Why can¡¯t I be the one to support you instead?¡± I sat up and

    mounted his waist, wrapping my arms around his neck.

    ¡°You want to support me?¡± He lifted an eyebrow and had a huge grin on his face. However, his smile

    was rather odd-looking.

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654

    ¡°Why? Are you looking down on me? Do you think I can¡¯t provide for you, or that I can¡¯t do so? I¡¯m a

    new school artist, you know. My artwork sells like hotcakes. Since you underestimate me, I¡¯m going to

    punish you.¡±

    ¡°How so? Please don¡¯t be too harsh on me, for I¡¯m delicate. Be gentle, okay?¡± Christophery on the

    seat and would sometimes let out low grunts. His hands that supported my waist would run down my

    thighs from time to time.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re so delicate, I promise to go easy on you. However, before I punish you, I need to cover

    your eyes. Are you okay with that?¡± I chuckled and realized that my principles were out of the window

    when the alcohol entered my system. I even started to think of ways to tease him.

    ¡°Cover my eyes?¡± Christopher blinked. Suddenly, he thought of something, and an evil grin appeared

    on his face. ¡°Sure.¡±

    At that, I climbed over and started to kiss him before reaching for his necktie at the front seat.

    Unexpectedly, Christopher nestled his head into my chest, causing me to let out a gasp. Although I

    managed to grab the necktie, he had me pinned down before I could even touch his face.

    In the end, the person being blindfolded turned out to be me instead. Blind to everything, I could only

    rely on my other senses. I could hear his grunts and how affectionate he was when he kissed me.

    Just when I was about to reach my climax, Christopher suddenly took off my blindfold and kissed me

    deeply. It was as if he wanted to swallow me whole. It wasn¡¯t until I was gasping for air and felt like

    fainting that he released me.

    After that, we snuggled into each other¡¯s arms silently, basking in the moment that belonged only to us.

    Even though we spent most of our time together, the recent happenings made sure that we weren¡¯t

    able to have a quiet moment to ourselves.

    Suddenly, the sky turned brighter, and a shooting star could be seen shing through, immediately

    outshining the other stars. After that, more and more shooting stars shot through, filling the entire night

    sky with its brightness. It was a sight to behold and definitely the most beautiful scenery I had ever

    seen in my life.

    ¡°It really is shooting stars! We should make a wish quickly.¡± I nudged Christopher before making a wish

    in my heart.

    What I wished for was simple and not anything ambitious or grand. All I ever wanted was to have a

    harmonious family that cherished me and that we could live together happily.

    Mom, it¡¯ll be great if we can change our circumstances after I make this wish. I do wish that you could

    love me just like how you did during my childhood.

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    When I opened my eyes, I saw that Christopher had just finished making a wish too. I felt curious and

    asked, ¡°Chris, can you tell me what you wished for?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know?¡± He pinched my cheek lightly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple. I hope that the stars could give

    me the strength to love and be loved so that I can support you for life.¡±

    After hearing how in it was, I was sure it was fake and kicked him lightly. ¡°Are you trying to fool me?

    Jokes on you, though, because I¡¯m not falling for it.¡± Before I could retract my leg, Christopher grabbed

    onto it and started tickling the soles of my feet. I immediatelyughed and tried to stop him. ¡°It tickles.

    Let go of me.¡±

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m never letting go.¡± He pulled me over to him. With a push, he was once again inside of me.

    At that, I tilted my head, and a moan slipped through my mouth. I immediately covered my mouth and

    shot daggers at him. ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t it over? Why are you still going for another round?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m satisfied with just one round? Besides¡­¡± he bit down at my toes and said, ¡°My

    beloved Master, you haven¡¯t cried yet.¡±

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655

    That night, I did not talk for quite a long time after returning home. It was not that I did not want to, it

    was just that my voice was hoarse after using it for too much. Lying on the bed, I punched at the

    pillow. Do I have a death wish or something? Why did I provoke Christopher when I knew how great his

    stamina is?

    The more I thought about it, the angrier I felt, and I flung a pillow toward the door. To my surprise,

    Christopher just happened toe inside. Catching the pillow, he grinned and said, ¡°Master, are you

    not satisfied with my performance just now? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t mind going for another round.¡±

    D*mn it! Just when I wanted to retort, my throat started throbbing. ¡°What a jerk.¡± After mustering my

    energy to get the few words out, I burrowed into the nket and even covered my head. Although I

    tried to pretend that I did not hear anything, I could not help but peek through the slit in the nket.

    Urgh, it should be against thew for the man to be so irresistible. Christopher only had a towel

    hanging by his waist, covering his most important body part. As a result, I could get a full view of his

    long, and lean legs. He was leaning against the door frame on purpose, and water droplets dripped

    down from his hair to his cheeks.

    As the water ran in rivulets down his broad chest, eight-pack abs, and Apollo¡¯s belt, he looked like a

    living aphrodisiac. Although I wanted to avert my gaze before he caught me, I found it hard to do so

    and continued admiring his body. Well, he is my husband! It makes me proud looking at him.

    ¡°Are you done sizing me up?¡± Before I could regain my senses, Christopher was already in front of me

    as he lifted the nket off of me.

    After wiping the nosebleed off my nose, I shook my head and answered, ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll switch on all the lights for you to admire me clearly.¡± It was evident that he was satisfied

    with my response. After switching on all the lights in the room, he walked over. When hey down

    beside me, I could not move my gaze away from the towel that hung loosely on his waist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep. I¡¯m tired.¡± I poked his body and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool around.¡±

    ¡°No can do! I¡¯m scared someone would snatch you away from me when I¡¯m away for a few days,¡±

    Christopher replied.

    ¡°Where are you going for a few days?¡± I sat up and asked, surprised.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I have somepany matters to settle at Bellridge, and it¡¯s quite tricky. Mom was initially in charge of

    it, but since she¡¯s stepping down from everything regarding thepany, I can only go there and

    handle it personally. Do you perhaps want toe with me?¡± Christopher asked while hugging me

    tightly.

    Although I was reluctant to let him leave, there was no way I could follow him wherever he went. After

    all, women are not supposed to be a nuisance to their husbands when they do something important.

    Besides, Christopher would worry about my safety if I went. Thus, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can

    wait for you at home.¡± I then warned, ¡°That being said, don¡¯t you dare hug someone else when you¡¯re

    in a social event, even if it¡¯s just for show. Otherwise, I¡¯m cutting ties with you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christopher pretended not to understand and asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s what you think it is.¡± I scoffed. ¡°No sex for three months. Let¡¯s see if you dare to y around.¡±

    Nevertheless, there was no way I would dare to deprive him of sex for that long. Previously, when it

    was just for a month, I almost copsed when we finally slept together. The only memories I had of that

    time was only of us on the bed and nothing else.

    The following day, I sent Christopher off at the airport. Watching him leave, I felt a sense of sorrow. It

    was apparent how much he was worried about me, for he could not stop nagging me to call him if

    something happened and to spend some time at Sabrina¡¯s ce if I was bored. If it wasn¡¯t for me

    pushing him to the gate, he would have beente for his ne.

    ¡°Eve, promise me that you¡¯ll never let yourself get hurt. Understand?¡± Christopher yelled at me while

    standing at the gate.

    I gave him a soft smile and nodded at him. Then, I ced the lollipop he bought for me in the palm of

    my hand and gestured a number three. The gesture represented the love we had for each other, and

    how persistent we were when it came to the rtionship we shared.

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656

    The ne heading to Bellridge flew over Christopher as he waited on thewn. After a while, he

    thought it was about time and walked out from another exit. As soon as he reached the door, an

    assistant came over immediately and helped him with his luggage while a car stopped beside

    Christopher.

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    The car window rolled down and Lucas¡¯ face peered out. ¡°Get in; I have arranged everything!¡± said

    Lucas.

    Christopher opened the door and got into the car. After looking at the message that Yvonne sent him

    just now, he turned off his phone and changed the SIM card before turning it back on. ¡°How are the

    preparations?¡±

    ¡°Everything is ready. Lucas¡¯ ck market trade will be held in Kenfort this time. Many bigwigs are in

    contact with him. Luckily, I participated once before, so I¡¯m confident I can bring you inside.¡±

    Lucas looked solemn. ¡°Is the information reliable? What¡¯s the quality of the source?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I don¡¯t care about your safety, I still care about my own.¡± Lucas shrugged and

    continued, ¡°Look, I chose to go with you because I want you to trust me. Mark has some ns

    regarding this mayoral election. He was the one who pledged to support Darius¡¯ opponent.¡±

    ¡°You are saying the Frank family is supported by Mark?¡± Christopher was a little surprised when he

    heard that. The Franks have always had a good reputation within the political circle. The Kents used

    Monica¡¯s family to try to get themselves elected in thest election, but they failed and remained silent

    since. This year, the Franks came out of nowhere and Darius is not prepared for them at all.

    ¡°You may not believe me, but Uncle Mark doesn¡¯t just take things one step at a time. He has plotted

    this since a long time ago. He has long harbored huge ambition and wants to be the top guy in

    Avenport. Your family wouldn¡¯t have taken control of the city for so many years if he hadn¡¯t gotten hurt

    in an internal power struggle and was forced to recover abroad in Anndur,¡± Lucas said confidently.

    Christopher frowned; he couldn¡¯t refute Lucas¡¯ words. There was no way for them to know what would

    have happened then. In Lucas¡¯ eyes, Mark was an obstacle that he could never ovee. Moreover,

    Mark was also Yvonne¡¯s father.

    ¡°So, you are telling me that even if I don¡¯t want to target Mark because of Yvonne, I still have to

    consider if Mark wants to deal with the Lane family? Am I right?¡± Christopher smiled as he rested his

    chin on his hand.

    Lucas frowned when he noticed the underlying meaning in Christopher¡¯s words. ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to

    you? Christopher, It won¡¯t end well if we can¡¯t even trust each other while we work together. Uncle Mark

    is not as easy as he seems. Do you remember having almost lost your life in Yorknd? If Yvonne

    hadn¡¯t revealed her identity by ident and caused Garfield to stop because he didn¡¯t want to hurt her,

    or if Lyle didn¡¯t risk his life to help you two, both of you would have lost your lives. You wouldn¡¯t be here

    to mull over Aunt Isabelle.¡±

    Lucas became a little anxious. It hasn¡¯t been easy bringing Christopher to our side. My reasons were a

    little far-fetched then but Christopher agreed. Looking at him now; is he going back on his word? Is this

    because Mark agreed for him and Yvonne to be together?

    ¡°If you are hesitating to act because Mark is supportive of you and Yvonne, I would suggest that you

    investigate the Frank family. We can talk about the Kenfort matter after the investigation. I know I won¡¯t

    survive if you really set me up.¡±

    ¡°What you said seems to make sense,¡± Christopher said nonchntly as he rolled down the window.

