Ariel intentionally waited for Stephen to return to Oceania Villa that night.The moment Stephen came in, she went over and reached out to take his coat. However, he avoided her expressionlessly. She felt unnervingly awkward as she watched Stephen pass his coat to Tabitha instead.She clenched her fists but immediately turned 180 degrees and put on a smile. "Stephen, I took up a business project that requires me to travel for a week. Britney…""I'll ask Julian to pick her up." Stephen made the decision before Ariel could even finish speaking.Ariel's mouth was gaping open, but she forced out another smile. "Great. I feel comfortable knowing Julian will pick her up.""It’s getting late. You should head back." With that, Stephen swerved past Ariel and headed upstairs.Ariel bit her lip resentfully. She wasn’t sure if she was thinking too much, but Stephen had become colder to her since Yvonne’s return.…At Miller Villa, Yvonne was half asleep. She was immediately woken up by Elv

Noah was sitting on the couch in her office. He had one hand on his forehead as his pinky adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. He looked elegant.Yvonne entered the office and made eye contact with him.There was a slight smile on Noah’s face. "It’s been a while, Yvonne."Yvonne returned the smile, but she was complaining in her heart. She was better off not seeing certain people for the rest of her life. Noah and Stephen were cousins, yet they were so different in character. Stephen had his emotions written on his face, but Noah kept everything to himself.Yvonne didn’t like dealing with Noah. After all, it was easier to dodge an open attack than defend against a concealed one. Plus, she wasn’t fond of the coward Noah was, considering how he'd abandoned Simone.However, she remained polite and sat on the couch. She asked, "What do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Anderson?"Oh, being courteous now, are we?" Noah smiled. "Didn’t you use to call me Noah?""I have nothing to do with Stephen

Elizabeth was lying on the bed in her room. She was hanging by a thread through a ventilator.Philip was sitting by her bedside. He was talking to her, but there was no response from her. When he heard a knock on the door, the old man turned and saw Stephen. "You’re here."Stephen walked over to his side and said, "How is Grandma?"Philip shook his head and replied, "She's slowly losing consciousness.""What did the people from Hope say?" Stephen asked.Philip sighed and replied, "We have no more options."Hope Health Services had managed Elizabeth's medical care for the past two years. The results had been decent at the start. However, the people from Hope had mentioned that Elizabeth wouldn’t last long and had asked them to be mentally prepared.They'd tried everything to keep Elizabeth alive. Elizabeth had accepted her fate. She always said that death was inevitable—no one could stop it. However, for the Anderson family, as long as she was breathing, they couldn’t give up o

Before James could take a close look, the boy was already seated in the car.He thought, "I guess kids look about the same." Hence, he didn't take it to heart. He turned toward Britney and teased, "Don't tell me you like the new kid, hmm? Britney, you have such good taste at such a young age."Britney was barely five years old. How could she understand what it meant to like someone? She just thought the little kid was more good-looking compared to the rest, so she wanted to be friends with him.Plus, she wasn't the only one who thought so in kindergarten.Britney had her eyes wide open like a Barbie doll. Before he could react, she buried her head into James' chest. James was instantly overwhelmed by her crying. He hugged Britney tightly and said, "Darling, listen to me. Men are bad. Don't like them. I'll buy you ice cream for the rest of your life if you listen to me."Britney didn't understand a single word. All she knew was that she was getting ice cream. Her tiny chubby hands

"I know."Yvonne couldn't be bothered. "Since she's your grandmother, obviously you'd be affected by it, but I'm different. I used to help her hold on to my status. Now I don't have anything to do with her. Mr. Anderson, I'm a busy woman. I have no time to meddle in your family matters."Besides, I haven't forgotten how Old Mrs. Anderson used to look down on me and make things difficult for me when I was with you. I have every right not to be bothered by her based on the way she treated me."She's rather old now. It's time for her to go, and you need to come to terms with that. Don't waste time and money on an old person like her."Even though Yvonne was speaking casually about it, she was implying something deeper.Stephen's heart was slowly sinking into the depths of his thoughts. His gaze was like the night sky—ever so grim and desolate.He stared at Yvonne silently, attempting to find any trace of pretense in her face. However, Yvonne was calm. Insouciance was hanging on the

