"You motherfucking crazy bitch! I let you have your way but you just keep pushing my limits!" Mr. Hardy shouted.Larissa was afraid things would get out of hand, so she quickly stepped in and attempted to break up the fight. Mr. Hardy pushed her away roughly."Get out!" He yelled, the motions of his arms never ceasing.The other patient in the room seemed to be used to their fights by now. Wordlessly, they closed the curtains around their bed. Out of sight, out of mind."Dad! Mom! Are you done embarrassing yourselves?" Travis shouted angrily, successfully bringing Mr. Hardy back to his senses.He released his grip on Mrs. Hardy, but her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted once again.There was a large, red mark on her forehead, its color darker on her flushed face as a result of her fever. There was no doubt that Mr. Hardy had used a lot of force when he slammed her head against the wall earlier."Could you please call the nurse in or press the call button on my bed for

As soon as Larissa left Travis' room and went by the nurses' station, she was stopped by the nurse who'd given her the ice packs earlier."Oh, perfect timing." The nurse beckoned. Confused, Larissa walked over to her."Here!" The nurse handed her a bill. "You can pay downstairs."Larissa looked at the bill in her hands. It was yet another five-thousand-dollar bill."I think you've made a mistake." She smiled at the nurse. "I'm not related to Travis. I think it's better if you have his parents pay for this.""What?" The nurse was evidently surprised. "Aren't you his wife? I heard his parents say he's married, but his wife—" She hesitated, looking embarrassed.Even though the nurse did not say anything else after that, Larissa was well aware that whatever the Hardys had said about her, it couldn't have been flattering."I'm so sorry. You're the only one besides his parents to visit him in the hospital, and you're a woman too, so I just assumed," the nurse apologized awkwardly, blushing

Larissa thought he wanted to discuss something important with her, so she immediately replied, "I'm available."She had to work the night shift at the hotel on Thursday night, but after she got off work on Friday morning, she would have the rest of the day as well as Saturday off to recharge."In that case, would you like to accompany me as my plus one to a banquet that night?" Dylan asked.As if he were afraid that she would refuse him, he added, "I'm new to Covenford, and you're the only female friend I have. Everyone else is bringing plus ones, and it would be very embarrassing for me to show up without one." He even added a pitiful emoji at the end.Larissa hesitated.If Dylan had been an ordinary lawyer, she would have agreed to help him without having second thoughts about it. However, he was Microworks Corporation's second-largest shareholder. This banquet must be no small occasion.She wasn't afraid of the business magnates she was sure would be present as well. She was simply

The window on the passenger's side lowered as soon as she knocked.Larissa bent down to look inside. Unexpectedly, her gaze was met with a pair of dark eyes."Mr. Rogers?" She looked at the man in the driver's seat, surprise filling her voice. "Where's Dylan?"Kevan retracted his gaze and looked straight ahead, leaving nothing but a cold profile in her direction."Something came up suddenly and he wanted me to pick you up." His reply was concise and to the point."Oh." Larissa nodded. Then, she was faced with a difficult decision.She didn't know where exactly she should sit.If she sat in the passenger's seat, Kevan's imposing presence might be too much for her to handle. On the other hand, if she sat at the back, she couldn't help but feel as if she would be treating Kevan as her chauffeur. She was afraid she would end up offending him."What are you waiting for?" Kevan turned to her and narrowed his eyes impatiently. "Do you not want to go anymore?""No! Of course not!" She decided

Vivian reacted quicker than Larissa. She grabbed the latter’s hand and studied her briefly, nodding. "Of course."To Larissa, she said, "Go pick out a few gowns that you like." She waved her hand generously. "The clothes on this floor are all high-end customized designs from major brands over the years. Take your pick.""High-end customized designs" meant that these clothes were haute couture—clothes that represented the pinnacle of fashion design. Many superstars always wore high-end customized gowns with pride—even if they were out of season—to attend major events. And whether or not they wore haute couture, the choice of the brand, when the clothing was released, and the haute couture of a specific season—all became ways for celebrities to compete with each other.Larissa felt that she was dreaming—no, she could not possibly even be dreaming about this.She really wanted to ask, "Can I really pick whatever I want?" but was afraid that the question would expose her lack of exposu