    He seemed to be uninterested in the matter. His gaze deepened when he saw the sweat on Lucas¡¯

    forehead.

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657

    ¡°Of course it makes sense. Christopher, we have known each other for a while now. Please tell me if

    you have anything on your mind. Stop being so mysterious; you are making me anxious.¡± Lucas could

    not help but wipe his sweat away.

    ¡°You are anxious?¡± Christopher blinked and chuckled softly.

    ¡°Maybe if you let go of that gun on your hand, I will talk to you nicely.¡± Lucas focused his attention on

    Christopher¡¯s waist after he noticed Christopher¡¯s hand resting on a gun that had been concealed by

    his clothes.

    ¡°Looking at you now. Could it be that you are not on guard against me?¡± Realizing that Lucas had

    noticed him, Christopher stopped hiding his gun. He took out his gun and pointed it at Lucas. ¡°Don¡¯t

    move!¡±

    Lucas¡¯ expression changed and he didn¡¯t dare to move. He tried his best to calm down and said, ¡°What

    are you doing? Are you betraying your ally or have you been bewitched by Mark?¡±

    Christopher was surprised. ¡°Are you really not on guard against me at all? You don¡¯t have guards in the

    car and you haven¡¯t even armed yourself with a gun?¡±

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Lucas¡¯ heart raced as he thought Christopher didn¡¯t look like his normal self. He is normally loyal and

    honest but now he is just as scary as Mark. Lucas grew frightened as he looked at a smiling

    Christopher, so he pulled over by the roadside.

    ¡°I just trust Yvonne¡¯s judgment. She is a truthful woman. A man who falls in love with her must be

    trustworthy so I¡¯m confident you won¡¯t shoot me. Christopher, if you have any demands, we can

    discuss them together. It would be bad if the gun went off identally.¡±

    ¡°You are wrong. I¡¯m only nice to Yvonne, not everyone. Goodbye, my friend.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t seem

    to want to talk further so he pulled the trigger.

    Lucas¡¯ mind went nk. Thest thing he heard was the sound of a gunshot¡­

    After turning off the phone for one night, I opened it to find numerous messages and missed calls.

    Browsing through the call logs, I noticed one of them was from Sabrina and the rest of them were all

    from Mom. It was five in the afternoon and I was still drinking in the bar with Sabrina.

    Mom must have been mad because I didn¡¯t go back. Feeling a bit mncholic, I did not even bother to

    read the messages. They can¡¯t be anything nice, anyway. Christopher has just cheered me up; I¡¯ll be

    upset again if I read the messages.

    Before I could turn off the phone, Mom called again. I hesitated to pick up the call and just let it rang.

    Suddenly, someone walking by knocked into me and caused me to press the ¡°receive¡± button.

    ¡°Yvonne, are you trying to pretend nothing happened by noting home and evading my calls? Are

    you trying to make me mad?¡±

    My eardrums almost ruptured when I heard Mom yelling at me from the other end. I frowned as I didn¡¯t

    know what to say. Lately, Mom seems to keep harping on our rtionship. She would also speak with a

    threatening tone. There are clearly better ways ofmunicating but she chose to say the same words

    over and over again. I¡¯m so sick of her for calling me a horrible daughter. Nathan used to scold me a

    lot, too, and she obviously knows I don¡¯t like being yelled at in that manner. Why can¡¯t she consider my

    feelings?

    ¡°Why are you not talking? Have you gone mute? Get back home now! Are you abandoning this home

    because of Christopher?¡±

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658

    ¡°I had something to handlest night, so I¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want toe back. Stoping up with excuses. Mark is very angry. Yvonne,

    you listen well: you will resolve this matter properly. Do you hear me?¡± Mom roared from the other end

    of the line.

    If I¡¯m standing in front of her now, not only would she yell at me but she might even hit me. The words

    that I told her yesterday¡ªdid they have any effect at all? She just doesn¡¯t care; that¡¯s why she is acting

    like this now. I can¡¯t take this! I have said everything I wanted to say, yet nothing has changed. Mom, is

    it so hard for you to love me a little more? Can you not make me sad because of the people around

    you?

    I didn¡¯t manage to speak out the words in my mind.

    ¡°I will find Dad and exin to him myself. Mom, you ask me to calm down but I think you should calm

    down, too. We both need some time to cool off, so we should stop meeting for the time being. It hurts

    our bond if you threaten our rtionship every time we talk, so don¡¯t talk like that again, okay?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Mark was furiousst night. He didn¡¯t even finish his meal at home. He even instructed people to

    take away all my authority at Goldstein Corporation. After you see Mark, ask him to restore all that he

    has stripped away and ask him to make me the Goldstein Corporation representative in Kenfort. Do

    you understand?¡± Isabelle said inly.

    ¡°Got it. The Kenfort representative. I will ask Dad about it.¡± I lowered my gaze. So, she is mad because

    her interests are affected. Does she always ce her own interests above me?

    ¡°Good that you know that! You are at the mansion, right? I will get someone to bring some tasty lunch

    over to you. You will take them to Mark¡¯s office and settle the matter.¡±

    Before Mom could hang up, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you have anything else to say to me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Isabelle was a bit stunned.

    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I will call youter after I head to the office.¡± I am already used to the disappointment. I

    would rather things stay the same and not ask any further questions. Nothing is going to change

    anyway.

    ¡°There is no need to call me. I will go and meet you downstairs from the office.¡±

    Mom had a lot of secrets and she kept them close to her heart. Those secrets seemed to burden her.

    They made her unapproachable and unable to trust the people around her.

    ¡°Mom, maybe you should try trusting me a little. I¡¯m your daughter, after all. No matter what happens, I

    will be there to share your burden. Even if there are no benefits for me, I will still help you. After all, you

    are my family.¡±

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I rarely got emotional in front of her. After saying that, I quickly hung up the phone as my heart

    raced. Seems like I still want to go back to the way things were with Mom.

    The trip to Goldstein Corporation to see Dad was rtively smooth. Mark had always pampered me. As

    soon as I mentioned the matter about Mom, he agreed.

    My phone rang. I looked down and saw it was a message from Mom. Tonight at Moonlight Cafe. Help

    me deal with Tobey.

    Looking at the message, I shook my head and smiled. She¡¯s tried to word it nicely; I shouldn¡¯t turn her

    down.

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659

    ¡°Look at your reluctance. Who just sent you a message?¡± Mark asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Sabby wants me to follow along as she visits a few daycare centers. You know, boring

    stuff.¡± I didn¡¯t mention Mom to Mark because I would get upset if they fought again.

    ¡°What about the kid from the Lane family? Where is he?¡± asked Mark suddenly.

    ¡°He is busy with work so I didn¡¯t ask him toe along with me.¡± I remembered what Christopher said

    before he left. He asked me to tell no one about him leaving, not even my own family.

    I didn¡¯t really understand the reason but I would never turn down Christopher¡¯s request. He has a

    special identity. He must be tasked on some special mission again. It¡¯s best if I didn¡¯t expose his

    whereabouts.

    ¡°When Julia was young, she was very capable in doing business and had great achievements even in

    a male-dominated environment. After getting support from Gordon, everyone came to suck up to her.

    Today¡¯s Lane Corporation is the result of Julia¡¯s superb management. If you are half the woman Julia

    was, I wouldn¡¯t be so worried about Goldstein Corporation.¡± Mark sighed.

    ¡°Dad, do you mean you want me to take over Goldstein Corporation? I¡¯m not fit to lead apany,¡± I

    said as I shook my head. I had never thought about the matter and I didn¡¯t dare to do so, either.

    ¡°You are my daughter. Who else am I going to hand the business to? I¡¯m just worried you are too kind

    and will get tricked easily,¡± Mark said.

    ¡°You are being ridiculous. What about Lucas? He may not be healthy but he is very smart. He is way

    more capable than I.¡± I instantly regretted my words after I said them. There was some conflict between

    Lucas and Mark which I knew little about. As such, there was no way Mark would hand over the

    company to Lucas.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Even if Dad really handed thepany to Lucas, I don¡¯t think he would dare to ept it.

    As expected, Mark frowned in displeasure at my words. He said solemnly, ¡°Yvonne, we have to keep

    the power in our own hands instead of giving it away to outsiders. You want everyone to get along, but

    not everyone wants the same thing as you. They will take everything from you and leave you with

    nothing. Do you understand?¡±

    It was not like I had no experience regarding these things. The Tanner family had their own circle of

    associates in Avenport, too. Dad is right, but Lucas and I have been close since young, and I don¡¯t

    think Lucas is that kind of person.

    ¡°I think Lucas is a good person. We have known each other for a long time. He won¡¯t do anything

    malicious to me.¡± I trusted Lucas.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mark suddenly mmed on the table and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t say those words ever again!

    Christopher and Lucas have always eyed the shares in my hands. They just haven¡¯t shown you that

    facet of theirs. You weren¡¯t in the Goldstein family then, so there was no conflict of interest between

    you and Lucas. But now, you have to be on guard. Do you understand?¡±

    I widened my eyes in bewilderment as I was surprised by his anger. This was the first time he lost his

    temper with me.

    I heard that there was previously a lot of infighting within the Goldstein family and that Dad had gotten

    his position from his uncles. He used to have a lot of cousins, but now only Lucas and a few others

    were left. The internal struggle for power must have been quite bad. It¡¯s understandable that Dad didn¡¯t

    trust anyone around him.

    ¡°I understand what you mean, Dad. I will be more careful from now on.¡± I might never be like Dad

    because I always firmly believed that some people valued family, friends, and love over their own self-

    interest.

    Mark sighed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper with you, but this is for your own good. The ones who

    stab you in the back are always the people you trusted the most. So, never trust anyone easily.¡±

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660

    It was six in the evening. I had just finished my coffee and eaten two slices of cake. Feeling bored, I

    asked the waiter to bring me some ice cream from the outside.

    I¡¯ve tried my best to be on time but Tobey iste. Is he intimidated by my wordsst time? No, I mean,

    did Christopher¡¯s domineering presence scare him?

    After ying around with my phone to entertain myself, I decided I would go home if he didn¡¯t show up

    in thirty minutes. I have done my part and attended the meeting. Whether he chooses to show up is

    none of my business.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I heard someone say. ¡°I¡¯m just getting¡­ Ahem,¡± I said without thinking.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I almost said what I was thinking out loud before realizing it was Tobey¡¯s voice. I cleared my throat to

    cover my embarrassment, put down my phone, and said, ¡°Mr. Osborn, a gentleman shouldn¡¯t bete

    for dates. I¡¯m angry that you have made me wait for thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? I thought you would be happy instead since we can keep our interaction to a minimum.

    Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Tobey smiled, seemingly unaffected by the incidentst time. He sat down across

    from me and asked the waiter to take my coffee away and bring me a cup of warm milk.