A week passed. Ariel was fighting the urge to teleport to Northerna City at that instant. While she was urging the employee to make haste, she received a message from Stephen. "What time will you be back home? Let's have a meal together." It was a succinct message.Surprised, she rubbed her eyes and confirmed what she'd read. The person who texted her was really Stephen!Jodie noticed the situation and approached her with curiosity. "What's the matter?""Stephen is asking me out for a meal." Ariel looked at him. "Pinch me. Am I dreaming?"Jodie found it hilarious. "It's just having a meal together.""But …" She hesitated. "It's been years, and this is his first time asking me what time I'll be back home from work."Ariel was an A-list celebrity now. Last year, she'd been nominated for the Best Female Lead Award along with Simone! Even though Ariel hadn't won the award, it was a recognition of her acting nonetheless.Besides, Jodie reckoned that it was because she wasn't a care

"We're friends." Yvonne didn't think much about the matter. In fact, she was rather perplexed that Xavier had asked that.His brow arched. "Oh, really? Then what are we?""Business partners." She frowned in displeasure. "Do you always check on the other party's personal relationships before talking business?""Nope. It's just pure curiosity." He feigned disappointment. "I didn't expect us to be less than friends. I thought we were childhood friends at the very least, considering our past."Yvonne was rendered speechless, thinking, "What past? Those days when we kept going against each other?" Not feeling the need to bring up their past, she got straight to the point. "On what terms will you be willing to sell Jones Jewels?""I don't want anyone to know my weakness. Even though I was pressured to invest in Jones Jewels, it managed to boost my reputation in the end. If I sell it to you, the only benefit I'll get is money. Nothing more. You're a smart person, Ms. Miller. I reckon y

"Great acting back there," complimented Yvonne emotionlessly right after they had walked out of the door."It was a genuine answer." Xavier was being serious.She faked a smile at him. "Can't wait to be someone's pawn? What a masochist," she concluded in her head. "When you're free, you should see a doctor to check on your brain or mental health, Mr. Robinson." Upon noticing Lloyd pulling the car over, she descended the stairs and waved without looking back."Didn't you want me to take you home?" He asked, but he couldn't shift his gaze away from her back. The only thing that remained in his head was the way Yvonne had smiled at him."I just can't get enough of her," he thought with a helpless smile.…The moment Yvonne entered Miller Villa, she received a call from Rachel. "Ariel's fans have loose screws in their heads. Do they even think before they speak? I just don't get them! The only time you met Stephen after returning to the country was at the wedding. And now these foo

Yvonne had a restless sleep that night. She dreamt about the dazzling dance floor, where a menacing Kayle thrust a knife into her belly, leaving a pool of blood on the floor.The scene shifted, and she was lying on a cold operating table. She flung her arms frantically and grabbed the doctor's surgical gown with bloody hands. Red smeared across the garment. Everything around her was stiflingly red.She woke up from the nightmare drenched in cold sweat. The sun was barely up when she entered Elvin's room and sneaked into his bed. The little boy opened his groggy eyes and muttered, “Mommy.”“Mommy's here.” She pulled her son close and inhaled his faint, milky scent, her apprehension finally giving way to comfort. Lowering her head, she kissed his forehead. Her nose started to prickle as she recalled her nightmare.She'd almost lost her precious baby that day. Fortunately, she'd managed to hold onto the knife at that moment. Otherwise…She couldn't bring herself to think further.

"This is Jax Crawford; he's a singer. He recently released a song, but he's yet to release the music video because he can't find the right person for the female lead. He came across the music video I produced, so he approached me." Simone cut to the chase.Jax had contacted her to get in touch with the female lead star in the music video, and she'd hesitated for quite a while. After all, Yvonne was a non-showbiz personality, and she didn't wish to get involved in entertainment. Hence, Simone had been reluctant to reveal Yvonne's identity.Yet Jax was as stubborn as a bull; he didn't give up after he'd made up his mind. He'd jumped through hoops just to find out Yvonne's name from Simone. Now he was on his own to persuade Yvonne.From the moment he'd sat down, he'd rambled nonstop about his recent song releases and how he'd yet to find the perfect female lead for his music video despite going through countless interviews with actresses. But that was until he'd seen Yvonne. He went