A series of heel clicks could be heard rushing up, revealing the impatience of the newcomer.Soon, a head poked out from the corner where the stairs were."Vivian!"The grating voice caused Kevan’s brow to furrow.Having spent so many years in the entertainment industry, Vivian’s observation skills were as sharp as a tack. The moment she noticed Kevan’s expression shift, she immediately went and blocked the newcomer at the stairs."Karin! Why didn’t you let me know that you were coming?" She grinned.Karin glared at her. "Don’t I often come by without telling you that I am? But this is the first time I’ve been intercepted by your staff downstairs."She still had a nasty countenance, but the insolence and arrogance shown toward the staff before were not displayed in front of Vivian. Only her tone remained unfriendly as she complained.Vivian hugged her arm with affection as she tried to soothe her gently. "Well, that’s because someone booked the third floor! Just wait downstairs

Vivian did not expect herself to encounter such a difficult person like Kevan. She did not relish this experience, but she could only swallow this bitter pill as she was the unreasonable party in this matter."My apologies, Mr. Shields, I will decline her at once." She bowed lightly and backed away a bit before turning to leave.She had just left when the soft, yellow curtain was cracked open. Poking her head out, Larissa called out softly, "Vivian?"However, she only saw Kevan on the sofa."Where’s Vivian?" she asked him in confusion. "I just heard her.""She’s gone to deal with something." Kevan stood up, both hands in his pockets as he went to Larissa. "Is there something wrong?" He stopped before her and looked down at her due to their difference in height.Larissa had no makeup on her face due to the styling appointment today. In such close proximity, Kevan could clearly see the soft hairs on her face and a little red spot behind her right ear. Her skin was so soft, though h

Kevan swallowed again, his dark eyes teeming with intense emotion."Can you see the hair that’s stuck?" Larissa’s question broke him out of his thoughts. Blinking, Kevan shoved his fanciful thoughts out of his mind and turned his gaze slowly to the zipper. The dark strands that were caught in the zipper were rather obvious."It might hurt. Try to bear with it, alright?"Kevan’s throat was dry, and his voice was hoarser than usual. He pinched the top of the zipper together to make sure that the teeth were aligned while his other hand slowly pulled the zip down. His movements were very gentle, and he was so focused on the task that it was as if he were handling a precious thing.Larissa accidentally glimpsed his face in the mirror, and her shock caused her to freeze on the spot. The Kevan now and…and the one she knew were quite different. Her heart began pounding so hard she felt like it might burst from her chest. All she could hear was her heartbeat drumming in her ears, and she qu

Kevan remained expressionless the whole time, and Larissa could not tell what he thought of this gown at all.Startled, Kevan slowly returned to his senses. "What?" he asked.Larissa was disappointed. He clearly did not like this gown, so much so that he could space out while looking at her."What do you think of this one?" she asked again without much hope."It’s alright." Kevan casually threw down those two words.It was just as she thought.Pursing her lips, Larissa said, "Then please leave. I’ll try the other ones.""Don’t." Kevan waved his hand. When he saw Larissa’s confused gaze, he explained with gleaming eyes, "It’s late, just wear this one.""Oh, okay." The financial backer had spoken, so Larissa did not dare disobey. "Then I’ll wait here for Vivian to do my makeup."Kevan found an excuse to leave. "I’ll call her."He did not dare stay alone with her in such a small space. He was afraid…that he could not hold himself back.With Vivian, she had gone back to the stai

The sounds of the curtain rings rubbing against the rod made their way into Vivian’s ears, and fear enveloped her. Jolting, Vivian’s heart also skipped several beats."Vivian!" Larissa rushed out before Kevan could when she heard her voice."I’ve picked the gown. What do you think?"Her heart settling, Vivian hurriedly turned while plastering a professional smile on her face. "Of course." She took a look and was amazed.She knew Larissa was beautiful, and knew just how gorgeously fairy-like the gown was, but she did not expect that the combination of the two would create something so extraordinary.She said sincerely, "It suits you well."So well that it seemed that the gown was meant for her.Having Vivian’s approval, Larissa regained some of her confidence. She let out a relaxed smile and said, "That’s great.""Why don’t you head in and wait for a bit?" Vivian instructed her. "I still have something to do. Once I’m done, I’ll style your hair and do your makeup."Larissa glan