    ¡°Girls should drink more milk and less coffee. It¡¯s better for your health.¡±

    ¡°You do seem like an honest man. If we didn¡¯t have conflicts of interest and if you could stop

    mentioning self-interest every time you open your mouth, I might actually consider being friends with

    you.¡±

    To be honest, I quite liked Tobey¡¯s honesty; he was not one to y dirty behind the scenes. However, I

    just could not stand how he viewed his rtionships. If I have to choose between love and self-interest,

    I would not hesitate to choose the former. I¡¯m just that simple.

    ¡°Just friends?¡± Tobey took a sip of his coffee and continued, ¡°When you agreed to meet with me, I

    thought you have decided to agree to our rtionship. Looks like I am overthinking it.¡±

    ¡°I rarely change my decision once I have decided. Apart from my family, I would neverpromise with

    anyone, especially on matters regarding Christopher. I firmly believe that as long as I keep persevering,

    I will find an opportunity to change things for the better,¡± I said confidently.

    ¡°All right, then. I wish you sess in your pursuits.¡± Tobey raised his cup of coffee as he said that. ¡°You

    are a straightforward person. If I didn¡¯t have someone in mind, I might even fall in love with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness you have someone in mind! Otherwise, there would be trouble.¡± I treated his words

    as a joke and poked my tongue out cheekily.

    I knew a little about the Osborn family but not because I wanted to know about them. After Christopher

    found out Mom had introduced a man to me, he investigated Tobey thoroughly. He even found out

    about how much wealth the Osborns possessed.

    After hepleted his investigation, Christopher presented me with the information and analyzed it

    with me. Hepared his own height, body measurements, rtionship history, loyalty, wealth, and

    even performance in bed with Tobey¡¯s.

    He tried his best to convince me that he was ten times better than Tobey and asked me to not consider

    Tobey.

    ¡°I¡¯m that bad?¡± Tobey sounded a little hurt.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you; I simply met someone better. So, no matter howpatible you are with

    me, you cannotpete with Christopher in my eyes. Do you get it? I¡¯m sure you feel the same. I will

    never be better than thedy you have in your mind¡ªthat is, if you are serious about her.¡±

    ¡°All right, I admit you are making a lot of sense. I cannot deny any of your words. Looks like I will have

    to miss out on something during this trip to Avenport. What a shame.¡±

    ¡°If you are talking about business, I can introduce you to Lane Corporation for coborative

    opportunities. I can¡¯t get involved when ites to Goldstein Corporation, but if you have the

    capability¡­¡±

    I was about to talk to Tobey about doing business together before sending him on his way when

    suddenly a woman wearing a white dress ran in and grabbed my leg. ¡°Please! Don¡¯t separate us,

    please! Tobey and I are in love with each other!¡±

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661

    I swore I had never met something this strange in my entire life. First, the weirddy rushed in, hugged

    my leg, and started sobbing with her long hair covering her face. She kneeled before me and kept on

    repeating the same sentence. Had it not happened in broad daylight, I would have thought that I

    bumped into a ghost.

    Next, Tobey, who was seated opposite me, became a totally different man. He immediately rushed over

    to help thedy up as he said frantically, ¡°Flora, why are you here? Stop kneeling and get up now. My

    heart aches for you when I see you kneel.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not getting up!¡± When Flora Dawson lifted her head, her hair parted and her tear-streaked

    petite face was revealed. She looked at me bitterly and remarked, ¡°Ms. Goldstein, I understand that

    there¡¯s an arranged marriage between you and Tobey. However, I can¡¯t live without Tobey. Could you

    please spare him from the marriage? I¡¯ll die without him.¡±

    ¡°Flora, stop begging her. I¡¯ll figure out a way to resolve this. Haven¡¯t I told you I¡¯ll settle everything and

    will definitely make you my most beautiful bride? Stop crying. If you are to continue crying, I¡¯ll feel like a

    criminal,¡±forted Tobey as he grabbed Flora¡¯s hands. With that, the two hugged each other right in

    front of me, with one kneeling and the other in a semi squatting position.

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    I felt like I was a viin, too. I was a sinner who separated two lovebirds.

    ¡°I mean, the two of you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ms. Goldstein, a prettydy like you certainly doesn¡¯tck anything. There should be plenty of men

    wanting to date you. I understand it might be offensive for me to say this. After all, Tobey is such a

    capable man. Which woman wouldn¡¯t fall in love with him after meeting him? I can understand if you

    have fallen in love with Tobey, but he and I belong together and we have promised that we will never

    leave each other.¡±

    Thedy looked pitifully beautiful as she cried. She was all teary and fragile, and her crying was so

    much more pleasing to the eyes than Crystal¡¯s. However, the words that came out of her mouth had

    rendered me speechless. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something here: there¡¯s nothing between Mr.

    Osborn and me. We¡¯re meeting up just to talk business; that¡¯s all.¡±

    Aren¡¯t you going a bit overboard in boasting about your guy? I gave him a good lecture a few days

    back. Must you say those words? I then shifted my gaze to Tobey. Nheless, he did not take note of

    my odd expression. Instead, he only had eyes on Flora, who was still kneeling on the floor. Tobey then

    pulled her up and hugged her in his arms.

    ¡°Ms. Goldstein, stop denying it. I know you must be crazily in love with Tobey. That¡¯s why you did all

    you could to get near him. However, I really cannot let you have Tobey. He is the most important

    person to me and I can¡¯t bear to lose him. A fish that¡¯s out of water has no choice but to die. Ms.

    Goldstein, could you please return Tobey to me? There¡¯s no way anyone could intervene in our

    rtionship.¡±

    Flora then walked toward me. Just as she was about to kneel once again, I immediately got up and

    took two steps back. Thisdy must be delusional. I¡¯ve told her that there¡¯s nothing between Tobey and

    me. How can she just ignore what I¡¯ve said? Shocked, I wiped the sweat that had formed on my

    forehead.

    ¡°Wow, look at thatdy. She is dressed so gracefully and elegantly. I thought she¡¯s a celebrity. Who

    knew she¡¯s actually a mistress?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s so awful of her to separate a couple just because she¡¯s wealthy. I really want to beat her

    up, if I could. So what if she¡¯s rich?¡±

    ¡°Never judge a book by its cover. These days, even prettydies be mistresses. They are just so

    shameless. If I was the poordy, I would have sshed some hot water on that b*tch to ruin her looks.

    Let¡¯s see how she could remain a mistress after that.¡±

    The crowd surrounding us suddenly broke out into a discussion. I felt so embarrassed listening to their

    comments. The only thing I wanted to do then was to dig a hole and bury myself in it. I could not

    believe I was being treated like a mistress. Nheless, I was still delighted when they said I was

    pretty.

    Seeing that thedy was about to go crazy once more, I quickly ran to the door of the cafe and shouted

    at Tobey, ¡°Mr. Osborn, something came up and I need to make a move first. Please remember to

    assure andfort your girlfriend before putting up such a show. Also, I really don¡¯t like you; please

    rify this with her.¡±

    Next Chapter

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662

    When the gunshot sounded, Lucas¡¯ mind went nk and he could not think further. He even closed his

    eyes and waited for death in despair. In fact, he had no time to despair because he did not expect that

    Christopher would fire a shot at that point in time.

    Click! It was the sound of the spring within the gun hitting the air: no shots were fired. Surprised, Lucas

    lifted his head and met Christopher¡¯s mischievous gaze. Fuming, he shouted, ¡°What the hell? What are

    you thinking! Are you making a fool of me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you. I was just joking.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes as he casually dismantled

    the gun.

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    ¡°To hell with you!¡± Lucas copsed onto the chair and started panting heavily. His forehead was

    breaking out in a cold sweat and he was drenched in sweat. After all, when faced with death, no one

    could ept it so naturally. One would definitely be terrified, and Lucas was no exception.

    Christopher soon finished dismantling his gun. He gently turned the cylinder and took out the three

    remaining bullets. Lucas¡¯ eyes widened at that. So the gun has bullets in it!

    ¡°Christopher, what were you trying to do? Had you made a mistake just now, I would have died!¡± With

    that, Lucas raised his hand and gave Christopher a punch on the chin. However, Christopher managed

    to block the attack with his backhand. Once he was done reloading the gun, Christopher immediately

    aimed it at Lucas again.

    ¡°What I did just now was only a test. I guarantee that if I am to pull the trigger this time, you can bid the

    world goodbye. Although you¡¯ve been weak since young, I believe that you still wouldn¡¯t want to die at

    a young age. What do you say?¡± Christopher shed a sinister smile that made him look no different

    from a devil.

    Lucas¡¯ face went pale by a few more shades. The moment he felt that Christopher was serious, he

    gulped to calm himself down and asked, ¡°What are you trying to do? Let me know what you are

    nning. If you¡¯re testing me, you¡¯ve done it just now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want to know everything.¡± Christopher straightened his body and continued, ¡°You should

    know that I hate being set up, especially if someone set me up using Yvonne. You¡¯ve struck my raw

    nerve. Therefore, do you think I should open up a hole in your body to warn you about what you can

    use in your schemes and what you can¡¯t touch?¡±

    Lucas had calmed himself down by now. He stared at Christopher for a long while before bursting out

    intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re indeed Christopher Lane. When I was deciding whether to go ahead with this

    n, I was worried about whether I could actually set you up. I only took this step after noting your

    concern for Yvonne. But I¡¯ve never imagined that you would find out about it. What do you want to

    know? I¡¯ll definitely answer all your burning questions.¡±

    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so straightforward. I thought you would give me all sorts of excuses.¡± Seeing that Lucas

    had been persuaded, Christopher ced his gun down. Nheless, it was still aimed at Lucas. If he

    tries anything funny, I¡¯ll pull the trigger.

    ¡°You¡¯re already aiming your gun at me. What else is there that I could hide?¡± Lucas gave a bitterugh.

    ¡°The Franks are not backed by the Goldsteins. I am very sure of this as I have a good friend in the

    Frank family. You forged the evidence so that I would believe you and turn against Mark. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. That was indeed a scam.¡±

    ¡°And then there¡¯s Isabelle¡¯s medical report. You purposely let me find out about it. Even hiding it from

    Yvonne was part of the n. In that case, am I correct to assume that Isabelle took part in everything

    since the beginning and that your ultimate goal is Goldstein Corporation?¡± Christopher asked as he

    leaned against a couch. He then picked up a cigarette and gestured Lucas to light it for him.

    Lucas¡¯ expression changed upon hearing Christopher¡¯s question. He never expected Christopher to

    have thought that far. Lucas then replied helplessly, ¡°Isabelle indeed took part in this. As for her

    objective in doing so, I can¡¯t let you know as we have signed an agreement. If you really want to know,

    why don¡¯t you ask her directly?¡±

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663

    ¡°Hello, the person you called is unavable. Please try againter.¡± It was the fifth time I called

    Christopher but failed to reach him. If my memory served me right, Christopher hadn¡¯t mentioned or

    even hinted at going on a mission before he left.

    Why can¡¯t I get through? What on earth is going on? Could it be that Christopher is indeed on a

    mission? Otherwise, why didn¡¯t he let me tell Mark his whereabouts? After all, Mark is my father.

    Anyway, perhaps there is something sensitive that I shouldn¡¯t know about.

    Later, I drafted a text message on my phone. In it, I asked Christopher to be careful and remember that

    I would be waiting for him at home.

    Feeling that the draft wasn¡¯t good enough, I rewrote it to sound overbearing. Christopher, since you¡¯re

    my right-hand man, I have a lot of things to assign to you. Remember toe back early. Also,

    remember that I am your chairman.

    After sending the message, I put the phone aside and went to the kitchen. Since Tobey showed upte

    at the cafe, I only managed to have some appetizers before Flora came and used me of being a

    homewrecker.

    When the doorbell rang, I opened the door and was shocked to see Isabelle. It was the first time she

    visited me ever since I moved out from the Goldstein residence.

    I weed her into the house and asked, ¡°Mom, do you prefer coffee or tea?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Are you having ate-night snack?¡± She was surprised

    to see food on the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s my dinner.¡± I shrugged. Noticing that Isabelle frowned, I added, ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore Tobey. On the

    contrary, he showed upte and his girlfriend ruined our dinner. Do you know how embarrassed I was?

    His girlfriend kneeled before me right away and begged me tearfully not to separate them.¡±

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Did you say Tobey¡¯s girlfriend crashed the party?¡±

    Isabelle was surprised by the dramatic turn of events. After remaining silent for a while, she finally said,

    ¡°Well, who doesn¡¯t have past romantic rtionships? Since Tobey is an outstanding man, it¡¯s nothing

    unusual for other women to fall for him. It¡¯s fine as long as he doesn¡¯t betray you after marriage.¡±

    Isabelle refused to give up on matchmaking us. Feeling a headache, I replied, ¡°It appears that I¡¯m the

    homewrecker now. Besides, I think Tobey isn¡¯t fond of me. I mean, he has fixed his gaze on Flora ever

    since she showed up. Under such circumstances, our marriage might turn out to be miserable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Tobey to resolve the problem.¡± Nheless, Isabelle was seemingly unbothered by what

    happened.

    ¡°You can¡¯t resolve it right away, can you?¡± I murmured. Since Tobey doesn¡¯t like me anyway, why does

    Mom want me to marry him?

    ¡°The Osborns won¡¯t let an unworthy woman marry into their family. Given that you¡¯re a Goldstein, I

    believe they won¡¯t mistreat you.¡±

    The way Isabelle worded her sentences made me feel like I would very soon marry Tobey. I was

    hungry before Isabe came over but lost my appetite after having the conversation. Well, I guess I¡¯ll

    go on a diet today! I put the te back on the table and heaved a sigh silently. Then, I tried to change

    the subject of the conversation. ¡°Dad was happy when I delivered lunch for him this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your dad¡¯s opinion about putting me in charge of the Kenfort project? Has he

    agreed to it? And your dad won¡¯t call for a board meeting to remove me from my vice president

    position, will he?¡± Isabelle finally stopped talking about Tobey and asked me nervously.

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664

    ¡°Dad has agreed to it and will sign the documents once you¡¯re back to the office. Also, he asked me to

    pass you the document about tomorrow¡¯s meeting.¡±

    Before Mark left the office, he gave me the document and said that Mom would be delighted upon

    reading it. He even blinked mischievously and assured me that Mom would agree to all demands that I

    made.

    Just as expected, Isabelle¡¯s lips curled into a grin as soon as she opened the document. It was as

    though she had won the lottery. However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly upset, for it proved that

    Isabelle was way more obsessed with self-interest than I thought. In the end, I didn¡¯t ask anything of

    her.

    I disdained using the contract to exchange for things that I needed. If we had to maintain our mother-

    daughter rtionship using such tactics, I wondered what was left between us. Perhaps there will be

    nothing left.

    As the weather had be colder, I draped a shirt on myself before leaving the house. I was surprised

    to see Tobey standing outside my main door. Given that his shirt looked slightly damp, I guessed he

    had been waiting out there for quite some time. Meanwhile, Tobey handed me a bouquet of red roses

    and said, ¡°Good morning. I hope you¡¯ll be as beautiful and cheerful as roses every day.¡±

    I put on a faint smile and took the roses from him. ¡°Are you gifting the flowers to me as an apology? If

    not, I¡¯ll throw them into the garbage bin right away.¡±

    ¡°Well, roses, especially these eleven roses, symbolize eternal love.¡± Then, Tobey nced at the closed

    door behind me and asked, ¡°May Ie in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit inconvenient. After all, I don¡¯t want to make your girlfriend jealous.¡± After I blinked

    my eyes and declined his request, Tobey¡¯s expression turned grim.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Despite being together for many years, we didn¡¯t get married or have a wedding. Because

    of that, Flora always cries and goes berserk whenever I¡¯m with another woman. Anyway, I¡¯m so sorry

    for what happened yesterday,¡± Tobey apologized.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If we still have to meet up next time, I¡¯d suggest that youmunicate with Flora. If you can¡¯t

    promise me this, I won¡¯t show up next time. When that happens, please don¡¯t use me of

    disrespecting you. I¡¯ll refuse to show up no matter how many times you ask me. After all, I don¡¯t want to

    be seen as a homewrecker,¡± I responded half-jokingly.

    ¡°Well, I still hope that you can agree to my win-win proposal. We will be married on paper only and you

    can decide when you want to get a divorce. In that case, getting married won¡¯t stop you from doing

    anything. Isn¡¯t it a good n¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough! If you dwell on that, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t even be friends,¡± I interrupted.

    After seeing Tobey off, I decided to go to Lane Corporation to find out what Christopher had been

    working ontely. Since I was thepany¡¯s major shareholder, I wished to assist Christopher and

    lessen his burden.

    When I was at the junction, a white car sped toward me. I couldn¡¯t help but frown while taking a few

    steps back. How can they drive that fast? I mean, they¡¯ll be in deep trouble if they crash into a kid!

    As I was pondering about it, the car suddenly stopped next to me. Then, two strong men in ck shirts

    hopped out and rushed toward me. When I wanted to escape, one of them suddenly pulled my hair to

    drag me back.

    ¡°Who are you? Let go of me¡ª¡± I tried to wriggle free from the man and bit his hand. In response, he

    punched me on my back. I staggered and nearly fell to the ground. At that moment, one of them

    grabbed my hand and covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The strong chemical smell wafted into my nose and I soon lost consciousness.

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665

    I could only curse internally before I passed out. After all, I didn¡¯t think I had ever offended anyone

    recently to deserve being abducted and tortured.

    To outsiders, I was the high-and-mighty Ms. Goldstein whom Mark pampered. Besides, Christopher

    also imed that I was his wife. In other words, I had the backing of the two most powerful figures in

    Avenport.

    Crystal was arrogant but dared not offend me. Although Isabelle pampered her, all she could do was

    tease me. She would not have the courage to abduct and torture me. As such, I could not think of

    anyone who would do this to me.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had lost consciousness. By the time I woke up and opened my eyes, I was

    shocked to see a face right before me. My body flinched backward instinctively, yet I was restrained

    and could not move an inch.

    Meanwhile, she came up to me and scanned me from head to toe. As my eyes slowly adapted to the

    light, I saw a girl who looked pure and naive.

    ¡°I admit that you¡¯re beautiful, yet you¡¯re no match for me. Tobey used to say that my vulnerable look is

    catnip for men¡¯s protective instincts. He likes it whenever I blush. Besides, I can look shy but seductive

    at the same time. On the other hand, you appear strong and stubborn, and so you can never give him

    what he desires.¡±

    Tobey?

    Tobey Osborn?

    Eventually, I remembered that the young woman before me was Flora. She was the one who showed

    up at the cafe and begged me to leave Tobey. As soon as I thought about that, I almost lost my temper

    and swore out loud. My goodness! She¡¯s my abductor? What an unexpected disaster!

    At that moment, I was dying to know the reason why she abducted me.

    ¡°Flora, is there any misunderstanding between us? Nothing happened between Tobey and me. You can

    call and ask him if you don¡¯t believe me. I can tell that he loves you very much. When you showed up at

    the cafe that day, he didn¡¯t even nce at me for a second. So, it shows that the only woman he loves

    is you. Instead, we met up only because we were forced to do it. So, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overreacting

    here?¡±

    Gazing at Flora, I felt increasingly confused. What on earth does she want?

    ¡°Stop lying to me with your sweet talk! I¡¯ll never believe women like you ever again. Those who imed

    that we were friends always betrayed me by sleeping with Tobey. I won¡¯t let you seed in snatching

    Tobey away from me.¡±

    Flora did not buy my clear and concise exnation; instead, she became increasingly emotional. She

    red at me and moved her fingers ferociously as though she wanted to skin me alive. Deep down, I

    couldn¡¯t help but think that someone had probably betrayed her in the past.

    ¡°All you have are your beautiful looks and strong family background. What else do you have? Can you

    die for Tobey? Will you be with him if he is deprived of everything? I could do everything for him, but

    what about you?¡± Flora went berserk and yelled at me. Aside from that, she also let out some weird

    noise from time to time.

    My heart skipped a beat. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that Flora was simr to Crystal. Back

    then, Crystal broke down when her true color was revealed during the wedding. She also went nuts

    and the only thing in her mind was to murder someone.

    I gulped in fear and decided not to irritate her. After a while, I said gently, ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t do all

    these because I already have my loved one¡ªChristopher. Yes, you heard me right. He is Christopher

    Lane. He and I are considered public figures in Avenport. You can try asking around or looking us up

    on the inte. After all, there are a lot of gossips about us.¡±

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666

    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Flora tilted her head and gazed at me naively as though she was pondering

    over the credibility of my words.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Why would I fool you? I swear that I will only love Christopher for the rest of my life.¡± I would

    have raised my hand to formally swear an oath if I wasn¡¯t restrained on the chair.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Flora kept pacing up and down in the room. One moment, she mentioned Christopher and Tobey¡¯s

    names softly; the next moment, she gazed at me in confusion and mumbled non-stop. Meanwhile, I

    grabbed the chance to look around. I realized that we were in a small apartment.

    When I saw my handbag on the coffee table, I thought I could escape once I managed to retrieve my

    phone from it. Unfortunately, I was tied up and could not move an inch. Meanwhile, Flora walked in

    circles repeatedly.

    Is she mentally ill? But if that¡¯s true, how could she speak coherently? Besides, how is it possible that

    she could n so meticulously to abduct me?

    Thinking that Flora was convinced, I mustered up my courage and said, ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t have any

    feelings for Tobey. I mean, it¡¯s a waste of time to see him, not to mention marrying him. I¡¯d rather spend

    my time with my beloved Chris.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Flora shrieked all of a sudden as though I triggered her emotions somehow. Then, she

    grabbed the knife on the table and swung it before me. I was terrified and worried that she would

    identally stab me to death.

    ¡°You women always make up a lot of stories to be close to Tobey. In the end, all of you are liars! I¡¯ll

    never fall for your tricks ever again!¡±

    As Flora was shouting, she suddenly burst into tears and continued, ¡°We only wanted to be together.

    Why is it so difficult? Why must everyone disagree with it? Why must everyone stop us? Why can¡¯t we

    fulfill our simple wish¡ª¡±

    Unknowingly, Flora¡¯s words assuaged my nervousness. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected

    when I thought of the obstacles between Christopher and me. As such, my eyes reddened and tears

    nearly streamed down my face.

    I used to feel as confused as Flora and say simr things. Until now, I couldn¡¯t say wholeheartedly that

    Uncle Robert¡¯s death was an ident and that Julia was innocent.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    However, I was relieved that I met Christopher instead of the indecisive Tobey. Christopher never

    compromised in the face of harsh reality but went against all odds to be with me. We went through ups

    and downs, yet he loved me all the same. On the contrary, Tobey always prioritized self-interest above

    all else.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Try talking to Tobey to change his mind, and I believe things will take a different turn.

    Anyway, you can¡¯t have your cake and eat it, too. Tobey has to give up some things that matter to him if

    he decides to be with you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Who are you to badmouth Tobey? I¡¯m the only one who has the right toment on him. No

    one can ever bully him other than me!¡± Flora stood up and wiped away her tears clumsily. With a

    grimace, she came closer and swung the knife in front of my face. I did not dare twitch a muscle

    because I was afraid she would disfigure me with the knife.

    ¡°Hehe, Tobey only looks at you because you¡¯re pretty. Will he pay attention to you if you turn ugly? He

    won¡¯t! In that case, you mustn¡¯t look beautiful.¡±

    With that, Flora grabbed my face and aimed her knife at me.

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667

    I had been disfigured. Half an hour ago, as I stared at that hideous face in the mirror, I did not even

    have the energy to cry. In fact, I did not know if I shouldugh or cry. I wondered what kind of ordeal a

    woman must have gone through to have ended up that way.

    From what Tobey said, it seemed like Flora and he had gone through a lot together. If that was the

    case, why did he not protect her well and allow such a kind woman to go mad?

    When Flora applied lipstick on my lips, she had intentionally smudged it, causing my slender lips to

    look much thicker than it actually was. After sizing me up for a while, she pped her hands and

    eximed, ¡°Perfect! This is how you should look like. I¡¯m sure Tobey will never take a second nce at

    you again.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing between Tobey and me. How many times do you want me to tell you?¡± I felt

    rather upset. My feelings were clearly shown on my face, which was reflected in the mirror. I looked so

    ugly that even I felt disgusted with myself.

    Flora did not add any cuts to my face with the knife, but she had given me a special makeover. I was

    not sure where she had managed to get ck paint, which she had used to cover my entire face, from.

    After doing that, she added ayer of foundation on it as she seemed to have found it too ck. I

    looked slightly fairer after that, but she was still not happy with it and proceeded to add a fewyers of

    blush to my face.

    As such, my face turned out to be a deep crimson color. In addition to my extremely thick eyebrows

    and messy hair, I was pretty sure that even Christopher would not be able to recognize me if I snapped

    a picture of myself and sent it to him.

    ¡°Hehe, now that you look like this, I¡¯m sure Tobey won¡¯t like you anymore. As expected, I¡¯m much

    prettier than you.¡± Flora walked a few rounds around me, observing my new look. Finally, she pped

    her hands in satisfaction. She even wanted to take a picture of me and send it to Tobey.

    I was secretly overjoyed and immediately said, ¡°Sure, that¡¯s a great idea! After you send my picture to

    him, he¡¯ll definitely stop talking to me. That¡¯s also what I want.¡±

    ¡°What are your intentions? Are you ying any tricks? Don¡¯t you even dare!¡± Flora bellowed and kicked

    the chair. However, she did not have enough strength to kick it over and hurt her toe instead. The

    woman was so angry that she mmed her phone to the ground, shattering it.

    I was speechless. That was the strangest way of kidnapping someone. Flora was also probably the

    lousiest kidnapper ever.

    The woman went to search for her phone, only to realize that she had smashed it after a while. She

    picked up the pieces from the floor and stared at them for a long time. Suddenly, hugging the remnants

    of her phone, she started wailing. ¡°This is a gift from Tobey, but I¡¯ve destroyed it. What should I do?

    What should I do? I can feel my heart breaking.¡±

    Well, my heart was breaking too. I was already almost going insane. At that moment, I suddenly had a

    newfound respect for Tobey. I wondered how he had managed to stay normal after being with such an

    edgy and suspicious woman for so long. He even had a good sense of humor, although he could be

    rather mercenary at times. I really had to give it up to him. If I were him, I would have been driven to the

    brink of insanity long ago.

    ¡°Umm, there¡¯s a phone in the bag on the table. You can use that,¡± I suggested cautiously, hoping that

    she would take the bait.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Really?¡± Flora had a confused expression on her face as she looked toward the bag on the table.

    Tilting her head, she seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°When did I have a bag like that? I really don¡¯t

    remember.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that you can use the phone to send the photo. Isn¡¯t that what

    you wanted to do?¡± I tried to persuade her to take the phone while observing her at the same time.

    Indeed, she fell for it and went to retrieve the phone from my bag. Then, she quickly walked over and

    took multiple shots of me, but found that it wascking contrast. As such, I suggested that we take a

    photo together. By doing that, not only it would clearly show how hideous I look, her beauty would also

    be emphasized.

    Flora did exactly as I proposed. At that moment, I came to a conclusion. Flora was not just mentally

    unstable, but her condition was really serious.

    ¡°Who should I send the photo to? Where¡¯s Tobey¡¯s number? Why isn¡¯t it saved?¡± Flora mumbled to

    herself as she scrolled through my contacts anxiously, looking as if she was about to cry.

    ¡°It¡¯s at the top of the list, saved as ¡°My Love¡±. That¡¯s Tobey¡¯s number. Just send the photos over.¡±

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668

    I was so nervous that my hands were trembling. That was actually Christopher¡¯s number. If Flora sent

    our photos over, my n to be rescued would be on its way to sess. Even though I did pity Flora, I

    did not wish to die yet. I wanted to spend more time with Christopher and grow old with him.

    Flora smiled after sending the photos. She paced around the room excitedly, while mumbling to herself,

    ¡°Tobey is mine. He belongs to me.¡± I was feeling increasingly sorry for her. Tobey should really reflect

    on himself for causing so much pain to the woman.

    Indeed, Christopher did not disappoint me and called at once after the photos were sent. In a cheery

    tone, he asked, ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯ve made a new friend and even had a makeover. I¡¯m scared

    of a lot of things, but not ghosts.¡±

    I was so overjoyed that I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I yelled in the direction of the phone

    immediately, ¡°Chris, I¡¯m kidnapped by Flora, Tobey¡¯s girlfriend! She¡¯s mentally unstable. Get Tobey to

    come over and settle her!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not allowed to talk to Tobey!¡± Flora growled, interrupting my cries for help. She spoke

    gently into the phone, ¡°Tobey, you¡¯ve seen the photos right? Look how ugly she is now. She¡¯s not good

    enough for you at all. I¡¯m the one who loves you the most. I¡¯m prettier than her too. Can you don¡¯t talk

    to her ever again?¡±

    Flora had turned on speaker mode, and I could clearly hear Christopher trying to steady his breath.

    Wanting to reassure him that I was alright, I said softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just got a shock. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Finally, Christopher spoke. Addressing Flora, he said, ¡°You¡¯re definitely the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve

    ever met. I¡¯m going over to look for you right now. Can you dress up and wait for me? Are you at home

    now?¡±

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m at home. I have been waiting for you but you didn¡¯t show up. I finally managed to see you

    yesterday but you left so early. I¡¯m so sad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I wasn¡¯t thoughtful enough. I didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen. Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ll be

    there right away,¡± Christopher said gently.

    When I heard his deep and gentle voice, I could no longer hold back my emotions and burst into tears.

    Even though it seemed like he was addressing Flora, he was actually talking to me, telling me not to

    worry.

    I lifted my head up and hummed a tune, pretending to be rxed. It was a very old love song, where

    the lyrics talked about not giving up, regardless of the obstacles one faced in life. I could rte to that

    very well. As long as I could be together with Christopher, I would feel blissful and would be able to

    endure any obstacles along the way.

    ¡°I appreciate your kind intentions,¡± Flora replied.

    What followed was a long wait, with Flora pacing to and fro soullessly and aimlessly. She was in an

    excited mood and seemed to havepletely forgotten about me. She headed into the kitchen and

    after a while, she emerged with a te of colorful stuff that looked like different vegetables blended

    together.

    After that, she sat down and waited quietly. When the clock on the wall suddenly rang, Flora was

    rmed and jumped up. She dashed toward me aggressively, and I thought that she had finally

    decided to beat me up, which was what kidnappers usually did. However, to my surprise, she dropped

    to her knees and started crying while hugging my legs.

    ¡°Please leave him and give us your blessings. I can¡¯t live without Tobey. I would rather die than lose

    him. Life would be meaningless without him.¡±

    I was at a loss for words at her sudden dramatic disy of agony.

    After a while, I finally heard the sound of the door unlocking from outside. When the door was swung

    open, Tobey and a few men who were dressed in white coats rushed in. He took an anxious nce at

    me first, making sure I was alright, before heaving a sigh of relief and walking toward Flora.

    ¡°Tobey, you¡¯re finally here! I love you. I love you so much! Can you kiss me? Let me feel your love for

    me,¡± Flora said emotionally.

    ¡°What on Earth do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Tobey lifted his hand and gave Flora a tight p across her

    face.

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 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669

    Not only was I stunned by his action, but Flora was also shocked as well. She covered her hands with

    her face and started sobbing while apologizing to Tobey. I could not help but frown at the scene.

    Somehow, the happiness which I had felt just a moment ago when help arrived had greatly diminished.

    The men in white coats hurried over and restrained Flora, before bringing her upstairs. Flora kept

    struggling while shouting Tobey¡¯s name, crying her heart out.

    Tobey walked toward me and untied me from the chair. ¡°Ms. Goldstein, are you alright? Do you want

    me to send you to the hospital?¡± he asked cautiously.

    I shook my head, making a mental note to myself. Indeed, Tobey was a man motivated by self-interest.

    Otherwise, he would have definitely checked on Flora first before showing concern toward me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to wash my face. She didn¡¯t really do anything else to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to know that. That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Tobey repeated that a few times, his voice slightly

    trembling from the lingering fear. Beads of perspiration had already formed on his forehead.

    Any good feelings I had developed toward Tobey previously werepletely gone because of Flora. In

    fact, I did not want to talk to him at all. After washing my face, I headed out of the door immediately.

    Tobey ran out and caught up with me, offering to send me back. As I was tired, I epted his offer.

    When I was about to alight after we reached back at the mansion, Tobey suddenly spoke, ¡°Ms.

    Goldstein, what happened today is an ident, can you please keep it from Mr. Goldstein and Mrs.

    Goldstein? I don¡¯t want it to affect the cooperation between the Goldstein and Osborn families.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and replied in displeasure, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Flora at all? If my dad knows

    that I was kidnapped by Flora, he would definitely not let her off.¡±

    Not understanding what I meant, Tobey shared his thoughts, ¡°I did not expect Flora to do such a thing.

    She¡¯s mentally unstable now and does things unexpectedly. She¡¯s just a lunatic and is not aware of

    what she¡¯s doing. If you let her off the hook this time around, I will get someone to watch her closely

    and ensure that she will never appear in your life again. So, can you please forgive her just this once?¡±

    Even though Flora had kidnapped me, I wasn¡¯t very pleased with the way the man kept referring to her

    as a lunatic. Not only that, I was starting to lose any remaining respect I had for him. I sneered and

    said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of jerks like you that cause women to lose their minds just for love. Tobey, let me

    tell you, you will never meet another woman like Flora, who loves you so wholeheartedly, ever again.

    You¡¯ll definitely regret this.¡±

    After I finished speaking, I turned and ran into the house immediately, fuming. When Tobey wanted to

    enter, I mmed the door shut. From the time I was kidnapped until now, I had been uncontactable for

    exactly one entire day. I had a few missed calls on my phone, mostly from Mark. There were also a few

    texts from Sabrina. After sending messages to the two of them, Iy down on the bed and fell asleep

    straight away.

    When I closed my eyes, a thought suddenly urred to me. If I had really died, would my mom be the

    last person to find out? She¡¯s never concerned about my whereabouts. However, what bugged me

    most was that I had not looked for Christopher yet.

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    Due to shock and hunger, I got a sudden fever in the middle of the night. Feeling rather disoriented, I

    climbed out of bed with much difficulty, trying to find some fever medicine. After looking around the

    house for a while, I suddenly remembered that I had moved in for barely half a month and had not

    gotten any medical supplies for the house yet.

    Feeling weak, I slumped on the sofa and took out my phone, wondering who I could call for help.

    Sabrina had a kid, so it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for her toe over, and Christopher was still out of

    town. Finally, I decided to call Isabelle. However, I tried calling her three times, but she did not pick up.

    I hung up in disappointment and called the ambnce instead. I remained on the sofa while waiting for

    the ambnce to arrive alone. Suddenly, I was transported back to my loneliest days. It was during

    those days when I was still together with Lyle. He did not care about me at all. In fact, there was no one

    who cared about me then. When I fell sick, I had alsoid on the sofa while waiting for the ambnce

    alone. However, in the end, it was Christopher who appeared.

    Would Christopher also appear this time round?

    While I was drifting in and out of consciousness, I suddenly heard rustling sounds. Secondster, I was

    being lifted up. I struggled to open my eyes and saw Christopher¡¯s worn-out face. Widening my eyes in

    disbelief, I called out, ¡°Chris¡­¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, I¡¯m here now. Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ve told you before that no matter where I am, I¡¯ll be

    right by your side whenever you need me.¡±

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670

    Christopher had a strange ability to calm me down. I had always felt safe with him around. Even if the

    world wasing to an end, as long as he was with me, I would not be afraid.

    Perhaps, to me, he was invincible. I truly believed that he was capable of anything.

    I leaned in Christopher¡¯s arms while stroking his haggard face, being hooked on an IV drip after I was

    sent to the hospital. I could also feel the stubbles on his chin. Obviously, he had not shaven in a few

    days. I rubbed his chin a few times, loving the familiar feeling. I was reminded of a time when

    Christopher had also taken care of me when I was not feeling well. At that time, he also had stubbles

    as he did not have the mood to shave. Even though his stubbles felt prickly against my face, not only

    did I not mind at all, I had even taken a liking to his rugged look.

    ¡°Chris, maybe you should consider changing your name to Omnipresent instead.¡±

    ¡°Is it because I always appear whenever you need me?¡± Christopher asked in a hoarse, yet gentle

    voice, while rubbing my face lovingly.

    ¡°Yup, to me, you¡¯re omnipresent, just like God. Whenever I think of you, you¡¯ll always appear right next

    to me. Or¡­ are you actually a mind-reader?¡± I joked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a mind-reader. A handsome man like me is probably more like your angel, guarding you. I don¡¯t

    mind being your hero as well.¡± Christopherughed.

    ¡°Yup, you¡¯re my angel, and my hero.¡± Iughed along.

    My fever was pretty bad this time around. I rarely fell sick, but once I did, it was always quite serious.

    The fever caused me to drift in and out of consciousness, and I was just stuck to my bed, unable to go

    anywhere else.

    My fever only subsided the next day. Tobey hade to visit me once, but as I did not wish to see him,

    I told Christopher to send him away. I received a call from Isabelle after I woke up. As she was not

    aware that I had fallen sick, she had requested that I attend the shareholders¡¯ meeting at Goldstein

    Corporation, asking me to support her. It was only then that I remembered that I was still a shareholder

    of Goldstein Corporation, and had the right to attend the shareholders¡¯ meeting.

    ¡°Yvonne, the meeting at three in the afternoon today is very important to me. I don¡¯t care where you are

    right now, juste to thepany immediately. Remember, no matter what others tell you, you

    should only listen to what I say. If voting is necessary, you just have to vote for me.¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± I said helplessly while tapping my head a few times to feel more awake. ¡°So sorry, I don¡¯t think

    I¡¯ll be able to attend the shareholders¡¯ meeting today.¡±

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    ¡°Why can¡¯t you attend? Even if you¡¯re upset with me, it¡¯s not the time to act recklessly. We can talk after

    the meeting. Stop acting like a willful child,¡± Isabelle chided.

    I could tell that she was angry but had tried to keep her tone under control as she needed my help. I

    noticed that Christopher¡¯s face had alreadypletely darkened, and he looked like he was ready to

    snatch my phone away. I shot him a reassuring look at once and said anxiously, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m in the

    hospital now. I had a fever the night before, and my lungs have been infected. It¡¯s quite serious. My

    fever is notpletely gone yet, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to leave the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Are you really hospitalized?¡± Isabelle asked, feeling annoyed. ¡°Why do you have to fall sick at such

    an inopportune moment?¡±

    Can¡¯t she tell that my voice is hoarse, and I sound so weak? I let out a bitterugh and replied, ¡°If it¡¯s

    really that important, I guess you can vote on my behalf since you¡¯re my mom. I don¡¯t think anyone

    would object to that.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. Proxy voting is not allowed. Why don¡¯t I go pick you up now? You just have to show

    your presence,¡± Isabelle suggested anxiously.

    ¡°¡­ Sure then. Let me pack up first.¡± Just as I was about to sit up after the call ended, Christopher

    pushed me back onto the bed. With a stern expression, he said, ¡°You should focus on recuperating. Let

    me handle the rest.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I grabbed his hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad. She¡¯s my mom after all. I guess, if it isn¡¯t really urgent,

    she wouldn¡¯t have offered toe here and pick me up.¡±

    ¡°Is the shareholders¡¯ meeting really more important than your health?¡± Christopher let out a cold snort.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even ask anything about your health.¡±

    Previously, it was always Christopher who tried tofort me, saying nice things about my mom.

    However, it was currently the other way round.

    ¡°My mom has lots of secrets, and she needs to gain power and take care of her own interests. She¡¯s

    always very anxious when ites to times like this. We¡¯ve been apart for so many years, and this is

    the only thing I can do for her. Even though I am a little disappointed and upset as well, I¡¯m still happy

    to be able to help her.¡±

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671

    I was not familiar with Goldstein Corporation, besides, it was also my first time attending such an

    important shareholders¡¯ meeting. I was d that Christopher had shared a little with me on how he

    usually handled such situations, otherwise, I would really be at a loss.

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    As I wasn¡¯t feeling well and did not have the strength to even walk, Christopher, who had always

    pampered me, decided to carry me all the way from the ward to the car, attracting the attention of

    everyone who walked past us. Even though we had been together for so long, I could not help but

    blush, feeling embarrassed.

    ¡°Do you have to do this? I¡¯m just having a fever. You¡¯ll spoil me if you keep doing this,¡± I rubbed my

    head against Christopher¡¯s chest. ¡°In fact, I think you have already spoiled me.¡±

    ¡°Well, so be it. Sometimes, I really wish you were more willful. You can feel free to speak your mind and

    tell me anything you want. I¡¯ll fulfill all your wishes,¡± Christopher said softly.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret what you just said. Don¡¯t you know that a woman knows no limits once she¡¯s

    spoiled? Haha, you¡¯re doomed,¡± Iughed cheekily, shaking uncontrobly in his arms.

    ¡°I will definitely have no regrets,¡± Christopher replied seriously.

    After the car stopped in front of Goldstein Corporation, I nced at the majestic building and turned to

    look at Christopher, asking cautiously, ¡°Umm, why don¡¯t youe with me? I¡¯m quite scared to go

    alone as there will be many people there. From what mom said, it seems to be a really important

    meeting. I¡¯m worried that I will say something wrong and get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s Goldstein Corporation¡¯s shareholders¡¯ meeting, it won¡¯t be appropriate if I go. I¡¯m sure the

    others won¡¯t be happy seeing me there. You won¡¯t want to put your mom on the spot, right?¡±

    Christopher patted the back of my hand lightly and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you here. If you

    are nervous, just look down from the window and you¡¯ll see me right there.¡±

    ¡°Would that work?¡± I remained standing at the door, feeling extremely reluctant to take another step

    forward.

    ¡°You just have to listen to whatever Mrs. Goldstein says and do ordingly,¡± Christopher tousled my

    hair and said. Suddenly, his expression turned serious as he continued, ¡°Eve, no matter what happens

    later, don¡¯t be too shocked. We can talk about it after that, understand?¡±

    Judging by the serious look on Christopher¡¯s face, I could not help but wonder if there was something I

    wasn¡¯t aware of. Frowning, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you know something that I don¡¯t?¡±

    Without answering me, Christopher gestured for me to head inside the building. ¡°Get going. I¡¯ll be

    waiting for you here. Remember, all you have to do is to listen to your mom.¡±

    I just have to listen to my mom. I looped that line in my head several times before entering the building.

    I bumped into Mark at the entrance. Looking shocked to see me, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you

    here?¡±

    ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you aware of it?¡± I blinked and continued, ¡°Mom asked me to attend the shareholders¡¯

    meeting. Even though I only hold two percent of Goldstein Corporation¡¯s shares, I¡¯m still considered a

    shareholder of thepany. I only came at mom¡¯s insistence, though.¡±

    ¡°Belle asked you toe?¡± A crease appeared between Mark¡¯s brows. He seemed to be confused,

    having a perplexed expression on his face. However, the next moment, he said, ¡°You have to listen to

    whatever I sayter, understand?¡±

    Maybe I was just overthinking, but somehow, I had a feeling that it would be an eventful shareholders¡¯

    meeting. Moreover, I was quite sure that whatever was going to happen would most likely be

    something that was difficult for me to ept.

    When Mom saw me entering the office with Dad, her expression turned grim. Striding over to me, she

    pulled me toward her and sat me down with a sullen look on her face,pletely ignoring Dad. Did

    they fight again?

    ¡°Since everyone is here, we can start the meeting now,¡± Mark said coldly, his expression darkening.

    Just then, the meeting room doors suddenly flung open. Someone walked in while saying casually,

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a shareholders¡¯ meeting, how can I not be present? Uncle Mark, you¡¯re getting old. Seems

    like it¡¯s time for you to give up your position as thepany¡¯s CEO. Thepany will only prosper with

    new leadership.¡±

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672

    In shock, I looked at Lucas who was at the door. I was not surprised that he would make an

    appearance in Goldstein Corporation. After all, he was also a descendant of the Goldstein family.

    However, what he said surprised me very much. Is he here to run for the position of CEO? Has he

    finally decided to challenge Mark for the position?

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Mark nced at Lucas as thetter walked inside. He snorted and spoke in an insulting tone,

    ¡°This is a Goldstein Corporation shareholders¡¯ meeting. Have youe here by mistake? Those who

    do not hold any shares are not allowed at the meeting. Since you do not hold any shares, you have no

    right to say that.¡±

    ¡°Uncle Mark, you have made a mistake.¡± Lucas raised his eyebrows and smiled while asking his

    assistant to let Whitney hand out documents to each and every shareholder present. ¡°These are all the

    shares of Goldstein Corporation that I own now. Take a look, dear Sirs, especially Uncle Mark. You

    have to take a good look.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Lucas¡­¡± In a daze, I held the document and watched himing over and sitting by my side, with a

    complicated expression on his face. Is he making his move against my dad? My heart sank. This was

    my good friend going against my Dad, and I didn¡¯t know whose side to take. To me, Lucas was a

    special friend.

    Lucas nced at me with an expressionless face and then turned away without speaking to me.

    Mark suddenly banged on the table and shouted, ¡°How is this possible? How can you have so many

    shares? Even if you bought all the shares that were in the public¡¯s hands some time ago, you can only

    get three percent. Where did the other seven percente from?¡±

    Lucas pursed his lips as he pointed to several shareholders sitting next to him and said, ¡°Thanks to a

    few Sirs who knew that thepany needed new blood in the leadership. So, they all supported me

    and gave me these. Here, I would like to thank all of them very much. In the future, when thepany

    makes profits, everyone can have a share. Uncle Mark, don¡¯t you think so? I am generous, and I won¡¯t

    be as stingy as you in terms of dividends.¡±

    Mark was taken aback. His gaze was as sharp as a sword as he looked at the few shareholders, some

    of whom averted their eyes. I noticed my Mom¡¯s cold expression which was devoid of surprise and

    rather full of expectancy, and I felt disturbed. Could Isabelle be a part of this?

    ¡°Director White, Director Zabriskie, you both turn out to be excellent in hiding your thoughts. I had no

    idea this is what you want.¡±

    Director Zabriskie cleared his throat and braced himself. ¡°Mr. Goldstein, the position of CEO belongs to

    the most capable. I am only with the majority who want this. You¡¯re advancing in age. You should settle

    down to enjoy a blessed retirement.¡±

    ¡°Retirement! Huh!¡± Markughed scornfully and spoke. ¡°So this is what you want. No wonder there is

    this sudden call for a shareholders¡¯ meeting. It¡¯s so unexpected. Lucas, did you think that by doing this,

    you can get control of the corporation? You are so na?ve. As long as I have not made any mistakes in

    my decision-making capacity, there is no way you can oust me.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± I tugged gently at her sleeve. I was anxious to hear her say something to me, but she

    whispered softly, ¡°Just watch what I do and give your support. Anything else, we shall discusster.¡±

    I could only sit quietly trying to be calm although I was really anxious.

    Mark pped the table again and said in a low voice, ¡°Since you have all waited so long to see me step

    down, I won¡¯t say much. Now, let¡¯s vote.¡±

    Soon, everyone began to vote to determine the final decision-maker of the hugepany. I found that

    many people voted for Dad. I thought Mom, too, would also vote for Dad. Mom suddenly spoke. ¡°As a

    shareholder who owns 5% of thepany¡¯s shares, I vote for Lucas Goldstein.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± I was so shocked that I stood up instinctively.

    ¡°Belle!¡± Mark roared angrily and spoke through his gritted teeth, ¡°Do you know what you are saying?¡±

    Isabelle shuddered as she faced Mark¡¯s oppressive gaze as if she had just cooked up a horrible

    thought, but she quickly calmed down and said slowly, word by word, ¡°I have said very clearly that I

    support my nephew, Lucas. Don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mark stood up and his countenance changed while his wholeposure exuded an air of

    extreme terror. He red at Isabelle with bloodshot eyes, as if he was about to explode. Then he

    shouted word by word, ¡°Isabelle Anderson, say that again. Say it again if you dare. Have you forgotten

    something? How dare you defy me?¡±

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673

    Isabelle trembled more severely. Even her lips shook as she hugged herself tightly and curled up on

    her chair, close to a breakdown. She muttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s too horrifying, no¡­ I don¡¯t want¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± I held my mom¡¯s shaking hands, calling her name. I was more and more

    mystified. What¡¯s going on?

    Isabelle got over her meltdown when my calls got through to her. She looked at me steadily and then,

    after a while, she stopped trembling, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°I, Isabelle Anderson, as a

    shareholder of Goldstein Corporation, dere again that I vote for Lucas Goldstein without a doubt.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are good, you are excellent. Isabelle Anderson, I never expected the day you would dare rebel

    against me. Wait and see how I¡¯m going to get back at you.¡± As Mark spoke, he suddenly raised his

    hand and swung it right at my mother. I yelled in fear and tried to stop him, but someone else¡¯s hand

    was quicker than mine and caught hold of his wrist.

    It was Lucas who stopped him and who made this remark, nonchntly, ¡°Uncle Mark, it is unbing

    of a man to raise his hand against a woman and in public, too.¡±

    Mark shook his hand off and repeated, ¡°Isabelle, I¡¯m giving you onest chance. Whom do you vote

    for?¡±

    Mom held my hand very tightly. I could see that she was very stressed, but outwardly, she looked calm.

    She looked at Dad with an icy stare and spoke slowly and clearly, ¡°Mark Goldstein, I will not be your

    puppet forever, nor would I be your tool forever. I did say before that if I do not die by your hand, then I

    would be merciless when I have the power to rebel against you.¡±

    Mark¡¯s oppressive and horrifyingughter filled the conference room as the voting gradually came to an

    end. Finally, I was the only one left who had not voiced any decision yet. My mother¡¯s words went

    round and round in my mind, and I could not say a word.

    ¡°Eve, you are the only one left now. Come, give me your vote. I love you the most,¡± Mark smiled as he

    spoke to me.

    The sound of his voice brought me out of my reverie and as I turned around, I saw that the voting on

    the electronic screen was over. The shareholders supportive of Mark and Lucas amounted to be the

    same. I held two percent of the shares. These were given to me initially by Mark. In the final

    confrontation between my Dad and my special best friend, my decision was pivotal! How ironic!

    ¡°Eve, don¡¯t be swayed by him. Follow me. When we were on the way, I told you to do as I do, and you

    agreed.¡± Isabelle said urgently.

    ¡°But, I¡­ Dad, Mom, what is this about?¡± I was close to tears.

    ¡°Eve, I love you. Your Mom is just having a tiff with me so, she¡¯s behaving this way. You should vote for

    me now. Otherwise, when she gets over her anger, she will regret it. You¡­¡±

    ¡°Mark Goldstein, shut up! Even at this moment, you are still trying to deceive my daughter. Do you think

    that I am unaware of the times you exploited her? Don¡¯t think that because you involve her, Christopher

    will be unable to take action against you. He has already dealt with the previous transfer of the

    problematic project. Don¡¯t even think of getting my daughter into trouble. My son-inw is not someone

    to mess with.¡±

    After saying that, Mom turned toward me and said solemnly, ¡°Yvonne, join Mom in this. Vote for Lucas.¡±

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    At this moment, I could not concentrate on shareholders or votes. All I could think about was Mom¡¯s

    words. I could not even rejoice in the fact that Mom had openly epted Christopher¡¯s status as her

    son-inw. ¡°What puppet? What tool? Mom, what do you mean when you say Dad exploited me? How

    come I know nothing about it? Please tell me quickly.¡±

    Lucas winked at me. In this very solemn situation, he acted casually, smiling at me and saying, ¡°It¡¯s not

    easy for Aunt Isabelle to exin all your queries at one go. We have been such good friends for so

    long. If you don¡¯t vote for me, I¡¯ll unfriend you.¡±

    ¡°Lucas Goldstein!¡± I was exasperated that he could not take this more seriously at such a crucial

    moment.

    ¡°Eve, don¡¯t listen to Lucas. He holds some grudges against me. Your Uncle Goldstein, my own brother,

    too, had backstabbed me before when he struggled for power in Goldstein Corporation. You must not

    be deceived by him like your Mom,¡± Mark called out to me. ¡°Listen to me, vote for me.¡±

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ but, what did Mom mean by what she said?¡± I was thoroughly confused. It seemed like more

    than just a simple disagreement between Mom and Dad. Mom had gone as far as taking someone¡¯s

    side against Dad. Whom should I side with?

    Dad treated me well and to be honest, Mom did not really treat me so well. At this moment, in my heart,

    my feelings were more inclined to side with Dad. Nevertheless, a voice inside me kept telling me to

    listen to Mom. It seemed as if I could remember Mom holding me in the garden admiring the flowers.

    Mom was gentle and loving as she told me she loved me the most and no matter what happened, I

    could depend on her.

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    ¡°When this is over, I shall exin to you. I love you the most. These days together, you must have

    come to realize that. Be a good girl, listen to me.¡±

    My mind was in confusion as I watched Mark and Isabelle each speaking to me in turn. Mom pushed

    me gently, but I was not standing properly so I stumbled back a couple of steps toward the window. At

    that moment, I suddenly remembered that Christopher had spoken to me before I came. He wanted me

    to listen to Mom. Did he know about this, too?

    I still remember when Christopher came back, he kept talking to me even though I was lying in the

    hospital with a fever. It was as if there was too much he wanted to tell me and not enough time. Finally,

    he said something very strange, ¡°There is no such thing as a perfect mother in this world. Perhaps, not

    everything you see is what it seems, so as long as you firmly believe that your mother loves you, then

    that is enough.¡±

    I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was looking directly into Mark¡¯s eyes which were full of

    expectation. I turned away, not wanting to look at him, and said in a low voice, ¡°My vote is given to¡­

    I¡¯m voting for Lucas!¡±

    When Isabelle heard what I said, to my surprise, she wept aloud and hugged me tight as she wept.

    ¡°Eve, I know you are a good girl. Eve, I love you. I¡¯ve always loved you. You are my good daughter.¡±

    ¡°Yvonne Tanner, you slut!¡± Mark began to howl. I did not know if I had done anything wrong. However,

    when I looked at my mom¡¯s weeping eyes, my wavering emotions settled down into certainty, and I

    became firm.

    After Mark had used the most venomous terms to berate mom, he turned on me. For the first time, I

    found out that Dad had such a malicious side. Suddenly he broke out in augh that can only be

    described as hair-raising, and he muttered softly, ¡°Do you think that you can take away something that

    belongs to me like this? Let me tell you. It¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°President Goldstein, no, Director Goldstein. We already have the results of the voting. It¡¯s better that

    you calm down and make things easy for everyone,¡± Director Zabriskie spoke in a neutral voice.

    ¡°Uncle Mark, the business arena is akin to a battlefield. Don¡¯t be a sore loser. Didn¡¯t youe in the

    same way, years ago? Why do this now?¡± Lucas smiled and watched coldly as Mark went on ranting.

    Mark turned around and took out some documents which he threw onto the table. Then, he snorted, ¡°I

    believe it¡¯s better each of you takes a look at these documents. Then, consider your decision again.

    Don¡¯t do something you will regret. When the timees, even if you cry and beg me, I will show no

    mercy.¡±

    ¡°I think we will not be changing our decisions. Nor will we look at your documents.¡±

    The door of the office was suddenly pushed open again and Christopher walked in. He was not

    wearing a suit, but a military uniform that I had never seen before. Behind him were a few heavily

    armed army personnel, including Zachary and Sean, whom I knew.

    ¡°Chris! Zachary! You guys¡­¡± I thought what happened was beyond the scope of my understanding. I

    was only abducted by a woman named Flora and missing for two days, suffering from a high fever for

    one day and one night. After that, everything seemed to have changed.

    ¡°Christopher Lane, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Mark¡¯s face turned ck as thunder.

    Christopher gave me an assuring look and then said to Mark, ¡°Mr. Goldstein, someone has revealed

    that you are running an illegal business and involved with the drug case across the border. You have

    killed people with guns and smuggled arms as well. We are arresting you now. Pleasee with us. If

    you have anything to say, you can tell it to the court.¡±

    ¡°You are arresting your father-inw¡­ Don¡¯t you want to be with Eve anymore? Christopher Lane, I

    have really misjudged you.¡± Mark roared.

    ¡°Eve is my daughter. I have the final say of whom she wants to marry. Mark Goldstein, don¡¯t think that

    you can fool everyone by making up a big lie. I, Isabelle Anderson, am still alive. I know exactly what

    you did to the Anderson family back then. As long as I live, I won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡±

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675

    I would never forget the day my mother and my cousin sent my father behind bars with the aid of the

    man with who I was head over heels in love.

    It turned out I was the only one unaware of the things going on all along. Staring at the departing

    patrolling car, I remained stagnant in the middle of the street.

    Overwhelmed by emotions, Christopher finally rushed to my side and held me in his arms, announcing

    in a gentle tone, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re horrified by the series of incidents, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s not what you think it

    is!¡±

    Confused by the things going on, I asked, ¡°We have just thrown my father behind bars! He¡¯s going to

    spend the rest of his life in istion! What on earth is going on?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s finally gone! It feels so surreal!¡± Isabelle buried her face in her hands as torrents of grief streamed

    down her cheeks. ¡°Mark, as capable as you might be, justice will always triumph! I swore to bring upon

    your undoing on the day you took me away against my will! I finally did it!¡±

    ¡°Can someone tell me the things going on?¡± I repeated my question since I was confused by the series

    of incidents.

    ¡°He¡¯s not your father, Eve! He doesn¡¯t even deserve your sympathy because your rtionship with

    Christopher is the sole reason he acknowledges you as his daughter! He thought he might stand

    something to gain, but I made use of his greed and brought upon his undoing!¡±

    Standing next to me while weeping, Isabelle gasped out the details, ¡°You have my thanks, Yvonne! I¡¯m

    d you have found such an exceptional man! I wouldn¡¯t have made it had it not been for Christopher¡¯s

    aid! I might need to spend another few years with Lucas to work something up to bring upon Mark¡¯s

    downfall! After spending twenty years in istion, I have finally avenged the members of the

    Andersons!¡±

    Isabelle staggered and passed out as she couldn¡¯t remain herposure anymore.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I shrieked and rushed over to stop her from falling in the nick of time. In the end, we rushed her

    to the hospital.

    Her attending physician told me it wasn¡¯t a big deal since she had merely passed out after getting

    overly worked up. Shortly after I tucked her in, I walked out of the ward to join Christopher and Lucas.

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    I knew they had a lot to tell me. Simrly, I had all sorts of questions for them since Isabelle merely told

    me Mark wasn¡¯t my father.

    ¡°Actually, things were tough for Aunt Isabelle throughout the years since she wasn¡¯t even in love with

    Mark. She was brought away against her will and spent every day in despair because she was forced

    to leave you alone. When you finally returned to her, she had to be indifferent in order to keep you safe

    from the maniac as he might torture you in the manner he had been torturing us.¡±

    Halfway through his orated speech, Lucas paused. After much hesitation, he added, ¡°The injuries Aunt

    Isabelle sustained thest time you encountered her was nothing aspared to the time Mark

    rendered her unconscious after a brutal beat-up. I saw it with my own eyes, Yvonne. Aunt Isabelle was

    rushed to the hospital since her ribs had been fractured while her legs were broken.¡±

    He furrowed his brows before continuing, ¡°That vicious man had ruined our lives! That was precisely

    the reason we had been plotting against him throughout the years! We had been waiting forever just to

    get rid of him once and for all!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even imagine the horrifying experiences Isabelle had throughout the years when the injuries

    she once sustained were considered nothing serious.

    ¡°Do you still recall the projects he put you in charge of? Those were nothing more than a money-

    laundering attempt of his! He¡¯s trying to get you involved in his shady trades to keep me at bay!

    Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t aware your mother and cousin were up to something all this while! Once we

    gathered the evidence to send him behind bars, we knew it was time to take him out!¡±

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676

    ¡°Mom, stop moving around! I¡¯ll go get you a ss of water!¡± Instead of finishing it, Isabelle couldn¡¯t

    move her eyes away from me. Her joy was written all over her face.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty? If you aren¡¯t, are you hungry? I¡¯ll go get you something to eat!¡± She grasped my

    hand and stopped me from leaving when I was about to get up from my seat.

    ¡°Just stay right here and let me have a look at you! I never had the chance to look at you ever since the

    day we found one another!¡± She started running her fingers across my face and shed tears of joy while

    praising me, ¡°My daughter is so gorgeous! I¡¯m so sorry for showing you the awful side of mine all this

    while! I wasn¡¯t given much of a choice since I had to keep you safe! Otherwise, our effort over the years

    would be in vain!¡±

    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine! In fact, I¡¯m d I can contribute to the n! To be honest, I had never once forgotten

    the time we spent together when I was young! Therefore, I had faith in you and thought you must be up

    to something else!¡±

    ¡°Eve! I miss you so much!¡± Out of nowhere, she wrapped her arms around me and burst into tears.

    We spent the afternoon in the ward and talked about all sorts of things. She finally told me the truth,

    including the part she was deeply in love with my father when Mark tried to get her into a rtionship

    with him.

    Mark, who was still a gentleman, stopped forcing her into submission once she turned him down.

    However, he morphed into a malicious figure as he slowly got involved in the feud of his family. Things

    got worse when he was rendered incapable of producing offspring.

    He resorted to all sorts of extreme countermeasures against his family members, including poisoning

    the young and innocent Lucas. Lucas was still alive since his father had groveled himself at Mark¡¯s

    mercy for Lucas¡¯ sake.

    Eventually, Mark turned into a self-centered man and thought Isabelle was obliged to stay with him

    merely because he had a thing for her.

    In an attempt to force her into submission, he brought upon the downfall of the Andersons to iste

    Isabelle. He was also the one driving Robert and his wife apart from one another. Robert had faith in

    his wife and thought someone was pulling the strings behind the scene. Once he figured out the things

    Mark was up to, he started plotting against Mark to acquire his revenge.

    However, Mark sent someone to take him out and framed Julia when she was innocent. In the end,

    Mark forged the DNA report to drive Isabelle away from my father and took her into custody when she

    needed someone the most.

    ¡°Have you long figured out Christopher¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t the one behind Uncle Robert¡¯s demise?¡± I was

    utterly dumbfounded the moment I figured out the truth behind the series of incidents throughout the

    years.

    ¡°I was well aware it had nothing to do with Julia right from the start, but I had to pull through with the act

    just in case Mark got suspicious. I couldn¡¯t afford to put others¡¯ lives at stake. Are you going to me

    me for being such a heartless mother?¡±

    Seated next to Isabelle, I grasped her hand and assured her, ¡°No, Mom! I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t be of

    much help when you were in such a nasty situation throughout the years!¡±

    ¡°Taking Crystal in was also one of my attempts to distract Mark¡¯s attention away from you! I thought

    that was enough to stop him from trying anything silly, but I was wrong! Thankfully, Christopher was a

    capable man¡ªhe was precisely the reason I was able to get rid of Mark so soon.¡± Isabelle remarked

    with a smile, indicating she had never felt as great as such over the years.

    The silly me asked in a goofy manner, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, am I allowed to get married to Christopher?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re free to get yourself married to anyone as long as you¡¯ve made up your mind! I¡¯ll always support

    you!¡±

    I rushed out of the ward with a bright grin andunched myself in Christopher¡¯s direction the moment I

    saw him. I burst outughing in his arms and shared the great news with him, ¡°Chris, I¡¯m d I finally

    get to marry you! On top of that, Mom is around with us!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d as well! Speaking of which, it¡¯s time for us to take something serious into consideration!¡±

    Christopher announced in a serious tone.

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    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°When are we going to start with our family nning? Aren¡¯t you aware my mother-inw and your

    mother-inw have been anticipating their grandchildren¡¯spanion?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you need to try harder!¡±

    The End

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